An Ordinary Person's Views on Dharma

https://youtu.be/rbj08C-nXdA A beautiful song by Padma Vibhushan recipient  Shri Ilaiyaraja from a 2005 movie. Raagam is Kalyani. The lyrics and visuals  introduce a happy, musical family and a sense of absolute  ananda descends on the listener... The power of divine music, it's end goal that's the ultimate himself, harmony where each note is distinct,  yet,  is a part of a sweet composition, family values,  all in a three minute song.  Shri Raja comes from a long line of musical stalwarts in Tamil cinema who based their compositions on the timeless classical music tradition also known as the carnatic music. I am not qualified to discuss the technicalities of carnatic music and can only speak as an average listener with an ear for melody. I feel Shri Raja,  despite working in a time period in Tamil cinema, when social themes were gaining more popularity as against the previous bhakthi - movie era , introduced a...

Sri Goda Devi was a divine gift to Sri Periyazhwar who found her as a baby under a Tulsi plant in his nandavanam. His vatsalya bhakthi towards Sriman Narayana or Perumal as he is affectionately called in Tamil melted Sri Bhumi Devi's heart and she became his daughter. To the Father,  Sri Krishna was a child and to the Daughter, he was the Nayaka . Goda Devi /Andal practiced Madhurya bhakthi and she merged with Bhagawan in the Garbagriha of Srirangam temple as the entire town watched in awe the divine light that filled the Garbagriha. To this day, Vaishnavite brides in Tamilnadu wear a head dress similar to what Sri Goda Devi wore on their wedding day. For, Goda Devi's love for Bhagawan is the ideal each bride aspires to Sri Goda Devi was a divine gift to Sri Periyazhwar who found her as a baby under a Tulsi plant in his nandavanam. His vatsalya bhakthi towards Sriman Narayana or Perumal as he is affectionately called in Tamil melted Sri Bhumi Devi's heart and she ...

    Dear sweet making sister  If your Diwali sweet turns out too soft, call it halwa. If it turns out too hard, call it burfi.  If it looks like it can use some sugar, say  it's  low glucose.  If it doesn't look like anything your mothers ever made, find a new name for it! But one thing is sure. All the sweets you made chanting the name of Yashoda's butter stealing son are definitely sweeter!  Happy Deepawali!

Celebrated on Chaturdasi thithi in the month of Thula , Deepawali reminds us of more than  one great event related to our ithihasas.  We celebrate the home coming of Sri Rama, Sri Lakshmana and Sri Sita along with their vanara guests.   We also remember the home coming of the Pandava brothers after their vana vaasa and agnyata vaasa.  People from some States celebrate Deepawali for three days as Lakshmi puja. People from some other states celebrate as Naraka Chaturdasi.  Narakasura was an asura who was born of Sriman Narayana and Ma BhuDevi. His boon was her could only be killed by his own mother and none else... As Asuras act always after getting powerful boons, he harassed people in every way.  Sri Krishna and Ma Satyabhama went to the battlefield together and it was Smt. Satyabhama who slew him. She is an amsavatara of ma BhuDevi.  It shows Bhagawan delivers justice without any bias. A dying...

Modern women and men are bombarded every day with subtle / unsubtle messages about why women are special and why they need to treated in a special way. It’s true that women are indeed special but not for the reasons the liberals of this world list out. “You can do anything a man can do!” is the constant mantra that’s being thrown at women all the time. Let’s face it.  This isn’t true .  Men and women have different skillsets for the reason that they are meant to complement each other. Any person with real leadership skills can tell you that great teams are built with people having diverse skillsets. Efficient, nurturing preschool teachers are mostly women. They may be grossly under paid, but are we going to demean their great service to humanity? Hard working workers of emergency/rescue services/city cleaning services are mostly men. Their service to humanity goes unsung. Where would our modern homes be without the work skills of ordinary plumber...

"This navmi let us pray that No Durga is aborted, No Saraswati is stopped from going to school, No Lakshmi has to beg for money from her husband, No Parvati is sacrificed for dowry and No Kali is given a tube of fairness cream!!!"  My response to this forward is given below.  "This Navarathri , as we worship Devi who rid the world of Asuras , let's pray.  May no BABY be aborted in this sacred land of ours. We, especially the educated women folk of new India KNOW very well, that second or third babies are aborted in many homes. Why? Isn't shishu hatya a grave sin? We don't question the I pill advertisers either. We can be safe than be sorry isn't it? Or, if an "out of syllabus"  baby happens despite care, think of him/her as Durga's gift and HAVE  it!  Repeat after me, No Krishna, no Durga should be aborted.   No Brahma and no Saraswathy should be stopped from going to school either.   Haven'...