Everyday Geeta

November 29, 2013 There is an aphorism in Samskritam that says प्रयोजनमनुद्दिश्य न मन्दोऽपि प्रवर्तते (prayojanam-anuddishya na mando.api pravartate), "even a fool does not act without asking 'what do I gain from it'?" Dr Stephen Covey ’s seminal book on leadership, “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” is a wildly successful management best-seller. It is also one of my all-time favorite books on leadership because at its core, Dr Covey echoes the " You Change " message of the Bhagavad Geeta. According to Dr Stephen Covey, the 2nd habit that is crucial to success in Management guru is “Begin with the end in mind”. He expands further: Habit 2 is based on imagination--the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follow

November 13, 2013 What a wonderful answer by Param Pujya Swami Tejomayanandaji to a very pertinent question? I saw this on facebook and I just had to share it.  https://www.facebook.com/SwamiTejomayananda/posts/10151976441280865:0   Question: How to achieve your dreams without the fear of somebody trying to stop you? Pujya Guruji: Really speaking, nobody can stop you. If you see a problem, you have stopped seeing the goal. If your mind remains glued to a goal, then come what may, who can pull you down? Actually, if someone is there to pull you down, there will be ten people there to lift you also. Why only see one side? See, what we lack is our own conviction, our own determination. We also expect the whole world to come and help us. It is not necessary.  I remember I read an incident in Gautama Buddha's life. He taught his disciple and then he wanted to check if the disciple was ready to teach Dharma to others. The dialogue went like this:  Buddha: When you go out to teach Dharma

September 22, 2013 अहिंसा (ahimsa), non-violence or non-injury, is a widely misunderstood term. Mahatma Gandhi deployed ahimsa strategically to oppose the British rule in India. Gandhiji successfully inspired a mass movement of civil disobedience and in the United States, the struggle for civil rights adopted non-violence as a corner-stone. These examples conclusively prove that ahimsa is not a response prompted by cowardice. On the other hand, it is widely assumed that any display of "violence" violates the principle of ahimsa. In Geeta 2-32, Śrī Kṛṣṇa declares: यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम्। सुखिनः क्षत्रियाः पार्थ लभन्ते युद्धमीदृशम्।।2.32।। yadR^ichchhayaa chopapanna.n svargadvaaramapaavR^itam.h . sukhinaH kShatriyaaH paartha labhante yuddhamiidR^isham.h .. 2-32.. Happy indeed are the kshatriyaas, O Partha, who are called to fight in such a battle, that comes of itself as an open-door to heaven. Again in 2-18 तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत (tasmaadyudhyasva bhaarata)- &quo

September 7, 2013 In Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji's talks on Hanuman Chalisa in October 2007 in Sidhabari, Guruji described the 8-Superpowers or अष्टसिद्धि (aShTasiddhi) of Hanumanji very beautifully. I liked the reference to the Bhagavad Geeta in describing लघिमा (laghimā) or the power to become light as a feather. Pujya Guruji suggested that it was a power well-worth cultivating for all. He said, "Be light-hearted. Bhagavan says in the Geeta योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् (yogakShemaM vahaamyaham.h, see Note 1 below for meaning ). So, cease being the general manager of the universe!" To explain, Guruji quoted a story he had heard: A new salesman went on his first client call. Later that day, a senior salesman met him and asked, "How did it go?". Junior salesman: "Terrible. I feel humiliated and insulted." Senior Salesman: "What happened?" Junior salesman: "He threw me out of his office!" Senior salesman: "Really. My experience

August 29, 2013 बाँसुरी की विशेषता - परम पूज्य सवामी तेजोमयानन्दजी (English translation below) गोपियाँ तो जलती थीं इस बाँसुरी से । बोले हमारे अधिकार को छीनती है यह बाँसुरी । इन होठों पर हमारा अधिकार है । लेकिन जब तक यह बाँसुरी उनकी होठों पर लगी रहती है, तब तक हमें तो इनका अास्वादन मिलता ही नहीं । भगवान की ऐसी प्रीति है इसके ऊपर कि सदा इसे कमर में खोंस कर रखते हैं । वे इसे इधर-उधर कहीं नहीं रखते । एक ने उससे पूछा, "ऐ बाँसुरी, तूने क्या पुण्य किया था जो भगवान् तुझे अपने साथ रखते हैं?" बोले, "मैं धूप में तपती रही हूँ, तुमको पता है?" देखो बाँसुरी बनने के पहले तो वह बाँस के रूप में रहती है । बाँस का पेड़ पहले जमीन में रहता है, फिर बाहर अाकर वह सूरज की गरमी, धूप, बारिश अादि सब सहन करता है । बाँस का वृक्ष जब बढता है तो इसे सब सहन करना पडता है कि नहीं? कितना तप करता है वह । इतना तप करने के बाद फिर उसको उखाडते हैं, काटते हैं, वह सब भी उसे सहन करना पडता है । फिर उसमे छेद करते हैं । एक ही नहीं, सात-सात छेद कर डालते हैं । अब बताओ, कोई हमारे ऊपर छिद्र बनाने लगे तो हमें कैसा लगे

