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Remembering the Glory of Bharat on this Republic Day

The Glory of Bharat: A Timeless Journey Through Culture, Heritage, and Spiritual Wisdom

Bharat, widely referred to as India, is a land of unparalleled diversity and timeless heritage. It is a civilization where art meets spirituality, where science and philosophy converge, and where every tradition is steeped in profound wisdom. This Republic Day, let us explore the essence of Bharat—its rich culture, heritage, fine arts, cuisines, and, above all, its emphasis on the study of Consciousness and Self-realization (Atma Shakshatkar).


The Spiritual Core of Bharat

Bharat’s greatness lies not just in its civilizational achievements but in its spiritual foundation. The Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Yoga Shastra form the bedrock of this wisdom, teaching us the essence of life, the universe, and the ultimate truth.

The Vedas: The Eternal Wisdom

The Vedas, the oldest scriptures of humanity, encapsulate the essence of divine knowledge. They emphasize the unity of all existence and the journey toward Self-realization.

A famous verse from the Rig Veda declares:
“एकोऽहम् बहुस्यामि”
(Eko’ham bahusyami)
“I am One; let Me become many.”

This profound insight highlights the origin of creation, where the One Consciousness manifests as the diverse universe, all connected by the same divine thread. The Big Bang theory, which describes the universe emerging from a singularity, is but one small, logical consequence of this eternal truth. Vedic wisdom, as explained in the Yoga Vasishtha and Upanishads, encompasses and transcends such phenomena, revealing Chit—pure Consciousness—as the ultimate source and substratum of all creation, cycles, and cosmic processes.

The Yajur Veda also reminds us of the interconnectedness of all beings:
“वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्”
(Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam)
“The world is one family.”

This vision of universal unity is the cornerstone of Bharat’s culture and its gift to humanity.


The Upanishads: The Pursuit of Self-Realization

The Upanishads, or Vedanta, delve deeper into the spiritual journey of understanding the Self (Atman). They inspire us to move beyond material pursuits and realize our divine essence.

One of the most quoted verses from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad proclaims:
“अयमात्मा ब्रह्म”
(Ayam Atma Brahma)
“This Self is Brahman.”

This simple yet profound statement reveals that the ultimate reality lies within us. The Chandogya Upanishad further reinforces this with:
“तत्त्वमसि”
(Tat Tvam Asi)
“Thou art That.”

These teachings emphasize that Self-realization is the ultimate goal of life, achievable through inner exploration and the realization of our oneness with the infinite Consciousness.


Yoga: The Path to Oneness

Yoga, as codified by Maharshi Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, is Bharat’s greatest contribution to humanity. It offers a systematic path to unite the body, mind, and soul. The Yoga Sutras define yoga as:
“योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः”
(Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah)
“Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.”

Through practices like asanas, pranayama, and dhyana, Yoga guides us toward inner stillness, helping us experience the divine Consciousness within.

The Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the essence of the Upanishads, also beautifully explains yoga:
“समत्वं योग उच्यते”
(Samatvam yoga uchyate)
“Yoga is equanimity.”

In a world of chaos, Bharat’s spiritual teachings offer a way to achieve peace, Bliss and balance, not just for individuals but for society as a whole.


Cultural and Artistic Heritage

Bharat’s culture is a manifestation of its spiritual wisdom. Its fine arts—be it the intricate sculptures of temples, the soulful ragas of classical music, or the vibrant dances like Bharatanatyam and Kathak—are not merely art forms but expressions of devotion and divine beauty.

Temples like Brihadeeswara, Konark, Kailash, and Khajuraho stand as architectural marvels, designed as sanctuaries for spiritual elevation. Every aspect of Indian art seeks to reflect the divine, connecting the observer with something beyond the material world.

Indian cuisine, too, is an extension of this holistic philosophy. Rooted in Ayurveda, it emphasizes balance and nourishment, offering flavors that are not just delightful but deeply healing.


The Principle of Dharma

At the heart of Bharat’s heritage lies the concept of Dharma. The Mahabharata defines Dharma as:
“धारणाद्धर्ममित्याहुः”
(Dharanad dharmam ityahuh)
“Dharma is that which upholds and sustains.”

