An Ordinary Person's Views on Dharma

       What’s in store for us? What next? This is the question that bothers all of us at the moment, irrespective of how old or young we are. While many older adults find the post-pandemic situation threatening, younger adults like you may have plenty of questions and concerns. Many of you may see the tired, scared faces of your own parents and decide against voicing your own fears about the future. We do not know the precise moment the world changed ,but all of us know it has indeed changed dramatically. But some things never change. I am putting down some points I discuss with my own children and hope it will be of some use to you. I list below the things that would matter in any time period, any place.     *A good and positive attitude towards work and knowledge. Skills and knowledge that define “success” as we see it, change with time and place. For example, the skill of stringing flowers together /garland making would be lucrative only where there is a d

Today is Ashada Shukla Ekadashi. 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺 Every year, on Ashada Shukla Ekadashi, lakhs of Varkaris (followers of varkari sampradaya) from different parts of Maharashtra and also other states walk to Pandarpur to see their beloved Panduranga Vittala. This year, due to the prevailing situation, there's a curfew in place. A news article says that the Government has allowed 20 Varkaris and 9 palanquins carrying the divine padukas of Sant Gyaneswar and Sant Tukaram to be carried in a procession. A limited number of people will open the temple and perform the puja. 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺 What's happening now is Sri Vittal's will. 🙏🏼🙏🏼 The heart  feels heavy but is also thankful for the symbolic celebrations that are being conducted in all our Maha kshetras,be it Puri or Pandarpur. This is a bittersweet moment. Just like the time when Sri Krishna disappeared during rasa lila and the Gopikas cried, looked for him and found him. 🙏🏼 What'

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺 *Narasimha Jayanthi special* 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 The young man (some say he was from Chozha desam , TN) had got the diksha of Sri Narasimha mantra... He found a spot under a tree in that forest and began his sadhana... Days became weeks but the lion - faced Lord didn't appear. 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁 The hunter belonged to that forest and he wondered what that Brahmana was doing sitting under the tree... To the hunter, the young sadhaka was a honored guest. The man of the jungle kindly enquired what the other man needed from that forest. The young man was not in a mood to be disturbed by anyone, so he gave an evasive reply that he was looking for a a lion - man. "Sounds like a strange animal indeed! I know this forest very well but have never come across such an animal!" the hunter said. 😊🦁 The hunter however assured his "guest" that he would find that tricky animal and hand it over to him

*Sri Rama Rama Rama Rama* 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞 A thousand Suns rose after mid - noon  that day. It was the ninth day of Shukla paksha in Meena maasa. The Sun was past the highest point in the sky - dome. He stopped for a micro second and felt happy that Bhagawan had kept his promise. The Moon was in Punarvasu. 🌜🌜🌜🌜🌜🌜🌜🌜 The Deva ganas and Rishi ganas rejoiced. The tapas of the fortunate parents had been answered. Sri Vasishta Maharshi smiled as he uttered the nama *Ra - ma.* "It gets sweeter with each chanting!" He thought. Elsewhere another Maharshi smiled too, thinking about how the  yagya of Rishis was going to be protected as they should be. "He and his brother will come here soon!" He said to himself. Sri Gautama Maharshi folded his hands together as his gaze fell on what looked like a rocky mound. Tears fell from his eyes. "He'll come here  soon to bless her !" 👶👶👶👶👶👶👶👶 A certain chief of Nishadas,

Sri Venkateswara Swamy, Tirupati, AP. 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺 This Swami needs no introduction but it's worth remembering now, that, for the first time in a hundred years, his temple is not open for 22 hours everyday. On ordinary days, about 75 K to one lakh devotees visit him everyday and his temple is open almost until 1 pm in  the night... We have heard of a Krishna temple in Kerala that closes just for an hour everyday but that's the rule in that temple. A very special case, to be precise. Temples built as per agama shastra ( or Tantra shastra, as in Parasurama kshetra) have to be maintained /operated as per the same shastra. Thousands of people may visit everyday but the fact remains that the Swami at Tirupati has had no rest since years  nor are the unseen celestials given their rightful share of time to worship him after the humans leave for the day... *Now he's in and we are all out.* 😢 His sevaks do the regular pujas and maintain the temple