Epitome of intelligence - Lord Hanuman

As per Hindu mythology,  Lord Hanuman is the most popular, loved and worshipped god. He is the epitome of mental and physical strength. 

बल, बुद्धि, विद्या देहु मोहि, हरहु कलेश विकार

In the Hanuman Chalisa, we seek strength, wisdom and knowledge from lord Hanuman. 

The revered devotee of lord Rama who played a pivotal role in finding Sita. The journey of finding Sita, who was abducted by Ravana was never easy. It was a test of both mental and physical strength. Lord Hanuman embraced the challenge and found Sita.

Today we reflect on certain critical incidents which happened during the flight across the ocean to Lanka. As Lord Hanuman took off from Indian coastline towards Lanka, he recited the name of Lord Rama. 

a. Mission comes first  - 

Filled with hope and determination, Lord Hanuman was speeding up towards Lanka. He found an old mountain figure emerging from the ocean which was Mainak. Mainak was Dasharatha's (Lord Ram's father) friend. He wanted to help Hanuman and offered him to rest. Lord Hanuman was stuck in a dilemma. On one side denying a pure soul i.e. Mainak did not seem correct while on the other side resting would delay the mission of finding Sita. 

Lord Hanuman found an interesting way to solve the situation. He lowered his aerial trajectory and touched the Mainak mountains and catapulted with a higher speed towards Lanka. In this way he did not hurt the emotion of Mainak and saved time as well. He understood the feeling of service of Mainak but gave more importance to the mission. But the way with which lord Hanuman kept the balance is extraordinary The below verse of Hanuman Chalisa rightly depicts the intelligence of Lord Hanuman. 

विद्यावान गुणी अति चातुर, राम काज करिबे को आतुर 

You are Learned, Virtuous and Extremely Intelligent, You are always Eager to do the Works of Sri Rama.

b. Be aware of which battles to fight and which to skip - 

Moving ahead, Lord Hanuman found demoness Sursa in the ocean. Sursa was so huge that she blocked the way of Lord Hanuman. She was sent by gods to check Hanuman's strength and intelligence. As these were the secret ingredients of success of the mission. Sursa wanted to eat Lord Hanuman and she challenged him. Lord Hanuman was least interested to fight this battle, as time was precious for him. Lord Hanuman started to enlarge himself. Looking into this Sursa also started to enlarge her mouth to eat Hanuman. Immediately Lord Hanuman reduced to size and went inside Sursa's mouth and came outside. As Sursa had said earlier no one can come out from my mouth alive, Lord Hanuman proved it wrong. Sursa was pretty happy with the intelligence of Lord Hanuman.

This incident teaches another valuable lesson of time management. Time is a limited asset. And we should be aware of what is more important for us. Basis that we should fight or take only those tasks which are really important for our goals. 

The life of Lord Hanuman is filled with many such incidents of wisdom and strength. Will talk about some more interesting incidents in the next post. Till the stay tuned.

I am Ravana and I am not a blacksmith

Amid the recent backlash against the movie "Adipurush" , a lot of questions have been raised regarding the dialogues, cast and plot of the movie. Internet is flooded with memes making fun of all the characters of the movie. From hairstyle of Ravana to moustache of Lord Rama in the movie, every single aspect has been under the radar of film critics, influencers, celebs and even the Aam Aadmi. People are even filing legal complains against the movie across India.

In this series, want to talk about the revered characters of the Ramayana.  Will start of with the most famous villains of all times based on Hindu mythology i.e. Ravana. 

Though the movie Adipurush has shown Ravana as a blacksmith forging iron in his black Lanka. He is a trained bat feeder who sleeps with snakes. I don't know if any of this is correct or not. Attempt is not to question or disrespect someone but to put some light on the characters.

Ravana's lineage can be traced back to Lord Brahma who was his great grand father. He was the son of sage Vishravas and demon mother Kaikasi, which made him half demon (asura) and half brahmin. But Ravana was different from all the demons. On many fronts he was even better or at par with lord Rama.

In some parts of Sri Lanka, he is even worshipped as god. Even lord Rama knew that Ravana was more revered and capable than him, but it was his arrogance which led to his demise 

Following 4 traits not only make Ravana one of the most flamboyant villains but also a great person. 

