Happy Dussehra DASHA HARA is a Sanskrit word that means removal of ten bad qualities within you.
Bhagwan Ram defeats Ravan
On the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, hear the tale of DASHA HARA – the removal of ten wicked qualities that reside within us. These vices are Kama vasana (Lust), Krodha (Anger), Moha (Attachment), Lobha (Greed), Mada (Over-Pride), Matsara (Jealousy), Swartha (Selfishness), Anyaaya (Injustice), Amanavta (Cruelty), and Ahankara (Ego).
As we conclude the nine sacred nights of Navratri, we witness the triumph of good over evil in the celebration of Vijayadashami or Dussehra. It symbolizes victory (Vijaya) over these ten wicked qualities. Like the sun that rises every day, reminding us that light will always conquer darkness, let us embrace this natural order and rejoice in the triumph of good over evil.
This moment is one of jubilation, where we honor the power of good, and the world witnesses its victory over the forces of darkness. May this joyous occasion bring success to your life, and may you overcome all evils with the grace of the divine. As we celebrate this occasion, let us wish our loved ones good health, happiness, and prosperity. Let us chant the mantras of
Jai Sri Ram Bolo Siya pati ram Chandra bhagwan ki jai
Dharm ki vijay ho 🙏🏻 Adharm ka nash ho 🥊 Praniyo mai sadbhavna ho😇 Vishwa ka Kalyan ho🕉 Bolo shankar bhagwan ki Jai ❤️ HAR HAR MAHADEV
Welcome to the sacred knowledge about the importance of 108. The mala, consisting of 108 beads, holds great importance in the practice of yoga and meditation. Although there are numerous explanations for the number 108, none are superior or inferior to the others.
108 is a Harshad number, a number that is divisible by the sum of its digits. The Sanskrit term for Harshad is “great joy.” In mortals, there are said to be 108 earthly desires and 108 lies. The chakras, energy intersections in the body, have 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra, and the path to self-realization lies in Sushumna, one of the energy lines leading to the crown chakra.
The Sri Yantra, which has 108 points, as well as the human body, has 54 intersections where three lines meet, each having shiva and shakti aspects.
There are 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance, and 108 marmas in the subtle body. When reciting mantras on the mala, it is essential to remember the mantra with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention.
In the practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 beads are counted as completed, with the remaining 8 beads being offered to god and guru and used to cover errors or omissions.
Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, present, and future. The numbers 1, 0, and 8 have symbolic meanings, with 1 representing higher truth, 0 representing emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 representing infinity or eternity.
The diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the earth, while the average distance of the moon from the earth is 108 times the diameter of the moon.
Lastly, 108 is believed to refer to the number of Hindu deities, with each having 108 names. It is also said that there are 108 paths to god, and 108 styles of meditation. Let the knowledge of 108 inspire your spiritual practice and guide you on your journey toward self-realization.
om tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam urvārukamiva bandhanānmṛtyor mukṣīya maamṛtāt
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is a powerful chant that is believed to have originated from Rigveda. It is considered to be one of the most potent mantras for healing and is chanted to invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva, the three-eyed Lord who sees everything, both visible and invisible. The mantra seeks the Lord’s protection from disease, death, and all forms of suffering. The mantra begins with the sacred syllable “Om,” which is a mystical symbol of the universe and the divine. The word “Tryambakam” refers to Lord Shiva, who is known as the three-eyed one. The next line, “Yajamahe,” is an expression of worship, adoration, and reverence.
“Sugandhim” means fragrant and is a reference to the Lord’s sweet-smelling nature. “Pushthivardhanam” refers to the Lord’s nourishing and life-giving qualities. The Lord is seen as a good gardener who takes care of all his creations, making them thrive and prosper.
The line “Urvārukamiva” compares the Lord’s protective powers to that of a cucumber, which is shielded by its strong vine. The Lord’s protection is believed to be as powerful as the vine that holds the cucumber. “Bandhanān” means bound down, and with “Mṛtyormukṣīya,” it means “liberate from the bounds of death.”
The last line, “Māmṛtāt,” can be interpreted in different ways. One interpretation is “Free me from death but not from immortality,” implying that the mantra seeks protection from death but not necessarily eternal life. Another interpretation is “Give me some life-rejuvenating nectar,” which implies that the mantra seeks the blessings of the Lord for a healthy and long life.
