Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa

Swamiye! Saranam Ayyappa!

Sabarimala is a historically sacred & significant place, even referred to in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

The temple of Ayyappa has its praana pratishtta (प्राण प्रतिष्ठा) conceived (संकल्प) as 'Naishttika' brahmachaari as the deity (देव). Naishttika (नैष्ठिक) is about Nishta (निष्ठा) or rigourousness & religiosity of following something  particularly. Brahmacharyam (ब्रह्मचर्यम् ) is moving (चर) along with Brahman (ब्रह्म). 

Therefore as per the idea conceived by the founding fathers (तन्त्रि = he who prescribes on how to liberate or तरति cross over the तनु body) the devotee is supposed to have been practicing  renunciation of all modes, religiously during the 41 day period before he climbs up the 18 steps to realization. However, dwelling immensely in  samsaara (संसार - where whatever one does has a सार meaning! i.e. this network of worlds) of bondages, it may not be possible for everyone to achieve that state of Tattwamasi (तत्त्वमसि = तत् त्वं आसि that thou art) to be able to renounce completely. "Experience makes man perfect." Therefore, to become to that state of Tattwamasi, to turn oneself into the Swami (i.e. the Lord / God / Creator - omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent), is a strife and may be achieved thru repetition of that practice & therefore may require to be continued year on year. It was perhaps thought, that the right time was indeed after Onam, when the granaries have been sufficiently taken care for feeding families & animals for at least a year, thereby after feeling relaxed of the family responsibilities. It also means that renunciation is not about running away from work or responsibilities, but undertaking the duties with renunciation (just as the Gita observes).

Thence, the males observed the strict vows for 41 days, & the women participated thru relaxing, keeping away from men and involving in prayers. The vow also requires self discipline, cooking, vegetarian intake, undertaking the daily chores & individual necessities by oneself. It is also necessary it seems, that when the pilgrimage is completed, getting down the hill and upon reaching the pampa river, there should be just enough food and money left with him, to reach back home!!

Thus, those who could go to Sabarimala are those who are freed (or attempting to free themselves) of bondages. While the men need to observe strict vow, boys and girls less than 10 yrs were exempted, considering that they are generally already free from bondage. Women above 50, who wish to treck to the temple, are also considered to be free from bondage and already in a state of renunciation. (Women generally are considered to be more spiritual by design, as they are for giving (deliver) and not for taking (picking) unlike men who are designed to pick-up (earn) - of course for self and family. The only period when the women are otherwise, is when they bear and rear children). They love to live in their own dynamic  world just as are children. That is perhaps why, most religious texts of the world on the subject of renunciation reflect more upon what men should do!!

Having said that, we find that the three categories of humans satisfying the necessary qualifications to climb up to the sanctum sanctorum of the seat of renunciation (Tattwamasi), are children below 10, women above 50 and boys and men of all ages who follow the prescribed austerities.

On the contrary, in the practical scheme of things, if a woman between 10 & 50 has to go, they generally are accompanied by men who are close relatives. This puts an additional burden of responsibility on those men, which is nothing but attachment (and is counter to renunciation!) - thereby defeating the entire purpose of that man's visit and practice. 

The temple is not open every day. Earlier it used to be open only during the month of Makara (mid-January). When people started visiting without undertaking the prescribed austerities, it was initially decided to open a side entry. When the crowd grew further, it was extended for those without following the austerities, for the first of every Malayalam month (usually the 15/16/17 th of Gregorian calendar) thru the side entry. Now with the women also allowed, it would be better to open throughout the year for side entry. 

Perhaps, it would be good to continue to restrict women between 10-50 yrs to enter thru the main entrance so as to keep up, respect and appreciate the  idea of the original designer and the founding father of that temple. (In other words let them be restricted of irumudikkettu, that is essential for climbing the 18 steps). That would leave for any learned posterity, at least a fine thread about the logic on the concept and meaning of the pilgrimage.

