Vasudev - The Bhakti Cultivator of Maharashtra

Maharashtra has a long and proud tradition of song, dance, music and theatre. I remember my early days in Pune when I used to enjoy a large glass of sweet sugar cane juice listening to lullaby-like singing by the rural folks. Even the hard task of manually extracting the juice from sugar cane was lightened and made lively by a farmhand with his folk-songs!

As school-going kids in the city of Pune, my younger brother and I often used to watch with wonder some of the street singers and performers. A typical street song sounded more like a Bhajan in the glory of Lord Krishna. It went something like ...   

Govind Rama Ho, Gopala Rama Ji-Ji

Keshava Rama Ho, Madhava Rama Ji-Ji

The singer used to wear a colorful conical cap decorated with peacock feathers. Holding a chiplya in the hand and anklets tied to his legs to complement singing a folk song, the singer was seen by kids as an amusing personality. Until recently, I never knew the name of this particular tribe of street singers. A few days back, it was my dear brother who told me that such singers are called '"Vasudev."  

The bhajan-singing and entertaining heritage of Vasudev must be many centuries old. I understand that Vasudevs are still in existence though their population has dwindled rapidly over recent years.

From the name of the tribe and their songs, it is inferred that the Vasudevs worshipped Lord Krishna. Was not Vasudev father of Lord Krishna?

The Vasudev is part of a nomadic tribe of Maharashtra and keeps traveling from one place to another, entertaining people with traditional songs and verses. Some of them work in farms to make a living. Right in the morning, the vasudeo starts singing in the streets persuading people to perform selfless charity and worship to Lord Krishna. Like abhangs, the songs are composd in Marathi language.

Here is a sample song with a rough translation:

Balichya vanshi janma ghetla, Kaalicha dhanda sodu nako l

Aik paranya, tula sangato, Hari bhajlyavij rahu nako ll

(You have taken birth in a religious home, do not leave your farm work

Listen, I tell you, Do not stop worshiping Lord Krishna)

While propagating Bhakti, Vasudeo does not forget to ask people for help to fulfil his family responsibilities. The song goes further like:

Tumhi Aaya Baayanno dya Vasudevnila choli

Aho lahan mulichya dya angachi kaacholi.

(You ladies, please donate a blouse for my wife and a garment for my young daughter)

People of Maharashtra never made fun of the Vasudevs or looked upon them as beggars but used to treat them with respect and generosity.

Bhakti knows no bounds and Maharashtra is a forerunner in the matter of cultivating Bhajans and Bhakti both in the simplest ways. 

Vasudeo may be a very poor person but he has contributed immensely to build a rich tradition of Bhakti and Bhajans that add glory to Maharashtra and to the Hindu way of living!

The Essence of Vedas

Most people have neither inclination nor time to study the Vedas. However, many people are interested to know about Vedas and what they teach us. A common question is: What is the essence of Vedas? From what I have read, Mahaperiva - also well-known as Paramacharya - provides a response to this question in very simple terms.

"The principle on which the Vedic religion is founded," observes the Sage of Kanchi, "is that a man must not live for himself alone but serve all mankind."

Periva goes on to say: “All Vedas have one common goal though there are differences among their adherents. What is the goal? It is the well-being of the entire world and all creatures living in it, and the uplift of the Self of each one of us and its everlasting union with the Ultimate Reality.

We may take pride in the Vedas for another reason also. They do not point to a single way and proclaim, "This alone is the path" nor do they affirm, "This is the only God" with reference to their own view of the Supreme Being. Instead, they declare that, if one adheres to any path with faith or worships any deity with devotion, one will be led towards the Truth. The scripture of no other religion speaks thus of the many paths to liberation. On the contrary, each of them insists that the way shown by it alone will lead to liberation. The Vedas alone give expression to the exalted view that different people may take different paths to discover the one and only Truth. The Vedas reveal the One Truth to us in the form of many deities. Vedas form the one scripture as the source common to the different sects and schools of thought in the Hindu religion.”

