Cylinder.

 In the dust of Babylon it lay,

A small brown curve of ancient clay—

Yet in its breathless, broken lines

A mighty king’s compassion shines.

Cyrus, child of distant light,

Walked into Babylon without a fight;

No sword was raised, no temple burned—

For he ruled the hearts he had newly earned.

He said, “Let captives walk back home,

Let none in sorrow be forced to roam;

Let every prayer find its own sky,

Let every god hear every cry.”

He lifted peoples from their grief,

Restored their altars, offered relief;

Not conquest proud, but justice mild—

A ruler gentle, yet lion-wild.

Across the deserts, winds still tell

How mercy in a fragment fell,

How peace was pressed into clay—

A message carved for our own day.

O Cylinder, small and humble in form,

You hold a revolution warm:

That strength is tender when it is true,

And kings are great by the good they do.

The Cyrus Cylinder is a small, barrel-shaped clay cylinder from the 6th century BCE, created during the reign of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire. It was discovered in 1879 in the ruins of ancient Babylon (modern Iraq).a simple explanation of what it is and why it is important:

A clay artifact inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform writing.

Created around 539 BCE, when Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon.

It records Cyrus’s own description of how he entered Babylon peacefully and how he treated its people.

1. Declares humane rule

Cyrus states that he allowed people freedom of worship, restored destroyed temples, and returned displaced peoples to their homelands.

Because of this, the Cylinder is sometimes called the world’s first charter of human rights—though scholars debate this title.

2. Mentions restoring communities

It describes how Cyrus returned captured gods and people to their own cities.

This matches the Biblical account of Cyrus allowing the Jews exiled in Babylon to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

3. Shows Persian political philosophy

Rather than ruling by terror, Cyrus promoted:

tolerance

local customs

respect for diverse cultures

This became a hallmark of the early Persian Empire.

What Does the Cylinder Actually Say?

The text includes:

A critique of the previous Babylonian king Nabonidus.

Praise from the Babylonian god Marduk, who is described as choosing Cyrus to restore order.

Cyrus calling himself a legitimate, divinely approved ruler.

returning displaced peoples

repairing temples

improving the living conditions of the conquered

The original is kept in the British Museum in London.

Exact replicas and translations are displayed in many countries, including Iran and the U.S.

The Cyrus Cylinder is a clay proclamation by Cyrus the Great, remarkable in world history for its message of tolerance, restoration of rights, and compassionate governance. It reveals how ancient Persia envisioned righteous kingship and offers a rare window into early ideas of humane rule.

Longing.

 In the still blue hush of Mārgaḻi,

when night has not yet left

and day has not yet arrived,

a thin silver breath of God

moves through the air.

Kolams bloom like white mandalas

on sleeping doorsteps—

each line a prayer,

each curve a promise

that the earth remembers beauty.

Tulasi leaves tremble

in the shy morning breeze,

as though they know

that Vishnu Himself

walks this hour with gentle feet.

Somewhere, an old woman

lights her first lamp,

and the flame understands

that its duty today

is to warm not the room

but the hearts that pass by.

Andal’s voice rises,

not from temples alone,

but from the very dust of the street—

“El or empaavai…”

The month becomes her song,

and her song becomes our longing.

Birds call softly,

as if unwilling to break

the delicate silence

woven between sky and soul.

In this holy chill,

thoughts settle like dew—

cool, clear, transparent—

and even a single breath

feels like a prayer

being whispered for us.

O Mārgaḻi,

you do not come

to change our calendars—

you come

to change our hearts.

Stay a little longer,

spread your quiet radiance—

for in your presence,

the distance between

devotee and Divine

disappears

like mist in the first light of grace.

Mārgaḻi: The Dawn Month of Devotion

Among the twelve months of the Hindu calendar, Mārgaḻi (Dhanur Māsa) stands apart like a serene pre-dawn star. It is not just a period of time, but an atmosphere, a mood, a call to awaken—not merely from sleep, but from forgetfulness of the Divine.

Revered by saints, beloved by devotees, and celebrated in temples, Mārgaḻi is the time when the earth itself seems to chant, and the air hums with bhakti.