Sabarimala Ayyappa temple is a pilgrimage to self control, detachment and renunciation. It is not about fulfilling of prayers and wishes, rather it is about overcoming wishes and desires. Only those who have no wishes (not even the wish to pray) and those who wish to come out of desires should undertake the prescribed austerities and go there. That is also why, this temple is open to everyone of all faiths and beliefs, because self realization (Tattwamasi) is the ultimate goal of all faiths and beliefs!! The restrictions for women as well as the austerities for men, therefore may have been conceived intentional to societal progress and not discriminatory, and is especially significant when rising trends of atrocities towards women may be on the rise.

0 - x - 0 - x - 0

Trimurty of Human Life

Trimurty of Human Life

This seems interesting!!.

Vishnu is Hrishikesh (=the Lord of the 💓 heart).

Rama is red in color. Krishna is blue in color.

During the manthan where the white corpuscles (suras) and the red corpuscles (asuras) participate, the poison that comes out affects Vishnu who turns blue. Vishnu is the sustainer of life.

Shiva is Lord of purification (crematory). He is covered by dust (bhasma) and is lord of nature (Parvati = Shakti). He is clothed on  blood dripping skin (cells). He is lord of Yoga & Prana. He is the Lord of lungs. It is he who pushes the elements (of nature) required to purification for sustaining life. He is the Lord of Samskaaram (purification).  It is when Shiva consumes the poison of the manthan, that Vishnu retains the red. 

The manthan, therefore is a continuous process within each one of us.

Brahma is the Lord of knowledge & consciousness. He is the Lord of brain. The brahma as brain, has four heads. Two parts of the front and two parts of the rear. The four Vedas or knowledge have come out of those four parts. He is the Lord of existence and creation. Creation is connected to the naval stem cell, where the secret of regeneration and codification of cell is available and is also solution to curing most diseases. He therefore is connected as he sits upon the naval stem (cell) supported by Vishnu, the heart.

Hence, if there is any chance of recovery from probable death, it is Brahma who decides, because it is Brahma who decides time of creation and time of cessation.

This is the secret of the Trimurty (Trinity) within us. Don't you think so?

The combination of the Trimurty is Ganesha, or Ganapati who is lord of all, the eka-naayakam (the single leader and the redeemer). Therefore, he is represented by the pranava ॐ

0 - x - 0 - x - 0

Guru Poornima

Guru Poornima

This Guru-poornima of today, which coincides with a red lunar eclipse reflects a different full moon (poornima). It is a red moon!!

Amongst the ancient Rishis and gurus of India, the re-affirmation & re-establishment of the essential fundamentals of Vedic knowledge drawn down thru a parampara of saints and gurus, was by Adi-Sankara.  The Vedic way prescribed the four Varna-Aashramaas, namely Brahma-charyam, Gaarhyastyam,  Vana-prastham & Sannyaasam.  Adi-Sankara debated throughout to establish Vedic way of life. However, in his lovely life of 32 years, it seems to me that he transgressed thru the four Aashrams in the opposite order, i.e.,  from Sannyaasam to Vanaprastham, to Gaarhastyam, to Brahmacharyam.

So as to say, that when he was hardly eight years of age, he renounced the world after obtaining permission from his mother for his Sannyaasam, thereby relieving himself from the crocodile that caught him at the now famous crocodile ghat (Mutala-kkadavu = in Malayalam, may be translated also as, three headed/staged transgression!! or in Sanskrit, crocodile is known as a makara; मकरः = म {not} + करः {do / perform} i.e., caught in a river bank, bereft of work, non-performance, or in other words, inertia) at Kaladi in Kerala; thereafter, performed Vanaprastham - travelled the length and breadth of India, not just once, but more than once, debated with the greatest scholars, established study centers at pivotal places; thereafter during the course of debates entered Gaarhastyam,  unconventionally transmigrating into the body of a King and in the end, set in to the path of ultimate devotion, set up and prescribed temples all over India writing & reciting the many haloed poems of his, attributing to Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu & Devi, treading the path of Brahma-charyam and then climbing  up the steps of ultimate knowledge (Sarvajna peethom), before his Samadhi at the age of just 32.

That in short was a progress from renunciation (Sannyasi) to dolls (idols / Vigrahas) - as we may call it.

