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The Task of the Sangh!

"The Hindu culture is the life-breath of Hindustan. It is therefore clear that if Hindustan is to be protected, we should first nourish the Hindu culture. If the Hindu culture perishes in Hindustan itself, and if the Hindu society ceases to exist, it will be hardly be appropriate to refer to the mere geographical entity that remains as Hindustan. Mere geographical lumps do not make a nation.   The entire society should be in such a vigilant and organised condition that no one would dare to cast an evil eye on any of our points of honor.   Strength, it should be remembered, comes only through organisation. It is therefore the duty of every Hindu to do his best to consolidate the Hindu society. The Sangh is carrying out this supreme task.  The present fate of the country cannot be changed unless lakhs of young men dedicate their entire lifetime for that cause. To mould the minds of our youth towards that end is the supreme aim of the Sangh." - Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedge

Sattvik life!

Mananeeya Shivrampant Joglekarji was a Pracharak in Tamil Nadu for a long while. The first thing he took up in TN was to learn Tamil language. Soon he became so good at the language that he even used to write his diary in Tamil. His traditional outfit with a Bhasma-tilak made anyone mistake him for a native. Joglekarji was a simple man. He never used to iron his clothes, except the Ganvesh. As the first thing in the morning, he would clean the whole Karyalaya everyday. Daily Shakha was a key part of his daily life that even during his later years when he suffered from paralysis, he used to attend Shakha in a wheelchair. In Gita, Bhagwan says: मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित: | सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्विक उच्यते ||18:26|| mukta-saṅgo ‘nahaṁ-vādī dhṛity-utsāha-samanvitaḥ siddhy-asiddhyor nirvikāraḥ kartā sāttvika uchyate mukta-saṅgaḥ —free from worldly attachment; anaham-vādī —free from ego; dhṛiti —strong resolve; utsāha —zeal; samanvitaḥ —endowed

I have just begun to collect flowers!

In 1955, during the 51st birthday celebrations of Param Poojaneeya Guruji, a meeting of Karyakartas was held at Calicut in which many Pracharaks including Shankar Shastri Ji and Venuettan had assembled. To everyone's surprise, Mananiya Dattopant Thengadiji arrived at the meeting. He had no official programs planned at Calicut. Curiously, Shastri Ji inquired about the purpose of his visit. "A swayamsevak from Feroke (near Calicut) has written to me about starting a BMS unit in his tile factory", replied Thengdiji. "I'm here to meet him". Quite soon, the swayamsevak arrived and took Thengadiji to Feroke. After a few hours, Thengadiji returned to Calicut, after forming a temporary committee of BMS at Feroke. Back at the office, Venuettan asked him if there were any BMS units anywhere else near Calicut. As always, Thengadiji's cool reply was that there were units in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bhopal and Hyderabad. "With the other units so far, how can

The White Widow | 1 min.

Read about a dreaded female terrorist:  Samantha Louise Lewthwaite (born 5 December 1983), also known as Sherafiyah Lewthwaite or the White Widow, is a British woman who is one of the Western world's most wanted terrorism suspects. Lewthwaite, the widow of 7/7 London terrorist bomber Germaine Lindsay , is accused of causing the deaths of more than 400 people. [9] She is a fugitive from justice in Kenya , where she was wanted on charges of possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit a felony and is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice requesting her arrest with a view to extradition .  Lewthwaite was an alleged member of the Somalia -based radical Islamic militant group Al-Shabaab . [10] She was accused of orchestrating grenade attacks at non-Muslim places of worship, [10] and is believed to have been behind an attack on those watching football in a bar in Mombasa during Euro 2012 . [11] In September 2013, there was speculation over her possible involvement i

The Fate of Sardar Patel | 7 mins.

After losing general elections in 1937 Muslim League had gone virtually on war-path against the Congress in particular and Hindus in general and polarized the population on religious lines. To defuse the situation, at from the Congress’ side, Gandhi ji very wisely chose Maulana Abul Kalam Azad as the Congress President in 1940, just a couple of months before the Lahore resolution for the creation of Pakistan. Because of various factors like World War II, Quit India Movement and most of the Congress leaders in jails, the annual elections for the post of Congress President could not be held until April 1946. Maulana Azad continued to be the Congress President and represented the Congress in various negotiations with the then Government and visiting Missions. As the War was coming to an end, it was becoming clear that India’s freedom is not very far. It was also very clear that it will be the Congress President (due to the number of seats Congress had won in 1946 elections), who shall be

Excelsior! | Guruji's Thoughts | 2 min.