"The Vedas hold out," declares Mahaperiva, “the ideal of liberation here itself. That is their glory. Other religions hold before people the ideal of salvation after a man's departure for another world."

To repeat, the ultimate teaching of the Vedic religion is liberation here and now. After all, what is the purpose of any religion? Our Acharya answers this question too: "If an individual owing allegiance to a religion does not become a jnanin (knowledgeable one) with inward experience of the truth of the Supreme Being, what does it matter whether that religion does exist or does not?"

The Vedas that constitute the scripture common to all and which reveal the Godhead that is common to us also teach us how to lead our life, and- this is important- they do us the ultimate good by showing us in the end the way to become that very Godhead ourselves. They are our refuge both here and the hereafter and are the source and root of all our different traditions, all our systems of thought. All sects, all schools of our religion, have their origin in them. The root is one but the branches are many.

The Vedas are the source not only of various divisions of Hinduism, all the religions of the world may be traced back to them. It is our bounden duty to preserve them for all time to come with their glory undiminished. Critics call this Dharma ritual-ridden without realizing that the rituals have a higher purpose, that of disciplining you, cleansing your consciousness, and preparing you for the inward journey. In a word, chitta - suddhi is the means to a higher end. From work we must go to worklessness.

Memories of My Trip to Pandharpur

Last Saturday (April 7, 2012), Vidya and I had the good fortune to participate in the Radha Madhava Kalyanam at the Chinmaya Mission's Yamunotri Center in Grayslake. The Bhajans, led by Srividhya Ganesh, were melodious and uplifting. The beautifully decorated idols of Radha and Krishna at the Center kindled in me memories of my last trip to Pandharpur where I had the darshan of Panduranga Vittal, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

I remember it was a bright, Thursday morning (January 24, 2008). Vidya, me and my brother and his wife left Pune by car around 7 AM. For breakfast, we packed a couple of Idlis. The ride from Pune to Pandharpur (approximately 220 Kms) took about 5 hours on the Solapur road (NH-9). For most part, the road was good but closer to Pandarpur, the ride was pretty bumby. On my return, I took the Phaltan-Jejuri route which was better.

We reached the holy city of Pandharpur around noon. The city is situated on the banks of River Bhima – a tributary of Krishna river. At Pandharpur, the river flows in the crescent shape of a moon and hence it is called 'Chandrabhaaga'.

No sooner we alighted from the car, a young man approached us and offered his services to arrange for the Lord’s darshan. He took us to a priest who offered us two optional Puja’s - at prices of Rs. 1100 and Rs. 1500. We declined his offer and stood in the line for ‘Dharma Darshan’. It took us about 40 minutes for entering the sanctum.

What a divine sight! With arms akimbo, Panduranga Vittala stood magnificently on a stone platform believed to be made of brick. According to legends, Lord Krishna came to Pandharpur on the request of his devotee Pundalika. When the Lord arrived Pundalika was serving his parents and he asked the Lord to wait on a brick platform. The name Vittala itself means "One who stands on a brick".

The Lord was adorned with a princely attire. The idol looked about 4 ft tall. Anyone, irrespective of caste and creed, is allowed to touch the idol’s feet. I guess we were really blessed. I could touch the lotus feet of the Lord with my hands and also with my forehead. In no other temple, I had such a unique experience. The priest offered garlands and prasadams of coconut and pedhas. Coming outside the sanctum, we performed sankalpam and a mini-pooja with the help of a priest. There are pandas as in most pilgrim spots but I did not experience any ‘high-pressure’ pandas to relieve my wallet.

Daily worship rituals include Kakad Arati (Early Morning Prayers) , Mahapuja (Mega-Worship), Mahanaivedya (Food offering), Poshakh (putting the robe), Dhoop Arati, and Padya Pooja.

