Two Words That Show The Intelligence Of Sanskrit Construction

“According to the Vedic version, there is a hellish planet called Put, and one who delivers a person from there is called putra. The purpose of marriage, therefore, is to have a putra, or son who is able to deliver his father, even if the father falls down to the hellish condition of put.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.21.46 Purport)

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They call it the language of the gods. The script is Devanagari, which has a literal translation of “city of the demigods.” The idea is that the complexity and structure are not easily understood. It is not a way to merely talk cryptically, to mask what is being said for fear of unauthorized access.

The language has deep significance in each sound, best exemplified by the derivative meanings of its words. More than the direct meaning, the sounds are placed together with intelligence; not randomly. Interacting with these sounds and gaining a full understanding help in realizing the importance of mantra meditation, such as the chanting of the holy names.

1. Putra

In basic conversation, this means “son.” Vedic culture provides guidance on all aspects of life. A person should not be a miser. When they are born, they automatically incur three debts. One of them is to the forefathers. I may want to forego family life and the troubles of raising children, but if others before me had followed that path then I never would have appeared in this world.

“That’s fine, but who says I wanted to come here? Who is anybody else to determine my fate? Life is a struggle, don’t you see? Shouldn’t I be plotting revenge on my parents and forefathers for playing a hand in this fate?”

In truth, the human birth is the most auspicious. The realization only materializes when there is pursuit of the highest goal, purushartha. Otherwise, the human being faces increased miseries in comparison to the animal and plant species, which are also individual soul at the core.

Once I am aware that the aim of this birth is to inquire into Brahman, to realize the spiritual essence of living, then indeed there is a debt to pay to my family of generations before. One way to pay off that debt is to beget a son. In that way I have done the same as those appearing before me.

Yet the word putra has a deeper meaning. The two component terms taken separately mean “hell” and “deliverance.” Essentially, a putra is one who can deliver the father from a hellish condition. “Put” references a specific place in the hellish region, i.e. the place of punishment for the sinful after death.

A wise person realizes that there are hellish and heavenly conditions already experienced in the earthly region. In this way we see that the afterlife destinations are merely extended stays in specific conditions in comparison to the average lifespan on earth.

A person who is overly sinful has the misfortune of not receiving a gross body in the next life. They remain with mind, intelligence and ego. This form is commonly known as a ghost. The way out of the ghostly form is help from future generations within the family. The putra delivers through specific deeds; not merely by their status. They have the potential to visit the holy city of Gaya and offer pinda in charity. This food then gets eaten by the ghostly ancestors, jumpstarting the process for their eventual release.

2. Mamsa

The teacher in the bhakti division of Vedic culture will warn against eating meat. This is a component of the broader restriction on foods outside of the mode of goodness. Material life consists of three modes, and mixed together they create varieties in so many aspects, such as body types, religions, ways of learning, places of residence, charitable giving, and even eating.

The mode of goodness is ideally suited for the human being, as the animals and plants lack the potential to reach this stage. If I can eat foods only in goodness, then I have a better chance of understanding Brahman. As previously mentioned, this is the ideal goal for the soul in the human birth.

Meat belongs to the categories of passion and ignorance. In times past animal flesh was taken only in moderation and with an associated religious observance. The animals would be sacrificed in a formal ceremony, by qualified priests, resulting in promotion to a higher birth.

Even so, the Sanskrit word mamsa has an interesting derivative meaning. The two component terms mean “me” and “he.” The idea is that I am killing another living being right now for the purpose of consumption. What I don’t realize is that I am essentially eating myself. This is because the victim has the license to get revenge on me in the future. I am killing them today and they can come back and kill me to return the favor. In this way consuming mamsa is very risky.

…

As the son can deliver me from hell, so a mantra can deliver the mind from disturbance. The maha-mantra is the best formula for purification, for elevation to the mode of goodness and beyond: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Sanskrit more than just sound,

With derivative meaning profound.

Like putra referencing the son,

Saving from hell by pinda done.

Mamsa for flesh of animals eating,

Return fate in future meeting.

Power from maha-mantra see,

Holy name’s sound to free.

