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Gurudev has given this key right in our hands in the form of His simple messages in simple language. He gave us the extract of Vedanta and Upanishads in His Twenty Important Spiritual Instructions, Sadhana Tattva and Universal Prayer. But, before this He commenced His teachings with, Be Good Do Good, Be Kind and Be Compassionate. Then He said, Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise. All these teachings of Gurudev are a key to Happiness.

The above is the message for you when you are entering the New Year. The wisdom of the past must guide us in the future.

May God and Gurudev Bless you all!

With my best regards, loving goodwishes and Om!

Message delivered by

NEW YEAR MESSAGERadiant Divinities! At this juncture when we are bidding farewell to the past year and entering the New Year. I lift up my eyes and hands in prayers to the God Almighty and Most Worshipful Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj for Their abundant Divine Grace on you all and upon all humanity in the world!

May you have sound good health, long life, happiness, progress, prosperity and success in all your undertakings! May the Divine Name of God be on your lips and may you have His constant remembrance through your minds and live every day, every hour and every minute, nay every second, of all the 24 hours in His Omnipresent Constant Awareness.

Having got this gift of human life, if we pass away in pursuit of temporary pleasures, then we have led our precious lives in vain. Therefore, let us not commit the mistakes we had in the past, but move forward and onward in practising the message of our Worshipful Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj which is a key to Happiness for which everyone is searching for.

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Blessed Immortal Self!Life is the greatest of all teachers and this

earth is its school. Truly, the world is the best school. All its lessons are taught through the Book of Nature. Nature everywhere abounds with such lofty lessons which alone are quite sufficient to bestow the highest wisdom of man. Each day is a valuable page in this book and each thing and natural phenomenon embodies a lesson to one who observes and reflects. Where such special and significant lessons are present those days and such phenomenon like eclipses etc., are given a distinctive prominence so that your attention may be drawn towards it, your interest aroused and that you may reflect upon its true import. The three-fold festival days of Uttarayana Punyakala also called Makara Sankranti when the sun enters the house of the Tortoise in the Zodiac, the Vasant Panchami marking the advent of the spring season and the Ratha-saptami day which is said to be the actual day when the sun apparently assumes a northwardly course logically follow in each other’s wake, forming a triplet of very significant and deeply interesting import.

Winter is a season, at once the direct antithesis and foe of all life, gaiety and brightness. All warmth and comfort is absent. It is everywhere extremely chill, bleak and dreary. The bright rays of the sun are obstructed by fog and mist, animals hibernate and even green vegetation withers under the extreme severity of the cold. What

a contrast to the spring and summer days with its bright warmth, joy and colourful smiles of nature! Even so, like unto chill, dark, dreary winter is the life of the worldly man, clouded by the fog and mist of deluded passions and cravings. There is no warmth of aspiration and divine love to be found in him during his wintry days for sensuality and gross worldliness. The bright rays of higher idealism and lofty attainments never reach or affect him. The fragrance of the flowers of virtues are smothered by the severity of extreme sensuality and selfishness and the vital verdure of cardinal good qualities like mercy, charity and generosity are not to be seen in him. Even so a wretched and pitiable person shivering beneath enveloping folds of thick blankets and rugs the unawakened, unregenerate worldly leads a deplorable existence beneath thick coverings of ignorance, prejudices and egoism. But this winter of egoism is not to last forever. The Grace of the Compassionate hand has kept in store for man the bliss and brightness of a joyous spiritual spring, leading on to the brilliant radiance of Adhyatmic summer of self-realization. One memorable day comes the turning point in the life of man. That is his Uttarayana Punykala. This is the time of Sankranti for him.

Note what happens at this juncture. Then sun enters the Makara Rashi or the house of the Tortoise of the Zodiac. The

A MESSAGE ON THE TRIPLE FESTIVALS OF

UTTARAYANA, VASANT PANCHAMI & RATHA SAPTAMI

(H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj)

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tortoise symbolizes three significant things. It remains equally at home in two completely antagonistic elements i.e., land and water. It moves about under the safe security of a strong invulnerable protective armour. It readily withdraws itself, its limbs, and head alike. Stepping into such a house does the sun commence its journey northward towards the home of the eternal, pure Himalayan snows, towards all that is sacred, holy and divine. The very idea of the North with the perpetually snow-clad Himalayas, celestial Ganges and Kailash is ineffacably associated with spirituality, illumination and divinity.

Thus entering into such a state does the Jiva start upon its Uttarayana towards the lofty, towering peaks of the Himalayas of Atmic Realisation and the highest Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Like the tortoise moving in water and earth alike, the Mumukshu learns to go about unaffected amidst the mutually incompatible pairs of opposites like censure and praise, honour and insult, love and hatred, fortune and misfortune. He ensconce himself under the protective armour of discrimination, dispassion and Brahmacharya, He withdraws himself physically and mentally from external sensual contacts and refuses to be tempted by them. Reaching such a state he bids adieu to the south, i.e., his old sensual worldly life. In Hindu tradition the southern direction has always stood for inauspiciousness. No worshipper faces south at the time of his prayers nor is it usual for the deity in any sacred shrine to gaze south. It is here that the noble Sita was imprisoned by the Asura King of the southern islet, the ten-headed Ravana. Rama had to rescue her from this quarter and take her north to reign in joy once again at Ayodhya.

During Sankranti, therefore, the individual stands at the threshold of his spiritual life, stepping into the path towards

life’s glorious Goal. Then onwards it is all a progressive procession of increasing aspiration, joy and brightness. Through diligent Sadhana day by day the blossoms of Bhakti, Sraddha, and all the Daivi Sampat make their appearance in his nature even as external nature bursts out into colourful spring once after the passing away of winter. Now comes Vasant Panchami, implying thereby the advent of a spring like awakening in all his five-fold nature·, viz., ·the aspirants physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual being.. He begins to do only good, kind and helpful acts. He entertains pure, noble thoughts and aspirations. Elevating divine emotions fill his heart. His purified intellect begins to· appreciate and grasp higher subtle truths so long hidden from its ken. The dormant spirituality ·now starts to pulsate into life. As in spring birds begin to

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burst forth music and flowers to waft exquisite fragrance the Sadhak enjoys Vidya-gandha and hears the inner Anahat music of the heart. Sadhana proceeds with great earnestness, zeal and encouragement, enthused by various such inner experiences and culminates in the descent of divine Grace. The Lord Himself takes complete charge of the Yogi’s life and Sadhana.

This is Ratha-saptami Day. The Saptami denotes that now the fast advancing soul has shed the shackles of the Shad-ripus or the six-fold evils of Kama, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya, and the Egoism. It is here that he actually ascends the Ratha i.e., the state of surrender where the Lord’s hands take over the reins of his life. Remember, how on his upward March of Swargarohana, the noble Yudhistira had to fulfill a like condition when a celestial chariot came to him. It was only when he became alone after breaking off his attachments to the seven beings, viz, Kunti, the mother, his five brothers

including Karna and the seventh, Draupadi (egoism) the main cause of all the slaughter at Kurukshetra, that he got the Ratha which took him to heaven.

Beloved aspirants! Wake up from this winter of worldliness, turn away from the inauspicious south of your worldly, sensual life. Let your Uttarayana Punyakala start now. Come on, proceed northward towards the goal of Self-realisation. You. will soon reach the joyous Vasant Panchami of spiritual awakening. Within a short time the Ratha of the Lord’s Grace will come to you and speedily will the destination of Divine Realisation be reached. Immortal life, Infinite knowldge, power and eternal bliss will be yours!

May the Lord who is the fountainhead of all auspiciousness, joy and inspiring grandeur soon bring about the auspicious spiritual Sankranti in you, bestow upon you the joy of an Adhyatmic Vasant and lead you on to the grand Ratha-Saptami of your life!

Peace is not in the heart of the carnal man. Peace is not in the hearts of ministers, advocates, businessmen, dictators, kings and emperors. Peace is in the hearts of Yogins, sages, saints and spiritual men. It is in the heart of a desireless man, who has controlled his senses and the mind. Greed, lust, jealousy, envy, anger, pride and egoism are the enemies of peace. Slay these enemies by the sword of dispassion, discrimination, and non-attachment. You will enjoy perpetual peace:

Peace is not in money, ·estate, bungalows and possessions. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but within the soul.

Money cannot give you peace. You can purchase many things, but you cannot

purchase peace. You can buy soft beds, but you cannot buy sleep. You can buy good food, but you cannot buy good appetite. You can buy good tonics, but you cannot buy good health. You can buy good books, but you cannot buy wisdom.

Withdraw yourself from external objects. Meditate and rest in your soul. You will realise everlasting peace now.

Nothing can bring you peace, but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace, but the victory over your lower self, triumph over your senses and mind, desires and cravings. If you have no peace within yourself , it is vain to seek it in external objects and outwardsources.

The Abode Of Peace (Swami Sivananda)

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Salutations to Lord Siva, the Source of all Auspiciousness!

The Indian genius has expressed itself wonderfully through all the Vratas and observances that have been handed from generation to generation of the children of India.

Perhaps the chief among them from the point of view of austerity and rigorous Sadhana is Sivaratri. The whole day is spent in the worship of the Divine. The devotee fasts the whole day and engages himself in the service of the Lord.

Great stress is laid on Vairagya. For one full day the devotee is immersed in the Reality. Family ties, social bonds are all cut asunder. In the presence of the Lord he loses himself: his separatist individual Ego dies away. The devotee turns away from the world, as it were and resorts to the Feet of the Lord.

Sama and Dama, in the form of control of the internal and external forces of man, are practised. The mind is centred in the Lord and is not allowed to flow objectively. The senses are “starved out” and their inner vitality directed towards the Light, with the help of which they function.

Titiksha, of course, there is - when the devotee has to endure the greatest pain to the body - hunger and thirst.

Uparati and Shraddha are natural concomitants of this worship. Without Shraddha the

SIVARATRI MESSAGEH.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj

worship loses its significance. Once the value is realised then Uparati follows automatically.

When the senses are thus controlled, Samadhana comes by itse1f. And, it is this Samdhana that helps the devotee to concentrate his mind in its entirety on the Lord.

Viveka is a pre-requisite here. The Aviveki is far away from the Lord and does not attempt the Vrata.

The Vrata performed in the proper manner with the proper mental attitude generates intense longing for Liberation or Sayujya with the Lord - Mumukshatwa.

The devotee is now fit to receive the Light Divine -

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for he has lived for one full day at least the Life Divine.