The origin of this secret mantra is steeped in mythology, with Rishi Markandeya being the only one in the world who knew it. Legend has it that the Moon was once in trouble and cursed by King Daksha. Rishi Markandeya gave the Mahamritryunjaya Mantra to Sati, Daksha’s daughter, for the Moon’s well-being. The mantra is also known as the Rudra mantra, symbolizing the furious aspect of Lord Shiva. The Tryambakam mantra alludes to Shiva’s three eyes and is sometimes called the Mrita-Sanjivini mantra, as it forms a part of the life-restoring practice given to the primordial sage Sukracharya.
The Mahamritryunjaya Mantra is a potent tool for seekers of yoga and spirituality. It has found its place in the Vedas and holds within it the essence of the divine. So let us invoke the blessings of the three-eyed Lord Shiva and elevate our consciousness to new heights.
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, a sacred and powerful invocation to Lord Shiva, is renowned for its benefits to mental, emotional, and physical health. This moksha mantra is believed to grant longevity and immortality, and to protect against untimely death. When chanted, the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra imbues the practitioner with energy and guidance from the divine, while reconnecting the consciousness to its true nature. This transformative practice is known as Japa, which involves the repetition of the mantra and leads to greater concentration and awareness.
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra can be used in various ways, including during the smearing of Vibhuti over various parts of the body, as well as in Japa or Homa (havan) to manifest desired results. While the Gayatri Mantra serves to purify and guide spiritually, the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra provides healing, rejuvenation, and nurturance to the practitioner.
“Where to hide the divinity was the question” ask Gods. So Lord Shiva called a council of the gods to help him decide.
“Let’s bury it deep in the earth,” said the gods. But Shiva answered, “No, that will not do because humans will dig into the earth and find it.”
Then the gods said, “Let’s sink it in the deepest ocean.” But Shiva said, “No, not there, for they will learn to dive into the ocean and will find it.”
Then the gods said, “Let’s take it to the top of the highest mountain and hide it there.” But once again Shiva replied, “No, that will not do either, because they will eventually climb every mountain and once again take up their divinity.”
Then the gods gave up and said, “We do not know where to hide it, because it seems that there is no place on earth or in the sea that human beings will not eventually reach.”
Shiva thought for a long time and then said, “Here is what we will do. We will hide their divinity deep in the center of their own being, for humans will never think to look for it there.”
All the gods agreed that this was the perfect hiding place, and the deed was done. And since that time humans have been going up and down the earth, digging, diving, climbing, and exploring–searching for something already within themselves.
As per Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism), karma is of three kinds:
Prarabadha Karma This karma is unchangeable within the scope of one life, since it is the ‘setup’ for the life in question. It is the karma of one’s past lives. After death, the atma leaves the body, as the casting off of old vestments, and carries with it the samskaras (impressions) of the past life of thoughts and actions and events. These samskaras manifest themselves in the unchangeable situation into which one is born and certain key events in one’s life. These include one’s time of death (seen as governed by an allotment from birth of the total number of one’s breaths for that life), one’s economic status, one’s family (or lack of family), one’s body type and look: essentially, the setting of one’s birth, the initial base.
Samchita Karma The samskaras that one inherits from the last lives create one’s personality, inclinations, talents, the things that make up one’s persona. One’s likings, abilities, attitudes and inclinations are based on the thoughts and actions of past lives. One’s samchita karma is somewhat alterable through practice and effort towards change. This might be seen through the Hindu system of yoga and the dynamic of the gunas. An example would be someone who, through meditation, slowly evolved into a more stable personality.
Agami Karma Agami karma is the karma of the present life over which the soul has complete control. Through it one creates one’s karma in the present for the future of the current life and in life-times to come. The Hindu cannot say, sometimes, if a major event in life is the doing of Prarabadha or Agami Karma. The idea of “bad things happening to good people” is seen by the Hindu as a result of Prarabadha Karma, more simply understood as karma from a past life. In Hinduism, karma works within a cyclical framework that sees the phenomenal universe being created and eventually dissolving back into itself, back into realization that it was nothing other than Maya imposed on the truth of Brahman. So Karma will eventually be worked out.
Karma does allow for anirudh (Divine Grace). Through exceeding devotion and love of God, the Hindu believes one can be helped to speed through Karma phal (Karmic fruit). By developing ‘vairagya’ or ‘detachment’ from the fruits of one’s karma, as Lord Krishna most famously summarized, one can transcend karma and be liberated. One is aided by love of God. All the Yogas of Hinduism seek to transcend karma through different means of realization.
One of the interesting aspects about karma in reincarnation is that talents and skills are never lost according to the Cayce files. Someone who has developed an ability in one life will still have it to draw upon later through karma. One may be born for example as a genius or prodigy, in math for example, if he develops this skill or have been of service now or having done so to a prodigous degree in the past or present.
