Reflections of Divinity

  My mom always said, “ God helps anyone who seeks it. And God has a very limited vocabulary in which the word ‘no’ is absent. He has only one word and that is ‘yes’.” She illustrated this by narrating this beautiful story from Mahabharata. It was a war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. There were allies made and battle lines drawn. The support from the   Y adavas was of great importance to both the teams and the war had become imminent. Lord Narayana's army known as the Narayani sena had four major clans with their chieftians that made up the Yadavas. Duryodhana was very keen on having the Yadavas on his side .He therefore decides to approach Krishna for help but to his dismay Arjuna also comes to Krishna to seek help at the same time with the same intention. When Duryodhana and Arjuna entered into Krishna’s chamber, they found him sleeping. They both awaited for him to wake up.   When Krishna awoke from sleep it was Arjuna, He saw first because Arjuna was sitti...

  When there is pride,  God knows how to crush it to powder it. Pride, a complicated emotion, rears its head even in the most unsuspected corners. One man may be proud that he is proud, and another, proud that he is not proud. While one may be proud that he is a non-believer in God, another may be proud of his devotion to God. Learning may render one man proud, and yet ignorance can also be the source of pride for another man.   Another by-product of pride is vanity, which intensely craves admiration and applause. It is an undue assumption of self-importance. It often results in open and rude expression of contempt and hostility. It quickly takes for granted superiority and privilege, which others are slow to concede.   However, if you think pride or ego is easy to get rid of, think again!   The following story of Shri Krishna’s second wife exemplifies how her vanity was crushed to powder.   Krishna’s second wife was Satyabama, a very pro...

  ­My mom often said,” God listens to us more than what we want to say. So, talk to him.” She also said that prayers need not be long but they need to be sincere. And sincere prayers get a Tathastu. Being curious, I asked my mom what a Tathastu is. She said,” so be it.”   So let’s understand, what 'Tathastu' is. It is said that in ancient times Rishis and Rakshas performed deep meditation to please particular God to gain specific wishes come true.    When God presented himself being pleased by their devotion he granted a boon by saying ‘Tathastu’. ‘Tathastu’ is a Sanskrit word combining the words ‘tat’ (so) + ‘Astu ‘ (means happen or be it) meaning happens as per your wish. But one has to be cautious and careful of what you are wishing for. Let me explain to you this with the story of Bhasmasur. Bhasmasur performed intense Tapasya and Sadhana for many years to please Lord Shiva. There was intense heat and attraction generated by his penance. Because of this...

 A man turns into something good by good actions and into something bad by bad actions . Karma, which means deeds is a concept in Hinduism that explains how the executed actions of an individual affect the individual and the life he or she lives. Karma simply means actions. Every action has its consequences so it is the choice - making of deeds which is the most effective way of creating the consequences of karma. Whatever we speak or think, we initiate something called force which reacts accordingly. Therefore most people are prisoners of karma.  Karmas are invisible fine particles of matter prevailing all around us just like air particles.   Time and Karma are inseparable. The law of karma is infallible and everyone invariably is subjected to it. Even the Maha Gyaanis and the Maha Purush of the Dwaparyug were not spared by karma. The conversation between Lord Krishna and Rukmani after the Mahabharata battle is significant and can help us to understand the theory of karm...

  Those who believe they can move mountains, they can. Those who believe they cannot move mountains, they cannot. Think doubt and fail. Think victory and succeed . Today, I am going to tell you a story of the 2 foremen governing our lives. These two men are in charge of our factory of thought process. Our mind is a busy thought factory producing countless thoughts in one day. Thoughts of success and thoughts of failure, both are produced. Our success, our failures, our happiness, our procrastination, our sorrows, our progress are in charge of these two foremen. Let me introduce you to these very influential entities that are responsible for every good and bad in our life. To our right is Mr. Triumph, who is the fharishta and to our left is Mr. defeat, the shaitaan. I remember the days of childhood when my mother use to often say that shaitaan holds a court every night and asks its servants what they did to whom. One servant would reply that he stopped a topper from st...

 She is dark. She is fierce. She is death. She is doomsday. She is Shakti. She is destruction. She is the total energy of our universe. Yes, she is Kali.... Maa Kali. This quintessential embodiment of Shakti is female power. She is scary, bloodthirsty. She is destruction personified and the ultimate protector against evil. In spite of her terrible form, Mahakali is often considered the kindest and most loving of all the Hindu goddesses. She has dark complexion, red eyes, four arms and wears garland of skulls. This goddess will always be seen stepping over the chest of Lord Shiva, who is her husband. Ever wondered why? Let me take you to the episode of Goddess Kali in which she steps over Lord Shiva. There was once a demon named Rakhtbeej, Who was very powerful. He had acquired a boon that he could recreate himself as soon as even a single drop of blood falls on earth. This boon gave him the power to shake the gods. It was impossible for the gods to control his autocracy. Therefore ...