An Untold Story!

HI Guys..,

It has been my dream to post this blog here for the past 3 to 4 months. You will realize the reason as you keep reading the blog as to why I was skeptical all this while. Well, we generally talk about the stories of Krishna/Hari right? Or we do write poems on him...but this blog of mine is quite different. We all have so many fantasies about our Krishna, don't we? Like sometimes when we hear few stories about him (esp kothai, meera, Radha such kind of devotees) we end-up thinking, "how nice it would have been if I was born like her!!!" I am generally a very dreamy person! I don't know...I keep dreaming many things about Hari...I keep dreaming about our union almost everyday. I write many things which I dreamt or dream (I do not post ALL of them here).....but this story which I have posted below(is one of my beautiful dreams-i had written it long back) Somehow just thought of sharing it with you guys....

Please go many thousand years back..........*** Am Chandrika here*** Its okay....chill !!! Atleast let me have fun dreaming....let me stay satisfied with my dreams on Hari....lol!

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Chandrika was a beautiful young girl who was brought-up listening to many amazing stories of Lord Sri hari.
She lived in a small yet beautiful village which was close to Dwaraka. She had immense devotion on Sri hari.
She kept talking about Hari all the time to her friends & her family. Her family was as well devoted to Lord Vishnu.
        Her great grand father had long back built a temple for lord Hari in her village. It was indeed a beautiful temple in which the form of hari was so majestic and charming.
He was in his "Anantha sayanam" rupam. There was as well a sanctum for Lakshmi matha.
She visited the temple every morning & evening. She had an idol of hari in her room and always kept talking to Hari. She sang, danced, laughed, cried, fought, blushed in the thoughts of Hari.
One early morning she was drawing kolam(decorative designs) in front of her house while her mom was busy in the kitchen & her dad was engrossed in his pooja.
Chandrika sang Hari kirtan as she drew the kolam with her delicate fingers.
All of a sudden she got so excited when she heard a group of people singing "Bolo Narayana narayana Hari hari....Swami narayana narayana hari hari" The song pierced her heart!
That Saturday morning the sadhus were performing their nagara sankeerthanam (ppl sing the praises of hari in various streets in groups with all kinds of musical instruments while they walk and then go to temple to take darshan)
Chandrika couldn't just resist the Hari naamam(names of  Lord Hari).....She was in ecstasy the moment she heard the bhajans...she forgot everything including herself.
She dropped her small vessel down in which she had the rangoli powder and she ran to join the group.., along with them she danced & sang the Hari kirtan.
Chandrika joined the group even forgetting to inform her parents.
After a while her mom came outside to feed the cattle and was astonished at the unfinished rangoli and her daughter was missing too.
She ran in the streets calling out to Hari searching for her young & beautiful daughter.
One of the neighbours informed her mom about the incident that happened a while ago which relieved her from pain & anxiety.
Chandrika returned home after couple of hours once the bhajans & darshan was over.
She was really fretting about getting back home. As she imagined she was totally yelled at for leaving the home without any information.
She went to her room and cried to hari.
Such incidents took place every now & then. Few of her neighbours called her crazy. Chandrika never bothered about anything. She was always immersed in hari's thoughts.
Infact her friends used to tease her saying, "Hey.., this isn't just bakthi!!!! Looks like you are in love with Hari!!!!
We can understand just by looking at your thirsty eyes when u talk about him" & another friend said, "No NO We understand about it the moment your face brightens-up when we take Hari's name heheee"
Her dear friend Keerthi teasingly said, " haaan I knew the other day when you ran behind the ther(chariot) calling out Hari hari hariiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii........you are in LOVE!!!"
Chandrika blushed and her friends at once said, "YOU are CRAZYYYYYYY!!!!! He is GOD!!! How can u have feelings for him!! better change yourself chandri...its no good!"
Chandrika brushed away all the so-called advises given by her friends. She came to her room. saw her hari's idol, blushed, she couldn't even lift her face up and look at him.....her cheeks turned out to be pink.
Her heart was over-flowing with passion for Hari. She coudln't resist that moment. She ran to the door and locked it.
She walked slowly towards her Hari's idiol, took him in her arms, hugged him and kissed him all night.
Her thirst was not quenched, her bottled-up feelings was so much that she couldn't control herself..all her passionate emotions burst into tears.
She suffered the pain of separation from Hari. She couldn't bear it...She cried all night!
Likewise so many many sleepless & merciless harsh nights passed-by....She became impatient day by day and became very desperate to unite with Hari.
one morning when she went to the temple, she kept fighting with Hari...one old lady who passed by enquired, "Why are you crying so much dear?"
Chandrika- "Sorry ma...you won't understand:-(("
The old lady- "No pls tell me dear what it is....or show me your palms! Am a palm reader, I can tell you remedies for your problems whatever it may be!"
Chandrika- "Pls leave me alone ma!!! I have nothing to share with you....when the conserned person himself doesn't care about me why on earth would u care for me???!!!!!!!"
Old lady forcefully dragged her arm and read out the beautiful lines in her palm. She was amazed!!!!!!!! "WOW!!!!!! I have never seen such a lucky palm before ever in my life.
It says here that You will be married to the ultimate lord who is the king of all three worlds!!!!!! WOW WOW WOW......U r the luckiest!"
Chandrika's happiness knew no bounds....."WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT""" She cried out! She immediately just grabbed the old lady and hugged her tightly crying & kissing her everywhere possible.
 Chandrika took the blessings of that old lady who told her that any day Hari would come & ask for her hand.
Chandrika walked rather jumped back to home with so much of joy.....At the entrance of her small home, she saw a grand chariot with horses parked. She slowly peeped inside not knowing if it was right to enter.
Lakshmanan-her baiya(brother) came out and took her in.
Lakshmana introduced Chandrika to the guests who were on their way to Dwaraka all the way from Mathurapuri.  
Lakshmana said, "Chandri say namaste to Krishna ji & Balaram ji. They were in search of a small place to freshen-up and to give rest to their horses as their horses were tired from running all the way.
They asked me for such a place to rest and I brought them here to our home trusting that U & amma can prepare a nice & delicious lunch for these gentlemen who are on their way to Dwaraka"
Chandrika lifted her face up to say "namaste" respectfully to the guests and at once caught the glimpse of the dark & handsome guy she has ever seen or imagined. Her eyes widened, her heart skipped a beat, it was as though she froze for a second when she saw him.......He winked at her with a teasing smile, at once she turned her face down......She was shocked!!!!