The two great natural forces that afflict man are Rajas and Tamas. Sivaratri Vrata aims at the perfect control of these two. The entire day is spent at the feet of the Lord. Continuous worship of the Lord necessitates the devotee’s constant presence in the place of worship.

Motion is controlled. Kamadi shadripus (passion and other six enemies) born of Rajas are ignored and controlled. The devotee observes vigil throughout the night and thus conquers Tamas also.

Sivaratri is a perfect Vrata. The devotee does not allow even a chance of relapse into Rajas and Tamas. Constant vigilance is imposed on the mind every three hours there has got to be one Puja of the Lord.

The formal worship consists of Abhisheka of the Siva-Linga the symbol of the One - with water, milk and other ingredients. Lord Siva is considered to be Tejo-Maya, always boiling with the fire of Tapas. He is, therefore, best propitiated by Abhisheka.

While doing this Abhisheka the devotee prays : “O Lord! I will bathe You with water, milk, etc. Do You bathe me with the milk of wisdom: do You wash me of my sins, so that the Fire of Samsara from which I am ·suffering may be put out once and for all, so that I may be on with Thee-the One alone without a second.”

Glory to the Lord! Glory to the Bhaktas who observe this great Vrata! May His blessings be upon you all! May you all shine as Jivanmuktas in this very birth!!!

Hindu scriptures are of six kinds

viz. (1) Srutis (2) Smritis (3) Itihasas

(4) Puranas (5) Agamas and (6)

Darshanas

The Srutis include the four Upa-

Vedas, the six Angas and the four Vedas

containing Samhitas, Bramanas,

Aranyakas and Upanishads.

The Smritis are many, like Manu

Smriti, Yajnavalkya Smriti, Parashara

Smriti. The Ithihasas are Ramayana,

Yogavasishta, Mahabharata,

Harivamsha etc. The Puranas are

eighteen in number. The Bagavata is

the most important of all.

The Agamas are manuals of

worship. The Pancharatra is the most

famous Agama. The Tantras are

included in the Agamas.

There are six Darshanas - the

Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga,

Mimamsa and Vedanta. The Vedanta

of Badarayana is the most important of

all philosophies.

These embody the entire Hindu

religion.Swami Sivananda

HINDU SCRIPTURES

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Adorable spiritual presence, worshipful and beloved Holy Master Gurudev, center of grace, center of light, to, thee we bow down in devotion and homage, and offer thanks for all the grace that you have showered upon us, all the grace you are at this moment showering upon us and all the grace that we know you will ever continue to shower upon us. And it is for us to know and recognize this continuous outpouring of grace from your all-loving and universal heart; to know and to recognize and to ever seek to receive and to uplift ourselves, to benefit from this continuous shower of grace. We thank thee again and again and we strive to express our thanks in life, in action.

Almighty Lord, father of all mankind, God of grace, compassion and love - to you also who has ever since the dawn of creation, ever since the ancient Vedic seers realized that Thou art the great wealth of wealth, the supreme treasure, the pearl of surpassing price, the great gain, having attained which, there is nothing higher to be attained.

From ancient times, when the great illumined seers and sages enter into Thy experience and knew Thee to be the one great Reality beyond all temporary changing appearances of universal processes, the one great unchanging, beginning-less and endless, Reality, from that time onward, You have continuously been sending into this world amongst human beings your Divine

messengers, your spiritual ambassadors to awaken mankind and call it back to its divine status. In this long unbroken line of the succession of messengers, You sent Gurudev as one of your great teachers to mankind in this twentieth century who was among us even in the middle of this troubled twentieth century. Thus the change of times and the rolling of millennia and centuries have not changed this unbroken pattern of your continuous sending. In fact, your teachers have been ever coming as awakeners, as inspirers, as path pointers, as guides, as helpers of humanity. For this we thank Thee.

You have called humanity to know that in the midst of life You are there, the Eternal Being, in the midst of life and death. You are ever-present as the source and support of all life and death. You have ever tried to remind humanity that life is a precious gift, a golden opportunity, a rare chance to attain supreme blessedness and that it should be known as such, seen as such and lived as such. For this grace, which is beyond measure, boundless and limitless grace we have no means of thanking You but to see life as an ascent unto divinity and to recognize life as this gateway, golden gateway, a portal throw open wide and to live life as a great journey and pilgrimage to perfection, a journey to supreme felicity. Give us therefore the vision and the understanding and the inspiration and the strength to make of this life a spiritual

DAILY ASCENT TOWARDS DIVINITY

(H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj)

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process, make of this life a great Sadhana and live life in all its totality, in its entirety as a one hundred percent Yoga Abhyasa. That is the secret of living to attain perfection, living to make life a journey unto Satchitananda, to make the life here and now the surest guarantee for the attainment of the hereafter which is also here and now.

Thus we have utilized the morning hour, this 17th day of the fourth month of April of 1989 for recognizing life in its true Swarupa, in its true nature and giving thanks for all that it constitutes, all that it brings to make us the most fortunate among all living beings upon the surface of the earth and what all it has given to us in the form of adequate material for attaining highest blessedness in and through this journey called life, for attaining the greatest in and through this finite mind and intellect, for attaining supreme perfection in and through this imperfect body. Giving thanks for this great bestowal we have utilized this morning hour.

Let each day therefore be assessed as such, a recommencing of the journey, the re-entry into this portal of blessedness as we go into temporary death in sleep, becoming oblivious of our personality, becoming oblivious of life itself, and becoming oblivious of all understanding, meanings and significances and wisdom - as we emerge once again from this state of oblivion of ourselves, of our life, and its meaning and its significance and its goal, as we emerge from it into awakening, into light, into a glorious beholding of this grandeur called life, of this great opportunity called life. Let us emerge with this awareness that God is the essence of life, God is the center of life, God is the pinnacle of life, and God is the supreme value of life. God is the meaning of life. God is the purpose of our existing here and now. God is the beginning, middle and the end, and the all in all, the everything, the

alpha and omega of life. Let us emerge from the darkness of oblivion into the light of this consciousness, into the wakeful state and the commencement of the day. Let us emerge into consciousness with this awareness that our supreme goal is realization of the Reality in and through this passageway of passing temporary unrealities or appearances.

If each day is thus entered into with a conscious awareness of what life is and what we are, then each day will be enrichment, an addition, an augmenting of this spiritual dimension of our being, an enhancement of our awareness of the great reality within and without. Thus indeed should each day dawn, and come upon us as an enrichment, as something added so that we are never where we were the day before, Thus the process of daily enrichment, daily enhanced awareness, a daily ascent towards divinity will one day find us upon the inner threshold of perfection, the inner threshold of fullness, the inner threshold of freedom, the inner threshold of the mansion of blessedness, the land of eternal sunshine.

Thus may God bless us to live life in this full awareness and in this light of a spiritual knowledge, a spiritual knowledge of what we are and what life is to us and where this combination of both ourselves and this gift of God should ultimately lead us. With this thanksgiving, with this prayer that when we emerge from the oblivion of night into the awareness and wakefulness of day, let our awareness be a God-centered awareness. With this thanksgiving and reassessment and prayer and sharing of all these three, we offer this great blessing at the feet of Holy Master and the Supreme Universal Spirit, the Cosmic Being whom men of illumination address variously, call various names. May it be acceptable to the Holy Master. Hari Om.

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Sadhana is the purpose for which we have come to this plane. It is this earth-plane alone upon which Sadhana for Self-realisation can be done.

Sadhana means right living, living in a God-ori ented life. Root out falsehood from your heart. Become an embodiment of Truth.

You are ever-pure and spotless. Express that ever-pure, spotless nature in your thoughts, words, in the pattern of your desires and inner motives in your daily life. Practise that, live that radiate that - that is Sadhana. You are the Truth, the Supreme Reality. Express this Truth.

Let not your life be a contradiction of what you are. Be WHAT YOU ARE. This is the essential Sadhana. It is the direct path to live a divine life, to be divine in thought, word and deed.

SADHANA(Swami Chidananda)

The supreme Sadhana is a life lived divinely where every act, thought and word is permeated with the divine quality.

Be victorious over circumstances. Even when you are working do not leave this inner awareness. (Assert it at every moment in all things. Be the conqueror of your mind, the subduer of your desires and a master of your destiny; for you are the Master.)

May you develop noble character and walk the path of the good and pure, the path of Truth, purity and goodness, and more towards that glorious goal which awaits you. This is your birthright which you can claim and experience in this very birth. Do not postpone it. Be up and doing.

The greatest war is war with the mind and the senses. True glory lies in silent conquest of the mind. If you have controlled the mind, you are

conquerer of the whole world. Mind is at once the source of man's bondage as well as his release. Close the doors of the senses by means of self-restraint.

H.H Swami Kartegeyananda has returned to the headquarters (18.11.2016). He will boost the availability of man-power here.

Announcement

The Greatest War

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The modern man in search of Truth has come across many a wonder of creation which he has been rejecting day by day upon what he calls his newer and newer discoveries. Centuries of human investigation on scientific and logical lines, which are the proud achievements of man’s Herculean efforts and the results of the employment of his best powers of understanding and work, have created the present-day world. And what a world! The man of today himself is a great commentary on these strenuous efforts of science and philosophy, and, as we know the tree by the fruits it yields, the prevailing conditions of mankind are a standing attestation of the labours of centuries of past history.

Today we are in a world of the general complaint that no one is happy, because no one is doing the right action. This, because no one has the right knowledge, and all the sweating that man has been subjecting himself to has been in the wrong direction. There has been a great advancement in the world of the sen ses, in the field of matter and force, in industry and in technological horizons. But why, with all this, is man restless and does not seem to have achieved anything, and ap pears to be at daggers drawn even with those whom he should consider as

his nearest in kind? The reason is not far to seek. Man is enmeshed in a snare of illusions created by his own misdirected thoughts, illusions which he has mistaken for facts. It has all along been believed that the reality of life can be unearthed by probing into the senseworld. Yes; this has been done, and man today is finding himself in an impasse which is threatening him like the Frankenstein monster.

But there have been rare souls, whom we regard as the sages of ancient history, who were blessed with the vision with which to realise that a Fact which has an eternal meaning in itself cannot be an object that can be handled by someone else as a tool or an instrument of observation and action. The minimum that one can expect of a Fact in itself is that it is true to itself and does not hang on something else for assuming a meaning. It has to exist by itself in order that it may be permanent. When it is not per-manent, it ceases to be a fact but only a ten-dency to something else which should be the fact. The world of objects in order to be a fact has therefore to be something by itself and not merely an object of man’s experi-ment and enjoyment. The test of reality is independence, and what is the world in itself when it is envisaged as a fact not dependent on man’s observation of it or assessment of it? This is difficult for man to conceive, be-cause the moment it is conceived it becomes

THE CONSECRATION OF ETERNAL VALUESH.H. Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj

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an object and gets charged with the proces-ses of perception by the subject, and the ob-ject as it is in itself is never known. The fact as such eludes the grasp of the senses and understanding, because it refuses to stand outside of the subject and be judged through the instrumentality of the subject’s cognition and perception. We do not seem to be living in a world of reality.

