Katas Raj Temples, Chakwal, near Lahore, Punjab

Katas Raj Temple is situated in Chakwal district of Punjab in Pakistan. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple has existed before the days of Mahabharata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile here.

It is said that the five Pandava brothers, heroes of the Historical epic Mahabharata, stayed here four out of the 14 years that they spent in exile.

Its origin involves the death of Shiva's wife Satti. When she died, Shiva cried so much and for so long, that his tears created two holy ponds - one at Pushkar in Ajmer, India and the other at the Katas Raj Temple.

Gorakhnath Temple, Peshawar - Pakisthan

Gorakhnath Temple, Peshawar, NWFP

A historic Hindu temple in Peshawar city of northwest Pakistan, which was re-opened on the orders of a court last year, has been vandalised by unidentified men in the third such attack on the shrine in the past two months.

The attackers burnt pictures inside Gorakhnath Temple and took away idols from the shrine located within an archaeological complex in Gor Gathri area on Sunday, leaders of the Hindu community said.

The shrine’s custodian told the media that this was the third attack on the temple in the past two months. Police officers visited the temple to probe the incident.

Hindu leaders urged police to put in place better security measures to prevent such incidents.

The temple’s custodian told police that he had seen a group of eight men inside the temple when he arrived there at 6:30 p.m.

The men started burning pictures and holy books before fleeing with some idols, he said.

Members of the minority Hindu community rushed to the temple.

Footage on television showed burnt papers and utensils lying strewn on the floor of the temple.

The 160-year-old temple was re-opened for Hindus last year on the orders of the Peshawar High Court. It had been closed since Partition.

The temple was reopened after Phool Wati, the daughter of the shrine’s cleric, petitioned the High Court. 

Courtesy:The Hindu

Pictures about Ramayana

Asoka Vanam

Foot prints of Lord Hanuman

Ravana Palace

Sanjhivini Paravatham Brought by Lord Hanuman

Rama Sethu - The Floating stones bridge

 

Floating Stone used to build Bridge on Sea

Rama Sethu

Sugreeva Cave

Ariel view of Sugreeva Cave

GOD PARTICLE mentioned in VEDAS

Scientists at the massive Large Hadron Collider under the Swiss Alps have easily replicated the innovative mini-Big Bang results of a previous experiment which created the ‘primordial soup’ of the just-born universe.

God Particle

Super-hot ‘quark-gluon plasma’ is believed to have existed just nano-seconds after the Big Bang, and to have formed the stuff of galaxies, planets, suns, and all life forms. Such new data on the birth of the universe is pouring in from the experiments, leading physicists to consider extending the current phase of the project for two more years.

The new results took only days of colliding lead ions in the massive machine at ultra-high energies, and produced temperatures 500,000 times higher than in the sun’s core. The resultant mini-Big Bangs were even more intense than those caused using hydrogen protons during the Collider’s first seven months of operation.

The planned two-year extension could result in earlier discovery of the Higgs Boson particle believed to be the stimulus which changed the initial fabric of the universe, an amorphous mass of particles, into solid matter.

 

Lord Sree Maha Vishnu

According to CERN Director General Rolf Heuer, scientists working on the project want to maintain the momentum of the new discoveries, as everything previously understood has now been confirmed and new territories are waiting to be explored. The ‘known unknowns’ are coming into view, and the as yet unimaginable lies beyond.

The Large Hadron Collider is at present being shut down for its regular winter maintenance schedule and experiments will recommence in February next year.

Statue of Lord Shiva Pictures at Hrishikesh - Uttarakand

 

Sri Kanakadhara Stotram

Goddess MahaLakshmi

Birth of Kanakadhara stotram :

Adi Sankara was one of the greatest philosophers of all time. He was born in a poor Brahmin family in Kerala. After brahmopadesa, as is usual during those times, he was asked to beg alms for his lunch. One day when he went to a Brahmin house, the lady of the house was so poor that she did not have anything to give him. She searched hard and found one small fruit of gooseberry, which she gave to Sankara, the boy. He was so touched by her gesture that he sang these 21 mellifluous hymns on Goddess Lakshmi, who poured golden goose berries as rain to the poor woman’s house. Even today it is believed that poverty would be banished by singing this hymn.

Sloka-1 Angam hare pulaka bhooshanamasrayanthi,
Bhringanga neva mukulabharanam thamalam,
Angikrithakhila vibhuthirapanga leela,
Mangalyadasthu mama mangala devathaya.

To the Hari who wears supreme happiness as Ornament,
The Goddess Lakshmi is attracted,
Like the black bees getting attracted,
To the unopened buds of black Tamala[1] tree,
Let her who is the Goddess of all good things,
Grant me a glance that will bring prosperity.

