Nachiketanjali_2nd Issue

NACHIKETANJALIMarch 2010

NACHIKETANJALI March 2010


Content Page No.Editorial 2Death wins over life 3Pranayama 4Pancha Sutras for Sadhakas 5Amrita Dhara 6Spiritual Quest 7Brahma Sutras 8Shiva Manas Puja 9Yuvanjali 10Acts of Love 10Sankalpa Siddhi 11J.C. Bose 12Whispers of my Soul 14Spiritual Significance of Festivals 18Thoughts and Reality 20Vidyarthi Pancha Lakshanam 21Rangoli 22Mirror Mirror... 23Samskrit - Lesson 1 24Fact is a Fact 25Be your own doctor!!! 25A beautiful dream called Life 26Nachiketanjali 28Shivaratri 29Ramakrishna Jayanti 30Workshop 31Helping Hands 32An Appeal 33Subscriptions 34

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No one can defeat us unless we first defeat ourselves. - Dwight Eisenhower

Editor-in-Chief: Subhadra K.

Executive Editor: Annapurna R.

Editorial Team: Surabhi D.Bhavya T.Vinnu

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EDITORIAL

- Subhadra K.

Spirituality is by no means dull and dry stuff,meant only for those with one foot in the grave.Spirituality is what gives true meaning to life, makingit worthwhile and a joyous experience. We hopethis journal would help you discover that. Our aimin bringing out this Nachiketanjali is to allow morereaders to take a journey into the spiritual realm.The magazine itself is fine tuned by SwamiNachiketananda, Adi Praneta of Nachiketa Tapovan,who is also the mastermind and designer of thisproject.

Our first journal, released on January 26th 2010,would have given you an idea of our essence and weinvite our readers to come up with suggestions toenhance the magazine’s flavour. The cover page ofour first issue with Swamiji and the Himalayan peakswas well appreciated by our readers.

Swamiji’s answers for Spiritual aspirants should beused as pointers to get to the core of your questionsand find the answers that satisfy you. All the answersare within you. Dive deep inside and all doubts shallvanish! Apart from this, we have many features tomeet the interests of people from all walks of life.Our young writers have firmly declared thatspirituality is not giving up our worldly identity, it isjust to bring out the better person in you.

Many readers are sending good articles. Wethank them for their wonderful efforts. Enjoy thereading and do get back to us on what you feelabout this magazine. We invite and acceptcontributions from readers, except that ourorientation is entirely spiritual.

We thank all our readers who have sent their bestwishes along with their compliments. One suchcompliment gave a big boost to our morale. “Ourmagazine, a simple, lucid, straight, heart touching,what not all good features in a bouquet calledNachiketanjali. I am greatly privileged to beassociated with it.” This is a fitting tribute to all thesincere efforts that went into makingNachiketanjali…an offering.

Cover Story

When it was the turn of Hanuman, anemotionally overwhelmed Rama tookHim into a warm embrace and said thatHe could never adequately honour orrepay Hanuman for the help and servicesHe had received from the noble vanara.

Shortly after He was crowned emperorupon His return to Ayodhya, Ramadecided to ceremoniously reward all thosewho had helped Him defeat Ravana.

You make the world a better place by making yourself abetter person. - Scott Sorrell

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- Swami Nachiketananda

There lived a shorttempered Sage. He wasfamous for his MantraShakti. He had a wifeand two sons studying inthe same Gurukul alongwith other children. He

was always concerned about his students but atthe same time was very strict . In the sameGurukul lived the brightest boy, Shravan whowas looked down by other students because ofhis poverty and backward class.

One day, all the students go to the river totake a bath and while playing, fewchildren accidentally push the Guru’ssons into deep water, where therewas a strong current. When theysee the Guru’s sons drowning in thewater, they go back to the Gurukuland tell the Guru that Shravan haspushed both his sons into the deepwater.

Meanwhile, seeing this tug betweenlife and death, young Shravan withouta second thought jumps into the riverto save the Guru’s sons. With greatdifficulty he saves one boy, and to save thesecond, once again he enters the water.

At the Gurukul after listening to the children,the Guru gets angry and chants a Mantra cursingShravan to drown in the water and die andstarts running towards the river to save hissons. Just before the Guru’s curse started takingeffect, Shravan pushes the Guru’s second sontowards the bank and saves him, but because ofthe effect of the curse, Shravan slips into thewater and he finds no strength to fight for hisown life. He tries to shout but cannot, as waterstarts getting into his mouth and nose. Thesavior of two lives feels helpless and slowlystarts losing consciousness. He pathetically looksat both the boys, who were standing on the

bank, looking at him helplessly. Then he sees hisGuru coming towards the river bank and hegathers all his strength and shouts“Gu….ru…..Ma…ha…raj…Please save me…Mymother is alone in the house…She must bewaiting for me…I want to see my mother…Pleasesave my life!”

The Guru hears nothing except the cries of hisown children. When he finds his sons alive, hehugs them and greets them with tears in hiseyes. The sons with choked voices narrate allthat had happened and beg their father to saveShravan.

The Guru, who realises he cannotrecall his curse, stares helplessly atthe river with tears in his eyes…looksat the face of Shravan, slowlydrowning in the water and then looksat Shravan’s tiny foldedhands…begging for life, slowlydisappearing in the water.

My dear Sadhakas, please do nottry to find out what happened tothat Guru or Shravan, but find outwho is hidden in us. Don’t you thinkthat we also often get very angry

and out of hastiness and ignorance we takesimilar decisions? Dear ones, death wins overlife when we are not conscious… death winsover life when we are ignorant… death winsover life when we have limited knowledge…deathwins over life when we are jealous ofothers…death wins over life when we are notcomposed…death wins over life when we aremore crooked…death wins over life when weare not really what we are.

Therefore dear ones, if you think that lifeshould win over death then we need the heartof Shravan not the mind of the Guru...the handsof Shravan not the mantra shakti of the Guru…!

DEATH WINS OVER LIFE…

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keepsyou going. - Jim Ryun

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PRANAYAMALet us learn the basic necessities for practicing

Pranayama.Sit in Padmasana, Siddhasana or Vajrasana.

You can adopt any one of these asanas, butmake sure that the spinal cord and the head arestraight.

Adopt Chinmudra;bring thumb and indexfingers together andplace both the palmson the knees, palmsfacing upwards.

Now concentrateon your belly andchest.

Take a deep breathand observe yourbody from toe tohead.

Observe all the bodyparts; relax your bodycompletely.

After relaxing, observe breathing; don’t slowdown breathing.

Observe natural breathing. Observe theexhalation and inhalation.

Let it go on for a few seconds. After observingfor few minutes, your mind becomes calm andquiet.

If you want to prolong that state of calmness,then try to prolong it for a few seconds.

In Pranayama or in any sadhana, Awareness isthe key.

So with the help of your awareness, try tochant which ever Mantra you like. If you don’tknow any Mantra, chant OM. Om is the motherof creation.

When you inhale, chant Om and when youexhale, chant Om. Continue this as long as youcan.

This may lead you to a meditative state.When you want to come out of this state,

then slowly observe your body once again andslowly open the eyes.

This practice brings awareness of prana andwhen done properly, there is a possibility of

experiencing prana in the body.Pranayama with Mantra has many benefits.

In this Pranayama you are taking the help ofa Mantra. Mantra has a certain impact onthe mind. It changes chemical patterns in thebrain. A regular practice of Pranayama keepsyou away from stress and tension and helps incontrolling B.P, Diabetes, Ulcer, Asthma,Arthritis and many other diseases. Apart fromcuring many ailments, Pranayama helps youto experience the spiritual energy within you.It makes you more relaxed and when you arerelaxed, the best of you comes out.

Great ideas often receive violent oppositionfrom mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

- Swami Shivanandamayi

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Courage is fear that has said its prayers. - Dorothy Bernard

Through out our lives we try to give importance to our family, husband, wife, children, relativesand society. We hardly pay attention to ourselves. Paying attention to ourselves doesn’t meanbeing selfish. It only means paying attention to our true self which helps transform ourselves intoselfless and pure souls. Discovering one’s true self is called Sadhana. As we discussed in the previousissue, one should take up a particular stream of Sadhana according to one’s nature and experiencethe change in his/her life. To become a good and successful Sadhaka, there are no set rules andregulations but a few ingredients are necessary to make our Sadhana colorful, beautiful andfruitful. They form the basic pillars of Sadhana on which a massive structure can be built.

PANCHA SUTRAS FOR SADHAKAS.

1. Shraddha: A sadhaka should have PurnaShraddha on Guru, Ishta daiva or in himself.Without faith, Sadhakacannot be successful inhis Sadhana. Completesurrender makesShraddha blossom fromwithin. Shraddha helpssadhaka tread on thepath of Satya.

2. Satya or Truth:Sadhaka should have astrong desire to know thetruth or the ultimatereality. So Sadhaka shouldalways walk on the path of truth.

We tend to speak lies to save our skin, payingno heed to our true self. But in order to saveyour true self, we should pause and think beforeuttering the lie and then express. Being true toyourself is the first and foremost quality of aSadhaka.

3. Ahimsa: Ahimsa is an important ingredientin Sadhana. In the process of purificationAhimsa makes you more pure. Our sagesprescribe that you should not harm anyone byspeech, thought or action. Ahimsa expresseson its own when you have a pure heart.

4. Acceptance: This quality alone bringsbeauty in life. Many people cannot progress onthe path of Sadhana because they lack this

quality. Sadhaka should accept his strengthsand weaknesses as they are. Generally we

find sadhakas not happywith themselves andcomplain about whatthey have. Sadhakashould not blame orcurse others. A trueSadhaka accepts peopleas they are. He acceptseverything as God’sPrasada.

5. Atmaparikshan:This is a necessaryingredient in a

Sadhaka’s life. A Sadhaka should analyzeeach and every thought and action of his. Heneeds to be watchful about the intentionbehind every thought and action. Wheneverhe gets evil thoughts or selfish motives or findshimself expecting a return, then he shouldtake a pause and do Atmaparikshan. Selfanalysis gives insights that reveal the state ofyour mind, so that you can start working onyourself.