No great work is achieved without great suffering and sacrifice. The worker will be required to pay a heavy price in terms of his personal and family happiness and similarly embrace a life of the troubles and dangers in treading the path of the ideal. The glowing example of Sri Rama is there as the guiding star for the hazardous voyage of a life duty. Even as a boy, he was taken from his parents by Vishwamitra, away from a princely life to a forest life, to fight the rakshasa. Later, after he had won the hand of Sita and was returning to Ayodhya he had to face the terrible Parashurama. And then before he could heave a sigh of relief and taste happiness, he had to leave for a fourteen-year wilderness in forest. Those fourteen years too were full of ordeals and struggle with rakshasa, abduction of Sita by Ravana and the great war at Lanka. As he returned to Ayodhya and was anointed as the king he had to give up Sita in response to the call of kingly duties. Lakshmana, who had followed h

The Joy of Self-Surrender | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

The springs of spontaneous joy and inspiration that rise in a heart charged with a spirit of total surrender to the ideal will defeat all forces of darkness and despair. There is a story of two yogis who were doing intense penance for realising God. Narada, who was on his way to the abode of God, was requested by these two yogis to know from him for how many more births they had to carry on their penance to realise God. Narada on his way back again met the two yogis. To the first he said, "Only four more births." Hearing this reply the yogi became crestfallen and began wailing, ”Oh Lord, still four more births!" To the other, Narada said, "You have to wait till you take as many births as there are leaves in the yonder tamarind tree". But Narada was amazed to see him start dancing with joy. When Narada asked him the reason, he replied, "Now I have got only a definite number of births before I reach God. After that I am assured of meeting God. What a great

The Power of Tranquility | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

A beautiful story from Jain literature: Once Sri Krishna, Balarama and Satyaki were lost in a forest. They decided to spend the night beneath a tree, each keeping guard over the others for two hours. To start with, Satyaki kept awake and the other two slept. But shortly, a Brahmarakshasa (an evil spirit) jumped down form the tree and threatened Satyaki that he would eat up all the three persons. Satyaki got furious and began to fight with the Rakshasa. But to his bewilderment he found the Rakshasa growing in stature and strength. Satyaki was exasperated. After two hours, thoroughly exhausted, he awoke Balarama and went to sleep. As soon as Satyaki retired, the Rakshasa too disappeared for a while but again appeared when Balarama got up. Balarama, conscious of his tremendous strength, became wild with anger and began to combat. But he too met with the same fate. After fighting in vain for two hours he awoke Sri Krishna and went to sleep. The Rakshasa confronted Sri Krishna. But Sri K

Vidwamsam api Karshati | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

In our ancient literature there is the story of Jaimini, a disciple of the great sage Vyasa. Vyasa once asked him to write the shloka- बलवान इंद्रियग्रामो विद्वाम्सं अपि कर्षति   The pull of senses will distract even the scholars. But Jaimini, over-conscious of his powers of self-restraint, changed the words into: बलवान इंद्रियग्रामो विद्वाम्सं नापकर्षति  The pull of senses will not distract the scholar. Vyasa observed it but kept quiet for the time being. Jaimini was residing in a forest, engaged in penance. One evening rain and tempest set in. a young and beautiful woman drenched in the rain and seeking shelter in that darkness came to the hut and begged the young tapasvi for protection. There was fire in the oven; she went there and began to dry her clothes. Just then a gust of wind took away her sari leaving her naked. The young Jaimini could no longer control himself. He approached the woman and entreated her to satisfy his carnal desire. She tried to dissuade him

Priyam Brooyat | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

Once there lived a king who used to consult astrologers about his future. All the astrologers told him that he would live very long but his son would die before his very eyes. That shocking news would naturally infuriate him and he would punish those astrologers. Finally, an old astrologer approached him and said that he was a very fortunate man and would install his grandson on throne with his own hands. Immensely pleased, the king rewarded the astrologer handsomely! Instead of uttering the bitter prophecy like others, he said the same thing but in a sweet manner. And that made all the difference. So it has been said, Satyam brooyat, priyam brooyat  [Speak truly, speak sweetly] Namaste! [Source: Bunch of Thoughts]