Two Ways To View The Appearance Of Shri Krishna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

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जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यम्
एवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर् जन्म
नैति माम् एति सो ऽर्जुन

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

The event is called Krishna Janmashtami. The attendees are well-dressed. Many of them have fasted the entire day. No food or drink. No water, even. They are awaiting the clock striking midnight to commemorate the sacred moment of Krishna’s appearance in this world some five thousand years ago.

Of all places, the setting for that moment was a jail cell. Mother Devaki would deliver on the promise from the voice in the sky, which stated that her eighth child would spell doom for the wicked leader of Mathura, Kamsa.

This single event can be viewed in different ways, and there is a corresponding effect impacting the future wellbeing of the individual.

1. The appearance of an ordinary man

Some people may not know better. After all, births occur on a regular basis. Visit your neighborhood hospital on a given day and you are sure to find babies filling up the nursery. This is the cycle of life. Birth, old age, disease and death. Bhagavad-gita describes that the soul simply moves on to another destination, which triggers the next phase of the cycle.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृह्णाति नरो ऽपराणि
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्य्
अन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही

vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro ‘parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

Despite everything they have heard about Shri Krishna, they still consider Him to be an ordinary man. Many who had eyewitness experience were also like this. Duryodhana thought that he could bind Krishna. Jarasandha thought that Devaki’s son was a simple villager who ran away from the battlefield. Shishupala could not stop insulting that great well-wisher of the Pandavas.

2. The appearance of the Supreme Lord

This side knows the actual truth. The word janma references birth, but with Krishna the event is divyam, or Divine. This means that it is not ordinary. Janma is used for helping us understand, but in truth the Supreme Lord is always around. His name of Vishnu means that He is all-pervading. Vishnu expands as the Supersoul to reside within every single heart; the antaryami feature.

The difference in viewpoints is beyond semantics. If I actually know that Krishna’s birth, death and activities are Divine, I immediately become liberated. I no longer have to suffer through birth and death. In a way, my departure from this world turns into something like a disappearance. It is not total destruction to begin with, but now I get to travel to the best destination.

The first viewpoint, which is foolishness, results in continued rebirth in a destructible body. In essence, more of the same. The tragedy is that a simple shift in viewpoint is all it takes to change the situation. Just know that Krishna is not of this world. Understand what it means to be an avatara, how material elements can never cover the one who is beyond the dualities of matter and spirit.

Everything in Vedic culture has this objective; to facilitate the change in consciousness. Not just know the Divine nature of Krishna, but truly realize it. Celebrate occasions like Janmashtami, increase the knowledgebase through reading works like Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam, apply intellect, bring every doubt to the table, and arrive at the realization yourself, after careful deliberation. Then enjoy the rare-to-be-achieved result of liberation.

In Closing:

How foolish am I?

That on senses to rely.

So an ordinary person to think,

Further into ignorance to sink.

Following ways of enemies so,

Who in challenging spirit to go.

Know one truth and turn things around,

That Krishna’s arrival on Divinity’s ground.

Two Different Perspectives On The Same Train Ride

“One who neither hates nor desires the fruits of his activities is known to be always renounced. Such a person, liberated from all dualities, easily overcomes material bondage and is completely liberated, O mighty-armed Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.3)

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ज्ञेयः स नित्य-सन्न्यासी
यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति
निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महा-बाहो
सुखं बन्धात् प्रमुच्यते

jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī
yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati
nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho
sukhaṁ bandhāt pramucyate

The Vaishnava acharya says to go beyond dualities. For this reason the genuine teacher of the Absolute Truth, as passed down in a chain of succession, will never venture into the areas of material life that will resemble a self-help guru or life coach. Such information is already available in mass quantity, but the secret of all secrets is reserved for those who have become exhausted in the constant swing of up and down, enjoyment and renunciation.

To illustrate the concept of duality, we can take a single train ride and how it is viewed differently. Nothing about the situation changes, but the external viewpoint has a variety of factors.

1. “Oh, no, it’s running local this weekend.”

“This stinking train is running local again? What is going on? I have to travel all the way to the other side of town. On the weekdays this thing goes lightning fast, but for some reason on the weekends it is hit or miss. I’m arriving from over an hour away. With the train running express, as per normal, the trip would be around forty minutes.

