Bharatham : Uthishtatha-Jagratha : (wef-05/11/2012. )

22/12/2017 Sri N. Ananthanarayanan "I have not done any formal Sri Vidya Upasana," the Master told him. "I repeat the Mantra along with several others after bath daily. I repeat the Mantras only once. But perhaps you are right when you say that I have done Sri Vidya Upasana. It is of a different kind. Whenever I see a woman, I mentally prostrate to her and mentally repeat some Devi Mantra, like ‘Om Sri Durgayai Namah’. I look upon all women as the embodiments of the Divine Mother. When I apply the sacred vermillion to my forehead, I repeat, ‘Om Hrim Om’. This constitutes my Sri Vidya Upasana." The Master taught his disciples what a Sannyasin should be, what a saint should be. He was a living example of a Sthitaprajna—a man of unbroken serenity. He had a mind which nothing could shake; nothing could cause a ripple or ruffle in it. It was indeed an extraordinary mind. There is a saying: Learn by doing; teach by being. The Master taught by both doing and b

22/12/2017 Sri N. Ananthanarayanan When the Master was in Swarg Ashram, there was a neighbour of his called Rajarajeswarananda, who was a worshipper of the Divine Mother. His worship of Devi went on for twelve years, but he attained no perfection. On a Durga Puja day the Swami longed to worship the Goddess with silk and ornaments, but he had no money. The day before the worship was to begin, there was a knock at the door. He opened and saw some Punjabi girls. Each one carried a plateful of silk cloth, fruit, ornaments and money. "Swami Sivananda, your neighbour asked us to give these to you for your Navaratri Puja," they said. The Swami believed their words and accepted their gifts. "Whose plates are these?" he asked. "They belong to the alms-house," replied the maidens, taking the empty plates and departing from the place. The Swami could not contain himself. He went to the Master’s Kutir. As usual, it was bolted from within. He knocked

15/12/2017 Sri N. Ananthanarayanan Sri Krishna was the Master’s chosen Deity. Unto the last he worshipped Him daily at his private altar. That Lord Krishna had showered His Grace on the Master and asked him to spread Kirtan-Bhakti is also clear from the following passages, culled out of two poems addressed by him to the Flute-bearer of Brindavan: Lord Krishna, my Lord, Krishna, my love— We both are only one from now;  Thou art I and myself art Thou,  Krishnoham, Krishnoham;  I am thrice blessed,  It is all Thy sweet Grace. You ordered me to do Kirtan  And disseminate Kirtan-Bhakti,  I came before Thy Presence, my Lord,  As a Sankirtanist;  I sing the Maha Mantra daily;  I know Thou takest pleasure  In my singing;  I touch Thy Lotus Feet  Through the sound-wave of my Kirtan. The Master’s worship was not confined only to Lord Krishna. He saw the same attributeless Lord reflected in all Deities and had their blessings in abundant measure. He had the benign G

07/12/2017 Sri N. Ananthanarayanan On his visit to the Ashram, an American philosopher, Dr Thompson, put the Master a straight question, "Have you seen God, Swamiji?" "I see nothing but God," replied the Master. "In the food I take, in the water I drink, in the people I greet, in animals I meet, and in you Dr Thompson, I see nothing but God." The Master’s disciples were nevertheless eager to know the outstanding landmarks in his spiritual journey. One of them made bold to ask the Master himself about this. He gave a straight answer, "I had no such landmarks or outstanding spiritual experiences during my period of spiritual practice. There was no obstruction, either external or internal, in my spiritual progress. That was the only outstanding feature. I made meditation—deep meditation—the keynote of my inner spiritual practice. It gave smooth and continuous progress and rapid arrival at the ultimate experience." Emboldened by the Mas

29/11/2017 Sri N. Ananthanarayanan The Master in turn adored all these saints. He loved them and served them as only he could. "Narayana, Narayana, Narayana" thus he would hasten to greet and embrace the visiting saints with the Name of the Lord on his lips, almost exactly as a child would run to embrace its mother. He was overjoyed when he saw them, when he spoke to them, when he offered them food. The Master identified himself with all saints, with all Ashrams, with divine life activity everywhere on earth, no matter by whom it was carried on and under what label. He sang their glory as if they were his own. He wrote an entire booklet on the Ashrams and saints of India, in which he paid respectful adorations to all the Sadhus and Mahatmas in the country, praising the divine work they were doing. Not only that, in one of his earliest books, he gave an exhaustive list of dozens of contemporary saints, declaring that the very utterance of the names of these saints wou