As per ancient Vedic astrology each human is classified as either god like or human like or demon like, If you want to know which category you fall into, text me.
Once there was a young yogi who lived by the river. There he spent most of his time practicing yoga and meditating. His life was simple and worry free. For not having other responsibilities, the yogi could spend long time sitting, contemplating with closed eyes the beautiful transcendental form of the Lord that is in our hearts. This was his daily routine and meditation.
One day, while on the banks of the river, the yogi washed his only clothing and only possession, the rag he used to cover his intimate parts. In India when it was so hot, little more was necessary. Even so while the yogi washed and dried the rag, I had to be naked and wait for it to dry. One day while waiting for his rag to dry he thought: ′′ If I had another rag I wouldn’t waste my time waiting for this rag to be dry I could get dressed right after my bath.”
Just at that moment a wise man was passing through there. A wise man with power to read the thought. He stood and headed to the yogi and said: ′′Dear son, I know what you have in mind. You want to buy time. But listen to me when I tell you that better than acquiring more possessions is better to settle for what one has. It’s better this way.”
Then the wise man offered the young man his blessings and went on his way.
The young yogi meditated deeply on what that wise man had said to him but in the end he thought that with one more rag, nothing would happen, it wasn’t too much to wish. So he went to the market and bought a dress rag.
The next day he bathed in the river as usual, did his clothes and lay it on a rock to dry. Then she dressed her new clothes and went to meditate. Later, the yogi went back to the rock to pick up his dry rag.
As he picked it up from the rock, the yogi realized that the rag was full of little holes, bites from a hungry mouse. Yogi was upset but thought:′′ I know, I’ll buy a cat to chase mice away while my clothes dry.” And so the young yogi went back to the market to buy a cat.
The next day the yogi spent the day happily meditating until the night fell. At this time the cat started meowing, bothering the yogi:′′ Oh, the cat wants milk, ′′ sighed the yogi.
So this time he went to the market and came back with a cow. Everything was going quietly until night fell again and the cow started mugging: ′′ I’m not going to milk the cow every day!”, he thought. ′′ It takes forever.”
So he went back to town and there he asked a young girl to be his wife. She could milk the cow and give it to the cat, who would keep the mouse away from the young yogi’s rag. And so the yogi was happy for a while.
Then the babies came… Until one day his wife said to him:′′ We need a house.” So the yogi built a house. While time went by, yogi was meditating less and less and more and more. He was constantly busy taking care of his home, his growing family, and his animals. Sometimes when he had a moment of peace, he used to remember those times when he had no worries and his only possession was just a rag.
Then one day, remembering those times of peace, again the old sadhu passing by showed up. The sadhu smiled and said: ′′ I see you’re thoughtful, so I’ll tell you once again that it’s better to be content with what one has Because when it comes to wanting or wanting things, there is no end.”
With acceptance and detachment nothing you lose because you want nothing.
Alexander was a brilliant warrior and military genius. He had a bright and subtle mind. His tutor was the great Greek philosopher Aristotle, whose thoughts and writings have had a huge influence on western thoughts concerning ethics, beauty, and politics.
Alexander created a huge army and invaded Persia, of which he conquered along with Egypt, Phoenicia, Palestine, Babylonia, Assyria, and Asia Minor. Alexander now commanded a vast empire but was not satisfied so went on to invade India. When he was making his way through India he came to the Indus Valley. Whilst there, he encountered a small group of yogi’s who were sitting in meditation on the banks of the river.
EPISODE 1 Alexander’s party of soldiers was trying to get through but the meditating yogis were blocking their way and were refusing to move. One of Alexander’s Lieutenants started shouting at one of the yogi’s, “This man has conquered the world! What have you accomplished?” The yogi looked up calmly and replied, “I have conquered the desire to conquer the world” and upon hearing these words Alexander laughed; he admired the wisdom of the yogi.
EPISODE 2 Plutarch further speaks of the wit and character of Indian Yogis in these terms:
“Alexander summoned ten of the wise men of the country, which men do all go naked, and are called philosophers of India. They had made the tribe of Sabbas to rebel and fight against Alexander and had thereby greatly hurt him. These philosophers were taken to be the sharpest and readiest of answer Alexander put them, as he thought many hard questions. He told them that he would put the first man to death that answer his question worst and likewise all others in this order. He made the eldest among them the judge of their answers.
“The question that he asked the first man was:
“Whether the dead or the living, were the greater number”. He answered, “the living…’For, the dead are no more man.’”
‘He asked the second man, “Whether the earth or the sea brought forth most creatures”.
‘The man answered, “The earth ‘for the sea is but a part of the earth.”