Dharma is not just a moral code but a way of life that harmonizes individual needs with societal well-being and universal laws. It is this principle that has sustained Bharat through millennia, making it a guiding light for humanity.


The Relevance of Bharat’s Wisdom Today

In an era dominated by materialism, Bharat’s spiritual teachings are more relevant than ever. They remind us that true happiness lies not in external possessions but in inner realization. The ancient sages envisioned a world where humanity could live in harmony with nature, respecting the sanctity of all life.

As Swami Vivekananda said, “Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within through Yoga.”

Bharat’s teachings urge us to awaken to our highest potential and contribute to global harmony and well-being.


Conclusion

Bharat is not merely a geographical entity; it is a spiritual force, a beacon of light, Knowledge in a world seeking meaning and peace. Its rich culture, profound wisdom, and timeless values inspire us to live with purpose, compassion, and unity.

On this Republic Day, let us honor Bharat’s legacy by imbibing its eternal values and sharing them with the world. Let us strive to realize the truth of the Vedas:
“सत्यं वद धर्मं चर”
(Satyam vada dharmam chara)
“Speak the truth and follow the path of righteousness.”

May Bharat continue to shine as the land of wisdom, peace, and spiritual awakening.

Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!

Bharat’s Timeless Legacy: Celebrating Independence Day and Her Glorious Spiritual-Cultural Heritage

As India unfurls her tricolor on this momentous Independence Day, we not only celebrate the struggles and triumphs that paved the way for our sovereignty but also pay homage to a heritage that transcends time and geography – India’s rich spiritual and cultural legacy.

From the banks of the Ganges to the majestic temples of Khajuraho, India’s spiritual and cultural heritage is a tapestry woven with threads of devotion, artistry, and wisdom. The land that birthed great saints, philosophers, and scholars has also been a cradle of civilizations that nurtured profound insights into the human experience.

Indian spirituality is a beacon that guides seekers from all corners of the world. The teachings of Yoga, ancient texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita have illuminated paths of self-discovery and enlightenment for millennia.

Art and culture in India are expressions of the soul that have transcended generations. The intricate carvings of Ellora, the soul-stirring ragas of Indian classical music, and the vibrant festivals that paint the landscape with a myriad of colors – all resonate with a cultural richness that has left an indelible mark on the world.

Independence Day is a reminder that our journey to freedom was shaped not just by political aspirations, but also by the values that our spiritual heritage nurtures. Valor, Courage and Resilience championed by freedom fighters like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and Veer Savarkar etc were inspired by ancient Indian philosophies, like Bhagavad Geeta, reminding us that our cultural legacy isn’t just an artifact of the past, but a living force that guides our present and future.

As we celebrate this day, let us remember that our cultural heritage is not a relic to be preserved behind glass, but a source of strength and inspiration that must be passed down to future generations. In a globalized world, India’s spiritual teachings can guide humanity towards harmony, tolerance, and sustainable living.

Our cultural heritage is a bridge connecting us with our roots, but it is also a lens through which we can envision a better future. By embracing our traditions while adapting to modern challenges, we can foster innovation, education, economy and social progress, inspired byvwith our ancient spiritual wisdom.

In conclusion, as we raise our flag on this Independence Day, let us not only celebrate our nation’s political sovereignty but also honor the spiritual and cultural heritage that sets us apart. Let us draw from the depths of our traditions to create a brighter future based on our Vedic wisdom. This Independence Day, as we pay homage to our history, let us also embrace the enduring values that define our identity – values that have illuminated the world for centuries. Jai Hind!

Maa Mundeshwari Temple, Bihar.


Dedicated to Goddess Shakti & Lord Shiva, this is Maa Mundeshwari Temple, in Kaimur district of Bihar.
Though the structure is extensively damaged, this rare octagonal shrine has stood the test of time for 2,000 years. And is the oldest functioning temple in India today.
#JaiMataDi #IncredibleIndia

Nature's Blessing and cursing powers…

Some rare people are gifted with incredible Blessing powers. Those who can Bless you are also given cursing powers by the Universe!
So watch out your words and actions when you are around them!