Sloka-2 Mugdha muhurvidhadhadathi vadhane Murare,
Premathrapapranihithani gathagathani,
Mala dhrishotmadhukareeva maheth pale ya,
Sa ne sriyam dhisathu sagarasambhavaya.

Again and again return ,those glances,
Filled with hesitation and love,
Of her who is born to the ocean of milk,
To the face of Murari[2],
Like the honey bees to the pretty blue lotus,
And let those glances shower me with wealth.

Sloka-3 Ameelithaksha madhigamya mudha Mukundam
Anandakandamanimeshamananga thanthram,
Akekara stiththa kaninika pashma nethram,
Bhoothyai bhavenmama bhjangasayananganaya.

With half closed eyes stares she on Mukunda[3],
Filled with happiness , shyness and the science of love,
On the ecstasy filled face with closed eyes of her Lord,
And let her , who is the wife of Him who sleeps on the snake,
Shower me with wealth.

Sloka-4 Bahwanthare madhujitha srithakausthube ya,
Haravaleeva nari neela mayi vibhathi,
Kamapradha bhagavatho api kadaksha mala,
Kalyanamavahathu me kamalalayaya

He who has won over Madhu[4],
Wears the Kousthuba[5] as ornament,
And also the garland of glances, of blue Indraneela[6],
Filled with love to protect and grant wishes to Him,
Of her who lives on the lotus,
And let those also fall on me,
And grant me all that is good..

Sloka-5 Kalambudhaalithorasi kaida bhare,
Dharaadhare sphurathi yaa thadinganeva,
Mathu samastha jagatham mahaneeya murthy,
Badrani me dhisathu bhargava nandanaya

Like the streak of lightning in black dark cloud,
She is shining on the dark , broad chest,
Of He who killed Kaidaba[7],
And let the eyes of the great mother of all universe,
Who is the daughter of Sage Bharghava[8],
Fallon me lightly and bring me prosperity.

Sloka-6 Praptham padam pradhamatha khalu yat prabhavath,
Mangalyabhaji madhu madhini manamathena,
Mayyapadetha mathara meekshanardham,
Manthalasam cha makaralaya kanyakaya.

The God of love could only reach ,
The killer of Madhu[9],
Through the power of her kind glances,
Loaded with love and blessing
And let that side glance ,
Which is auspicious and indolent,
Fall on me.

Sloka-7 Viswamarendra padhavee bramadhana dhaksham,
Ananda hethu radhikam madhu vishwoapi,
Eshanna sheedhathu mayi kshanameekshanartham,
Indhivarodhara sahodharamidhiraya

Capable of making one as king of Devas in this world,
Her side long glance of a moment,
Made Indra[10] regain his kingdom,
And is making Him who killed Madhu [11] supremely happy.
And let her with her blue lotus eyes glance me a little.

Sloka-8 Ishta visishtamathayopi yaya dhayardhra,
Dhrishtya thravishta papadam sulabham labhanthe,
Hrishtim prahrushta kamlodhara deepthirishtam,
Pushtim krishishta mama pushkravishtaraya.

To her devotees and those who are great,
Grants she a place in heaven which is difficult to attain,
Just by a glance of her compassion filled eyes,
Let her sparkling eyes which are like the fully opened lotus,
Fall on me and grant me all my desires.

Sloka-9 Dhadyaddhayanupavanopi dravinambhudaraam,
Asminna kinchina vihanga sisou vishanne,
Dhushkaramagarmmapaneeya chiraya dhooram,
Narayana pranayinee nayanambhuvaha.

Please send your mercy which is like wind,
And shower the rain of wealth on this parched land,,
And quench the thirst of this little chataka[12] bird,
And likewise ,drive away afar my load of sins,
Oh, darling of Narayana[13],
By the glance from your cloud like dark eyes.

Sloka-10 Gheerdhevathethi garuda dwaja sundarithi,
Sakambhareethi sasi shekara vallebhethi,
Srishti sthithi pralaya kelishu samsthitha ya,
Thasyai namas thribhvanai ka guros tharunyai.

She is the goddess of Knowledge,
She is the darling of Him who has Garuda[14] as flag,
She is the power that causes of death at time of deluge,
And she is the wife of Him who has the crescent,
And she does the creation , upkeep and destruction at various times,
And my salutations to this lady who is worshipped by all the three worlds.

Sloka-11 Sruthyai namosthu shubha karma phala prasoothyai,
Rathyai namosthu ramaneeya gunarnavayai,
Shakthyai namosthu satha pathra nikethanayai,
Pushtayi namosthu purushotthama vallabhayai.

