October 2023
Hanūmān looked for Sītā everywhere in the vicinity of the palace. He searched the creeper-covered pavilions, picture galleries, and night rooms, but was unable to find her. He fell into despair and thought, ‘Sītā must have been killed by the rākṣasa or must have died of his torture. What will I tell the vānaras? Well, dauntless self-reliance is the root of all success and is the gateway to happiness. I shall make another determined effort with...
The dialogue between Yājñavalkya and Maitreyī (bṛhadāraṇyaka) continued
“Maitreyī, The husband doesn’t become your beloved because he is the husband, but because it is ‘your’ husband. For your own happiness. The same holds the other way. The wife doesn’t become the beloved because she is the wife, but because she is ‘your’ wife. Likewise the children are loved not to please them, but because it pleases us. You don’t love money because money...
There are three types of pleasure as well.
yat-tadagre viṣamiva pariṇāme’mṛtopamam ।
tat-sukhaṃ sāttvikaṃ proktam ātma-buddhi-prasādajam ॥
BG 18.37
Sāttvic sukha is that in which the mind rests and finds that its sorrows cease, that which appears distasteful in the beginning but then results in amṛta-like sweetness. It is due to the purity and pleasantry of oneself. This is the sukha experienced when the intellect completely understands...
India seems to be the only civilization that has philosophically contemplated upon the nature of Ānanda and realised it to be the ultimate outcome of art. Ānanda, which transcends time and space, is the untainted Joy evoked through art – this fundamental principle does not appear to have been expressed in clear terms in other civilizations. Additionally, the process of arriving at this – the prakriyā – is also not adequately delineated[1]. In...
Hanūmān assumed a body of immeasurable size right in front of the vānaras. Pressed down by the huge vānara, the mountain trembled for a moment which caused the fresh blossoms from the trees to fall; waters poured out from the mountain and it looked like an elephant in rut exuding ichor from its temples; huge boulders tinged with gold and silver tumbled down due to Hanūmān’s force. Preparing to leap, Hanūmān let out a mighty roar and had...
The victory of Yājñavalkya (bṛhadāraṇyaka) continued
Then Uddālaka joined the debate, “Yājñavalkya, I know the sūtra, which encompasses, the here and thereafter, all the worlds. I also know the antaryāmin who controls that sūtra. A gandharva has made it clear that someone who knows this is indeed a brahmajñānin. I’m not here to boast about myself saying ‘I’m a brahmajñānin.’ I just want to confirm your knowledge. Do you know this sūtra? Who is...
Let us look at Śrī Rāmānujācārya’s commentary for the above sūtra. The interpretations of the three schools of Vedanta differ from one another only in parts where it is not possible to give proof to anyone. Where it is possible to provide proof, they have no objections.
śāsanācca śāstram । śāsanaṃ ca pravartanam । śāstrasya ca pravartakatvaṃ bodha-janana-dvāreṇa । acetanaṃ ca pradhānaṃ na bodhayituṃ śakyam ataḥ śāstrāṇām arthavattvaṃ bhoktuś-...
{ಜಲೋದ್ಧತಗತಿ} ಪೃಥ್ವೀವೃತ್ತದ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ‘ಜಲೋದ್ಧತಗತಿ’ ಎಂಬ ಪ್ರಬಲವಾದ ಲಯಾನ್ವಿತ ವೃತ್ತ ಗರ್ಭೀಕೃತವಾಗಿರುವುದು ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ವಿಶೇಷ:
ಪೃಥ್ವೀ
[u – u u u – u – u u u –] u – – u –
ಜಲೋದ್ಧತಗತಿ
u – u u u – | u – u u u –
ಪೃಥ್ವಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜಲೋದ್ಧತಗತಿಯ ಒಂದು ಪಾದದ ಬಳಿಕ ಉಳಿಯುವ ಐದು ಅಕ್ಷರಗಳನ್ನು ಗಮನಿಸಿದರೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಸಂತುಲಿತಮಧ್ಯಾವರ್ತಗತಿಯ ಒಂದು ಘಟಕ ಇರುವುದು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ (u – – u –). ಈಗ ಈ ಸಾಲನ್ನು ಹನ್ನೆರಡು ಅಕ್ಷರಗಳ ಬಳಿಕ ಯತಿ ಇರುವಂತೆ ಪಠಿಸಿದರೆ ಅದು ಶ್ರುತಿಕಟುವಾಗಿ ತೋರದ ಲಯಾನ್ವಿತ ವೃತ್ತದಂತೆ...
Hanumān, Aṅgada, Tāra, and other vānaras looked for Sītā in all possible places in the direction indicated by Sugrīva. They searched the caves and thickets of the Vindhyās and were exhausted. As they were craving for water, they came across an enormous cavern overgrown with trees and creepers. They saw swans, krauñcas, sārasas, and cakravākas flying out of the cavern, their bodies wet and red with pollen grains of lotus. Hanumān deduced that...
The story of Śvetaketu and Pravāhaṇarāja (chāndogya) continued
The king was sad to know this. “Such a thing can be imparted only to a worthy śiṣya who has proved himself by doing the śiṣyavṛtti as prescribed. But how can I, a kṣatriya, make a brāhmaṇa serve me like a śiṣya? I cannot even point him to another brāhmaṇa who is knowledgeable in this regard since this is not known to any brāhmaṇa.” Finally after being persuaded by Gautama he said, “...