In fact my Guru Sri Sri Ravishankar Ji once said, “Meditators / spiritual people first get cursing powers; and then they will get Blessing powers much later”.
This is a law of nature. This is how the universe is designed to function… There is nothing personal in this!
To be able to Bless effectively, and you need a certain kind of energy in you and you must have experienced a 100% content state at least for a certain period of time at least once in your life. To experience this is not an ordinary feat that everyone can achieve it routinely. Some people mistakenly think that just having a good heart is good enough to be able to bless. This is a big myth.
I have practically seen both happening! This is especially so for those who have ever experienced intense Samadhi (higher states of consciousness / deep meditations ) . So watch out your words and actions when you are around them!

Political reforms: Need of the hour

“Opposition” party is a wrong and politically incorrect word. If the purpose of political parties is to work for the country’s development, then where is scope for opposition? Are the political parties meant to oppose and fight each other? Or are they are they meant to work for the progress of the country?!
Indian democracy and political system have, by and large, failed. There is something seriously wrong with the foundation of modern Indian political system which was based on wrong models simply aping the west. This political system encourages parties to ‘fight’ for power rather than serve country and thus indirectly encourages corruption, vote-bank politics and ‘populist’ exploitative tendencies. Thought leaders need to (re)think on suitable working political models that are growth-conducive and encourages people and parties to serve….
– Krishna ReddyRead More »Political reforms: Need of the hour

Google does too charity differently!

Google has made a huge difference to the world. It has innovated in each and everything field that it has touched. It does everything differently. Google does everything in the most optimum way,  exactly the way it should be done. Google does charity too in a different way. It has pledged  20 million dollars:

  • Google has revolutionized the technology. Google has not just innovated in web search by creating powerful path-breaking search technologies but also in operating systems, databases etc with creation of GFS, BigTable etc.
  • Google has innovated in HR practices to keep the innovation and ideation alive. It has the best recruiting policies for attracting the talent.
  • Google has revolutionized the way you make business. Google makes money by empowering the common man – by making it easy to find quality information, by giving you better ways to connect and even by giving you an easy and effective way to earn money. Through AdSense, Google shares revenues with you so you earn when Google earns and vice versa. Google has changed the way advertising is done. Google helps the advertisers by allowing them to advertise at a reasonable cost yet reaching their target customers effectively through AdWords – your company pays Google only when an ad potentially turns into business; and of course it helps the end-users to find relevant and useful products. Well, I myself recently got benefited from this – I found, through Google ads while searching, a web-hosting company that gave me THE best hosting solutions at an unbelievably low price. So unlike Microsoft, who charges you a huge amount for a substandard quality operating system, Google makes money by making you rich! I hope Google will soon come up with a free or low cost operating system that is far superior to Microsoft’s Windows.
Having innovated in everything it does, Google is now all geared up to do philanthropy in a different way.. Google has announced a charity of 20 million dollars for 2010. Yes, I guess Google will do it differently and it will change the world in the middle of the present global economic recession. So let us wait and watch how Google will do charity!

Today I got the following greetings from Google:
 

Happy Holidays from Google
Hello,

As we near the end of the year, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for the time, energy, commitment, and trust you’ve shared with us in 2009.

With sharing in mind, this year we’ve decided to do something a little different. We hope you’ll find it fits the spirit of the holiday season.

We’re looking forward to working with you to build lasting success in 2010.

Happy Holidays,
Your Google Team

Ten rules of happy married life!

I have come across this nice article by Gayatri of Gayatri Vantillu.

