Download - Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009
In This Issue
1. Vedanta Section: Atma Bodha - Shloka-12
2. Letter Section: Predicting Future
3. Traditions Section: Gita Jayanti
4. Story Section: The Ashes
5. VM Programs: Mission / Ashram Progs
From Poojya Guruji
Vedanta SandeshSpreading Love & Light
Monthly eMagazine of Vedanta MissionSharing the message of Vedanta and Sanatan Dharma
Nov 2009
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Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji
Editor:
Swamini Samatananda Saraswati
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Hari om!
Gita is the only scripture of Hindu’s whose ‘jayanti (birth-day)’ is cel-ebrated every year. As per the Hindu Calendar it is on the 11th day(called Mokshada Ekadashi) of the Shukla Paksha of the month ofMargshirsha. This year (2009) it is on the 28th of Nov.
This divine discourse comes in the Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata,and constitues its 25th to 42nd chapters. These 18 chapters are to-gether referred to as the Bhagwad Gita. Penned by Sri Veda Vyasa thecelebrated author of Mahabharata, the discourse, in a dialouge betweenSri Krishna and Arjuna. It was a real story. The discourse which comesto us is narrated by Sanjay to the blind King Dhritrashtra on the 10thday of the great war. Sanjay was bestowed with special powers to see& hear anything which happens at the field of Kurushetra. While Sanjayhad this power to narrate right from day 1, yet the blind King did notwant to hear about the supposed thrashing & killing of Pandvas by hissons, who had some of the greatest warriors of the times in their side,like Bhishma Pitamaha, Dronacharya and Karna. But on the 10th dayan unimaginable news came, about the fall of Bhishma Pitamah, and itwas then that the King asked Sanjay to narrate the events, and that iswhen the world came to know about this great & divine discourse.
Sanjay was almost ecstatic while revealing the events of day 1. Thatevent turned to be the turning point of the war. It was this divine dis-course between Sri Krishna and Arjuna. If it was not for this discourse,then the history would have been different. Unable to discern what isright and wrong, Arjuna got incapacitated by the stress of indecisive-ness, and had requested his charioteer, Krishna, to take the chariotback. He had decided not to fight his own kith & kin, ‘just for’ kingdom.Luckily Arjuna confessed to Krishna his grief and indecisiveness andalso requested Krishna to enlighten him on what is really right. Thenstarted this great discourse wherein Lord very logically reveals the art &science of discerning what is right and wrong. In fact this discoursebecame a basis of reveal the entire Vedic view of life. Bhagwad Gita isbasically a treatise in discerning what is right & wrong. It reveals the Art& Science of Right & Quick Decision-Making.
Love & om,
Swami Atmananda Saraswati
Vedanta Section
Atma Bodha - Shloka 12
Panchikrutmahabhut Sambhavam:
The gross body or sthool sharira, means our
physical body with all its hands & legs etc. That which
is perceptible by our eyes. This body is made up of
Panchikruta Mahabhuta’s–or the Grossified Five
Elements. The five elements being Space, Wind,
Fire, Water and the earth. At the time of creation
these five elements are created in a definite sequen-
tial manner. At first they manifest in their subtle
form and are know as ‘Tanmatra’, which means they
are not percievable. These elements are a product
of maya and hence they also have the three at-
tributes of Maya, namely the sattva, Rajas and
Tamas aspects. Different levels of the body are cre-
ated with each guna of these five elements. Like
the gross body is created of the Tamasic aspect of
the five elements. These Mahabhutas charecterised
by the Tamo guna undergo a process ofVedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009
The jiva is constantly suffering and dancing to the changing tunes of the objective world, situations
outside, and the changes of his own body, mind and intellect. His mentality and actions are influenced by
the variety in names and forms. Vedanta reveals that the basic cause of this suffering is the super-imposi-
tion of all these worldly embodiments on the ‘Self’ which is free of all these forms and their modifications.