Story of Procrustes | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

Once there lived a robber by name Procrustes who used to invite an unwary guest to his forest-house and ask him to rest on a cot. If the guest was longer than the cot, the robber used to chop off his extra length, and if shorter, he was elongated forcibly! That was the novel technique the robber employed to murder persons. Similarly are our leaders hammering and straining the body of our nation to adjust it to the bed of politics with the inevitable result that our age-old social life has fallen into a perilous plight. Namaste! [Source: Bunch of Thoughts]

Flattery Weakens | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

Some people have weakness for flattery. If anyone showers praise upon them, they become elated and inflated and will be prepared to do anything that is desired of them. One can resist many things but not flattery. It is easier to digest the deadliest of poisons than to digest praise and honour. As the story goes, Bhagawan Shankara drank the deadly poison for the protection of all creation but remained unaffected. However even he fell a prey to the praises of Bhasmasura and invited troubles to himself! Praise puffs up a man like an inflated football, always being kicked about from one side to the other. Anybody may come, just praise him in superlatives, get his own self-interest fulfilled and go away leaving the man disillusioned or probably not! There is an old story carrying this moral. Once a crow with a piece of meat in its beak was sitting on a tree. Seeing the crow, a fox sat down under the tree and looking up at the crow, began praising, "What a charming colour you have,

How to Cure Evil | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

Bad characters develop starting with a small lapse somewhere. There is the story of a young man condemned to the gallows for murder. To fulfil his wish his mother came to meet him. But as soon as he saw his mother, he pounced upon her and bit off her ears. He was dragged away and denounced for his brutal behaviour even at the moment of his death. Then he exclaimed that she was the cause of his tragic end! He said, "As a young boy I once stole some money and brought it to my mother. At that time she did not pinch my ears and set me right. From that day onwards, that evil habit grew upon me and I have to suffer its dire consequences today." There is a small English poem, which I read in my boyhood days, which highlights the importance of little things. The poem which starts with the sentence, "For want of a nail, the shoe was lost", goes on to narrate how "for want of a shoe the horse was lost", then the rider was lost, then the battle was lost and finall

Regularity Counts | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

A rich man used to go to his beautiful garden in the afternoon to sit in its cool shade. One day a peacock came and sat on a tree spreading its charming feathers. The owner thought, "How nice it would be if it comes daily at this hour!" He prepared some eatables mixed with a trace of opium and threw them before the peacock. The peacock ate them and felt elated. Next day also, the peacock came remembering that sensation of happiness and the man fed it with another dose of opium. Ultimately the bird was so habituated that it used to come regularly at that hour even without that opium. That is the nature of the mind. Habit is formed by the regular repetition of an idea in thought, speech and action. Here regularity counts much. Irregularity destroys the formation of good character. There are so many persons who are labouring very hard, working at the anvils or cutting down trees or breaking stones. But none of them becomes a Sandow though they are really undergoing strenuous

Offend your Enemies | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

A beautiful anecdote narrated in the Mahabharata: There was a queen by name Vidula. She sent her son Sanjay to the war-field but the fellow became nervous and terror-stricken. He turned his back to the enemies and galloped to his capital. When Vidula saw her son in that crestfallen state she closed the entrance to the fort and severely chastised him. That conversation between the mother and the son has become famous as Vidula-Sanjay-Samvad, wherein Vidula instructs her son as to how a brave warrior should conduct himself on the battlefield. She then orders him to go back to war and return as a victorious hero. As the story goes, Sanjay sallied forth into the battlefield, displayed exemplary valour and came back to be received by his mother with honour. The words of Kunti when the five Pandavas came to seek her blessing before proceeding to give battle are remarkable for their heroic tone. She says: The moment has arrived for which Kshatriya mothers give birth to sons. Lion-hea

Bird and the Landlord | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

A small story with a moral: A bird had built a nest in a field. When the crop was ready for harvest the landlord came there and asked his sons to send word for his relatives to come and help them in harvesting. The infants in the nest heard the landlord's instructions and were alarmed. They reported the same to their mother in the evening and urged that they leave the nest at once. But the mother bird put them at ease saying that there was no hurry. A couple of days passed but nobody turned up to harvest. The landlord again came to the fields and told his sons to send word to his servants to do the job. When the little ones reported this to the mother she again told them not to worry. Again, for the third time, the landlord came to the fields and told his sons, "Now it seems no one else is willing to help us. We shall ourselves attend to this work tomorrow." When this remark was reported to the mother bird then she said, "Well, now it is time for us to depart from h