1. Inordinate scholar - Ravana was a learned scholar who was expert of the Vedas and Puranas. He was one of most learned scholars of those times. He was author of  many books i.e. Ravana Samhita (book on astrology), Arka Prakasham (book on medicine). He was adept at Ayurveda techniques as well. 

2. Music maestro - Ravana was a great musician. In order to please Lord Shiva, he even composed the " Shiva Tandav Shrotam", which is considered to be one of the best compositions on Lord Shiva

3. Greatest devotee of Lord Shiva - Ravana had 10 heads, that's why he is also known as Dasanana (man with 10 heads). In order to please lord Shiva he even cut his heads. Later lord Shiva restored all his heads and gave him boon. As per certain scriptures, he made a Rudra Veena with one of his heads and played music to please Lord Shiva.

4. Knowledgeable than Lord Rama -  Lord Rama always knew and respected the knowledge and traits of Ravana. It was only his arrogance which led to his demise. When Lord Rama killed Ravana, he immediately asked Lakshmana to go to Ravana and get some knowledge. Lakshmana was hesitant to take knowledge from a demon, but followed his brother's command. When he went to Ravana and asked for his wisdom, Ravana summarized the all the learnings of his life in 2 words - Shubhasya Sighram i.e. Do good/right things as soon as possible. He even mentioned that he was aware that he had done wrong by abducting Sita but was not able to do the right thing due to his ego and arrogance. These last words from Ravana are one of the key tenets most of the organizations have in their culture books today. 

Hope we are able to see Ravana with a better lens after reading this. Thanks for reading. Will be talking about more mythlores in the next version. Till then stay tuned.

(Note - Views are personal and not intended to effect harm any sentiments)

Ganesha Vs Kartikeya — The game of Mindset

Lord Shiva and Parvati are blessed with two sons i.e. Kartikeya, Ganesha, and one daughter i.e. Ashokhasundari. Both the sons are the epitome of supreme power and knowledge. Still, we worship Ganesha as the first deity in Hindu Mythology.

 

Kartikeya, one of the most handsome gods of Hindu Mythology, the God of War, the god with 6 faces, the god who drives peacock, is one of the most powerful gods. On the other hand Ganesha, the younger brother has an elephant head, drives a rat, and loves eating modakas. Then why Ganesha, the first deity? Let’s try to understand it with folklore.

Once upon a time, Asura king Mahabali decided to conduct a Maha Yagya with all deities and devotees of the whole universe. A conflict arose during the Yagya on whom to worship first. The discord reached to Lord Shiva for a solution. Lord Shiva pronounced a competition of all Gods to decide the first deity. The god who completes three rounds of the world first will be the winner and the first deity. Kartikeya with his peacock, Indra with his Airavat, Vayu deva with his Gazella accelerated to cover the race. On the other hand, Ganesha with his rat, was no match to the speed of other gods’ vehicles. Ganesha calmly thought through the situation and decided to complete three rounds of his parents Shiva and Paravati. Parents are any child’s only world, so three rounds around them complete the task. In this way, Ganesha completed the task beforehand all other Gods and became the first deity.

 This story leaves us with a question of what actually differentiated Ganesha with other Gods. The answer is a Mindset. In simple words, mindset is the way we think, it a belief in one’s qualities. According to Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, your beliefs play a pivotal role in what you want and whether you achieve it. Carol writes in her famous book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, how our conscious and unconscious thoughts affect us, and the way we work. One of the major beliefs we carry about ourselves is directly correlated to how we perceive our personality. She categorizes mindset into two forms — Fixed and Growth. Ganesha epitomizes a Growth mindset while Kartikeya a fixed one.

 Let’s try to understand what are these two mindsets and why it actually matters.

 Fixed Mindset —

 A fixed mindset assumes that our abilities, characters, creativity, intelligence are static and can’t be changed in any meaningful way. It tends to create a need for approval. Every situation is seen as a test of their abilities. Kartikeya signifies a fixed mindset. He never thinks of the situation with a different lens. He rushes to prove his innate capabilities of power. The power which helped him kill Asura Tarkasura.

 People with a fixed mindset never challenge themselves. They always feel threatened by the success of others. This stagnates their outlook towards everything.

 Growth Mindset —

 A growth mindset thrives on challenges and sees failures as a launchpad for success. It embraces feedback to grow. It always experiments and nurtures creative solutions. Ganesha brings in a growth mindset when Lord Shiva asks for covering the world three times. He doesn’t think what people will think of his slow vehicle and brings his creative thinking to win.