The nature of the problem is associating or imposing the properties of the non-self(Anatma) on the Real
Self(Atma). This fact was revealed in the previous sloka too that all properties of physical appearances,
castes, and roles are superimposed on the Self which is basically free and untouched by them. Having
understood the case and the nature of the problem, what then is the solution to it? As a cure to this
problem the scriptures reveal that it is important to discriminate between the Atma(Self) and the Anatma(Non-
Self) and keep aside the entire spectrum of the Anatma. In this process of discrimination one comes to see
the limted, ephimeral and illusionary nature of the Anatma and discover the Atma which is the changeless,
self-effulgent, blissful substratum. To bring about this discrimination and negate the non-self it is important
to know the nature of Anatma. But the first question is, what all comes under Anatma? What all we can
possibly impose on Self. The non-self has a wide spectrum of things. They comprise from the most evident
& gross things to very subtle unmanifest ‘objects’. Various Upanishads have classified this entire range of
Anatma in different ways. One of the ways is to club this entire spectrum under three categories called the
three bodies, the Gross, Subtle and Causal bodies. In the present sloka the Acharya reveals the nature of
the Gross body or the Sthool Sharira.
.
Creation of Gross Body
Panchikrutmahabhut sambhavam karmasanchitam
shariram sukhdukhanam bhogayatanamuchyate
Panchikrutmahabhut sambhavam: born of the five-fold compounds of the great elements;
karmasanchitam: acquired of the resultant taints of karmas; shariram: the body; sukhdukhanam:of the joys and sorrows; bhogayatanam: the seat of enjoyment; uchyate: is said to be.
Sthula sharira or the gross body is born of the five-fold combination of the great elements, is
acquired of the resultant taints of past actions and is the seat of enjoyment of pleasure and pain.
12
Page # 5
grossification called Panchikaranam. After this pro-
cess the subtle elements become grossified, and it
is with these grossified elements that the physical
body is formed. This explains - panchikruta-
mahabhut -sambhavam.
Karmasanchitam:
A very significant fact revealed here is that
this gross body and all the objective world is born of
the five elements our human body is the fruit of great
virtuous deeds performed in earlier lives. So the
teacher says that merely by the possession of this
body you indicate a relatively virtuous life lead ear-
lier. The great value of this human body lies in the
exclusive pottential of not only gaining the knowl-
edge and experiences of the world outside but more
importantly because it is the human body alone that
has the pottential of being Self-conscious or know-
ing the true nature of the self. No other body has
such a potential. Even the divine and luxurious form
of a celestial being is blessed only with worldly luxu-
ries which are ephimeral in nature. It is only in the
form of a human being that one can rise above the
portals of the limited body , mind and intellect and
awaken in the realms of limitlessness.
Shariram sukhadukhanam:The gross body in sanskrit is called ‘Sthool
Sharira’. Here the word ‘sharira’ also is a very sug-
gestive & pregnant word. It means that which is
perishable. So the moment we use the word sharira
then we become conscious of one of the most im-
portant characteristics of all the three bodies, and
that is their ephemerality and changing nature. Infact
as the scriptures reveal and as we too can directly
see it for ourselves, right from birth to death in the
entire journey of life the gross body goes through
different modifications. Physical body alone is born,
it alone grows, decays & finally dies. The Acharya
says that this physical body is the office where the
jiva resides to experience the various pleasures and
sorrows.
Bhogayatanamuchyate:
Hence the gross body here is called the seat
or counter where the jiva sits and makes his trans-
actions of give and take, of experiencing highs and
lows. The eyes, ears, nose, hands, legs etc are the
physical counters through which we percieve the
outside world and its experiences.
The message conveyed in this sloka is to be
able to see the ephimeral and changing nature of
this gross body and through such an understanding
redefine our relationship with it. Instead of identify-
ing with the physical body as ‘I’ and suffering its limi-
tations, know the body to be your office through
which you interact with the world . To be able to see
that I am not this body but this body is mine, paves
the path of our liberation from our false perceptions
and consequent sufferings. Also unveiling the Self
‘as it is’, pure self effulgent and blissful. So lets end
it on a note where you dont say its ‘your birthday’
because you are basically unborn, but lets say its
the manifestation day of this body and thank god
for it.