Panduranga’s consort Rukmani is in a separate sanctum that is close to the main sanctum. I learnt that there is another temple for Rukmani which is about 2 kms away from the main temple. We could not visit the other temple for want of time. There is also an idol of Purandara Daasa (considered as the father of Carnatic music) in the main temple. Purandara Dasa was formerly Srinivasa Nayaka who was a wealthy merchant in Karnataka; foremost among the talented Karnatic composers. Because of a strange incident in his life, Srinivasa Nayaka abandoned all his wealth and became an ardent devotee of Sri Hari. Eventually, he became Purandara Dasa.

Wednesdays and Ekadasi days are considered very auspicious in Pandharpur. On these days, large crowds assemble here for the Lord’s darshan. The temple timings for darshan are: Morning 6 to 7, 8 to 11, 11.15 to 4.30 Evening, 5.00 to 7.00 pm & 7.30 to 10.00 p.m & 10.30 to 11.00 p.m.

The main temple is believed to have been built in the 12th century by the Yaadavas of Devagiri (modern Daulatabad). Pandharpur is also associated with the Maharashtra poet-saints devoted to the Bhakti cult. Many saints of Maharashtra- Saint Dnyaneshwar, Saint Tukaram, Saint Namdev, Saint Purandaradas, and others have composed songs in praise of Panduranga Vittala.

The great Maharashtrian saint Tukaram sang in one of his Abhangs:

Just beyond us we see that purple luster - how glorious!
With His noble crown of peacock feathers stitched together.
As you look upon Him, fever and illusion vanish
Adore then the Prince of the Yadavas, the Lord of Yogis.
He stands upon the river bank with the luster of one million moons.
It is fastened in jewels on His neck
And merges into the luster of His form.

Tukaram’s poetic description does not need any elaboration. With a deep sense of satisfaction and a great ‘mission accomplished’ feeling, we returned to Pune the same evening around 8:30 PM.

The trip to Pandharpur is unforgettable. How blessed we are! In your lifetime, you must visit Pandharpur at least once to see the glorious Panduranga Vittala and receive His divine blessings.

Punar Darshana Praptir Asthu

The Age of Change

Sometime in the 6^th century B.C., the Greek philosopher Heraclitus is believed to have said "There is nothing permanent except change." Isn't that really true? Just take a look at the sweeping changes taking place around us.

Gone are the days when I used to grope in the dark to see the time on my manually wound bedside clock. Today, I enjoy the convenience of just opening my eyes to see the time (and temperature too!) displayed on my room ceiling. Gone are the days when I used to wait for hours for a long-distance call (trunk call as it was called) to mature on my ITI-made round dial telephone. Gone are the days when I used to anxiously wait for the postman to tap on my door and deliver the letters from my near and dear ones - today, most communications are all done through e-mail, face book, cell phone and other media.

We have entered a time of great change. The evidence of this great change is everywhere - in teaching and learning, science and technology, traveling and eating, even walking and sleeping!

Yesterday, I went with my grandson (15) to his school to attend an advanced placement (AP) program that prepares the students for college education through a range of over 20 optional courses. Each subject teacher was making power point presentations extoling the virtues of his/her subject and trying to sell it to a young and curious audience. It is so different from my school days when the only tools available to the teacher were a blackboard and a piece of chalk while the students had very limited choice of subjects.

Science and technology are expanding at such a frantic pace that everyday there is something new. Every day we're bombarded with the latest technology products - cellphones, GPS, computers, video games and what not. No longer, I need to go to the bank to deposit checks - I can do it over my cell phone! Tape recorders and even CD players are obsolete. They are replaced by sleek digital devices like I-pods that fit into a shirt pocket! The black-slate like tablet meets almost all your basic needs of communication and entertainment, assuming of course that you know how to make use of it.