 People with a growth mindset persist in the face of setbacks. They learn from criticism. They are boundaryless and always see things with a free will.

 Now it's up to us, what we want to become in our lives Ganesha or Kartikeya.

Reference - 

1. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Janmashtami - The Road less travelled from Mathura to Gokul

Ours is a country of festivals. Recently the whole country celebrated a long weekend with Krishna Janmashtami. A weekend when most of the bachelors fled to there long dreamt solo trips across the globe while married people flocked all social media channels with pictures of there young ones either as Lord Krishna or Radha. Really fascinating to see such a divine incarnation of so many Krishna and Radha.

Janmashtami is a Hindu festival which signifies birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu on Earth. Lord Krishna eliminated the atrocities of his maternal uncle Kansa. But the journey from birth to becoming Lord Krishna has some hidden lessons. 

Kansa knew that his sister, Devaki's eight son will be his doom beforehand. In order to secure his life, he imprisoned Devaki and her husband Vasudeva in Mathura after there marriage. And killed any new born of Devaki the same night. Years passed and Kansa had killed seven children of Vasudev and Devaki. On the eighth night of Bhadra (as per Gregorian calendar - August/September), Devaki and Vasudev were expecting birth of their eight child. The couple was really scared as Kansa was eager to kill the eight child and overcome his doom. But that something divine happened. It was a stormy night and with the birth of Lord Krishna , Vasudev's chains opened , all the prisons opened, guards became unconscious. Vasudev decided to safeguard the eighth child and took him to his friend Nanda in Gokul. The journey where Vasudev crossed the flooding river Yamuna and reached Gokul safely. After reaching Gokul, he secretly exchanged Nanda and Yashoda's new born girl with Lord Krishna. And returned back to Mathura. After 12 years, Lord Krishna killed his maternal uncle Kansa in Mathura. Most of us are aware of this lore from our childhood. It is source of great motivation and inspiration. The journey of a helpless father taking leap of faith and crossing all barriers to safeguard his son. It is a Road less travelled.

But what made Devaki and Vasudev sacrifice their whole life for a child? How was Vasudev able to cross the mighty Yamuna? Was there any benefit of delaying one's freedom for Lord Krishna? Famous author M Scott Peck talks about problems and pain in his famous book The Road Less Travelled  that 

" Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult – once we truly understand and accept it – then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters" 

Problems are part and parcel of everyone's life. It is the problems that defines the direction and magnitude of our lives. The pain one bears to solve a problem is never easy, the journey of solving a problem be it professional or personal will always be tough and tiring. But people who overcome the pain and delay instant gratification of shortcuts are the one's who succeed . Vasudev and Devaki had waited for years in the prison of Mathura. Even when their chains were broken at the birth of Lord Krishna they did not run away from the prison. But took the pain to transfer lord Krishna from Mathura to Gokul. The problem they were trying to solve was never their own freedom, it was freedom of the society from the atrocities of Kansa. They never sought instant gratification but took pain of twelve more years in the prison for a better future of the society.

We need to start seeing our problems as a opportunity to better oneself. The path of solving a problem will never be easy, it will be full of anxiety, frustration, demotivation and self doubt. But  if we discipline ourselves and remain consistent in our approach, anyone can be successful in there respective lives. 

Reference - 

• The Road Less Travelled - M Scott Peck
• Janmashtami celebrations across India

Self Awareness - In Search of Shambhu

The holy month of Shrawan or Savan (as per Vedic calendar), which is filled with the divine energy and bliss of Lord Shiva  is about to end.  Shiva also known as Shambu or Swayambhu, which means self sustained /created / or independent. As per Hindu mythology, it is believed that Lord Shiva emerged from a pillar of fire which has no source or fuel, hence Swayambhu (Swayam - self, bhu - source). Shambu has been a source of inspiration and worship for ages. But what is it that makes Shiva, Shambu, let's find out.  

As per the Shiva Purana, once upon a time Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were having argument on being the Supreme lord of the universe. Lord Brahma cited being the creator of the universe which makes him superior to anyone else, while Lord Vishnu being the protector of the universe disagreed with Lord Brahma. Suddenly, an infinite pillar of fire emerged in front of them. In order to satisfy one's ego, both Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu decided to compete. The person who will reach to the end of the fire pillar will be the supreme of all Gods is what they decided for. 

