ततो जगन्मङ्गलमङ्गलात्मना विधाय रामायणकीर्तिमुत्तमाम् । चचार पूर्वाचरितं रघूत्तमो राजर्षिवर्यैरभिसेवितं यथा ॥ Thereafter, the great hero of Ramayana, the best among the Raghu, the glory of the universe, ever blessing the world of sentient, organized his life into a program of intense tapas, as lived earlier by the royal saints in his own dynasty – Adhyatma…
Author: baladrishti
I am dedicated to Advaita Vedanta, a system of perfect life, rule of wisdom and law of liberty.
Chapter 5. Mahaan.
दर्शनात् अभ्रशदसि | जननात् कमलालये || स्मरणात् अरुणाचले | काश्यान्तु मरणान् मुक्तिः || Liberation is certain for the one who remembers Arunachala. Being born in Kamalalaya, seeing Chidambharam and dying in Kashi are other ways for liberation – Skanda Purana. I discovered this book when I was in my high school. It was a 50-page book….
Bhairava.
देवदेव त्रिशूलाङ्क कपालकृतभूषण ।दिग्देशकालशून्या च व्यपदेशविवर्जिता ॥ O, Lord of the gods, who bears the trident and skull as ornaments, tell me that state which is devoid of time, space, and direction and free from attributes. Tell me in Vykhari. – Vignana Bhairava Tantra. It was nearing noon when I got out of the car…
Chapter 4. Gita.
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: | मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति॥ A part of Myself alone is in the form of the eternal jīva in the world of beings. He pulls the five sense organs, with the mind as the sixth, which reside in the body – Purushotama Yoga. It has been months since I joined the Gita…
Chapter 3. Solitude.
द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते ।तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभिचाकशीति ॥ १ ॥ Two inseparable companions of fine plumage perch on the self-same tree. One of the two feeds on the delicious fruit. The other not tasting of it looks on. The other is the higher nature of the same self – Mundaka Upanishad….
Chapter 2. Watcher.
रूपं दृश्यं लोचनं दृक् तद्दृश्यं दृक्तु मानसम् । दृश्या धीवृत्तयः साक्षी दृगेव न तु दृश्यते ॥ The eye is the seer and forms are seen. The mind is the seer, and the eyes are seen. The seer of the mind is never the seen – Drig-Drishya-Viveka. I was in the second year of my…
In which direction do we exist?
Let us ask ourselves a question, “in which direction do I exist”? Do directions exist in the vast outer space of the universe? Directions do not exist in the universe. It is we who have created the concept of directions in the universe. So, “In which direction do I exist?” is the question. The answer…
A month full of Greeting.
It is December and the holiday season is upon us, with celebrations like Christmas, Hannukah and New Year all approaching. In December also comes the Dhanurmasa, an auspicious month for Hindus. In the past, I was sending over 500 season greeting cards every year during this month to business, friends, and families. The postal service…
Is Hinduism really a Religion?
“Bala, what according to you is Hinduism? Any explanation that I give seems to be insufficient.” A question that someone asked me recently. I said, “So your question is how to explain Hinduism to others”. “Yes”. “Christianity and Islam seem easier to explain. Judaism as well. We struggle when it comes to explaining Hinduism”. “Is…
Chapter 1. Death.
न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन्नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित् । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ १८ ॥ The atman is not born nor dies; nor did it come from anywhere; nor was it anything. The atman is unborn, eternal, ancient, ever present and not slain though the body is slain – Katopanishad….
The Secluded Cave.
A two-hour journey involving a bus ride from the temple town of Palani and an auto ride from the nearest town takes you to this small village tucked in wilderness. The mountain arises like a pyramid near the snout of the village resembling a linga. The steep mountaintop is a magical destination and houses Shiva…
Never Born, Never Died.
This was my first trip to Tallinn, Europe’s newest capitals. The capital city of Estonia has some striking structures based on decades of Soviet influence. I had taken a tram as the first choice for transportation from the airport to the city centre. My hotel was booked three kilometres from the city in the historical…
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