The discovery of the ancient sages is usually regarded as the great revelation, the Scripture. In India, the Vedas have been held as the sacred lore of divine knowledge of supersensible realities, The Vedas are regarded as Apaurusheya,-with no human author. It is believed that the sages in their deep meditations and in communion with Reality had Its impress on their souls which they endeavoured to express in purified lan -guage, so that the knowledge is not their in-vention or creation but a true reflection, in their minds, of the eternal Fact of existence. It is thus the voice of God manifesting itself as Word. Another view is that the Word is eternal and it never perishes even at the time of the dissolution of the world, the process being that the Word is not merely the written letters but a force, a potency which is usually known as Sphota. This is the energy behind the Word, just as we may say a permanent form of electrical energy is the stuff and sub stance behind the atoms and molecules of matter. The Word of the Veda is thus not a group of letters in Sanskrit language but a permanent energy-compound which lies in a seed form even at the time of the dissolution of the world and manifests itself again in the next cycle of creation. This is akin to the concept of Jivas or souls lying potential in Ishvara on the dissolution of the cosmos. Knowledge is

eternal though it may be manifest in many a concept and spoken through different tongues.

The essential significance of the Vedas is that it reveals superphysical facts of life which are inaccessible to the mind of man. The Vedas, especially the Mantras, are not merely indicative of the nature of truth by means of connotation and denotation but also suggestive by way of the vibration they produce when they are recited with their proper intonation (Svara). The Mantras of the Vedas have a Rishi or a sage of realisa tion to whom they were revealed, whose thought-force is behind the Mantras. They have a Chandas or a metre in which they are composed,-a way of juxtaposing words in a sentence by which they produce a kind of chemical reaction, as it were, when chanted with the proper modulation of voice, which charge the Mantras with a-novel force. They have also a Devata or a deity to whom the Mantras are directed, the form of whose presence is implied in the shape of the vibra tions which the Mantras produce when chanted. With these means the Vedas take the mind of the seeker of Truth from the ob jective material world gradually to the Universal Being hidden beneath the names and forms of sense-perception. Western orientalists have done yeoman’s service in discovering the historical, archaeological and sociological background of the Vedas and bringing out critical editions of the Vedas by way of arduous research for many years. But all these efforts have not made man better because this is something like describing a human being in his relation to his family, to the society, his country

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etc., without touching the essential aspect of what he is by himself when all these relations are cast away. The knowledge of the inner meaning of the Veda is more important than an assessment of its historical value or an appreciation of its philological structure.

This inner meaning of the Veda is being lost today, slowly, due to the impact of mechanised forms of education in the fields of science and psychology, which has made man think that he knows much while he is empty within. The inner meaning of the Veda is not its language, its word or its ver bal form. The inner meaning of the Veda is spiritual in a very broad sense of the term,- in the sense that it is a way of living in con tact with Reality in all its grades of manifestation,-physical, social, psychologi-cal and universal,-which comprise the objectives of life which are usually known as Dharma, Artha., Kama and Moksha. Recent researches in the ‘inner circle’ have revealed that the Vedas contain in themselves surpris-ing knowledge of the science such as math-ematics and many other mysteries whose knowledge is hidden within them,-all methods which man can employ for his blessedness, both here and hereafter.

It is also held by many that the Vedas believe in many Gods and uphold a kind of polytheism. This is definitely the outcome of a superficial view of their contents, for the

manifold accostations to divinities one sees in the Veda-Mantras are but the many forms of the admiration of the human soul for the One Reality behind phenomena. Historians forget to take note of the famous Mantra in the very first Mandala of the Rig-Veda which proclaims the One Being that the sages call by various names (Ekam sat yiprah bahudha vadanti). It is the great glory of the Vedas that they take a twofold view, of the cosmic (Saprapancha) and the acos mic (Nishprapancha) view of Reality.

The cosmic view accepts the multiformed universe as a veritable vision of the many faces of the One Supreme Being (Sahasrasirsha purushah) as the Purusha-Sukta declares. The many gods are thus the one form of the one Purusha. The acosmic view is to be seen mainly in some of the Upanishads which form the concluding por tion of the Vedas wherein the glory of the majestic Absolute is sung in ecstatic terms. The four sections of the Vedas,-Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad repre-sent a composite whole of an integrated view of life (Veda-Darshana). The Vedas are not merely an incomparable source of the divine knowledge of God and Creation but also a standard text of human morals and an exhortation to goodness in conduct and mutual co-operation in life, with which stirring note the Rig-Veda concludes (Sam gacchadhvam sam vadadhvam sam vomanaamsi jaanataam).

Life is a journey from impurity to purity, from hatred to cosmic love, from death to immortality, from imperfection to perfection, from slavery to freedom, from diversity to unity, from ignorance to eternal wisdom, from pain to eternal bliss, from weakness to infinite strength. - Swami Sivananda

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‘Kapala’ meana skull and ‘Bhati’ means shine. This exercise cleanses the skull. Thus it becomes a purificatory exercise. The regular practice bestows a shining (skull) face to the practitioner. This pre pares the student for the practice of Bhastrika Pranayama

TECHNIQUESit in any one of the sitting postures

and keep the spine and neck erect. Exhale quickly through the nostrils with a slight movement of the lower abdomen. Concentrate on the tip of the nose. You should not contract the face muscles. Short inhalation should follow each exhalation. To start with, you can have a speed of one expulsion per second and you can practise one or two rounds, each round consisting of eight or ten expulsions. Take rest with normal breaths after each round. When one is sufficiently advanced in the praetice one can increase at the rate of ten expulsions for each round, per week, till one gets 120 expulsions in each round. Two or three rounds may be done in the morning and evening.

BENEFITSThis exercise cleanses the skull, the

respiratory system and the nasal passages. It destroys diseases of the phlegm. It removes the spasm in the bronchial tubes. Consequently, Asthma is relieved and cured also. The impurities of the blood are thrown out. Heart functions properly. The circulatory, respira tory and digestive systems are toned up to a conside rable degree.

Bhastrika means bellows. Rapid succession of forcible exhalations is a characteristic feature of this Pranayama.

TECHNIQUE

Sit in any of the postures. Rapid and deep expulsion and intake of breath through the nostrils should follow one another in quick succession. With each expulsion and inhalation of breath, contraction and expansion of abdomen should be there. Start with six, eight or ten expulsions of breath for one round, according to your capacity. Tbe final ex pulsion in each round should follow with deep inhala tion and retention of breath as long as you feel comfortable. Rest a while after one round of Bhast rika. Care should be taken that unnecessary pressure is not given on the lungs. Beginners may start with two or three rounds, each round

consisting of six to ten expulsions, one expulsion per second. Gradually increase the number of the exhalation and inhalation to 20-30 per round, keeping lhc number of rounds to 2 or 3.

BENEFITS

Bhastrika relieves inflammation of the throat, increases lhe gastric fire, destroys accumu1ation of phlegm, removes the diseases of the nose and chest and eradicates asthma, consumption, excess of wind and bile. It gives warmth to the body. The practitioner will keep good health.

BHASTRIKA(RAPID MOVEMENT LIKE THAT

OF THE BELLOWS)KAPALABHATI

(SKULL CLEANING EXERCISE)

HEALTH & HAPPINESS(H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj)

14

SITALI (COOLING PRANAYAMA)

BENEFITSThis Pranayama cools the system,

soothes the eyes and ears and purifies the blood. It quenches thirst and appeases hunger. It cures chronic dyspepsia (indigestion), inflammation of the spleen, various chronic skin diseases, low fever, biliousness and phlegm disorders.

TECHNIQUESit in any one of the postures. Open

the mouth and form the lips into ‘O’ shape. Protrude the tongue like a tube. Draw in the air through the tongue-tube. Fill the lungs with fresh and cool air as much as possible. After inhalation, withdraw the tongue and close the mouth. Lower your head and touch the collar bone with the chin during retention ot breath. Exhale slowly through both the nostrils after bringing your head erect. Practise this daily ten to fifteen times.

Listen to me, O ye children of Light! Hark! You are essentially the all-blissful Self: all-health , all-joy, all-bliss and all-peace. Never forget this. Forgetfulness of this essential nature brings the negative, undesirable state. Tap the source. Draw strength, power, joy and peace from within. Realise the Self within.

Feel always that Flame burning brightly within you. See that Light shining in every form and name. Learn to recognise the unmistakable presence in every phenomenon. One who lives this way never strays away

from the Right, from Dharma. He never loses the sight of the Truth. He never falls into darkness. Such a one never utters falsehood, for he knows the Lord as the Antaryami dwelling in the innermost recess of every being. He never commits sin, for nothing can be hidden from the all-prevading Lord. He ever does his duty heroically and courageously, knowing that the real doer is indeed the Lord who impels him to act upon this earthly Life. - Swami Sivananda

REALISE THE HOMOGENEOUS ESSENCE

15

THE TRUE SPIRIT of thankful ness is an indication of a highly advanced culture. One who posseses a deep, philosophical insight is pro foundly thankful to God for all the circumstances that God has presented to lead the soul to enlightenment, or liberation- which is the purpose of existing in the world.The entire world has been planned for the evolution of the soul, and it is for this gift that your heart must flow in thankfulness to God.

Although the majority of people count their blessings only on their fingers, a truly religious person realizes that they have been blessed with an infinite, myriad array of resources that enable them to attain the highest state of evolution. Every moment in your life is a gift of God. Your body, your mind, your senses, your intricate psycho-physical personality that baffles you and science - all this has been given by God to every soul.

In this practical world, if someone gives a gift to a friend or a relative, there’s always a sense of joy if the gift is well - utilized. On the other hand, if you place an inspiring book someone has given you to read on the shelf, you are ignoring the potential for inspiration in the book.

By utilizing the Divine gift of your

resources, you can attain absolute fulfillment of your desires, supreme happiness and peace. This effective utilization of all your potential is the best thanks that can be given to God. However, one fails to utilize their gifts completely because ignorance cramps one’s vision. Therefore, the challenge before every aspirant is to patiently strive to reduce ignorance by discovering their essential inner majesty.