June 9, 2013 In Bhagavad Geeta 6-8, there is an interesting phrase. समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ....to whom a lump of earth, a stone and gold are the same Literally, such a person described by this phrase could be considered a fool who is easily separated from his money. Personally, I recall my mother telling me the story of a stranger who approached my grandfather while travelling by train in India in the 60s. He claimed to be a jeweller and told that my grandfather that what he thought were diamond ear-rings were worthless. My grandfather came home to report how the kindly stranger did him a favor by offering to buy those off him for a small sum. My poor grandfather sold the earrings and never was forgiven for this by his daughters! Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji in commenting upon this verse, puts it very all in context, very simply. He says (and what follows below is not a direct quote) that this सम or sameness (now you know where the English word comes from) implies a few things: Ea

Date April 9, 2013 Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji , provided a brilliant answer to a question at the recently concluded seminar "Management Principles from the Bhagavad Gita" in Singapore. Enjoy. Question: According to the Geeta who would be the ideal manager and what would be his qualities? Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji: मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः | सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ||१८-२६|| muktasaṅgonahaṁvādī dhṛtyutsāhasamanvitaḥ siddhyasiddhyor nirvikāraḥ kartā sāttvika ucyate 18.26 The best worker, leader, manager is one who is free from egoism and he has no attachment to any power, position, pleasure, etc. He is prepared to act according to the situation and what is required, he is prepared to do it. If he has to give up his position, he will do it, he is not attached to anything. muktasaṅgaḥ-anahaṁvādī - free from attachment & ego. dhṛti-utsāha-samanvitaḥ - endowed with great fortitude and enthusiasm. To achieve great ideas,

January 1, 2013 The words and meaning (in English and Hindi) by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji are as below: क्षणं प्रतिक्षणं यन्नवं नवम् । तच्च सुन्दरं सच्च तत्छिवम ।। १ ।। वर्षनूतनं ते शुभं मुदम् । उत्तरोत्तरं भवतु सिद्धिदम् ।। २ ।। kṣhaṇaṁ pratikṣhaṇaṁ yannavaṁ navam tacca sundaraṁ sacca taccivam . 1 . varśanūtanaṁ te śubhaṁ mudam uttarotaraṁ bhavatu siddhidam . 2 . Beauty is that which at every moment is new and fresh, That Alone is Good, Real and Beautiful! May this New Year bring you greater Goodness, Joy and Success जो प्रतिक्षण र्नूतन व नवीन है वही सुन्दर है, सत्य है व शिव स्वरूप है ।।१।। यह नूतन वर्ष अाप के लिए अधिकाधिक अानंद मंगल व सफलता प्रदान करने वाला हो ।।२।। Who can say it better than that? Click here for a downloadable link for the text and meaning. Hari Om and Namaskaar until my next post

December 23, 2012. There is a myth out there that the study of the Bhagavad Geeta must be deferred to old age or when there is a major crisis. If you are one of those who say YSG - Why Study the Geeta, on Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā Jayanti, I have 18 compelling reasons why everyone can and should study the Bhagavad Geeta. I hope to expand on each of these in future posts. Can you think of other answers to YSG? Please share with me in the comments column. YSG 1. Transform Yourself. Śrī Kṛṣṇa successfully transformed the warrior prince Arjuna from a weak-kneed, snivelling wreck to a highly motivated, effective warrior who was clear about his goals and course of action. Are you ready to transform your life? YSG 2. Śrī Kṛṣṇa - The Perfect Teacher for the Ages! Despite being raised in a family of cowherds, it is clear from the Mahābhārata that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is no mere mortal. He was revered by the greatest of the era, he slayed several monsters (rākshasās), advised the rich and mighty and conducted