Whereas, his knowledge and logic was exquisite & without parallels, and confirming to scientific discoveries & truths that even today, there hasn't been any other philosophy capable enough to surpass the depth and universality of the understanding set forth by him, be it thru scientific pursuit or thru interpretations by Orthodox faiths.

The temples that he setup are testimony to the fact that he realized that, though in the abstract level, the concept of universality can be spoken thru Prajnaanam Brahma, Aham brahmaasmi, Tat-twamAsi, &  Ayamaatmaa Brahma, uncovered by the Upanishads of Rg, Yajur, Saama, Atharva Vedas,  in the common parlance, people can be lead more easily to absolute truth, thru Idols of wood or stone, those gullible or otherwise.  And that, just as an architect's presentation,  the 'Saguna' stone model of the Absolute, happens to become easily understandable to majority of humans, than the abstract 'Nirguna' definitions by the Vedas or the Upanishads.  That might seem defying the very ideology that he professed, but in reality, he showed us that he does not, and none should, have any fundamentalistic assertion onto alternate understanding of Brahman or upon the practice or the worship of the same. (While for a mathematician, it may be akin to the assumption of the unknown variable as x, and finally the value of that x is found. Needles to say, that once found, the x loses it's significance)

Therefore those gurus are adorable and respectable, who care for the universal jnaana and understanding.

Hence, my humble salutations to the great gurus!!!

0 - x - 0 -  x - 0

The Trinity Magic

The Trinity Magic

Three letters of Sanskrit have been instrumental in changing the conveniences of modern human life. That conspicuous manifest, could be found in the development of computing through electronics. The binary system of arithmetic was transformed through symbols and signals and the world was transformed from absolute arithmetic to symbolic computing. Further developments, applied that arithmetic to almost every happening in this world today - from calculators to computers to smart TVs, to washing machines to refrigerators and even to electric fans and lights that obey commands given even through our speech! - not to mention air travel or a launch to outer space in the skies!.

The basic composition of logic based on which the entire computer systems work are formed out of a combination of three logical operations namely:-  OR, AND & NOT.

Those three, are known as 'gates' in modern electronics and they are very fundamental to computer science. In fact, computer science starts with creating a 'truth' table, defining the arithmetic operations of those three.

The language of the Gods, as it is rightly known, Sanskrit has three letters that correspond to these. They are:- Va (व), Cha (च) & Na (न). Together they may be called as Vachana (व + च + न = वचन). 

In the Bible, it is believed that, "in the beginning, there was only the 'Word'". Wasn't hitherto aware that Biblical writers too, like the authors of  the Quran who adopted the  Sanskrit word 'Allah' for God (http://sunambiar.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-sanskrit-word-allah.html?m=1) had in fact, also followed original Sanskrit principles and the Vedic religion per-se giving credentials to and reaffirming that the Sanskrit language is indeed 'DevaNaagari' (language of the Kingdom of Gods & Godesses).

In Sanskrit, 'Vachana' (वचन) means 'Word'. 

How is it that in Sanskrit, Vachana represents OR, AND, NOT?  Let us examine right away. 

Typically, in Sanskrit vocabulary, the letter 'VA' is used as a conjunct with the meaning OR; while the letter 'CHA' is used as a conjunct with the meaning AND; whereas, the letter 'NA' means NOT.

Therefore one could say, that the very foundations of computers is also based on the Trinity letters VA+CHA+NA, together known as VACHANA meaning WORD. 

Isn't it a fact, that a word is nothing but a set of letters? Unlike in many other languages, in Sanskrit, there are a lot of letters that are words themselves. (Very few letters like 'I' & 'a' have corresponding meanings as 'myself' & 'one'/'single' respectively in English language). Right from the vowels in Sanskrit to the consonants, Sanskrit alphabet have corresponding meanings and are used to describe and even denote many attributes of this universe. Many such letters are used extensively in tantric discussions.

Therefore, this relationship, if at all, it is not incidental, whether or not it was accidental, (from a language described worldwide as the language of the computers - Sanskrit), is left to the imagination of common human intelligence.

0 - x - 0 - x - 0

Life Principles

 Communication & Networking is the basis of Life

Life is about communication & networking. The millions of cells and other living objects in each of us communicate constantly and therefore there is continuity of life.