Eliminate the Evil | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

How can we eliminate the propensity of evil? We often hear our present-day leaders saying that we have no quarrel with 'evil men' as such, but with only their 'evil mentality'. But, 'evil mentality' is not something, which is tangible, which can be caught hold of and destroyed. The evil propensities invariably manifest themselves in the form of an evil person or group of such persons. And it becomes inevitable that in order to eradicate evil we should do away with its supports, i.e., those evil men. If separation of evil nature from man was possible, Sri Rama would have destroyed only the evil propensity in Ravana - for whose other virtues he had the highest regard - all allowed him to live a good life! And again, there would have been no need for Sri Krishna to kill Kamsa or make the Pandavas slay the Kauravas. But that did not happen. As the story goes, when Rama was cutting off the heads of the ten-headed Ravana and breaking up his bows one after another,

Satyam Vada | The story of Jabali | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

Here is a boy, Jabali who adhered to truth under all circumstances. When he approached a teacher with a request to be accepted as his pupils the teacher asked him to what gotra he belonged. The boy went home and repeated the teacher’s query to his mother Jabala. She said, "Well, I conceived you when I was serving as a maid servant in a master’s house. I do not recollect who your father is. Tell this to your teacher." The boy went back and recounted his mother’s reply word to word to the teacher. The teacher said to him, " You are the right type to receive education. You have the rectitude of character and the courage to tell the truth. " Thereafter the boy came to be known as Satyakama Jabala. Namaste! [Source: Bunch of Thoughts]

Ideal Society as God | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

We look upon the society as the living manifestation of Almighty. And we have attributed to the Almighty the capacity of feeding all the living creatures under his care. He is therefore called Vishwambhara. There is a pauranic story, which I heard form a keertankar. Once, it seems, it occurred to Narada to test Lord Vishnu Himself. He caught hold of a few ants, shut them up in a small box and kept it in his safe custody. Then he went out on his usual rounds singing the praise of Vishnu. After a while, he came to Lord Vishnu and casually enquired whether the Lord had had his food. Vishnu replied that he had done so after attending to the feeding of all the living creation. Narada then took out his box saying, "Well, these poor creatures seem to have escaped your Lord’s notice!" Vishnu appeared taken aback, apologised and requested Narada to open the box. And lo! When the box was opened, the ants came out each with a particle of sugar in its mouth! Imaginary though the story

Even Truth Requires 'Proof' | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

A poor Brahmin was once carrying a lamb in his arms. Three thieves, with a plan to knock it off, successively met the Brahmin and accosted him with the derisive exclamation how a pious Brahmin like him was carrying a dog in his arms. The credulous Brahmin brushed off the suggestion of the first, began to doubt at its repetition by the second and finally believed in it when the third repeated it again. He then threw away the lamb, which, of course, was taken charge of by the thieves. Even falsehood if repeated incessantly will have its effect on weak minds. Namaste! [Source: Bunch of Thoughts]

Offence for Offence | Story of Bakasura | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

There is an interesting story in the Mahabharata. Once, while the Pandavas with their mother Kunti were moving about incognito, they happened to come to a place called Ekachakrapuri. There they came to know that the town was under the control of a terrific demon called Baka. Once, when he was about to destroy the whole of the town, the people had entreated him saying, "Do not kill us all now. In return for this favour, we will send you every day a cart-load of rice and other edibles, two buffaloes yoked to the cart and the driver for your food." These were the terms of the agreement. Now, the next part of the story is very interesting and illuminating. Kunti asked the people not to worry by saying that she would be sending one of her five sons who was capable of destroying that Rakshasa. Accordingly Bhima was sent. He went with a cart-load of food to the place of Baka and shouted aloud, "Hello! Where are you? Baka, come on, I have brought your food." He let l

Not Nurture But Culture Counts| A Story | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

The mere fact of birth or nurture in a particular territory, without a corresponding mental pattern, can never give a person the status of a national in that land, Mental allegiance has been, in fact, the universally accepted criterion for nationality. There is an old story with a lesson for us. Once a lioness roaming in the jungle found a small baby jackal and brought it to her cave. The lioness had a few cubs. She began to feed the infant jackal also with her milk along with her cubs. They all began to grow and play about as brothers. Once when they had gone into the thick of the jungle an elephant came that way. The jackal kid, on seeing that colossal animal, cried out in terror to his brothers to run away. The lion cubs replied, "What a fool your are! After so many days we have come across such fine prey. If you are afraid, you go home. We will fight." The jackal kid came running to the cave and narrated to the lioness that a great calamity had befallen his younger