1. The Divine Timing of Mārgaḻi

In traditional Vedic reckoning, one day for the devas equals one human year. The months from Kārttikai to Phālgunī are the early dawn of this divine day, and Mārgaḻi is the very Brahma muhūrta—the most sacred segment, where spiritual practice bears manifold fruit.

That is why the Vishnu Purāṇa declares:

“Dhanur Māsa is the month dearest to Vishnu.”

It is said that whatever sādhanā you do in Mārgaḻi—japa, pūjā, śravaṇa, charity, meditation—

is blessed as though done at the delicate hour before sunrise.

2. Andal’s Month of Love

For Vaishnavas, Mārgaḻi is inseparable from Śrī Āṇḍāḷ, the poet-saint whose divine love for Narayana shaped Tamil spirituality.

As a young girl in Śrīvilliputhur, Andal vowed:

“I will wake before dawn, gather the gopīs of this land, and perform the Paavai Vratha—

to win the grace of Krishna.”

Thus was born the Tiruppāvai—30 verses, each a jewel, where every day of Mārgaḻi is a step in her spiritual ascension. The entire month becomes a doorway through which devotees walk into the love Andal felt for Krishna.

Even today, across Tamil Nadu, the streets resonate every morning with:

 “Mārgaḻi tingaḻ mādhinīl…”

“Ongi ulagalanda uttaman pāre…”

These songs are not mere verses but bhakti crystallised into sound.

3. Mārgaḻi in Temple Tradition

During this month, temples follow special rituals:

Dhanur Māsa Pūjā

Every day, before sunrise, priests decorate the Lord with fresh tulasi, offer sweet rice, and sing hymns like:

Tiruppāvai

Tiruvempavai

Tiruvāsagam

Suprabhātam

Vedic chants

Vishnu temples are particularly resplendent. The belief is:

In Mārgaḻi, Vishnu Himself awakens before dawn to bless devotees.

Singers, bhajan groups, and young devotees fill the streets with nama-sankirtana. The atmosphere becomes a gentle festival of sound and silence together.

4. Quietude of Nature

Mārgaḻi arrives when nature is at its calmest:

The chill in the air invites reflection.

The early morning sky glows with pale gold and blue.

Birds call out softly in the cool stillness.

The world feels suspended—neither night nor day.

This quietness is not emptiness; it is a pregnant silence where devotion blossoms easily.

Just as seeds germinate in moist, cool soil, spiritual seeds sprout fastest in Mārgaḻi’s tender climate.

5. Why the Ancients Reserved Mārgaḻi for Spirituality

In ancient Tamil culture, Mārgaḻi was purposely kept free from worldly celebrations like weddings or major festivals. It was a time for:

contemplation

austerity

listening to stories of God

serving the poor

waking up early

regulating one’s thoughts and lifestyle

Thus, the very rhythm of society shifted toward holy living, even if only for a month.

It was a collective vrata, a communal elevation.

6. The Inner Meaning of Mārgaḻi

a. Awakening

Just as the world awakens to light, the soul awakens to Knowledge.

b. Purification

The cold air symbolises the cooling of passions, agitation, and restlessness.

c. Devotional Commitment

Every day of Mārgaḻi reminds us that spirituality is not a mood but a discipline—

a sweet, voluntary discipline.

d. Moving from Ego to Surrender

Andal’s journey in Tiruppāvai is the journey of every devotee:

from individuality to universality

from seeking happiness to seeking God

from desire to surrender

from effort to Grace

7. Margali as a Personal Experience

For many, Mārgaḻi stirs memories:

waking up at 3 a.m. to the smell of incense

hearing grandmother chant Tiruppāvai

seeing colourful kolams spread like poetry on the streets

sipping hot filter coffee in the morning chill

going to temples draped in shawls

listening to Carnatic kutcheris in sabhas

feeling a simple, inexplicable joy

It is the month when homes, hearts, temples, and streets all participate in devotion.

8. Modern Mārgaḻi—Yet Eternal

Even today, in cities filled with noise and speed, Mārgaḻi brings a softness.