This human birth is the biggest laboratory.All these ingredients make your experiment ofdiscovering your true abode easier, purposefuland most successful.

- Swami Shivanandamayi

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SRI RAMAKRISHNA’S AMRITA DHARA VANI ON RAGA BHAKTI

Compiled by -Vasundhara P. & Geetha Laxmi K.

Sri Ramakrishna says that it isn’t any andevery kind of bhakti that enables one to realiseGod. God cannot be realised until one has raga-bhakti other wise also known as Prema-bhakti.Raga-bhakti is pure love of God, intense andspontaneous, a love that seeks God alone andnot any worldly end. You simply love God anddon’t want anything from Him in return.

Bhakti as we know it is Vaidhi-bhakti i.e.formal devotion, so much japa, so muchmeditation, so much sacrifice and homa, somany articles of worship,and the recitation of somany mantras before theDeity depends on scripturalinjunctions.

It comes and it goes.Many people say: “Howmany times we haveworshipped the Deity at ourhome! And what have weachieved?”

But there is no fallingaway from raga-bhakti.Such actions as japa andausterity drop away whenone spontaneously feelslove and attachment forGod. Who indeed, willperform the ceremoniesenjoined in the scriptures,when mad with love forGod?

And who gets thispassionate love for God?Those who have performedmany meritorious deeds intheir past births, or those who are eternallyperfect. But some acquire raga-bhakti directly.It is innate in them. They have it from their verychildhood. Even in an early age they weep forGod. An instance of such bhakti is to be foundin Radha.

Raga-Bhakti is like crossing a paddy-field afterthe harvest. You don’t have to walk along thebalk. You can go straight across the field in anydirection.

Raga-bhakti is like a stone emblem of Sivathat has sprung up out of the bowels of theearth. One cannot find its root. “When thedevotee develops raga-bhakti, passionate loveof God, he realises Him.”

Only those who have developed raga-bhaktifor God may be called His sincere devotees. God

becomes responsible forthem. If you enter yourname in a hospital register,the doctor will notdischarge you until you arecured. Those who are heldby God have nothing tofear. The son who holds tohis father, while walkingalong the narrow ridge of apaddy field, may slip if heabsent-mindedly lets go hisfather’s hand; but if thefather holds the son by thehand, there is no suchdanger.

Sri Ramakrishna used tosing to His devotees:

Though I am never loathto grant salvation

I hesitate indeed to grantpure love

Whoever wins pure lovesurpasses all;

He is adored by men;He triumphs over the three worlds….Let us go forward from Vaidhi-Bhakti to

Raga-Bhakti and nurture passionate love forGod.

Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it. - Lewis Carroll

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Swamiji answers questions from the seekers. Questions are welcomefrom everyone. They can be e-mailed to [email protected]

SPIRITUAL QUEST

Ans: The moment we talk about Lord Rama,we experience His ‘Divine Leela’ in the form ofdisciplined life and dharma. He, in factdemonstrated dharma as per situation anddemand. There is no comparison drawn betweenSita Ma and society, but when it is living for thehigher purpose, Sri Rama lived for the society.That doesn’t mean that He never loved Ma Sitaor never recognized Her. In fact, He is the sameperson who cries for Sita, when He loses Her inthe forest. When He sees a lady like Sita, Herecognizes that She is not Sita but Ma Parvati inthe form of Sita, testing Rama’s insight. Thatshows His spiritual association and tremendousunderstanding towards Ma Sita. He was not justlooking at Her physical form but was aware ofHer true Self.

Conflict will be there when we have a splitpersonality. If we decide to dedicate our livesfor any spiritual cause - the cause becomesbigger than the individual. If we are working foran organisation - the organisation becomesbigger than us. That’s what Sri Rama did.

Things are changing in the universe whetherwe are aware of it or not…things are moving,whether we are moving or not…the earth isrevolving around its own axis, whether we arerevolving around our own axis or not…the natureis offering, whether we are offering anything ornot. Therefore, Dear one! In this changinguniverse, everything is relative and if we analyzeit sincerely then there will not be any doubtwhile living in this world. That’s how Sri Ramalived in this world.

Situation is the best judge and a wonderfulhealer that can heal everything. Good and badexist in every situation. There is no conflict for

the person who is functioning from the higherlevel of reality and that’s how Sri Ramafunctioned. That’s why His dharma still echoeslouder than his action.

Suppose a young boy is drowning in the seaand we know swimming, what would we do?Our first reaction would be to save the boy.Dear one! Who knows, in the future this boymay become a criminal and destroy the entireworld or he maybecome a great soullike SwamiVivekananda andsave the world. Butin any case our firstreaction is to savethis boy…that’s it!We just need to doour work and leavethe rest to take careof its own. An ordinary person thinks a lot andwise too, but a spiritual person doesn’t need tothink. He just acts, without any expectation,that’s it. No particular guideline is necessary, ifwe are spiritual. A spiritual person is like thesubstance which can get dissolved inanything…leaving no trace of existence but feltstrongly…incense stick burns and leaves thefragrance behind, so does the spiritual person.Spiritual world lies beyond conflict…Thereforeone who dwells in the spiritual world will neverhave any conflict. Let us carry the spiritualflavor and live beyond all conflicts. Let us notquarrel but live in peace. Let us not see theface and work, but work and not show theface…!

‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ being such relative terms, what are the standards forpresent day society? What would the Rama of today be like?

- Swami Nachiketananda

Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune,or temporary defeat. - Napoleon Hill

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The three authoritative sources of Vedantaphilosophy comprising Prasthana traya areUpanishads the sruti prasthana , Bhagavad Gitathe smriti Prasthana and Brahma sutras thenyaya prasthana which is the logical text thatsets forth the philosophy in a systematic order.The Vedanta-sutra of Badarayana is morecommonly known as the Brahma sutras.

Brahma sutras are a classified and condensedpresentation of eternal, limitless and abstruseVedas. What is expressed in the least possiblenumber of words to convey an idea or truth isa sutra, an aphorism. Therefore sutras are verydensely packed strings of unlimited insight thatneed to be unwound to understand their fullimport. This conciseness of Sutras calls for lucidcommentary for better understanding. ManyCommentaries have been written bycommentators of various philosophical schoolson Badarayana’s sutras. However, AdiShankara’s Sariraka bhashya rooted in KevalaAdvaita or monism is known to be the prevailingand exemplary one.

The Brahma sutras are organized into 4chapters, each of which is subdivided into fourpadas each, 223 adhikaranas or topics andaltogether 555 aphorisms. Each sutra is a

c o m p l e t ediscourse on acertain topicrather than astatement. Thefirst chapterS a m a n v a y a( h a r m o n y )explains that allthe Vedantictexts talk ofBrahman, theultimate reality,which is the goalof life. The

BRAHMA SUTRAS second chapter Avirodha (non-conflict)discusses and refutes the possible objectionsagainst Vedanta philosophy. The third chapterSadhana (the means) describes the processby which ultimate emancipation can beachieved. The fourth chapter Phala (the fruit)talks of the state that is achieved in finalemancipation.

Identification of the pure atman with body,limits the soul and is the root cause of allsuffering. The object of Brahma sutras is toremove the erroneous identification of thesoul with the body through knowledge ofBrahman leading to liberation. Sankara’scommentary is called the Sariraka Bhashyaaccording to which individual soul is identicalwith the Supreme Self and is in agreementwith Badarayana. The Bhashya of SriRamanuja who founded the VisishtadvaitaSchool is called Sri Bhashya. Sri Ramanuja’sBrahman is a Personal God with attributesand the individual souls will never be entirelyresolved in Brahman. The commentary of SriNimbarkacharya is known as Vedanta-parijata-saurabha. Sri Vallabhacharyaexpounded his system of philosophy ofSuddhadvaita (pure monism) and hiscommentary on the Brahma Sutras is knownas Anu Bhashya. Different schools and cultscater to different temperaments, tastes,capacity and stage of evolution of theaspirants. They have their own place andscope. No matter which school one follows,a seeker has to have faith,perseverance anddetermination to reach the peak ofperfection.

Athato Brahma Jignyasa“Now (while one has a human birth),one should inquire into Brahman.”

Vedanta Sutra I.1.1 (1)- Annapurna R.

Failure is success if we learn from it. - Malcolm Forbes

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1. Who is the poet and author of Ramayan,who helps Sita and her twins?2. Who is the brother of Ravana andShoorpanakha?3. What are the names of Rama’s and Sita’stwins?4. Who is the brother and enemy ofSugriva?5. Whose devotee was Ravana?6. Rama is the avatar of which God?7. How many kandas are there inRamayan?8. Who was Mareecha’s mother?9. Who was Ravana’s wife?10. Who took the form of a golden deer?11. Who was dressed as a begging hermitto deceive Sita?12. Who was the first one to hear Sita’s cryand come to help?13. Who is Ravana’s brother who sleeps forsix months?14. Who was the devotee of Rama whooffered fruits to him?15. What is the name of the historicalbridge between Sri Lanka and India?

Answers: 1. Valmiki 2. Khara 3. Luv & Kush 4. Vali5. Siva 6. Lord Vishnu 7. Seven 8.Tataki9.Mandodari 10. Mareecha 11.Ravana 12. Jataayu13. Kumbhakarna 14. Sabari 15. Ramasethu

- Gayatri N.

I have imagined a jeweled seat for you, cold water foryou to bathe and lustrous clothes studded with jewels foryou to wear, kasturi and sandalwood paste, jasmineand champaka flowers with bilva leaves to adorn you,incense and a lamp. Oh God, abode of mercy! Acceptthis which I have imagined in my heart.