Salutations to you as Vedas[15] which give rise to good actions,
Salutation to you as Rathi[16] for giving the most beautiful qualities,
Salutation to you as Shakthi[17] ,who lives in the hundred petalled lotus,
And salutations to you who is Goddess of plenty,
And is the consort of Purushottama[18].

Sloka-12 Namosthu naleekha nibhananai,
Namosthu dhugdhogdhadhi janma bhoomayai,
Namosthu somamrutha sodharayai,
Namosthu narayana vallabhayai.

Salutations to her who is as pretty.
As the lotus in full bloom,
Salutations to her who is born from ocean of milk,
Salutations to the sister of nectar and the moon,
Salutations to the consort of Narayana.

Sloka-13 Namosthu hemambhuja peetikayai,
Namosthu bhoo mandala nayikayai,
Namosthu devathi dhaya prayai,
Namosthu Sarngayudha vallabhayai.

Salutations to her who has the golden lotus as seat,
Salutations to her who is the leader of the universe,
Salutations to her who showers mercy on devas,
And salutations to the consort of Him who has the bow called Saranga.

Sloka-14 Namosthu devyai bhrugu nandanayai,
Namosthu vishnorurasi sthithayai,
Namosthu lakshmyai kamalalayai,
Namosthu dhamodhra vallabhayai.

Salutations to her who is daughter of Bhrigu[19],
Salutations to her lives on the holy chest of Vishnu,
Salutations to Goddess Lakshmi who lives in a lotus,
And saluations to her who is the consort of Damodhara[20].

Sloka-15 Namosthu Kanthyai kamalekshanayai,
Namosthu bhoothyai bhuvanaprasoothyai,
Namosthu devadhibhir archithayai,
Namosthu nandhathmaja vallabhayai.

Salutations to her who is light living in Lotus flower,
Salutations to her who is the earth and also mother of earth,
Salutations to her who is worshipped by Devas,
And salutations to her who is the consort of the son of Nanda[21].

Sloka-16 Sampath karaani sakalendriya nandanani,
Samrajya dhana vibhavani saroruhakshi,
Twad vandanani dhuritha haranodhythani,
Mamev matharanisam kalayanthu manye.

Giver of wealth, giver of pleasures to all senses,
Giver of the right to rule kingdoms,
She who has lotus like eyes,
She to whom Salutations remove all miseries fast,
And my mother to you are my salutations.

Sloka-17 Yath Kadaksha samupasana vidhi,
Sevakasya sakalartha sapadha,
Santhanodhi vachananga manasai,
Twaam murari hridayeswareem bhaje

He who worships your sidelong glances,
Is blessed by all known wealth and prosperity,
And so my salutations by word, thought and deed,
To the queen of the heart of my Lord Murari[22].

Sloka-18 Sarasija nilaye saroja hasthe,
Dhavalathamamsuka gandha maya shobhe,
Bhagavathi hari vallabhe manogne,
Tribhuvana bhoothikari praseeda mahye

She who sits on the Lotus,
She who has lotus in her hands,
She who is dressed in dazzling white,
She who shines in garlands and sandal paste,
The Goddess who is the consort of Hari,
She who gladdens the mind,
And she who confers prosperity on the three worlds,
Be pleased to show compassion to me.

Sloka-19 Dhiggasthibhi kanaka kumbha mukha vasrushta,
Sarvahini vimala charu jalaapluthangim,
Prathar namami jagathaam janani masesha,
Lokadhinatha grahini mamrithabhi puthreem.

Those eight elephants from all the diverse directions,
Pour from out from golden vessels,
The water from the Ganga[23] which flows in heaven,
For your holy purifying bath,
And my salutations in the morn to you ,
Who is the mother of all worlds,
Who is the house wife of the Lord of the worlds,
And who is the daughter of the ocean which gave nectar[24].

Sloka-20 Kamale Kamalaksha vallabhe twam,
Karuna poora tharingithaira pangai,
Avalokaya mamakinchananam,
Prathamam pathamakrithrimam dhyaya

She who is the Lotus,
She who is the consort,
Of the Lord with Lotus like eyes,
She who has glances filled with mercy,
Please turn your glance on me,
Who is the poorest among the poor,
And first make me the vessel ,
To receive your pity and compassion.

Sloka-21 Sthuvanthi ye sthuthibhirameeranwaham,
Thrayeemayim thribhuvanamatharam ramam,
Gunadhika guruthara bhagya bhagina,
Bhavanthi the bhuvi budha bhavithasayo.

