Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

24th January 1996, Kauai, Hawaii, USA *Advice From Hawaii* What type of time do you give the Divine? Usually you give the time that is leftover, when you have nothing else to do, when no guests are coming, there are no parties to go to, no nice movies to watch, no weddings to attend. Such time you give. This is not quality time. Give quality time to the Divine. It will be rewarded. If your prayers are not answered it is because you have never given quality time. Give Satsang and meditation your highest priority. Give prime time to the Divine. You definitely will be rewarded. What is most freely given yet not taken? 1. Compliments? No 2. Blame? No, people take blame. 3. Money? No, money is readily taken, not freely given. 4. Happiness? Nobody can give happiness. 5. ? The clue is that it hangs in space like an orphan. No one owns it. Like an overripe papaya in Hawaii, it rots. The answer to this riddle lies in the beginning.  *Hindi Translation* २४ जनवरी १९९६,  कुवै, हवाई (यु...

*Take aways from Gurudev's Address in Teachers Meet at SSU on 29th January*  • You are all teachers. Sit calm in line, as if you are rock solid statues. • I have come here after two years. I want to meet you all.  • I understand your feelings. Have patience.  • Be in line. Some of the teachers, were running after my car. What your students will think. They too will jump to run. Keep discipline. You are teachers.  • I shower blessings to you all profusely. Never be a miser in blessing.  • Keep on doing your work.  • During Covid period, world has passed through difficult times. But you have to move ahead. • In life, sometimes, there will be sorrow, sometimes joy. But you will have to march further.  • Be contended. What ever you ask me, that you get. Isn't it? Then, why do you bother? Have faith.  • I never want security guards. I want to meet you all freely.You are all my security.  • Go on teaching Har Ghar Dhyan. Opportunity to connect to m...

Sri Vidhya Lakshmi Sri Vidhya Lakshmi blesses us for the talents within our self to grow. If we have good amount of money and without doing any work, the money with us is going to be of no use. And if we have good amount of knowledge but its not being explored (or) used, its of no use. Through studies, we get lots of knowledge and using that knowledge, we should make ourself grow; and through that knowledge, we should try to explore our talents to the world. For our talents to grow and to explore them, Sri Vidhya Lakshmi grace is completely needed. Vitthai (in tamil) means the talents or the capability - can be achieved only by the grace of Sri Vidhya Lakshmi. And in the place where there is the grace of Sri Vidhya Lakshmi there will not be any poverty, sorrow, etc. Kalidasan and Sri Vidhya Lakshmi : By the grace of Sri Vidhya Lakshmi, an ordinary shepherd who led his life in forest turned to a great poet and he is Kavi Kalidasan. And as a result of this, through his poems...

Annapurna Devi – The Goddess of Food and Nourishment  How many times have we heard our parents mention- “Don’t waste food, you’re disrespecting the Gods”. The food we consume not only serves to tantalize our taste buds and fill our stomach but provides us with the nutrition for growth and development. That alone should render it important and be treated with respect. But like everything in Hindu Dharma, the food we consume also has a goddess who ensures the nutrition we get – Goddess Annapurna Annapurna is said to be the incarnation of the Hindu goddess Parvati, who is one of the numerous forms of Shakti and wife of Shiva. Anna means “food” in Sanskrit and purna means “filled completely”. Annapurna is the Goddess of the Kitchen and of Cooks. Her statutes are often found in Hindu kitchens for her blessings. It is believed in India and Nepal when food is cooked with the spirit of holiness it becomes alchemy. Annapurna blesses the food and converts it to Amr...

KUNDALINI SHAKTI.  Yoga taps on the huge reserve of spiritual energy that is situated at the base of the spine known as the kundalini shakti. Thus the Muladhara Chakra near the anus is dormant with cosmic power. When this reserve energy is arounsed, it is said to ravel up the spine through six centers of consciousness to reach the seventh, the center of the brain. As it reaches the higher centers, it produces various degrees of enlightenment. All living beings have this life force pr kundalini shakti. Also known as Prana Shakti, it is the cultivation, expansion, harnessing and use of this force or kundalini is important. In yoga this done by the activating the subtle system of channels called nadis and centers of energy called chakras which look after our physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual being . Yogis awaken this power by Kundalini yoga and take it to the crown of the head by piercing the chakras of the sushumna, one of the important nadis. The seven chak...