A true devoteerecognizes the fact thatthe Lord installed in theimage is available in hisown heart also. Inaddition, since everythingin this universe is Hiscreation only, they belongto Him alone. So there isnothing that we can offerHim. The devoteerecognizes this limitation. So he creates items requiredfor the worship with his mind and performs the puja. Butto be effective this kind of puja requires total involvementand sincerity. The wandering mind has to be controlledand focused on the image of the Lord seated in ourheart. This is stated in detail in Shiva Manasa Puja. Asone reads the verses one will be moved by the devotionof the composer Sri Adi Shankaracharya. He says:

“You are the Atman, the Self. My mind is Parvati. Allmy sense organs are your attendants. This body isYour temple. Every sense experience is a form ofworship to You. My sleep is Samadhi, where I unitewith You. Whenever I walk, it is pradakshina aroundYou. All my words are hymns in Your praise. Whateveraction I perform , O Sambho, is only Your worship.”

SHIVA MANASA PUJARatnai kalpitam asanam

himajalaih snanam cha divyambaramNanaratnavibhushitam mrigamada

modankitam chandanamJatichampakabhilvapatra rachitam

pushpam cha dhupam tathaDipam deva dayanidhe pasupathe

hritkalpitam grihyatam

- Compiled by Subhadra K.It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what

you see. - Henry David Thoreau

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ACTS OF LOVE

From “Rousing call to the HinduNation” by Eknath Ranade.

The spell of imitating the West is gettingsuch a strong hold upon you that what is goodor what is bad is no longer decided by reason,judgment, discrimination, or reference to theshastras. Whatever ideas, whatever mannersthe white men praise or like are good;whatever things they dislike or censure arebad! Alas! What can be a more tangible proofof foolishness than this? What is meat for them

may be poison for us.We must growaccording to ournature. Vain is it toattempt the lines ofaction that foreignsocieties haveengrafted upon us; itis impossible. Gloryunto God that it isimpossible, that wecannot be twistedand tortured into the

shape of other nations. The one was foundedupon religion and the other on social necessity,the one upon spirituality, the other uponmaterialism; the one upon transcendentalism,the other upon realism. Of the west, the goalis individual independence, the language,money making education, the means, politics;of India, the goal is Mukti, the language, theVeda, the means, the renunciation.

All drift towards the strong. That the light ofglory which shines in the glorious may anyhowfall and reflect on one’s own body, i.e., to shinein the borrowed light of the great, is the onedesire of weak.

“And I am anxiously waiting for the daywhen mighty minds who will be ready to goforth from India to the ends of the world topreach spirituality and renunciation- thoseideas which have come from the forests ofIndia and belong to Indian soil alone.”

I wonder if Mother Theresa would have sent

a get-well soon card with a few notes to all the

needy children in Kolkata, would their world be

the same as it is today? The thought I agree,

is absurd. But it does set us thinking, “Can

materialism alone transcend the realms ofsuffering?”

In the hectic lives we lead, wishing a dear

one, gifts on special occasions and not to forget

the trifling charities surely do not doubt ourulterior motive. The countless romantic flicks,

rose stalls at every nook and corner, the

numerous card galleries and the innumerable

charity-boxes set up at shop counters strongly

profess the presence of love. It is all love,

indeed. But is that all? We live in a world wherethe facts are all that matter and not the folklore.

History says Mahatma’s selfless love for his

country gave his countrymen the much cherished

“Independence.” Mother Theresa’s goodmotives, sincerity and infinite love conquered

millions of souls. A country or culture different

from her own stood no barrier for her love.

A goal without a plan is just a wish. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

YuvanjaliYuvanjaliYuvanjaliYuvanjaliYuvanjali

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Preachings alone would never have attained

universal martyrdom to Prophet or Jesus Christ.Their great deeds which we presume as Acts of

Faith when seen in a broader perspective are all

“Acts of Love.” But where does all this spiritual

jargon lead to?

Check this out! Think of the first hand that

comforted you in your testing times. By all

means, a bunch of roses or a beautiful

craftsmanship can never be a replacement.

When single minded pursuits have turned merefamily gatherings into treasured occasions,

where does one find time for others? A tree

gives shelter not to one, but anyone who seeks

it.

The facts have been laid in front of you. Think

of those millions living in the darkness of suffering.

“Things are not bettered, but we are bettered

by making changes in them.” The power of

reasoning lies in us. The Nature has followed

the Law. Great men have tread on it too. Howabout us?……… Do give it a thought. Won’t you?

“Wealth goes, beauty vanishes, life flies,

Powers fly- but the Lord abideth forever,

Love abideth forever.” - Swami Vivekananda

- Veena B.

SANKALPA SIDDHI…Today the entire world is going through a tremendous

change and that is echoed everywhere. Whether weare rich or poor, some amount of pressure is certainlyfelt. Pressure of recession, exam, finance, sharemarket, inflation and what not. Due to this change orfluctuation we feel tremors after tremors within andwithout. If this pressure is from outside we can try outmany things and avoid that pressure to some extent, butwhen we find the same pressure from within then itbecomes very difficult to bear.

If change is a natural phenomenon then how to copeup with this change?

Dear ones! This pressure is created when we try toset goals without knowing our strengths andweaknesses. Those higher goals sometimes severelydamage our entire being. Then in order to relaxourselves we try to practice techniques from as simpleas counting numbers to advance ones like Dhyana, butwithout any preparation.

Dear ones, then is there any technique to relax andwithstand such pressure without losing self identity andself-esteem?

Yes, there are many techniques and one suchtechnique is ‘Auto Suggestion’. But to practice thissimple, yet effective technique, we need to have SankalpaSiddhi…i.e. faith in ourselves…faith in our action…faith inour inner strength…faith in our presence…faith in life…faithin truth…faith in all that is within and without.

Yes! I can do! Yes, I know! Yes, I can move themountains! Yes, I can recall on my own! Yes, I willproduce whatever is necessary! Yes, I can! Yes I can!Yes I can! This affirmation leads to Sankalpa takingform.

So let us practice this simple technique while takingbath or after taking bath or while going out on work. Sayto yourself that I will complete the task…I have thecapacity and I know I am divine and today I am goingto make my day. This simple ‘Auto Suggestion’ willstrengthen your Sankalpa Siddhi (Will Power) andcertainly will make you feel better and relaxed.

- Swami NachiketanandaPerseverance is not a long race, it is many short races

one after another. - Walter Elliott

11


On May 10, 1901, the hall of the Royal Societyin London was packed with eminent scientists.They were watching Jagadish Chandra Boseconduct experiments to show that plants andmetals have feelings.

Among several experiments he conducted wasthis one: A highly sensitive instrument-one ofBose’s inventions to record the “pulse” of plants-was connected to a plant. The plant, with itsroots, was carefully picked up and dipped up toits stem in a vessel containing bromide, a poison.Bose looked expectantly at the light spot on ascreen meant to indicate the pulse of the plant.So also did everyone else.

The plant’s pulse beat, which the spotrecorded as a steady to-and-fro movement likethe pendulum of a clock, began to grow unsteady.Soon, the spot vibrated violently and then cameto a sudden stop. It was almost like a poisonedrat breathing heavily and jerking its legs and tailin its struggle against death. The plant had diedbecause of the poison. The experiment wasgreeted with thunderous applause.

Born on November 30, 1858, at Mymensingh,now in Bangladesh, Bose was brought up in ahome steeped in Indian tradition and culture.Bose’s education started in a vernacular schoolas his father believed that one must know one’smother tongue before and above all, and thatone should know one’s own people. He used toread the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.Karna, who struggled throughout his life toachieve success, inspired him. He thus came tobelieve that “true success is born out of defeat”.He was a great fighter for justice.

Sri Jagdish Chandra Bose was a phenomenon:a physicist, biologist, botanist, archaeologist andwriter of science fiction. He pioneered theinvestigation of radio and microwave optics,made very significant contributions to plantscience and laid the foundations of experimentalscience in the Indian subcontinent. He isconsidered one of the fathers of radio scienceand is also considered the father of Bengaliscience fiction. He was the first from the Indiansubcontinent to get a US patent, in 1904. Bosealso invented several sensitive instruments. Themost wonderful was the crescograph, aninstrument to measure the rate of growth of aplant. How sensitive this instrument was can beimagined from the fact that it could measureplant growth that was 20,000 times less thansnail’s speed. Bose also fabricated a highlysensitive “coherer”, the device that detects radiowaves. It was while working with the cohererthat he made certain observations which clearlyindicated that metals have feelings and memory.The metals that are used daily, such as a knife,are not dead but unconscious, like a badlybeaten man. They enter this state when theyare heated and moulded. He was the first tofabricate the device that generated microwaves-radio waves of very short wavelength. Also, hewas the first to use these microwaves tounderstand the structure of materials. One of

JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE

Pessimism never won any battle. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

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- Compiled by Annapurna R.

A guest at a concert turned to MullahNasruddin sitting next to him and

criticised the voice of thewoman who was singing.

“What a terrible voice,” he said. “Doyou know who she is?”

“Yes,” said the Mullah. “She’s my wife.”“Oh,” said the embarrassed guest, “I

beg your pardon. Of course, it is not hervoice that is bad; it is that awful song she

has to sing. I wonder who wrote it.”“I DID,” said Nasruddin.

A friend asked the Mullah, “Howold are you?” “Forty”, replied theMullah. The friend said, “but yousaid the same thing two yearsago!” “Yes”, replied the Mullah, “Ialways stand by what I have said.”

One day Mullah Nasruddin entered hisfavorite teahouse and said: “the moon ismore useful than the sun”. An old manasked “why Mullah?” Nasruddin replied, “weneed the light more during night than duringday.”

Jokesthe devices he had fabricated, now called the“wave guide”, forms an essential component ofseveral sophisticated electronic and nuclearequipment.

Although Bose did most of his experiments inCalcutta, not many of his countrymen recognizedtheir importance. Notable exceptions wereMahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore andSwami Vivekananda. His work was applauded inthe country only when the Western worldrecognized its importance. Before Bose died onNovember 23, 1937, he founded the BoseInstitute at Calcutta. It was then devoted mainlyto the study of plants. Today, research on severalother related subjects is also in progress at theinstitute.