By diligently cultivating positive impressions in your mind, you are able to utilize your resources more and more. If on the other hand your mind is a storehouse of negativity, you’re ignoring the blessings that God has given to you. If you were to develop faith that God, who is abiding within your heart, is guiding you and that by his presence nothing is impossible, you can achieve amazing things.You become the architect of a glorious destiny.

Return Your Intact “Blanket” to God and Be Free of the World Process

The challenge of your life is to live with such profundity that you outgrow the world through enlightenment and do not reincarnate or come back into the world of matter again. Saint Kabira illustrates this

Develop the Spirit of

Thankfulnessto God

Thanksgiving Message by Swami Jyotirmayananda

16

thought in a song: “God gave to every soul a blanket to put on in this wintry world. (But while others make their blanket rugged) I have kept mine intact, and laid it down before God as he gave it to me.” The blanket is your psycho- physical personality, your body and mind. If you have utilized your personality well for attaining enlightenment during your lifetime, you have cherished that blanket, that gift from God. Thus, when you exit the body you are not going to come back into another body. You have laid down the blanket intact and will not require another one.

However, if you ignore the Divine Presence, if you do not utilize the resources that God has given you to attain enlightenment, you continue carrying the burden of karma. Thus, God will provide you with other ma terial bodies, other blankets. The world of matter will continue to give you experiences at the level of senses, experiences of pleasure and pain, experiences of high and low, joy and sorrow, in an unending process. In this process you will be searching in vain for absolute fulfillment in the world of transient attainments. To join Saint Kabira in his blissful song, you must learn how to utilize God’s gifts to you for their intended divine pur pose.

Utilize the Gift of Your Personality through Tapas, Dana, and Yajna

The Gita describes three basic types of activities through which one’s personality can be well-utilized. These are tapas (discipline of your total per sonality), dana (charitably sharing your resources with others),and yajna (performing one’s duty towards eco-logical balance).

Tapas means austerity- disciplin ing your

body, mind and speech, which allows your personality to be utilized so that you have the stamina, the strength, the endurance, and the quality to help others. In yogic cul-ture, austerity is a joyous discipline, not a painful sacrifice. With good health and a peaceful mind achieved through discipline, you can live a life of spiritual luxury. Without discipline, your life lacks joyousness.

There are the two objectives in developing discipline: Dana and yajna. Dana is charity, sharing what you have. You may have wonderful possessions, but if you’re not disci plined you can’t share them.You may start with small, material things. Or you may share other gifts, such as the art of story telling. Using the story to bring out moral or spiritual lessons, you enhance the lives of others and thus become more enriched yourself. And generally if you share what you have, you become a magnet for draw ing prosperity. Dana is not only shar ing material wealth but sharing your strength, your courage, your patience, your insight, your experience.

Yajna, in a restricted sense, refers to ritualistic performance. But here yajna is a broader reflection of your relationship not only to yourself and to other human beings but to the cos mos, or the universe, containing for ests and trees, animals and birds, the world around you. Your attitude to ward the universe as a whole helps create ecological balance in the world, allowing the world around you to be come more organized, prosperous. and peaceful.

A revered Vedic prayer gives insight into this spirit of yajna:

“Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niraamayaah, sarve bhadraani pashyantu,

17

ma kashchit dukh bhaag gavet”- “May all be happy, may ev eryone enjoy the good, may everyone be free from the misery of diseases and sufferings.”

If you hold in your heart this medi tative attitude of sending out good will for all, you are promoting a spirit of thankfulness in your personality. When you send out a stream of peace to whomsoever might need it, you enjoy peace within your own heart as well. Utilizing your energy for dana and yajna promotes the upliftment of all mankind and helps the world to become more liveable and sustainable ecologically, morally, and spiritually for generations to come.

As you enrich your life through the practice of tapas, dana and yajna and continue to develop positive im pressions through prayer, repetition of mantra, meditation and good-association (satsanga), your mind becomes like a golden vessel rather than a lesser one made of brass. If you put sour items like yogurt or pickles into a golden vessel, the vessel remains un affected by its contents. On

the other hand, if you place the same items in a brass vessel you will quickly see green tarnish develop.

Similarly, by artistic living, you allow your mind to become like a golden vessel in dealing with negative conditions- suffering, problems, stressful situations. Day by day you allow the mind to shine ever more brightly until at last it is fit to hold the nectar of divine love that is enjoyed in the state of liberation. When you have reached that state, you have truly uti lized the personality that was given to you by God, and in so doing have expressed the greatest gratitude pos sible. And your ‘thank you’ is not just in words, but goes deep in the heart like the joyous melody of every river as it finally enters into the loving arms of the ocean.

And may you attain enlighten ment. Om shantih.

By utilizing the Divine gift of your resources, you can attain absolute

fulfillment of your desires,supreme happiness and peace.

This effective utilization of all your potential is the best thanks that can

be given to God

18

ஜப ய�ோகம

1. இநதக கலியுகததில இறையுணரறவைப

பெறுவைதறகு ஜெ ய�ோகம ஒரு எளிதோன

வைழி�ோகும.

2. ஏதோவைபதோரு மநதிரம அலலது

இறைவைனுறை� நோமதறத

ெோவைததுைனும உணரவுைனும ெலமுறை

ப�ோலலுவைதுதோன ஜெம.

3. ஜெம மனததிலுளள அழுககுகறளப

யெோககுகிைது; ெோவைஙகறள அழிககிைது;

அடி�வைரகறள இறைவைனுைன யநருககு

யநரோக �நதிககச ப�யகிைது.

4. ஒவபவைோரு நோமததுககும அளவு கைநத

ஆறைல இருககிைது. பெோருளகறள

எரிபெது தயின இ�றறக. அமமோதிரிய�

இறைவைனுறை� திரு நோமததுககுப

ெோவைஙகறளயும ஆற�கறளயும

எரிததுவிடும தனறம உணடு.

5. இனிறம�ோன பெோருளகள

அறனதறதயும விை இனிறம�ோனதும,

நலல பெோருளகள அறனவைறறையுமவிைச

சிைநததும, தூயறம�ோன பெோருளகள

அறனவைறறையுமவிைத தூயறம�ோனது

இறைவைனுறை� திருநோமம.

6. இறைவைனுறை� திருநோமம இநத �ம�ோர

�ோகரதறதக கைகக உதவும ெைகோகும.

அது மனதறத அழிபெதறகு உதவும ஒரு

கருவி�ோகும.

7. மநதிரஙகறள திருமெத திருமெ உச�ரிககும

பெோழுது வைலிறம�ோன பதயவக �கதி

உனனுள உறெததி�ோகும. உைலின

�லன �கதி அபிவிருததி�றைநது

பதயவக உணரவுகளும, எணணஙகளும

விருததி�றையும.

8. மனனோத தர�யத இதி மநதரஹ -

மனனம, அதோவைது இறைவிைோத

நிறனவுகளினோலும உச�ரிபபினோலும

ஒருவைன தனது பிைபபு, இைபபு எனை

சுழறசியிலிருநது விடுெடுகிைோன.

ஆறகயினோல இசப�யறக மநதிரம

எனபெடுகிைது.

9. மநதிரதறதத திருமெத திருமெ

உச�ரிபெதோல ஆனமக அறலகள

உணைோகினைன. அநத அறலகளோல

குறிபபிடை உருவைஙகள யதோனறுகினைன.

‘ஓம நமசிவைோ�’ எனை மநதிரதறத

உச�ரிபெதோல சிவைபெருமோனுறை�

திருவுருவைம மனதில யதோனறுகிைது. “ஓம

நயமோ நோரோ�ணோ�” எனை திருநோமதறத

மணடும மணடும ப�ோலவைதோல

திருமோலின திருவுருவைம மனதில

யதோனறுகிைது.

10. இறைவைனுறை� திரு நோமததின

பெருறமற�ப ெகுததறிவைோலும, வைோதப

பிரதிவைோதஙகளினோலும விளககிக கோடை

முடி�ோது. ெகதி, நமபிகறக, இறைவிைோது

உச�ரிததல ஆகி�வைறறின மூலமதோன

அறத அனுெவிதது உணர முடியும.

11. ஜெம மூனறு வைறகபெடும:

(i) மோனசக ஜெம (ii) உெோமசு ஜெம

அமிரத கதத

19

அலலது முணுமுணுததல (iii) விகோரி

ஜெம அலலது உரகக பவைளியில நனகு

யகடகுமெடி உச�ரிததல.

12. மனததோல ஜபிததல எனை மோனசக

ஜெம தோன மறைறவைகறளவிை ஆறைல

வைோயநதது.

13. விடி�றகோறல நோனகு மணிககு

எழுநதிருநது இரணடு மணி யநரம ஜெம

ப�ய�யவைணடும. பிரமமமுகூரததமதோன

ஜெததிறகும தி�ோனததிறகும மிகவும

ஏறைது.

14. உஙகளோல குளிகக முடி�ோவிடைோல,

முகம, றக, கோல, உைல ஆகி�வைறறை

நரோல துறைததுவிடடு ஜெம ப�ய�

அமருஙகள.

15. வைைதிற� அலலது கிழககு திற�ற�

யநோககி அமருஙகள. அபயெோதுதோன

ஜெததின ஆறைல அதிகமோக இருககும.

16. தரபறெபபுல அலலது மோன யதோல

அலலது கமெளியின மது ஒரு பவைளறளத

துணிற�ப ெரபபி அதனயமல அமர

யவைணடும. அதனோல உைலிலுளள மின

ஆறைல வணோகோது.

17. ஜெம ப�யவைதறகு முனனோல ஏதோவைபதோரு

பிரோரததறன ப�ய� யவைணடும.

18. ஏதோவைது ஒரு �ரி�ோன நிறலயில அமர

யவைணடும. ஆ�னம �ரி�ோக இருகக

யவைணடும. ெதமோ�னம, சிததோ�னம,

சுகோ�னம ஆகி� இறவைகளுள ஒனறில

ய�ரநதோறயெோல மூனறு மணி யநரம

அமரநதிருகக யவைணடும.

19. மநதிரதறத உச�ரிககுமயெோது, இறைவைன

உன உளளததில அமரநதிருககினைோன

எனறும, �ததுவைம அலலது

தூயறம�ோனது இறைவைனிைமிருநது

உன மனததிறகுள ெோயவைது யெோலவும,

அநத மநதிரம உன உளளததிலுளள

ஆற�கறளயும, யவைடறககறளயும,

த� எணணஙகறளயும அழிததுவிடடுத

தூயறமபெடுததுகிைது எனை உணரவு

அலலது மயனோெோவைததுைனும இருகக

யவைணடும.