He spreads his ray of love without a stress
Despite, he gets a curse or a bless
Little Lily don’t be arrogant
Out of your ignorance you will repent
Don’t niggle over petty affairs
Life is larger than what you cares”
Nature bestows every creature with boons
Majority still remain goons
Little Lily realised her ignorance
Bowed before Sun for her sappy arrogance
Today, Lets all take an oath
Love and forgive all and never be a Goth
-Shreejith
Little lily in the pond
Spake to the sun with a taunt
“Your heat is blemishing my beauty”
Sun said, “O Dear! to render heat is my duty”
Little lily got annoyed
Wanted the sun to be destroyed
The wise old pond told the Lily
“My dear beauty, don’t be silly
He is mighty yet the modest
Very disciplined yet not an egotist
His ray gives life to all creatures
He is the one who nurtures
He shower his rays unconditionally
For every being to live blithely
Little Lily And The Sun
Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009
Gita Overview
Author: Sri Veda Vyasa
Found in: Mahabharata: Chapter 25 to 42 of Bhishma
Parva
Number of Shlokas: 700
Shlokas by:
Dhritrashtra: 1
Sanjaya: 41
Arjuna: 83
Lord Krishna: 575
Subject Matter:
The Art & Science of discerning the real Dharma, or
What is really right in a given circumstance for a given
person. It is a philosophical treatise with a universal ap-
peal. Aptly referred to by Swami Atmanandaji as ‘The Art
of Quick & Right Decision Making’.
It is a dialogue between Lord Krishna & Arjuna, who
had fell into profound grief because of his inability to dis-
cern real Dharma. This short discourse gave him that wis-
dom and insight and he could do his duty thereafter with-
out any problem, and rather made history.
Page # 9
Predicting Future
I see the dark
clouds over the future
as a blessing, rather
than an obstacle.
Come what may, I
shall face it, say all the
great batsman and
players. We need to
prepare ourselves for
the worst and then
make every present
the best. The best
way to live is to think
that this is the last day
of your life. Then the
best in you gets a
chance to manifest.
- Poojya Guruji
Hari om !
Can I ask a still fundamental question? Have you ever wondered on the necessity of
predicting future? Such discussions apparently presume the propriety & importance of
predicting the future. Then maybe 'we' will be able to prepare ourselves better for the
possible eventualities, etc. Isn't it? May be this is wrong. Lets think of its pros & cons.
I personally find that predicting future literally amounts to ruining it. It is like someone
telling you the secret of a suspense movie beforehand. There is joy in suspense, in its
slow unfoldment. This helps to invoke the best out of us. Unpredictability helps us keep
on our toes. Only those people want to predict future whose happiness lies beyond the
horizon, who do not know the art of living their present moments in joy. Basically they
dont know how to live. Past is dead & gone, future is yet to come, but present alone is.
The future too shall come to you as present. So the most important thing is to make the
best of each & every moment that has come to you 'right now'. Make the best of
present. The joy of confident people is in facing challenges, not in eating some already
prepared stale pudding. Let that joy be for the children and other incapacitated ones. I
am sure an ideal management expert will be that guy who can face 'any' challenge that
comes his way with a cool, confident and intelligent mind. We need to have this
confidence and intelligence, and then there is no need to get a peep into what lies in the
womb of dark future. I see the dark clouds over the future as a blessing, rather than
something which is an obstacle. Come what may, I shall face it, say all the great
batsman and players. We need to prepare ourselves for the worst, aim for the highest,
but finally make the best of every present moment. The best way to live is to think that
this is the last day of your life. Then the best in you gets a chance to manifest, all latent
potentialities come out. Give yourself that chance, rather than live in insecurity & lack,
and then hope & pray for a good turn of events. Present is indeed a present from god.
If present is so important then why bother about predicting future? This has been and
shall always be the pastime and worry of weak minds. Only the insecure & unsatisfied
desire for a peep into the future. It reveals not only a dissatisfied mind but an insecure
one too. That is not the way to live. This way of life will keep us eternally dissatisfied.
Those who try to predict future, have a notion that human endeavors & manipulations
are better than the situations given by nature or god. Creations of finite minds is no
where comparable to amazing and extraordinarily beautiful creations of omniscient god.
The sun, moon, stars, human body, brains, animals, birds, flowers, an atom with all its
electron & protons etc, are all creations of that amazing unseen artist, which we simply
dis-cover. What 'is' is anyday far more beautiful than what 'should be'. So I think it is
more wise to awake to what 'is' rather than waste your time, energy and life in thinking
about what 'should be' or can be. The enlightened ones say that awakening to the truth
of life was the turning point in their lives, and not eternally working for a manipulated
future with a small insecure dissatisfied mind. Such people have already ruined the
ecosystem of our beautiful blue planet to disasterous levels, and there are endless wars
and conflicts going on all over. All the social problems are the product of such small-
minded, comfort-seeking, weak and insecure people. So scriptures like Gita say that the
learn to make the best of every moment 'right now'. Believe fully that everything is good,
and thus aim to awake to the truth of life, here & now.