Pessimist: One who, when he has the choice of two evils,chooses both. - Oscar Wilde

Electric Probe Apparatusof Sir J.C. Bose

13


Sacred places areconsidered gateways to thehigher realms and to a higherconsciousness. In NachiketaTapovan, Swamiji makesspiritual tours an essentialpart of Sadhana. Our trip toKollur in the year 2007 wasone such attempt whichturned out to be sublime.

Kollur is one of the sevenMuktisthals of ParasuramaKshetras situated inKarnataka. The sacred shrineof Devi Mookambika is at thefoot of a hill known asKudashatri. River Sowparnika,flows by the side of thetemple. Yogis and Rishis have performedpenance on this holy soil. All the threeShakthis – Mahakali, Mahasaraswathi andMahalakshmi are enshrined in this sacredidol of Mookambika.

A visit to Kollur Mookambika temple wason our itinerary today, the 8th day of ourtour and also the 10th day of Navarathri‘Vijaya Dasami.’ I was ready by 5:30 a.m.and switched on the T.V. to catch up withsome programme on Shirdi Sai Baba as itwas the day of His Samadhi. I was glad tosee a direct relay from Mookambika templeon ‘Kairali’ channel. There was a heavy rushand many Aksharabhyasams were beingperformed at the temple.

We assembled in the hotel lounge andwhen Swamiji came down, we took Hisblessings. At 7:30 a.m., we headed towardsMookambika temple. In the bus, withoutwasting any time, I started doing mySadhana. I started with Manasa puja and ina short while I was tuned with the Divine.

WHISPERS OF MY SOUL …a leaf from my travelogue

Though, I am not supposed toreveal my visions, I thought itwould be ideal to mention a fewof them as they are a prelude toa great event. It will give aclear picture of my state of mindas I witnessed the Cosmic drama.

Coming back to my visions, DeviMookambika showered HerDivine grace on me by appearingin all three forms. Now it wasthe turn of Ma Kali and ourSwamiji sitting in front of Her atHer feet. She did not comealone; She came with Her son intow. His face was dark hued likethat of Kali Ma. I was

mesmerized by the Divine look in His eyes. It isso hard to describe in words. Many other visionsfollowed and again it was the Goddess showingme Her Divine feet, asking me to sit at Her feetand do Japa. Needless to say I followed Herinstructions and reaped rich benefits.

When I came out of my Sadhana state, I couldsee reflections of the same beauty in thesurroundings. Such was the intensity of Divinegrace. Nature played its role by sending Divinemessages. Whether we realize it or not, ourfortune is incalculable, unimaginable. Swamijihas been immensely graceful to me, giving meall those chances to explore myself and so itwent on.

After stopping for breakfast at some placemidway, we proceeded to Kollur. Swamiji ledour group directly to the temple and we had along wait because of the rush, the Palki utsav,Aarthi and Naivedhyam. We were fortunateenough to see the Palki Utsav which went pastus, not once but thrice. Swamiji looked at mewith raised eyebrows, as if to say, “See, even inthis rush, we are able to have a good darshan.”

Positive anything is better than negative nothing. - Elbert Hubbard

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I nodded in appreciation. I never missed thechance of finding a place beside Him, whichturned out to be His Blessings in disguise. Ienjoyed the fruits.

Reminds me of Baba’s saying which I wouldlike to quote here:

“Don’t walk before Me... Youmay miss Me.”

“Don’t walk behind Me … youmay not catch up with Me.”

“Walk with Me … I will takeyou to the other side.”

Coming back to my narration,as we stood there waiting fordarshan, chanting our Mantra,I noticed Swamiji’s eyes were scanning throughour lines, noticing every minute detail. Hardlydid I realize He might be selecting people towitness the Divine drama which was going tounfold in a short while from now.

The Temple doors opened and we streamedin, along with a group of V.I.P’s. I went in withSwamiji for darshan. “Stand here!” He showedme a point beside Him and we had darshantogether. Aarthi was given and Subha got theopportunity to ring the temple bell and she wasvery excited. Devi Mookambika was lookingmagnificently beautiful. “Come with me,” Heordered and took me for another darshan. Myjoy knew no bounds. It was joy indescribable.He turned around to look at me.

I saw cascades of energy flowing out of Hisbody. I was awe struck looking at the Divineradiance engulfing His entire being. I shallcherish this moment forever. “I am so happySwamiji!” I shrieked in delight. He looked rightinto my eyes with the world’s most beautifulsmile, acknowledging my feelings in His subtlelanguage. He gave me a third darshan as abonus. We took tirtham and I took His blessingson coming out of the temple.

Swamiji led us to the river bed and selected aplace for us to sit and do our Sadhana. He wentfurther ahead with some of the men-folk.Shivanandamayi (Mataji) wanted to go with Him,but He stopped her, asking her to sit with us. Itwas a beautiful spot on the bank, overlooking astream and had lush green surroundings. Theperfect setting for a Cosmic drama which was

to unfold. Mother Nature hadher role to play too!

It so happened, Vasu, myself,Subha, her mother, Shanti andLakshmi sat in one place formeditation. There were threestone blocks in the stream andShivanandamayi chose to sitthere right in front of us.

Swamiji had earlier, asked us to recollect thedarshan memories when we meditated. Aftera while, I heard a splashing sound in the wateras if someone fell into the water and I heardSubha’s shriek. I opened my eyes and saw asleek, black snake in the water going towardsShivanandamayi. It was moving with lighteningspeed. She too saw it and suddenly turned theother way, her back facing the snake.

I wasenjoying thismoment. Iwas sure thesnake wouldnot harm herand was

If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singingbird will come. - Chinese Proverb

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watching the Divineplay. There wereaudible gasps around.I gestured them toremain silent andasked them to watchthe beautiful event.

The Snake raised itshood and was just afew inches behindS h i v a n a n d a m ay i ’sback, watching hersilently, sending Divine grace. After a while, itsuddenly took a turn around, looked at us andswam back with the same speed. It was sucha beautiful scene and was reminiscent of Puranictimes when stories revealed such incidents. Thefeelings in everyone who witnessed the Divineplay were profound and sublime. We were asthrilled as we were astounded.

It is only the experience of the heart thatcounts and it is faith alone that leads to theexperience. This experience can be consideredthe fruition of the wait of lifetimes.

When Subha announced the Snake had left,Shivanandamayi climbed on to the bank and satwith us. “I am very fortunate to see this greatmiracle, Shivanandamayi! And I will never forgetit in my life. You are a Blessed Soul….” Iappreciated her. By now her body was vibratingwith Divine energy and she was shaking like aleaf. She closed her eyes in meditation. Otherswanted to meditate too. But I was in no mood

for that. My heart wasfilled with joy andecstasy dancing toDivine beats.

I just sat theredrinking the nectaralbeauty of MotherNature. I looked at thehills, trees, the greensurroundings and thestream which served asa stage for the Divine

drama and was enjoying every moment of it.They were all mute witnesses to this greatincident. Shortly thereafter, it dawned on methat this was part of the Lord’s master plan.Thrills of excitement were running down myspine.

Suddenly, I heard Swamiji’s voice and saw Himcoming from the other side. His beautiful faceshimmered like the late afternoon sun, filling mewith bliss and peace. I was sure, He was watchingus all the time.

“Swamiji!!! We have just seen a great miraclehappen ……” I blurted out in excitement, unableto withhold myself. I was anticipating the secretto be unveiled. He looked the opposite side,throwing pebbles in the water and said; “Mawill come like that, what will she do? She has tocome and Bless.” He turned back.

His eyes emitting divine rays met mine– an eternity passed! The spell was broken bythe soft tone of His voice, “Come, let us go.”

Mukambika Temple - Kollur

If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure makesomething out of you. - Muhammed Ali

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“Swamiji! We will stay for some more time. Ireally like this place. Why can’t we stay for awhile?” I pleaded. “Come Ma, there are manyother places to see, you shouldn’t get stuck inone place. There is more to see and experience.Come, we will go.” Ifollowed Him thoughreluctantly.

As we walked back,Swamiji was giving a hintto me, saying, “Ma willmanifest in differentforms. What do you say?She will reveal Herself togreat souls.” I understoodwhat He said. He is allthe time teaching us,training us andtransforming us, just likea perfect Guru.

He led us to a nearbycanteen, where we hadlunch. “Eat only as muchas you can. Even if food iswasted it is ok for today.”These words from Swamijiwere surprising as Hehates wastage of even a tiny morsel of food.Maybe, He sensed we couldn’t eat much in ourexcitement. But food is not our present topic ofdiscussion.

Our core group huddled around a table, pullingchairs and started discussing this great event.

We gave our own interpretations, whichturned out to be very emotional. We wereapparently shaken by this incident. Vasugave some surprising news. Lakshmi, whosat with us, was totally oblivious to this

incident. She wasmeditating and did notopen her eyes untilSwamiji arrived. Evenmore surprising was,Vijaya had seen thissnake, though she wassitting on the other sideof the bank and mysister Rama had seenthe snake in her visionas she sat theremeditating. What aDivine drama indeed!Finally we came to aconclusion that thisincident is an eye openerfor us. It allowed us toperceive the hidden butvibrant energy inShivanandamayi. It waswell-planned, well-

designed and targeted at us for certainreasons.

“Glory to Goddess Mookambika who madeaudible the whispers of my soul!”