20. ஓர ஒபெநதககோரன தோன

ஏறறுகபகோணை யவைறலற�

விறரவில ப�யதுமுடிகக

ப��லெடுவைதுயெோல, ஜெதறத விறரவில

முடிககயவைணடுபமனறு அவை�ரபெைோயத.

ஒனறுெடை மனததுைனும, ெகதியுைனும,

ெோவைததுைனும பமதுவைோக ஜெம ப�ய�

யவைணடும.

21. மநதிரதறதத பதளிவைோகவும,

தவைறிலலோமலும உச�ரிகக யவைணடும.

மிகவும யவைகமோகயவைோ அலலது மிகவும

பமதுவைோகயவைோ ப�ோலலக கூைோது.

22. ஜெமோறலற� உருடடுமயெோது

சுடடுவிரறல உெய�ோகிககக கூைோது.

பெருவிரல, நடுவிரல, யமோதிரவிரல

ஆகி�வைறறைய� ெ�னெடுதத யவைணடும.

மோறலற� ஒருமுறை உருடடி

முடிதததும அறதத திருபபி மறுமுறை

எணணி புைபெடை இைததுகயக

வைர யவைணடும. தனிய� இருககும

‘யமரு’ எனனும மணிற�க கைநது

ப�லலககூைோது. றககறள ஒரு துணி�ோல

மூடிகபகோளளயவைணடும.

23. எச�ரிகறகயுைன இரு. ஜெம ப�யயும

யெோது மிகக கவைனததுைன இருகக

யவைணடும. தூககம வைருமயெோலத

யதோனறினோல எழுநது நினறு பகோணடு

ஜெம ப�ய� யவைணடும.

24. இைதறதவிடடு எழுநதிருபெதறகுமுன,

20

குறிபபிடை எணணிகறகற� முடிகக

யவைணடும எனறு தரமோனம ப�யதுபகோள.

25. ஜெம எனெது நம மனறத இறைவைறன

யநோககிச ப�லலுமோறு தூணடும ஒரு

�வுககு அலலது �ோடறை யெோனைது.

26. ஓரிரு �ம�ஙகளில ஜெமோறல

இனறிய� ஜெம ப�ய. கடிகோரதறதப

ெ�னெடுததிகபகோள.

27. ஜெததுைன தி�ோனம ப�ய�வும

ெழகிகபகோள. அது ஜெததுைன கூடி�

தி�ோனமோகும (ஜெ �ஹித தி�ோனம).

பமதுவைோக ஜெம ப�யவைது நினறு தி�ோனம

மோததிரம பதோைரநது நறைபெறும.

அது ஜெமிலலோத தி�ோனம (ஜெரஹித

தி�ோனம) எனபெடும.

28. நோளயதோறும விடி�றகோறல, நடுபெகல,

மோறல, இரவு ஆக நோனகு முறைகள

ஜெம ப�ய�யவைணடும.

29. திருமோலின அடி�வைர “ஓம நயமோ

நோரோ�ணோ” எனறும, சிவைபெருமோனின

அடி�வைர “ஓம நமசிவைோ�” எனறும,

கணணபிரோனின அடி�வைர “ஓம

நயமோ ெகவையத வைோசுயதவைோ�” எனறும

இரோமபிரோனின அடி�வைர “ஓம �

ரோமோ� நமஹ!” அலலது “ஓம � ரோம

ஜ�ரோம ஜ� ஜ� ரோம” எனறும, யதவியின

அடி�வைர கோயதரி மநதிரம அலலது துரககோ

மநதிரதறதயும உச�ரிகக யவைணடும.

30. ஒயர மநதிரதறத உச�ரிபெது நலலது.

கணணன, இரோமன, சிவைன, துரகறக,

கோ�தரி எலலோப பெ�ரகளிலும ஒயர

இறைவைறனப ெோர.

31. ஜெ �ோதறனயில ஒழுஙகோக இருபெது

தோன இனறி�றம�ோதது. குறிபபிடை

இைததில குறிபபிடை யநரததில அமரநது

ஜெம ப�யவைறத வைழககமோக பகோளள

யவைணடும.

32. புரஸ�ரணம எனெது ஒரு மநதிரததிலுளள

ஒவயவைோர எழுதறத இலட�ம முறை

(அட�ரலட�ம) உச�ரிபெதோகும.

33. ஜெம ஒரு ெழககமோகயவை

ஆகிவிையவைணடும. கனவிலுமகூை ஜெம

ப�யதுபகோணடிருகக யவைணடும.

34. இறையுணரறவை எளிதிலும, விறரவிலும,

ெோதுகோபபுைனும, உறுதியுைனும,

ப�லவிலலோமலும பெறுவைதறகு

ஜெய�ோகயம சிைநத வைழி. இறைவைன புகழ

வைோழக! அவைன திருநோமம வைோழக!

35. மனிதயன! இறைவைனுறை�

திருநோமதறதய� �ரணோக அறைநதுவிடு.

திருநோமமும திருநோமததுககுரி�வைனும

ஒனறுதோன.

உனனுறை� அபிபபிரோ�மதோன �ரி, ந ப�ோலவைதுதோன �ரி, மறைவைரகளுறை�து

தவையை எனபைலலோம பிடிவைோத மனபெோனறமற�க பகோளளோயத. ந

ப�ோலவைது உனககு எவவைோறு �ரி�ோகத யதோனறுகிையதோ அவவைோயை பிைர

கூறுவைதும அவைரகளுககுச �ரி�ோகயவை யதோனறும எனெறத உணரநது

அவைரகளயெோல பெோறுறமயும தோரோளமனபெோனறமற�யும பகோள.

21

ஆசிபெறை இைவைோ ஆனமோககயள! ஸரவைண மோதததின கறைசி திஙகடகிழறமயில இஙகு குழுமியுளள �ோதகரகயள! இநத ஸரவைண மோதம முழுவைதும மிகவும சுெமோனதோகக கருதபெடுகிைது. அதிலும சிவைறன வைழிெடுவைதறகு ஏறைதோக நிறனககபெடுகிைது? இமமோதததில வைரும நோனகு திஙகடகிழறமகளும சிவைனின வைழிெோடடிறயக ஒதுககபெடுகினைன. சிவைன யகோவிலகள எஙபகஙகு உளளனயவைோ, அஙபகலலோம ெகதரகள ஆயிரககணககில இநத நோனகு திஙகடகிழறமகளிலும கூடுகினைனர.

அஙகு சிவைறன வைழிெடுவைதறகு எனன எடுததுச ப�லகினைனர? நர மடடுயம. யவைறு எநத ஆைமெரமோன பெோருளகறளயும எடுததுச ப�லவைதிலறல. யநறறு (ஞோயிறு) ஆயிரககணககோன ெகதரகள கஙறகற�க கைநது, உ�ரநத ப�ஙகுததோன நலகணை மறலககுச ப�லவைறதப ெோரததிருபபரகள. அவைரகள எலலோம எடுததுசப�னைது நர மடடுமதோன அவைரகள எலயலோரும �மஸகிருதததில வைலலுனரகள அலல; ருதர மநதிரம, யவைதஙகள, யவைத ெோரோ�ணஙகள, விதிமுறைகள, பூறஜ �மபிரதோ�ஙகள ஆகி�றவைகறள அறிநதவைரகள அலலர. இருபபினும அவைரகள தவிர ெகதரகள. அவைரகள பநஞ�ததிலும, உதடடிலும இறைவைன நோமம ஒலிததுக பகோணயை இருககிைது; தோம பகோணடு ப�லலும நறர இறைவைனுககு அபியேகம ப�யகிைோரகள. சிவைன ‘ஆசுயதோஷ’ - எளிதில திருபதி அறைகிைவைர, எளிதில மகிழெவைர, உையன ெகதரகளுககு அருறளப பெோழிெவைர எனெது உஙகளுககுத பதரியும.

ஒவபவைோரு ஆணடும, இநத ஸரவைண மோதததின திஙகடகிழறமகளில லட�ககணககோன மககள நறர ஏநதிகபகோணடு நைநது ப�லகினைனர. அதன உணறம எனன? இறத பவைறும குருடடு நமபிகறக

எனறு ப�ோலெவைரகளும இருககிைோரகள. ஒரு �ோரோர ப�லகிைோரகள: “எஙகள அபெோ ப�யதோர, என தோததோ ப�யதோர, அவைருறை� அபெோ ப�யதோர, அவைரகள ப�யகிைோரகள; இவைரகள ப�யகிைோரகள. ஆறக�ோல நோஙகளும ப�யகியைோம. இபெடி ப�ோலவைதனோல அவைரகள ப�யவைது அரததமறைதோகயவைோ, ெ�னிலலோதறவை�ோகயவைோ ஆவைதிலறல. மனிதரகள தம �ோதோரண அறிவு நிறலயிலிருநது இவவைோறு முடிவுகடடுவைது பவைகு சுலெம. உணறமற�க கோணெதறகு இனனும அறிவின ஆழததிறகுச ப�லல யவைணடும.

தனறனப பெோருடெடுததோது ெலயவைறு கஷைஙகறளயும �கிததுக பகோணடு ப�லெவைரகளிைம ஆழநத ெகதி ெோவைம - சிவைன மது ஒனறி� உளளம இருககிைது. அநத ெகதி ெோவைம அவைரகளது ப�லவைம. அநத ெகதி ெோவைதறத எநதப பெோருறளயுமவிை உ�ரநததோக இறைவைன மதிககிைோர. “ெத ரம, புஷெம, ெலம, யதோ�ம ய�ோ யம ெகத�ோ பர�ச�தி” - “ெகத�ோ” - “ெகதியுைன” எனெறத கவைனிககவும. “�ோர ஒருவைர எனககு ஒரு இறல, ஒரு மலர, பகோஞ�ம ெழஙகள, சிறிது நர ஆகி�றவைகறள ெகதி ெோவைததுைன அளிககிைோயரோ” அது இறைவைனுககு மிகவும மகிழசசி தருகிைது. ஆைமெரமோக பூறஜ ப�யது பகோடுககபெடும பெோருளகறளக கோடடிலும யமலோனது. ஆைமெரம இலலோவிடைோலும ெகதி ெோவைம இனறி பவைறும இ�நதிரம�மோகச ப�யதோலும ெ�ன எதுவும இலறல. எறதக பகோடுககியைோம எனெது முககி�மிலறல. எபெடி பகோடுககியைோம எனெது தோன முககி�ம. ஆறக�ோல இறைவைனுககு உகநத இநத உணறம�ோன ெகதிெோவைதறத எபபெோழுதும ெசுறம�ோகவும, புதி�தோகவும, எனறும நஙகோததோகவும றவைததுக பகோணடிருகக யவைணடும.