Infact she was upset with her baiya for bringing home such strangers. She joined her mom in the kitchen and they cooked a delicious meal for their dear guests.
Mom, "Chandrika, pls help me in serving them!"
Chandrika, "MAAAA....Pls don't force me.....You serve the lunch & don't call me out AT ALL!!! PLZZZZZZ ma I beg you!"
Her mom frowned at her & continued pleasing their guests. Chandrika kept whispering in the kitchen...."Off-late lakshmana is loosing his senses!! How can he trust such strangers, bring them home & offer them feast!!!!!!how dare that guy winks at me!!!! Haaaan was sooooooooooooooooooooo handsome!!!!!!!!! sheeeeesh am I crazy to call him handsome! His eyes was filled with love for me though!!!! Hmmmmmmmm Little does he know that I belong ONLY TO LORD SRI HARI"
Very soon the feast was over and after some time Krishna & balarama were all set to take-off to Dwaraka. Chandrika thought to herself, " haaaan finally the flirt is leaving!!! What a relief!" suddenly a thunder gave shivers to chandrika and in no seconds it was POURINGGGGGGGG heavily!
Lakshmana & Chandrika's dad forced the guets to stay back that night and brought them in.
"Ohhhhh NOOOOOO!!!!! I should have stayed back in the temple itself today.... Sigh!!!" thought Chandrika though she was secretly excited in her heart. She din't know why though. She was forcing her heart not to feel excited. She was forcing her heart to stop thinking about that dark & handsome guy....." Ya well! Good luck to her!!!!
                             ***********************************************

It might be too long if I post the whole thing right away. So I shall post the next (the final part) as next sequel.

Am sure you guys would guess everything...no suspense in here(thats not the intention as well).....Wa those days(when I wrote this, I was jobless) almost the whole day I kept visualizing what if these thoughts were real u know...what if really really HARI Comes.....!!!! Wow!!! Infact we think we'll go & grab him....but actually we might be so shocked and freeze for several mins until he unfreezes us hahahahahaha.......What a goal to have na in life!!! Sounds crazy sometimes though!!!!!

PLEASE DO NOT BAN BAGAVAD GITA IN RUSSIA!

Hello folks,

Lets all try our level best to express our protest against banning Bagavad Gita in Russia.

I have signed couple of petitions in regards to this. ILWK is creating awareness & encouraging all of us to support this cause. Lets sign as many petitions as possible in this regard. As signing the petitions just takes about 2 to 3 seconds...lets all express our love for our dear Krishna this way as well.

Today I have created a new petition supporting the cause of saving Bagavad Gita from being banned in Russia. The below is the link: Kindly sign this petition and express your love & regards for Bagavad Gita.

http://www.petitions24.com/save_bagavad_gita_from_being_banned

PLEASE NOTE: once you sign the petition, pls check your inbox and do confirm your signature only then will it be valid!

ALSO NOTE: You guys might create petitions as well or circulate the one which you have signed to as many viewers as possible and lets together voice-out, "WE DO NOT WANT BAGAVAD GITA TO BE BANNED IN RUSSIA!!!!"

Hare Krishna!

Love,
LUEN

Pain of seperation!!!!

How beautiful is this pain!!!

What would I do without this pain??

Today I went to see my Hari (in T Nagar temple)… Only weekly once do I get to see him these days. But no complains….alarming?? I will explain… (atleast try)…

Meeting him is such a BIG deal!!!! I can’t even explain the hurdles completely…. We stay very far away from T Nagar…It takes about 1 to 1 & half hours to get to the temple by auto. I can’t go to the temple when I am on my way to office as the office cab won’t stop in between for personal reasons the same way I get back home past mid-night at times…So I never get a chance to meet him at all. So whenever I go to the City for some reason, I club it along with going to the temple. Like if I go to Perambur (my mom’s place). I don’t take a direct bus to Perambur. I go via T nagar and again while returning back I make a point to meet him. The funniest part would be whenever I go & see him; I have a pile of bags in my hand (dresses to stay at my mom’s place or some crap)… He laughs at me for that!!

Initially I used to be very open with my husband & in-laws that am going to the temple. It became such an issue that every time they used to say, “Perumal is here 5 mins away(there is a temple nearby)….why do you have to travel all the way to T nagar & get back all the way down just to see him??” …..I tried my best explaining…then slowly my husband started saying, “Okay….You always look for an opportunity to go to Tnagar….temple!! I don’t know why!!”  My relationship with Hari remains very very personal & secret (as everyone’s I guess except DP (ohhh Dad-daughter hehe).  I don't want to hurt anyone or embarass anyone by acting weird....It is better that certain things remain a secret! However, I started going to a bhajan class very recently wherein I get to learn Hari Kirtan from a wonderful lady….On every Wednesdays I have my classes…Am able to attend the class as my shift commences late in the afternoon. Hence every Wednesday, I go and see him…..:-) It’s a secret meeting though……I have no choice!!:-( Ppl think it’s weird to go to temple everyday….what am I supposed to do? Its weird to cry in front of an idol!!!!!!! Its weird to sing or chant! Its weird to Love the lord even as a friend!!! One is allowed to go to temple whenever one is troubled in life.. do namaskaram, perform arthi, have theertham, do archana but NOTHING more than that…….:-((( But its not weird to be a greatest FAN of actors/actresses and perform milk abishekam for pictures of men/women….and celebrate the meaningless songs sung in the praises of them!!!!! Now I don’t understand the meaning of “weird”………. J Maybe my (our) dictionary is different!

                         

                             However getting back to the pain of separation, Today when I met him…….I just cried & cried & cried as though having lost someone….. Everytime when I see him, It is such a wonderful feeling. I can’t go & hug him. So I place the thulasi garland close to my heart….hug the thulsi garland, kiss the garland & pass it on to him……I secretly place the garland in my chest actually end-up crushing the garland a bit pressing against my chest……then when I give it to the poojari, the garland would be so warm due to the body heat (hehe) Hot garlands for perumal hehehehe J….In T Nagar temple, you can actually come a little behind after his darshan and have a complete darshan of him even for half hr or more than that….the Q would be moving as usual you wouldn’t be disturbing the floating crowd but you can just get back to the prayer hall and take his complete darshan & no one would stop you. It is such a bliss!  Everytime.. I talk to him within my heart, cry, laugh & even feel very very very shy…..esp when I had imagined him very intimately in my heart the prior night…..I won’t even be able to look at him upfront because I know HE KNOWS EVERY LITTLE DETAIL…sometimes I really wish I could hide certain things from him :-( maybe its a girl thing!….then when I have to leave, I tell him when I’ll be meeting him next. I tell him any important updates if any…..everything you know….pretty much like meeting a boyfriend in a particular secret place. But every time when I say “Bye Ummah” I cry like anything……the pain of separation would be so unbearable! But you know I love thatJ whenever I don’t have that pain….I keep begging him to give that pain!!!!!!! The pain connects you with him! The pain ensures that he’ll COME one day!!!! Ya see… HE loves me (sorry ..us)….How long can he hide himself behind the screen letting us burn in the fire of pain? He will come!!!!

