paluskar

 Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar was born in the princely state of Kurundwad, Maharashtra on August 14, 1872, on the day of Shravan Purnima. His father was Mr. Digambar Gopal and mother was Mrs. Ganga Devi. Father was a good performer. At the tender age of 12, his eyes lit up due to which his education could not go forward, his father sent him to Balakrishna Buichalkaranjikar in Miraj to learn music.Pandit ji received music education from Bua Ji for nine years.

 In 1901, he established 'Gandharva College' in Lahore, after this in 1906 he established the second branch of Gandharva College in Mumbai. Opened.He taught about 100 disciples, of which Pt Omkaranath Thakur, Pt Vinayak Rao Patwardhan, Pt Narayan Rao Vyas, Vaman Rao Thakur, Vodas ji are prominent. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar ji was originally a master of the musical style of the Gwalior Gharana. The credit of popularizing the Gwalior Gharana in India goes to Paluskar. He created the new vocal format system, which is famous as 'Vishnu Digambar Swarlipi'. 50 books of music were also published by Pt. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar.These include Sangeet Bal Bodh, Sangeet Bal Prakash, 'Raag Pravesh' etc. You also edited the 'Sangeetamrit Pravah' monthly magazine. Panditji continued in the service of music for life and became a resident of Miraj Nagar, Maharashtra on 21 August 1931. Pt. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, the bright constellation of Indian music, will always be unforgettable in the music world.

 Paluskar is seen as the musician who brought respect to the profession of classical musicians and took Hindustani classical music out from the traditional Gharana system to the masses. He wrote a book on music called Sangeet Bal Prakash in three volumes, and 18 volumes on ragas as well. His disciples  became renowned classical singers and teachers. His son Dattatreya Vishnu Paluskar was also trained in classical music.

ather, Digambar Gopal Paluskar, was a singer of Kirtan (a religious song).

He went to a local school in Kurundwad for primary education. But tragedy struck Paluskar at an early age. During a Hindu festival called Datta Jayanthi, a fire-cracker burst near his face damaging both his eyes. Being a small town, there was no immediate treatment available and Paluskar lost his eyesight. Nevertheless, he regained it some years later.

The king of Miraj recognising the talent in the boy put him under the guidance of Balakrishna bhuva Ichalkaranjikar, a learned musician. Paluskar trained under him for 12 years until in 1896 the relations between the teacher and student became strained.

After that Paluskar began touring the country and studied the musical traditions in each part of Northern India. He went from place to place and visited many royal families in cities like Baroda and Gwalior, well known for their patronage of musicians. But he broke a long-standing tradition of Indian music by giving a public concert in Saurashtra and charging a nominal fee. Till then, concerts were given only in palaces or temples. He studied Brijbhasha, a dialect of Hindi, spoken at Mathura. Vishnu Digambar met Pandit Chandan Chaube and learnt Drupad music form from him. In 1901, he reached Lahore, where he decided to establish a music school.

On 5 May 1901, Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar founded the Gandharva mahavidyalaya, a school to impart formal training in Indian classical music with some historical Indian Music. This was a school open to all and one of the first in India to run on public support and donations, rather than royal patronage. It was a challenge to the traditional method where students lived under the same roof with their teachers. Many students from the School's early batches became respected musicians and teachers in North India. This brought respect to musicians, who were treated with disdain earlier.

In September 1908, Paluskar went to  Mumbai to establish another branch of the school. As the work-load increased, he shifted the school from Lahore to Bombay. To accommodate all the students, he took loans, built a new building for the school and hostel as well. To settle debts, he gave several public concerts. But while on a concert tour in 1924, Paluskar's creditors attached his properties and auctioned off the school.

On 21 July 1973, the Post and Telegraph Department paid homage to Paluskar by releasing a commemorative stamp. In its 2000 millennial issue,India today magazine included Paluskar in its list of "100 people who shaped India

Seeing is believing.

  

 Though this looks beautiful yet it cannot capture what the eye sees for the pixels strength of the eye is so much greater than that of a camera.  

And they say the same eye cannot see the lord in all of its glory. We need special strength bestowed upon us to view even a small part of the lord.

It s said in our scriptures that the lords only 1/4 portion is yet revealed our minds too may not be in a position to contain it.

Everything is temporary. Yet we are full of pride for our achievements how foolish can one be.

arup / swarup.

 On the left side of the main idol are Varahi and Arup Lakshmi. Inside the sanctum where you are allowed only for special Pujas, you are given Kumkum, that you offer to Arup Lakshmi and take some with you as prasad. 

On the right of Kamakshi idol is an image of Vishnu & Swarup Lakshmi. The door leading to the main sanctum is called Bilvadwar.

AROOBA LAKSHMI - SWAROOBA LAKSHMI

Sri Maha Vishnu at Paar Kadal [ksheera samudram/ocean of milk offended by Lakshmi comment on black form of Vishnu cursed to become formless , with a split body and hunch back. To get relieved of this curse Lakshmi goes on penance in the Gayathri Mandapam.