‘To the third man he asked, “Which of all beasts was the subtlest”.
‘The answered given was, “That which man hitherto never knew”.
‘To the fourth, question put was, “why did you make king of Sabbas rebel against him (Alexander)?”
‘The answered received was, “Because he should live honorably, or die vilely”.
‘To the fifth he asked, “Which you thought was the first- the day or the night?”
‘The answer given was, “the day, by a day”.
‘Alexander finding this strange answer said, “Strange questions must of necessity receive strange answers.”
‘Coming to the sixth he asked, “How a man should come to be beloved?”
‘He got this answer, “If he be a good man and not terrible”.
‘To the seventh he put the question, “how a man should be a god?”
“In doing a thing that is impossible for a man”, was the received answer.
“Which was stronger, life or death?” was the question put by him to the eighth.
‘And he received this answer, “life that suffers so many troubles.”
‘To the last ninth Yogi, he put this question, “How long a man should live?”
‘The answer was, “until the man thinks it better to die, than to live.”
‘After hearing these answers, Alexander turned to the tenth yogi and asked him to give his judgment upon them.
‘The judge said, “They had all answered one worse than another.”
‘Thereupon, Alexander said, “then you shall be made to die first, because you have given such a judgment.”
‘He replied promptly to Alexander, “It cannot be so, 0 king, unless you be a liar, because you said that you would kill him first, that answered the worst.”
‘Alexander gave them rewards and allowed them to go.”
EPISODE 3 “When Alexander the Great was busy conquering the world far and wide, he came at last to India.
When he was about to return to his country, he remembered that his people had asked him to bring to them an Indian yogi. They had heard a lot about yogis and were very desirous of seeing one, meeting him, hearing him speak and receiving his blessings. Alexander was told that the yogis dwelt in the forest.
In quest of a yogi he went to a forest. Sure enough, he found one sitting underneath a tree, in deep meditation. He waited patiently until the yogi opened his eyes. They shone with a strange, mystic light.
Reverently, Alexander requested the yogi to accompany him to Greece, saying.
“I will give you everything you need or ask for. But, pray, do come with me. My people would love to meet you!”
The yogi quietly answered, “I need nothing, I am happy where I am.”
This was the first time that anyone had turned down Alexander’s request. He could not control himself. He flew into a rage.
And unsheathing his sword, he thundered, “Do you know who is speaking to you? I am the great king Alexander. If you will not listen to me. I shall kill you- cut you into pieces!”
Unperturbed, the yogi answered. “You cannot kill me. You can only kill my body. And the body is but a garment I have worn. I am not the body. I am that which dwells within the body.”
The yogi continued, “You say you are a king. May I tell you, who you are? You are a slave of my slave!”
Stunned. Alexander asked. “How am I a slave of your slave?”
In a voice tender with compassion, the yogi explained. “I have mastered anger. Anger is my slave. See, how easily you gave way to anger. You are a slave of anger, and, therefore, a slave of my slave!”
EPISODE 4 (even though technically this is episode 3, I switched the order, wanted to save the best for the last) Aristotle the teacher and guide of Alexander had told him that, in India lived great mystical, intellectual, and spiritual super beings called Yogis. He told Alexander if he ever got the opportunity, to go and meet a Yogi SPECIFICALLY DANDAMIS, and if possible to even bring one back to Greece for Aristotle to meet.
Upon inquiry, whilst in India, Alexander learned about the great and wise Sanyasi, Yogi Dandamis, of Taxila who dwelled deep in a forest.
Alexander sent numerous summons to Dandamis, which he promptly ignored. Alexander who could strike fear in the hearts and minds of great armies and kings was intrigued. He became desperate to meet this being who assigned no importance to Alexander.
Alexander next sent messengers with lavish gifts and an invitation to Dandamis for discourse and discussion on philosophy. Dandamis politely declined both the gifts and the invitation.
Though angry Alexander, a pupil of the great philosopher and teacher Aristotle, knew very well that, great beings could rarely be lured or coerced.
Finally, Alexander sent a messenger, his helmsman, Onesicritus a disciple of the Hellenic school of Diogenes to invite Dandamis. When Onesicritus met Dandamis, he lavished praise and gifts on him. When Dandamis declined his invitation and gifts, Onesicritus threatened Dandamis. He said that Alexander had ordered the beheading of Dandamis should the orders of the emperor be disobeyed.
Dandamis remained unperturbed, stating, he had no fear of death. Onesicritus couldn’t muster the courage to kill Dandamis, and, instead, paid his respects to Dandamis and went back to report the incident to Alexander.