- Subhadra K.If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might

as well dance. - Unknown Author

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SPIRITUALSPIRITUALSPIRITUALSPIRITUALSPIRITUALSIGNIFICANCESIGNIFICANCESIGNIFICANCESIGNIFICANCESIGNIFICANCE

OF OUROF OUROF OUROF OUROF OURFESTIVFESTIVFESTIVFESTIVFESTIVALSALSALSALSALS

Ugadi is the New Year’s Day for the people of

the Deccan region of India. While the people of

A.P and Karnataka celebrate it as Ugadi, peopleof Maharashtra term the festival as ‘Gudi

Padwa’ and Sindhis as ‘Cheti Chand.’ Ugadi falls

on Chaitra Suddha Paadyami. It is believed that

the creator Lord Brahma started creation on

this day. In A.P, the festival is celebrated by

making a special preparation using sixingredients- tamarind, jaggery, neem flowers,

mango, green chillies and salt. These ingredients

give six different tastes (shadruchis).

The philosophy in eating this Ugadi pacchadiis to say that life is not a bed of roses. It is a

mixture of sadness, happiness, anger, fear,

disgust and surprise which has to be accepted

together with equanimity. There is a myth that

how one lives on this day of Ugadi, similar will

be the way one lives throughout the year. Morethan the myth, the philosophy is we reap what

we sow as the old saying goes. We are the

makers of our own destiny. We should rise

above sorrow and happiness, success and failure.

This is the primary message of Ugadi festival.

Rama’s birthday as well as marriage to

world as Rama Navami which falls on th

Rama’s life and journey is one of perfect

of life and time. As a person, Rama peperson (Purushottama) who is to be emu

virtues that any individual should seek

obligations (Maryada). Hence He is righ

marriage to Sita has a spiritual signific

Atman. With meditation our intellect a

balanced.

Rama is not just a name. It is a Tarak

always keeps meditating on this Taraka

Rama Himself! Let us celebrate the fes

symbol of Moksha. Glory to

Ramaya rama bhadraya

Raghunathaya nathaya

UGADI16th March 2010

SRI RAMA24th Mar

If you can imagine it you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you canbecome it. - William Arthur Ward

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Vande maataram Sujalaam suphalaammalayaja shiitalaam Sasyashyaamalaam

maataram ||

o Sita is celebrated by Hindus across the

he Sukla Paksha Navami in Chaitra Masa.

adherence to Dharma despite harsh tests

ersonifies the characteristics of an idealulated. He had within Him all the desirable

k to aspire and He fulfills all His moral

htly called “Maryada Purushottama”. His

cance. Sita is the Buddhi and Rama the

and Atman are united and we become

ka Mantra. It is believed that Lord Shiva

Mantra and His Nama is mightier than

stival, worshipping Rama who is the very

Sri Rama!

Yatra yatra Raghunathakirtanam

Tatra tatra kritha mastha kanjalim

Bhaspavari paripurna lochanam

Marutim namata rakshasanthakam

Meaning:

“We bow to Maruti, Sri Hanuman, who stands

with His palms folded above His forehead, with

a torrent of tears flowing down His eyes

wherever the Names of Lord Rama are sung”.

Hanuman is the living embodiment of Rama

Nama and a true Karma yogi. His exceptional

qualities of devotion, humility, desirelessness and

bravery are to be emulated. His humblenessmoved Rama who bestowed Him the boon of an

everlasting life.

According to the legend Sita was applying

sindhoor to Her head. Hanuman asked why andwas replied this would ensure a long life for Her

husband. Hanuman then smeared His entire

body with sindhoor, in an effort to ensure Rama’s

immortality. Devotees visit Hanuman temples

and apply tilak of sindhoor to their foreheads to

imbibe this spirit.

Let us celebrate

His birthday or

jayanthi falling on

Chaitra ShuklaPurnima, reading

Hanuman Chalisa

and spend the day in

Rama Nama Japa.

Glory to Rama

Bhakta Hanuman!

rama chandraya vedhase

sitaya pathaye namaha

ANAVAMIrch 2010

HANUMAN JAYANTI30th March 2010

- Centre page theme by Subhadra K.

Believe that man will not merely endure; he will prevail. - William Faulkner

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As you go ahead reading this page, a miraclewill happen. Something so magical, sounbelievable, that we won’t even recognize itfor the miracle it is. A thought will arise in yoursubconscious brain, a few electrical signals willbe generated, which will travel across your bodyat lightning speed, and that simple thought willcause your entire hand to move. In short, youwill turn the page. Now, that’s no miracle, youwould think. But look at it this way- all it tookfor your physical hand to move was the powerof one thought. This, however, was a verysimple, everyday-life example. There are somany astounding miracles that thought canachieve, when properly focused andconcentrated.

The basis of this principle is simple- Everythingis energy. The walls around us, the clothes wewear, the air we breathe, the food we eat, thestars we see in the sky are all essentially madeup of the same matter-atoms and molecules.And those atoms are nothing but empty spaceswith small sub-atomic particles like electrons,protons, neutrons and others, which are eithernegative, positive or neutral charges. In short,they are all energy. The reason some things aresolid, liquid, or gaseous, heavy or light, red orgreen color, is all because of the different energy

Thoughts and Reality

- Avinash Agarwal

frequencies they are in, i.e. different energylevels.

In the 21st century, human mind and itsworkings have become the favorite topic forexperimentation for scientists and researchers.Experiments have been conducted on mindstrained in meditation, in various environments-for example, a group of Tibetan monks, wearingjust a thin cloth, meditating at freezingtemperatures in the Himalayas, yet managingto keep their body temperature at normal. Howwould one explain that? So, this question wastaken into the laboratory- highly powerfuldetectors and instruments were connected tothe heads of these monks, and when theymeditated, the readings were recorded. Andthe results shook the world of science.

Thoughts were found to be signals of energyemitted by the brain, at different frequencies.The mind was like a radio station thatcontinuously emitted ‘thought-waves’ into theuniverse. And these little packets of energy wecall thoughts are responsible for making theentire world around us, little by little, bit by bit.

There are a number of ancient sayings, like‘You are what you think you are’ or ‘ThinkPositive’ or ‘Have faith, and everything will turnout all right’. At the bottom of these very wisesayings, is one common message- you are incontrol of your own life, because the thoughtsyou think define thestate of mind thatyou are in- happythoughts, sadthoughts, negativethoughts, lovingthoughts, and so on.And every suchthought affects thequality of the workyou do, every singlemoment of your life.

Big shots are only little shots who keep shooting. - Christopher Morley

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It is our birthright to dream. Everyone isentitled to dream lofty. But working towardsrealizing them is what distinguishes a dreamerfrom just a day dreamer and makes him an‘achiever’. Youth is the golden age of everyhuman being. By and large what we sow in ouryouth, we reap in our later lives. So everymoment of youth needs to be frugally UTILIZEDto give a form to their visions and ensure afulfilling life. Else, one might be left ruminatingon the lines- ‘bachpan khel meinkhoya, jawani neend bhar soya,budapa dekh kar roya…’ at theverge of exhausting this covetedgift called human life in vain!

To help maximize thescholarship of students ourancestors have suggested thefollowing five qualities as pointers:Shwana Nidra, Bako Dhyanam,

Kaka Cheshta Thathaivacha,Alpa Haari, Griha Tyagi,

Vidyarthi Pancha Lakshanam.One who is a very light sleeperlike a dog, one who is vigilant andattentive like a crane, one whocontinues making efforts like acrow, one who eats less, one who stays awayfrom home (sacrificing the luxuries of a home).

Convergence of all your thoughts on one idealike a crane and working on it persistently likea crow paves a royal path to victory. Rest of thethree traits will be part of the play. Guesswhose words these are: “Take up one idea.Make that idea your life; think of it; live on thatidea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every partof your body be full of that idea and just leaveother ideas alone. This is the way to success andthis is the way great spiritual giants areproduced.” Yes, you are right, SwamiVivekananda’s. Archimedes had utilized all the

VIDYARTHI PANCHA LAKSHANAMenergies of his mind in his effort to find theanswer to a question (about the purity of agolden crown) teasing his mind. He had reflectedon it day and night until he discovered thetruth-‘Eureka’!

The ‘present’ is the only time on hand. Todayhas to be used fruitfully by all means. Ratherthan imagining dimly about many things yet tobe done or brooding over the mistakes alreadycommitted, sticking to the present- ‘one thing

at a time’ with clarity is anapproach to make thejourney to success enjoyable.

What makes a genius?Genius is one percentinspiration and 99%perspiration. In the words ofThomas Alva Edison, thegenius with more than twothousand inventions,“Inventions are not accidents;they are rewards forunceasing effort.”Success andindustry are inseparablecompanions. Sri Lal BahadurShastri who hailed from apoor family became the PrimeMinister of India only because

of his industriousness, determination and clarity. Last but not least students should guard

themselves from the seductress calledprocrastination. As they say Procrastination isthe thief of time. As Srimat SwamiRanganathanandaji Maharaj says, “Take timeby its forelock …A trained mind will achievemuch in twenty-four hours…Winston Churchill,you and I have twenty four hours a day. ButChurchill does so much in twenty four hours andwe do so little. We don’t know how to train themind. That is one lesson to learn.”

- Annapurna R.

By perseverance the snail reached the ark. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

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We see trends come and go every dayand that is why we call them fads. But theinnumerable customs and rituals of ourculture have sustained thousands of years.It is because they were designedmeticulously and weaved seamlessly intoeveryday activities by thearchitects of IndianCivilization for the well beingof their descendants.

A custom means a grouppattern of habitual activityusually transmitted from onegeneration to another. Dueto change in life style andconstant pursuit ofconvenience, many of thetime-tested customs aregetting diluted or evenobsolete. But knowing orreminding ourselves the science behindthese well thought out rituals mightmotivate us to keep them alive for our ownbenefit and also not to transform them intosuperstitions.

One such ritual is drawing Rangoli.Rangoli is a pattern, hand drawn in front ofthe entrance to a house. This chore isperformed in the early hours precedingsunrise. Before drawing Rangoli the groundis prepared by sweeping clean and sprinklingwith water into which cow dung has beenmixed. To this simple ritual which seems tobe of decorative purpose, a great deal ofsignificance encompassing several aspectsof life is attached.