Think. Will you still want to predict your future? :). With love & om,
Swami Atmananda
Vedanta Sandesh - April 2009 Page # 10
Git
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Vision Of The Gita - A God-Centric life
As we celebrate Gita Jayanti on the 28th of Nov this year, let us see what
the significant message of the Gita is.
Amidst the conflicting chaos not just outside on the battlefield of Kurukshetra
but more so in the mind of the confused and grieving Arjuna, Lord Krishna gives
a new lease of life with his song divine, which could be very aptly called as ‘The
Art Of Living’. A message that holds as much weightage for all of us even today,
as much as it held for Arjuna and his times more than 5000 years ago.
If one had to express the message and Vision of the Gita in a nut shell it
could be said that Gita is that Art of living which is a God-centric life. An art of
living which is like having a courtship period with our beloved god. A life where we
are an instrument in the hands of god and our life is charecterised by uncondi-
tional love, an inspired, integrated, selfless and holistic attitude of service to God.
There is no doubt that we all are striving to live life to the best of our abilities. In
this journey we do have our joys and sorrows, our ups and downs. But somehow
acquiring certain things in life is not a life lived positively or healthily. The question
is that amidst our achievements at various levels of relationships, finances, work
etc are we truly happy and at peace with ourselves and others? This is where we
all may have a question mark in our lives.
The Gita says we can see life from two points of views. We can see life
either from our individual point of view or from God’s point of view. We can either
have an individualistic approach to life or we can relate with life from the point of
view of totality. An individualistic person always says ‘Me & My’. Me and my body,
me and my family, me and my work, me and my gains and losses. The nucleus of
such an individualistic attitude is the ‘egoistic self. But life speaks for itself. A
person who is constantly living a self centred life lives a life of duality and con-
stantly suffers the pangs of his own sense of doership and enjoyership. He has
his highs of a bloated ego when he is blessed with success and has his lows
when he falls on his face with failure. And life goes on to become a constant roller
coaster.
A man who lives a God-centric life does not see his existence as an iso-
lated individual person. Instead he sees himself as a part of a whole. He sees
himeslf as a flower of the big and colourful garden that God has created and
makes his offerings at the feet of his beloved master as per His’s wishes. He
works as an instrument in the hands of God. The attitude of such a person in all
his endeavors has a unique fragrance of universal love and selfless service to
Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009
Page # 11
god. Actions of such a devotee of God are not motivated by self-centredness.
Infact he believes his deepest motivations are an inspiration and will of God, trans-
lating itself to bring a smile on the faces of one and all. Thus he lives a refreshingly
inspired life, bubbling with dynamism and creativity. A life where boredom, dull-
ness, fatigue and a sense of retirement dont exist. He enjoys the very performance
of actions, rather than wait for some joy that will come in the future as a fruit of
action. Challenges for such a person is like God himself playing a game of tennis
with him, where he sends his shot and the devotee replies it with a sporting spirit of
faith and inner courage. He does not insist on changing the situation but faces it as
a will of God. And at the end of it whatever the fruits of action its a blessing.
This Vision of life expressed in the Gita indeed blesses us here and now with
a positive life, but it also prepares us for a more sublime goal in life. That is know-
ing the truth of Self, the world around us and its creator.
May Lord Krishna bless us with this divine vision of life.
Butterfly
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and
watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that
little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it hadgotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off
the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled
wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment,
the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would
contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with
a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting
cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening
were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it
would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go
through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.
We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!
Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009
“Perform your obligatory duty, because action is indeed
better than inaction.”
“Sever the ignorant doubt in your heart with the sword of
self-knowledge. Observe your discipline. Arise.”
“There is neither this world nor the world beyond nor happi-
ness for the one who doubts.”
Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is
Fear Not. What is not real, never was and never will be.
What is real, always was and cannot be destroyed.
No work stains a man who is pure, who is in harmony, who
is master of his life, whose soul is one with the soul of all.
Quotes from Bhagwad Gita
Page # 13Vedanta Sandesh - April 2009
Ashes on Lord Shiva
Once upon
a time ...
Stories fromShiv Purana
Once Goddess Parvati said to Lord Shiva, I wish to understand,
why do you always smear ashes on your body? What is the reason for
that? Shiva told her the story.