He who recites these prayers daily,
On her who is personification of Vedas,
On her who is the mother of the three worlds,
On her who is Goddess Rema[25],
Will be blessed without doubt,
With all good graceful qualities,
With all the great fortunes that one can get,
And would live in the world,
With great recognition from even the learned.

Translated by P. R. Ramachander

[1] A forest tree
[2] The God who killed the asura called Mura i.e Lord Vishnu
[3] He who gives immortal bliss
[4] An Asura
[5] A garland wirn by Vishnu
[6] A precious blue stone
[7] An Asura
[8] One sage who did penance to have goddess Lakshmi as his daughter and succeeded.
[9] An asura
[10] King of Devas
[11] An Asura
[12] A mythical bird which is always thirsty.
[13] Name of Lord Vishnu
[14] A mythical eagle on which Lord Vishnu travels
[15] Holy books of Hindus
[16] Wife of the God of Love
[17] Goddess parvathy
[18] Greatest among men , a name of Lord Vishnu
[19] Another name for sage Bharghava referred earlier.
[20] He who was tied by a rope in the stomach –a name of Lord Krishna.
[21] Nanda Gopa the foster father of Lord Krishna
[22] He who killed the asura called Mura
[23] The holiest river for Hindus
[24] Goddess Lakshmi was supposed to have come out of the ocean of milk during churning .Nectar along with many things also came out similarly.
[25] A name of Goddess Lakshmi 

Bhagavad Gita - Chapter-7, Verse-8

raso 'ham apsu kaunteya
prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh
pranavah sarva-vedesu
sabdah khe paurusam nrsu

SYNONYMS

rasah--taste; aham--I; apsu--in water; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; prabha asmi--I am the light; sasi-suryayoh--in the sun and the moon; pranavah--the letters A.U.M.; sarva--in all; vedesu--in the Vedas; sabdah--sound vibration; khe--in the ether; paurusam--ability; nrsu--in man. 

TRANSLATION

O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.

PURPORT

This verse explains how the Lord is all-pervasive by His diverse material and spiritual energies. The Supreme Lord can be preliminarily perceived by His different energies, and in this way He is realized impersonally. As the demigod in the sun is a person and is perceived by his all-pervading energy, the sunshine, similarly, the Lord, although in His eternal abode, is perceived by His all-pervading, diffusive energies. The taste of water is the active principle of water. No one likes to drink sea water because the pure taste of water is mixed with salt. Attraction for water depends on the purity of the taste, and this pure taste is one of the energies of the Lord. The impersonalist perceives the presence of the Lord in water by its taste, and the personalist also glorifies the Lord for His kindly supplying water to quench man's thirst. That is the way of perceiving the Supreme. Practically speaking, there is no conflict between personalism and impersonalism. One who knows God knows that the impersonal conception and personal conception are simultaneously present in everything and that there is no contradiction. Therefore Lord Caitanya established His sublime doctrine: acintya-bheda and abheda-tattvam--simultaneously one and different.

     The light of the sun and the moon is also originally emanating from the brahmajyoti, which is the impersonal effulgence of the Lord. Similarly pranava or the omkara transcendental sound used in the beginning of every Vedic hymn to address the Supreme Lord also emanates from Him. Because the impersonalists are very much afraid of addressing the Supreme Lord Krsna by His innumerable names, they prefer to vibrate the transcendental sound omkara. But they do not realize that omkara is the sound representation of Krsna. The jurisdiction of Krsna consciousness extends everywhere, and one who knows Krsna consciousness is blessed. Those who do not know Krsna are in illusion, and so knowledge of Krsna is liberation, and ignorance of Him is bondage

Bhagavad-gita Chapter-7 Verse-7

mattah parataram nanyat

kincid asti dhananjaya

mayi sarvam idam protam

sutre mani-gana iva

TRANSLATION

O conqueror of wealth(Arjuna), there is no truth superior to Me(Lord Krishna). Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

PURPORT

There is a common controversy over whether the Supreme Absolute Truth is personal or impersonal. As far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, the Absolute Truth is the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna, and this is confirmed in every step. In this verse, in particular, it is stressed that the Absolute Truth is a person. That the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Absolute Truth is also the affirmation of the Brahma-samhita: isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah; that is, the Supreme Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead is Lord Krsna, who is the primeval Lord, the reservoir of all pleasure, Govinda, and the eternal form of complete bliss and knowledge. These authorities leave no doubt that the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Person, the cause of all causes. The impersonalist, however, argues on the strength of the Vedic version given in the Svetasvatara Upanisad: tato yad uttarataram tad arupam anamayam ya etad vidur amrtas te bhavanti athetare duhkham evapiyanti. "In the material world Brahma, the primeval living entity within the universe, is understood to be the supreme amongst the demigods, human beings and lower animals. But beyond Brahma there is the Transcendence who has no material form and is free from all material contaminations. Anyone who can know Him also becomes transcendental, but those who do not know Him suffer the miseries of the material world." 
The impersonalist puts more stress on the word arupam. But this arupam is not impersonal. It indicates the transcendental form of eternity, bliss and knowledge as described in the Brahma-samhita quoted above. Other verses in the Svetasvatara Upanisad substantiate this as follows:

