Kshetra

chapter 13 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna refers to the body as kshetra (field), said Valayapet Ramachariar in a discourse. Kshetragna is the one who understands the nature of this field. A person who knows that the body is not the atma is a kshetragna. He knows that he is the one who owns the body. When we say, “I am a man or a deva,” the ‘I’ is neither a deva nor a man. Deva or man are attributes of the body. The body is an attribute of the self (atma). ‘I’ is the knower and is the atma. ‘I’ is the owner of the body, and is therefore different from the body. If a man says, “I own this house,’ it is clear that he knows the difference between the possessor and that which is possessed. A person who confuses being a deva or a man as referring to his atma is ignorant.

If the body is seen as a field, then what grows on this field? Just as a variety of crops can be grown in a field, so can the body produce a variety of sins and punyas. Without a connection to the body, the atma will not commit sins or do any meritorious deeds. It will not experience pleasure or pain that come from these actions.

The moment we say that the kshetragna is the owner of the kshetra, it becomes clear that the two are different. Isn’t the owner different from the property? When we refer to a piece of “white cloth,” the whiteness is an attribute of the cloth. The cloth is different from the whiteness. The atma is the bhoktha, the one who experiences. The body that we possess is controlled by us, and is possessed by us. Likewise, the jivatmas are the body of the Lord, controlled and sustained by Him. The entire Universe of sentient and non-sentient beings is the body of the Lord and therefore, everything is controlled by Him

yama niyama

 Our daily choices create effects in the world that we may never know. This may be the most important reason for embarking on a path of awakening. When we are conscious of our motivations, we can choose wisely. When we choose wisely, our lives and the lives of those around us are more harmonious. We cannot know how many lives we nourish by living consciously. 

Just as we can see to the bottom of a lake when its water is still, when we quiet the mind we see the situations that arise in our lives with greater clarity and can make wiser choices.

The yamas are guidelines, a framework from which we can begin a process of inquiry. They are not commandments, nor are they intended to be followed mechanically. Practicing the yamas simply because they are written in the Yoga Sutra does not lead us to greater wisdom. Understanding of the yamas comes from considering them in the context of each situation that arises in our lives and being mindful of the consequences of our actions. 

As in all other practices, we will sometimes stumble or fall. Conscious reflection helps us to see where we might have altered our behavior. The yamas are like any other skill we want to develop: we must practice. Over time, with conscious practice, our understanding of the yamas becomes more refined.

When people embark upon a formal Buddhist practice, they begin by committing to follow the five ethical precepts outlined by the Buddha. In the same way, as we commit to practice yoga we can set the intention to let the yamas guide our life choices. Jack Kornfield describes the evolutionary process of practicing the precepts: “At first, precepts are a practice. Then they become a necessity, and finally they become a joy. When our heart is awakened, they spontaneously illuminate our way in the world. This is called Shining Virtue. The light around someone who speaks truth, who consistently acts with compassion for all, even in great difficulty, is visible to all around them.”

Intention is the impulse that precedes all action and colors everything we undertake. When we see our intentions clearly, we can more easily determine whether actions we are considering will bring happiness or harm.

the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The yamas can be seen as specific guidelines that teach us how to practice this universal precept. When we are faced with a moral question in our lives, it can be helpful to consider the possible viewpoints of all beings involved. The next time you have a difficult decision to make that will affect someone else, put yourself in the other person’s place. When you reverse your perspective, note what you feel. What emotions arise? Can you accomplish what you want in a way that is sensitive to the needs of everyone? Changing your viewpoint can help you clarify a skillful course of action.

We are not alone in this world, and everything we do has an impact. Being aware of the yamas and solidifying our intention to practice from their foundation allows us to live wisely and compassionately. The fruit borne through actions rooted in the yamas is sweet, nourishing the earth and all its inhabitants.

When we cultivate the niyamas, we clear our environment as well as our bodies and minds of those qualities that create agitation, while we strengthen those qualities that uncover our essential quiet mind.