Younger generations rediscover Andal. Musicians offer their best in the Chennai music season.

Temples brim with early-morning sevā.

But beyond culture and tradition, Mārgaḻi remains what it always was:

A month to pause, breathe, and remember the Divine.

A month to return to the inner home.

The Blessing of Mārgaḻi

Mārgaḻi is a reminder that God does not hide in heaven—He hides in silence.

And silence finds us most readily in this sacred month.

Whoever embraces even a small practice in Mārgaḻi—one verse a day, one heartfelt prayer, one quiet morning—is touched by a special grace.

For in this month, the distance between the heart and God becomes wonderfully small.

QUOTES FROM HINDU SCRIPTURES.

1. Bhagavad Gita (Lord Krishna’s declaration)

“Māsānām Mārgaśīrṣo’ham”

मासानां मार्गशीर्षोऽहम् ॥ (Bhagavad Gita 10.35)

“Among all months, I am Mārgaśīrṣa.”

— Krishna reveals the sacredness, purity, and divine vibration of this month.

This is the most authoritative scriptural glorification of Mārgaḻi.

2. Taittiriya Samhita – Vedas

Mārgaśīrṣa as the month of divine austerity

Vedas associate Mārgaśīrṣa/Dhanur with Brahma-muhūrta, austerity, and worship.

“ब्राह्ममुहूर्ते च प्रातःकृत्यम्”

(Taittirīya Saṃhitā 1.2.12)

Though not naming the month directly, Vedic commentators apply this particularly to Dhanur Māsa, where early-morning worship is prescribed.

3. Nārada Purāṇa

Worship in Dhanur Māsa is supremely meritorious

“धनुर्मासे प्रातरुत्थाय विष्णुं संपूजयेद् बुधः।”

(Nārada Purāṇa, Uttarabhāga)

“He who rises early and worships Vishnu during Dhanur Māsa obtains supreme merit.”

4. Padma Purāṇa

“Dhanur Māsa is equal to performing thousands of yajñas.”

“धनुर्मासे जगन्नाथपूजया यत्प्राप्यते फलम्

न तत्फलं लभेत्सोऽपि सहस्रयज्ञकर्मणा।”

(Padma Purāṇa)

What one gains by worshiping Vishnu in Dhanur Māsa cannot be achieved even by performing a thousand yajñas.

5. Skanda Purāṇa – Vaishnava Khanda

Early morning worship in Mārgaḻi

“धनुर्मासे तु यः कुर्यात् प्रातरुत्थानमेव हि

विष्णुलोकं स गच्छेत्।”

One who rises before sunrise during Dhanur Māsa attains Vishnu’s abode.

6. Varāha Purāṇa

Special vrata of waking up early

“धनुर्मासे प्रबोधितो देवो विष्णुः सन्तुष्टिमाययात्।”

(Varāha Purāṇa)

In Dhanur Māsa, Lord Vishnu is most pleased by early morning worship.

7. Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa

Offering food during this month

“धनुर्मासे प्रदत्ता अन्नं अक्षय्यं भवति।”

Food offered to God in this month becomes inexhaustible in merit.

8. Śrī Vaishnava Tradition – Divya Prabandham

No month is more beautifully celebrated than Mārgaḻi, thanks to Āṇḍāḷ.

Tiruppāvai – opening verse

“மார்கழித் திங்கள் मधि நிறைந்த नன்னाल आलवायिल्...”

(Tiruppāvai 1)

On this full-moon-like auspicious Mārgaḻi day…

Tiruppāvai itself is considered the essence of the Vedas and is recited only in Mārgaḻi by ancient tradition.

Nācciyār Tirumoli

“மார்கழி நீராடு…”

Āṇḍāḷ directly glorifies Mārgaḻi as the month of divine vrata, especially dedicated to Vishnu.

9. Saiva Agamas – Importance of Mārgaḻi for Shiva Worship

While Vaishnavas emphasize Vishnu in Dhanur Māsa, Śaivāgamas also glorify Mārgaḻi.