vedaham etam purusam mahantam aditya-varnam tamasah parastat tam eva vidvan amrta iha bhavati nanyah pantha vidyate ayanaya yasmat param naparam asti kincid yasman naniyo no jyayo 'sti kincit

"I know that Supreme Personality of Godhead who is transcendental to all material conceptions of darkness. Only he who knows Him can transcend the bonds of birth and death. There is no way for liberation other than this knowledge of that Supreme Person.
"There is no truth superior to that Supreme Person because He is the supermost. He is smaller than the smallest, and He is greater than the greatest. He is situated as a silent tree, and He illumines the transcendental sky, and as a tree spreads its roots, He spreads His extensive energies." 
From these verses one concludes that the Supreme Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is all-pervading by His multi-energies, both material and spiritual.

Sri Laxmi Narayan Mantra

Sri Lord Narayana and Goddess Lakshmi

"Om Hreeng Hreeng Shreeng Shreeng Laxminarayanay Namah"

This Mantra is highly beneficial for acquiring financial prosperity and materialistic success. It should be recited 10 lakh times for its Siddhi.

Narayanaya Gayatri Mantra

Lord Narayana

Narayana Gayatri Mantra

 

Om Narayanaya Vidhmahe
Vasudevaya Dheemahe
Tanno Vishnu Prachodayaath

 Vishnu is one of the three main gods of the Hindu trimurti (three forms). The trimurti is often depicted in art as one man with three heads. Brahma is the Creator. Vishnu is the Preserver. Shiva is the Destroyer.

The name Vishnu comes from the Sanskrit root 'vish', meaning to pervade. Some Hindu legends describe Vishnu as an eternal deity, and associate him with the primeval waters that pervaded the world before creation. Another name for Vishnu is Narayana, meaning 'one who moves waters'.

To understand Vishnu's role as Preserver, one must accept two basic Hindu beliefs. The first is that humans may escape the cycle of samsara by following predetermined paths of duty. The second is that good and evil are in constant contention for their reign over the world.

It is believed that whenever evil outweighs good with an opportunity to emerge victorious, Vishnu descends to earth in some mortal form to save humanity. Vishnu is not allowed to tamper with events directly. Rather, he intervenes and guides humans to act in ways that will restore proper balance between good and evil.

The puranas speak of the ten avataars of Vishnu. These incarnations detail the divine help given by Vishnu during various stages of human evolution, by appearing on earth in different forms. These avatars are said to demonstrate that divinity re-establishes Dharma or righteousness and destroys injustice from time to time, by appearing on earth in various incarnations.

The ten avataras are Matsyavatara (fish), Koorma (tortoise), Varaaha (boar), Narasimha (the man lion), Vaamana (the dwarf), Parasurama (the angry man), Rama (the perfect human), Balarama and Krishna (the divine statesman). The 10th avatar which is yet to appear is Kalki.

Matsyavatara, or the form of the fish was taken up by Vishnu during a deluge that submerged the earth. Vishnu commanded a rishi to gather together samples of all species and wait in a boat. The gigantic golden fish then dragged the boat through the deluge and then enabled Bhrama to start the act of creation all over again. Yet another legend has it that a demon once stole the four Vedas and hid them under the sea. Vishnu assumed the Matsya form and retrieved them and then restored them to their original fragrance. This legend is held at the Parimalaranganathar temple at Mayiladuturai, near Thanjavur (Tamilnadu).

The Koorma Avatara where Vishnu took the form of a tortoise, is described in the legend of the celestial nectar Amrita.

Vishnu took the form of a wild boar - the Varaaha Avatara, dived into the ocean, and saved Bhoomi Devi who sank into the bottom of the ocean, with his massive snout. Vishnu as Varahamurthy is enshrined at Tiruvidandai near Chennai, and at the Kanchipuram Kamakshiamman temple.

In his Narasimhaavataaram, Vishnu destroyed the demon king Hiranyakashipu and demonstrated his omnipresence in a powerful way.