Worship Lord Muniswaran Best Day to Worship Muniswaran – Muniswaran is a deity who grants safety and protection, especially from fire and accidents. He is also the lord of diseases. Wednesday is the most auspicious day to worship Muniswaran. What is Lord Muniswaran? Lord Muniswaran is a Hindu deity who is believed to be the guardian of travelers and protector of those who are in danger. He is also associated with wealth and prosperity. Many Hindus worship Muniswaran as a way to seek protection and blessing in their lives. There is no one definitive answer for when the best day to worship Muniswaran is. However, some Hindus believe that Tuesdays are auspicious days to offer prayers and perform rituals for this deity. Others may choose to worship him on days that are special or significant to them. Ultimately, the decision of when to worship Muniswaran is up to the individual devotee. Who is Muniswaran? Muniswaran is a Hindu deity who is the guardian of villages and town. He ...

Thulasi - Holy basil - Sacred to Lord Vishnu This is Holy basil in English and Thulasi in Tamil, and Tulsi in Hindi. The entire plant is considered to be very sacred and is auspicious to Lord Vishnu. This plant is considered to be a form of Goddess Lakshmi. Based on Hindu customs this plant is placed in a pot called 'maadam'. This maadam is placed or constructed either in front of house or at back of house based on Vaastu or fengshui. The ladies regarded as sumangali does pooja to this plant daily in the dawn after shower. She has to clean the pot, put sandal tikka and kumkum tikka on the pot and decorates it with flowers. Lamp has to be lit in front of it. After reciting mantras aarti has to be shown. One who does regular pooja to Tulsi matha, is benefitted with a pleasant life and longitivity of their husband's life span. Garland of cotton with turmeric and kumkum(saffron) tikka is special to tulsi matha and doing such garland gives a prosperous life. ...

Story - Hanuman plays Veena and melts a stone to humble the pride of Sage Narad It is said that good music can melt even stone. Hanuman one’s displayed this to humble the pride of Sage Narada, who used to go around proclaiming that he is the greatest musician and Veena player. Sage Narad was proud of his talent in music and used to play his Veena to impress others. He used to claim that he is the greatest musician in the world. Legend has it that once Sage Narada reached Kadali Vanam, the abode of Hanuman. He came with the intention to show his talent in music before Hanuman who was also a good musician. The Sage then displayed his talent in Veena. Hanuman then took the Veena and started playing the Malahari raga. The way in which Hanuman played the Veena was so impressive that the stone on which Sage Narada was sitting melted. Hanuman then played the Bilahari Raga, the stone started to take its old form, and Sage Narada was trapped in it. Hanuman then had to play the Malah...

Story of Ganesha as Lambodara Lambodara is one among the numerous names of Ganesha. Lambodara means the potbellied one – one with a huge stomach. Mudgala Purana states that Ganapati took the form of Lambodara to defeat demon Krodhasura (Anger). The story of Lambodra is associated with the Mohini Avatar of Vishnu and Shiva. Asuras and Devas were fight for the Amrta (nectar) that appeared during the Samudra Manthan (Churning of Ocean). To rescue it from Asuras, Vishnu appeared in the form of Mohini. The Asuras were attracted by the divine damsel and this lack of attention on the part of Asuras were cleverly used by Mohini to serve the Amrta to Devas. Thus Devas became immortal. Shiva who heard about the maddening charm of Mohini wished to see her. The wait to see the Mohini form resulted in the birth of Krodhasura – the result of impatience and anger. To subdue this Asura form Ganesha appeared as Lambodara. Symbolically, those who are unable to control their temper should tak...

GAYATRI MANTRA -- REMOVE NEGATIVITY Varahi as a very powerful and active Goddess who destroys evil forces, protects spiritual aspirants, and grants wishes. According to her mythology, she is commander of the forces of the mother-goddess, symbolizing the might of SriVidya (knowledge of yogas, rituals and devotional service). As Varahi she destroys evil forces that obstructs the devotees progress, paralyses the enemies, and leads the devotees ultimately to Sri-Vidyas. Varahi represents the new-moon and the illumination aspects of the mother-goddess. Varahi is also said to be one of the Yoginis, taking the form of a boar. She is said to lift up the earth with her tusks to confer benefits on all creatures. Goddess Varahis Mantra Long Varahi Mantra: Om aim glaum aim namo bhagavati vartali vartali varahi varahi varahamukhi varahamukhi andhe andhini namah rundhe rundhi namah jambhe jambhini namah mohe mohini namah stambhe stambhini namah sarvadushta prada dushtanam sarvesham sarva...

