Janmashtami 2011

Happy Janmashtami! This post is late and unfortunately this time I have no photos to upload but let me tell you something you already know - it was breathtakingly beautiful.

The best part was that I got to take my grandmother and uncle with me. I have been so eager for them to come and see the empty halls that become beautiful with the presence of Krishna, His associates and His devotees. It truly is the Lord's mercy because I am always keen to take my grandmother out on festivals but I don't always get the chance to do so.

Anyway, we couldn't stay very long so we just planned to take darshan. And I also desperately wanted some of that glorious charnamrit! Yum yum. So we entered the hall, and I was feeling good to be amongst devotees again after so long in this festive atmosphere. Then I started to hear the kirtan that was going on, and my heart started to swell. We took darshan of Krishna and I found tears in my eyes. How does this happen? Everytime I go to the hall feeling normal and fine and when the kirtan starts and Krishna appears before me in His infinite glory, I am just taken in. Then I want to stare and stare and beg Him to love me even though I know He does. I wanted to stay there forever. It just felt so amazing to be there!

Darshan ended quickly as there was a really big crowd so we had to keep moving. Then we got amazing prasadam and I got my long desired charnamrit! Ooh I can taste it now. I never liked it before but now I am just crazy about it! It's the best!

There were many devotees doing seva like handing out gifts, prasadam, and keeping everyone's shoes/sandals in a bag. It was so endearing to see little kids of 10 years doing their bit to help out. The Lord is so merciful that He has engaged them in serving Him like this. When we were taking back our sandals, this one devotee did something so sweet. The person volunteering to give back sandals emptied out the bag and so our sandals were on the floor. My grandmother turned over my sandals and I wore them and the next thing I knew, I saw a devotee bending down turning over my grandmother's sandals and helping her wear them! She didn't really need the help but he thought she did and without hesitation he proceeded to help her. Now this was truly amazing for me to see because since I have OCD, the idea of touching shoes and sandals, that too someone else's, really puts me in an anxious state. And here was this devotee of the Lord, looking to serve another devotee. And he wasn't worrying about germs. He didn't care that they were someone else's sandals. To him, he just wanted to serve and help. My grandmother too was touched by the act. I was simply amazed. It's really true what they say about kind deeds - no matter how small they are, they sure do go a long way. I have no idea who that devotee is but may Krishna bless his heart.

This Janmashtami reminded me that I needed to spend more time with Krishna and it also gave me something to think about with regards to my OCD. Sometime ago, I was praying for good health and I felt like something inside me said that on Janmashtami, the birth of Krishna, I will also have a new birth. I took this to mean that all my health problems will go away since that's what I was praying for at the time. But now I'm starting to think perhaps it was more a spiritual rebirth. Maybe the idea of rebirth was just in my head and not really the Lord promising me something, but on Janmashtami, I realized that I still have a connection with Krishna even though I haven't spent a lot of time with Him lately and He is still resting in my heart. I haven't felt an emotional connection with Him in a long time, and that was just a such nice gift from Him on Janmashtami. Moreover, it was really crazy the things I had to do that day! Like walking barefeet! That is something I haven't done in a really long time because obviously I dread the idea of germs even on my feet. But the Lord gave me enough strength to do it. And later, a flower they gave us at the program fell on the floor, and of course, I dread picking up things that have fallen on the floor. Even if I pick them, I try not to touch the part that touched the ground. But this was a flower. Plus it was used in Krishna's service. If anything, instead of becoming dirty, it would purify me. So I picked it up and didn't bother about which side had touched the ground. Again, my strength comes from Krishna. He says in the Gita that He is the strength of the strong, and the only way I can be strong is through Him. So you see, He helps me in these ways to get over my fears, and from time to time, he rekindles our relationship tirelessly, despite the countless number of times that I put the flame out. And I know that He will always do so for us, out of His unconditional love.

I hope all of you had a blessed Janmashtami too. Share your Janmashtami stories in the comments section if you please :)

Hari Ghanshyama Bhajan . . .

For me, the closest way to connect to my Kanhaji is to sing/write songs to Him. I might be discordant, cacophonous or unmusical...But He still listens. He does...

I might be a complete neophyte in understanding and battling with mundane affairs. I might know nothing ;however,the little that I know and can do, I will do....to ink down my love and longing for my beloved Lord.

I will sing and write to him in any state of jubilation or catastrophe.....because, that is what i can do best for Him. This too, is very insufficient to show my gratitude for His Abundant love for me.

We all have special ways of bridging to Him. It really does not matter even if it is unconventional, untimely or uncommon -If He responds, then you are set! That's all you want, right?

The bottom line is to feel the divine euphoria in your means of uniting with Him.After all, when you are happy- He is extrahappy :)

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Bhajan karu meh Hari ghanshyama

Oh dinn dukhiyo ke sahara, O dayala.

Bhajan karu . . .

Sansari dukh hai aur jeevan mein pida,

Beheti hai ankhon mein aansuwo ki dharaa.