Death is, we may say, discontinuity in communication.

Communication is such that a group of cells and some living objects talk to each other and help each other in a particular way so that overall, the organization or the body, displays itself as another type of life.

Therefore life is a conglomerate of many lives. Each cell in our body has a soul within itself which gives life and death at specific cycles of time. New cells are created and those souls jump into new ones (cells), when the old starts debilitating. The time gap between such rebirth according to Vedic scriptures, is almost immediate - just as short a time required for a caterpillar to move from one leaf to another, leaving the former. Thus rebirth is a continuous phenomena that cannot be denied.

When the cells in our body fail in their proper communication; i.e., when there is a probable communication breakdown, so to say, we say, we are unhealthy and there is some disease in us. If we aren't able to bring in consonance so that the communication is restored properly & timely, then we say we decided to choose a new organization or body! (Just as we switch new jobs!!)

 What more to say, our brain itself maintains memory and intelligence thru it's own unique communication network unmatched even today by any modern day computers

Why then, some love to  blame God for such of our incompetence in communication?

Shiva-Shakti ~ Radha-Krishna

 Shiva-Shakti ~ Radha-Krishna

From the static Shiva (Sat-chit-Aananda) came dynamic Shakti (Parvati). Similarly from static Raadhaa came dynamic Krishna.

Both the concepts are  similar.

Raadhaa is obstruction - that is static. Dhaaraa (is the opposite of Raadhaa) is flow and is about dynamics.
Krishna is what attracts and melts down Raadhaa. That is why Raadhaa (static) goes to Krishna (the attractive [force]).

In the former, the dynamic Shakti is attracted to static Shiva. Whereas in the latter, the static Raadhaa is attracted to dynamic Krishna.

In physics, an object brought from (ananta) infinity is enlivened by what is known as potential energy. And there is a continuous tendency to return to its original place. (That is why we die). This infinity stretches like the long serpent Ananta (=infinity) of Vishnu (=omnipresent, that which is filled throughout the Vishwam i.e. universe). SkyBlue is the colour of the universe. It was caused by the Visham (poison) of Vasuki serpent (during churning of the Milky way). Vasu is matter. That's why vasudha in some context also means earth. Visham is what comes out when matter is churned. Energy is that what comes from matter. So Visham is energy. That Visham covered Vishnu (=everywhere) and therefore Vishnu turned SkyBlue. Shiva drank (absorbed) that Visham (energy from matter) to neutralized it. Shakti however caught his throat with both her (electro-magnetic) hands and coagulated that Visham to concentrate and remain passive at a single point.

And the universe was perhaps created thus!!
-------------------------
(This is symbolic)

Intelligence, Faith & Management of Duty

 Intelligence, Faith & Management of Duty

Intelligence is one among the many things that is distributed unequally amongst creatures of this world (and interestingly, for which no rights activists have ever fought for!!) Others  may be ignorance, stupidity, wisdom, etc. All these are activities of brain. We do not really know whether intelligence is trainable like that of any other physical activity of physiology. That is to say, we could train for physical fitness, but not really with intelligence. Some day, perhaps that method might also be discovered.

Therefore, inorder to contain ill effects of a debilitated intelligence, intelligent people all over the world have devised a temporary solution which we call as 'Faith'.

Because, the amount of intelligence varies in different people (or even animals, birds etc.), communication often becomes a problem. This is because each one tends to understand things in the perspective of vision limited by one's own intelligence. To resolve this differential communication, some or a group of intellectuals have many times in history sat together to scribble such areas of concern in communication and those scripts were later compiled and called as scriptures.  The idea of writing those scriptures were to ask the lesser intelligent to keep away their reasoning and follow the scriptures whenever in doubt. Such an activity is termed as faith. But the problem faced by them was, as to how to inject faith? They found that faith could be injected by stories and that the stories influenced the mind. The mind is a mystery and a good psychiatrist could direct it to everyone's benefit. Hence, we find that most scriptures are backed by stories to add faith.