The second limb of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is niyama, five daily practices which taken together form a solid, fertile foundation in which to cultivate the settled mind. They are shaucha, purity; santosha, cultivation of contentment; tapas, simplicity, discipline, or enthusiasm; svadhyaya, self-study and the study of sacred literature; and Ishvara pranidhana, surrender to grace.

The niyamas are practices that help us clean and cultivate our physical, mental, and emotional palates. When we tend a garden by feeding and watering the plants we wish to cultivate, and weeding out those that compete for nutrients in the soil, our chosen plants grow strong and healthy. In the same way, when we cultivate the niyamas, we clear our environment as well as our bodies and minds of those qualities that create agitation, while we strengthen those qualities that uncover our essential quiet mind.

“Patanjali has offered us guidelines that will allow us to have enhanced emotional and mental well-being and a more fulfilling and meaningful life,” 

Much is contained within this ultimate guide to virtuous transformation, including the eightfold path of classical yoga (or ashtanga yoga), which suggests a program of ethical restraints or abstentions (yamas), lifestyle observances (niyamas), postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and absorption into the Divine (samadhi). They are designed to lead you, step-by-step, toward everlasting contentment.

Patanjali doesn’t tell you how specifically to “do” the yama and niyama—that’s up to you. But if you align your life with them, they’ll lead you to your highest aspirations: peace, truth, abundance, harmonious relationships, contentment, purity, self-acceptance, love, and meaningful connection to the Divine—the essence of happiness. 

Rather than thinking of the yama and niyama as a mandatory “to-do list,” view them as invitations to act in ways that promote inner and outer peace and bliss. They also provide a mirror in which to study your practice and your Self. they represent the qualities of an integrated human being. You get there through practice, contemplation, meditation, and working to transform yourself. “The path of practice begins with understanding and refining the different dimensions of who you are, and it unfolds progressively, not all at once,” says Kraftsow. “The whole goal of yoga is Self-realization, which can also be called freedom.” The yama and niyama give you infinite opportunities to truly transform your life.

Adhara pana

 ADHARA PANA ~ ( This Festival Happened Yesterday in Sri Jagannath Puri Dham) 

Meaning of this Festival? 🤔

On the 11th day (Ekadasi), the three deities are offered a refreshing drink named as ‘Adhara Pana’. In local language ‘Adhara’ means ‘Lip’ and ‘Pana’ is a sweet scented drink made of milk, sugar, cheese, banana, camphor, nuts, black pepper etc. Apart from these ingredients, other herbal plant extracts like tulasi (holy basil) are also mixed into the drink. The deities are offered Adhara Pana on huge cylindrical earthen pots reaching up to their lips. The drink was filled in nine earthen pots and each of the deities was offered three pots each on their respective chariot. The Raghavadas Matha, Odia Matha and temple administration together contribute the pots and the drink for the occasion.

The priests offer the drink to the deities by performing "Sodosha Upachara Pooja". Once the Puja gets over the earthen pots are broken by the servitors and the Pana spreads all over the chariot. It is believed that several evil spirits, ghostly bodies and dissatisfied souls trail the deities during the Car Festival. As per the ritual, the Adhara Pana is not for the devotees and servitors but it is only for these evil spirits and the minor deities present on the three chariots (Parsva Devatas) to guard the chariots during Ratha Yatra. The smashing of these earthen pots on the chariots is purposefully done because the drink is not for the consumption by the devotees and also to ensure that all these invisible forces and Parsva Devatas consume the Adhara Pana and get satisfied.

Isen’t it such a Sweet yet Deep Festival.

Jai Jagannath 🙏🏻

Mirror.

 

In the village of Aranmula on the banks of Kerala's Pamba river, a group of skilled artisans spend their days in hot and dusty workshops, crafting metal mirrors, a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.

Originally, these artisans were known for creating exquisite bronze idols of deities. But around 2000 years ago, they handcrafted a special mirror known as the Aranmula kannadi, which surpassed the idols as their most famous product. The mirror is made from a copper-tin alloy with trace elements. To this day, the composition remains a closely guarded secret, passed from one generation to the next.