Lord Vishnu transformed into a boar and started moving downwards, while Lord Brahma transformed into a swan and flew upwards. Eons passed and no one was able to find the end of the fire pillar. Finally, lord Vishnu decided to return to the center of the pillar i.e. origin point of their journey. While traversing to the top, Lord Brahma found a Ketaki flower which fell down from the top of the pillar by a gust of wind. Lord Brahma convinced the Ketaki flower to say as desired by him , when they meet lord Vishnu. After reaching the origin point, Ketaki flower said that Lord Brahma met him at the top of the fire pillar, which makes him win the competition. 

Immediately, the fire pillar burst with anger and transformed into Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva called Ketaki flower a liar as Lord Brahma had never made it to the top of the fire pillar and denounced it from being used in any of the holy rituals. Lord Shiva cursed Lord Brahma by cutting his fifth head which spoke the lie and denounce him from being worshipped in any temples. From that day, lord Brahma has four heads and no temples. 

This story leaves us with few important questions - who is supreme? what makes one supreme? is self awareness important or show off? and most importantly - what makes a person Swayambhu?

Being supreme be in the modern corporate world or in the Vedic times is never about being more powerful. But it is about knowing one's power and using it when required. The ladders of hierarchy do  infuse us with power, but it is the use of the power that makes a person - a leader. Lord Shiva has always been the destroyer in the Hindu trinity. A person who can destroy anything is powerful, but destruction also is the first step of creation. It is a cycle. The above story is not about the destroyer or protector being more powerful. It is about knowing one's power and using it when required makes on Mahadev - the god of the Gods. 

One can be as perfect as Lord Vishnu or as witty as Lord Brahma, but the one who knows his/her form (self aware) in any form/formless is what makes one Shambu. Bestselling author Tasha Eurich talks about self awareness in a HBR article - What Self Awareness Really Is in two dimensions i.e. internal and external. Internal self awareness is how we see ourselves, our own values, passion, feelings, thoughts while external is all how about how others view us. Though both are independent, but leaders be it Lord Shiva in the above story or our modern era leaders i.e. Ratan Tata, M.S Dhoni, Narendra Modi and many more are good at one thing i.e. balancing both internal and external self awareness and being Shambhu.

References - 

• What Self-Awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate It)
• Battle between Brahma and Vishnu
• Power corrupts
• Lord Shiva image credit - Diginirmaan

Adiguru: The first teacher

 गुरुर ब्रह्मा गुरुर विष्णु गुरुर देवो महेश्वरः

गुरुः साक्षात्परब्रह्मा तस्मै श्री गुरुवे नमः

5th September, the day one of the greatest scholars of the 20th century, 2nd President of India Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan was born. The day we know and celebrate as Teacher’s Day. Being a teacher’s son, I have seen the pain and toil a teacher does to liberate society from the trenches of ignorance and darkness. A society without an empathetic teacher is a body without a soul. But who lightened the candle of education and knowledge first. Who is the first teacher? What is the origin of all the teachers of society? Who is Adiguru and Why?

Adiguru — the first teacher or the Supreme Master, the person who started the teacher disciple lineage. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is the Adiguru. The origin of Yoga, Dance, Art, War, Ayurveda, and many other areas has been Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva has enlightened the world with his wisdom while walking through different phases of his life. Let’s pick some of those pearls from Lord Shiva’s journey.

Lord Shiva — the teaching teacher

Parashurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishu, the guru of Bhisma, Drona, and Karna was himself a disciple of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva crystallized the martial arts skills of Parshurama and made him a furious warrior. The same martial art form has traveled across generations and is today practiced as Kalaripayattu in Modern Kerela.

Lord Shiva as a teacher ignited the candle of wisdom via Parsuram and it’s still alive with us. It is a trait of a great teacher to build skills of knowledge propagation and empowerment across his/ her students. The skill that keeps the wheel of wisdom moving across generations. Today our education policy needs to boost teachers who not only are learned but also great propagators of knowledge like Parsurama.

Lord Shiva — the teaching husband -

Lord Shiva meditated for thousands of years and mastered the art of Yoga. In order to propagate the Yogic art to the world, Lord Shiva bestowed the knowledge of his thousand years of meditation to Parvati. He taught the 84 Asanas of yoga to Parvati. The story of Lord Shiva imparting Yogic wisdom to Parvati is a story of balance. Balance in terms of body, mind, and soul. Because it was Lord Shiva’s love for Sati that made him Yogi, but it was his love for Parvati that made him Aadiyogi.

