Birds sent as messengars Nammalwar 6.1

O flock of herons feeding
Everyday on the marsh worms
Go and tell, hands clasped in awe
the sweet mouth Lord with his discus
In red paddy growing Vandur
The love which I
Fate's puppet bear him.

Dark herons with your gentle mates
Feeding around
Go to our Lord in cool Vandur
Echoing with Vedic hymns
Raised in holy sacrifices
And your hands clasping the feet
Of him who swallowed the world
Tell him my abject condition.

O birds in flocks gathered together
In search of food
Go to Vandur with its riches
Where stays the Lord.
With his twirling discus and honey mouth
Descend and bowing low
Tell him the deep distress
From which I suffer.

O simple swans in ceaseless joy
Linked each to each
Go to Vandur where the Vedic sounds
Rise unceasing to the skies,
And meet and tell the sea hued Lord
That one melts for him.

O twin swans, when you have sulked
and made up
Go to Vandur, where conches are left
On sand dunes
And see our Lord with his basil crown
And your hands clasped
Pray for yourself and also
For poor me.

I pray you lovely Koels
On the punnai trees
Go to Vandur where the fish
Flash in the mud
Go and meet the Lord
With the powerful discus
And bring me a message
To end my craze.

Lovely parrot go just once
To bring me word
To Vanvandur with its groves
And red strand
Where you will spot the dark one
With red mouth,
red hands red feet
Discus and conch.

O lovely little mina
Return to me
After seeing him at Vandur
With its sedge
Cassia makula and other cool trees
The large lotus eyed
Dark cloud hued hair heaped high
And four shoulders!

Swans gliding on blossoms go to him
In Vanvandur
where conches herald the morn and tell
That cruel wizard
Kannan the great Lord in secret
When all alone
The bitter fate that has become
My condition.

O bees honey drunk whom I beg
Believing you different
Tell him who reduced Lanka's ramparts
Now in Vandur
Noprth of the river Pampai
With its limpid waters
That there is one still alive here
And languishing!

Those who can recite this decade
To the one at Tiruvandur
Among the thousand that Satagopan
Of Kurukur composed
To honour the Lord who as a dwarf
Withhis flashing thread
Came and took the earth away
Will win the hearts of winsome women!

Chapter 10/18 B G

In Varanasi lived a brahmin who was a great devotee of Visvesvara and he used to visit the temple every day. one day Bhrgu and a host of his followers came to the temple and finding the brahmin immersed in his worship of the Lord in his heart they asked the Lord who he was. Lord Visvanath replied When i was enjoying rest on mount Kailash with Parvathi a swan came there and devoutly placed it at our feet and seated itself at our feet, after paying us respect waiting for our command. I was surprised to see a black lotus and asked the swan where from had he got that black lotus flower. The Swan informed me that he serves as a conveyance to Brahma, as I was coming here to pay my obeisance to you i was crossing the Man Sarovar where i found this black lotus, but before that i too had fainted and when i got back my consciousness i was transformed to this black colour much agitated over this i was when i heard a voice from amongst the cluster of lotuses "I was a brahmin's wife before we were rearing a parrot. one day as i was engaged in teaching the parrot my husband entered the house and i failed to notice him he got angry and cursed me to become a parrot i then was living in a hermitage of a saint who used to recite the 10th chapter of the Gita every day. Listening to this i was relieved and was born as a divine damsel. I was having a bath in the sarovar when Sage Durvasa happened to enter the sarovar not knowing what to do i transformed myself to a lotus. however the power of the sage was so great that he  knowing what i had done cursed me to become a black lotus for a 100 years. this is that very lotus i place before you. So saying he requested the Lord to bless him and permit him to go to the place where the 10th chapter of the Gita was being recited. On going there and listening to the Gita the swan was blessed and was born as a  knowledgeable Brahmin who you now see here said the Lord Siva to Brughu Maharishi.