Livid at being rejected by a naked forest-dweller, Alexander decided to go to Dandamis himself. With his Marshal and a large entourage, Alexander made his way deep into the forest. Even though he experienced the powerful aura of Dandamis, Alexander grew furious when the sage did not get up to welcome him.
Dandamis Yogi ji
“How dared you refuse my gifts?” Alexander demanded. “They were smeared in blood,” replied Dandamis.
The chilling truth, and fearless conviction in Dandamis’s voice, rattled Alexander. Alexander could not let his men overhear the embarrassing exchange, so he ordered them to move some distance away.
Then, when he was alone with Dandamis, Alexander dismounted from his horse, walked towards the sitting sage, and menacingly stood over him.
“Do you know who I am?” Alexander roared. “I don’t think even you know, who you are,” replied Dandamis.
Alexander felt deeply insulted. He drew his sword and swung it at Dandamis, stopping just before it struck Dandamis’s neck.
“I am Alexander, the world conqueror,” he shouted. “You are sitting on my land. Submit or I’ll kill you … ”
“Your land?” Dandamis chuckled as he cut him off. “The land belongs to no one, O King!”
“Before you, there were others who claimed it as theirs,” he continued. “After you, there’ll be others who will say it’s theirs.
All creation belongs to the Creator alone, Alexander. And no one has any right to destroy what they haven’t created. You have blood on your hands, O Emperor! You may have a temporary claim on the land, but you have permanent scars on your soul.”
Clearing his throat, a flustered and uncomfortable Alexander lowered his sword and adjusted his posture.
“The whole world is mine, Dandamis,” Alexander exclaimed. “History will remember me as the mightiest king! My men will die for me!”
“What good is your ambition or their remembrance, O King? You drown yourself in alcohol every evening so you may forget about your crimes and sins. These men who surround you, they are tired of you. You will see it, they’ll give up on you one day, in fact very soon.”
“Besides,” Dandamis continued, “what will you do with the world? All you need is two yards. Two yards long and two yards deep. Ultimately that’s all that will belong to you.”
Alexander sheathed his sword and sat at the feet of Dandamis for a long while. After a rather long discourse, a humbled Alexander bowed his head before Dandamis and left.
Yoga means union with God. The state of yoga is impossible to attain without the blessings of Lord Shiva. It needs a concentrated and focussed mind. There are some specific spots in the human body concentrating upon which, enables a man to attain the state of yoga-spot between the eyebrows, lower part of the throat, Navel and six inches above it etc.
The state of yoga can never be attained until and unless a person has fully controlled the tendencies of sense organs. It can be achieved with the help of eight means-Yama (Penance), Niyam (discipline), Aasan (Posture), Pranayam (Breath-control), Pratyahar (restraint of passion), Dharan (retention), Dhyan (concentration) and Samadhi (deep meditation). Each of them holds an important position in the path of yoga.
Describing about the methods of performing yoga, in Linga Purana Sutji says – “A person should sit with his legs crossed in Padmasan and try to concentrate his mind by fixing his gaze between his eyebrows. He should keep his spine erect. He should meditate either on the form of Omkar or on the form of lord Shiva. Breath control is an important aspect of yogic exercise. A man should exhale deeply for 32 times and then breathe in deeply. He should then retain his breath as long as possible and visualize lord Shiva within his body. By constant practice he will achieve mastery over this art and a time will come when he will experience divine bliss. This divine bliss can not be experienced unless one has attained a deep state of meditation (Samadhi).”
Obstacles in the Path of Yoga – A man experiences numerous obstacles in the path of Yoga-laziness, restlessness confusion, a diseased body etc. The main reason for being lazy is a bulky physique and one’s inability to concentrate his mind. Lack of concentration results in restlessness, which is a major obstacle in the path of yoga. If a person in unsure about the results he becomes confused. It is impossible for a person suffering from any disease to concentrate his mind.
All the above mentioned hurdles can be overcome by firm resolution. A man who has successfully overcome all these obstacles might experience other obstacles in the form of siddhis (divine powers). There is a real danger of getting lured by these divine powers. As a result his mind may get distracted from his original goal and he may deviate from his path. The names of these siddhis or divine powers are-Pratibha (having knowledge of past present & future incident), Shravan (being capable of listening to abnormal sounds), Varta (whatever is said becomes true), Darshana (capable of seeing things which can mot be seen by the mortal eyes), Aaswada (being capable of experiencing divine (tastes), Vedana (being capable of relieving other’s pain by a mere touch). If a person successfully overcomes all these allurements then he becomes a siddha- or man of accomplishment and divine powers.!!