Vishnu took the form of Vamana the midget to destroy the demon Bali. He visited Bali during a sacrifice where the latter was arrogantly distributing gifts of the seeker's choice, to show his power of wealth. Vamana meekly asked for three feet of land measured by his small feet. All on a sudden he assumed the massive form of Trivikrama, dominating the universe; with his first foot he covered the earth, with the second the heavens. When there was no room for the third, Bali, who never went back on his word offered his head, and Vishnu sent him to the netherworld. Trivikrama is enshrined at Tirukkovilur, Kanchipuram and Sirkazhi in Tamilnadu.

Vishnu then took up the form of Parasurama, to quell the arrogance of the Kshatriya rulers who harmed the sages and unprotected mortals.

The Ramayana speaks of the glory of the Rama Avatar, and the Mahabharata speaks of Balarama and Krishna.

Some schools of thought believe that Krishna was the eighth incarnation of Vishnu and the ninth was Buddha and that Vishnu took up the avataar of Buddha to purify Hinduism of excessive ritualism. He preached detachment, and the middle path consisting of eight fold virtues of right views, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfullness and right meditation.

It is believed that at the end of the current epoch, there will be a deluge when Kalki - the tenth and the last avatara of Vishnu, will ride forth on a horse to redeem humankind and re-establish righteousness.

There is a legend for each one of Vishnu's first nine avatars and how each one intervened to preserve the universally required balance of good and evil. Vishnu's tenth avatar, Kalki, the horseman, has not yet descended to earth. It is believed that his arrival will mark the end of this present age of evil, known as the Kali Yuga.

Vishnu often appears dressed in yellow robes, hence his name Pitambara, or the yellow-vested one. Although his traditional vehicle is a giant mythical bird called Garuda, Vishnu may also be depicted amid the cosmic waters, reclining on the back of the coiled serpent named Sesha.

If Vishnu is depicted as reclining on the back of Sesha, this is a sign that order is prevailing in the cosmos, and a proper balance between good and evil is being maintained throughout the universe. If Vishnu is depicted as riding or standing near Garuda, this is a sign that he is ready to descend to earth and interact with mortals to preserve cosmic order.

Vishnu's wife is Lakshmi, goddess of fortune, wealth, and prosperity. She is often depicted together with Vishnu, seated on Garuda.

Vishnu is a popular deity and is worshipped widely throughout India. He has 1,000 names, and devotees who engage in his name recitation and repetition are believed to accumulate great blessings.

Moola Mantra

Ashta Lakshmi

  Moola Mantra

Om Shrim Mahalakshmiyei Swaha

 

Almighty Lord Sri Narayana or Mahavishnu is known for looking after the welfare and well being of the phenomenal world or the creation. The power or energy of Sri Narayana is Sri Lakshmi. Mother Lakshmi is always identified with the Lord, and hence they are known as Sri Lakshmi Narayana. Mother Lakshmi is a mother of prosperity, peace and illumination. Without Her grace one can´t have inner peace or perennial joy.

Lakshmi is commonly known as Goddess of wealth. Wealth is not only the money. Tradition and values of life is also wealth. Our family and progress is also wealth. Our belongings such as land, properties, animals, grains, etc as well as virtues like patience, persistence, purity etc in the form of a character are nothing but our wealth and so also glory or victory. Thus this eightfold Sri Lakshmi is known as Sri Ashta Lakshmi.

Mother Lakshmi is the source and provider of the following enumerated well-known sixteen types of wealth and many more. (1) Fame (2) Knowledge (3) Courage and Strength (4) Victory (5) Good Children (6) Valour (7) Gold and other gross properties (8) Grains in abundance (9) Happiness (10) Bliss (11) Intelligence (12) Beauty (13) Higher Aim, High Thinking and Higher Meditation too (14) Morality and Ethics (15) Good Health (16) Long Life. Let us glance upon the glory of mother Ashta Lakshmi´s individual nature and forms.

Adi Lakshmi: Mother Lakshmi resides with Lord Narayana in the Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Narayana. She is known as Ramaa, means bringing happiness to the mankind. She is also known as Indira (who holds lotus or purity in the hands or heart.) Divine Mother´s this form is normally seen serving Sri Narayana. Lord Narayana is omnipresent. Adi Lakshmi or Ramaa Lakshmi serves Sri Narayana is symbolic of her serving the whole creation. Though Sri Narayana is attended by innumerable devotees, still she personally loves to serve the Lord. Actually mother Adi Lakshmi and Narayana are not two different entities but one only. Many a place we see her form sitting in the lap of Sri Narayana.