This pain of separation from him burns like fire sometimes and can’t be cooled by rivers of tears…..ONLY the nectar of his lips can cure the wound…….He is Danvantri ( Doctor for ALL)….How can he not cure his beloved ones from disease of separation? This soul can’t & won’t enter the gates of Vaikuntham unless He hugs me tightly in Bhoolokam. He only says in BG that, “the soul takes up different bodies according to one’s desire in the present life!!!!!” & as long as one has any kind of intense desire, the soul keeps taking different bodies to fulfill the desires (that’s karma)…… Okay maybe He won’t come in this birth……..FINE!!!! let him not!!!! This soul would take up another body and cry for him……may be he won’t come at that time again……okay am fine!!!!!! But until this desire is quenched this soul is going to take up N number of births and CRY CRY CRY CRY for him……burn in desire for him……………ok after 100 janmas or above…….atleast then HE would feel like coming in person right????????? Let him come……….I do NOT aspire for Moksha or anything until then…………………Let him come!!!!!! Whether it takes several yugas….or several births…..I just want HIM! I believe strongly whatever he says in BG!!!!!! The oceans might melt…..the mountains might be broken to pieces but HIS WORDS won’t go in vain!!!!!!!!!! I will wait for him………………………………………………………I love this pain! I love burning in desire for him for I know the outcome of all the wound in my heart………………..there is cure! Every day I think about that cure for my disease of love….this is a disease of thirst!……………He cares for this soul like for every soul…….That is true…..hence HE can’t dust me away from his heart, can he? He can’t shut his eyes  & laugh!!!!! can he????

This thirst can be quenched ONLY by him……..He knows that…otherwise why would someone call him “Antharyami”!!!!!!

Okay………..thought of just saying that the pain is beautiful…………….forgive me for any errors in this blog.....just vented-out things form my heart...

Kanha ke geet Bhajan

I have been away for a really long while and no, simply no, reasons can justify my separation( atleast neglectfulness)of dearest Krishna. I have finally composed a bhajan with very incomplex lyrics which jump straight into getting the literal point across.One or two lines are stolen from somewhere (what could I do; it fit so impeccably in the tune!?!). This bhajan however, is not too fancy as is conventional with my other ones because this time around, I was trying to sing to Krishna exactly what my mind and heart spoke, and it spoke this," Everything about Kanha is sweet, because He, himself is so sweet!"

Here it goes . . .

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kanha ke geet madhuram hai
Kanha svayam madhuram hai,
Nainon mein raho mere sada
Mann be baso, Oh sanwara!
Kanha ke geet . . .

Kya jaanu kabse juda janmo ka yeh bandhan,
Prem se joda hai tujhse preet ka daman.
Hai nahi jeevan mein tere bin koi umang,
Hoth kehna paaye par, kehe raha hai mann
Kanha Kanha...Mere Kanha!!
Kanha ka prem madhuram hai
Kanha svayam madhuram hai

Main teri sar-ankhon par sada rahi, Giridhar
Kya karu bayyaan teri daya ka sagar?
Chhod kar jawoo tujhe toh kaha rahungi?
Kanha ke sharan bin marjawungi.
Kanha Kanha...Mere Kanha!!
Kanha ka sang madhuram hai
Kanha svayam madhuram hai

*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*.

Krishna Responds Very Quickly Sometimes!

Recently, Krishna mercifully answered one of my prayers and I wanted to share that with you all :)

2 weeks ago, I was on my way to work when I remembered Krishna, which inspired my heart to utter a little prayer. I prayed, "Krishna, thank You for this beautiful day. Help me, Kanha, to go through this day working to please You, and in full surrender to You. Be merciful to me, Oh Gopinath, and help me to remember You just a little bit today. Even if I remember You once throughout the day, I will consider myself lucky."

And that was it. I reached my office and started doing my work. At about 1 PM, my friend called me to have lunch with her. I wasn't going to go meet her as someone else had invited me, but I had ditched her for lunch the previous day so thought I should meet her for lunch. Then when I met her, I found out she was fasting. I asked her why and she said it was to worship Shiva. Then we started talking about Shiva and I told her how I loved Shiva, especially in his form as Nataraja. I then explained to her how Shiva is the greatest Vaishnava and I explained a little bit about Krishna and the Bhagavad Gita to her. I narrated the lila about Krishna's birth and showed her the most significant verse in the Bhagavad Gita:

"Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend." - Bhagavad Gita, 18.65

She seemed interested in hearing about the lilas and I was having a lot of fun talking to her about Krishna and spreading some of His wisdom. A lot of time passed simply speaking about Krishna and our lunch break ended up taking up more time than we are allowed.

Later on, when thinking about how awesome it was to speak to someone about Krishna and preach a little, I realized what Krishna had done: He had answered my morning prayer. Not only had He mercifully let me remember Him 'just a little bit' like I had asked, He also let me spend about an hour speaking about His glories to someone who didn't know much about Him. He mercifully allowed me to do a little preaching for Him. The whole day went wonderfully with me receiving lots of good news: I got complimented at work, my friend got a promotion, my other friend got a bonus... that whole day was filled with mercy and grace!

All of this brings me back to what a devoted Christian had once told my friend, "If you need something from God, just ask." This is so true! The first thing you need to have is desire. From that desire comes determination, so it was very important to have that desire. Then you must have the willingness to surrender to God's will, and realize that no one but God can truly fulfill your wishes, as He is our only provider. It is ideal for devotees to not ask for material things, but it is also ideal that if we ever have any urgent material needs, we should turn to Krishna and Krishna only. Remember that even material needs become spiritual ones when used in service of Krishna. So either need Krishna or need something for Krishna - that will become a perfect desire!

The most important thing to realize is that sometimes, God answers our prayers in the way we ask. Sometimes, God answers our prayers by not answering them. In whichever way He chooses to answer them, know that it is what is best for us.

"When we get what we want, that is Hari Kripa [Hari's Mercy], when we don't get what we want, that is Hari Iccha [Hari's Will]"

Hare Krishna

tanvee's : radha-krishna in the forest painting :)

How will I be able to capture their eternal love story on a piece of paper?
Nevertheless, here is my small, innocent trial :)

PS: I don't post my creations on facebook, blogs etc for creative reasons, copyright reasons, modesty reasons and all sorts! lol!! But since LUEN has asked, and I since I love the blog...I will post a few in my future posts.
Today, i have chosen one that was right in front of me when i was reading my mails.

hope u all liked it! :)

Shri Krishna Sharanam Mamah!