“Now there is an additional twenty minutes added on, but it’s not really the time that bothers me. It’s the eleven extra stops. It gets really annoying. I have to suffer the same on the way back. Usually I can pass the time rather quickly by reading a book, but that only works on the express route. I intrinsically know when my stop is approaching. But with the local trip I have to pay more attention.

“This schedule is getting to be so annoying that I am thinking of scrapping the trip altogether. I will find something better to do on the weekends. I don’t need this headache.”

2. “Oh, yes, it’s running local this weekend!”

“Whew, what a relief. I live right next to the subway, so when the express trains run local on the weekends, I am a huge beneficiary. This prevents me from having to wait forever on a local train to meet up on a transfer stop down the line. Another option would be to walk fifteen minutes to the station where the express train stops normally, but who wants to do that?

“In the winter every minute spent outside is brutal. In the summer I wouldn’t mind it, but a lot of the times I am carrying something. The cargo tends to weigh you down as more time passes. I know because sometimes I order pizza from a nearby place, and carrying the pie with two hands for ten minutes can become a little annoying.

“I’m so lucky that they do this construction on the weekends, which means that the express tends to run local more often. Some other people might get annoyed, but who cares? It’s the weekend; let everyone live in peace.”

…

The most interesting aspect of this analysis is that the perspectives are from the same person. In one situation they live far away from the train station, so they want to cut down on the additional travel time. In the second situation they have moved closer to a station in which the local train stops.

Material life operates in this way, as what may be beneficial for one person is not for another. The rain is welcome news in the heat of the summer, but not so forgiving in the colder autumn months. Therefore, if a spiritual leader makes recommendations such as “finding your passion” or “going for what you want in life,” I might actually end up being more miserable. What I thought I wanted may be harmful to me, and vice versa.

Spiritual practices such as chanting the holy names are always beneficial: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Thinking of the Supreme Lord, contemplating His features, remembering His lila, describing Him to others – these are auspicious in any time of the day, and to any person.

The human birth is the best of all possible entries into the material world, and the timeless practice of bhakti-yoga is the best use of the time spent in that form.

In Closing:

Oh no, not again,

Troubled by train local when.

Since more time to spend,

Irritation on journey to extend.

Other side happy as can be,

Since station from apartment can see.

By such dualities bewildered,

By spiritual science delivered.

Wasn’t Prahlada Attached To His Father

“A baby gives pleasure by speaking sweet words in broken language, and when the sons and daughters are grown up one becomes involved in their education and marriage. Then there are one's own father and mother to be taken care of, and one also becomes concerned with the social atmosphere and with pleasing his brothers and sisters. A man becomes increasingly entangled in household affairs, so much so that leaving them becomes almost impossible.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.6.11-13 Purport)

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Friend1: I’m struck by how much Prahlada knew about life’s patterns at such a young age. Particularly about family life, considering that he was only five years old.

Friend2: You get these kinds of counterarguments sometimes. If a person has never been married but offers up advice on the subject, someone will object:

“What do you know, pal? What experience do you have? Who are you to tell me anything?”

Friend1: You could use that line of reasoning with everything Prahlada taught, especially to the children in school. During recess hour, these other sons of Daityas, which tend to lean towards the side of atheism, were a receptive audience.

Friend2: That is the power of the message of the Divine, which in this case was passed down through Narada, the exalted travelling saint.

Friend1: Prahlada knew exactly how someone gets attached to family life. The children are so dear, especially when they speak in broken language at a young age. The wife who whispers sweet words and cooks palatable dishes becomes so endearing. It is only natural. How can you not be appreciative of people who are kind to you?

Friend2: Absolutely. You would have to be heartless to ignore direct service for your benefit.

Friend1: Then there are the parents to maintain. Brothers and sisters. When the children get older and married, you can’t help but miss their association. I don’t disagree with anything Prahlada teaches, but I’m wondering if he was a victim of the same.

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: Was not he attached to the father, Hiranyakashipu?

Friend2: In what way?

Friend1: This was the worst father in the world, under any scale of analysis. Hiranyakashipu tried to kill Prahlada in so many ways, for the crime of practicing devotional service to Vishnu within the confines of the kingdom.