Sri Veera (Dhairya) Lakshmi Sri Veera Lakshmi, also called as "Dhairya Lakshmi" blesses us with braveness, fearlessness, etc., she blesses us with a great mind to conquer everything. She gives braveness thereby leading our life with full of confidence. Whenever we start anything new, there will be a little bit of hesitation, an unclear mind whether we will succeed in this or not. There will be lots of confusion that goes round our min. And as a result of this, the new thing what we do will go for trouble. By the grace of Sri Veera Lakshmi, we can avoid all these and gets over it and succeed in all the new things we start. Sri Dhairya Lakshmi and Bhoja rajan: Once there lived a king named "Bhoja rajan", who led his kingdom without any struggle, hassle etc., and during his ruling, the people was very happy and they got all the things they needed. He not only concentrated on the kingdom but also he had a great bhakti towards Sri Lakshmi. He was a great bha...

Bel Fruit - Shiva and Goddess Lakshmi – Importance of Bilva Fruit in Worship of Shiva The most important fruit offering to Shiva is the Bel fruit – Wood Apple in English. Bel, or Bilva, is widely associated with Shiva – the leaves of the tree is an important offering as its leaves are equated with the three eyes of Shiva and it also resemble the trident and; Shiva is believed to meditate under the Bilva tree; the fruit is offered and consumed as Prasad by Shiva devotees especially during the Mahashivaratri.  Importance of Bilva Fruit in Worship of Shiva Symbolically, Shiva is like the bell fruit – hard outside but soft inside. A story mentioned in the Brihad Dharma Purana states that Goddess Lakshmi offered 10,000 lotus everyday while worshipping Shiva. One day she fell short of two buds. She the decided to offer her breasts instead of lotus flowers. She cut a breast and offered it. When she was about to offer the next, Shiva appeared before her and stopped her. It is s...

Story of Goddess Annapoorna and Lord Shiva In Hinduism, Goddess Annapoorna, or Annapurna Devi, is the Goddess of food. She is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati; in essence one of the numerous forms of Shakti. In this incarnation she nourishes all living beings and therefore Hindus consider ‘Annam’ (food) as holy. There is an interesting incident involving Lord Shiva and Goddess Annapoorna, which explains that even Moksha (salvation) is not possible on an empty stomach. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati used to play the game of dice. Once the game became so interesting that they started betting – Parvati kept her jewels and Shiva his trident. Shiva lost the game and lost his trident. To get back his trident, Shiva betted serpent and this time too he lost the game. Finally, when the game ended, Shiva lost all that he had including his begging bowl. A humiliated Shiva left for the Deodar forest. Lord Vishnu approached Shiva and asked him to play again to win back all that he had ...

The five arrows of Kamadev In Hinduism, Kamdev is the god of love. He appeared from the mind of Brahma carrying a bow made of sugarcane and five flowery arrows. As per Hindu scriptures, the five flowery arrows are made of white lotus, red flower, mango blossom, jasmine and blue water lily. White lotus or Aravinda creates pleasing and desiring feeling (Harshana). Red Flower (Ashoka) creates attraction or temptation (rochanam) Mango blossom or Amra creates infatuation or delusion (Mohanam) Jasmine or Nava Mallika creates weakness or love sickness (Shoshanam) Blue water lilly or nilotpala creates death (maranam) Sri Eswaran 

Hanuman With Bell On Tail –  Reason For Bell On Tail Of Hanuman Murtis with bell on the tail of Hanuman was installed by Sri Vyasatirtha, a Madhava scholar and poet, during the sixteenth century AD. As per some regional versions, the reason for bell on tail is based on an incident in the Ramayana. Such murtis are widely found in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In this Hanuman murti, the tail is raised above the head and has a bell tied at the end of the tail.  Reason For Bell On Tail Of Hanuman It is believed that Hanuman got the boon to live on earth forever from Bhagavan Sri Ram. After giving the boon, Sri Ram gave darshan to Hanuman in the form of Lord Vishnu. Srihari Vishnu the advised Hanuman to transfer all his spiritual powers to a bell and tie it on his tail. Those who want favors from Hanuman can ring the bell and seek it. It is said that the sound of the bell on the tail of Hanuman is similar to chanting the name of Sri Ram. It is said that after...