Qualities of Hari

Now this is a very challenging topic I have given myself as no one can complete his/her narration on this topic.
I so wanted to write here since couple of weeks but not very spontaneous as Tanvi(in writing bhajans), like ILWK(in poems) & like DP(in analyzing Hari).
Me being incompetent never stops me from writing about HIM because I always believe that HE accepts any scribbling with great compassion. Like how a mom appreciates a child's poor drawing of a green crow("so called crow"!!).

This morning I was talking to a devotee friend about his great qualities...so many things came up in that conversation which induced me to write about it.

I do not know where to start now....but shall just point-down whatever I feel about OUR sweet Sri Hari.

~ Lord Sri Hari is very approachable & down to earth

There are no standard rules as to one should DO this and DO that to please Hari. Even anger pleases him!! Am amazed at that very fact because not everyone can accept anger as much as they accept Love. For instance, King Kamsa constantly had wrath on him and all that Kamsa wanted to do was to defeat HIM. Hari reciprocated with Kamsa by fighting with him and ofcourse slayed him for good and we all know that Kamsa's soul did not enter the gate of hell but on the other hand attained the perfection of great yogis. Now tell me ...what does not please our lord Vishnu? He reciprocates with his devotees the way the devotees want him..Radha & Gopikas had deep desire for him and attained HIM out of that desire(he reciprocated with them according to their will out of love & compassion for them)..same way he reciprocates by fighting if that is what his devotees(like Kamsa & Ravana) want but every soul attains him! That is his mercy...Even in Srimad Bhagavatham the same is confirmed that "if one constantly have intense love, desire, lust, anger, devotion or anything on Hari, they attain HIM"

How approachable he is!!! Anything & everything is right for him...:-)) How blindly he submits himself to his devotees!! Are there any rules here with Hari?? Is there any difference in his eyes?? Love or anger, dirty or clean, Sword or kiss, pushing him away out of anger or grabbing him out of greedy love, Reciting vedam or fighting with him out of love, anything & everything HE accepts. Every emotion directed unto him is one for him...& everyone are equal in front of him. If one does not devote himself to Hari, it doesn't mean that He does not belong to Hari...He might turn-out to be a great devotee in future.....sometimes when we see ppl around us with less devotion, at times we might end-up thinking, "why r they wasting their time like this running behind false pleasure!!!??" you know Hari might laugh looking at that false pride of one's devotion which is nothing but Hari' s blessings. We end-up taking pride for which we are not the actual owners....:-(( after such horrible stages, I learned to think, "even if one pushes away hari, he is gonna grab Hari in near future(in this janma or any other)" similarly we would have too been in an illusion & would have ran behind material pleasure(which we still do by the way) in our previous births...so now who is a great devotee and who is not??? Everyone are equal to HARI... even ppl who say, "don't think of HARI" end-up thinking and uttering names of HARI- knowingly or unknowingly--and the best part is that Hari sees no difference and accepts any thought directed to him....How amazing can he be!!! He is approachable to anyone and everyone...:-)) As rivers attain the Ocean, every soul at one point or the other attains HARI (the super-soul) who resides in everyone.  

   Gopikas were so intoxicated with love for him that they forgot about their homes and came running to him...Few Gopikas were married but had to lie to their husbands in order to meet him...many gopikas' meetings with Krishna was a very secret affair. Lalitha sakhi(supposed to be a very intimate friend of Krishna & Radha) used to arrange for secret meetings of Krishna and his lovers! Now where are rules???? It is always devotion & love for him that matters.

**** One can compromise ANYTHING for Krishna but one shouldn't compromise KRISHNA for anything**** (this is what my very old devotee friend keeps telling often) I really admire this fact and thought I should have it shared here even if it is deviated from what we are discussing about.... sometimes situation can be very challenging...you never know what is right & what is wrong...At times things that appear to be wrong in the eyes of dharma when done for Hari(in pure devotion) becomes flowers in his lotus feet!

Meera disobeyed her in-laws due to her devotion for Vishnu. She was so tormented by her family who insisted her not to worship Hari...at one stage she couldn't put-up with the challenges she had to go through ...so Meera wrote a letter to Goswami Thulsidas-a great devotee of Sri Hari, & Thulsidas responded saying, " those who do not hold Rama and
sita ...dear,
shun them as your dire enemies,
howsoever closely related.
prahlada defied his father, vibhishna
deserted his brother and bharta forsook
his mother.
king bali disowned his perceptor
and the gopis left their husbands inorder
order to meet the lord , and the behaviour of them
all was a source of happiness and blessing to the
world at large .
it is in relation to god alone that all kith and kin are worthy of love.
what is the good of the eye-salve
that only serves to make one blind!.
Take up the hint : no more can i say
he is in every way a noble friend,
worthy of your adoration and dearer
to you than your life..."

Had Meera abandoned her family for a material wealth, it would have been a sinful act or acting deviated from dharma..but she did it FOR HARI out of her love for Hari and which is why we all still talk about her. 

Yes when situation demands, one should compromise anything for HIM as HE is valued more than LIFE... and anything done on that pure note to please Hari, he accepts with a broad & compassionate smile.
He lays rules as to how perfectly one should live on earth to attain him but Hari never lays rules for devotion & love which is why even ppl who had wrath on him attained him the same way as yogis attained him. Lust, anger, love...enemity all means the same to him as long as one constantly remembers him. He is so unbelievably approachable, down to earth & friendly that he accepts everything done by his devotees.

In BG he says, " I accept even a drop of water or a leaf offered with love to me" How kind he is! .....

Am so amazed how he could be so down to earth.....!!  The reason why I keep writing about the same fact many times is that I just want to convey that HARI IS ATTAINABLE!  I know .....all of us know that.. Its not a hot news! but when I really miss him, so many devotees have said this to me and immediately there is this rushed feeling in my heart ..."YES I will reach him one day...He will not forget me and leave me for he is my life! & without him am nothing" 

Its only fair to share the fact that "Hari is certainly attainable" even if we all know about it...it is always great to say this, write this, read it..."Hari is attainable!"

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First I thought of listing a lot of qualities of Hari but then just discussing one quality of Hari alone made this blog a lengthy one...so more in next (ONLY with his grace) as we are heading towards margazhi..

Okay now I shall better get going to office....Many around me keep cursing my odd shift timings but it has worked out to be best for me as somehow he blesses me to talk and write about him...I always cry and fight for that...as I don't trust my devotion...I only trust on HIS seducing skills:-)) Everything is ONLY because he attracts us....otherwise how on earth can we have this bliss?!