The Yoga of Divine Glories (Vibhuti Yoga)
O! Arjuna the Lord says listen to my supreme word with a desire to do you good, I speak it to your increasing delight. " I am the source of all the Gods and of all the sages. He who knows that I am unborn, beginning less and the Lord of all the world, is wise among men and he is freed from all sins. I am the source of everything the wise know this and worship me with all heart. The wise with their minds fixed on me, and with their lives absorbed in me, enlighten each other and ever speak of me. thus they are satisfied and delighted. To those who are ever steadfast and worship me with love, I give them the yoga of discrimination by which they come to me. Out of compassion to them i dwell in their hearts and dispel their gloom of their ignorance by the shining lamp of wisdom."
Arjuna asks "O! Lord I pray tell me of all thy various divine forms by which thou exists pervading all the worlds."
The Lord then says. O! Arjuna I will tell you some of my more prominent of my divine forms, as it is not possible to exhaust them for they are limitless. I am the self seated in the heart of all beings. I am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all things. I am Visnu amongst the twelve adityas, I am the radiant sun among the luminous objects, I am marici among the forty nine Maruts, I am the Moon among the stars, Among the vedas I am Sama Veda, I am Indra among the Gods, I am the mind among the senses, I am the consciousness in all living beings, I am shankara amoung Rudras, I am Kubera among the Yaksas and raksasas, I am agni among the vasus, I am meru among the mountains, I am Brhaspati among the preceptors, I am skanda among generals, I am ocean among the lakes, I am Bhrgu among the rishis, I am Chitra ratha among the Gandharvas. I am sage kapila among the perfect sages, I am Uccaissravas among the celestial horses, I am Airavata among the elephants. I am the monarch among men. I am thunderbolt or Vajrayudha among the weapons, I am Kamadhenu among cows, I am Manmatha the god of Love, amongst Progenitors, I am Vasuki among serpents, I am Anantha among nagas, I am Varuna among the water gods, I am Aryama among Pitris. I am Yama among controllers. I am Prahalada among Raksasas, I am time among those that measure, I am Lion among the beasts, I am Garuda among the birds, I am wind among the purifiers, I am Raama among warriors, I am shark among fishes, ganga among rivers, letter A among letters, dvandva among compounds, I am everlasting and imperishable time. I am dispenser of fruits of action facing all sides, I am Brharsama among the samas, I am Gayathri among the vedic meters, I am mrigashira among the months in a year, I am spring among the seasons, gambling among the fraudulent, the glory of the glorious, victory of the virtorious, determination of the determination of the determined. the goodness of the good, Krsna among yadavas, arjuna among pandavas, vyasa among munis, usanas among men of wisdom. I am the origin of all creatures there is no being animate or inanimate moving or nonmoving that can exist without me. Arjuna there is no end to my divine glories and manifestations, This is only a brief account of the extent of my attributes.
Striving to do the best in whatever task at hand should be the motive then for all of us we are in gods home the task ascribed is by him should we then not give everything we do its very best then. 

Chapter 9/18 B G

On the banks of the river Narmada in the city of Mahismati lived a learned Brahmin Madana Sarma, he lived performing all the rites and duties enjoined by the vedas. one day he brought a goat as the sacrificial animal for the Soma yaga which he wanted to perform. The Goat on seeing the preparations for the sacrifice spoke to the Brahmin in human voice surprising the brahmin. The Goat said "O great in the learning of the Veda's you want to sacrifice me and enjoy the bliss of heaven. Is it not impermanent? The bliss obtained by true salvation is infinitely better than the pleasure of heaven. You should therefore try to obtain that great bliss. In my former birth, I was born as a brahmin and was regularly performing my Vedic duties. Once when my son was seriously ill, I offered a goat as a sacrifice to the Devi and saved my son from the  clutches of the disease. As a result of the sin commited. I had to pass through several births, and at last assumed the present form of goat. You are now about to perform the same deed which brought me sorrow. By sacrificing life for the sake of enjoying mean pleasure. All that will ultimately come out of this act is you will be born as a fierce animal fit to be sacrificed. I shall narrate to you what happened in my previous birth as a monkey, i was living on the banks of the Narmada atop a tree. once at the time of Lunar eclipse the King wanted to distribute gifts to brahmins. a few brahmins were dissuading one brahmin from receiving the gift being given saying it is a sin to receive a gift during the eclipse. But he replied to them thus what you state is true but i am engaged in the recitation of the 9th chapter of the Gita. I am not subject to any such sins. If I refuse to accept such gifts my life becomes a terrible burden to me. The goat dissuaded Madana Sarma from performing the sacrifice and turned his attention to the recitation of the 9th chapter of the Gita to attain salvation. Thus Madana Sarma gave up his efforts to perform the soma yaga and took to the recitation of the 9th chapter of the Gita. by listening to which the goat too reached heaven after its death.