By virtue of this Lakshmi returns to her divine form and appears with folded hands [pattanjali]. This form of Lakshmi with folded hands cannot be seen elsewhere. Lord Vishnu watches this from hidden from behind. Hence he is called as ‘Tirukkalvar’ or even as Adi varaga perumal.

Vaishnavite saint Thirumangai Alwar’s Thiruthandagam calls this place as one 108 ‘Divya Kshetrams’ .Devotees worshipping the devi here, irrespective of caste, .colour, creed or gender pray for their sins to be cleansed by applying the prasadam on arooba lakshmi by themseves. This form of worship by ones own hand is a special feature in this holy places.

Poornacharya

 https://youtu.be/58G1qa93nSE

12 short.

 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160612468482223&id=745532222&sfnsn=wiwspmo

sahaja.

                                       सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत् |

सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृता: || 48||

saha-jaṁ karma kaunteya sa-doṣham api na tyajet
sarvārambhā hi doṣheṇa dhūmenāgnir ivāvṛitāḥ

saha-jam—born of one’s nature; karma—duty; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; sa-doṣham—with defects; api—even if; na tyajet—one should not abandon; sarva-ārambhāḥ—all endeavors; hi—indeed; doṣheṇa—with evil; dhūmena—with smoke; agniḥ—fire; iva—as; āvṛitāḥ—veiled

One should not abandon duties born of one’s nature, even if one sees defects in them, O son of Kunti. Indeed, all endeavors are veiled by some evil, as fire is by smoke.

People sometimes recoil from their duty because they see a defect in it. Here, Shree Krishna states that no work is free from defect, just as fire naturally has smoke on top of it. For example, we cannot breathe without killing millions of microbes. If we cultivate the land, we destroy innumerable microorganisms. If we succeed against competition in business, we deprive others of wealth. When we eat, we deprive another of food. Since swa-dharma entails activity, it cannot be devoid of defects.

But the benefits of the swa-dharma far outweigh its defects. And the foremost benefit is that it provides a comfortable and natural path for one’s purification and elevation. In his book, Making a Life, Making a Living, Mark Albion, who was a professor at the Harvard Business School, cites a study in which the careers of 1,500 business school graduates were tracked from 1960 to 1980. From the beginning, graduates were grouped in two categories. In category A were those who said they wanted to make money first, so that they could do what they really wanted to do later, after they had taken care of their financial concerns. Eighty-three percent fell in category A. In category B were those who pursued their interests first, sure that money would eventually follow. Seventeen percent came in category B. After 20 years, there were 101 millionaires. One person was from category A (who wanted to make money first), and one hundred from category B (who pursued their interest first). The overwhelming majority of the people who became wealthy did so thanks to the work they found profoundly absorbing. Mark Albion concludes that for most people there is a difference between work and play. But if they do what they love, then work becomes play, and they never have to work for another day in their life. That is what Shree Krishna is asking Arjun to do—not to abandon the work that is best suited to his nature, even if it has defects in it, rather to work according to his natural propensity. But for work to be elevating, it must be done in the proper consciousness, described in the next verse.

असक्तबुद्धि: सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृह: |
नैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिं परमां सन्न्यासेनाधिगच्छति || 49||

asakta-buddhiḥ sarvatra jitātmā vigata-spṛihaḥ
naiṣhkarmya-siddhiṁ paramāṁ sannyāsenādhigachchhati

Those whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who have mastered the mind, and are free from desires by the practice of renunciation, attain the highest perfection of freedom from action.

In this last chapter, Shree Krishna repeats many of the principles he has already explained. In the beginning of this chapter, he explained to Arjun that merely running away from the responsibilities of life is not sanyās, nor is it renunciation. Now he describes the state of actionlessness, or naiṣhkarmya-siddhi. This state can be reached even amidst the flow of the world by detaching ourselves from events and outcomes, and simply focusing on doing our duty. This is just as water flowing under a bridge enters from one side and flows out from the other. The bridge is neither the recipient of the water nor its distributor; it remains unaffected by its flow. Likewise, the karm yogis do their duty, but keep the mind unaffected by the stream of events. They do not neglect putting in their best efforts in doing their duty, as an act of worship to God, but they leave the final outcome in his hands, and are thus contented and undisturbed with whatever happens.

Here’s a simple story to illustrate this point. A man had two daughters; the first was married to a farmer and the second was married to a brick kiln owner. One day, the father rang up the first daughter and inquired how she was doing. She replied, “Father, we are going through economic hardships. Please pray to God for us that we may have plentiful rains in the coming months.” He then rang up the second daughter, and she requested, “Father, we are low on funds. Please request God not to send rains this year, so that we may have lots of sunshine and a good production of bricks.” The father heard the opposite requests of his daughters, and thought, “God alone knows what is best. Let him do what he feels is best.” Such acceptance of the will of God brings detachment from outcomes, despite being immersed in the incessant stream of events in the world.