Dhanya Lakshmi: Dhanya means grains. This includes all kind of purified food containing all essential vitamins, minerals, protein, calcium, carbohytrade and so on. With the grace of mother Dhanya Lakshmi one gets all essential nutrients grains, fruits, vegetables and other foods.

Dhairya Lakshmi: This form of mother Lakshmi grants the boon of infinite courage and strength. Those, who are in tune with infinite inner power, are always bound to have victory. Those who worship mother Dhairya Lakshmi they live and lead a life with tremendous patience and inner stability.

Gaja Lakshmi: In the holy book of Srimad Bhagavata the story of the churning of the ocean by Gods and demons is explained in detail. Author, the Sage Vyasa writes that Lakshmi came out of the ocean during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). So she is known as a daughter of the ocean. She came out of the ocean sitting on a full-bloomed lotus and also having lotus flowers in both hands with two elephants by her sides, holding a beautiful vessels filled with milk and pouring it over Sri Lakshmi. Many a time we see Sri Lakshmi standing in the lotus and elephants are pouring nectar over her. During the festival of the lamps or the Deepavali along with Sri Lakshmi the Ganapati or the Elephant God also gets worshipped; that signifies the protection from evils as well as abundant grace and blessings for additional prosperities!

Santan Lakshmi: In the family life, the children are the greatest treasure. Those who worship this particular form of Sri Lakshmi, known as a Santan Lakshmi, are bestowed with the grace of mother Lakshmi and have wealth in the form of desirable children with good health & long life.

Vijay Lakshmi: Vijay is victory. Vijay is to get success in all undertakings and all different facets of life. Some are strong physically but weak mentally while others are economically rich but poor in their attitude and cannot exert any influence. Vijay is to have all encompassing victory. Vijay is to rejoice glory of our real nature - Vijay is to conquer the lower nature. Vijay is the victory in external and internal wars and of course eternal wars! Hence those, with grace of mother Vijay Lakshmi, have victory everywhere, at all time, in all conditions. Victory to Vijay Lakshmi !!

Dhana Lakshmi: Dhana is wealth. But as per Rigved´s Purush Shukta Dhana is not only a wealth in coins and currency. Even Sun and moon, fire and stars, rains and nature, oceans and mountains, rivers and streams, all these are our wealth, so are the progeny, our inner will power, our character and our virtues. With the grace of mother Dhana Lakshmi we will get all these in abundance.

Vidya Lakshmi: Vidya is education. Education is not mere studies to receive the degrees and diplomas certificates from the educational institutes or universities. Rev. Sri Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj says:
Serenity, Regularity, Absence of Vanity, Sincerity, Simplicity, Veracity, Equanimity, Fixity, Non-irritability, Adaptability Humility, Tenacity, Integrity, Nobility, Magnanimity, Charity, Generosity and Purity are the eighteen "itis" that only can give immortality.

Education, which cannot give peace to the soul or cannot give the knowledge of the Self and the inner satisfaction, is not education. Education, which cannot wipe the tears of others, known or unknown, is not education. Education is the understanding the situation and silence or art of living and leading the life that can make the life, the Life Divine, where the ultimate Goal of the life is the God-Realisation.

Such Education can come only through discrimination and dispassion. One can have abundant amount of money, but if he does not know how to make good use of it, it will work to his disadvantage. If an alcoholic or a drug addict gets a big sum of money, it will only hasten his downward journey to destruction. Vidya Lakshmi is the understanding and the knowledge to mold the ordinary life into the Divine Life. A life of Service, a life of feeling for a fellow being, a life of charity and generosity, a life of purity, a life for seeking a soul within the soul and a life with an ultimate aim of the realisation of the ABSOLUTE is the only real education, which can come only with the grace of Vidya Lakshmi.

Thus all these eightfold Sri Lakshmi is ultimately one single power only. That is Adishakti.

The perennial and unchangeable, ever lasting, eternal truth or the absolute is this Supreme blessedness, the mother Adishakti. She is the origin. She is the light. She is the power, the wisdom and the strength. She is the Supreme Joy, peace, bliss and illumination.

Year after year We have seen the lamps being lit for Diwali, the birth day and the wedding day of Goddess Lakshmi. In the dark night the glowing flames herald the advent of longer nights-the early days of an Indian winter.

The essence of this light is Shri Lakshmi-arising, at the beginning of time, out of the waters at the churning of the Milky Ocean by gods and demons for a thousand years. Regarded as the goddess of love, beauty and prosperity, Lakshmi, Kamla or Padma (Sanskrit words for lotus), the beloved consort of Vishnu, along with the dearly loved pot-bellied, elephant headed, auspicious god of the Hindu theogony, Siri Ganesha, is a presiding deity of the festival of lights. They are worshipped in every household so that the year may be full of prosperity. Throughout the night a lamp is kept burning before her image so that she may continue to dwell in the house and bestow upon it the wealth of life.