Land of God | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

Hindustan is verily the chosen land of God Realisation. This is not mere sentimental effusion, but our deep-rooted conviction. Some years ago our newspapers had flashed the story of a German who came to our land as a spiritual aspirant. He embraced sanyas and underwent the stern austerities of an all-renouncing ascetic. But even after prolonged penance he could not realise God. On a searching self-enquiry he was convinced that his body, born and bred in the passionate climate of the West, was unfit for God Realisation. He therefore went to Haridwar and gave up his body in the holy Ganga. He left a note stating, "I am giving up the body of my own accord. May the offering of my body in the sacred waters of Ganga merit me with a rebirth in Bharat and with that new chaste body I may be able to realise God." Namaste! [Source: Bunch of Thoughts]

Character is All | Story of King Prahlada | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

Physical strength is necessary, but character is more important. Strength without character will only make a brute of man. Purity of character from the individual as well as the national standpoint, is the real life-breath of national glory and greatness. There is the story of Prahlad which depicts the importance of character. As a result of his meritorious deeds, he drove away Indra and became the king of gods. Indra approached Brihaspati -the guru of gods – and said, "Sir, you know my pitiable plight. What shall I do to regain my throne?" Brihaspati said, "Dress yourself as an ordinary mendicant, go to the durbar of Prahlad at the hour of Ichhadan , i.e., when he gives away whatever the beggars ask, and ask for his sheela (character)." Indra obeyed. He went to Prahlad as a beggar and asked him his sheela. Prahlad said, "Why are you satisfied with only my sheela ?" "That is sufficient for me," replied the mendicant. "You can

A Strip of Land | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

It is a matter of common experience that physical desires can never be satiated. The more one attempts to satisfy them the more intense they grow, even as fire blazes instead of going out when oil is poured into it. Tolstoy has written a very instructive story under the title "How much land does a man need?" A peasant was promised free all land he could run round from sunrise till sunset. In his sheer greed to cover more and more land he ran so far that he never got back to the starting place before sunset, and in utter exhaustion he died. Only a strip of land, seven by two and half feet, was needed to bury him! Namaste! [Source: Bunch of Thoughts]

Materialism does not explain | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

To identify man with a mere bundle of material desires is to equate him with an animal. If man is just an animal, why should he lead an amicable and ordered life? All that can be said is that human beings do not prey upon one another like animals, simply because if X wants to devour Y, some Z will try to devour X. Thus, to prevent themselves from being mutually destroyed, some sort of arrangement had to be arrived at. But it cannot explain why the will to sacrifice for others, the spirit of comradeship in misery, should at all rise in the mind of man. But all through the history of mankind we come across such persons who have sacrificed their lives for others willingly, lovingly and smilingly. There is the story of Dadhichi in our ancient literature who volunteered to offer his bones to be made into a weapon to destroy the demon Vrittasura . He was a seer living in the forest. As an individual he desired nothing. Then, what made him to sacrifice himself ? Let us take an instance of

The Importance of Samskars | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

The bad habits and tendencies that have grown upon us for the past several centuries cannot be washed off in a single day. Therefore the daily imprinting of samskars is an urgent necessity. Even the body requires to be washed daily. Then the mind which is far more susceptible to contamination requires to be purified with much more diligence and regularity, as it is continuously in contact with various evil tendencies which are in the air all around us. When Totapuri , the Advaitic Guru of Sri Ramakrishna, was asked why even he, a realized soul, was continuing his daily routine of samskars . He replied that the mind, as long as it exists in this world, is required to be cleansed daily, just as a vessel used for drinking-water needs a daily scrubbing. Namaste! [Source: Bunch of Thoughts]

Gangasnana | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa used to remark jocularly about persons going for Gangasnana . "Well, as they approach the holy banks of Ganga , their sins fly from their body and sit on the distant trees. But as soon as they start back after their bath, the sins pounce back upon them!" The moral is, man's character cannot be molded by mere momentary upsurges of emotions. It is only one in a million who will be endowed with the mental stamina to turn a momentary gush of feelings into an abiding part of his character. That is why, all our great authorities on mental discipline have ordained us not to succumb to overflow of emotions and weep in the name of God but to apply ourselves to a strict discipline of day-to-day penance. Effusion of emotions will only shatter the nerves and make the person weaker than before leaving him a moral wreck. It is just like a liquor-addict who is left imbecile after the effects of liquor subside. Namaste! [Source: Bunch of Thoughts]

Abroad We are One | Guruji's Thoughts | 1 min.