So what makes the Aranmula kannadi unique? The fact that it lets you see yourself as you truly are.

The Aranmula Kannadi is a front surface reflection mirror, which eliminates secondary reflections and aberrations typical of back surface mirrors. As opposed to the image produced in common glass mirrors, the reflection formed in the Aranmula Kannadi does not undergo refraction.

In 2002, the world recognised the craftsmanship of these traditional metallurgist and the GI tag was given to Aranmula Kannadi. 

Interestingly, it is believed that the secret mix of the alloy was revealed to a woman in the family in a dream. In the ancient times, it was used mostly by the royal families!

Cow mind man

 

A nice story of Adi Shankaracharya teaching his students how to empty and free their mind: 

"Adi Sankara was walking through the market place with his disciples.

They saw a man dragging a cow by a rope.

Sankara told the man to wait and asked his disciples to surround them.

“I am going to teach you something” and continued...

“Tell me who is bound to whom? Is the cow bound to this man or the man is bound to the cow?"

The disciples said without hesitation “Of course the cow is bound to the man!. The man is the master. He is holding the rope. The cow has to follow him wherever he goes. The man is the master and the cow is the slave.”

“Now watch this”, said Sankara and took a pair of scissors from his bag and cut the rope.

The cow ran away from the master and the man ran after his cow. “Look, what is happening”, said Sankara

“Do you see who the Master is? The cow is not at all interested in this man. The cow in fact, is trying to escape from this man. 

This is the case with our MIND.

Like the cow, all the non-sense that we carry inside is not interested in us. WE ARE INTERESTED IN IT, we are keeping it together somehow or the other. We are going crazy trying to keep it all together under our control.

The moment we lose interest in all the garbage filled in our head, and the moment we understand the futility of it, it will start to disappear. Like the cow, it will escape and disappear.” 

Feeling Free and Relaxed is a Choice!!!

Why T.

 Krishna Devaraya, the legendary ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire is well known to us. Although his native tongue was Tulu, he was widely known as Andhra Bhoja, due to the tremendous efforts he made to ensure the spread of the Telugu language! It is only prudent to be curious as to why a Non-Telugu ruler strove so much for Telugu.

Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya was traveling through Vijayawada during his Kalinga campaign. He had conquered Vijayawada, Kondapalli fort and the surrounding areas. He came to know about the holy temple of Andhra Viṣhṇu and visited Srikakulam village for a few days. He performed the Ekadasi Vratham during that time. It is here that Andhra Viṣhṇu appeared to the emperor in an early morning dream. Krishnadevaraya said observing the fast of the Vishnu’s Day, in the fourth and last watch of that God’s night, Andhra Vishnu came to him in a dream. Andhra Viṣhṇu told him to compose the story of his wedding with Andal at Srirangam. He also ordered the emperor to tell the story in the Telugu language. The emperor obliged, composing Amuktamalyada which is one of the most famous poetic works in Telugu Literature.
 
From the 14th poem of this exemplary work we can see that the Lord Śrī Āndhra Viṣhṇu refers himself as King of Telugus (Telugu Vallabhunḍa) and refers Sri Krishnadevaraya as Kannada King (Kannaḍa Rāya).
 
తెలుఁగ దేల నన్న దేశంబు దెలుఁగేను
తెలుఁగు వల్లభుండఁ దెలుఁ గొకండ
యెల్ల నృపులగొలువ నెరుఁగ వే బాసాడి
దేశభాషలందుఁ తెలుఁగు లెస్స
— శ్రీ ఆంధ్ర విష్ణు
 
Meaning of Quote:”If you ask why a work in Telugu; I am Telugu (i.e., belong to Telugu land) and King of Telugus. Telugu allows use of “Kandham’s”. So, with all kings serving under you, by speaking Telugu you will know that of all regional languages Telugu is superior.
 