May Mother Adishakti´s and Sri Ashta Lakshmi´s grace be ever upon we all, to receive Her divine grace for being befitting servant of the mankind in Her cosmic kingdom. Om Shanti.

Who can Become Sinner to Saint

Lord Krishna Teaching Bhagwath Gita

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna says that one can atone for his / her sins in many ways like penance, charity etc. but there is no way more swift, fast for atonement to sins than Devotional service to God / Lord Krishna. In this regard Bhagwat Puran & Bhagwat Gita, both explain about this assurance in detail that Devotion to Lord Krishna is the supreme purifier for all the sins that a person commits in life time. 

'Api chet su-duracharo

bhajate maam ananya-bhak

sadhurev sa mantavya

samyag vyvasito hi sah' 

(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter IX verse 30)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Even if the vilest sinner worships Me with full devotion, he should be considered a noble soul or saint; as he has taken the right step by worshipping me."

Through above verse 30, God is telling Arjuna that even if the most sinful of person worships Him with full devotion, then He considers him to be a saint only as he has rightly resolved in his life. So many times we too think that we have done many sins in life & how God shall accept us, but here God makes it very clear that once a person become devoted to Him, He does not considers that person a sinner, rather God considers that person to be a Saint as he has taken the right decision in his life to become devoted to God. Let's all be devotees of God.

'kshipram bhavti dharmatma

shasvac-chantim nigachati

kauntey pratijanihi

na me bhaktah pranashyati' 

(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter IX verse 31)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: He speedily becomes virtuous and secures lasting peace. O son of Kunti, know it for certain that My devotee never falls."

Through above verse 31, God is telling Arjuna that such a sinful person after becoming His devotee becomes a person of good virtues and always remains in peace & such a peace is not temporary but is ever lasting. God is assuring the son of Kunti (another name of Arjuna, his disciple) that his devotee never falls again in life as He always protect him. So let's all worship the God always so that He can protect us always.

"samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu
na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu chapy aham"

(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 29)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him."

Like the Sun does away with all the fog, similarly Devotion to God does away with all the sins. A man full of sin, is for certain not as much purified by penance as by the devotion to Lord Krishna. In this world there is only this path that is really appropriate & the one that is followed by the well-behaved, fearless and auspicious, saintly people; that is in surrendering oneself to Lord Krishna. So let's all be devotees of Lord Krishna.

Why do we Celebrated Maha Shivarathri (Legendary Story-1)

In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma, whilst resting on the bed of arrows and discoursing on Dharma, refers to the observance of Maha Shivaratri by King Chitrabhanu. The story goes as follows - Once upon a time King Chitrabhanu of the Ikshvaku dynasty, who ruled over the whole of Jambudvipa, was observing a fast with his wife, it being the day of Maha Shivaratri. The sage Ashtavakra came on a visit to the court of the king.

The sag asked the king the purpose of his observing the past. King Chitrabhanu explained that he had the gift of remembering the incidents of his previous birth.

Shiva Lingam

The king said to the sage that in his previous he was a hunter in Varanasi and his name was Suswara. His only livelihood was to kill and sell birds and animals. One day while roaming through forests in search of animals he was overtaken by the darkness of night. Unable to return home, he climbed a tree for shelter. It happened to be a Bael tree. He had shot a deer that day but had no time to take it home. So he bundled it up and tied it to a branch on the tree. As hunger and thirst tormented him, he was kept awake throughout the night. He shed profuse tears when he thought of his poor wife and children who were starving and anxiously waiting for his return. To pass away the time that night he engaged himself in plucking the Bael leaves and dropping them down onto the ground.

The next day he returned home and sold the deer and then bought some food for himself and his family. The moment he was about to break his fast a stranger came to him, begging for food. He served the food first to stranger and then had his own.

At the time of his death, he saw two messengers of Lord Shiva. They were sent down to conduct his soul to the abode of Lord Shiva. He learnt then for the first time of the great merit he had earned by the unconscious worship of Lord Shiva during the night of Shivaratri. The messengers told him that there was a Lingam at the bottom of the tree. The leaves I dropped fell on the Lingam. His tears, which had shed out of pure sorrow for his family, fell onto the Lingam and washed it and he had fasted all day and all night. Thus, he unconsciously worshiped the Lord.

As the conclusion of the tale the King said that he lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss for long ages and now he has reborn as Chitrabhanu.