இததறக� உறுதி�ோன உளளததிறகோக இறைவைனிைம யவைணடிக பகோளள யவைணடும.

இதைவனுககு மகிழசசி தருவது(சுவோமி சிதோனநதோ)

22

“யதஹியம கருெ�ோ �மயெோ தவையி ெகதிர �ஞ�ல” உனனிைம ெகதி ெோவைதறதக பகோடு. அது எனறும மோைோதது, உறுதி�ோகவும, ஒரு �ம�ம இருநது , மறபைோரு �ம�ம இலலோததோகவும இருகக யவைணைோம. “ஓ இறைவையன! எபபெோழுதும இறைவிைோது, மோைோது, தவைைோது, உன திருவைடியில என உளளம ெடிநதிருகக அருள புரிவைோ�ோக” இநத ெகதி ெோவைதறத வைளரததுகபகோளளுஙகள, ெகதி மோரககததில ப�ய�பெடும எலலோ �ோதறனகளுககும, ய�ோகஙகளுககும இதுயவை திைவுயகோல.

ெகதி ெோவைதயதோடும, கைறம உணரயவைோடும ப�ய�பெடுகினை யவைறலகளின விததி�ோ�தறதப ெோருஙகள. அதிலுளள உ�ரறவை நிறனததுப ெோருஙகள. ஒருவைர அரசு அலுவைலகததில உடகோரநதுபகோணடு றைப ப�யதுபகோணயைோ, கணககுகறள எழுதிகபகோணயைோ இருபெோர. மறபைோருவைர அயத யவைறலற� இநத ஆஸரமததில ப�யவைோர. ஒருவைர புததகககறையில புததகஙகள விறெோர; மறபைோருவைர இஙகு புததகஙகறள விறெோர. இரணடிறகும இறையில மிகப பெரி� விததி�ோ�ஙகள இருககினைன. அயதயெோனறு பவைளியில ஒருவைர பதருறவைச சுததம ப�யகிைோர. ெகதர ஒருவைர ஆஸரமததிலுளள விசுவை நோதர யகோவிறலச சுததம ப�யகிைோர. அவைர பெரி� அர�ோஙக அதிகோரி�ோக இருககலோம. ஆனோல அவைர இஙயக தனறனப ெணிவுளள ஒரு ஊழி�னோக நிறனததுக பகோளகிைோர. சுததம ப�யகிை யவைறல ஒனறுதோன. ஆனோல இஙகு யவைறலயில ெகதி ெோவைம இருககிைது. பவைளியில ப�யெவைரிைததில அது இலறல. இநத ெோவைதறதததோன இறைவைன கோணகினைோர. பவைளியில சுததம ப�யெவைர யவைணைோபவைறுபெோக, இ�நதிரமோக, தன விதிற� பநோநது பகோணடு ப�ய�லோம. மனம ஈடுெோடடுைன ப�யகிை பதோழிலில இலறல. ஆனோல ெகதன எநத யவைறல ப�யதோலும, அதில ெகதி ெோவைம இருககிைது. இறைவைன இநதக யகோவிலில இருககிைோர. இறதச சுததம ப�யவைது புனிதமோன கைறம; எனனோல முடிநத சிறி� ய�றவை” இநத ெோவைம ெகதனிைம

மடடுயம இருககிைது.

ஒரு அைரநத கோடடின மததியில சிவைன யகோவில ஒனறு யகடெோரறறுக கிைநதது. எபயெோதோவைது ஒருமுறை அதன பூ�ோரி வைருவைோர. அநத லிஙகததின மது சிறிது நறரச ப�ோரிநது, பூ இறலகறள றவைதது வைழிெோடு ப�யதுவிடடுப யெோவைோர. அயத கோடடில வைோழநத ஒரு ஆதிவைோசி தறப��லோக அநதக யகோயிறலக கணைோன. உளயள ப�னறு ெோரததோன. லிஙகததின மது நர அபியேகம ப�யது, இறல பூககள றவைததிருபெறதக கணைோன. அவைன கலவி�றிவு இலலோதவைன. நறர ஊறறி, இறல, பூககள றவைததுதோன வைழிெோடு ப�ய� யவைணடும. நோமும அபெடிய� ப�யயவைோம எனறு தரமோனிததோன.

அதனெடிய� அவைன யவைடறை�ோடி� மிருகததின மோமி�தறதக பகோஞ�ம அமபில குததி எடுததுக பகோளவைோன. அடுதத றகயில விலறல றவைததுக பகோளவைோன. ெறிதத மலரகறளத தறலயின மது றவைததுக பகோளவைோன. நறரக பகோணடுச ப�லல ெோததிரம இலலோததோல, தன வைோய நிறை� நறர றவைததுக பகோணடு யகோவிலுககுச ப�லவைோன. தன வைோயிலுளள நறர லிஙகததின மது ஊறறுவைோன.தன தறலமதுளள பூககறளயும, அமபிலுளள மோமி�தறதயும அதன மது றவைபெோன. இறைவைனிைம யவைணடுவைோன. “ இறைவையன! நோன ப�யத பூறஜற� ஏறறுகபகோளளுஙகள.”

இநது மத யகோடெோடடினெடி, மூககோல முகரநத மலரகறளய�ோ, எசசில ெணைஙகறளய�ோ இறைவைனுககு ெறைககக கூைோது. இநதத தறைகள எலலோம ெடிபெறியவைோ, யகளவி அறியவைோ இலலோத அநத ஆதிவைோசிககுத பதரி�ோது ஆனோல அவைன உளளததில இறைவைனுககுப பூறஜ ப�ய� யவைணடும எனை எணணம மடடும இருநதது, அதனோல வைோயில பகோணடுவைநத நறர உமிழநதோன. இது ஒரு கூைோத கோரி�ம மோமி�தறத றவைததோன. இதுவும கூைோத கோரி�ம, இறைவைனுககு �ோர மோமி�தறதப ெறைபெோரகள? ஆனோலும இநத இரணடு

23

கோரி�தறதயும ப�யதோன. தனனிைம இருநத பெோருளகறள, ெறைகக யவைணடும எனை ெகதி ெோவைததுைன பகோடுததோன. அவைன எனன பகோடுததோயனோ அதில உணறம நிறைநத ஆழநத ெகதி இருநதது. இதுயவை ெகதி ெோவைம. இநத ஆதி வைோசிககு இறைவைன யதோனறி ஆசரவைோதம ப�யதோர. கலவி இலலோத நோகரிகம அறை, ெணெைோத, �மூகததில கழோகக கருதபெடுகினைவைனுககும இறைவைன அருள கிறைததது. எனன கோரணம? நிறனததுப ெோருஙகள. உணறம�ோன ஆழநத ெகதி ெோவைம அனறி யவைறிலறல.

இதுயெோனறு, தோழநத குலததில பிைநது, கழநிறலயில இழிவைோன ப��றலச ப�யது பகோணடிருநதவைரகள எலலோம தஙகள உணறம�ோன, ஆழநத ெகதி ெோவைததினோல, முகதி அறைநத ெல வைரலோறுகள நம புரோணஙகளில இருககினைன. தூ� உளளயம உ�ரறவைக பகோடுககிைது. யவைறல அலல. இநத ெோவையம கரமதறத கரம ய�ோகமோககுகிைது. யவைறலற� வைழிெோைோககுகிைது. இநத ெோவையம �ோதோரண யவைறலற�யும ஆனமகமோக

மோறறுகிைது. ெகதன மனதில இநத ெோவையம �தோ குடிபகோணடிருககிைது. குருயதவைர சுவைோமி சிவைோனநத மஹரோஜின சைரகள �ோவைரும இநத ெோவைறன பகோணடிருபெவைரகள. அவைர நமககு இநத ெோவைறனற� ஊடடி இருககிைோர. ஆனமக பவைறறிற�த தரும எனக கோடடி இருககினைனர.

இநந அததி�ோவைசிமோன உணறமற� எனறும நிறனவில பகோளயவைோம. முதலில உளளதறதப ெரிசுததமோககிக பகோளயவைோம. ெரிசுததம அறைநத உளளததிறகு ெகதி ெோவைமும, அனபும பதரியும. இநத ெகதி ெோவைததுைன நோம எநதயவைறலற�ச ப�யதோலும, அது அறரகுறை�ோக இருநதோலும இறைவைன மகிழவைோர. ெகதிெோவைம இறைவைறன நம ெககம பகோணடு வைரும. நனகு சிநதிதது, கஷைப ெடடு இநத ெோவைறனற� வைளரதது பகோளளுஙகள. ெகதி, இரககம, தி�ோனம- ஆகி� �ோவைறறையும ெோவைததுைன ப�யயுஙகள. இறைவைன மகிழநது உஙகள �ோதறனற� பவைறறி�றை� அருள ப�யவைோர இறைவைன உஙகளுககு நலலோசி வைழஙகடடும.

ஆனமக நூலகறளத தினமும ெடியுஙகள. நூலகயள ஞோன ஊறறு: உைனெோைோன கருததுககறள வைழஙகும நலல நூலகறளய� ெடியுஙகள. நஙகள ப�லலுமிைஙகளில எலலோம கைவுள இருபெறத உணருஙகள. ஆணைவைன உஙகளுள இருககிைோன, நஙகள அவைனுள இருககிறரகள-இதறன மைவைோதரகள.

எபபெோழுதும அறமதி�ோக இருஙகள. பதயவை பநறிககு உடெடடிருஙகள. கவைறலகள, ஏககஙகளுககு இைமளிககோதரகள. உஙகள பநஞ�ததின ஆழததில இருபெதுைன பெோருநதி, அறமதிக கைலில ஆழநதிருபபரகளோக!

மகோதமோ கோநதி, சுவைோமி சிவைோனநதோ, இரோம கிருஷண ெரமஹமஸர, சுவைோமி வியவைகோனநதர

ஆகி� மஹோனகளின வைோழகறகயிறனப ெடியுஙகள. அறவை உஙகளுககு வைழிககோடடும தூணடுயகோலோக அறமயும. உணறமககுப புைமெோனவைறறை நஙகள விடடு விடுவரகள. மனிதர ஒவபவைோருவைரும மோறுயவைைததில உளள கைவுயள! உளளுறையும பதயவக நிறலற� மறைககும உறைற�க கறளநதவைரகயள மகோனகள!