Early morning is called BrahmaMuhurtham which means that it is thetime to worship God. The atmosphere issacred because it is not polluted by theradiations of worldly feelings. At that timedevotees awake and pray God. Their pure

mental rays pervade all over the world and makethe time sacred. Thus it becomes a congenial andencouraging atmosphere for spiritual quest. The needto wake up early to draw Rangoli aids women ininculcating spiritual discipline. Kneeling down on thefloor to draw Rangoli serves as a beneficial asana.Drawing has its own therapeutic effects on theartist.

The cow dung water used to prepthe ground serves the dual purposeof caking the loose soil thus keepingdust under control and also sanitizingwith its antiseptic properties.Conventionally flour used to drawpatterns attracts the insects,provides them food and keeps themfrom entering into the house. Itgives that householder the credit offeeding animals and thereby fulfillingthe Bhutayajna aspect ofPanchamaha yajnas.

Traditionally the patterns drawn as Rangoli werethose of Sri Chakras. Originally Lord Shiva gave 64Chakras and their Mantras to the world and SriChakra to His consort Devi, which is the equivalentof all the other 64 put together. Apart from that theSri Chakra also embodies countless number of deitiesand represents the whole of creation. Significance ofSri Chakra has been established by Sri AdiShankaracharya, who placed the potent Sri Chakrayantra with the Mother bringing down Her furyacross the lands. This also marked the end of possiblesacrifices and brought into existence a more potentand friendly form of ritual practice that appeasedthe Goddess and depicted Her as a Divine motherwithin her shrine chamber. Thereby the Rangolipattern calms down the energy vibrations toconducive ones.

Above all the pattern at the entrance gives thehouse a very kempt, hospitable and auspicious look,welcoming the inmates as well as visitors into thefamily. Thus a simple daily chore has so much purposeand value to it. Whether we use it to our benefit ornot, is our choice! - Annapurna R.

RANGOLIRANGOLIRANGOLIRANGOLIRANGOLI

Champions keep playing until they get it right. - Billie Jean King

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Faith, leads us to a higher form of prayerwhere God says, “Ask and it shall be given,” butyou don’t. He allows chaos for us to thirst forpeace, He gives pain for us to crave forrelief….you still don’t ask, because you knowthat He knows it all and you love Him as muchas He loves you.

Let us draw our attention to the fact that adentist who administers lignocaine is not actuallytaking away the pain but is only temporarilykeeping it away. Prayer also is a sort oflignocaine. Our prayers, the blessings fromothers, the get-well cards and good wishes helpus to rise above the pain temporarily, though wehave to go through the operation. “The illusionof pain is more painful than ‘pain’ itself.” Apainful abscess in the tooth which hurts so muchthat one can’t sleep, slowly slips away whensleep drips in. The tooth and the abscess arestill there but one doesn’t feel the pain till theminute he wakes upagain. The paintemporarily elopedwith the mind. Thetreatment for ascorpion sting on thehand is to put a dropof salt water in theeye. The sting in theeye is much greaterthan the sting on thehand, so the pain inthe hand isforgotten and themind is diverted tothe pain in the eye. After a little while tearsflush out the eye and that pain goes away. Youhave forgotten this pain due to that pain andbecause that pain went away, you don’t go backto this pain. So a pinch of prayer would nullify

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL...Which is the best anaesthesia of all?

-A pinch of prayer, an ounce of faith and a bundle of love.our pain though the problem is still there to betaken care of.

An ounce of faith - Illness can be karmic, thereaction to your past actions. The illnessbecomes painful when you deny it and don’twant it. Accept the illness and seek help. Themere acceptance of the karmic reaction withfaith will take away half the pain of illness. Forthe other half of the pain we seek help and dowhat we can, with faith.

A bundle of love - It was always in the air.Love is the answer we always seek; it is thelanguage that every heart speaks. A simpleway of finding out how far away we are from it-Take a pencil and paper and start writing downall the things that we call “mine.” Howeverlong the list is, that’s how far we are away fromlove. Reduce the list and we are coming closerto love. Let’s remember, when we label somany things as “mine”, we have thrown mines

all around us readyto explode at anymoment that wecannot even walkwith ease. Let usrecognize that weare all married toone another in spiritand that we areessentially not man,not woman, notscholar, not fool butan image of love.We are all lights,burning, shining

through different bulbs. Some are 110 voltswhereas some are 108. The minute we forgetthat, we revolt, so let us keep up the voltage.

- Dr. Surendra A.

Character consists of what you do on the third andfourth tries. - John Albert Michener

23


Let us start with our first lesson. Here aresome instructions. Please read the sentences inSamskrit (we use this spelling for Sanskrit tostress the need to speak samskrit with properintonation) aloud and with clear pronunciation,perhaps addressing somebody in the family or afriend. If you have a child under 10 years of ageat home or nearby, nothing like it! Substitutenames where appropriate. Please rememberthat our aim is to be able to speak in Samskriteventually. And let me tell you, speaking inSamskrit is a great experience.

If you have Sabda-Manjari or a SamskritVyakarana book, keep it away for a while. Ifpossible, get hold of ‘English Samskrit Dictionary’published by Samskrita Bharati for help in pickingthe Samskrit word for day-to-day usage. Thisbook priced just Rs.20/- would be available atour office at Badi Chowdi in Hyderabad. Call040-2475 0111 for instructions to get there.

Though the statements here look simple, it isimportant to practice them thoroughly. Myexperience as a Samskrit teacher is that peoplemix up between ‘that’ and ‘this’, ‘you’ and ‘I’,‘I am doing’ and ‘He/She is doing’ etc. So mysuggestion is that you speak these sentencesaloud three or four times each. While sayingthese sentences, try to stress the words in boldletters the first time. As you repeat it the lasttime, speak normally. Also, while asking aquestion, please maintain a questioning tone.

SAMSKRIT - LESSON ONEqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉ lÉÉqÉ M×ümÉÉsÉÑÈ| pÉuÉiÉÈpÉuÉiÉÈpÉuÉiÉÈpÉuÉiÉÈpÉuÉiÉÈ lÉÉqÉ ÌMüqÉçÌMüqÉçÌMüqÉçÌMüqÉçÌMüqÉç?My name is Krupalu. What is your name? (In

this case, the questioned is male. Also noticethat quite a few male names have a ‘visarga’ atthe end in Samskrit.)

qÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉqÉ lÉÉqÉ lÉÉaÉåµÉU:|My name is Nageshwar.qÉqÉ lÉÉqÉ cÉlSìqÉÉåWûlÉÈ| pÉuÉirÉÉÈpÉuÉirÉÉÈpÉuÉirÉÉÈpÉuÉirÉÉÈpÉuÉirÉÉÈ lÉÉqÉ ÌMüqÉç?My name is Chandramohan. What is your

name? (The questioned is female here.)qÉqÉ lÉÉqÉ sÉiÉÉ|My name is Lata. Notice ‘Mama’ in both male

and female’s replies. ‘Mama’ is common forboth genders. (Unlike male names, female namesdo not normally have ‘visarga’ at the end. Alsonotice that names are as in Hindi language withlong-vowel-pronunciation at the end.)

xÉÈxÉÈxÉÈxÉÈxÉÈ xÉliÉÉåwÉÈ| xÉÈ MüÈMüÈMüÈMüÈMüÈ? xÉÈ xÉliÉÉåwÉÈ|He is Santosh. Who is he? He is Santosh.xÉÉxÉÉxÉÉxÉÉxÉÉ mÉÔÍhÉïqÉÉ| xÉÉ MüÉMüÉMüÉMüÉMüÉ? xÉÉ mÉÔÍhÉïqÉÉ| LuÉqÉç LuÉ

xÉÉ µÉåiÉÉ, xÉÉ mÉ©eÉÉ, xÉÉ eÉsÉeÉÉ, CirÉÉÌS|She is Purnima. Who is she? (Notice that ‘who’

is dependent on gender.) She is Purnima. Similarly,she is Sweta, she is Padmaja, she is Jalaja, etc.

iÉiÉçiÉiÉçiÉiÉçiÉiÉçiÉiÉç mÉÑxiÉMüqÉç| iÉiÉç ÌMüqÉçÌMüqÉçÌMüqÉçÌMüqÉçÌMüqÉç? iÉiÉç mÉÑxiÉMüqÉç| LuÉqÉçLuÉ iÉiÉç pÉuÉlÉqÉç, iÉiÉç mÉ§ÉqÉç, iÉiÉç mÉÉ§ÉqÉç, CirÉÉÌS|

That is book. (Pardon me for using Inglish, theIndian version of English, as this is the way weIndians express our thoughts.) What is that?That is book. Similarly, that is building, that ispaper, that is vessel, etc.

xÉÈ xÉliÉÉåwÉÈ| LwÉÈLwÉÈLwÉÈLwÉÈLwÉÈ AÉlÉlSÈ| LwÉÈ MüÈ? LwÉÈAÉlÉlSÈ|

He is Santosh. He is Anand. (Anand is close tothe speaker while Santosh is farther away.) Whois he? (The closer person.) He is Anand.

Krupalu Ogeti, Secretary,Samskrit Bharati, Hyderabad

[email protected]

Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow. - Dan Rather

24


Chemistry known as Rasayan Shastra, Rasa-Vidya, Rasatantra and Rasakriya all of whichroughly mean ‘Science of liquids’ was inventedin India. In India, chemistry was practiced asearly as 3000 BCE as a paramedical science. Theperiod between 600 BC and 800 AD can becalled as the Golden period of Indian Chemistry.