May Hari always keep us with him ....well & safely bound in LOVE!

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Tanvi- Pls join us back yaar! Do not enjoy HIS company in seclusion excluding us....:-(( Join us back plsZZZZ:-)

Love Comes to Everyone!!

Isn't that true??

Love is the most universal feeling there is.

Cutting across class, race, nationality...

And the way a mother protects her kid, the way a father will sweat for his family-love has no language. It is universal.

And, in much the same way, loving God is universal.

The love we have for Krishna is an instinctive feeling-something which is deeply ingrained in us.

It is 05:23 AM, i have not slept in the night, and this is hardly the time to be philosophical.

And yet, a dear Facebook friend of mine chose to share this song. 

It was only fair that I shared the magic with all of you.

Go do it,
Got to go through that door,
There's no easy way out at all . . .
Still it only takes time
'Til love comes to everyone.

For you who it always seems blue
It all comes, it never rains
But it pours,
Still it only takes time . . .
'Til love comes to everyone.

There in your heart . . .
Something that's never changing;
Always a part of . . .
Something that's never ageing,
That's in your heart . . .

It's so true it can happen to you all; there,
Knock and it will open wide,
And it only takes time
'Til love comes to everyone.

George Harrison performed this song only once. It was part of his eponymous album "George Harrison".

A Vaishnava friend of mine  told me that "My Sweet Lord" propelled her to become a Vaishnava!!

To someone like me, who has lived all my life (by God's grace) around various beautiful bhajans, it took something like this to understand how much music affects people.

Maybe there is a lesson somewhere there: George Harrison perhaps left  invaluable gems in his music.

 

Happy Diwali!

It's been so long since I have blogged, that I don't have words to express what I feel. And. that's not because of joy or surprise, it's just sheer inability. :)

Today, I can hear the crackers being burst outside my house even as I type this. To all my friends, bloggers, readers- Here's wishing you a very happy and prosperous Deepavali, or Diwali (or, whatever it is that you choose to call it).

What are Your Plans for Kanha this Kaartik?

Yes yes yeeeeessssss!!!!! It is Kartik maas once again! Yaaaayyyyy! Truly the best month of the year, filled with love, fun, festivity, and cute little baby Kanha!

I should have written this post earlier actually. My apologies. Kartik maas started on the 12th of October. What is so special about this month is that the Lord performed many many miracles during this month in His infancy. Also, this is the last and final month of Chaturmasya. Another important reason is that Rama returned to Ayodhya during this month (Diwali).

The most famous leela of the Lord during this month is the liberation of Kuvera's sons.

Mother Yashoda was cooking but Kanha was getting hungry. So she left the milk to boil on the stove and went to feed Kanha. However, the milk started to spill and Yashoda Maiya left Kanha to tend to the boiling milk, thus angering Him. Terribly annoyed with his mother for having left him like that, Kanha started to break pots of yoghurt and began eating churned butter. After Yashoda had tended to the milk, she came back to look for Kanha. To her surprise, she found broken pots and saw that Krsna had turned the grinding mortar upside down and was distributing butter to the monkeys!

Yashoda Maiya chased after Kanha, who was trying to run as fast as his little legs could carry Him. Yashoda caught him and he was backing away in fear, with tears in his little eyes. As punishment, she decided to bind him to a grinding mortar with rope. But the rope was 2 inches too small. She got another piece of rope and attached it yet it was still too small. Again and again this happened until finally after expressing her exasperation, Kanha agreed to let himself be bound and the rope miraculously fit. The 2 inches signify that in order to reach Krishna, 2 factors must be considered: (1) our individual efforts and (2) His divine will.

Yashoda Maiya then left to tend to other household affairs but little Kanha was up to something. He tugged and the grinding mortar fell from its vertical position, lying flat on the floor. With barely any effort, this little baby boy crawled pulling the grinding mortar along with him by the rope he was bound with. Krsna crawled between two yamala-arjuna trees and the grinding mortar got stuck between them. With a gentle tug, Krsna was able to use the mortar to break the trees down. From these two trees emerged Nalakuvera and Manigreva, the two sons of Kuvera. In a previous birth, the two were found by Narada Muni engaging in indecent behavior with girls in the river, fully intoxicated and unclothed. Narada Muni cursed them to live the life of trees and upon being merciful as a devotee of God always is, his curse was actually a blessing. He said that they would be freed only when the Supreme Personality of Godhead would free them with His grace and presence. Now finally that time had come. They had achieved liberation, having seen the face of God and being freed by him. They offered obeisances to Krishna and set off to their heavenly abodes.

So that's the story of Damodar Leela. But how do we celebrate this month of Kartik?

We must offer a diya or lamp to Krishna everyday while reciting the Damodarastakam. If you have not experienced the Damodarastakam yet, oh you are definitely missing out! It is the most beautiful, soul stirring experience! Every single devotee I know absolutely loves Damodar aarti! I remember last year Ekalavya Dasa Prabhu was here shortly after the month of Kartik ended. And he conducted a damodar aarti saying, "For those of you who thought it was over, it's not! It's extended now!" He then told us how he cried once when he found out the month of Kartik was over because he just loves Damodar aarti so much!

The scriptures say any religious activity done during this holy month reaps 1000 times more merit and absolves thousands of karmas and sins. It is an auspicious month for increased spiritual activity, and a month of charity. The other day, a preacher explained the hierarchy of charity: it is good to give a horse in charity, but it is better to gift an elephant. On a higher level is donating a cow. Donating food or giving one's daughter in marriage is on the same level. But the highest of all is vidya-daan. Giving knowledge. So we were advised to donate scriptures like Bhagavad Gitas and share our knowledge, especially during this month.

So what are you going to do for Kanha this month? Maybe you could study the Gita again. Or read some other scripture. Perhaps you could chant extra rounds. Maybe do some preaching or conduct damodar aarti in your friends' houses. I personally have decided to light a diya everyday and perform damodar aarti in my house. I would like to invite all of you to light a lamp and perform damodar aarti everyday as well. To make it extra special, you can make a lamp of ghee, and tulsi sticks covered in cotton. This is said to be very auspicious and reaps much more merit. The aarti can be done at absolutely any time, morning or evening!

Here is the video including lyrics of the Damodarastakam:

A discussion about Ekadesi!

                                            Happy belated Ekadesi to ALL!

Ekadesi is really an important day dedicated to our sweet lord VISHNU.

It is believed that observing Ekadesi vratham(fasting) would remove all kinds of  unlimited and abominable sins one has committed in the current birth or previous births.

Acharyas - great spiritual teachers have recommended that if one is unable to observe a complete fast, he/she should at least fast from grains on every Ekadesi. It is said that by fasting on this day and remembering the pastimes of Lord Krishna, all of one’s sins are eradicated and one is purified.