The yoga of Sovereign Science and Soverign Secret. (Raja Vidya and Raja Guhya Yoga)
Lord Krishna then unfolds the most profound secret of wisdom and knowledge by understanding which one will be released from the evils of samsara. God is the sovereign secret of the sovereign science, sacred noble, righteous and imperishable. all the world and everything in it is pervaded by me in an unmanifested form. all beings exist in me but I am not rooted in any of them. At the end of a cycle all beings pass into nature and at the beginning i generate them again. Though i carry on manifold activities they do not bind me because i remain unattached. Pure and noble souls who develop a divine nature worship me with a one pointed mind knowing that i am the imperishable and the source of all beings, I am the origin and the dissolution i am the imperishable seed.
Those men who worship me alone thinking of no other and who are ever devoted to me. I bear the responsibility for all their worldly welfare and well being. Whoever offers to me devotedly with love and faith a leaf a flower a fruit or water I accept it as it is offered with devotion and a pure mind. whatsoever one does with the intention of offering to me i accept. my devotee never perishes.

Chapter 8/18 B G

The story of how they saved each other.
Bhava Sarma a brahmin lived in a city called Amardakapuram in south India. He took to bad ways and ceased to observe and discharge the duties of a brahmin. one day when drunk in his unconsciousness hurt himself and died. he is said to have been born as a palmyra tree. on the tree lived a couple who were brahmaraksasa. One day the wife dejected at living a raksasa life asked her husband if there was a way to their upliftment and salvation. To this the husband replied there sure was a way by reciting the 8th chapter of the Gita they could be uplifted but because as he was unable to give up his drinking habit he could not concentrate on the Gita and knew only half a verse which he then recited on completion of the verse the Palmyra tree dried up and fell down and next transformed into a brahmin who now regularly recited the 8th chapter of the Bhagvad Gita. this helped the brahmaraksasa and his wife to seek salvation.

The Yoga of Imperishable Brahma (Aksara Brahma Yoga)

Arjuna's doubt O! Krishna what is Brahma? What is Karma or work? What is meant by Adhyatmam, Adhibhutam and Adhidaivam? O! Madhusudana, who and how is Adhiyajna in this body? How are thou to be known at the time of death by self control?
The Lord replies " The supreme imperishable self is Brahma. This nature is Adhyatma. The force that brings beings into existence is called karma. All the perishable objects are Adhibhutam, the Purusha or Brahma is Adhidaiva, O! Arjuna I myself here in this body am adhiyajna. Whosoever at the time of leaving his body, thinks of me alone, will doubtless attain my state.
O! Arjuna, whosoever leaves this body at the time of death thinking about any object, to that alone, he goes, because of his constant thought of that being. Having closed all the gateways of the body, having confined the mind to the heart, having focused the life breadth in the head, thus engaged in constant yoga contemplation, he who leaves the body and departs uttering OM the single syllable. denoting Brahman and meditates as he departs attains the supreme state. O! Arjuna he who constantly thinks of me daily, not thinking of anything else, I am easily attainable to that yogi, ever absorbed in me. Beyond this unmanifest, there is yet another unmanifest absolute, who does not perish when all creatures perish.
O! Arjuna, the highest purusha, in whom all beings dwell and by whom all this is pervaded is attainable only by one pointed  devotion. Fire Light daytime, the bright half of the month, the six months of the northward course of the sun taking this path, those  who know brahman will attain Brahman. Smoke night the dark fortnight and the six months of the southward course of the sun taking this path, the yogi reaches the lunar light and returns. The yogi who knows the secret of these two paths will achieve greater rewards, than is achieved by the study of the vedas, the performance of sacrifices and austerities and charities, will finally reach the supreme primal state.                             

Chapter 7/18 B G

Another good story.
Sankhakarna a brahmin lived in Pataliputra, he had accumulated a lot of wealth by business. once on his trip to foreign lands he was bitten by a serpent and died. But he was so attached to his wealth that he was reborn as a serpent and was now living close to this wealth and guarding it. however one day he felt the burden of living a serpents life and so appeared in the dream of his three sons and relating to them what had happened exhorted them to relieve him and obtain for him salvation. While the three sons were discussing as to how to liberate their father the second son got impatient and decided to dig out the wealth for himself. His father then spoke to him with a human voice and said "O the second of my sons, simply by taking away of my wealth you cannot liberate me. First perform my funeral rites that I may be relieved from my bodily bonds, arrange for the recital of the seventh chapter of the Gita feed people and distribute gold to them, after which you may take the wealth and share it with your brothers and their family."
The sons then got together and did as their father had bidden and on the satisfactory completion of which they too took to reading the seventh chapter of the B G  regularly.