Śiva Purāṇa

“मार्गशीर्षे तु यो भक्तः शिवपूजां समाचरेत्

सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोकं स गच्छति।”

One who worships Shiva in Mārgaśīrṣa is freed from sins and attains Shiva’s abode.

10. Manu Smṛti

Manu highlights the seasonal purity of Hemanta ऋतु which includes Mārgaśīrṣa.

“हेमन्ते मार्घशीर्षे च”

(Manu Smṛti 2.22)

Commentators specify this as the time for pure foods and sacred observances.

11. Mahabharata

Bhishma’s teaching on auspicious seasons

“मार्गशीर्षो महीपाल सर्वमासेषु उत्तमः”

(Anuśāsana Parva)

Mārgaśīrṣa is the foremost of all months.

12. Tamil Śaiva Tradition – Tēvāram

Appar and Sambandar mention early morning worship in the cold month (Mārgaḻi).

“மார்கழித் திங்கள் மணிப் பொழுதில்…”

These hymns celebrate Śiva worship at dawn during Margazhi.

13. Dhanur Māsa Aradhana – Pāñcarātra Āgamas

Early morning Vishnu pūjā from 3:30 AM to sunrise

Āgamas prescribe:

“अर्धरात्रात् प्रभृति धनुर्मासे पूजां कुर्यात्।”

In Dhanur Māsa, pūjā must begin in the last quarter of the night.

This is why temples conduct Tiruppāvai Seva, Dhanur Māsa Suprabhāta Seva, etc.

14. Kalidasa – Raghuvaṃśam

Season described beautifully

“हेमन्तागमनी मार्गशीर्षस्य प्रिया दिने”

Kalidasa poetically portrays Margashirsha as a month of clarity and purity.

Mataram vande.

 

वन्दे मातरम्!

सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्,

शस्यश्यामलाम् मातरम्!

वन्दे मातरम्!

शुभ्रज्योत्स्नापुलकितयामिनीम्,

फुल्लकुसुमितद्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,

सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम्,

सुखदां वरदां मातरम्!

वन्दे मातरम्!

कोटि-कोटि-कण्ठ-कल-कल-निनाद-कराले,

कोटि-कोटि-भुजैर्धृत-खरकरवाले,

अबला केन मा एतबले?

बहुबलधारिणीं नमामि तारिणीम्,

रिपुदलवारिणीम् मातरम्!

त्वं हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणीम्,

कमला कमलदलविहारिणीम्,

वाणी विद्यादायिनीम् नमामि त्वाम्!

नमामि कमलाम्,

अमलां अतुलां,

सुजलां सुफलां मातरम्!

वन्दे मातरम्!

श्यामलां सरलां सुस्मितां

भूषिताम् धरणीं मातरम्!

वन्दे मातरम्!

Vande Mātaram!

Sujalāṁ suphalāṁ malayaja-śītalām,

Śasya-śyāmalām mātaram!

Vande Mātaram!

Śubhra-jyotsnā-pulakita-yāminīm,

Phulla-kusumita-drumadala-śobhinīm,

Suhāsinīṁ sumadhura-bhāṣiṇīm,

Sukhadāṁ varadāṁ mātaram!

Vande Mātaram!

Koṭi-koṭi-kaṇṭha-kalakala-nināda-karāle,

Koṭi-koṭi-bhujairdhṛta-kharakaravāle,

Abalā kena mā etabale?

Bahubaladhāriṇīṁ namāmi tāriṇīm,

Ripudalavāriṇīm mātaram!

Tvaṁ hi Durgā daśa-praharaṇa-dhāriṇīm,

Kamala kamaladala-vihāriṇīm,

Vāṇī vidyādāyinīṁ namāmi tvām!

Namāmi kamalām,

Amalāṁ atulām,

Sujalāṁ suphalāṁ mātaram!

Vande Mātaram!

Śyāmalāṁ saralāṁ susmitāṁ

Bhūṣitāṁ dharaṇīṁ mātaram!

Vande Mātaram!

I bow to thee, Mother.

Rich with streams and fruitful fields,

Cool with the winds of sandalwood,

Dark with crops and fertile lands.