Sri Krishna devaraya took the words of god to heart and strove hard to spread the greatness of Telugu far and wide. The ‘Amuktamalyada’ is a testament not only to Sri Krishna Devaraya’s mastery of the Telugu Language, but also to the wonderful language that Telugu is.

Tuluva D

 

Krishnadevaraya was one of the greatest rulers of South India. He was the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty and brought almost entire South India under his reign. He was bestowed with various titles such as Andhra Bhoja, Moory Rayara Ganda, Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana.

Krishnadevaraya was a man of many talents and took keen interest in art, literature and architecture. He had keen interest in Telgu and Sanskrit literature and wrote several works in these languages. His most famous work is Amukta Malyada, which is written in Telugu and describes the wedding of Vishnu and Andal. He wrote a drama in Sanskrit ‘Jambavati Kalyana’ and maintained a personal diary written in Kannada ‘ Krishnadevaraya DInachari’ . Apart form Jamabavati Kalyana written in Sanskrit, his works include – Madalasa Charita, Rasamanjari and Satyavadu Parinaya.

The Ashtadiggajas

Krishnadevaraya also patronised poets and scholars with expertise ranging from maths to literature. Ashtadiggajas or Eight poets are known to be a part of his court.

The 8 poets include :
1. Allasani Peddana
2. Madayagiri Mallana
3. Dhurjati
4. Nandi Timmara
5. Ramaraja Bhushana
6. Pingali Surana
7. Tenali Ramakrishna
8. Ayyalaraju Rambhara

He also encouraged women to take up writing. Some of the famous works by women include the Varadambika Parinaya by Tirumalamba Devi in Sanskrit and Madhurvijayam written by Ganaga Devi which describes the conquest of Madurai Sultanate.

Hence, we can see that the Krishnadevaraya was a great patron of literature and learning. His reign is described as the golden age of Telugu literature.

Krishnadevaraya represents a critical transformation from ancient king to modern politician. And in that sense, he was India’s first global leader. He had to confront very modern problems such as building international alliances and negotiating overseas trade deals while grappling with the challenges of globalism and multiculturalism. The Deccan of his time was a place where Hindus and Muslims, north Indians and south Indians, Persians and Portuguese, all intermingled as they made their lives and fortunes.

In the eyes of the world, Vijayanagara was the epitome of oriental opulence. It was a cosmopolitan metropolis, the best provided city of the world, more magnificent than Rome, and so exceedingly rich that diamonds were traded in the streets by the basket load!

Vijayanagara was famed beyond its borders as a cosmopolitan metropolis, a sprawling city expansive in both size and spirit. The capital was truly a place of diversity and inclusion where people of varying faiths, ethnicities and classes would not only intermingle but also cooperate in building what Paes called ‘the best provided city in the world . . . large as Rome, and very beautiful to the sight’. He went on to add that ‘in this city you will find men belonging to every nation and people. . . countless in number, so much so that I do not wish to write it down for fear it should be thought fabulous’. Or as Duarte Barbosa writes in one of the first examples of Portuguese travel literature: ‘There is an endless number of merchants, wealthy men and natives of the city to whom the king allows such freedom that every man may come and go and live according to his own creed . . . great equity and justice is observed to all, not only by the rulers, but by the people one to another.’ Indeed, much of this cosmopolitan ethos was fuelled by international traders who brought goods and ideas from all around the world to the bustling south Indian city. The image of the multicultural city was propagated throughout the subcontinent by court poets who eulogized kings and commemorated their victories. It was the poets of Vijayanagara who truly sang the empire into the people’s imagination and the pages of history.

As the Rayavacakamu records: The king spent the day at court ‘with a full assembly of scholars, poets, and palace officers skilled at telling pleasant stories . . . they all looked at Krishnadevaraya and said, “Just as the fame and glory of the kings who ruled long ago are preserved in the literary works they commissioned, you too should commission works so that your fame and glory will endure forever.”’