Everyone is aware about the merits of fasting on Ekadesi. This particular blog is basically a discussion forum for each one of us to understand the concepts better. Like I have N no of doubts about ekadesi and people who read this blog might know the answers for the questions am going post below…..and all of us can share whatever little we know about “ekadesi” (in the comments column for guests) & all of us can together try to do a better job from the next ekadesi onwards. You know everyday is a learning day when we are on our way to reach our Sri Hari!

I did read about Ekadesi from various websites & heard a little from elders. I shall collate the information from little that I have heard & read.

Basic Info on Ekadesi :-

~ Ekadasi literally means "the eleventh day."  

~ There are two Ekadasis in a month: on the eleventh day after the new moon and on the eleventh day after the full moon.

History of Ekadesi:-

This is explained in the Padma Puranam (the second amongst the eighteen puranas), which tells us about the beginning of Ekadasi. During the Krita Yuga, also termed the golden age, an asura called Muran harassed both devas and mortals. Unable to bear his tyranny, the devas sought refuge in Shiva. He directed them to approach Vishnu. Vishnu agreed to help the devas and went out to battle with Muran. During the long battle, which lasted one thousand celestial years, Vishnu needed to rest for a while. He entered a beautiful cave called Himavati in Badarikashrama to sleep. Muran wanted to strike Vishnu while he was sleeping. However, Shakti - Vishnu's female energy - emerged out of his body and assumed the form of a beautiful damsel who fought Muran and vanquished him. When Vishnu awoke he was very pleased and named this maiden as “Ekadesi” and granted her a boon. The maiden said, "O Lord, if you are pleased with me and wish to give me a boon, then give me the power to deliver people from the greatest sins if they fast on this day". Vishnu granted her the boon. Thus was born the first ekadasi, which was a Dhanurmasa sukla paksha ekadasi. Sages and devout people have been observing the ekadasi vrata regularly since then. Here, the demon Muran represents the tamasic and rajasic qualities in us. The import of the ekadasi vrata is that one can conquer rajasic and tamasic tendencies in us through fasting. This helps us reach our ultimate destination, Vaikuntha, which is the place or stage of no 'kuntitha' or dullness.

Courtesy given to tamilbrahmins.com for the percept.

How Devotees generally observe this fast:-

~ Some fully fast they even refrain from drinking water (this is called nirjala vrata)

~ Some devotees consume only water or other liquids.

~ Certain devotees have only fruits & milk of course other liquids like juices excluding grains, rice and other cooked recipes.

~ Few ppl who are patients or who cannot observe a strict fast consume Rotis, kichadi excluding rice.

~ I have as well heard of devotees who exclude cooked rice in particular but have dosas, idlies or anything that is not steamed rice.

These are the patterns that I have seen or heard in which people observe ekadesi fast.  Now am not sure which is right or wrong for me to prescribe to you guys (ppl who are new to ekadesi fasting). Which ever or whatever type suits one’s health can be followed but I would strongly recommend fasting on ekadesi (any suitable kind) for our lord as it is a gift for us to get rid of sins, clear our obstacles in our way to reaching Hari & ultimately observing Ekadesi fast shall take us several huge steps nearer to our Sri Hari and what more merit can we ask for?

Very often when Ekadesi fasting is talked about, many have several questions including me. Although we fast, we tend to have doubts about Ekadesi fasting. I got few doubts clarified from certain authentic vaishnavaites but still the info could be wrong. I have penned few FAQs with whatever little I have heard & read about Ekadesi fasting. Please correct me if any of the provided information is wrong.

FAQs

~ Can I offer Neyvethyam(offerings to our lord like fruits, dry fruits, milk, etc) on ekadesi?

Ans: Yes certainly.. one can offer offerings to our lord Hari. (I got it clarified from one of the priests as well in vaishnava temple near by) Hari doesn’t have the need to attain anything. He is the ultimate! Only we have to reach our lord. Only we have sins to be washed-off. HE IS ALL PERFECT! we can offer him our offerings with love, he would accept it. That’s just my view….Even if it is Ekadesi we offer fruits or milk to our Lord.

~ Can WE have the prasadam offered to Hari on Ekadesi? (maha-neivedhyam or whatever)

Ans: what I read on this context- On Ekadasi, everything is cooked for Vishnu, including regular grains and dhal, but it is enjoined that a Vaisnava should not even take visnu-prasadam on Ekadasi.
It is said that a Vaisnava does not accept any eatable that is NOT offered to Lord Vishnu, but on Ekadasi a Vaisnava should not touch even maha-prasadam offered to Vishnu, although such prasadam may be kept for being eaten the next day.
It is strictly forbidden for one to accept any kind of grain on Ekadasi, even if it is offered to Lord Vishnu.

Courtesy given to ISKCONdesiretree.net for the percept. 

~ Can I sleep in the afternoons on ekadesi?

Ans:- Ekadesi just comes for 2 days in a month. It is better not to take a nap during afternoons again there are exceptions when it comes to one’s health conditions.

To add to the point, the primary idea is to think about Sri Hari our Narayanan as much as possible and not waste time on other stuff. Already our many essential hours goes wasted when we are asleep during nights….why to waste time during day esp on the day of Ekadesi. Lets atleast try not to nap if we are fit enough to do so (with his grace)

~ Can I have just Tiffin items excluding rice?

Ans: Again it depends on one’s health condition and even their work pattern like for some might have strenuous physical activity and might require more calories and stuff.

But my personal answer would be- A STRICT “NO” to any grains (rice, wheat, cereals and any kind of pulses)

People observing this particular fast emerge out of this world of sin and march towards salvation.

If you have any health problems or if you are on medication, please consult your doctor before deciding on fasting! You can also opt for a partial fast by avoiding food made of rice the bottom line is that these are practices to remember HIM, stay close to HIM and experience HIM always. He would be pleased with even minimum efforts taken! 

My Doubts: - I request my dear friends to share what you know about ekadesi so that all who read this piece can be benefited from the valid information provided. Am sure my friends would have a lot of info on Ekadesi. I kindly request you guys to participate. You may as well post your doubts if any & we all can try to find out together.

1. What about offering prasadam to Gurus? Like for many, Sri Ramanuja achar is guru. Sri Ragavendra swamy of mantralaya is my beloved Guru. Can we offer offerings like milk or fruits to him on ekadesi?