Mother, I bow to thee.

Night glows in your moonlit radiance,

Your forests bloom with flowers,

You smile in sweetness,

Your speech is gentle,

You bring joy and blessings.

Mother, I bow to thee.

With millions of voices you roar,

With millions of arms you defend.

Who says you are weak?

You are strength incarnate,

Destroyer of enemies,

Saviour and Mother.

I bow to thee.

You are Durga—ten-armed and fearless,

You are Lakshmi—lotus-dwelling,

You are Saraswati—giver of wisdom.

Pure, incomparable,

Rich with water, rich with fruits—

O Motherland, I bow to thee.

Green, graceful, smiling Earth,

Beautiful Mother!

Vande Mataram!

Listening transformation.

 Bhāgavata: The Story of the Devotee

Parīkṣit’s Realization After Seven Days of Divine Listening

When the seven days of Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa drew to their sacred close, a hush fell on the banks of the Gaṅgā. The great sages sat absorbed in silence. King Parīkṣit, the one destined to meet death by the bite of Takṣaka, had just finished listening to the most transformative narration in all of human history — the Bhāgavata Kathā of Śukadeva Gosvāmi.

As the final moments approached, Śukadeva gently asked:

“O King, the time foretold has come.

Are you afraid?

Will you die now as predicted?”

What emerged from Parīkṣit’s lips was not fear, nor sorrow, nor regret — but realization.

“I am not born — so where is the question of death?”

This one sentence reveals the true power of the Bhāgavata.

It is more than scripture.

It is awakening.

The Seven-Day Transformation:

How the Bhāgavata Dissolved Parīkṣit’s Fear

1. Discovery of the True Self

Through seven uninterrupted days of hearing, Parīkṣit realized:

“I am the ātman — eternal, unborn, unchanging.”

Birth and death are events for the body,

but the soul is untouched — like the sky by the passing clouds.

Once this becomes lived truth, fear dissolves like darkness before the lamp.

2. The Ending of Karma

Śukadeva’s narration was soaked in purity.

Listening with total surrender burns away the heaviest of karmas:

kṣipanty aghaṁ mahad api

“Hari-kathā destroys even the greatest sins.

At the end of day seven, Parīkṣit was no longer a king,

but a liberated soul, free from every bond.

What remains for the liberated?

Only peace. Only grace.

3. Surrender to Divine Will

He saw the curse not as punishment but as God’s own arrangement,

a gentle invitation to come home.

There was no anger toward the boy-sage,

no bitterness toward life,

no dread of the snake.

Everything was accepted as the unfolding of Nārāyaṇa’s will.

4. A Mind Fully Absorbed in Krishna

From verse to verse, story to story, rasa to rasa,

Parīkṣit’s mind became steady like a lamp in a windless place.

He listened not with the ears but with the soul,

until only one Presence remained — Krishna, the Inner Dweller.

Thus, when Śukadeva asked about death,

Parīkṣit’s smile held the serenity of one who had already crossed to the other shore.

Why the Kathā Is Called “Bhāgavata” and Not “Bhagavān Kathā”

A profound insight preserved in our tradition says:

 “Bhāgavata Kathā is the story of the bhakta,

not merely the story of Bhagavān.”

If it were simply God’s own story,

it would have been named Bhagavān Kathā.

But the name chosen by Vyāsa is Bhāgavata —

and this choice holds the core philosophy of the text.

1. Who Is a “Bhāgavata”?

The word means:

 “One who belongs to Bhagavān.”

A devotee whose heart orbits around the Lord.

Thus, the Purāṇa called Bhāgavata is:

The scripture of God as experienced by His devotees,

The scripture of the devotee’s love,

The scripture of relationship — not just divinity.

God is infinite and beyond the reach of mind or speech,

but God as reflected in the heart of His devotees becomes accessible, sweet, and close.

Bhagavān is known through the Bhāgavata — the bhakta.