Friend2: Sure. Even speaking to the other students was a challenge to authority. The royal teachers enlisted for the task of raising sense enjoyers certainly never covered such topics.

Friend1: Yet when everything was said and done, when Vishnu arrived as Narasimha and took care of the demoniac father, Prahlada still could not let go.

Friend2: You mean in consciousness?

Friend1: The child was still thinking about the father. He asked Narasimha for pardon. Prahlada was concerned about the fate of someone who had mercilessly tried to kill him. To me that is the height of attachment. Doesn’t that go exactly against what he taught his classmates previously?

Friend2: This attachment issue is a difficult one to understand. You are not supposed to become this cold-hearted person who ignores everyone. The recommendation is not to abruptly walk out on the family in the name of vairagya, detachment.

Friend1: It’s not? If I stay, don’t I run the risk of further entanglement? Have I not wasted the valuable time in the human form in fruitless endeavors?

Friend2: The idea is to not let the relationships get in the way of the highest objective. Prahlada covers the common attachments to show the potential areas of distraction. Instead of cultivating spiritual life, I am worried about what college my children will get into. Instead of presenting gifts to the deity of the Supreme Lord and remembering His transcendental features, my primary concern is pleasing the wife in the home. I don’t have time to read Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam because I am worried about accumulating enough money, which is sweeter than honey, in order to take care of others.

Friend1: Those are legitimate concerns. It is indeed difficult to maintain a family, especially in the modern day. Rent prices steadily increases. Taxes go up, not down. You need insurance to breathe, practically. Where is the time for contemplating the Absolute Truth?

Friend2: Prahlada was not harmfully attached to his father. The Vaishnava is automatically compassionate towards everyone. They extract the good out of people, even in someone like the greatest atheist. Prahlada was concerned over the spiritual wellbeing of the father. This attachment was not harmful since it did not distract from devotional service.

Friend1: Okay.

Friend2: You can remain in family life and maintain a constant connection in yoga. There is the example of King Janaka, who held affection for his daughter Sita from the moment he met her. He never forgot her, even after arranging her marriage to Shri Rama, the Supreme Lord. Again, it’s a delicate balance, but the real message is to not get distracted in life, and through family you will find many areas over which to place concern.

In Closing:

Family life from the start,

With opportunities to depart.

From the spiritual way,

Bound by wife’s words to say.

And what college child to attend,

Towards grandchildren to extend.

Better focus Supreme Lord toward,

Prahlada indeed for family reward.

Are There Any Mahajanas From Recent Times

“Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Shiva, the four Kumaras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahuti], Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Grandfather Bhishma, Bali Maharaja, Shukadeva Gosvami and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhagavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 6.3.20-21)

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स्वयम्भूर् नारदः शम्भुः
कुमारः कपिलो मनुः
प्रह्लादो जनको भीष्मो
बलिर् वैयासकिर् वयम्
द्वादशैते विजानीमो
धर्मं भागवतं भटाः
गुह्यं विशुद्धं दुर्बोधं
यं ज्ञात्वामृतम् अश्नुते

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ
kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ
prahlādo janako bhīṣmo
balir vaiyāsakir vayam
dvādaśaite vijānīmo
dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ
guhyaṁ viśuddhaṁ durbodhaṁ
yaṁ jñātvāmṛtam aśnute

Friend1: I was watching a spiritual leader on television the other day and he was explaining the importance of taking the names of the twelve mahajanas.

Friend2: This was a discourse on bhakti? The twelve great personalities listed by Yamaraja in the Shrimad Bhagavatam?

Friend1: Yes and yes. The god of justice, as presented in the Vedic tradition, one time had to explain to his assistants why certain people are not eligible for appearing before him after death.

Friend2: Yamaraja is something like the person at judgment day.

Friend1: The Grim Reaper. Whatever your preferred terminology. The idea is that this life is not the only one. Based on the accumulation of good and bad deeds, pious and sinful, there is a determination made on the next destination.

Friend2: To heaven, hell or maybe the same place.