There used to be a brahmana who was descended from the
great sage Bhrigu. This brahmana began a very difficult tapasya. The
tremendous heat of the summer made no difference to him. Nor was
he disturbed by the downpour of the monsoon. He was only interested
in meditating. When he felt hungry, he used to ask the bears, the deer,
the lions and the jackals to fetch him some fruits. The wild beasts had
lost all fear of him, they served him instead. Later on, the brahmana
gave up eating fruits also. He ate only green leaves. And because
leaves are called parna, the brahmana came to be known as Parnada.
He performed tapasya for many years. One day, Parnada was cutting
some grass and his scythe slipped and sliced off his middle finger.
Parnada was amazed to find that no blood issued from the severed
joint. Instead, a sap like that which issues from plants came out.
Parnada’s vanity knew no bounds. He realized that his was due to the
fact that he had been living on green leaves for such long time. Parnada
began to jump with delight. Shiva decided that Parnada needed to be
taught a lesson. He disguised himself as a brahmana and arrived before
Parnada. Why are you so happy? asked Shiva. Can’t you see? replied
Parnada. My tapasya has been so successful that my blood has
become like the sap of plants. This sort of vantiy destroys the fruits of
all tapasya, said Shiva. What have you got to be so proud about? Your
blood has only turned into the sap of plants. What happens when you
burn plants? They become ashes. I myself have performed so much
tapasya that my blood has becomes ashes. Shiva sliced off his middle
finger and ashes came out of it. Parnada was impressed. He realized
that there was nothing that he could be proud about; here was a far
greater hermit than he. He asked Shiva who he was and Shiva then
displayed his true form to Parnada. Ever since that day, there have
always been ashes on Shiva’s body.
Sanyas Deeksha of P. Guruji, Indore:
On 10th Oct was the Sanyas Deeksha Day of Poojya Guruji. 21 years
back Poojya Guruji was given Sanyas Deeksha by Param Poojya Gurudev
Sri Swami Chinmayanandaji at his Sidhbari (Tapovan Ashram) in 1988.
Morning there was special Pooja at Sri Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple.
Evening time a special satsang and program was organized. P. Guruji gar-
landed his guruji Param Poojya Swami Chinmayanandaji and Bhagwan
Sankaracharyaji and did Aarti, and later there was chanting of Stotras, sing-
ing of Bhajans and finally a short discourse by Poojya Guruji, in which he
blessedly remembered the day and also talked about the uniqueness and
importance of Sanyas Ashram in Sanatan Dharma. Various devotees ex-
pressed their reverences to Poojya Guruji.
Diwali Decorations at Vedanta Ashram, Indore:
Vedanta Ashram was beautifully lit up with colourful lights from top to
bottom, representing the auspicious and joyous mood of Dipawali. Thanks
to the highly economical and affordable lights, everyone, whether rich or
poor, all decorate their houses and temples beautifully. Ashram and its
surrondings were specially looking very nice.
Decorations follow cleaning of the houses, in & out. After monsoons,
and before the advent of winters, this becomes an ideal time to clean up the
houses nicely. Traditions incorporate all aspects of life. Alongwith the clean-
ing is also the affirmation of the importance of Dharma. We remember this
day when Bhagwan Sri Krishna killed the great demon Narakasur, and
Bhagwan Sri Ram came back to Ayodhya. The tradition of Diwali is much
older than these incidents. Earlier it was for the welcome of Lord Yama, who
leaves for Pitr-Loka alongwith our forefathers.
Laxmi Pujan & Diwali Celebrations, Indore:
On the eve of Diwali, first there was the special annual Laxmi Poojan.
We not only thank Goddess Laxmi for all her blessings, but humbly invoke
her blessings to help fulfill all our responsibilities and duties. No work, reli-
gious or worldly is ever possible without the blessings of the Goddess of
Wealth & Resources. This is the day to thank & worship her. Poojya Swamini
Samatanandaji represented the Ashram mahatmas & other inmates to do
the puja of goddess.
Later it was all no sound but light show. Poojya Guruji prefers to be
as sensitive to the birds, animals and the environs as possible. The blasting
crackers is a terrible experience to the dogs, cows and various other ani-
mals, apart from children etc too. This tradition is a later development, and
now it has become too much of a problem, and should be minimized to
keep the beautiful spirit of the festival intact. This was followed by flow of
devotees late till the night.
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Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009
Gita Gyan Yagna, Ahmedabad:
A Gita Gyana Yagna was conducted at Ramkrishna Kendra,
Maninagar, Ahmedabad by Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji on 23rd to
30th Oct. The subject matter of discourses were Mundaka Upanishad 3-1,
and Gita Chapter 14.