A good teacher always looks for balance in terms of the mind of his/her students, knowledge, power, or money. S/he always tries to nurture a balanced society which becomes an epitome of wisdom and knowledge.

Lord Shiva — the teaching father —

As per Skanda Purana, Lord Shiva sent his eldest son Kartikeya to Lord Brahma for education. Kartikeya went to Lord Brahma and asked a simple question.

Kartikeya — Please tell me the meaning of Om?

Brahma — First learn the alphabets then we can come to that question.

Kartikeya — No, I want the highest wisdom first

As Lord Brahma himself was not aware of the meaning of Om, Kartikeya returned to Kailasa and asked the same question to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva himself was unaware of the answer. Kartikeya was ready to tell the answer but on one condition i.e. elevating Kartikeya to the pedestal of a teacher or Guru.

Lord Shiva agreed and live Kartikeya on his shoulders. Kartikeya then deciphered the meaning of Om in Lord Shiva’s ears. On hearing this Parvati joyously coined a new name Swaminatha (Natha — Teacher, Swami — Husband) for Kartikeya.

This story brings into picture one of the most important traits every teacher must follow. The path of being a seeker of knowledge from anyone and everyone. This is how the cycle of knowledge keeps on moving and reaching new horizons.

Hope this Teacher’s Day enlightens the candle of eternal wisdom across the minds of every student.

Vasuki -The Serpent king

 

Naag Panchmi, the auspicious fifth day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Sawan in India. A day when devotees worship snakes and seek their blessings for the family. Vasuki the serpent king that coils around the neck of Lord Shiva is worshipped on Naga Panchami. Vasuki, the son of Kashyap and Kadru is the most powerful snake and an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Without Lord Shiva, Vasuki is lifeless but a destructive and powerful cobra.

As per Vishnu Purana, during the time of Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), a holy exercise performed by Devas and Asuras together to bring back prosperity in the world, Vasuki played a pivotal role. With Mandar mountain as the churning rod and Vasuki as the churning rope, Devas and Asuras churned the ocean together to attain prosperity, strength, and vitality back. Varied ornaments, treasures, scriptures, Goddess, and Supernatural animals were the outcome of the Samudra Manthan. But the most revered ones were Amrita (Elixir of immortality) and Halahala (Deadly poison).

Lord Shiva, the Neelkanth drank the deadly poison together with Vasuki and other snakes in the ocean and saved the world from doom. Impressed by his selfless devotion, Lord Shiva decided to wear Vasuki around his neck. The serpent king beautifies Lord Shiva with his presence. It also symbolizes the awakened Kundalini power of the Muladhara chakra.

Apart from this, Lord Shiva has a powerful bow — Pinaaka. The string of this bow is none other than Vasuki. Vasuki helped Lord Shiva in destroying the Tripura of Tarkasura sons.

Vasuki is a multitalented disciple of Lord Shiva who symbolizes the balance of power, knowledge, and spirituality. Vasuki took the Road less traveled and imbibed a plethora of virtues from Lord Shiva himself. Following three virtues of Vasuki can be emulated by anyone during any phase of life

Self Discipline —

“Without discipline, we can solve nothing. With only some discipline we can solve only some problems. With total discipline, we can solve all problems” — M Scott Peck

Vasuki or the snake represents the intensity of kundalini lying lethargically in the Muladhara chakra of every individual. With self-discipline and meditation, anyone can plummet the kundalini or Vasuki to the highest levels. Lord Shiva with Vasuki on his neck symbolizes the attainment of enlightenment of the Muladhara chakra.

Open for change —

Change is something that happens every time and everywhere. Change is life. Embracing change in any phase of life is a sign of one’s adaptability and versatility. Every individual can learn this trait from the Serpent King Vasuki who served the role of a churning rod during Samudra Manthan or bowstring for Lord Shiva. He openly accepted the change and adapted the same for delivery of success. Life is all about being open to the changes that come every day.

Delayed Gratification —

Delayed gratification is one of the most effective personal traits and most difficult to acquire. It improves self-control and ultimately helps in attaining long term goals. Vasuki enjoyed Halahala with Lord Shiva and attained the esteemed company of Lord Shiva.

We can attain and enlighten our internal Vasuki by practicing these virtues and accompany Lord Shiva.