The philosophy of the Ramayana
March – 31 – 2012          Sri Rama Navami              (Saturday)

Sri Rama was the Parmatman (Supreme Reality) and that Sita was the Jivatman (embodied individual soul). Each man’s or woman’s body was the Lanka. The Jivatman which was enclosed in the body, or captured in the island of Lanka, always desired to be in affinity with the Parmatman, or Sri Rama. But the Rakshasas would not allow it, and the Rakshasas represented certain traits of character.

For instance, Vibhishana represented Sattwa Guna, Ravana represented Rajas Guna and Kumbhakarana represented Tamas Guna. Sattwa Guna means goodness, Rajas means lust and passion and Tamas means darkness, stupor, avarice, malice, and its concomitants.

These Gunas keep back Sita, or Jivatman, which is in the body (Lanka) from joining Paramatman (Rama). Sita, thus imprisoned and trying to unite with her Lord, receives a visit from Hanuman, the Guru or divine teacher, who shows her the Lord’s ring, which is Brahma-Jnana, the supreme wisdom that destroys all illusions.

Thus Sita finds the way to be at one with Sri Rama or in other words, the Jivatman finds itself one with the Paramatman.----------

.  I am not the original author of those stories.  I am only the compiler.  I convey my respects and thanks to all the original authors and translators.  This is a purely children—service venture.  I gain nothing and nothing personally by publication of this blog.  So I hope I will not be bound by any copy-right and such restrictions. I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama VISVA-Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka,  Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara !  I ask them only one boon / blessing from Them in return.  Aayu. Aarogya, Aiswaryam and Happiness and the most important Boon of Sri Kaivalayapadam for me (liberation from the cycle of birth and death and oneness with Parama-atma!).  I firmly believe They grant me this Boon, because I led a pious life all these years!  I also pray Bhagavan:  Sarva Janah Sukhino-bhavanthu! (May He / She bestow Peace and Happiness to All the persons in this world) !

Janaka and Sita

March - 30 - 2012                (Friday)

There was a kingdom called Mithila. The king of Mithila was Janaka. He was a very wise king and taught several sages. Unfortunately he did not have any children .One day when he was ploughing the land, the plough hit a box. Inside the box was a very pretty girl baby. He brought her home and called her Sita. Janaka also had prayed Bhagavan (Bhagavan (Lord)) Shiva and got a great bow. This bow was very heavy and needed fifty strong people to lift it. This was a kept in a corner in the palace of Janaka. One day while Sita was playing with a ball, it went below the box in which this bow was kept. Sita lifted the box with one hand to get her ball .Janaka was seeing this and decided to give her in marriage to anyone who can lift the bow and use the bow. When Sita grew up Janaka arranged for a contest to find out who could lift the bow and use it. Though many kings including King Ravana came, they were not able to lift it. At this time Sri Rama was brought to Mithila by sage Viswamithra. Sri Rama lifted the bow easily, bent it and broke it. Janaka gave Sita in marriage to Sri Rama.  ----------

Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitist. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in this blog to Sri Parama  Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka,  Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

ANOTHER KIND OF REBIRTH

March – 29 – 2012                 (Thursday)                                                           Shaikh Abdul of Gilan in Persia, was worried about the people of his faith. The Muslims around him were worldly and sensual, or else satisfied with formal rituals; there was no true spirit of God in them.  some of them are terrorists and extremists.   So he felt that he was called to preach to them. Then he had a vision.
He seemed to be walking along a Baghdad street where a sick and wasted man was lying on the roadside. The man saluted him with "salaam aleikhum", the customary greeting between Muslims. The Shaikh returned it, and then the man asked him to help him sit up. As the Shaikh did this, the figure began to grow miraculously huge in size! It frightened the Shaikh out of his wits, but the man told him in gentle tones not to be afraid.
"I am the religion of your great-grandfather. I became diseased and miserable, but God has revived me through your help."
This vision occurred on the night before Shaikh Abdul was to appear in the mosque in public and make a speech. It was a prophesy of what was to come in his life. Later on, people recognized the great contribution he had made to Islam, and gave him the name Mohy-ud-Din, "reviver of the faith. 

Moral : Originally, any religion is good and helps the people in the form preached by the founder.   When it gets corrupted and diseased in practice, it harms. Thousands of innocent people, including children and women die every year in the terrorist atrocities perpetuated by extremists in the name of religion.  Again it has to be revived by prophets who come later."