Friend1: In the same kind of body or possible demotion to a lower species. The same individual spirit soul, but covered with different kinds of elements. Anyway, let’s get back to the mahajanas.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: They are identified as such because of their knowledge, perseverance, dedication and level of realization of spiritual matters. The guru I was watching said that repeating these names in the morning brings tremendous auspiciousness throughout the entire day.

Friend2: For sure. You are connecting with saintly people. They show the way so that I don’t have to discover on my own. I am something like stuck in a dark room without any light. I have never been in that room before, so I don’t know where to go. The mahajanas turn the light on, so to speak, and guide me on where to go.

Friend1: Particularly with how to escape. I get the analogy. Here’s the thing. We get all sorts of names passed on to us. Say this particular mantra for clearing away obstacles. Remember that person when you are in trouble. Couldn’t someone lodge the complaint that everything references the past?

Friend2: What references the past?

Friend1: The mahajanas. They are from a long time ago. The Puranas detail events that took place long before any recorded history.

Friend2: That is not entirely true. We also get hints into the future, such as with the Kalki avatara.

Friend1: But you know what I mean. The Bhagavad-gita was spoken on the battlefield of a war that took place more than five thousand years ago.

Friend2: And your problem with this is?

Friend1: I don’t have an issue, but what about living in the present? The right now – that is where we are today. Why aren’t we taking the names of saintly people from recent times?

Friend2: Who says that you can’t? What do you think the prayer to the spiritual master is? He is the representative at the personal level. He is the one who tells me about the mahajanas. He explains Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam in a way that I can understand.

Friend1: Let’s say that the person on television is one of these saintly people. He’s not recommending that anyone worship him. He’s not telling people to repeat his name on a daily basis in order to purify the consciousness.

Friend2: Of course he’s not going to say that. It’s just basic etiquette. Valmiki Muni says that a pure devotee of Shri Rama, the Supreme Lord, loves the guru more than God. This is true because of a deep realization, understanding the impact of the meeting with the saintly person. The guru changed my life so I will always remember them. They are the reason for my happiness. They saved me from the despair and hopelessness of material life, and that is a debt I can never repay.

In Closing:

A debt never to repay,

So surely name to say.

The guru in the present giving,

So that in best future living.

Of the past also to explain,

Like Mahajanas from wisdom to gain.

Whose names daily to repeat,

For maya’s agents to defeat.

Dussehra 2019

“The mighty Rama, who possessed extraordinary strength, consecrating in accordance with the mantras prescribed in the Vedas, taking that great arrow – which was capable of removing the fears of the entire world and the Ikshvaku dynasty, capable of taking away the glory of His enemies, and conducive to His own happiness – fixed it on His bow.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kand, 108.13-14)

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It is not just a religious holiday to be observed as part of tradition or what others in the community pressure you into. It is not merely for paying respect, as one look at this vast creation is enough to be spellbound at the artistic ability of the creator.

Like other notable occasions in the annual Vaishnava calendar, Dussehra is meant for giving pleasure. The soul is naturally blissful. The property is known as ananda, and it descends from the Supreme Lord, who is always full of bliss and knowledge.

Events relating to the triumph of Vishnu over the asura elements of society give pleasure to the fallen souls who are struggling through the myriad births in various species. The elevated, important personalities also take great joy in both witnessing the original event and commemorating on the subsequent anniversary days.

1. Agastya

The jar-born one is an important rishi of the Vedic tradition. Shri Rama, who is the incarnation of Vishnu central to the Dussehra celebration, offers Agastya the highest praise. Rama tells His younger brother Lakshmana that Agastya’s piety is at such a high level that the wrongdoers cannot even approach the rishi’s ashrama.

Agastya takes pleasure in the event of Rama slaying the Rakshasa leader named Ravana. Though God does not require help in accomplishing a task, He allows others to participate, giving opportunities for the active tendency in service to manifest. Prior to finally defeating Ravana in a long, drawn-out battle, Rama receives assistance from Agastya on how to proceed.

2. The sun-god

The help is in the form of a mantra. Agastya advises Rama to worship the sun-god. This is appropriate for many reasons. The sun dissipates darkness. The sun is light, or the mode of goodness, and darkness is the mode of ignorance. Rama is the original effulgence of this universe, as hinted at by Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita.