2. Every Story in the Bhāgavata Is About How God Responds to Devotion

Consider each major episode:

Prahlāda → Narasiṁha appears

Dhruva’s austerity → Viṣṇu manifests

Gajendra’s cry → The Lord rushes without delay

Akrūra’s longing → Krishna reveals His cosmic form

Uddhava’s devotion → Krishna teaches the Uddhava Gītā

Parīkṣit’s surrender → Śukadeva arrives uninvited

Gopikas’ love → The Rāsa-līlā is born

The cause is always devotion.

The effect is God’s loving response.

Therefore, the Purāṇa is named not after God,

but after those whose hearts draw God into the world —

the devotees.

3. A Devotee Is Placed Even Above God

The Bhāgavata says:

mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā

“Worship of My devotees is greater than worship of Me.”

This is the unique message of the Bhāgavata.

It elevates the devotee to the highest place —

the heart of God.

Therefore, the scripture celebrates:

Prahlāda’s innocence

Ambarīṣa’s steadiness

Kunti’s humility

Uddhava’s clarity

Gopikā’s bhakti

Parīkṣit’s surrender.

Śukadeva’s transcendence

It is truly the Purāṇa of the Bhaktas.

Bhāgavata: A Mirror for the Soul

Because the Bhāgavata centers the devotee,

it becomes a mirror where every listener finds their own reflection.

The stories do not speak about God “out there,”

but about God living within the heart:

As tenderness

As longing

As peace

As remembrance

As devotion

As liberation

When we listen to Bhāgavata Kathā,

we become the Parīkṣit of our own inner journey.

“I Am Not Born — How Can I Die?”**

At the end of seven days, Parīkṣit’s realization

is the natural flowering of Bhāgavata Kathā:

He had shed the body-consciousness.

He had surrendered all ego.

He had dissolved karma.

He had seen God everywhere.

He had become a Bhāgavata — a true devotee.

So when the moment came,

he did not see Takṣaka as death,

but as simply the last form through which the Lord freed him from the body.

What dies is the body.

What departs is the breath.

What remains is the Self —

eternal, serene, luminous.

Thus spoke the king:

> “I am not born —

so where is the question of death?”

The Gift of Listening to the Bhāgavata**

The Bhāgavata is not the story of God’s power,

but the story of God’s love —

as experienced through the hearts of His devotees.

This is why listening to it:

frees the mind,

purifies the heart,

kindles devotion,

dissolves fear,

awakens surrender,

and brings one to the threshold of liberation.

Knowledge into experience,

emotion into devotion,

life into pilgrimage.

The Bhāgavata does not merely teach one to live.

It teaches one to live in God,

and even more, to die in God,

with the same smile that shone on Parīkṣit’s face

as he merged into the Infinite.

PPSPSADM

Param Pujya Dongreji Maharaj: 

Among the many radiant saints who have nourished the spiritual landscape of Bhārata, Param Pujya Shri Pandurang Shastri Athavale–Dongreji Maharaj occupies a special, tender place. His voice carried the sweetness of bhakti, his mind shone with scriptural mastery, and his heart throbbed with an almost maternal concern for the spiritual upliftment of every seeker who came before him. To listen to his discourses was to experience a stream of grace—steady, compassionate, and transformative.

A Childhood Steeped in Sacredness

Dongreji Maharaj was born into a family where dharma flowed like a natural river. From early childhood he was exposed to Vedic recitation, scriptural study, and the atmosphere of devotion and seva. The young Pandurang Shastri showed an unusual combination of sharp intellect and deep humility. Even before he reached adulthood, his teachers recognized in him the rare ability to absorb, remember, and interpret the vast scriptural heritage of our land.

Scriptures did not sit on his tongue—they settled in his heart. And when the heart is illuminated, life becomes an offering. So it was with him.

Master of the Shrimad Bhagavatam

If there is one text with which Dongreji Maharaj’s name shines inseparably, it is the Shrimad Bhagavatam. He was not merely a scholar of the Purānas—he became a living vessel of the Bhagavata message. His pravachans were never dry intellectual explanations; they were Kathā in the purest traditional sense, where the narrator becomes a transparent medium for divine truths to flow through.