Some years back, when Pandit Nehru halted at London on his way to America, some of our own countrymen in London went to the aerodrome to stage a black flag demonstration against him simply because they professed to belong to a different party. They forgot that such an act against our Prime Minister in a foreign land was an insult to our nation. Now, see the instance of England. When Winston Churchill, then the leader of the Opposition in Britain, was touring in America, some persons put him questions about his attitude towards the Labour Government in his homeland. Churchill bluntly replied, " Abroad we are one, whatever our differences at home. " Even during the two wars, in spite of the immense suffering and misery the people there had to undergo, no political party tried to make capital out of that situation for its own party ends. The repeated miserable failures of the Communists in that country to save even their deposits in the elections give us an indication of the Br

The Friction of Cow | Guruji's Answers | 1 min.

From a talk with Dr. Saifuddin Jeelany, a noted Muslim Scholar, February 1971: Jeelany : We know that both Hindus and Muslims have a vast amount of goodwill for each other. In spite of this, occasional frictions of varying magnitudes do occur. What steps, in your opinion, should be taken to minimize or altogether stop these? Guruji : One of the causes of these frictions is the Cow. I do not know why the Muslims should go on harping upon their so-called right to slaughter the cow. They need not. As a matter of fact, it is not their religious injunction. That was only a way of spiting the Hindu in the old days. Why should it continue now? Can we not share each other's festivals? Our most popular festival which brings various strata of society together is the Holi. Suppose in this Holi festival a Muslim is sprinkled with a little colored water, do you think that the injunctions of the Koran are violated? Why not regard it as a social affair? The Hindus have been taking part in variou

Shattered Gods | Guruji's Answers | 2 mins.

From a talk with Dr. Saifuddin Jeelany, a noted Muslim Scholar, February 1971:  Jeelany : Materialism in general and communism in particular threaten to engulf our country. Don't you think that Hindus and Muslims, as believers in God, should act as a united bulwark against these dangers? Guruji : This is almost the very question which was put to me some time ago by a gentleman from Kashmir. I think his name is Nazir Ali. He is a good man. I met him at Aligarh, He said to me that this threat of godlessness in the guise of communism is overtaking us all and we, who believe in God, should get together and meet that threat. I said, "I perfectly agree with you but the difficulty is that we have, as it were, broken the image of God and each one has got his own piece. So what is to be done? You think of God in one particular way. The Christian thinks in another. The Buddhist says there is no God; there is only Nirvaana. The Jain will say it is Shoonya. Then so many of us will say t

Follow the Truth | Story of Bharati Swamiji | 1 min.

A small story from the life of His Holiness Shri Chandrasekhara Bharati Swamiji, one of the previous Shankaracharyas of the Shringeri Math:  Once, an American approached him to be converted to Hinduism. Swamiji asked him the reason. The American replied that he was not satisfied with Christianity, that it left his spiritual longing unquenched. The Acharya asked him : "Have you honestly practiced Christianity? Try it first. If it does not satisfy you, then come to me". That is our attitude. Ours is a non-proselytizing Dharma. In almost all cases, proselytization is motivated by political or some such gain. We reject it. We say : This is the plain Truth; if you choose, follow it. Namaste! [Source:  golwalkarguruji.org ,  Images from Google]

The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita | 21 mins.

From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad- Gita is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures. - Adi Sankara Few facts about the Gita:  a part of the Mahabharata (Hindu epic) advises from Lord Krishna to Arjuna at Kurukshetra (in modern day Haryana, India) in BC 3140 [exact, no approximation] influenced people all over the world taught in global universities  does not ask one to believe in God, unlike other holy texts  considered as the fundamental scripture of Hindu Dharma {Gita for Hindus, Bible for Christians} about 700 verses (slokas) in 18 chapters

The Attitude of Justice | Story of King Prahlad | 1 min.

A beautiful story about King Prahlad: Once, his son, Virochan, got into an argument with his Guru’s son Sudhanva. Virochan said, “I am superior to you because I am the son of a king.” Sudhanva claimed, “I am superior because I am the son of a Rishi.” They were both young, and in their impetuousness, they laid bets. Both said, “Whoever is proved superior will live while the other will have to die.” Now, who would be the judge? Sudhanva said to Virochan, “Your father, Prahlad, will be the judge.” Virochan exclaimed, “Really! But then you will complain that he has been partial.” “No, my father, Rishi Angiras, has said that your father Prahlad is perfectly just, and will never differentiate between friend and foe.” The two boys went to Prahlad. Virochan asked, “Father, am I superior or Sudhanva?” Prahlad said, “Why did this question arise?” “Father we have laid bets that whoever is proved superior will remain alive while the other will have to die.” Prahlad smiled and said, “Your friend

The True Spirit of Karmayoga | Story of King Raghu | 1 min.