The fact that Indians knew the art of glassmaking is supported in Ramayana, BhrhatSamhita and Kautilya’s Artha Shastra. Amplereferences of gold, silver and alloys can be seenin Vedas (Rig Veda 1-22-14, Shukla Yajur Veda 8-13) while the process of making alloys andconverting them into products is dealt with inRasarnavam (11.2213.17). There were more than32 types of apparatus called ‘yantras’, includingseveral types of furnaces like Koshti yantra ( theclosed furnace), Dheki Yantra and Tiryak-patana-yantra ( the slanting distillation vessel)whichwere being used to conduct processes likemelting, vaporizing, solidifying and distillingmetals and other products in their laboratories.Earthen-copper vessels called Sikhi grivah wereused to generate electricity. Explosives like AgniChurnam and pigments like Indigo were preparedin ancient India. Ancient Indians knew how toprepare the sulphate of copper, zinc and ironand carbonates of lead and iron. Methods forthe extraction of metals like gold, silver, tin andcopper from their ores and their purificationwere mentioned, in Rasaratnakara written byNagarjuna (born in 931 AD) who later turned toorganic chemistry and medicine.

The knowledge that “Paramanus” (atomicparticles) of “padarthas” (matter) are the basicbuilding blocks of universe can be found inVaiseshika Sutras of Acharya Kanad (6th CenturyB.C.) who says that ‘every object of creation ismade of atoms which in turn connect with eachother to form molecules’. The basic five elements(Pancha Bhutas) and their interminglingproperties were clearly mentioned in many

Indian books of varied branches of science. Therust proof Iron Pillar at Delhi and the copperstatue of Gautama Buddha found at Sultan Ganjin Bihar, testify to the fact that Indian metallurgyand chemistry had reached a stage of perfectionmore than 1500 years ago and that the techniquethat had been perfected over many generationsbefore that.

FACT IS A FACT

BE YOUR OWN DOCTOR ! ! !SUJOK ACUPRESSURE

“Sujok Therapy” was found by Prof. Parke JaeWoo from Korea in 1983. In Korean language,‘Su’ means hand and ‘Jok’ means feet. It healsany type of chronic or acute diseases bypressuring points on hand or feet.

The structure of hand & feet strikinglyresembles that of human body. The thumbresembles the head & neck. The palm is thetrunk and the four fingers are the legs andhands. The index and little fingers are twohands of the body. Middle and ring fingers arethe two legs.

These are highly active points ofcorrespondence (similarity) to every organ inthe body. The stimulation on this produces acurative and preventive effect. If in some partof the body there is a disorder, an energysignal is immediately transmitted to all thecorresponding points. In case of sufficientstimulation or pressure on the specified areaon the hand or feet, curative energy waves goback to the affected body part, removing thecause of the disorder and restoring the bodyto its health and stability.

e.g. A simple headache can be relieved bymassaging the top of the thumb.

This therapy has no side effects. Learningthis therapy does not require any science background, however to apply these therapies (notonly Sujok but also seed, magnet, colourtherapies etc.), one requires good knowledgeand practice, before application.

Ref: Eternally Talented India 108 facts

- Mamta Agarwal

Decide carefully, exactly what you want in life, then work like mad to makesure you get it! - Hector Crawford

25


Our world is becoming smaller and smallerday by day. With the latest trends in the fieldof information, technology had brought theentire world just a click away. In this scenariothe human relations instead of reaching theirzenith have started declining gradually! Anunconditional love between the people that wasthe character of the previous generations, nowseems to be a distant mirage. No one person inparticular can be blamed for this disastroustrend. The career driven lives have left us withthe option to think of others only in the time ofour selfish needs. Every day is more or less thesame for success-starving people. The talkbetween people earlier used to be a wholehearted communication. Now, people are finding itdifficult to make evencourtesy calls. People haveso many friends notpersonal, but virtually onFacebook. The warmth agood friend radiates cannotbe done by a monitorbecause it is just a tooldevoid of emotions. Thejoys were celebrated andsorrows were shared. Thepeople had long healthylives compared to thepresent generation. Now,the younger age group issuffering from differentailments both physically andmentally. The blues of stress filled jobs is takingits toll on the health of the people. This needsto be addressed on priority. The man is treatedas a money minting machine and his growth israted purely on his performance. We arestruggling hard to prove a point that we arealso human beings. The dreams of achievingsuccess at any cost had left the people in lurch.

The emotional attachment towards work isletting the people down. The sense of onenesshad disappeared and instead ‘I am’ the only onetendency had taken deep root. We admire theachievements of a celebrity but find no time tosay even a hello to our neighbour. Surely this isnot life. This is high time for a constructiveintrospection. The ancient man in search ofnew vistas of life had come across manyinventions. It was done and experimented witha sole intention of making life simpler andhappier. Today in search of finding joy, the manhas started losing himself. These short lived joysare making people weaker than stronger thus,making life more and more difficult. With so

many material comforts andinformation on finger tips,man is finding it hard tolead a happy life. He has notime to spend for himself. Life is not just achievingsuccess in one’s career andmaking money. It has gotanother and importantdimension calledSATISFACTION. We mustlearn to realise that realhappiness in life lies inmaking others happy. Satisfaction comes whensuccess is enjoyed. But, weare not in a position to enjoy,as we are surrendering tocompetition. We should

try to learn to lead life as the way it comes. Themost fickle thing in life is material success. Thisis why a HAPPY LIFE is slowly becoming a Dreamthese days. Life is not just setting goals andstriving for it but also a bouquet of small joys,sharing and supporting each other in distress. Lives of great people like Gandhiji, SwamiVivekananda, and Mother Teresa are still

A BEAUTIFUL DREAM CALLED LIFE

Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it. - Josephus Daniels

26


remembered with great reverence for theircontribution to mankind. They lived life to thecore by dedicating themselves for the upliftmentof the people. These people practiced thanmerely preaching. They succeeded in attaining

oneness between thought, word and deed. Toenjoy life we need not make such great sacrificesin our lives but we can draw some relief byleading a humble life. We know it is not as easyas it appears; the reason is we think something,say the other and ultimately end up doing thecontrary. We lack the will to retain theenthusiasm which we boast at the beginning, itslowly recedes and touches rock bottom finally. Self centered thoughts are propelling us nowherebut to despair at the end. We blame others forall these, conveniently forgetting ourinvolvement we try to buck push theresponsibility. Consistency of positive thoughtwill do the trick. Let us accept the fact we areall ordinary human beings but God had been sogenerous on us and bestowed us with the boonof thinking and discrimination from other livingcreatures on earth. To live happily we neednot renounce everything but the evil ofselfishness and greed. To lead a lively and lovelylife we need not stop striving for growth in ourcareers, our academics, and our thoughtprocess. We must not do these at the cost of

losing ourselves but for realizing the beautifuldream called Life with positive outlook. Positiveoutlook also includes staying active intellectually,maintaining a wide variety of interests, observingeverything and learning from that to improvethe quality of our life. A happy life is the BestGift we can give to ourselves. A person with aninclination towards social interest tends to enjoyhigher levels of mental health. The best way fora person who has an inferior feeling thatsomething is missing in his life, is watchingterminally ill people and realize how lucky he is. Such privilege can be turned into a blessing byserving the underprivileged unconditionally.

Simple tips for a happy daily life:1) Try to lead an honest life2) Tell yourself to spend the day with

enthusiasm3) Begin the day with a positive thought of

doing something good4) Ensure you will bring smile on the face of

at least one person5) Spend time with yourself alone as much as

possible, to know the strengths and weaknesses

6) Try to observe silence for a few moments and feel the presence of divine within you and around

7) Try to take part in philanthropic activities8) Avoid procrastination of works9) Do not make decisions when you are

emotional10) Try to stay positive, cool and cheerful

always.This is the best possible way to make the

beautiful dream called LIFE true. Else we willjust end up as a re-searcher of happiness like aKasturi Deer which searches elsewhere forfragrance that emanates from itself. As SwamiVivekananda said, “You are the Creator of YourOwn Destiny”. Choice is in our hands.

- Mudigonda Rajsekhar

Failure is the path of least persistence. - Unknown Author

27


NACHIKETANJALI

Nachiketa Tapovan witnessed the confluence ofmany noble and kind hearts on the bright morning ofthe 26th January 2010. All the members of Tapovanwere anxiously waiting, planning and working for thisday since manyweeks. The flag washoisted at 9:30 a.m.sharp and thenational anthem wasrendered filling theair with patriotismand jubilation,celebrating theanniversary of India’ssovereignty.

The gathering moved on into the Dhyana Mandirwithout any delay. Chief guests Sri Prakash Rao garuand his wife Smt. M. Latha lighted the lamp to markthe start of events. The children of Tapovan enthralledthe spectators with their heart winning performanceswhich included songs, skits, speeches, plays, dancesand jokes. The programs were not only entertainingbut also enlightening. Nachiketa play wasunequivocally the best of all whilethe highlights were a skit onsecularism and ‘All is well’ dance.Three cheers to the performers,choreographers and coordinators.

Swamiji, Sri Prakasa Rao garuand Mataji passed on their wisdomto the gathering. Sri Prakasa Raogaru was very happy and impressedat the “exemplary service of

Tapovan in inculcating values andimparting character building educationto children”. He requested the childrento look beyond and develop a vision fortheir future and form goals for themselvesand work towards reaching those.

Prakasa Rao garu launched themagazine Nachiketanjali andceremoniously handed copies to themembers working closely for themagazine. Swamiji announced the namesof the core editorial team which by allmeans would expand depending on the

commitment andinterest of moremembers. Thespeciality ofNachiketanjali isthat, it is amagazine for thereaders and by thereaders too. Soreaders wereurged to voice their

ideas through the magazine and mould itfor the betterment of the society, basedon the guidelines set by Pujya Swamiji.

The guests partook the Spiritual Prasadwhile mingling and filled the courtyardwith cheers and laughter!

We were born to succeed, not to fail. - Henry David Thoreau

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Maha Shivaratri, the much anticipatedfestival at Nachiketa Tapovan wassuccessfully organized with the blessingsand guidance of Swami Nachiketananda.The celebrations of the ‘Great night ofShiva’ started at 10 pm on Friday,February 12th 2010, with bhajansfollowed by Swamiji’s Divine Discourse.When it was time for Lingodbhavam theactivity shifted to the veiled Shivalinga.