When a small group of people nowadays assemble to attempt to create such scriptures, they are called cult leaders or godmen. While they essentially derive from the extant scriptures only, they try to adapt and interpret in line with modern terms, as they think they communicate that way better.

To improve the quality of faith, they add extra 'nutrients' with 'salt' and 'pepper' too and create the effect of calling themselves as avatars.

(All these contribute to enhancing the faith. However, being human, they may err on certain other moral values and occasionally end up in captivity by law enforcing agencies!!)

Let us also broadly understand the miseries of humans & the Hierarchy of Human control system.

Taapa-trayam ताप त्रयं  are Tri-dukham त्रिदु:खं which are of three types:-

Aadhi-aatmikam (caused by oneself - birth, death etc),

Aadhi-Bhautikam (those caused by external materials - animals, metals, chemicals etc.),

Aadhi-Daivikam (those caused by the gods - air, wind, storm, water, fire, electricity, lightning, earthquake, etc.)

Is there any means to control these difficulties (dukham दु:खं) ?

Perhaps knowing the organizational hierarchy of our self & body organs might help. Let us ponder a bit about them.

Karma-indriya (5 Nos. Organs of Action) are controlled by Jnana-Indriya (5 Nos.).

Jnana-Indriyas (Organs of Sense/Perception) are controlled by Praana (Praanic Energy).

Praana (life energy) is controlled by Manas (mind).

Manas is controlled by Buddhi (intellect).

Buddhi is controlled by Aatma (soul).

Aatma is controlled by Aham (Self).

Aham is none but Brahma.

In other words, the Chairman of our body is Brahma / Parabrahma.

The lowest in the hierarchy are the Karmendriyas.

Therefore, we could say, that all our actions are actually performed by para-Brahma only. (who might have of course down-delegated to others in the hierarchy - but essentially, the doer is HIM/THAT only).

Therefore inorder to contribute to the requirement of the Isha (controller), faith is necessary and absolutely necessary where individual intelligence tend to fail. Intelligence is necessary to understand the hierarchy and once the hierarchy is properly understood, faith and trust is one of the primary guiding principles of successful living.

For example, a new employee to an organization needs to seek and understand the objectives, mission and vision of the Chairman of that organization.  Once understood, there can be unlimited faith in that Chairman. Otherwise, the limbs of action would lead the organization to hell and not heaven.

This may be the concept of Brahma-jnaanam - that of Jnaana-yoga, Bhakti-yoga as well as Karma/Raaja-Yoga.

The understanding of the hierarchy is Jnaana-yoga, the unconditional faith in the supreme personality is Bhakti-yoga, and the resulting work/karma or duty that is performed in accordance and in synergy with the Jnaana & Bhakti is the Karma/Raaja Yoga. Karma/Raaja yoga may lead one to prosperity (heaven) or otherwise delusion (hell) - based on the balance sheet prepared by none other than Chitra-Gupta (the secret cinematographer)!!.

0 - x - 0 - x - 0

Moksha & the Escape Velocity of an Aatma

Moksha - & the Escape Velocity of an Aatma

Like a satellite that is controlled by a space station, the Aatma, from a distance or otherwise, controls the life of matter. When it controls a biological matter, we call that as posessing life.

The Aatma distributes energy that activates biological matter of the like of humans, animals, plants, etc.

That control of the Aatma on the matter continues in cycles, until the Aatma is released out of, like that of 'escape velocity'. Those cycles of events when the Aatma regulates and deregulates matter may be known as birth and death.

To be released from the cycle of birth and death, it needs to attain at least (in astronomical terms) an escape velocity.

That escape velocity enables Aatma to escape from its attachment to matter so as to enable itself for moksha.

That is essentially why ancient India spoke about detachment and ways to achieve it for moksha. That state is better still than the state of heaven or hell.
0 - x - 0

Spare the rod and Spoil the child

Spare the rod and Spoil the child - An Indian Perspective

Maha-Nirvana-Tantra :

चतुर्वर्षावधि सुताँल्लालयेत् पालयेत् पिता।
ततः षोडशपर्यन्तं गुणान् विद्यां च शिक्षयेत्॥

लालयेत् पञ्च वर्षाणि दश वर्षाणि ताडयेत् / प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे पुत्रं मित्रवदाचरेत्

"Indulge our children upto the age of five years, teach them to be disciplined between five to fifteen years, and beyond sixteen years we should treat them as a friend."