21/11/2017 Yes, the Master was a perfect saint, a saint among saints—a Sirius in the spiritual galaxy. Other saints loved him with all their heart and all their soul. Many of them visited him at his Ashram. Venerable souls like Swami Naradananda of Naimisharanya, Purushottamananda of Vasishta Guha, sat in his presence with tears of love bedimming their aged cheeks. Lofty souls like Sati Godavari Ma of Sakori did Pada Puja to him in the customary manner. Pontiffs like the Shankaracharya of Dwaraka Peeth, embraced the Master in boundless love. Adorable saints like Ananda Mayee Ma and Parvatikar Maharaj, sang in divine ecstasy in his Satsang. Some well-known saints like Swami Ramdas of Kanhangad, Sadhu Vaswani of Poona, and the Shankaracharya of Kancheepuram, exchanged loving letters with him. Sri Satya Sai Baba of Andhra Pradesh, also visited the Master. Materialising a rudrakasha mala with gold links, he lovingly presented it to the Master. In one letter, Sadhu Vaswani w

09/11/2017 The real Sivananda was inscrutable. He was a marvellous person, with his head in the heavens and his feet on the ground. He believed that the world was God writ large, and saw His manifestation in nature, in everything. He saw the world charged with the splendour, glory and grandeur of God. He took the universe as a dream, yet appeared to evince keen interest in the activities of the dreamland. The Master always eluded the reach of the human mind. Sometimes the devotees felt he was their most intimate friend; at other times, the same devotees feared that their Guru was beyond their reach. "He is so like us, but a little beyond us. But when we reach that little beyond, again we find that he is still a little beyond, said Tunhla, a journalist from Burma, in a speech at the Ashram on September 26, 1955. Omkarananda, a disciple of the Master, characterised him as "an impersonal personality", "a transcendental individual". The human and the

04/11/2017 85. The Master was a phenomenon. He was described as a "symbol of holiness", "a walking, talking God on earth". The Bhagavat-Bhava or the divine mood, was imprinted on his serene, benign, tranquil countenance. He radiated love and spirituality in a mysterious manner. No one who went to the sage with an open mind failed to be benefited by the soothing vibrations of the God-man’s love and wisdom. Those who benefited thus described their experiences in words of poetic beauty. "At last I was at the holy abode of Swami Sivananda. He welcomed me with a divine smile. His simplicity was too great. His kindness was shining. I was at once put at ease and spoke to him as if I knew him all these days." "When I had Swamiji’s Darshan for the first time, the joy I felt cannot be described in words. I felt absolutely carefree, as a child feels in the mother’s lap. The mind became absolutely calm, as the river becomes calm on reaching the sea.

27/10/2017 Dr Max Borkman, a Frenchman, called him bon papa, a "good father". But was the Master just another good man? Good men there are many in this world, but they, too, have their flaws. The Master had none. He was immaculate. He was a perfection of virtues. He was a God-man. The Master was not so much a person in flesh and blood; he was a sacred presence, a pure spiritual radiance. "The real Swamiji is not just the person you see and hear at Satsang," said Leslie Shephard, an Englishman and an earnest student of Yoga. "The real Swamiji is an uncanny force, affecting you by thought-currents, and moulding your spiritual development, often without a single word being spoken." The human side of the Master was like the lantern—and a beautiful lantern it was. But within the lantern burned the unquenchable spiritual Light, and it was this Light which radiated through the lantern, not only to those in the immediate vicinity but to the whole world

Opinion 21/05/2017.  1040. Sub : Future of Tamil Nadu Politics and Governance : Ref : Rajinikanth not Fit for Politics says Subramanian Swamy 1. The most expected celebrity to come into politics for the past 20 years is Rajinikanth. Sometimes his speech against certain political leaders gives us a hint of his political venture. But he constantly denies the fact. 2. Recently BJP party member Subramanian Swamy made a controversial statement about Rajinikanth. 3. 'Rajini is not a stable person, so he is not fit to come in to politics' is the statement given by him. This made Rajini fans to go pissed off. Note : 1. In the past many persons from cinema industry( in Bharatham as whole ) mainly actors joined politics and miserably failed to perform. 2. In the case Tamil Nadu, where people are mad about Cinema and actors, do not use their intellect to analyse a person. 3. Majority in Tamil Nadu are blind followers  of anything and anybody,