Listeners often remarked that when he spoke, the characters of the Bhagavatam seemed to descend into the gathering, bringing with them the fragrance of Vrindavan, the majesty of Vaikuntha, and the compassion of Bhagavān Himself.

What set Dongreji Maharaj apart was his ability to bring subtle philosophy into the listener’s heart without burden, like a mother feeding a child with love rather than instruction. Whether he explained the creation hymn, the birth of Krishna, or the path of devotion shown by the Gopis, his words dissolved doubts and awakened a natural, spontaneous devotion.

Dongreji Maharaj’s Kathās were not events—they were pilgrimages. Thousands gathered not merely to listen, but to be transformed. He saw no one as ordinary. Every listener was, in his eyes, a soul searching for its forgotten divinity. It was this gaze of reverence that healed hearts even before the Katha began.

A famous incident illustrates this:

During one Bhagavata Saptāh, a poor farmer approached him with tears. “Maharaj,” he said, “I cannot understand Sanskrit. I cannot grasp philosophy. What am I to take from this sacred text?”

Dongreji Maharaj smiled and replied:

“Take the Lord. All the rest is commentary.”

This was his essence. The goal of life, he taught, is not to become erudite but to become intimate with the Divine. His compassion did not discriminate between the scholar and the labourer, the wealthy and the poor, the educated and the unlettered. To him, every human was a temple waiting for its lamp to be lit.

Dongreji Maharaj believed that devotion without service is incomplete. Quoting the Bhagavata, he emphasized that seva is not charity—it is an expression of love. He encouraged his listeners to live a life where dharma, bhakti, and karma were inseparable.

Under his influence, many found new meaning in daily living: seeing their family as sacred responsibility, their work as worship, and their interactions as opportunities to express kindness.

Saints do not leave monuments; they leave transformed hearts. Dongreji Maharaj’s legacy lives in:

the countless devotees who found solace in the Bhagavatam, the students who discovered purpose in dharma,the households where satsanga became a way of life, and the seekers whose faith deepened not through fear, but through understanding.

His voice may no longer echo in the physical world, but his message continues to live—timeless, gentle, yet powerful.

“Where there is love for God, there is the end of all suffering.”

—Dongreji Maharaj

 The Saint Who Made Scripture a Companion

In an age where life moves rapidly and the mind grows restless, Dongreji Maharaj’s teachings remind us that spirituality is not an escape from life but a way of deepening it. He taught that the Bhagavata is not a text to be visited once, but a companion to be lived with—its stories guiding our emotions, its philosophy strengthening our mind, and its devotion softening our heart.

The Lord is near.

The Lord is loving.

And the Lord is waiting for us to turn inward.

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Must listen to all of them.

Hastam.

 Anjali refers to folding one’s hands before God as an expression of devotion and surrender. Acharya Sri Alavandar highlights the profundity of this gesture in the 28th verse of his ‘Stotra Rathnam’. Swamy Vedanta Desika further glorifies its spiritual significance in his treatise, Anjali Vaibhavam.

Anjali should be offered only to the Supreme Lord and His Divine Consort. The sacred gesture may be performed at any time. Anyone, regardless of caste, creed, religion, or gender, can perform.

Dr. Venkatesh mentioned in a discourse that Anjali may be performed by raising the hands above the head or by holding them together at the chest. If, due to misfortune, a person is unable to perform Anjali physically, it is sufficient to offer it mentally, through sincere contemplation. One may perform Anjali either with a complete understanding of its significance or even without it — the gesture, whether physical or mental, is accepted by the Lord when offered with devotion.

Shri Parasara Bhattar beautifully states in the ‘Gunaratna Kosa’ that Goddess Mahalaksmi feels a tender regret. She cannot bestow anything greater than Moksha — the highest and final blessing — in response to our simple act of Anjali. Such is her boundless compassion. It is enough if a person performs even a single Anjali with sincerity. There is no stipulation that one must do it repeatedly or with elaborate effort. Even one heartfelt gesture is sufficient to draw Her infinite grace.