Paropakaari (Real Help to Needy)

March - 27- 2012                       (Tuesday)

 During 1925-30 period,  Bandar (Machilipatnam), which is in Aandhra Pradesh, was a small town.  One day a gentle man was walking on a street of Bandar. The style of his walk itself showed his honesty.   After all only an honest person never needs to lower his head.

This gentle man saw something on the road and it stopped him.  It was the cry of a young man of 18 years age. The teen was sitting outside his house and crying.  The person approached the teen and asked him why he was crying. Seeing the Daya (compassion) in his eyes, the youth told his story  “Swaamy! My father died recently.  We are three brothers and our Maata (Mother) is there. I am the eldest brother. I searched a lot for a job, but I was not able to get one anywhere”.

The gentle man thought for a while; he wanted to help the youth somehow. He said “come with me”. They both went to a Bank. The person talked to the Manager and the person requested the Manager to train the youth on some Bank related work. The youth learnt the work with great sincerity (shraddha).  One month was over and the elderly gentle man gave money to the boy from his own pocket.   Similarly, the next month, the elderly gentle man only gave money to the boy. From the third month onward, since the boy had enough experience, the Bank itself recruited him and thus the young boy was able to stand on his own legs.

The person was none other than “Dr. Bhogaraaju Pattaabhi Seetaaraamayya“. He was one of the freedom fighters and did great Desha-seva. He was born on 24th November 1880 in Gundugolanu village, West Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh. 
Though Shri Seetaaraamayya could have just given the boy some money and consoled him, he didnt choose to do that. Instead he spent his valuable time, made the person learn to stand on his own legs and did true help to the poor family. May be this is why Panditas say “Samaya Daanam (Help at right time is the help)” is the greatest Daanam.   =============================

Pandora’s Box

(From Greek Mythology – Story for kids)

March – 26 – 2012                 (Monday)

Once up a time, a long time ago, Zeus ordered Hephaestus (Aphrodite's husband) to make him a daughter. It was the first woman made out of clay. Hephaestus made a beautiful woman and named her Pandora. 

Zeus sent his new daughter, Pandora, down to earth so that she could marry Epimetheus, who was a gentle but lonely man. 

Zeus was not being kind. He was getting even. Epimetheus and Prometheus were brothers. Zeus was mad at one of the brothers, Prometheus, for giving people fire without asking Zeus first.  

Zeus gave Pandora a little box with a big heavy lock on it. He made her promise never to open the box. He gave the key to Pandora’s husband and told him to never open the box. Zeus was sure that Epimetheus' curiosity would get the better of him, and that either Epimetheus or his brother would open the box. 

Pandora was very curious. She wanted to see what was inside the box, but Epimetheus said no. Better not. "You know your father," Epimetheus sighed, referring to Zeus. "He’s a tricky one."

One day, when Epimetheus lay sleeping, Pandora stole the key and opened the box.

Out flew every kind of disease and sickness, hatred and envy, and all the bad things that people had never experienced before.  Pandora slammed the lid closed, but it was too late. All the bad things were already out of the box. They flew away, out into the world.

Epimetheus woke up at the sound of her sobbing. “I opened the box and all these ugly things flew out,” she cried. “I tried to catch them, but they all got out.” Pandora opened the box to show him how empty it was. But the box was not quite empty. One tiny bug flew quickly out before Pandora could slam the lid shut again.

“Hello, Pandora,” said the bug, hovering just out of reach. “My name is Hope.” With a nod of thanks for being set free,  Hope flew out into the world, a world that now held Envy, Crime, Hatred, and Disease – and Hope of deliverance.

Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog with utmost devotion to Sri Parama  Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka,  Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara !  Aum tat sath !

Manorama and Swarochi

March—25—2012            (Sunday)

This story appears in Markandeya Purana.                                                           In the days of epics and puranas (3000—2000 BC), many ladies were educated.  Some of them acquired expertise in one branch of knowledge or other.  Draupadi in Maha Bharatha epic was an expert in interior decoration, beauty parlour (decorating women) and preparing rare health-drinks and wines.   When she stayed in the palace of King Virata, she took the profession of Sairandhri (beauty parlour expert).  Here is a story.