November 14, 2012 In these times of Deepavali, when the talk everywhere is the "victory of good over evil", the logical question is, "Who is good?" In 4-8, when Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, He takes birth "to protect, the good..." परित्राणाय साधूनां ४-८ (paritraaNaaya saadhuunaa.n 4-8), whom is He referring to? The perfect answer is provided by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji in the e-Gita lesson course conducted by the Chinmaya International Foundation . One who follows the right ways, who wishes good for even those who harm him (apakāryeṣu yaḥ sādhu sa sādhu abhidhīyate - अपकार्येषु य: साधु स साधु अभिधीयते), who sticks to the path of good despite temptation and troubles (nyāyāt pathāt na vicalanti dhīrāḥ - न्यायात् पथात् न विचलन्ति धीरा:), and who continuously works for the good of others (parakāryaṁ sādhnoti iti sādhuḥ - पाराकार्यं साध्नोति इति साधुः) is good. Now, I just need to be a "good boy" and get going towards completing the course that I s

October 15, 2012 Love this note  (sourced from Upanishad Ganga 's Facebook page) by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji. The note succinctly captures the essence of the quest as outlined in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Geeta. Loosely translated: Om Upanishad Ganga: The Search for Truth The Attainment of Supreme Joy! Of course, I am not the master of brevity. Rush now, to watch one of the many episodes of Upanishad Ganga . Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post

July 28, 2012 Just back from a camp with Param Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji and Swamini Vimalanandaji at Chinmaya Gardens trust. An interesting thing that was mentioned by both Guruji and Swamini was the existence of multiple Geetas in our spiritual texts. The literal translation of the word Gita or Geeta is song. However, Swamini explained that in the scriptural sense, Geeta refers to a discussion between teacher and disciple where the focus is on the Truth. We were fortunate to hear talks by Pujya Guruji on: Vibheeshana Gita , a dialog between Shri Ramachandraji and Vibheeshana found in Goswami Tulsidasji's Ramcharitmanas Purajana Gita , an address by Shri Ramachandraji on Bhakti found again in Tulsidasji's Ramcharitmanas  Param Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji , himself has spoken on two other Gita texts as far as I am aware: Sri Rama Gita , a dialog between Shri Ramachandraji and his brother, Lakshmanji sourced from Adhyatma Ramayana Ashtavakra Gita , a dialog b

June 30, 2012 Today is Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji's 62nd birthday. Pujya Guruji now has been teaching Srimad Bhagavad Geeta, the Upanishads and other Vedantic texts for close to 40 years. He embodies devotion in and through his teaching.  He is also a Samskritam scholar and has composed numerous texts and songs in Samskritam.  I particularly love Guruji's beautiful, soulful composition, his tribute in honor of Mother Geeta. It is the "Śrīmadbhagavadgītā Aṣṭottaraśata Nāmāvali, 108 Worshipful Glories of the Bhagavad Gītā." It is included in the Holy Geeta Ready Reference published by the Chinmaya International Foundation and available for purchase at this link . At your next Gita Jayanti celebrations, chanting this as part of a shodasa upachara puja of Srimad Bhagavad Geeta would be a beautiful addition. What better way to share Pujya Guruji's tribute to Mother Geeta herself? Or as Guruji describes it in mantra 107: ॐ श्रीकृष्णप्रियतमायै नमः । Om śrīkṛṣṇ

June 17, 2012 I had earlier started a series on Indian names in the Bhagavad Geeta and launched it with a post on Ananya. Ideally, that series should have been launched with a post on Arjuna since it is his name that appears over 40 times in the Geeta, compared to only 12 times for the name 'Krishna'. Arjuna is a beautiful name and I am glad to see that Indian parents still name their children Arjuna since people of any nationality should find it easy name to pronounce. In Shri VS Apte's 'The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary', the word Arjuna is defined variously as 'white', 'clear, bright, of the color of day', 'silvery'. 'Arjuna' is also the name of a species of tree. The dictionary provides one beautiful quote by Arjuna (I guess it is Arjuna in the Mahabharata, though not stated explicitly in the dictionary) करोमि कर्म शुद्धं च तेन मामर्जुनं विदुः - 'I perform actions that are pure, hence know me as Arjuna.' Pujya G

May 7, 2012 The eve of Param Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji's Jayanti is the perfect occasion to recall a shloka composed by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji : ये गुणाः सर्वशास्त्रेषु वर्ण्यन्ते ब्रह्मज्ञानिनाम । तैरयं सर्वदा पूर्णो राजते सर्वयोगिनाम ।। ye guNAh sarvashastreshhu varNyante brahmaGYAninAM | tairayaM sarvadaa pUrNO rAjate sarvayoginAM || All those virtues that are mentioned in all Shastras-all the hallmarks and characteristics of the Knower of Brahman, the sthitha-praGYa, the jivan mukta-all are in our Pujya Gurudev. Our great Master is perfect, and full of all these virtues, He has always shown all these. In all assemblies, his presence was the most special and it was felt by one and all. Source: CM West Newsletter November 2011 Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post