न तद् भासयते सूर्यो
न शशाङ्को न पावकः
यद् गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते
तद् धाम परमं मम

na tad bhāsayate sūryo
na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.6)

Rama also appears in a dynasty of kings that originates with the sun-god, Vivasvan. Therefore, it is something like the family tradition to be blessed by the maker of the day. The sun-god is a distinct personality, and he takes great pleasure in playing a role in the defeat of the dread of the saintly class, Ravana.

3. Lord Brahma

He is the creator. Also known as Svayambhu, he is the first living entity. Not knowing what to do at first, he meditates. He hears the sound of tapa, which means “austerity.” Through that practice he receives further guidance from the Supreme Lord on how to proceed in life.

स चिन्तयन् द्व्य्-अक्षरम् एकदाम्भस्य्
उपाशृणोद् द्विर्-गदितं वचो विभुः
स्पर्शेषु यत् षोडशम् एकविंशं
निष्किञ्चनानां नृप यद् धनं विदुः

sa cintayan dvy-akṣaram ekadāmbhasy
upāśṛṇod dvir-gaditaṁ vaco vibhuḥ
sparśeṣu yat ṣoḍaśam ekaviṁśaṁ
niṣkiñcanānāṁ nṛpa yad dhanaṁ viduḥ

“While thus engaged in thinking, in the water, Brahmaji heard twice from nearby two syllables joined together. One of the syllables was taken from the sixteenth and the other from the twenty-first of the sparsha alphabets, and both joined to become the wealth of the renounced order of life.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.6)

It is Brahma’s arrow which gets released to deal the final blow to Ravana. Thus Brahma is an integral part of the origin of the Dussehra event. Though he helps both saints and sinners alike, Brahma’s actual interest is on the side of good. Whatever boons Ravana may have received previously were nullified through another blessing from Brahma, but this time offered to Rama.

4. Durga Devi

Dussehra occurs at the end of a series of days dedicated to worshiping the wife of Lord Shiva. One of her names is Durga, and she is something like the manager of the fort that is the material world. That fort is difficult to cross over; hence her name.

Rama killing Ravana gives her great pleasure, as she is always on the side of good, like her husband. She is associated with the event, as well, for the Supreme Lord includes others in festive occasions. Just as the Vanaras from Kishkindha helped in defeating the Rakshasa army in Lanka, so Durga Devi was there to offer assistance.

5. Mahadeva

This is interesting for the reason that it is well-known that Ravana was a devotee of Shiva. In truth, the relationship started out differently. As he was towards practically any powerful person, Ravana tried to compete with Lord Shiva. After being defeated and releasing a loud scream of pain, he finally surrendered.

Mahadeva is a great devotee of Rama, though. The relationship with Ravana was something like business associates, though there was no real interest for Shiva to meet. The husband of Durga Devi rejoices in Rama’s victory. He is also associated in a way, since Rama prays to Mahadeva for a successful outcome just prior to the battle. During the return trip home to Ayodhya, Rama points out the location of the puja to His wife Sita Devi. He specifically says Shiva gave his prasada, or mercy.

The victory is more than just the triumph of good over evil. The suras and the asuras have been at odds since the beginning of time. Like the changing of seasons, sometimes the influence of good rises, and sometimes the most sinful ascend to the top.

The uniqueness of Ravana’s fall is that it took place directly at the hands of the Supreme Lord. Thus there is added significance, which can be studied, remembered, and discussed for years and years, with further enlightenment taking place throughout the process.

In Closing:

On further enlightened ground,

When topics of Dussehra to sound.

Annual occasion worth celebrating,

Where God His power demonstrating.

Brahma and others included too,

When Rama that arrow drew.

For the benefit of mankind released,

After too much asuras increased.

Five Sets Of Names Recommended For Auspiciousness

“According to Shrimad-Bhagavatam, there are twelve mahajanas, or great souls, and these are: (1) Brahma, (2) Lord Shiva, (3) Narada, (4) Vaivasvata Manu, (5) Kapila (not the atheist, but the original Kapila), (6) the Kumaras, (7) Prahlada, (8) Bhishma, (9) Janaka, (10) Bali, (11) Shukadeva Gosvami and (12) Yamaraja.” (Teachings Of Lord Chaitanya, Ch 21)

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Feeling down on your luck? The daily grind getting to you? Too much pressure to sleep each night because of the imminent deadline that is the morning alarm clock, signaling the beginning of another hectic day at the office? No time for rest and relaxation, with one responsibility piled on top of another?