Prabhavair gunaih.

 

न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुन: |
सत्त्वं प्रकृतिजैर्मुक्तं यदेभि: स्यात्त्रिभिर्गुणै: || 40||

na tad asti pṛithivyāṁ vā divi deveṣhu vā punaḥ
sattvaṁ prakṛiti-jair muktaṁ yad ebhiḥ syāt tribhir guṇaiḥ 

: No living being on earth or the higher celestial abodes of this material realm is free from the influence of these three modes of nature.

The Śhwetāśhvatar Upaniṣhad states that the material energy, Maya, is tri-colored:

ajāmekāṁ lohita-śhukla-kṛiṣhṇāṁ bahvīḥ prajāḥ sṛijamānāṁ sa-rūpāḥ
ajo hy eko juṣhamāṇo ‘nuśhete jahāty enāṁ bhukta-bhogām ajo ‘nyaḥ…(4.5)[v22]

“Material nature has three colors—white, red, and black, i.e. it has three modes—goodness, passion, and ignorance. It is the mother-like womb of the innumerable living beings within the universe. It is brought into existence and supported by the one unborn Lord, who is full of knowledge. God, however, does not consort with his material energy. He independently enjoys the pleasure of his transcendental pastimes. But the living entity enjoys her and thus becomes bound.”

Maya’s domain extends from the nether regions to the celestial abode of Brahma. Since the three modes of nature—sattva, rajas, and tamas—are inherent attributes of Maya, they exist in all the material abodes of existence. Hence all living beings in these abodes, be they humans or the celestial gods, are under the sway of these three modes. The difference is only in the relative proportions of the three guṇas. The residents of the nether regions have a predominance of tamas; the residents of the earth planet have a predominance of rajas; and the residents of the celestial abodes have a predominance of sattva. Now, using these three variables, Shree Krishna explains why human beings possess differing natures.

ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप |

कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणै: || 41||

brāhmaṇa-kṣhatriya-viśhāṁ śhūdrāṇāṁ cha parantapa
karmāṇi pravibhaktāni svabhāva-prabhavair guṇaiḥ

The duties of the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras—are distributed according to their qualities, in accordance with their guṇas (and not by birth).

Someone said very appropriately that to find the perfect profession is like finding a perfect life-partner. But how do we discover the perfect profession for ourselves? Here, Shree Krishna explains that people have different natures, according to the guṇas that constitute their personality, and thus different professional duties are suitable for them. The system of varṇāśhram dharma was a scientific organization of society according to svabhāva-prabhavair guṇaiḥ (work based on one’s nature and guṇas). In this system of categorization, there were four āśhrams (stages in life) and four varṇas (occupational categories). The stages in life were: 1) Brahmacharya āśhram (student life), which lasted from birth till the age of 25. 2) Gṛihastha āśhram (household life), which was regular married life, from the age of 25 till 50. 3) Vānaprastha āśhram (semi-renounced life), which was from the age of 50 till 75. In this stage, one continued to live with the family but practiced renunciation. 4) Sanyās āśhram (renounced order), which was from the age of 75 onward, where one gave up all household duties and resided in a holy place, absorbing the mind in God.

The four varṇas (occupational categories) were Brahmin (priestly class), Kshatriya (warrior and administrative class), Vaishya (mercantile and farming class), and Shudra (worker class). The varṇas were not considered higher or lower amongst themselves. Since the center of society was God, everyone worked according to their intrinsic qualities to sustain themselves and society, and make their life a success by progressing toward God-realization. Thus, in the varṇāśhram system, there was unity in diversity. Diversity is inherent in nature and can never be removed. We have various limbs in our body, and they all perform different functions. Expecting all limbs to perform the same functions is futile. Seeing them all as different is not a sign of ignorance, but factual knowledge of their utilities. Similarly, the variety amidst human beings cannot be ignored. Even in communist countries where equality is the foremost principle, there are party leaders who formulate ideologies; there is the military that wields guns and protects the nation; there are farmers who cultivate the land; and there are industrial workers who do mechanical jobs. The four classes of occupations exist there as well, despite all attempts to equalize. The varṇāśhram system recognized the diversity in human natures and scientifically prescribed duties and occupations matching people’s natures.

However, with the passage of time the varṇāśhram system deteriorated, and the basis of the varṇas changed from one’s nature to one’s birth. The children of Brahmins started calling themselves as Brahmins, irrespective of whether they possessed the corresponding qualities or not. Also, the concept of upper and lower castes got propagated and the upper castes began looking down upon the lower castes. When the system grew rigid and birth-based, it became dysfunctional. This was a social defect that crept in with time, and was not the original intention of the Varṇāśhram system. In the next few verses, according to the original categorization of the system, Shree Krishna maps the guṇas of people with their natural qualities of work.