April 8, 2012 At the SWARANJANEYA event (see link for description of the event in New Delhi) in Singapore on April 7, 2012, Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji told a humorous story that I thought illustrated Chapter 12 nicely. What follows is from my notes and not a direct quote from Guruji. Once Devarshi Naaradmuni (Naaradji) heard that Śri Mahavishnu, the Lord of the Universe had a list of Bhaktas. So, Naaradji went up to the Lord and said that, "Given my Right to Information, I demand to see the list." Śri Mahavishnu shared the list with Naaradji who was surprised at some notable omissions. Naaradji ran to Hanumanji who looked at the list and shrugged. Naaradji asked Hanumanji, "Aren't you surprised your name is not on the list?" Hanumanji said, "My devotion is not meant to get me on any list." Soon, Naaradji heard that the Lord had another list. Once again, Naaradji demanded to see the list. Once again, Śri Mahavishnu complied with the request.

January 4, 2012 - Vaikuntha Ekadashi Gandhiji being weighed during the 21-day fast for Hindu-Muslim unity, Delhi, 1924 On this holy day, my eyes strayed to a book that I have owned for a few years but hadn't read properly. Eknath Easwaran has profiled Mahatma Gandhi beautifully in his book "Gandhi, The Man" . A Geeta blog is the perfect venue to review a book written by a noted teacher of the Geeta about that colossus of the 20th century, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi . Shri Easwaranji was an accomplished spiritual teacher based in California, and has written a three volume set "Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living ". Shri Easwaranji approaches Gandhiji's story as a story of transformation, not focusing on his political accomplishments but on how Gandhiji transformed the struggle for India's freedom by changing himself and his approach to life and to the world. Aptly, the subtitle of Shri Easwaran's book is "The Story of His Transformation". As qu

December 6, 2011 , Geeta Jayanti I launched this blog a year ago on Geeta Jayanti day that also happened to be Vaikuntha Ekadashi. On this first birthday, I recall with gratitude those who set me on this path of study: My mother: Having studied at the National School in Chennai, she was fortunate to have seen great Indian leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari visit the school. With that early inspiration and in that atmosphere, she learnt Hindi and Samskritam. She loved to chant and that has rubbed off on me. Karma Yoga was in her blood. Nirmala Aunty, the Balavihar sevika who inspired hundreds of Balavihar children in Chembur where I spent my early years. Through the wondrous institution of the Balavihar, she taught Geeta chanting, took children to listen to Gurudev, and instilled a value for seva in those she taught Of course, Pujya Gurudev . More than anything, this blog is an imperfect reflection of what I gained through Him and the teachers He sent

November 3, 2011 You can tell by now that Prof V Krishnamurthy 's talk at the International Gita forum resonated with me. I have posted twice about his talk, here and here . During the Q&A, a lady in the audience asked a very pertinent question. Again, all of the below this is based on my memory and notes, any inaccuracies are entirely mine. I hope I have captured the essence of the dialog between the lady and the Professor. You had mentioned earlier that we must have an attitude that everything is the Lord's will. I just bought several books and left it at my seat and in the time I was having tea during the break, someone seems to have taken them. I am angry that at such a sacred event, we think only good people come here, but even here there are still people who steal. Is this God's will?" Prof Krishnamurthy responded very compassionately. I may say that this is God's will but until YOU believe it in YOUR heart and look upon it like that, it is of no use

October 30, 2011 In discussing Bhagavad Geeta chapter 3, Guruji, Swami Tejomayanandaji , often refers to an adage in Samskritam: अमंत्रमक्षरो नास्ति नास्ति मूलमनौषधं । अयोग्य पुरुषो नास्ति योजकस्तत्र दुर्लभः ।। ama.ntramaksharo naasti naasti mUlamanauShadham . ayogya puruSho naasti yojakastatra durlabhah .. There is no alphabet(syllable) that cannot become a mantra, no root that cannot become a medicine. No one is incompetent, only the expert is rare (i.e. who can do make make a mantra of a syllable, a medicine of a root and transform an individual's capability). Many such adages are to be found in Sūktisudhā . This free translation with any attendant errors is entirely mine. Chapter 3 lays out the transformation methodology aka karma yoga. The foundation of karma yoga begins with the understanding that everyone acts based on their likes and dislikes (राग द्वेश). While that appears to be perfectly normal, in life there is a constant tension between what the situation demands of us