2. Generally it is always better to offer food to some other living organism before we consume food. Like many draw rangoli(kolam) outside their houses (in order to feed ants and as well to beautify their houses). Since am not capable of drawing rangolis, I go to terrace and offer rice & little dhal to crows & then only consume my food but what about on Ekadesi? My in-laws say its ok to offer rice to crows but I do not know it for sure. Do u guys have any answer to this? (might be a silly question though... but my frnds can’t hit me….well, they don’t know where I am hehe)
3. What about observing fasting when one has periods? (In my experience, I refrain from having grains) but I hear this question often so thought of seeking all your views.
4. What if the female is pregnant? Because one will have to have some proportions of everything like proteins, vitamins & stuff….and will have to consume certain amount of necessary calories. what about on Ekadesi?

I don’t recollect many doubts. However just penned whatever came to my mind at present. Lets ALL discuss guys! Let us make our Ekadesi vrathams more perfect to please our lord Hari.

Please note the below Ekadesi calendar for 2011

DAY	MONTH	YEAR
07 (already over)	Oct	2011
23	Oct	2011
06	Nov	2011
21	Nov	2011
06 (Mokshada or Mukkoti or  Vaikunta ekadesi)	Dec	2011
21	Dec	2011

*All dates are as per Indian Standard Time*

A silly episode!

Hello All,

Happy Navarathri to ALL:-))

I was not in a position to visit our blog-space for a long time yet I kept thinking about our dear "All About Krishna" site yes only because its ALL ABOUT HIM & my dear friends who love HIM more than anything!

I feel like sharing an episode which is happening at present in my home....ya well how can anything be NOT about him???

As you all know am married and settled here in Chennai & I have a sister-in-law who lives in Chennai ofcourse she lives quite away from our place. She is hmmmm a nice person but at times it takes quite a lot of effort to make things work. However I Love her & ALL sincerely. When my lovable Lord resides in my heart how can my heart not Love anyone?

Couple of days back we learned from my mother-in-law that my sister-in-laws' husband has got a chance to pursue his higher studies abroad. He may have to be away from India for 2 whole yrs. The situation is such that He can't earn much when he studies there & it won't be sufficient enough for them to set a family there. Theirs was a love marriage and my SIL is not in good terms with her in-laws for her to go and stay there. So everything narrowed down to a point wherein my MIL indirectly kept saying she(SIL) might as well join us in our family for 2 yrs. I will certainly have to be honest here when I say I totally HATED that idea!!!!! My husband too finds it difficult to handle her so he was reluctant to have her here with us. He indirectly kept refusing the idea by telling my MIL.., " ASK her to leave along with her husband!! She can search for a job there...." Ya he never gave his consent for her to stay here which brought little peace in my heart.

For my MIL my husband is GOD! She can never act against his will or against his likes......so she was kind of in a pickle. All these things kept really itching me....because everyday I try my BEST to be a good DIL, good wife, good daughter over all a good human being to please my LORD. Ya its soooooooooooooooo easy to say...."Whats the big deal? invite her and live happily with her hehehehe" but you know reality isn't that easy!! perhaps had she been a sweet person situation would have been totally different. Anyway I kept discussing everything with my Krishna in my room ofcourse I always whisper am used to it now. Then I kept thinking..."What the hell am I doing? How can a female be alone for 2 years all by herself? & being a Krishna bakthai How can I let that happen?"

Lord Rama welcomed Vibishana despite the fact that he was an asura(in the rival grp) so sweetly the moment Vibhishana seeked HIS(our lord's) refuge......He din't give a second thought to it even when Jambhavan and other dear devotees din't like the idea. What is the point in reciting Ramayana with immense devotion and not following his values?

So thinking about all these factors I convinced myself to welcome her here happily and to make her feel happy here for the entire 2 years no matter what she says to me.

But then thoughts like..." Ayyoooo she'll put an end to my freedom for 2 yrs...........she'll fight with my husband in a loud voice & spoil our weekend.....She'll insult my bakthi in a very obvious manner"......ALL such thoughts kept haunting me & then I decided ......" NO!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!! Why would I be a stupid? Let her take-off wherever! It is her family need! They will have to figure out a better plan and not bother others for their goals."

Then again I couldn't even face Krishna....I couldn't even sit with him & have a cup of coffee....:-(

Then I thought Ok...."Its my responsibility to call her here. How can I stand the fact that one female expected our help and was refused. My lord would never forgive me for this. Whatever it is.....I shall do it for my lord and I shall be happy about it!!!"

See just imagine guys...., It was decided that Lord Rama would be crowned as king. The whole City was rejoicing that night. The kingdom was full of JOY.....everybody were busy in preparing for the GRAND occasion. Rama was obviously happy and so was Sita:-))) The very next morning that is when He was supposed to be a KING he was sent to forest!!!!!!!!!! and HE still went not with a sober face but happily.....happily he accepted his responsibility! HAPPILY he lived in forest and never did he think about missing anything there.....wow!  and are we talking about 2 yrs or 5 yrs here???? NOPE!!!!! 14 whole years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its lame to compare:-( I know!!!! but only for US he taught sooooooooooooooooo much.......din't he??? And he doesn't even expect us to do such Herculean things in life:-)) But little things that we do can be from his teachings right??? For whom did he teach otherwise? 

After thinking about Ramayana deeply, I was so excited about inviting her here....Yes Its my responsibility and even if it is for many years I shall do it happily....when MY LORD is with me why should I worry about anything! HE is all my pleasure!!!! Who would take that away from me??? then why on earth should I even give a second thought to anything? 

I convinced my husband for her to stay here and then we insisted my MIL to invite her here........my MIL was so relieved:-)))) & then I sat and had a wonderful cup of coffee with my krishna......ofcourse we never spoke about such things.......there were better things by then hehehe

The entire episode might be very silly but then you know such things happen in life........lets never give-up his teachings! I am not matured enough to say this....had I been matured enough I wouldn't have blogged about so many confusions that haunted me .....I would have acted matured in the first place:-( But the whole idea of blogging it was that there can be so many frnds like me who are in a dilemma to choose from options "Following his values & pleasing him" or "just acting what the pleasure bound fake mind says" .......just wanted to encourage the 1st option which would give us permanent place in his heart and what better to ask!!!

Sundar chhabi bhajan . . .(Having seen your beautiful countenance)

Imagine you have the utmost fortune and privilege to be a Gopi of Vrindavan who is profoundly in love with Krishna, and Krishna too in love with you...what more do you ask for??

~*~*~

The impulse to compose this bhajan came from a very strange incident. I was walking to my room to get something and just as I was about to open the partially closed door, through a narrow gap from the cringe I noticed someone Handsome...As if gazing at me and anticipating my arrival with eager eyes (wow). It was nobody else but my very own Kanha idol....(sighs).I decided to play some more games with Him. So I kept catching glimpses of Him and giving some in return through that tinny-winny gap and before you know it, I went into a trance...the "gopi trance". I started to fantasize a gopi like me who could have done the same millenniums back . Suddenly, My fantasies began to acquire poetic words and here is the little piece of dream in my/Gopi's words.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sundhar chhabi dekhi teri,

Wahi thamgayi ankhein meri.

