Bhakthadasi

There is another interesting story about Yudhishtira and Bhima. Yudhishtira was Dharma personified. He never did anything that was not right or dharma. A poor man came to the court of King Yudhishtira and asked for some financial help. King told him: "Please come tomorrow. I will give you a good amount of money to help you." The man thanked the king and left. Bhima also was present in the court. He immediately laughed in his mind and went out, called all the ministers and servants and told them that there is something to celebrate. He did not tell the reason for the great celebration. Since it was a celebration, everybody knew that Bhima was very happy about something. So they all got excited and started preparing for the big celebration. After some time King asked these people running in and out of the palace about their sudden excitement. They told him that Bhima wanted them to get ready for a big celebration. King was really surprised that Bhima is arranging something w...

A story about the importance of not procrastinating a good action. Several people may have experienced the guilty feeling of delaying a good deed and then missing the chance to help somebody. I have done that a few times and felt very bad later. Once Karna was getting ready to take an oil bath. He had oil in a beautiful golden container studded with all the nine type of jewels. (navaratna khachitham) He started applying oil on his body with his right hand from the container in his left hand.  Meanwhile our Krishna came there to talk about something to Karna and saw him getting ready for this ceremonial oil bath. He saw the beautiful container in Karna's hand and asked him: Karna, I have never seen such a beautiful container. When you finish applying oil, can you give me that? Karna, with out hesitating for a moment,  gave the golden bowl to Krishna with his left hand. Krishna did not expect him to react so quickly and in no time got the bowl in his hand. After receiving it,...

I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly. I am easily managed--you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great people and, alas, of all failures, as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures. I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a person. You may run me for profit or run me for ruin -- if makes no difference to me. Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you. Who am I? I am HABIT born out of your innermost tendencies. Author unknown Note: Habit is a behaviour pa...

Here is a story of the pure devotion of Anjaneya Swami. One day Lord Shri Raama was relaxing with Lakshmana, Sugreeva, Hanuman and Angada. He put His head on Sugreeva's lap. Sri Hanumaan and Angada were sitting near Sri Rama doing his paada seva. As usual, Lakshmana stood guarding everyone. It was a full moon day and Shri Raama looked at the Poorna Chandra Bhagavan and asked them": Do you know why there is a dark region or "kalankam" in  moon? They all gave different explanations and justifications for their beliefs. Finally Anjaneya Swami said: I think Chandra bhagavan is a sincere devotee of Vishnu who is neela varnam (color of a dark cloud). Since Vishnu Bhagavan and all his incarnations are Bhaktha  daasaas ( servant of Bhaktha) , He always stays in the devotee's heart. So what I see as the dark region is my Lord Sri Rama residing in the heart of Chandra Bhagavan. The dark region is because of your presence in him. That is the reason, the sight of  Chandra...

Two American youngsters living 100 miles south of New York plan to spend a Saturday afternoon in a public park near New York along with some of their friends (living north of New York)  who promise to  join them at a certain specified time  right at the entrance to the park. The plan is made, almost to the minute. But the two, on their way to New York meet, first with a tire burst, then halfway up with a hold-up by no less than the sheriff of the area for speeding – both these incidents  taking off two hours from their schedule. And then, after the hold-up, when they start the car, the engine refuses to ignite and this causes a further delay of another two hours because the cause is traced to be battery failure.  But since they are only 25 miles from the park they decide to give it a try even after the delay,  even though they are sure   their friends would have given them up by this time. But soon after,  they have to negotiate a long div...

Salt of Life An old and wise man advised a sad and suffering young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to told him drink it. "How does it taste?" the wise man asked. "Very salty and not good," said the young man. The wise man told the  the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in a  lake nearby. They went to the lake side and the young man put the same amount of salt in to the lake.   The old man said, "Now taste the water from the lake." Old man asked, "How is the taste now?" "Good!" said the young man. "Is it too salty?" asked the old man. "No, it is good" replied the young man. The old man explained to the young man, " the pain of life is pure salt. no more. no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the pain depends on the container we put in to. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge...

Kalasha pooja ------------------ I was fortunate to be present in the Meenakshi temple when they performed a Sudarshana Yagna. It was about 3 hours long and I was looking at the nicely decorated kalashaas and wondering about the significance of doing the aavahanam to the kalasha. The kalasha was decorated with different colored threads and mango leaves at the mouth. A coconut was placed at the mouth of the kalasham. I was reading about what it symbolizes and I thought I will share the information i collected with others who are wondering like me.    What is a kalasha? It is a pot made of mud, copper or brass.   What does that represent?   Mahavishnu lies in the kaarana jala as Hiranya garbha (golden egg) before the creation started. One who lies in the kaaranana jala or primordial water is Naaraayna! The universe was filled with kaarana jala and only Hiranyagarbha existed. So the Kalasham filled with water actually represents th...