The Yoga of Wisdom (Vijnana Yoga)
Here Lord Krishna says I shall now declare to thee in full this knowledge and wisdom, which being known nothing remains to be known. Among thousands of men, scarcely one strives for God realisation, even among those who strive, scarcely one knows Me in truth. earth water fire air ether mind intellect and egoism  such is the eightfold division of my prakrti. this is my lower nature. My other the highest nature, know that to be my higher nature, the very life principle by which the universe is sustained. O Arjuna, I AM THE TASTE IN THE WATER. I AM THE LIGHT IN THE SUN AND MOON. I AM THE SYLLABLE OM IN ALL VEDAS. I AM THE SOUND IN THE ETHER. and manliness in men. this wonderful and mighty power of mine called maya is hard to overcome. But those who take refuge in me alone, can cross over this illusion.
Arjuna, there are four types of righteous men who worship me.
The man in distress. (arta)
The seeker of knoiwledge (jijnasu)
The seeker of wealth, power and prosperity (artharthi)
The realised soul (jnani)
Of these the wise excell, for I am supremely dear to him and he is dear to me. Great indeed are all these But i feel the jnani is one with me. for being steadfast in mind, he regards me alone as the supreme goal. At the end of many births the wise man comes to me, realising that Vasudeva is all. It is very rare indeed to find such a great soul.
O Arjuna being deluded by the pairs of opposites arising from likes and dislikes, all beings are subject to illusion. But those men whose sins come to an end by their pure deeds are freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites. They worship me with a steady mind and steadfast in vows. Those who know me as the one together with Adhibhutam, Adhidaivam and Adhiyajnam have a full knowledge of Me even at the time of death being steadfast in mind.

chapter 6/18 B G.

A very Positive Story at last. Why can not all the stories be like wise without death or punishment. Why can there be no improvement by seeing others better than us than having vengeance in ones heart and thoughts.
ONCE UPON A TIME, a King named Jnana Sruti lived ruling his Kingdom with Pratisthanapura its capital along the banks of the River Godavari. He was a virtuous King well versed in learning an adept politician and a capable administrator. He was protecting the weak and the good and punishing the vicious and the wicked. He was ever engaged in doing noble and goodly deeds in the performance of yagas and rendering hospitality. every one in his connection was devoutly loyal to him.
One day a swarm of swans was flying over the city when one of them said to the others "This is the famed Pratisthanapuram, its ruler is the incomparable Jnana Sruti who is admired by everyone." the other swans though did not agree and said that he could not be even compared to the King Raikva's valour and spiritual knowledge. For they felt Raikva was in many respects greater than Jnana Sruti.
This conversation was heard by Jnana Sruti who was keen on meeting the King Raikva. so he set out visiting sacred places on the way Kasi Gaya and Prayaga, bating in the holy rivers and offering prayers to the deities at the temples. At the famous temple of Manikyesvara he met King Raikva, this is the region of Kashmir. He was overjoyed he greated King Raikva with all humility and with folded hands wished to know how the King had obtained such great valour and matchless spiritual strength. The King replied that the only thing he did was to repeat the sixth chapter of the Gita everyday besides ruling his kingdom, and all these virtues that are said to be found in me have been the fruits of the recital of the holy Gita. From that very day King Jnana sruti too started reciting the sixth chapter of the Gita and he too attained great name fame and spiritual knowledge living a fully satisfied life making his people and kingdom happy and prosperous. He upon death reached Vishnu loka.