வைோழவின உ�ர பவைறறிகறளத பதோைரநது உணரும ெரிணோமயம வைோழவின �ோரமோகும. பிரோரததறன, ய�றவை, ெகதி, தி�ோனம ஆகி�றவை உஙகள வைோழறவைச ய�ோபிதமோககும. பெோறிகளினோல நமககுக கிடடுவைது இனெம இலறல, ஆதமோ வியலய� நித� ஆனநதம நிரமபியுளளது. எனயவை ஆனமக வைோழறவை யமறபகோணடு, தூயறம ெயினறு, ப�நதனறமய�றறு, தரமம புரிநது, இறைநிறல அறைவரகளோக!

ததயவக வோழகதக

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An elderly couple had a very well disciplined and devout son. One day, for some unknown reason, the boy lost his temper with his teacher and began to argue with him. The teacher too who was a man of self-control, got angry and slapped the boy quite harshly, causing injury on his face.

As corporal punishment was not allowed in that school the parents decided to take legal action against the teacher. But the boy, reflecting over the matter, requested his parents not to proceed with the action, stating that the fault was his. He should not have argued with his teacher; rather he should have showed him respect and obedience. The wise parents followed the advice of the boy.

The next day the boy went and prostrated to his teacher, apologising for his misbehavior. He stated that it was wrong of him to have argued, and promised never to behave like that again. He said that his parents will not take any legal action against him.

Deeply moved and overwhelmed by the boy’s candid remarks, the teacher kissed his forehead in gratitute, because he might have lost his job had his parents taken legal action.

From then onward the teacher had a special love and affection for the boy and they both got on well together. To make amends for his impatience in slapping the boy, the teacher would go to his home twice a week and assist him in his lessons. He continued this task for several years, even when the boy entered another class under a different teacher.

Eventually, the boy turned out to be a brilliant student due to the extra tuition given by the teacher. He attributed all his success to

the help he received from his teacher.After leaving his school the boy married.

Due to his work situation, he had to take up residence away from his parents, who both lived alone.

In this time his old teacher resigned from his job and shortly afterwards, his wife also passed away. So he had no one to take care of his needs.

Now the boy came to his rescue and wished very much to make his teacher live with him. But the boys’s parents themselves wanted that privilege of having the beloved teacher with them. After a good bit of debate the teacher stayed with the boy’s parents.

The boy’s father and the teacher became intimate, engaged in spiritual practices and served in a spiritual institution. But with the advancement of age, there was none to take care of them. The mother was incapable of performing the household tasks. Now the boy, with great delight took them into his care and all three lived with him.

The boy had a most dutiful and caring wife and two lovely children. All four, who were leading a devout spiritual life under the guidance of a saintly Guru, took immense delight in caring for the three aged ones. Their most important spiritual practice, as taught by their Guru, was to care for them. Such was the love and affection that they lavished on the three aged ones that the Guru remarked that even the Gods will be envious of their devotion.

Our Glorious Hindu DharmaD.L.S South Africa.

GLORY OFFORGIVENESS

CHILDREN'S WORLD

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Close to a mountain-stream, there was a dilapidated building full of rat-holes. A great number of rats dwelt in those rat-holes. They went out in search of food at night and they got plenty from the neighbouring grocer’s shop.They stored the·foodstuffs in the holes and dwelt in apparent peace. The mountain-stream suddenly swelled one day and the flood-waters washed away all the rats dwelling in the holes.

They died almost instantaneously and floated along the water. As the water dashed once again in huge waves and washed away yet another rat, on the crest of this wave floated a huge log of wood. The rat somehow managed to scramble upon it. It was borne safely down the turbulent stream because the log was of immense size. A mile farther down-stream the log was washed ashore; and the rat also was safely deposited on the sandy bank of the river. While the others perished, this blessed rat alone was saved.

The mountain-stream is comparable to this terrible Samsara which is nothing more than the current of Raga-Dvesha.

The dilapidated house is this little mud-hill called the earth with only the sky as the roof, broken into several fragments by big oceans, with huge rivers running here and there, somewhere high with mountain-ranges, somewhere low with oceans. In this dilapidated house, there dwell human beings

in rat-holes called towns, villages and cities. Unconscious of the terrible stream of Raga-Dvesha flowing by, people go about their business of greedily gathering the objects of this world. Being caught in the current, they are washed away by this terrible current of Raga-Dvesha.

They perish. But, there floats on this very current the log of wood viz., Bhakti. It seems to be part of the stream; though it looks like Raga (a great liking), it is safe because it is an intense liking for God. The blessed soul quickly stands upon this log of wood, Bhakti. The current does not swallow him. He is not affected by the current of Raga-Dvesha. In course of time, he is taken to the shore of Immortality.

- Swami Sivananda

PARABLE OF THE BLESSED MOUSE

O GraciousChidananda

Fill our hearts toowith the same cosmic love

that fills Thy heart, O Lord!O Gracious Chidananda!

O Holy of holies!O Sakshat Paramananda!

May we like Theelook at the leader and the leperthe millionaire and the beggar

with the same vision.

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28th August 2016The birth anniversary of H.H. Sri Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj was observed at the Ashram. Lunch was served after Akhanda Nama Bhajan, Paduka Puja and Arati. The evening programme comprised of prayers, bhajans, kirtan and a short speech by President H.H. Sri Swami Swayamjayananda followed by arati and dinner.

30th August 2016The 8th Mahasamadhi Punyatithi Aradhana of H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj was celebrated. The morning programme comprised of Akhanda Nama Bhajan, Paduka Puja and lunch. In the evening after bhajans and kirtan President Swamiji delivered a short speech. Four re-prints from DLS Rishikesh were released.

i) Essence of Yogaii) Methods of Meditationiii) Meet your Destinyiv) Be What You Are

Dinner was served to all the devotees.

3rd September 2016President Swamiji delivered a talk on “Guru Worship and Guru’s Grace” at the Shankara Madam, Jawi.

3rd – 4th September 2016H.H. Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji conducted a “Sivapuranam Camp” at the DLS Port Klang Sub-Branch.

5th September 2016The Annual Vinayagar Chaturti Festival was celebrated with abishegam and special puja. After bhajans President Swamiji delivered a speech on “Symbolism in Lord Ganesha”. This was followed by arati and dinner.

8th September 20161. Gurudev H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj’s 129th birth anniversary was celebrated at the Ashram with special prayers both in the morning and evening. The morning programme consisted of Brahmamurhurta prayers and breakfast was served. The forenoon programme continued with Akhanda Nama Bhajan, Paduka Puja, Arati and lunch. In the evening bhajans and kirtans followed with a speech by President Swamiji, Arati and dinner.

2. At the Petaling Sub-Branch President Swamiji delivered a lecture on “How to Overcome Desires”.

10th September 2016President Swamiji held his weekly satsang session at the Petaling Sub-Branch. He delivered a talk on “How to cultivate the

SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES

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sub-conscious mind”.

12th September 2016The Dayananda Ashram sanyasins celebrated their guru’s 1st Punyatithi Aradhana at the Kalamandapam. President Swamiji, Vice President Sri Swami Samyamanandaji and Swamini Achudananda from the DLS Petaling Sub-Branch attended the function.

12th – 28th September 2016Sri Swami Samyamanandaji represented the Malaysian branch at the birth centenary celebrations held at DLS HQ Rishikesh. He was accompanied by 24 devotees. On his return Swamiji informed those in the Ashram about the ceremonies and speeches and also gave jnana prasad and sweets to the ashramites.

17th September 2016In conjunction with H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji’s 100th birth anniversary celebrations a Yoga Retreat was held at the Ashram yoga block. Apart from talks there were demonstrations of various hatha yoga postures.

18th September 2016President Swamiji attended prayers at the Johore Bharu Sub-Branch and delivered a talk on “Surrender”.

24th September 2016H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji’s 100th birth anniversary was celebrated at the Ashram. In the morning, after

Brahmamuhurta prayers breakfast was served to those present. At 10.30am the programme continued with Akhanda Nama chanting, Paduka Puja, arati & lunch. In the evening after bhajans and special puja, Trustee Sri S. Nesadurai released a publication prepared by President Swamiji entitled “Jyoti Swarupam” as an expression of gratitude to Pujya Swamiji. After this was the official launching of the Sivananda Mobile App. Dinner was served to all present.

25th September 2016The DLS Port Klang Sub-Branch celebrated H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji’s birth centenary. The highlight of the celebrations was a video presentation. H.H. Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji of the main branch attended this function and delivered a speech on the “Teachings of H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji”. The celebrations concluded with Paduka Puja, Arati and lunch.

1st October 2016The DLS Bandar Country Homes Navaratri celebrations began with setting up the Kumbam and sowing of “Navathaniyam” by H.H. Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji. After the Navaratri Puja, Swamiji delivered a talk on the “Significance of Navaratri and Kumba Avahana Puja”.

1st – 10th October 2016Navaratri celebrations were held at the Ashram with daily Parayana of Devi

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Mahatmiya and Devi Strotras. There were singing of devotional songs and discourses on various aspects of Devi worship.

Topic & Speaker1. Significance of Navaratri - H.H. Swamini Skandapriyananda2. Abirami Andhathi - Smt. Dr. Amrthavally Ganesan3. Devi Upasana - Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji4. Divine Wealth - President Swamiji

On the last day of Navaratri a book entitled “Lord Skanda” was released by President Swamiji. This book was the last of the series of publications that were released over 2 years in conjunction with the birth centenary celebrations of H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj.

4th October 2016Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji attended a special puja for Navaratri at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam. Swamiji delivered a speech on “Mahamari as mother nature and how to receive her blessings”.

15th October 20161. Sri Swami Samyamanandaji conducted the Suhasini Puja at the Bandar Country Homes Sub-Branch. After bhajans Swamiji delivered a talk on “Mother Devi”.

2. President Swamiji and Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji attended the

Inauguration Prayers at Brahma Vidyaranyam, Dayananda Ashram Kulim, organised by H.H. Swami Brahmananda of Dayananda Ashram. 16th October 2016The annual Deepavali party for the poor in and around the Gombak district was held at the Ashram. Food parcels were distributed to 50 poor families, uniforms, school bags and shoes for 150 poor school children and party packs for another 250 children. Lunch was served after the party. The Society wishes to thank all the generous donors who made this function a success.

25th October 2016Sri Swami Samyamanandaji visited the Sungai Buloh prison with representatives from Hindu Sangam and distributed Deepavali sweets. Swamiji delivered a talk on “Self-Surrender”.