Many descriptions even in the internet about the above verse impresses the word 'Taadayet' to mean discipline by the stick. Something that seems to have come as 'parampara' from "Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child" hypothesis.

If we avoid & keep aside those kind of interpretations, and try to find the real meaning of the word 'Taadayet', we may like to understand as below.

The Dhyaana Shlokam of Bhagawad Gita has the mention of this word 'tata':
भीष्मद्रोणतटा जयद्रथजला गान्धारनीलोपला
शल्यग्राहवती कृपेण वहनी कर्णेन वेलाकुला।
अश्वत्थामविकर्णघोरमकरा दुर्योधनावर्तिनी
सोत्तीर्णा खलु पान्डवै रणनदी कैवर्तकः केशवः॥६॥

"Bhishma Drona tataa Jayadratha jala Gandhara Nilotpala
Salya Grahavati krpena vahant karnena velakula
Asvathama Vikarna ghora makara Duryodhanavartini
Sottirna khalu Pandavai Rana nadi Kaivartakah Kesavah.

The battle (river) whose banks were Bhishma and Drona, whose water was Jayadratha, whose blue-lily was the King Gandhara, whose crocodile was Salya, whose current was Kripa, whose billow was Karna, whose terrible alligators were Asvatthama & Vikarna, whose whirlpool was Duryodhana - even such was crossed over by the Pandavas, with Kesava as the ferry man".

It describes Bhishma and Drona of the Mahabharata epic, as the 'tata' or bank of the waters.

The word 'Tada' may have come from the word 'Tata' meaning bank/embankment or bund. (Perhaps that sounds more appropriate.) For a fish swimming in the river, the bunds create obstacles inorder to direct/re-direct, prompting it, sometimes to flow over and sometimes to adopt diversions. Therefore it educates the little one about the nuances of proper learning and living. The bunds are also obstacles purposefully created so that the young one overcomes it, finding ways genuine to its intellect. Therefore, the word 'Taadayet', may not have a negative significance at all as many pandits believe it to be; rather may have a purely positive meaning, enough to prove that the "rod is not at all required, but only the bund".

One could imagine a small tiger cub being caressed by its mother until a few days later, when it starts fighting with its fellows, helping itself experience and gain that knowledge about living. While the elder looks on and occasionally moves its paws to create obstacles when straying away. That is perhaps the real meaning of 'Taadayet' is my opinion.

0 - x - 0 - x - 0

Vyasa Vishaala-Budhe

Namostu Vyaasa Vishaala Budhe

I have wondered often as to why Indians have so many gods and why there are so many religions in this world.

Maharishi Vyasa is addressed as 'vishaala-budhe' thanks to his superior intellect. Certainly, he is the only one of the kind in the history of mankind who exhibited exceptional intellect.

He compiled the four Vedas, he wrote more than 108 (known) Upanishads and multiple Puranas including the great, Mahabharata, MahaBhagavata, Adhyatma Ramayana etc., so much so that people wonder whether he indeed was a human or not!! While the Vedas and the Upanishads seem to be focused in same direction, the Puraanas may quite confuse common seeker because, each Puraana exemplifies a different God; while the puraana itself is, usually named by that referred God.

It would indeed have been a herculean task for him to create so many gods. I was told that similar attempt in not so far off times, was made by the author of the many Theyyams of North Malabar (& thottams including their unique facial-drawings, so that each one was different from all others in the specifics & story) as it seems, all those were written in very short time.

There is virakti in abundance or plenitude, whereas attachment in scarcity. In attachment there is selfishness. In selfishness there is clash of egos. In egoism there is hatred. In hatred there is conflict. In conflict there is fight. In fight there is disaster. In disaster there is chaos. In chaos there is annihilation/death.