19/05/2017. 1. In January 1956, Swami Poornabodhananda, a dearly loved disciple, was severely bitten by a rabid dog. The Master rushed him to Kasauli, doing all he could to give him the best medical treatment. The wounds healed but the disciple died after some time, maybe as an aftermath of the suffering he had undergone. The Master, who did so much to treat the disciple, did not even care to look at the dead body before it was lowered into the sacred Ganges. The Master believed more in serving the living than in needlessly moaning for the dead. 2. The Master loved everyone, and intensely, too; but this love was not tainted by attachment. It was pure love. It was Shuddha Prem. His love was rooted in divinity. 3. It was this divine love of the Master which made Dr Sutherland, the New Zealand missionary who spent many years in the Jagadhri Hospital, remark with folded palms and a voice choking with emotion, "Swamiji, I am very, very grateful to you for your courtesy

11/04/2017. Nothing that was to be done should be left undone. That was the Master’s principle. Once, the Ashramites were about to perform the last rites of an inmate, Ramananda by name, whom they declared dead. The Master came upon the scene, and observing the calmness on the face advised them, "Don’t be hasty. First give some artificial respiration, administer a couple of injections. Make sure that he is not merely in a swoon." Aspirants rushed here and there. Two persons rubbed Ramananda’s feet with liniment turpentine; two others administered artificial respiration. One Swami gave injections. The Master himself sat beside the body and rubbed the chest with Hare Rama Kirtan. When one of the persons giving artificial respiration let go Ramananda’s hand, it fell limp on the ground. "All right, now say ‘Krishna Bhagavan Ki Jai!’" said the Master, satisfied that everything possible had been done. He then permitted the Ashramites to go ahead with the las

03/04/2017. One night, in the winter of 1949, the Master came out of the Bhajan Hall after the night Satsang. "Did you take the temperature of Balammal in the evening?" he questioned an Ashram worker. The latter replied in the negative. The Master at once went to the patient’s room, and would not leave the place until every minute detail in connection with the patient’s requirements had been attended to. He then said, "Put yourself in the patient’s place. That is the best way to ensure attention to the minutest detail. If you consider that you are the doctor, you might neglect some things. What are all the items you would require? See that all those are available to the patient. You must enter into the patient’s spirit. That is the meaning of real service." The Master then went on to instruct, "There must be a bed-pan. This is most important, especially in the case of aged patients like this lady. There should be light, matches, water in a bucket

27/03/2017. It was another principle which the Master adhered to in all his work—attention to details and thoroughness of execution. If something was to be done at all, it should be done well, not in a slip-shod way, no matter what the work was, and how big or small it was. Then only will such work become worship of God. On August 3, 1956, the Master laid the foundation stone for a market in Rishikesh. After he returned to his cottage, his disciples discussed the way in which he had done the stone-laying. Many felt that the Master need not have taken the trouble to do the actual work of the mason. "Swamiji, generally big individuals, when they lay the foundation stone of an important building, merely place a little bit of mortar as a formality." "But I am not a big man," remonstrated the Master, and explained his attitude in the matter. "All that we do should be done with all our heart and soul, and to the maximum perfection possible. As the sayin

Opinion 21/03/2017.  1014. All Members,          Respected family members of this great holy Nation. Sub : Complaint against Kamal Haasan for his quip about gambling in Mahabharata : Ref : Illusion of becoming beyond one's own level - 'In a recent interview with a Tamil channel, Kamal Hassan had made a comment about how in the epic tale of Mahabharata, Panchali was used as a pawn while the men gambled. He observed how she was used as a collateral and India is a country that respects and honours a book that revolves around men using a woman to gamble away as if she was a mere object." 1. Tamil people  install cinema actors on the top of the tower, without any sense, 2. There are many incidents and examples, where unnecessary elevations to worthless stupid actors in TamilNadu, 3. This elevation made the actors think themselves in very larger way, and speak foolish things, 4. There is a tendency in misusing epics terms in films, and quote Gita, spell sl