Once King Swarochi went to forests for hunting cruel animals and protect the people of nearby towns and villages.  There he saw a very beautiful teenage girl. She was being chased by a demon (Brahma-rakshasi).  She was running fast and approached Swarochi.  She beseeched the King to protect her from that demon.  She told him her name as Manorama; she was a princess.  She was the daughter of Gandharva King Indeevaraksha.  She had two close friends, Vibhavari and Kalavathi.  Vibhavari was the daughter of Mandara, a king of Vidyadharas.   Kalavathi was the daughter of a sage Maharshi Paaru.         One fine evening, the three friends want to a flower garden inside a forest for a pleasure trip.  There, they collected many sweet-scented  beautiful flowers. Then they found an old aged sage doing meditation (Tapas) in a small cave in the garden.  They were amused and approached him.  They poked in his face for fun.  The sage was disturbed in his tapas; he cursed Manarama that she will be pested by a fierce demon. He cursed her two friends to suffer with incurable disease of tuberculosis.

The curse of the sage caused a fierce demon chasing the princess Manorama.  She begged Swarochi to protect her. She told she learnt  powerful martial techniques of magic weapons from her father.  She offered to teach that Asthra-vidya to Swarochi, so that he can kill the demon. Swarochi agreed. He learnt that Asthra Vidya from Manorama and killed that fierce demon easily.   

Later King Swarochi was married to the princess Manorama by king Indeevaraksha.  Soon Manorama beseeched Swarochi to cure her friends, Vibhavari and Kalavathi.  King Swarochi learnt the science of Ayurveda (herbal medicine) from his mother when he was a boy.  He treated the two damsels for one month with proper medicines; the two damsels were cured completely.

Vibhavari taught Swarochi  a vidya of talking and understanding the languages of birds and animals.  Kalavathi taught Swarochi a vidya called Padmini.  This vidya can provide a person all royal comforts within a few minutes.  Later, King Swarochi married those two damsels and also.  He lived happily for a thousand years with his three learned wives.  This story was depicted beautifully in a great prabandha “Manucharithra” in Telugu by Allasani Peddana who was one of the Ashta Diggaja poets in the royal court of Sri Krishna Devaraya.

This story depicts many women of noble families were experts in various Vidyas (knowledge) during the purana and epic age (3000 to 2000 BC). -------------------------------------------------------------

Author :  Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama  Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka,  Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara ! 

Andal – Goda Devi

Mar-24-2012             (Saturday)

Early life

Andal is believed to have been discovered under a Tulsi(Basil) plant in the temple garden of Srivilliputtur, by a person named Vishnuchitta who later became one of the most revered saints in Hinduism, Periyalvar. The child was named Kodhai. This is popularly thought to mean "a beautiful garland" in Tamil^[2] .  The name Kodhai is often Sanskritized as Goda. Kodhai was raised by Vishnuchitta. Kodhai grew up in an atmosphere of love and devotion. Vishnuchitta doted on her in every respect, singing songs to her about Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu; teaching her all the stories and philosophy he knew; and sharing with her his love for Tamil poetry. As Kodhai grew into a beautiful maiden, her love and devotion for the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu grew to the extent that she decided to marry none but the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu Himself only. As days progressed, her resolve strengthened and she started to live in a dream world with her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and was constantly fantasizing about marrying Him. ^[3]

Vishnuchitta had the responsibility of delivering flower garlands to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu's temple, everyday. Kodhai made these garlands and sent it to her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu through her father. Eventually she started acting unusual by wearing the flower garland which was meant to be offered to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. This is generally considered sacrilege in Hinduism because the scriptures teach the devotees not to offer to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, a thing that has already been used by a human being. However, Kodhai felt she should test to see how the garland suited her and only if it did, she should offer it to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. One day, she was caught red-handed by her father in this strange act, and as an orthodox devotee he was extremely upset. He rebuked her and told her not to repeat the sacrilegious act in the future. Frightened and apologetic, Kodhai made a new garland for the offering that day. Legend says that that very night the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu appeared to Vishnuchitta in his dream and asked him why he had discarded Kodhai's garland instead of offering it to Him. The Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu is believed to have told Vishnuchitta that He had whole-heartedly accepted Kodhai's offering all this time. This moved Vishnuchitta so much even as he started to realize the Divine Love that existed between the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and his daughter. From this day on, Kodhai is believed to have been respected by the devotees and came to be known as "Andal", the girl who "ruled" over the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. She is also known by a phrase Soodi kodutha Sudarkodi which means "The bright creeper-like woman who gave her garlands after wearing them".