King Raghu is the ancestor of Lord Ram. Raghu performed the Viśhwajit sacrifice, which requires donating all of one’s possessions in charity. sa viśhwajitam ājahre yajñaṁ sarvasva dakṣhiṇam ādānaṁ hi visargāya satāṁ vārimuchām iva (Raghuvanśh 4.86)[v5] “Raghu performed the Viśhwajit yajña with the thought that just as clouds gather water from the Earth, not for their enjoyment, but to shower it back upon the Earth, similarly, all he possessed as a king had been gathered from the public in taxes, not for his pleasure, but for the pleasure of God. So he decided to use his wealth to please God by serving his citizens with it.” After the yajña, Raghu donated all his possessions to his citizens. Then, donning the rags of a beggar and holding an earthen pot, he went out to beg for his meal. While resting under a tree, he heard a group of people discussing, “Our king is so benevolent. He has given away everything in charity.” Raghu was pained on hearing his praise and spoke out, “

Pleased Gods vs Displeased Gods | Talks with guru | 1 min.

Disciple: Once a great man said that a God who is pleased when we pray and displeased when we don’t, doesn’t exist. Guru (laughing): Many great men have said this. Disciple: I feel that people are often being misguided. I think meditation is needed more than prayer. If only a few plants flower, would we praise the gardener (religion)? Guru: There is no God as such, who pleases when you pray and not when you don’t. We don’t have any such Gods (smiling). But does that mean you should not pray? When you pray, do upasana , meditate, sing bhajans and kirtans , etc. you attain Chittha - shuddhi (purity of mind). And when your mind becomes pure, your self-consciousness grows, naturally enabling you to feel Eeswara-anugraha (immortal bliss). This is how we perceive God. So, prayer is mandatory. There are people who think dhyana  (meditation) is everything. Sitting in Padmasana and closing your eyes is not meditation. Meditation is not something that you should do; it's that whic

The Religion of Arabs | Talks with Guru | 3 mins.

Disciple: When I read the Quran, I felt that Quran and Islam are only for the Arabs. My claim is based on the given verses (interpretations given): ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- 41.3 (Fussilat):   كِتَٰبٌ فُصِّلَتْ ءَايَٰتُهُۥ قُرْءَانًا عَرَبِيًّا لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ Yusuf Ali: A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail- a Qur'an in Arabic, for people who understand (Arabic) Maududi: A Book whose verses have been well-expounded; an Arabic Qur'an for those who have knowledge. [obvious that the book was written for native Arab speakers - people of Arabia] ---------------------------------------------- 41.44 (Fussilat):  وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَٰهُ قُرْءَانًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ ءَايَٰتُهُۥٓ ۖ ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ وَعَرَبِىٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئ

Hindu Family System | Talks with Guru | 1 min.

Disciple: How does our family setup influence our culture? Guru: It is our family setup that sustained our culture. This family setup is that which still keeps up our culture – the Hindu culture. When the other ancient civilisations ruined and vanished with time, the Hindu culture didn’t. Think son, what harsh circumstances have our culture endured! How the Bharateeya way of life, the Hindu culture sustained through all evils is a lesson for humanity. There are two ways in which a culture decays: one, gradual ruin due to lack of defence; and the other, destruction by enemies - especially due to the invasions of chauvinistic narrow-minded cults over broad-minded and tolerant civilizations. Only when one recognizes the adversities and hardships our age-old Sanskruti (culture) has come through, like the violent onslaught of Islam, soft conversion and inculturation of Christianity, etc. will she appreciate the momentousness of our family system. Ours is a culture that breast-feed ideals

The Formless God | Parabrahma | Talks with Guru | 1 min.