Eating habits too have been greatly influenced by changes around. You can find an amazing variety of ready-to-cook/eat food (including idlis and masala dosas) on the shelves of most grocery stores. Very few people now have the time or interest to struggle in making those delicious dishes from fundamentals!

You can see the changes in the social scene too. In contrast to the earlier generation, today more women are highly educated, and work on full-time placing career as most important in their lives. Attitudes and values have changed too. Patience and tolerance are getting to be rarer virtues. Divorce, a rare event in earlier days, is now a common phenomenon. It seems anyone can marry anyone else so long as the partners are of the opposite sex. Even this view is changing in some parts of the world!

Old-time ideas of force and fear have been shattered. As a child, I used to dread some of my teachers who doled out the most humiliating punishments. . Codes of discipline were faithfully enforced in many walks of life. There were restrictions imposed on certain social movements. Today, it seems OK to do almost anything and get away under the name of freedom, birthright or some such thing without any fear or stigmas attached to the deed. The very process of thinking itself seems to be going through radical changes from asking 'why?' to 'why not?'

Though many of these changes sound fascinating, I sometimes wonder where they are really leading the people? The paradox is that with all the seemingly progressive changes, happiness seems elusive. While some sections of society accumulate wealth beyond estimates, another part struggles to make a decent living amidst impacts from all kinds of disturbing pressures such as frauds, mounting expenses, uncaring friends and relatives, crime and violence, and so on.

Well, we must realize that we are all living in an age of change, and gracefully accept those that we cannot change. Our best shot is to help the people close to us by giving out what we are granted with in terms of time, money, knowledge, ideas, whatever, with honesty and sincerity.

A Short Story of Vedas

Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma as it should be called, is based on Four Vedas - Yajur, Saama, Rig and Atharvana. How did these four Vedas came into existence in the present world? Kanchi MahaPeriava had answered this question with an interesting story. Let me share this short story with you.

When Lord Sri Krishna departed from this world, grim darkness enveloped all over the world. There is "darkness" in His name itself - "Krishna" means dark. He was born in darkness, in the dungeon of a prison at midnight. But He had the radiance of knowledge for the entire world, and He carried the light of compassion. When He departed, “jnana” (knowledge) got eroded significantly, and darkness descended into the world. Kali, who is the evil incarnate, became powerful. All this is the sport of the Paramatman, the sport that is inscrutable. Sri Krishna, who came as a burst of light, was urged by His compassion and decided that the world must not degenerate. He thought that it could be saved by administering an antidote against the venom of Kali. This antidote was the “Vedas.” It would be enough if precautions were taken to make sure that the “Kali Man" did not devour the people- the world would be saved. In the darkness surrounding everything, the Vedas would serve the purpose of a lamp lighting the path of mankind. In the age of Kali, they would not shine with the same effulgence as in the previous Yugams (ages). But the Lord resolved that they must burn with at least the minimum of lustre to be of benefit to mankind and He ensured this through Veda Vyasa.

The great sage who was to carry out Bhagavan Krishna's resolve was not then called Veda Vyasa. Interestingly, his name too was Krishna and, since he was born and raised on an island, he had the appellation "Dvaipayana" (meaning Islander). Badarayana was another name. Krishna Dvaipayana knew all the 1,180 sakhas ( recensions) of the Vedas revealed to the world by various sages. They were mixed together in one great stream. Being remarkably gifted, our great ancestors could memorise all of them. For the benefit of weaker people like us, Vyasa divided them into four Vedas and subdivided each into sakhas. It was like building across a river and drawing the huge quantity of water through various canals. Vyasa accomplished the task of dividing the Vedas easily because he was a great yogi with vision and because he had the power gained from austerities.

The Rig-Veda sakhas contain hymns to invoke the various deities; the Yajurveda sakhas deal with the conduct of sacrifices; the Samaveda sakhas contain songs to please the deities; and the Atharvaveda sakhas, besides dealing with sacrifices, contain mantras recited to avert calamities and to destroy enemies. The Samaveda had the largest number of recensions, 1,000. In the Rig-Veda there were 21; in the Yajur 109 (Shukla-Yajur Veda 15, and Krishna Yajur Veda 94); and in the Atharvaveda 50.