Marrying the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu

As Andal blossomed into a fifteen-year-old beautiful young woman of marriageable age (girls were married at a much younger age in those days), her father prepared to get her married to a suitable groom. Andal, however, was stubborn and insisted that she would marry only the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu at Srirangam. This perplexed and worried her father. Legend has it that he had a vision give by the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, once again, and was instructed to send Andal to Srirangam; the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu simultaneously commanded the priests at Srirangam, in their dreams, to prepare for the wedding. Andal who was anxious to reach Srirangam was unable to control herself in her urgency to meet her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. She ran into the sanctum sanctorum of the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and is believed to have merged with Him completely at that point.^[4]

Literary works

Andal composed two works in her short life of fifteen years. Both these works are in Tamil verse form and are exceptional in their literary, philosophical, religious, and aesthetic content. Her contribution is even more remarkable considering that she was a girl of fifteen when she composed these verses and her prodigiousness amazes readers till date.

Her first work is the Thiruppavai, a collection of thirty verses in which Andal imagines herself to be a Gopi or cowherd girl during the incarnation of Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu Krishna. She yearns to serve Him and achieve happiness not just in this birth, but for all eternity, and describes the religious vows (pavai) that she and her fellow cowherd girls will observe for this purpose. ^[5]

^[The second is the Nachiar Tirumozhi, a poem of 143 verses. Tirumozhi, literally meaning "Sacred Sayings", is a Tamil poetic style. "Nachiar" means Goddess, so the title means "Sacred Sayings of the Goddess." This poem fully reveals Andal's intense longing for Vishnu, the Divine Beloved. Utilizing classical Tamil poetic conventions and interspersing stories from the Sanskrit Vedas and Puranas, Andal creates imagery that is possibly unparalleled in the whole gamut of Indian religious literature. However, conservative Vaishnavite institutions do not encourage the propagation of Nachiar Tirumozhi as much as they encourage Tiruppavai. This is because Nachiar Tirumozhi is belongs to an erotic genre of spirituality that is similar to Jayadeva's Gita Govinda.

The impact of these works on the daily religious life of the South Indian has been tremendous. Just like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the Thiruppavai is recited with great religious fervor by women, men, and children of all ages, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The daily services in most Vaishnava temples and households include this recitation. Both of these works, particularly the Thiruppavai, has been studied extensively by innumerable scholars. It has also been translated into a number of languages over the centuries.

Status in the Society

Andal is now one of the best-loved poet-saints of the Tamils. Pious tradition reckons her to be the veritable descent of Bhumi Devi (Mother Earth) in bodily form to show humanity the way to His lotus feet. She is present in all Sri Vaishnava temples, in India and elsewhere, next to her Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, as she always desired. During the month of Margazhi, discourses on the Tiruppavai in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English take place all over India. ^[7]

Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com----------I am not the author of these stories. I only presented them here free for benefit of all readers. -------  I dedicate all these stories in the blog with utmost devotion to Sri Parama  Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka,  Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara !  Aum tat sath !

Andal – Goda Devi

Mar-24-2012             (Saturday)

Early life

Andal is believed to have been discovered under a Tulsi(Basil) plant in the temple garden of Srivilliputtur, by a person named Vishnuchitta who later became one of the most revered saints in Hinduism, Periyalvar. The child was named Kodhai. This is popularly thought to mean "a beautiful garland" in Tamil^[2] .  The name Kodhai is often Sanskritized as Goda. Kodhai was raised by Vishnuchitta. Kodhai grew up in an atmosphere of love and devotion. Vishnuchitta doted on her in every respect, singing songs to her about Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu; teaching her all the stories and philosophy he knew; and sharing with her his love for Tamil poetry. As Kodhai grew into a beautiful maiden, her love and devotion for the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu grew to the extent that she decided to marry none but the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu Himself only. As days progressed, her resolve strengthened and she started to live in a dream world with her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and was constantly fantasizing about marrying Him. ^[3]