SHIVARATRI CELEBRATIONS

It was our great fortune to witness twoUdbhavas- the Lingodbhava and Swamiji’sPremodbhava. Swamiji performed theAbhishekam as Mataji, Volunteers and the LittleChamps of our Vidya Mandir chanted Rudram,radiating confidence with their mellifluous voiceswafting into each ear, cooling the hearts, raisingthe temper of excitement to an unknown realmof ecstasy. We sat through the entire procedure,watching silently, trying to imbibe the meaningof Swamiji’s every gesture and act …trying tounderstand Him a little. The subtler significances,

Victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat. - Malcolm Forbes

the inner patterns of the fabric, were beyondour understanding.

After the Abhishekam, Archana and Aarti,Prasad was distributed, followed by a night-longvigil with meditation and sadhana. The LittleChamps experienced the pulsating feeling thatthe festivities of Shivaratri has injected. Some ofthem went into a trance enjoying the Divineessence till the crack of dawn. The Little Champschanted…Little Champs regaled…Little Champsconquered!!!

29


SPIRITUAL INVITATIONPlease join us in our Spiritual Yaga! As small as it could be each drop is essential in filling

the ocean. Cash or kind, craft or skill, art or technology combined with a spoon of lovewill go a long way in realizing our dreams. Your contribution is much needed

for our continued success in serving the needy.

To be a part of Nachiketa family visit us anytime or contact our

Adhyatmik Praneta at

040-23113887, 098491 68937

email:[email protected], [email protected]

[email protected], [email protected]

He who is filled with love is filled with God himself. - Saint Augustine

Purest things come in the simplest form. Most sincere gestures spring from thecore of our heart. Likewise Sri Ramakrishna Jayanti was celebrated on 18th Feb2010 by the children of Tapovan with great sincerity and simplicity. The little onespresented a drama and read some parables and quotations by Paramahamsa.The best part of the programme was when Baswaraj came up and sang ‘HappyBirthday’ to Sri Ramakrishna. At that lively moment it seemed like the saint’s eyestwinkled pleased with the children’s innocence.

SRI RAMAKRISHNA JAYANTI CELEBRATIONS30


Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to anunderstanding of ourselves - Carl Jung

WORKSHOP AT NCC CAMP

Mr. R.K. Trikhaji conducts a camp every year forselected students of NCC (Army, Airforce and

Navy). Swami Nachiketananda and SwamiShivanandamayi were invited by Mr. R.K.

Trikhaji to conduct this year’s workshop onPersonality development programme. The eventwas held on February 17, 2010 from 9:00 am to

12:30 pm at Polo Ground, Secunderabad.

Students from different school sattended the programme. Swamiji

shared His spiritual wisdom withthe young minds and captured

their attention with His naturallove for children. His definition for

personality development wasremarkable. Swamiji enlightened

the audience by giving thescientific reasoning behind yogic

techniques. Children were taughtMaha Chaitanya Kriya by Swamiji.

When they werepracticing the Kriya,some children went intomeditative state whilesome experiencedwonderful vibrations. Allthe children and thesenior officers enjoyedthe program. In spite ofthe large number ofstudents, perfectdiscipline prevailed. Asthe program wasdrawing close, Swamijireceived moreinvitations from otherorganizations to conductmore such programmes.

31


HELPING HANDSAnna daanam maha daanam; vidya daanam mahattaram.

Annena kshanika trupthihi yaavajjeevanthu vidyaya.Vidya Mandir at Nachiketa Tapovan is currently able to accommodate a family ofabout 150 children who receive all-round nourishment from man-making educationto milk-n-meals and basic health-aid in an atmosphere of genuine love.Kind-hearted Well wishers have been the unseen force behind this offering to God.We thank you for your continued support.

Vidya Daanam (Education) Rs. 3500/year/child

Anna Daanam (Mid-day Meals) Rs. 3000/day

Ksheera Daanam (Morning Milk) Rs. 600/dayVastra Daanam (Uniforms) Rs. 600/2 pairsDinnerware (Steel Plates & Glasses) Rs. 5000/ 50 setsStationery Supplies (Copier Paper) Rs. 5000/termFestivals Celebration Rs. 1500/festival

Oushadhi (Medical Supplies) Rs. 5000/month

Celebrate your Special Days with the Children at Nachiketa Tapovan!

“My life is my work” is a

pictorial biography that leads

the reader through different

dimensions of Srimat Swami

R a n g a n a t h a n a n d a j i

Maharaj’s life providing aglimpse of his oneness with

the nature through His

teachings. First edition of this

book was released on 1st

March 2006 followed by the

second edition on 11th July

2006 and 3rd edition on 22nd

November 2007.

The Books are available atNachiketa Tapovan at Kavuri

Hills and Ramakrishna Math,

Hyderabad for a subsidized

price of Rs. 250/-.

PUBLICATIONS

Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak tothe listening heaven - Rabindranath Tagore

32


Dear Atman,

Nachiketa Tapovan has launched a massiveAshram project in Kodgal village, JadcherlaMandal in Mahboobnagar district with a noblevision of providing Free Education, Medical aid,Vocational training and Spiritual upliftment forthe underprivileged. Temples, Dhyana mandir,Residential Campus, Vidya Mandir andDispensary are given priority in the 1st Phase ofconstruction. With the grace of the Almighty wehave been moving forward towards thecompletion of some of these projects.

First we want to thank our supporters andwell wishers for accomplishing our goals ofconstructing a Dhyana Mandir and ResidentialCampus at the Ashram. Your support wasessential for meeting the substantial expensesof this Humanitarian work for which we aredeeply grateful. At present our top priority isthe major Temple Project and Vidya Mandirwhich are under construction. The total cost forthese projects is estimated at Rs 2.9 CroresCurrently we have collected Rs 1.19 Crores. Therest of the funds have to be raised to inauguratethe Ashram. For the coming year, our goal is tocontinue reaching out to more and more souls

AN APPEAL

with our basic spiritual services, programs andpublications and also to accomplish a number ofsmaller projects at Nachiketa Tapovan, Kavurihills and Ashram at Jadcherla.

We hereby make a fervent appeal for generousdonations. You can contribute to the project inany manner possible. Please participate in thisnoble task so that our cultural heritage andreligious traditions will be safeguarded for thecoming generations.

It may kindly be noted that donations toNachiketa Tapovan are exempted from IncomeTax U/S 80 G of IT Act, 1961 of Govt of India.Donations in the form of cheques/ Demanddrafts may please be drawn in favour ofNachiketa Tapovan.

Yours in the service of Motherland

Swami Nachiketananda

It’s not whether you get knocked down;it’s whether you get up. - Vince Lombardi

33


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Ashraydatas are encouraged to become patrons of the magazine by joiningNachiketanjali’s Patron’s Scheme. You can become patrons by donating Rs. 5000/- whichwill be deposited in the magazine’s corpus fund. We express our thanks by announcingtheir names in the following issue of the Magazine and the patron will also receive a5 year subscription of the same.

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

AN APPEAL TO PATRONS & SPONSORS

WELL-WISHERS:1. K. Vijay Kumar2. P. S. Reddy3. Y.V.S.S. Prasad4. Rama Devi K.5. Intelligroup6. Maa TV7. Matrix Labs

SUBSCRIBERS:1. P. S. Reddy - 100 Gift Subscriptions -1 year2. R. Manjula - 10 Gift Subscription -1 year3. Y. Laxmi - 10 Gift Subscriptions -1 year4. N. Krishna Mohan - 10 Gift Subscriptions -1 year5. P. Ramamurthy - 10 Gift Subscriptions -1 year6. B. Rukmini Rao - 10 Gift Subscriptions -1 year7. K. Rama Devi - 100 Gift Subscriptions -1 year

Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you - Carl Jung

34


a) You can send articles by email [email protected] or by post toNachiketanjali, Nachiketa Tapovan, PlotNo.70, Phase I, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur,Guttlabegumpet, Serilingampally, RangaReddy District. A.P., with your full name,address and contact details.

b) No article is returned.c) Your article should be reader friendly with

a positive view point.d) No controversial or political issues are

published.e) Word limit for an article varies from 250

(one column) to 1000 words (four columns).

A NOTE TO WRITERS:

BOOK REVIEWWe request Publishers to send twocopies of their Spiritual, Philosophicaland Religious books for publishing aBook Review in our“Nachiketanjali” - monthly Magazine.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTNachiketa Tapovan is indebted to allthe well-wishers, donors, patrons andadvisors whose immense help andcooperation in multiple ways hashelped us accomplish our goals.

Writers can contact the editorial team forfurther details.

f) The styles of references should be as perthe ‘Documentation of Sources’ given atthe end of the Merriam Webster ’sCollegiate Dictionary.

g) Editor reserves the right to accept/ rejectarticles and edit the selected articles.

h) Unsolicited articles are not acknowledged.i) The Editor does not accept responsibility

for the author’s views.j) Articles received will be published in one of

the forthcoming issues.

It all depends on how we look at things and not on howthey are themselves - Cark Jung

with best wishes from

Griha Constructions, Chennai

“Be Good and Do Good” - Swami Vivekananda

35


WITH BEST WISHES FROM

VASAVI PRINTSHYDERABAD

Everything, no doubt,happens by God’s will, yet

man must work becauseGod expresses His willthrough man’s action.

MA SARADA DEVI

36


Book Post

To

If undelivered, please return to:NACHIKETA TAPOVAN#70, Phase I, KavuriHills, Madhapur,Guttlabegumpet, Sherilingampally,Ranga Reddy Dist. A.P - 500 081

# 6-3-1109/A/1, 3rd Floor, Navabharat Chambers, Somajiguda,Rajbhavan Road, Hyderabad - 82. A.P. INDIA. Tel: 91 40 23403589# 6-3-1109/A/1, 3rd Floor, Navabharat Chambers, Somajiguda,Rajbhavan Road, Hyderabad - 82. A.P. INDIA. Tel: 91 40 23403589

Nachiketanjali_2nd Issue

Documents

Transcript of Nachiketanjali_2nd Issue