While, according to one scholar, the Vishnu Purana mentions the number of sakhas to be 1,180, another version is that there were 1,133 recensions- the Rig-Veda 21, the Yajurveda 101, the Samaveda 1,000 and the Atharvaveda 11. Considering that people in the age of Kali may be inferior to their forefathers, Krishna Dvaipayana thought that it should be sufficient for them to learn one sakha of any one of the four Vedas. It was the Lord that put this idea into his head. Vyasa assigned the Rig-Veda sakhas to Paila, the Yajurveda sakhas to Vaisampayana, the Samaveda sakhas to Jaimini and the Atharvanaveda sakhas to Sumantu.

Krishna Dvaipayana came to be called "VedaVyasa" for having divided the Vedas into four and then having subdivided them into 1, 180 recensions. "Vyasa" literally means an "essay" or a "composition". Classifying topics is also known as "Vyasa."

The Secret to Self-Healing

Are you aware that we all are endowed with the innate power to heal our own ailments? It does not mean that doctors are not needed but they can only assist if they act in harmony with the Laws of Nature.

Our mind and body systems are so designed by the Almighty that they are equipped to HANDLE AND HEAL ailments. For example, you cut yourself with a blade while shaving. The wound caused by the blade heals itself over time. The affected skin grows new pigments and becomes normal soon if there is no further damage by external obstacles like dust and abrasion by other objects. You really do not need help from others. As a kid, I have hurt myself so many times and most of the times, never went to a doctor. At best, I have cleaned the wound with plain cold water. Similar healing processes take place in other systems of the body. If one has a headache, chances are that it is often caused by mental stress, inadequate rest, or hunger. Nature provides its own warning signals like fever, aches and pains. If you do not heed to it and take corrective action, it leads to sickness or disease.

The human body can take some abuse for sometime but not from all sorts on a continuous basis. In my humble opinion, most illnesses are caused by lack of hygiene, poor discipline on diet and drinks, irresponsible lifestyle, and inadequate understanding of oneself. Pain and suffering are just signals to our conscious mind that we have to CHANGE our ways of living, eating and resting patterns and basic attitudes. Those in the rat race to attain top positions in the corporate world are more vulnerable to diseases.

Is it not simpler to just take some drugs prescribed by doctors? Remember, most drugs contain chemicals that often cause side effects. To counter side effects, more medicines are required. The problem with most drugs is that once you start taking them, you tend to become habituated and it becomes difficult to just abruptly stop taking those drugs.

On the other hand, try self-healing ailments by allowing some time to regulate your life-style with clean food (avoid smoking, drinking, eating in low-class restaurants and junk food) and habits. I have personally experienced that my headache just vanishes if I rest or sleep for a while.

Believe in self-healing processes. The God-given mind-body system has almost unlimited self-repair capabilities, but most of people shut the doors to natural healing and deny themselves any access to them. Build your self-confidence by constantly thinking that you are doing fine and driving out negative thoughts. If you do not believe in inherent powers self-healing, your chances of success are minimal.

The secret to self-healing is: Keep an open mind, adopt clean regular habits, and rest adequately.

Pray and Let Mother Nature take care of you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving Day. Most stories on the history of Thanksgiving talk about the feasting celebration of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans that took place in the year 1621. The feast was not called "Thanksgiving." It was more of a traditional harvest festival like 'Pongal' in India. The feast, like Pongal, is believed to be an expression of thanks to God for the bountiful harvest.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. I am not sure why Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. However, over the years, the feasting tradition of giving thanks to God seems to have transformed itself into a holiday revelry. On Thanksgiving Day, families and friends usually gather for a large meal. Most schools and colleges declare a week-long vacation, as many students return home to unite with family members. Gifts are also exchanged as Thanksgiving is considered as a time to show love and appreciation for closest friends and family.