18/03/2017. On July 11, 1950, a devotee was introduced to the Master. "This Is Banibai, Swamiji. For the past twenty years she has been doing Hari Katha Kalakshepam in South India. In fact she wanted to conduct a Kalakshepam here also..." The Master did not wait for him to complete the sentence. "Yes, yes, I will arrange for it tonight. She must conduct the Katha here. This is the holiest place, on the banks of the Ganges. It is a rare opportunity. We will all be elevated and inspired." The devotee hesitated. "But Swamiji, we have to leave this evening." "Then I will have it arranged now itself," said the Master, and called out, "O Rajagopalji, ring the bell. Call Palji to play the tabla. Get the harmonium and tanpura. Call everyone. Purushottam, bring some sugar-candy and black pepper. Keep some water here. Vishwanath, spread the carpets. Call all the neighbours also. Nityanandaji, get some prasad for distribution after the Ka

11/03/2017. The Master never forgot the lesson. He never postponed action. When the Siva Linga was to be installed in the Ashram Mandir, a discussion arose between two groups of Pundits about the auspicious hour for the performance of the Pratishtha ceremony. The Master came upon the scene. "Devotees cannot wait for the conventional hour," he said. "Start the Akhanda Kirtan today. There shall be no obstacle in the way." Thus was born the non-stop Maha Mantra Kirtan in the Ashram Bhajan Hall, and the sacred installation in the Viswanath Mandir was gone through without further ado. Whilst at Swarg Ashram, two of the Master’s disciples decided one day to request him to give them Sannyas. They wrote their wish on a piece of paper and stuck it on his Kutir. When the Master saw the message he said to himself: "There is not a moment to be lost. They might change their minds if I delay even a little." He brought a barber immediately and, locking him

                                                              Sri N. Ananthanarayanan 02/03/2017. It happened during the Indo-Sri Lanka tour. The Master and his party were proceeding in bullock carts from the Rameswaram railway station to the temple. While on the road thus, he heard that a lady, who had been following him from Andhra, desired to be initiated into the Rama Mantra while at Rameswaram. "If you wish to do a good act, do it at once," said the Master and, stopping the cart, sent for the lady and gave her the Mantra initiation on the spot. It was in the Master’s tradition. He once narrated the story of his grandfather. The latter was in danger of losing a plot of land to the law twisters. The decision was to be reached the next morning. That evening itself the old man brought all the building materials and engaged all the labour. They worked through the night, and the next morning there stood on the disputed plot a neat little building; and with that t

22/02/2017. Talking to a visitor in the Ashram one day, the Master showed him his several notebooks, pens and watches. "People think that a Sannyasin should not have this or use that," he said, tapping a call-bell playfully. "But I have no such notions. Service is the thing. Work, work and work for the welfare of humanity. Keep the instruments—the body and mind—in a fit and healthy condition for the work. I am a different kind of Sannyasin. I like to serve. People imagine that a Sannyasin should always be grave and sit like this (here the Master actually closed his eyes and sat erect), and thus give the impression to them that he is a liberated sage. But I am of a different type. Work should be your meditation. That is my method." With regard to work, too, the Master was guided by certain principles. D.I.N.—do it now. When he wished to do a thing he would do it immediately. Sri N. Ananthanarayanan  To be continued ...

20/02/2017 Opinion 998. SUB : {1. DMK is equally corrupt, along with AIADMK, 2. Tamil Nadu really worry about their future, they should find a worthy team lead by able dedicated sincere and honest person} Ref : What were the scams made during DMK rule in Tamil Nadu? I. DMK has been facing allegations regarding 2G Spectrum Scam by A.Raja and Kanimozhi, the daughter of Karunanidhi. II. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has reportedly asked the investigative agency to file chargesheet against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanidhi Maran, who are involved in the alleged Aircel-Maxis scam. III. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to file chargesheet against DMK party member Dayanidhi and his brother Kalanidhi, as Rohatgi claimed on Tuesday that the agency has enough evidence to chargesheet the Maran brothers. IV. A brief look into the major incidences in the scam : V. 2006: The then-telecom minister