Vishnuchitta had the responsibility of delivering flower garlands to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu's temple, everyday. Kodhai made these garlands and sent it to her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu through her father. Eventually she started acting unusual by wearing the flower garland which was meant to be offered to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. This is generally considered sacrilege in Hinduism because the scriptures teach the devotees not to offer to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, a thing that has already been used by a human being. However, Kodhai felt she should test to see how the garland suited her and only if it did, she should offer it to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. One day, she was caught red-handed by her father in this strange act, and as an orthodox devotee he was extremely upset. He rebuked her and told her not to repeat the sacrilegious act in the future. Frightened and apologetic, Kodhai made a new garland for the offering that day. Legend says that that very night the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu appeared to Vishnuchitta in his dream and asked him why he had discarded Kodhai's garland instead of offering it to Him. The Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu is believed to have told Vishnuchitta that He had whole-heartedly accepted Kodhai's offering all this time. This moved Vishnuchitta so much even as he started to realize the Divine Love that existed between the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and his daughter. From this day on, Kodhai is believed to have been respected by the devotees and came to be known as "Andal", the girl who "ruled" over the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. She is also known by a phrase Soodi kodutha Sudarkodi which means "The bright creeper-like woman who gave her garlands after wearing them".

Marrying the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu

As Andal blossomed into a fifteen-year-old beautiful young woman of marriageable age (girls were married at a much younger age in those days), her father prepared to get her married to a suitable groom. Andal, however, was stubborn and insisted that she would marry only the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu at Srirangam. This perplexed and worried her father. Legend has it that he had a vision give by the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, once again, and was instructed to send Andal to Srirangam; the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu simultaneously commanded the priests at Srirangam, in their dreams, to prepare for the wedding. Andal who was anxious to reach Srirangam was unable to control herself in her urgency to meet her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. She ran into the sanctum sanctorum of the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and is believed to have merged with Him completely at that point.^[4]

Literary works

Andal composed two works in her short life of fifteen years. Both these works are in Tamil verse form and are exceptional in their literary, philosophical, religious, and aesthetic content. Her contribution is even more remarkable considering that she was a girl of fifteen when she composed these verses and her prodigiousness amazes readers till date.

Her first work is the Thiruppavai, a collection of thirty verses in which Andal imagines herself to be a Gopi or cowherd girl during the incarnation of Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu Krishna. She yearns to serve Him and achieve happiness not just in this birth, but for all eternity, and describes the religious vows (pavai) that she and her fellow cowherd girls will observe for this purpose. ^[5]

The second is the Nachiar Tirumozhi, a poem of 143 verses. Tirumozhi, literally meaning "Sacred Sayings", is a Tamil poetic style. "Nachiar" means Goddess, so the title means "Sacred Sayings of the Goddess." This poem fully reveals Andal's intense longing for Vishnu, the Divine Beloved. Utilizing classical Tamil poetic conventions and interspersing stories from the Sanskrit Vedas and Puranas, Andal creates imagery that is possibly unparalleled in the whole gamut of Indian religious literature. However, conservative Vaishnavite institutions do not encourage the propagation of Nachiar Tirumozhi as much as they encourage Tiruppavai. This is because Nachiar Tirumozhi is belongs to an erotic genre of spirituality that is similar to Jayadeva's Gita Govinda.

The impact of these works on the daily religious life of the South Indian has been tremendous. Just like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the Thiruppavai is recited with great religious fervor by women, men, and children of all ages, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The daily services in most Vaishnava temples and households include this recitation. Both of these works, particularly the Thiruppavai, has been studied extensively by innumerable scholars. It has also been translated into a number of languages over the centuries.

Status in the Society

Andal is now one of the best-loved poet-saints of the Tamils. Pious tradition reckons her to be the veritable descent of Bhumi Devi (Mother Earth) in bodily form to show humanity the way to His lotus feet. She is present in all Sri Vaishnava temples, in India and elsewhere, next to her Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, as she always desired. During the month of Margazhi, discourses on the Tiruppavai in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English take place all over India. ^[7]