Janam maran se mukti do mujhe , Mere Kripala

Aavu meh Vaikunth tere Dhaam, O Sundar Kanha

Bhajan karu . . .

Tan aur mann mere pran se alagh huwe,

Bansi ki dhun me, Kahi surmayi se khogaye.

Sab kaam chhod sonchu tujhe, O salone

Phir ungliyon ne likhe ,prem bhajan woh tere.

Bhajan karu . . .

Naam smaran bus tumhara hai saancha,

Leke tera naam, Mann morr bani naacha.

Kisse kahu meh mann ki batiyaan, O Murliwala?

Iss jag mein Ek tuhi hai , mere geet ko sunnewala.

Bhajan karu . . .

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Ps: If ever anything is unclear in any of my songs or posts, feel free to ask questns...(somehow i alwys forget to write this)

Happy Belated Krishna Jayanti all! :)

My Krishna Jayanthi blog!

Krishna, my mind gets clouded with darkness of ignorance
let this simple lover attain you without such hindrances

Govindha, at times this heart stays still in front of you like a stone
Let this tiny heart melt comprehending your kindness shown

 

Gopala, my bewildering mind overlooks your mercy many a times
Let this stupid girl realize your love which is beyond extremes

Achyutha, my eyes have lost sight trapped in a cave of forgetfulness
Let this girl remember your caring smile and regain all her senses

 

Hari, Who lifted govardhana hill, one who resides in venkatagiri hill
Let this poor girl find her path to attain your lotus feet to stay blissful

Vittala, despite me being unfit, my lips forget to plea
Let this dumb girl ever not forget that she belongs to thee

Love U a lot Govindha!

Dashavatar bhajan

The ten avatars of Shri Vishnu, of which on number eighth is our beloved Krishna are all very important aspects of Hindu mythology. They all may have taken birth for various other reasons; but primarily, it was to save the world. For the preservation of good and destruction of evil.For the devotion of devotees and the end to the villains. Well, as a noteworthy point, it is said in the upanishads and the bhagavatam that : There are as many avatars of the Adi purush (Vishnu) as they are waves in an ocean (JUST IMAGINE!)

However , the common bhakt is only acqainted to the main ten of them. We all know that the nine have come and we await the last one , called Kalki, who will come at the end of Kaliyug and hence establish the golden age (satya-yug) once again.

(I might write an entire new post on Kalki alone...i need to research further-Stay tuned!)

So here goes my small and simple bhajan in the praise of all the mahavatars. The lyrics are such that they tell Lord Narayan that if He is to be with me in all different births of mine then I can go through all the suffering with whatever avatar he takes...just to be with HIM.

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Narayan , narayan, narayan re

Jo tum saath ho, Bhagwaan dayalu

Yug yug janma leke, Jeevan safal banalu

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, dariya paar karlu

Matsya avatar bani ana, Vedh gyan bachalu

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, amrit prapt karlu

Koorma avatar bani ana, Sagar manthan karlu

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, bhoomi jal se khojhlu

Varaha avatar bani ana, hiranyaksha ko tarlu

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, Naam Narayan japlu

Narsimha avatar bani ana, Prahlad si bhakti karlu

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, Bali yagnya me jawu

Vaman avatar bani ana, Teen kadam saath chal lu

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, Kaamdhenu bachalu

Parshuram avatar bani ana, Kshatriya abhiman todlu

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, diwali manalu

Rama avatar bani ana, Lankeshwar vadh dekhlu

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, Kurukshetra me jawu

Krishna avatar bani ana, Geeta tumse sunlu!

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, Samsaar tyaglu

Buddha avatar bani ana, mann bairaghan banalu

Narayan . . .

Jo tum saath ho, Adharm mitalu

Kalki avatar bani ana, Kalyug me bhi rehlu!

Narayan . . .

, ,

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Ps: There is a Lovely, Magnificent and absolutely enjoyable animation movie made on the stories of these ten avatars. It is called : "dashavatar". I think it is on Youtube, but it's in hindi.

It is cleverly made in that it covers a vast ground of info without being boring. A def must watch! Even your lil kids, siblings etc will enjoy garaunteed!

"The Lord's Feelings Toward Someone Who Chants His Name" - Sacinandana Swami

Hey guys! How's everyone doing? :)

A while ago, I read the sweetest, deepest and most illuminating article by Sacinandana Swami. But don't take my word for it, read it for yourself and see. It will melt your heart. If you find that it touched your heart, you have to stop doing whatever you're doing, and take a minute and pray to God from your heart. Deal? Here we go:

Srila Prabhupada told us that the chanting means to address the Lord. We talk to Him by calling His name.

But we may wonder, How does the Lord feel about those who chant? Does He notice them?