It is also a time to reflect upon many of life's blessings that we take for granted. While I can think of abundant small things to be thankful for (starting from the hot cup of brewed coffee that I relish every morning), I can list at least ten important things that I enjoy.

1. A cosy warm bed to sleep in without the nuisance of mosquitos and bed bugs.

2. Hot shower, dry towels and clothes to provide the comfortable feeling in me.

3. The most beautiful smile of my little grandson Vivek and the happy time I spend with him.

4. The opportunity and inclination to pray everyday morning and perform my daily rituals.

5. The pleasure of listening to my charming granddaughter and escorting her to school.

6. The choice of delicious vegetarian food items and God-given appetite & digestive power to consume them.

7. A computer that works faithfully on a reliable intenet connection.

8. An acceptable report from the doctor on my general health.

9. My growing interest in ancient scriptures that I once thought were beyond my understanding.

10. The love and deep concern of all family members to my well-being.

I am thankful to the Almighty for providing me all those little things that contribute to contentment in my life. Taking this opportunity, I like to quote the following mantra in Sanskrit with its meaning:


Sarve bhavantu sukhinah: May every one be happy
Sarve santu niramayah: May every one be free from all diseases
Sarve bhadrani pashyantu: May every one see goodness in every thing
Ma kaschit duhkha bhaag bhaveet: May none be unhappy or distressed
Om shanti, shanti, shantih: Om peace, peace, peace!

May all be happy, may all be free from sickness, may all see things good, and may none have misery. Om peace, peace, peace!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Who am I?

Who am I? Sounds like a serious philosophical question? Hard to understand? Sure it is. I am not trying to scare you with some heavy religious stuff. Let me try to explain this in an 'easy-to-understand' manner.

1. The Situation: Every person yearns to be happy. No question about it. But the world in which we live today revolves around the dollar (or Rupees, whatever), and the other ingredient called power. There are the disturbing evils of corruption, cheating, fraud, extortion, sickness and so on. An average person is not happy in such a challenging situation. Even those privileged people who have the best of health, wealth and power seem to be outwardly happy but they too have their personal issues. The rich may buy the most expensive luxury beds in the world but they still cannot guarantee getting sound sleep and joy. If you explore further, many people are torn apart searching for a true sense of themselves and real happiness.

2. The Truth: Before we explore the self, we should be aware of some fundamental truths. Realize that the happiness that we get from external objects is temporary. Experience has proved that something that exists now is gone in the next moment. Take the examples of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunami, and heavy rains. We have very little control over such events. See what happened to those pillars of power in several countries such as Egypt, Italy, Libya, Iraq and others. We also see that wealth is not stationery as the rich become poor and the poor become rich. As our ancient scriptures tell us, the perceived world seems to be an illusion or "Maaya"in which nothing seems to be permanent.

3. The Universe: We all are part of that dynamic universe created by the Almighty. The universe is ever-changing. New things get discovered, old beliefs get shattered, communications improve, and innovations grow. Try as we might, we cannot understand why some things happen. The least we can do is to play our role as good human beings and pursue the real happiness. To do so, we must first understand ourselves - our qualities, our desires and our potential.

4. Self-introspection: It, therefore, makes perfect sense to ask the question: Who am I? It helps to seek a deeper sense of self and to be aware of our thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears. This self-introspection is not to become tense and pass any judgments on yourself but to feel light and provide you a sense of direction. It will provide a key to the pursuit of real happiness. To some, it may lead them on to the path of meditation, prayers and religion. To others it could be through music, service, or even nurturing plants. Essentially, you will avoid hurt to others.

Finally, do not worry too much trying to assess yourself. Relax! Just try and focus on what would make you feel 'a better you,' no matter how distressing the external environment is. There awaits for you a new road to self-discovery!