Veda-Vyasa understood the psychology of humans very well and therefore prescribed multitude of gods to attend to the _monkey_ like mind of humans. Mind is easwara (commander) of the body. Hence, if the mind is controlled, everything falls well in place. Concentration is certainly a big difficulty and therefore not very easy. Multi-tasking is inherent in humans. Hence, one light is not enough, rather, many lights are needed to focus towards one's progress (pragati). Each such light is known as divine or Deva or Devi (div = that which shines and emits / blesses). Just as there is a lot of difference between one LED & group of LEDs - and lo! what a beauty! if all were twinkling !!

Vyasa therefore bestowed upon us 'Twinkle-twinkle wonderful gods' thru the various Puraanas!! Though the essence is vedaanta (Upanishads) and the Vedas (science). Just as we don't need to know the chemical composition of LPG inorder to cook our daily meal, though however, knowing it definitely would only enhance our 'love', appreciation and affection for that LPG; and not knowing however, will not starve us from the experience of having sumptuously!!

At the same time, the connoisseur of food needn't ignore the properties of his intake and get into health issues thru consumption of junk food that is not backed by a scientific (Vedic) culture!!

We are indeed fortunate to have had the benefit of the benevolence of the great Maharshi Veda Vyasa who encoded the entire concepts in the most cultured & scientific language called Sanskrit - especially designed for such purposes. (Today we have many computer languages each capable in its own way and competent to handle our commands according to the requirement & use of the technology prevalent of that time. From simple procedural language to object oriented and purely object, loaded with statistical & analytical capabilities for artificial or machine learning intelligence and so on and so forth). The Sanskrit language is the language of science and spirituality as both can be expressed simultaneously using similar words that provoke intellectual activity and resolve their meanings unambiguously. It understands the language in which God codified His creation, so much so, that it is also called Deva-Bhaasha and usually written in Deva-Nagiri script.

The saints, pious and the learned from Kerala were perhaps the least affected by the onslaught of various religions that mis-interpreted or were not properly understood in the correct sense as proposed by Veda Vyasa. Ezhuthachan, the Father of Malayalam literature, Poonthanam, Melpathur etc., were the few who understood Maharshi Veda Vyasa rightly, that their contributions reflect the original thought and his Prescription. That is why, Poonthanam uses Soham as the ultimate understanding in his 'Poetry of Nectar of Knowledge'.

"മോഹംതീർന്നു മനസ്സു ലയിക്കുമ്പോൾ
സോഹമെന്നിട കൂടുന്നു ജീവനും".
"Desires having saturated, the mind dissolves,
That the Soul merges as HE = I".

Two great symbols of India are the Hamsa and the Padma.

Hamsah may be closely translated as Swan, which is attributed with the capabilities of even separating essence of milk from water!! Great saints are referred to as 'ParamaHamsas'. It is said as per himdu mythology that in the Manasarovar (= pool {Sarovar} of the mind {Manas}) in Kailasa mountains, many swans live with that quality.

Going by the Sanskrit language technique of swapping letters, we see that Hamsa हंस: is that which identifies things separately - like the swan (meaning Dvaita bhava) while (स: + अहम् = सोहम्) soham means one with HIM (Advaita bhava).

Further, Paramahamsa may be seen as Param + Aham + Sa (परम् अहम् स: = परमहंसः ) meaning ultimately I is HE.

Padma (=lotus) blooms in dirty waters. People generally tend to see dirt more clearly. An exception to that is when they look at lotus bloomed in dirty waters - when they tend to admire only the lotus and ignore the dirty waters.

That is why, Lotus has lot of meaning in Hindu philosophy. Our happiness lies in seeing the lotus in everything (be it dirty or clean). He who wears spectacles of such (lotus) vision over his eyes is the one who is Lotus-eyed. He who sees the lotus (niceties, goodness) even in the foot (dirty, beneath, down and trodden) is to be known as Padma-paada (with the Lotus Feet).

Happiness is when Lotus blooms in all of us and we can see the Lotus even in the feet of others!!

And that may come from soham (identifying the other as oneself) by inclusiveness of all that living or non living. Then we become Paramahamsa.

I therefore salute the Lotus eyed Vyaasa who is indeed Paramahamasa.

-- 0 -- x -- 0 --