Yes. Krsna notices chanters even if they don't notice Him - and He thinks of them. As Srila Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakura said, "When someone chants the Lord's name, the Lord's mind dwells on him. Krishna thinks, 'This person belongs to Me. I will always protect him!' "

Srila Sridhara Swami explains in this connection: "When the Lord heard that Ajamila was chanting His name, He thought about Ajamila deeply and then ordered the Visnudutas to bring him to Him. How much more, then, will the Lord remember a person who chants His Name with a service attitude?"

Let us not try to see the Lord.
Let Him see us.
And let us not try to hear His voice in the beginning.
Let Him hear us first.
Then one day the morning will dawn when we hear him say:
"You are Mine."

- Sacinandana Swami

Got goosebumps? Is your hair standing on end? Chills? Shivers? Tears? You are His. All His. And you are very precious to Him. He tells us this over and over but we never seem to hear. He is just waiting for us to hear Him and realize that He loves us deeply. And in order to hear Him well, we need to open ourselves up to Him and put our faith in Him.

So now according to our deal, you have to stop what you're doing for one little minute and pray to God. Praise Him, tell Him you love Him, that you need Him in your life. Thank Him. Seek His forgiveness. Ask Him for His help and guidance. Pray for whatever you desire, but take a minute now and let your heart talk to Him. He misses you deeply and no, it doesn't matter if you prayed to Him a few minutes ago. He still misses you because that's just how much He loves you!

Go on now, don't keep Him waiting! :)

A message of Love . . .to the most handsomest

It is believed that in love when verbal talk fails to express the depth of emotion, silence does the talking. When silence fails, eyes communicate. But when neither can be done...then what?? How can u relate your feelings and deliver your message to your Piya? ....WRITE! Yes, simply pen your bottled emotions onto that piece of paper and watch its magic!

Here's a question : Who wrote the first ever love letter?? Any guesses??

When it comes to romance, who can beat Mr Krishna?! Our Lord's first and foremost wife , Rukmini wrote the first ever message of love on paper and today we all seem to have forgotten the legends that created this epic and unique style of conveying love: Rukmini and Krishna.

As shown in the picture, He is reading the letter from his wife-to-be with a blush and a joy that Rukmini 's trusted Brahman sent to him.

So here goes the letter that she wrote: totally heartfelt, beautiful, treat for the ears, expertly written, and absolutely Romantic . . .

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Śrī Rukmiṇī said [in her letter]: O beauty of the worlds, having heard of Your qualities, which enter the ears of those who hear and remove their bodily distress, and having also heard of Your beauty, which fulfills all the visual desires of those who see, I have fixed my shameless mind upon You, O Kṛṣṇa.

SB 10.52.38: O Mukunda, You are equal only to Yourself in lineage, character, beauty, knowledge, youthfulness, wealth and influence. O lion among men, You delight the minds of all mankind. What aristocratic, sober-minded and marriageable girl of a good family would not choose You as her husband when the proper time has come?

SB 10.52.39: Therefore, my dear Lord, I have chosen You as my husband, and I surrender myself to You. Please come swiftly, O almighty one, and make me Your wife. My dear lotus-eyed Lord, let Śiśupāla never touch the hero's portion like a jackal stealing the property of a lion.

SB 10.52.40: If I have sufficiently worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead by pious works, sacrifices, charity, rituals and vows, and also by worshiping the demigods, brāhmaṇas and gurus, then may Gadāgraja come and take my hand, and not Damaghoṣa's son or anyone else.

SB 10.52.41: O unconquerable one, tomorrow when my marriage ceremony is about to begin, You should arrive unseen in Vidarbha and surround Yourself with the leaders of Your army. Then crush the forces of Caidya and Magadhendra and marry me in the Rākṣasa style, winning me with Your valor.

SB 10.52.42: Since I will be staying within the inner chambers of the palace, You may wonder, "How can I carry you away without killing some of your relatives?" But I shall tell You a way: On the day before the marriage there is a grand procession to honor the royal family's deity, and in this procession the new bride goes outside the city to visit Goddess Girijā.

SB 10.52.43: O lotus-eyed one, great souls like Lord Śiva hanker to bathe in the dust of Your lotus feet and thereby destroy their ignorance. If I cannot obtain Your mercy, I shall simply give up my vital force, which will have become weak from the severe penances I will perform. Then, after hundreds of lifetimes of endeavor, I may obtain Your mercy.

SB 10.52.44: The brāhmaṇa said: This is the confidential message I have brought with me, O Lord of the Yadus. Please consider what must be done in these circumstances, and do it at once.

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Courtesy given to Srimadbhagavatam.com for the percept.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S910MUTdEVk&feature=related for video from B.R Chopra Mahabharat where Rukmini writes letter to Krishna. It's really cute! aww...love Nitish Bharadwaj(Krishna) 's expression in each scene of the song...A must watch.

The Pictures Say it All!

i have no words to describe the beautiful pics that follow...no catchy captions...no poetic uselessness...no pretend-smart comments...no words to describe the beauty and greatness of our dear Lord. So, do enjoy the feast!