All for a loincloth

     March - 11 - 2012.          (Sunday)
One of the tales Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to tell is about a holy man who had given up all his possessions. His teacher had advised him to make a little hut thatched with palm leaves, in a solitary place away from the public. This he did. He began to live there, meditating long hours and going out only to beg his one meal of the day.
   But there was one problem. After his morning bath, the sadhu (holy man) would hang his loincloth on the limb of a tree close to the hut. When he returned from the village it would be dry. It would also have some holes in it! It turned out that rats were running up the tree and chewing holes in the cloth. Rats will munch on almost anything.
   One day he decided to dry it on the roof of his hut. That was worse. The rats tore it into shreds, and he had to go and beg a new one in the village. When the villagers heard of his predicament, they said, “Who is going to supply you with cloth all the time? Why not keep a cat; that will chase the rats away.” So someone in the village gave him a kitten, he brought it home to the hut, and sure enough, the rats disappeared and the trouble stopped.
   The sadhu became delighted and took great care of the cat. Not finding any rats, it needed milk, so he went again to the village and begged for milk for the cat. After some days, a villager said, “We can't go on this way. Who is going to supply you with milk all year long? Why not keep a cow; that way you too will have milk – you and your cat.”
   It took a long time for the man to acquire a cow. Finally someone took pity on him and gave him one. Of course the cow had to be milked. Moreover eventually she ate up all the greenery for yards around. “What will the cow eat now?” he thought. Going to the village to beg for some straw, he got more advice. What do you think it was?

   “Till the land around your place and grow your own grain!”
   With great difficulty the sadhu was able to clear land, cultivate it with borrowed tools, and sow a crop. His days were busy. His hut grew into more of a house.
   One day his teacher came that way. What he saw was a collection of possessions. He inquired of a passerby, “An ascetic used to live in this hut, a meditator with no possessions. Do you know where he has gone?”  But the traveler knew nothing. The teacher ventured into the place and found his disciple.
   “What! You went out to be alone, and to meditate. You were going to renounce everything and be free. What in the world happened?” Shame-faced, the man told his story.
   And this is why Sri Ramakrishna used to say, “Be careful: ‘All for a loincloth.’”

A STRANGE GHOST

(Mar-4-2012)                      (Sunday)

It was New Year's night, and Rabbi was walking to his home when he met a shadowy figure. He was stunned to see that it was a man of the city who had recently died! "What are you doing here?" the Rabbi asked, "you are supposed to be dead."
"Rabbi, you know," replied the ghost, that this is the night when souls reincarnate on earth. I am such a soul."
"And why were you sent back again?"
"I led a perfectly blameless life here on earth," the dead man told him.
"And yet," remarked the Rabbi, "you were forced to be born here again?"
"Yes," said the other, "when I passed on I thought about everything I had done and I found it so good; I had done everything just right. My heart swelled with pride, and just then I died. So I was sent back to pay for that."
The figure disappeared and the Rabbi, pondering, went on to his home. Shortly after, a son was born to his wife. The child became Rabbi Wolf, who was a humble man.

Moral :  Pride or ego is also a bad quality and is harms the person.  

Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog with utmost devotion to Sri Parama  Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka,  Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara !  Aum tat sath !

 

Poundareeka Vaasudeva

Mar—2—2012          (Friday)                                                                                   Poundareeka was the Raaja of Karuusha desham. He always used to try to imitate Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna.      He used to dress like Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, wearing Piitaambaram, carrying Venu and Shikhi Pichchham (peacock’s feather) on the kiriitam (crown). He also got imitations of Sudarshana Chakram, Paanchajanya Shankam, Koumodaki Gada, Padmam, Shaarnga Dhanuh (bow). He also put a mark on his Vakshasthalam and said it is Kaustubham.

Though he was doing all this, Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the Purushottama, never got Krodham. He thought may be atleast by imitating My outward appearance, his internal behaviour will change.

But no. Poundareeka was no Bhakta to imitate outward appearance of Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna and change his buddhi. Infact, he started saying he is the “true Vaasudeva”, not Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna. He used to tell everybody, with Ahankaaram, that He is Paramaatma not Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

Sarvagnya, Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, even then didnt get any Krodham. He tolerated the duushanams of Poundareeka. However once with Garvam, Poundareeka went to the extent of imprisoning Parama Bhakta and sakha of Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Sudaama.

Bhagavaan can tolerate anything but not His Bhaktas being tortured. He immediately reached Poundareeka, killed him in a fight and saved Sudaama, His priya-mitra. Once again God proved that He is a Bhakta-sulabha.

Morals in the Story:

1.    Imitating, following Mahaapurushas is good, but following them fully is very very difficult. Poundareeka could only imitate outward appearance but not the Dharma-buddhi of Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

2.    Ahankaaram (ego) is the root cause for one’s destruction. With Ahankaaram, Poundareeka thought he was only God, behaved like a Kruura and imprisoned Bhakta Sudaama.

3.    The greatness of a Bhakta is well shown in the story. Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna didnt get angry with Poundareeka until he tortured His bhakta, Sudaama.  ==============================