Story of why crocodiles have rough and tough skin in Hindu Tradition There is an interesting story in the Hindu tradition that narrates why crocodiles and chameleons have rough and tough skin. The story is found in the Rig Veda. The story is associated with Apala, a ugly woman and Indra, the king of devas. Apala was not a good looking woman. She had coarse and dry skin. Her husband rejected her due to her ugly skin. She left home and reached a jungle. Here she made a hut and started a life away from the society. One day while searching for fruits and vegetables, she came across a strange plant. She picked up the tender part of the plant and started chewing it. It was the Soma plant.  Soma plant was considered highly precious by Devas and Indra, the king of gods, had a special liking for it. The accidental extraction of the Soma juice by Apala caught the attention of Indra.  He appeared before her and told her that she had extracted the Soma juice and of...

Chanting Mantra the Way to Attain Moksha in Kali Yuga -  Hinduism Teachings For Present Age There are four yugas in Hindu tradition and the present is the Kali Yuga – the last of the four yugas. All imaginable and unimaginable Adharmic activities will take place during the Kali Yuga as per Hinduism teachings. But as per Hindu tradition Kali Yuga also provides an easy way to moksha for those who follow Dharma. Chanting of mantra or the names of the lord will help in attaining Moksha in the present age. Legend has it that Sage Narada was saddened by the Adharma (evil) in Kali Yuga. He asked Brahma what is the ideal way for people to attain moksha in Kali Yuga? Brahma suggested that chanting of mantra is the best option. Mantras and name of the lord can be chanted by anyone at anytime and anywhere. The reason for this was that Gurus and Saints who should be doing pujas, yajnas and guiding people will become corrupt in Kali Yuga. Devotees will be fooled by these people. The...

Symbolic Meaning – Bhasma and Red Kumkum on forehead –  Chandan and Red kumkum on forehead You must have come across Hindus wearing red kumkum over bhasma on forehead. Similarly, there are Hindu devotees who wear red kumkum over chandan (sandalwood paste). There is a symbolism associated with applying bhasma, kumkum and chandan. Bhasma – Red Kumkum on Forehead Bhasma is associated with Lord Shiva. Red Kumkum is associated with Goddess Shakti (Durga) and her various manifestations. Applying Bhasma first and then applying red kumkum dot symbolically means the amalgamation of Shiva and Shakti – Shiva-Shakti-Samyogam. Chandan – Red Kumkum Chandan is associated with Lord Vishnu Applying Chandan first and then applying red kumkum dot symbolically means the amalgamation of Vishnu and Lakshmi – Vishnu-Lakshmi-Samyogam. Bhasma-Chandan-Red Kumkum Some Hindus first wear Bhasma, then chandan and then a red kumkum dot. This is a highly powerful sy...

The Art of Living presents, "JAGAR BHAKTICHA" Date: 02 February 2023 Time: Evening 6 o'clock Location: Sainik School Ground, Naldurg Road, Tuljapur 413601 The Art of Living 

*Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankar ji's - Pune Visit Schedule | Feb 2023* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jm_r3yoaPw 👉🏼 *1. MAHASATSANG with Gurudev | 3rd Feb Friday - Free Entry, Open to All*  Time - 6 pm to 9 pm Venue - Suryakant Kakade Farm, Paud Road, Kothrud, Pune Map - https://goo.gl/maps/znvxKjDvKM1sdsYeA 💫Visit http://gurudevinpune.in and register yourself for mega Atharvshirsh Pathan 👉🏼 *2. EduYouth Meet with Gurudev | 4th Feb - Saturday*  (For College Students & Staff/Educators) https://youtu.be/GrRWzXzqr5I 💫Free entry with Registration - www.eduyouthmeet.in Time - 5 pm to 8 pm Venue - Suryakant Kakade Farm, Paud Road, Kothrud, Pune Map - https://goo.gl/maps/znvxKjDvKM1sdsYeA 👉🏼 *3. VIGYAN BHAIRAV - Knowldge sessions by Gurudev| 5th Feb - Sunday* Time - 10:30 am to 1 pm & 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm Venue - SP College Ground, Tilak Road, Sadashiv Peth, Pune Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9Euu2SUamcffSbh16 💫Link to Register - www.vbinpune.com Pre-requisite : None (An...

📢 *Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar jis Pune Visit Summary - Feb 2023*  💫3rd Feb Maha Satsang - Free Entry, Open for all  💫4th Feb Edu Youth meet - Free Entry with registration, Open for College Students/Staff/Educators 💫5th Feb Vigyan Bhairav - Entry with registration, Open for all 💫6th Feb Rudra Puja - Free Entry, Open for all