Anjali has the divine power to melt God’s heart and draw His abundant grace upon us. Its benefits are instantaneous. It dispels all negative influences and wipes away our sins, even without our awareness. It removes the lingering effects of our past misdeeds, leaving no trace behind. Through Anjali, one receives every blessing, benefit, and comfort needed for a righteous and fulfilling life.

Silent mind.

 A little girl once asked the sage,

“Master, tell me, if you will—

How does one silence the restless mind?

How does it learn to be still?”

Patanjali smiled like dawn unfolding,

Soft as moonlight on a hill.

He asked her, “Child, how do you stop

Your trembling hand’s small thrill?”

She shook her hand and then released it,

Letting quiet gently fill.

“By not shaking it,” she whispered—

Innocence revealing skill.

“Just so,” the ancient sage replied,

“The mind is shaken by your will.

You follow thoughts like scattered birds,

And wonder why they will not still.”

“Let thoughts arise, let thoughts subside—

Do not chase each passing drill.

The lake reflects the moon again

When waters cease to ripple and spill.”

“Silence is not something made,

Nor forged by effort, force, or skill.

It blooms when you stop stirring it—

A lotus on a windless rill.”

“So stay,” he said, “as the quiet seer,

Not the storm you try to kill.

Calmness is your native home—

Return, and let the heart refill.”

The girl bowed low before the sage,

Her eyes serene, her breath now still.

For she had learned the secret truth:

The mind is silent when you are still.

The Sage’s Answer to the Simplest and Deepest Question

There is a story often whispered in the yogic tradition—soft, luminous, and simple. It is about Maharishi Patanjali, the great compiler of the Yoga Sutras, and a little girl whose heart carried the same question that troubles even the greatest seekers:

“How does one silence the mind?”

She asked it with all the clarity that only a child can carry. No philosophy, no heavy theory—just a direct question from the center of innocence. Patanjali looked at her, and a smile slowly spread across his face, the kind of smile that holds both compassion and knowing.

Instead of answering, he asked her:

“Child, how do you stop your hand from trembling?”

The girl lifted her little hand, shook it playfully, and then stopped.

She looked up and said, almost surprised by her own simplicity:

“By not shaking it.”

Patanjali nodded. In her answer was the essence of yoga.

The Mind Shakes Because We Shake It

He told her, with a voice as calm as still water:

“Just as the hand trembles only when you move it,

the mind becomes restless only when you participate in its movements.”

Thoughts arise.

Desires pull.

Emotions swirl.

And we follow every one of them, as though each thought were a command, each fear a truth, each desire an instruction.

Patanjali explained:

“The mind is not noisy by nature.

It is noisy because you keep stirring it.”

He pointed to a pot of clear water beside him.

“See this water?

When it is shaken, the moon’s reflection breaks into a thousand pieces.

When it is still, the moon reveals itself effortlessly.”

The girl leaned over and saw the truth of his words for herself.

The moon was there—not something to be created, only something to be revealed.

Silence Is Not Created — It Is Allowed

Patanjali then uttered one of the gentlest teachings ever given:

“Silence is not something you manufacture.

It appears when you stop disturbing it.”

This is the heart of yoga.

The mind need not be conquered, suppressed, or fought.

It only needs to be left alone for a moment, allowed to settle like dust in a sunbeam.

He told her:

“Do not chase every thought.

Do not argue with every emotion.

Do not follow every desire.

Let them arise and let them pass.

You remain the seer.”

In the Yoga Sutras, this is expressed as:

“Drashtuh svarupe avasthanam

— The seer rests in its own nature.”

The little girl did not know Sanskrit, but she knew truth when she heard it. Her eyes widened with a soft understanding—the kind that does not come from the mind, but from the heart.

Stillness Is Our Nature

Patanjali concluded:

“Calmness is your true nature.

Noise is the movement you add.

Return to your nature.”

In those few lines lies the entire science of inner peace—the whole architecture of the yogic path. The girl bowed, touching her small hands to the earth, and went away with a lightness in her step, carrying a wisdom that even adults struggle to grasp.

For in that brief interaction, Patanjali had shown her—and us—something profound:

**The mind becomes silent not by force,

but by ceasing to disturb it.**

Silence is not a destination.

It is home.