In the Mundaka Upanishad the section which was dealt started with
the famous example of two birds perched on a tree, wherein one bird is
continuously bust eating its fruits while the other bird, who is an embodiment
of fulfillment, love & compassion, just watches and in fact blesses the other
one. These birds symbolize Jiva & Ishwara. The Upanishad advises the Jiva
bird to ‘see’ the other bird, learn from it, emulate it and then be blessed with
its knowledge. The final knowledge is that of oneness. In the Gunatraya
Vibhaga Yoga, it was shownhow all what is ‘seen’ is a play of Gunas, and the
the ‘seer’ is divine Self.
Check out the detailed Photo Albums of the various functions on
VM News Blog at : http://vmissionews.blogspot.com/Page # 15
Gita Gyana Yagna, Bhavnagar:
Pujya Swamini Amitanandaji conducted a Gita Gyana Yagna at Swami
Ramdas Ashram, Bhavnagar from the 23rd to the 30th Oct. The subject
matter of discourses were Ishwar Siddhi Bhashya (Vakya) of Bhagwan
Sankaracharya on Kenopanishad, and Gita Chapter 12.
Ishwar-Siddhi Bhashya is a very insightful piece of dialogue given as
an introduction to the third chapter of Keno Upanishad. In this section the
great Acharya logically reveals the meaning and nature of God. In what way
he is present in our hearts and how exactly he blesses us.
On 31st Oct, Poojya Guruji was invited to the Gruh-Pravesh ceremony
of the new house of Manohar Kusumakar. His both the sons, Dr Ravi
Kusumakar and Subhash Kusumakar, have together constructed a nice big
house at Satchitananda Nagar, not far from Ashram.
Oct’09 VM / VA ProgramsV
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sAshram Activities:
1. Kathopanishad by Param Pujya Guruji: After completing Kenopanishad
the Ashram inmates are now studying Kathopanishad. The discourses on
Kenopanishad, alongwith Sankara Bhashya, continued for more than a year.
Such intensive study is highly insightful & introspective. Kathopanishad dis-
courses are there 5 days a week from 8.30 to 9.30 AM.
2. Gita Classes: From 11.30 onwards for an hour there is yet another class.
That is conducted by Pujya Swamini Amitanandaji, and this is for a group of
elderly students. This session is also going on for more than a year, and now
Poojya Swaminiji is teaching the 15th chapter of Bhagwad Gita.
3. Classes On Upadesh Saar: P. Swamini Samatanandaji conducted a week
long session of Upadesh Saar (of Ramana Maharshi) discourses from 23rd-
31st Oct. to the same group of students.
Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009
Let a sincere seeker aspiring
for the direct knowledge of the Timeless Truth,
humbly approach that Guru alone,
who is well versed in the knowledge of Vedanta,
and also effortlessly revels in the joy of his Self,
with symbolic Samit (fuel for Yagna) in his hands.
- Mundaka Upanishad (1-2-12)
Atman is self-revealing.
It shines and everything shines thereafter.
Everything whatsoever is revealed by its light alone.
There the Sun does not shine, nor the moon,
the stars or these lightnings - how then can
this earthly fire reveal it ?
- Mundaka Upanishad (2-2-10)
Quotes from Upanishads
Forthcoming Programs
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Gita Gyana Yagna, Ahmedabad:Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will conduct a week long Gita Gyana Yagna at Sri
Ramkrishna Kendra, Ahmedabad from 23rd to 29th Dec.
The texts of the discourses will be announced later.
Gita Jayanti Celebrations, Indore:This year the Gita Jayanti is on 28th Nov. As usual special programs will be organized
at the Vedanta Ashram on that day. These will include chonting of the entire Bhagwad Gita,
and special discourses by Poojya Guruji and other ashram Mahatmas in the evening at the
nearby Footi-Kothi.
Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai:Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji will conduct a week long Gita Gyana Yagna at
Bandra Hindu Association Hall in Mumbai from 8th Dec to 13th Dec. The text of the dis-
courses will be Gita Chapter 1, and Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 2.
Sadhana Camp, Indore:A four days Sadhana Camp will be organized at the Vedanta Ashram, Indore from
23rd to 27th Jan 2010.
The texts of the discourses will be announced later.
Mahashivratri, Indore:The next Mahashivratri is on 12th Feb 2010.Special Programs will be organized on
that day. Please look out for further announcement in our Blog for the occasion.