The epicentre of Vijayanagara literary production was a great hall called the Bhuvana Vijayam, or World Conquest, designed to host poetry readings and contests of literary wit. According to Paes, the hall was built when the king returned from the war against Orissa. It was a wide open space with lofty walls covered from top to bottom with crimson and green velvet and other handsome cloths. The magnificent structure was metaphorically held up by the king’s ashta-dig-gajas, or Elephants of the Eight Directions, great poets of the land whom Krishnadevaraya had invited to grace his court.

elephants support the entire universe on their backs, and so it was only fitting for the king to bestow this lofty title upon the celebrated poets who sustained the empire by memorializing the king’s fame. To be sure, there was a deep and sustained connection between political power and literary production. The king’s royal poets not only crafted words, but they also helped shape whole empires.

The king’s poet laureate and close confidant was Allasani Peddana. He was perhaps the most celebrated Telugu poet of his time; Krishnadevaraya even named him the grandsire of Telugu poetry. In one verse from his famed Manu Caritramu, Peddana vividly describes the ambience within the Bhuvana Vijayam, where women with eyes like blue sapphires and faces radiant as the moon fanned the king with yak-tail fans while he joyously sat on the throne in the company of learned people. Scholars discussed the fine points of Paninian grammar, Kanada’s atomistic philosophy, Badarayana’s metaphysics and more.

during such affairs; his prodigious scholarship and literary acumen allowed him not only to oversee but actively engage in philosophical debates and literary discussions. He was creating a court of culture, and a culture for court, by surrounding himself with the finest scholars and poets of the land, and positioning himself at the very centre of it all.

Although the kings of Vijayanagara were inclusive in their patronage of various literatures, including Sanskrit, Tamil and Kannada, the reign of Krishnadevaraya witnessed the ascendancy of Telugu as the pre-eminent language of the empire. We know Krishnadevaraya patronized poets in other languages, like Hariharadasa.

Tamil and Lolla Lakshmidhara in Sanskrit, but this was Telugu’s moment – it was a language of the people. All of the famed poets of the Vijayanagara octet wrote in Telugu, though not exclusively. Most poets then, as the case remains in India even today, were multilingual speakers as well as writers. In addition to expertise in two or three regional languages, any poet worth his salt would be proficient in Sanskrit – it was the sine qua non of scholastic merit and poetic authority. That being said, vernacular literatures were receiving more and more patronage from local kings, and although Sanskrit remained a language of prestige, regional languages now dominated the realm of lyrical poetry. And so it was that Krishnadevaraya presided over not only a vast earthly empire but a vibrant literary one as well.

No wonder his court poets cried, ‘O mighty lord, king of kings, supreme sovereign of heroic splendor! You are united like the Highest God – half the goddess Durga, half the Lord of Dance – an emperor in the fields of war and letters!’ In addition to the daily goings-on at the Bhuvana Vijayam, the Vasantotsavam, or annual Spring Festival, was a favourite occasion to gather poets for a celebration. As Timmana writes in his Parijata Apaharanamu: ‘Every year during the Spring Festival, an enthusiastic crowd of great poets would arrive with their finely crafted poems. Just the thought of it excited the women of the palace, but the king calmed them all down with his charm.’ha ha ha.

Like the legendary King Bhoja before him, Krishnadevaraya delighted in celebrating the annual Spring Festival when aspiring poets from far and wide would arrive at the court for a series of literary events, debates and competitions in which the king bestowed gifts of gold on the most skilled poets. It was at one such festival that the king premiered his Sanskrit play entitled Jambavati Kalyanam. A temple inscription tells us the ‘drama was enacted before the people assembled to witness the Chaitra Spring festival’.

In this way, literature in premodern India was more than a means of entertainment – it functioned as a communal spectacle that celebrated the power and culture of the empire and its king. It would be no exaggeration to say that Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara was at the apex of a south Indian cultural renaissance. This was a vibrant period of vernacularization when old Sanskrit texts and traditions were being revived, translated and reformulated for new and broader audiences. Indeed, this remarkable age of cultural production witnessed innovations in everything from literature, music and dance to architecture, sculpture and painting.