Young & elderly couples may skip this article, because the former group is just initiated to their romantic life which wouldn’t have any  “Blues” and the older group has much more experience to share on “Blues”, where my experience would be dwarfed in comparision. 
With trepidation I write the following lines, because it shouldn’t result in sermons or lectures.
In India, marriage is still gracefully regarded as a sacrosanct life-time relationship of a boy and girl. In most instances, these pairs are permitted to conjugal life only after their marriage. Pre-marital dating courtship is rare, but is slowly gaining popularity and acceptance. The present trend is for the pairs to get formally engaged and have  dating till marriage.  I see the trend as an adaptation of the western “Dating” culture, suitably modified to the Indian cultural reservations. 
It is during this “Dating” / Courtship we find that the partners have lots to discuss, share and  make promises. 
The new pairs often wonder how “Brahma” the creator could guess the needs and aptly created the opposite partner – “Specially made to order”. 
However, as years progress, all couples have to go through the “Free Roller-Coaster Ride of Life!!!”. 
Twenty two years ago, while on one such dates we both decided on two things as non-negotiable in our married life.  We felt it was a tough and revolutionary decision
One should never draw a balance-sheet, and more so on how much he or she has sacrificed / contributed for the family. 
Rather it should be – “How much more can I accommodate?” instead of “How much did I sacrifice?” 
These principles have seen us together for 22 years and hopefully would see us through for the remaining life also. Now we realise that the same pledge must have been taken by  all our elders and contemporaries, but for which we wouldn’t see so many successful marriages in all our families. 
In an old Telugu film song of “Dr. Chakravarty”, “Manasuna manasai … Bratukuna Bratukai” song,  a stanza is “Ninnu Ninnu ga preminchutakai” (to love you as you are!!!). This song is an apt reflection of the pure love between husband and wife.
Recently I came across a poster on “Rules of a Happy Marriage” which I felt like sharing with you. I salute the writer of these lines who discussed the solutions to Marriage Blues. I frankly admit that I’m no exception and faced the “Blues” and  am likely to face more in future also. What  we wish is, we both should remember these solutions also!!!!.

Rules of a Happy Marriage

  1. Never both be angry at the same time
  2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire
  3. If one of you has to win an argument let it be your mate
  4. If you have to criticize, do it lovingly
  5. Never bring-up mistakes of the past
  6. Neglect the whole world rather than each other
  7. Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled
  8. When you have done something wrong have the courage to admit it and say “Sorry”
  9. Compliment your partner atleast once during the day
  10. Remember, it takes two to make a quarrel, and the one in the wrong is the one who does most talking

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nobel Prize 2010!

Nobel prize 2010: who will get it? Peace medal

Hmm, Nobel prize 2010! Well, here I am talking particularly about the Nobel Peace Prize, which is most coveted, controversial and is considered to be very prestigious. Internet is a Nobel Peace Prize candidate as proposed by wired magazine. Now a days Michael Jackson is proposed by many as a candidate for Nobel 2010. Well, presently I have no comments on it other than it seems that his fans are showing their “sympathy” and “loyalty” to the pop legend though the “sudden death”, “sympathy” and “loyalty” of some people are no criteria for his entitlement for the Prize. This is very similar to the mass mania of the ignorant people and selfish politicians that Y. S. Jagan should be made chief minister of Andhra Pradesh (An Indian state with population of 80 million people), just to show their sympathy and loyalty (and of course to gain their ulterior political motives) because his father Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy died of air crash. How foolish and degraded – intellectually and ethically – people can be!
They wanted to give the leadership of 8 crore (80 million) people to to a 35 old years guy, who had had hardly, 2-3 months experience as a politician just because his father died! What kind of democracy is this? Or is it a dynasty???? Anyways that foolish issue is over now due to mature handling of it by Congress high command.
Moreover  The Norwegian Nobel Committee (Nobel peace prize committee) does not award the prize posthumously. To digress a bit, even Mahatma Gandhi, the most deserved candidate for the Prize, was no exception to this rule though the committee seriously considered to award him the Nobel Peace Prize 1948 for him after his murder by Nathu Ram Godse. Mahatma Gandhi proved to the world that you can “fight” successfully through innovative approach of “nonviolence”. Well it required tremendous spiritual strength and will power to achieve that and it may not always work out. Otherwise we don’t need armies, police etc at all! As our ancient scriptures say, we need to employ all the means –  Sama, Dana, Bheda and Dand to achieve our rightful.
Then there are long time claims by Art of Living and its followers that Sri Sri Ravishankar deserves Nobel Prize. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize at least 4-5 times now. I will write an elaborate article on He deserves the Nobel Prize, later, on my Art of Living Blog.
Well, we need to wait for about one more year to see who will get the coveted Nobel Peace Prize.