Huwi meh Krishna deewani,

Mohan maya se gheri.

Chhup chhup dekhe mohe, meh bhi usseh dekhu

Tirchi najariyaa se, laakh baatein kehdu.

Areh reh sharmawoo, woh muskaaye

Bansi bajaa ke, mohe uksaaye.

Haiye marjawu - dil haaru- rehejaawu prem nagri.

. . .Jag dodha, meh wahi theheri,

Preet laagi re badi gheheri.

Huwi meh Krishna deewani,

Mohan maya se gheri.

Tere samaksh meh, bol na payee

Padh chehere ko, samajh judayee.

Janamo se nainaa, tujhpe bichhe hai,

Aabhijao ab, pran tadpe hai!

Chal udjaaye - khojaaye- Hojaaye hum ek jaan.

. . . Kitne janam jiye zeheri,

Taardo ab no karo deri.

Huwi meh Krishna deewani,

Mohan maya se gheri.

Mann aangan mein, basgaya sanwaraa,

Vanmaali ka, huwa mann banwara .

Khoyi khoyi duniya mein, Hum rehte hai,

Kahe mangu swarg jo, Kanha milte hai ??!

Meh yahi mangu - yahi chaahu - sang tera ab sadaa.

. . . Tum ho mere, meh hoon teri,

Teri hi naam ki mala pheheri.

Huwi meh Krishna deewani,

Mohan maya se gheri.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hope you guys enjoyed my ...erm...Daydream? ( That too, a beautiful one!)

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THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION ( esp for LUEN) :)

This eng poem is like word to word so it might sound "un-rhythmic ". I have tried to make it like a cool translation but forgive me for errors, kindly :)

Love you all

Having seen Your beautiful countenance,

My eyes have come to a standstill.

Enamored of Krishna, I am now.

Surrounded with His Maya, I am now.

Stealthily He looks at me, Stealthily I look at Him,

With coquettish eyes, we convey a million whims.

Oh man I blush! and He smiles teasingly,

Gets me enticed, playing His flute lovingly.

Oh I surrender - I succumb - I reside, in His loveland.

. . .The world proceeded, but here I remain in enchantment

'Coz infinitely deep to Him, is my attachment.

Enamored of Krishna, I am now.

Surrounded with His Maya, I am now.

Incapable I was, in conversing my inhibitions,

Read my face, acknowledge this separation.

From genesis, my eyes were fixed on You,

Arrive O Beloved, now life yearns for You!

Come let's soar - let's vanish - let's unite, into one being.

. . .Many poisonous lives I have bore,

Liberate me now, delay no more.

Enamored of Krishna, I am now.

Surrounded with His Maya, I am now.

That Black One is housed, within my heart's chamber

Mad are my senses, for that garland wearer.

In a spellbound realm, we both dwell now

Why wish for heaven, when Krishna is with me right now?!!

I only beseech - only desire - only want Him, forever!

. . .I am Yours, and You are mine

Only your name, I chant all the time

Enamored of Krishna, I am now.

Surrounded with His Maya, I am now.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

phew....That was mission! Hope u guys liked it though! :)

Happy Radhasthami!!

What can be said of her,whose beauty charms and enchants the enchanter Himself? Yes folks, she is our beautiful Radhikarani. Not many people are aware of the transcendental qualities of this pulchritudinous lady. Why is it that Krishna might delay in responding to His name but answers immediately to Radha's call or anyone who chants her Name? Let's explore why, this Radhashthami. . .

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She is an extension of Krishna, She is the feminine aspect of God. Thus, in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, God is both male and female. They are one, but Krishna expands into two, Himself and Radharani, for the sake of divine loving pastimes. If They remained as one, then there is no relationship, there are no pastimes, and there can be no dynamic exchange of love.

She is also known as Sarva-kanti, which indicates that all beauty and luster rest in Her body, and all the Lakshmis derive their beauty from Her. Sarva-kanti also means that all the desires of Lord Krishna rest in Srimati Radharani. As Lord Krishna enchants the world with His beauty and charm, Sri Radha enchants Him. Therefore She is the Supreme Goddess. Sri Radha is the full power, and Lord Krishna is the possessor of full power. (Cc.Adi-lila, 4.82, 84, 87-96) Thus, the two are non-different, as the sunshine is nondifferent from the sun, or as the energy is non-different from the energetic or source of energy.

In this way, without Radha there is no meaning to Krishna, and without Krishna there is no meaning to Radha.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The descriptions of the beauty of Radharani are wonderfully poetic and descriptive. Actually, the residents of Vrindavana care more for Radharani than they do for Lord Krishna. They know that Krishna can be influenced through Radharani. They know that Radha can bring one to Krishna. It is explained that Srimati Radharani has unlimited transcendental qualities, of which twenty-five are principal:

1) She is very sweet.
2) She is always freshly youthful.
3) Her eyes are restless.
4) She smiles brightly.
5) She has beautiful, auspicious lines.
6) She makes Krishna happy with Her bodily aroma.
7) She is very expert in singing.
8) Her speech is charming.
9) She is very expert in joking and speaking pleasantly.
10) She is very humble and meek.
11) She is always full of mercy.
12) She is cunning

13) She is expert in executing Her duties.
14) She is shy.
15) She is always respectful.
16) She is always calm.
17) She is always grave.
18) She is expert in enjoying life.
19) She is situated in the topmost level of ecstatic love.
20) She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula.
21) She is the most famous of submissive devotees.
22) She is very affectionate to elderly people.
23) She is very submissive to the love of Her friends.
24) She is the chief gopi.
25) She always keeps Krishna under Her control.

(how much do you score out of 25??!)

How can I complete without quoting magnificent quotes on Radhika's beauty? Here we go:

"When Srimati Radharani smiles, waves of joy overtake Her cheeks, and Her arched eyebrows dance like the bow of Cupid. Her glance is so enchanting that it is like a dancing bumblebee, moving unsteadily due to intoxication. That bee has bitten the whorl of My heart." (Vidagdha-madhava 2.51)

"Although the effulgence of the moon is brilliant initially at night, in the daytime it fades away. Similarly, although the lotus is beautiful during the daytime, at night it closes. But, O My friend, the face of My most dear Srimati Radharani is always bright and beautiful, both day and night. Therefore, to what can Her face be compared?" (Vidagdha-madhava 5.20)

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courtesy to:wiki

:radharani.com