The Yoga of Self Discipline (Dhyana Yoga)
Lord Krishna says that he who performs his bounden duty without seeking its fruit, is a Sannyasin and a Yogi, but not he who renounced worldly activities and maintains no sacred fires. action is said to be the means for a sage who desires to attain to yoga. but when he has attained to yoga, inaction is said to be the means for the same yogi. every man can make or mar himself for he himself is his friend or his foe. He who has conquered himself is a friend of himself, on the contrary he who falls a victim to prakrti is hostile to him as a foe.  Having arranged a steadfast and comfortable seat on a clean and level spot, should practice yoga sitting there for his own purification, restraining his thoughts and senses and bringing his mind to the object of meditation, sitting erect and steady, calm and fearless, steadfast in the observance of celibacy restraining his mind and senses be absorbed in me. Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much or too little. It is not for him who sleeps too much or is too wakeful. For a man who is moderate in his food and recreation, who is restrained in all his actions and who has regulated his sleep and wakefulness, yoga puts an end to all sorrows. A yogi should attain quietude little by little and with a determined effort, he should fix his mind on the spirit or self not thinking of anything else. If the mind is unsteady and fickle by nature, wanders away from the object of meditation, it should be withdrawn and again brought back and fixed on the self or any other chosen object of meditation. One whose mind is steadfast in yoga, sees all creatures in the self and the self in all creatures and thus realises the unity underlying the diversity of creation. He who sees Me in everything and everything in Me - I am never lost to him and he is never lost toMe.
Arjuna then says O! Krishna the mind is fickle, violent, restless, turbulent, powerful and unyielding. To control it seems to be as difficult as to control the air.
Lord Krishna then replies Arjuna the mind is doubtless, fickle and difficult to be controlled, but by constant practice of meditation and by dispassion, it can be subdued.
Arjuna still asks What happens to him, who has faith, but who is not steadfast and whose mind wanders away from yoga, having failed to attain perfection in yoga.
To which the Lord says "Such a man goes to the regions of the righteous. Having lived there for countless years he is reborn in a house of pure and healthy yogis. He will be born in the families of yogis rich in wisdom. Indeed a birth like this is very difficult to obtain in this world. O! Arjuna he regains the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives more, still further for perfection. By the force of his former practice, he will strive for perfection. Even he who merely desires for knowledge of this yoga goes beyond the Brahmic world. O! Arjuna a Dhyanayogi is greater than men of austerities, men of scholarship and those devoted to action. Therefore be a yogi, Of all such yogis, he who merges his self in me and worships me with full faith, is deemed by me to be the greatest.

Chapter 5/18 B G

Pingala a brahmin lived in the city of Purukutsa along with his wife Aruna. But they led a life of adultery among actors and gamblers. Aruna one night went to the extent of murdering Pingala. in their next birth they were born as an Eagle and an ordinary bird. The eagle remembered the previous birth and pounced on the bird who was Aruna in the previous birth and killed it at the same time a hunter aimed an arrow on the eagle and it too dropped down the two birds fell on the head of a mahatma by the will of the Divine. Yama is said to have made them stand before him and told them though they had sinned in their previous birth they haveing fallen on the Mahatma who was a Rajayogi and who was known to repeated the fifth chapter of the Gita every day. they were all three liberated. The Raja Yogi went to Brahma loka and the two birds went to better and nobler births. Any connection with not only the recitation of the Gita but also being in the presence of such a person one is blessed. 

The Yoga of Renunciation of Action. (Karma Sanyasa Yoga)
Arjuna asks Krishna O! Krishna at times you speak highly of renunciation of actions and then you praise Yoga also. So tell me conclusively that which is the better of the two. Krishna answers that renunciation of actions and karma yoga both lead to spiritual elevation, but of these two karma yoga is superior to renunciation of actions. The ignorant and not the wise speak of Sankhya (Knowledge) and yoga (karma yoga) as two distinctly separate paths. but he who is well established in one of these obtains the fruits of both. The final destination arrived at by the Sankhyas is the same as that attained by karma yogis he who perceives that they are essentially one is the real seer. a self disciplined seer of truth should never think that he is the doer of any of the activities of the senses like seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting, walking, sleeping, breathing, talking, receiving. He should feel convinced that the senses move along the sense objects according to the laws of their being. God does not create neither agency or action for the world, or union with the fruits of actions but it is nature that induces all these.
Those, who'es mind and intellect are completely merged in God, who are thoroughly absorbed in Him and are exclusively devoted to Him attain the highest wisdom. Their sins are wiped out by wisdom and they go to whence there is no return. The sages look equally upon a Brahmin endowed with learning, with humility, a cow, an elephant and even a dog and even an outcast.
One attains endless bliss, if he is without attachment to external contacts and experiences, and enjoys happiness, in his own soul or atma. All sense enjoyments are verily sources of sorrow and suffering as they have a beginning and an end. So a Jnani will not take delight in them. The man who can withstand here in this world, the impulses of desire and anger before giving up the world is a yogi, and he enjoys the supreme bliss. those yogis who have controlled, who are free from desire and anger and who have conquered their mind and have realised the self,enjoy eternal peace. That sage who keeps away all external contacts with sense objects, fixes his vision between the eye- brows balances the outgoing and incoming breath, who controls mind, intellect and senses rivets the attention on salvation putting away desire, fear and anger is verily liberated forever.