Disciple: Our Shastras say that Eeswara (God) is formless and that Eeswara will never take birth. Guru: Yes. Disciple: Then who are our Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Maa Parvati and others? Guru: They are Devatas (deities). All of them are deities. Through them, we seek Eeswara (God). We perceive our deities with three gunas (qualities) – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas - and three vyavaharas (behaviours) – Srushti, Sthiti and Samhaara . Yaska Maharshi, in his Nirukta says: महाभाग्यात् देवताय एकात्मा बहुधा स्तुयते | एकस्यात्मनो अन्ये देव: प्रत्यंगानि भवन्ति || Mahabhagyad-devataya eka atma bahudha stuyate | ekasya atmano anye devah pratyangani bhavanti || [From the greatness of the Deity, the one Soul is celebrated in many ways. The different gods are all members of the one Soul. ] Remember, aspire for attaining the ultimate through Devatas .  Hari Om! ॐ Chidanandam ॐ 

Beware of Jihadis | Talks with Guru | 1 min.

Disciple: How could organizations like Jamaat-e-Islami which propose changes to anything un-Islamic and cover terrorist Jihadi propaganda with a secular veil, surface to the forefront of our society? Guru: A crucial question. In the past, we had seen these people campaigning against the government to ban lethal pesticides. They were willing to cooperate with anyone to get it done. What a good heart these men have, my brothers. Take it from me; this is their age-old device to present themselves in a positive light in front of the society. These Islamic monomaniacs constantly project issues that are pertinent to the society thereby creating an advantageous climate for them in the social mind. When people come to learn about these through the media, they are pleased that a class of energetic socially-responsible men have arisen. But it’s transparent to the well-read that these are their wily schemes to establish their influence over the society thereby promoting their ultimate goal -

Necessary Harm | Talks with Guru | 1 min.

Disciple: I’m a farmer. To control weeds and rodents, I use pesticides. I’m aware that I’m killing a lot of organisms. Will such necessary harm ( avasya-himsa ) be counted as a sin ( paapa )? The very thought of this tortures me. How can I feel better? Guru: An absolutely significant question indeed. The point is to refrain from harming others. The kind of pests that concern you, the pesticides you use, etc. depends on your circumstances. In practice, what you can do is to try not to harm other beings. You can use innocuous natural pesticides. You can promote ecological balance. When you have rat snakes, rodents are controlled. The natural balance is the ideal solution, always. Anyhow, use of noxious chemical fertilizers is highly discouraged. We have already learnt a lesson from the lethal Endosulfan. Generations are still suffering from its aftermath. So, let us have a clean future. On the other hand, if you are of the opinion that natural fertilizers are neither effective nor p

Transform Yourself | Talks with Guru | 1 min.

Disciple: How can I make a positive change in others? Guru: Realize that you cannot change anyone in this world. If you are thinking that you can change someone, you’re wrong. I can only change one person in this world – me. Be it by advice, scorn, teaching or punishment, I cannot change anyone else in this world. If you believe the opposite, time will teach you. The only person you can change is you. So, brace yourself! Accept the good from everyone. Change yourself! The second verse from the Eleventh Anuvaka of Taittiriya Upanishad says: यान्यनवद्यानि कर्माणि | तानि सेवितव्यानि | नो इतराणि | यान्यस्माकं सुचरितानि | तानि त्वयोपास्यानि | नो इतराणि || २ ||  Yani anavadyani karmani | tani sevitavyani | no itarani |  Yani asmakam sucharitani | tani tvayopasyani | no itarani || 2 || [As you gain more freedom, you also have more responsibilities. You will be responsible for the consequences of your actions. Only noble and virtuous actions should be followed and not others. ]

SORRY POPEYE 2

Russian Hindus...

SORRY POPEYE 1

A Vaishnav Marriage in Russia:

Bhavishyapurana and Muslims | Mahamadas | Talks with Guru | 4 mins.

Disciple: In a Q&A session with an eminent Muslim scholar, I came to hear the following argument: In the Bhavishyapurana, there are references that after 4000 years, a man named Muhammed would come and he should be given due respect and reverence. Is this true? What is Guru’s take on this? Guru: The fundamental basis of the Sanatana-Dharma-Shastra is the Vedas. Vedas have 4 parts [Samhitas, Aranyakas, Brahmanas and Upanishads], 6 Angas [Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Jyotisha and Chandas] and 5 Upavedas [Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Sthapathya-veda, Gandharva-veda and Arthashastra]. Since the complex concepts in the Vedas are unfathomable for common people, they have been explained with the help of stories (in ‘Puranas’) and biographies (in ‘Itihasas’/epics). Hence, the Vedas and their allied scriptures are considered as the primary sciences and the Itihasa-Puranas as secondary. Now, among the Puranas, the 18 Maha-puranas command primary status. The Bhavishya-purana in questio