The acharyas of the Vedic tradition have some formulas to implement for the short-term. Something like emergency treatment provided by first-responders on the scene of an issue, the long-term solution is a little more involved.

For now, just repeat a set of names. Do it as soon as possible in the morning, so that the effects last for a longer duration. The sounds within those names are everything, as they represent amazing personalities capable of delivering the mind from trouble.

1. The twelve mahajanas

The literal translation is “great person.” The measurement is not in terms of net worth, physical strength, or external beauty. It is not merely in the level of renunciation, either. The twelve make the list on the determination of devotion to the Supreme Lord, tested in very difficult circumstances.

Lord Brahma has no one else to guide him in the important task of creating the world; he must meditate on Vishnu first. Lord Shiva lives completely renounced, though he must take a wife in the beautiful daughter of the mountain king. Prahlada Maharaja faces unspeakable incoming violence starting at a young age. Janaka casts aside his dispassionate nature for the right reason; finding the goddess of fortune in a field and taking her in as his daughter.

Repeating the twelve names brings auspiciousness at any time, since it is a reminder that the journey through life does not have to be difficult and alone. There are people to help. Though it seems like they are not in the immediate vicinity, the names carry forward their presence.

2. Twenty-four avataras

The Sanskrit word means “one who descends.” The idea is that God does not have a material form. The distinction between body and spirit applies only to the jiva souls. The Almighty is beyond any such dualities created in His shadow-copy realm known as the material world.

The avataras are literal gifts from above. They descend to this world to both show what transcendental features look like and give guidance on how to escape the seemingly endless cycle of birth and death.

The exact number varies depending on which Vedic text you consult. With the twenty-four, some are not complete avataras; there are different categories. Full and partial expansions, Divinely inspired writers and teachers, travelling dignitaries, and the like. Some of the avataras are not even of the human species.

3. Ten avataras

This is a more commonly known list. These are supposed to be God exactly; the full representation of Bhagavan. When we think of God the person, of what He looks like and how to interact with Him, the corresponding objects of association are these avataras. They are famously remembered in songs like the Dashavatara-stotram by Jayadeva Gosvami.

4. The four sons of Dasharatha

One of the ten in the above mentioned list is Shri Rama, the prince of Ayodhya. He appears in a human form, and so His many deeds and teachings are more prominently discussed in Vedic literature. Rama appears in the solar dynasty of kings, and the monarch at the time is Dasharatha. This pious leader gets his name from the unique ability to face combatants on the battlefield coming from the ten directions simultaneously.

While Rama is considered a full incarnation, identical to Bhagavan Himself, three other partial expansions arrive with Him. Thus in a late stage of life the king who was previously without an heir gets blessed with four sons at a single time. Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Goswami Tulsidas recommends invoking these names before beginning an important task. You may or may not achieve success, but the connection to the four is always auspicious.

5. Hare Krishna

These two names form the basis of a very important mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. One translation for this sequence of words is a prayer asking for the opportunity to continue to engage in the service of the Supreme Lord and His energy.

Krishna is one of the ten avataras and also considered the original form of the Supreme Lord; though the incarnations are identical to one another. Hare refers to Hari, which is another name for Bhagavan. Hare is the energy of Hari, and so it also represents the feminine side of the Divine.

Take the names Hare and Krishna and there will always be auspiciousness. These names can be repeated at any time of day and during any situation. There is no possible violation based on time and circumstance. While devotion is ultimately meant to be pure, without any outside motives, even if these names are invoked with other desires in mind, the association itself is purifying. Moreover, the process is much easier than undergoing rigorous training at an ashrama, which requires travel and a drastic change to the way of life.

In Closing:

Not prepared everything away to give,

And going to an ashrama to live.

Where rules following strict,

And in meditation to sit.

Rescue from sets of names chanting,

Like twelve mahajanas granting.

Or the ten avataras of Vishnu descending,

Potency to Hare Krishna extending.