31st October – 6th November 2016The Skanda Shasti festival was celebrated with abishegam, recitation of Lord Muruga mantras and the Kandar Anubhuti followed by arati. Prasad consisted of a variety of fruits. The celebrations ended with prayers for Lord Muruga at Batu Caves. There were 70 paal kudams and one kavadi. On their return all the devotees broke fast at the Ashram.

October 2016 (Sundays) Sri Swami Samyamanandaji conducts his weekly Bhagavad Gita and Sanskrit classes at the Sivananda Home. Sanskrit classes at the Ashram are conducted by

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Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji every Saturday. Swamiji also coducts Bhagavad Gita classes every Monday.

20th November 2016Sri Swami Samyamanandaji delivered a talk on “Guru Worship” at the Sri Sai Baba Vidyalaya centre, Sri Muda, Shah Alam.

20th November 2016Sivananda pre-school graduation ceremony and concert was held. Fifty (50) six-year old children who had completed their studies graduated. The President, Vice-President and Sri Kunalan, the committee member in-charge gave away the certificates.

27th November 2016Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji attended the Interfaith debate held at Kampus Sultan Azlan Shah, Tanjung Malim, Perak.

28th November – 3rd December 2016A Yoga Camp entitled “Sadhana” was organised by Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji for teens aged 13-16. There was overwhelming response from all the sub-branches.

Topic & Speaker1. Guru - President Swamiji 2. Sadhana & Its Importance - Sri Swamini Skandapriyananda3. Who Is God? (Part I & II) - Br. Madhava Chaitanya4. Swami Sivananda's Teachings - Sri Marimuthu

5. Which Spiritual Sadhana Will Work For Me? - Sri Swami Samyamanandaji 6. Jnana Yoga Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji7. Youth & Religion Dr. Meenakshii

Certificates were presented to all partici-pants

7th – 12th December 2016The 2nd Basic Yoga-Vedanta Course was held at the Ashram for adults 17 and above.

Topic & Speaker1. Tatva Bodha & Vedic Chanting - Sri Swami Brahmajnananandaji 2. Sadhana Panjakam - President Swamiji 3. Sivananda’s Teachings - Sri Swamini Skandapriyananda 4. Bhakti Yoga - Sri Swami Samyamanandaji 5. Yoga Asana & Pranayama Sri Swami Sharavanabhavanandaji

December 2016 (Sundays)From December 2016 Sri Swami Samyamanandaji commenced Sanskrit classes at the Sri Gombak centre for spiritual dissemination. Sri Swami Mumukshuanandaji conducts Bhagavad Gita classes and Br. Madhava Chaitanya children’s classes.

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எதிரவரும நிகழவுகள / FORTHCOMING EVENTS

New Year’s Day Spiritual Retreat, Sunday (1st January 2017)

The Spiritual Retreat will be conducted as usual at Sivanandashram, Batu Caves as per programme given below:

5.00 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. - Brahmamuhurta Prayers & Meditation.7.00 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. - Bhajans & Kirtans.7.30 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. - Worship of Lord Muruga at the Batu Caves Temple.9.00 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. - Coffee break.9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. - Bhajans & Kirtans. 10.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. - Bhajans by Branch Members.10.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. - New Year Message by President Swamiji and Representatives of Sub-Branches.11.30 a.m. to 12.00 noon - Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Japa.12.00 noon to 12.30 p.m. - Paduka Puja.12.30 p.m. - Lunch.

புததாணடு தினம - அநர ய�தாகம (ஜனவரி, 01-01-2017)

வைழககமயெோல ஞோயிறறுககிழறம அநதரய�ோகம கழகோணும நிகழசசி நிரலினெடி நறைபெறும.கோறல மணி 5.00 முதல 6.30 வைறர - பிரோரததறன, தி�ோனம.கோறல மணி 6.30 முதல 7.00 வைறர - ெஜறன & கரததறன.கோறல மணி 7.00 முதல 9.00 வைறர - ெததுமறல முருகன வைழிெோடு.கோறல மணி 9.00 முதல 9.30 வைறர - இறையவைறளகோறல மணி 9.30 முதல 10.00 வைறர - ெஜறன & கரததறன கோறல மணி 10.00 முதல 10.30 வைறர - ெஜறன - உெகிறளகள.கோறல மணி 10.30 முதல 11.30 வைறர - புததோணடுச ப�யதி: தவைததிரு சுவைோமி சுவை�மபஜ�ோனநதோ மறறும உெகிறளகளின பிரதிநிதிகள.கோறல மணி 11.30 முதல 12.00 வைறர - மகோ மிருதருஞஜ� மநதிர பஜெம.நணெகல மணி 12.00 முதல 12.30 வைறர - ெோதுகோ பூறஜ.பிறெகல மணி 12.30ககு - உணவு வைழஙகுதல.

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Sri Vaikuntha EkadasiThe Annual Festival of Sri Vaikuntha Ekadasi falls on Sunday 8th January 2017. It will be observed at Sivanandashram with all night vigil and the following programme.

6.30 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. - Prayers.7.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. - Bhajans by DLS, Religious Class Students.8.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. - Bhajans by Sangeetha Class Students.9.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. - Bhajans by members of Divine Life Society.10.00 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. - Light Refreshments.10.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. - Ram Nam Sankirtan.11.00 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. - Speech by H.H. Sri Swami Swayamjayanandaji Maharaj11.30 p.m. to 1.00 a.m. - Abishegam, Vishnu Sahasranamam, Puja, Arati.1.00 a.m. to 1.30 a.m. - Ram Nam Sankirtan.1.30 a.m. to 3.00 a.m. - Bhajans by Thiruvarul Thavaneri Mandram.3.00 a.m. to 4.00 a.m. - Break4.00 a.m. to 4.30 a.m. - Devotional songs by DLS members.4.30 a.m. to 5.00 a.m. - Mahamantra Akhanda Bhajan.5.00 a.m. to 6.00 a.m. - Puja, Arati, Prasad.

Ubhayam by Mr & Mrs Palaraman

All members and friends together with their families are cordially invited to attend the function and derive benefit therefrom.

வவகுணட ஏகதாசிறவைகுணை ஏகோதசி விழோ வைழககமயெோல ெததுமறல சிவைோனநதோசசிரம மணைெததில 08/01/2017 ஞோயிறறுககிழறம மோறல மணி 7.00 மணிககு சிைபெோக பகோணைோைபபடும. அறனவைரும இதில கலநதுகபகோணடு ஆனமலோெம எயதுமோறு யவைணடுகியைோம.

மோறல மணி 6.30 முதல 7.00 வைறர - பிரோரததறனஇரவு மணி 7.00 முதல 8.00 வைறர - ெஜறன பத.வைோ.�. �ம� ெோை வைகுபபு மோணவை மோணவிகளஇரவு மணி 8.00 முதல 9.00 வைறர - ெஜறன பத.வைோ.�. �ஙகத வைகுபபு மோணவை மோணவிகளஇரவு மணி 9.00 முதல 10.00 வைறர - ெஜறன பத.வைோ.�. �ஙக உறுபபினரகள. இரவு மணி 10.00 முதல 10.30 வைறர - இறையவைறள.இரவு மணி 10.30 முதல 11.00 வைறர - ரோம நோம �ஙகரததனம.இரவு மணி 11.00 முதல 11.30 வைறர - ப�ோறபெோழிவு: தவைததிரு சுவைோமி சுவை�மபஜ�ோனநதோஇரவு மணி 11.30 முதல 1.00 வைறர - அபியேகம, விஷணு �கஸரநோமம, பூறஜ, ஆரதி.அதிகோறல மணி 1.00 முதல 1.30 வைறர - ரோம நோம �ஙகரததனம.அதிகோறல மணி 1.30 முதல 3.00 வைறர - ெஜன: திருவைருள தவைபநறி மனைம.அதிகோறல மணி 3.00 முதல 4.00 வைறர - இறையவைறள.அதிகோறல மணி 4.00 முதல 4.30 வைறர - ெகதிபெோைலகள: பத.வைோ.�. அஙகததினரகளஅதிகோறல மணி 4.30 முதல 5.00 வைறர - மகோமநதிர அகணை ெஜறன.அதிகோறல மணி 5.00 முதல 6.00 வைறர - பூறஜ, ஆரதி, பிர�ோதம உப�கதாரரகள: � & �மதி பதாலரதாமன

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Thaipusam Festival 2017

The Thaipusam festival for the year 2017 falls on 9th February 2017. As usu-al Annadanam will be served at Sivanandashram, Batu Caves, commencing at 7.00 a.m. on 8th February 2017 and will conclude on 9th February 2017 at 3.00 p.m. The feeding for approximately 30,000 people is expected to cost about RM 50,000/-.Your kind offering, however small will go a long way to meet the expenses of the Annadanam. The Society takes this opportunity to express its heartfelt gratitude in advance for your kind generosity. May the supreme Lord and Worshipful Gurudev bless your good self with long life, radiant health, supreme peace, sustained happiness, prosperity and spiritual illumination.

வபபூசத திருவிழதா 2017

2017 ஆம ஆணடிறகோன றதபபூ�த திருவிழோ எதிவைரும வி�ோழககிழறம 9.2.2017 இல நறைபெைவுளளது. வைழககமயெோல ெததுமறல சிவைோனநதோசிரமததில 8.2.2017 அனறு கோறல 7.00 மணி முதல பிபரவைரி 9.2.2017 மோறல மணி 3.00 மணி வைறர அனனதோனம வைழஙகபெடும. சுமோர 30,000 யெருககு அனனதோனம வைழஙகபெடும. இநத அனன தோனததிறகோக சுமோர RM 50,000.00 (ரிஙகிட ஐமெதோயிரம) வைறர ப�லவைோகும. ஆகயவை நஙகள வைழஙகபயெோகும நனபகோறை சிறி� பதோறக�ோக இருபபினும அனனதோனச ப�லவுகறள ஈடுகடை யெருதவி�ோக இருககும.

உஙகளது கனிவைோன நலலோதரவுககு முனகூடடிய� �ஙகம தனது மனமோரநத நனறியிறன இவயவைறளயில பதரிவிததுகபகோளகிைது.

ெரமபெோருளோன கைவுளும, குருயதவைரும உஙகளுககு நணை ஆயுறளயும, நலல ஆயரோககி�தறதயும, உனனத அறமதிற�யும பூரண �நயதோேதறதயும, விருட�தறதயும, ஆனமக முனயனறைதறதயும அருளுவைோரோக.

Maha SivaratriThe holy Maha Sivaratri Vrata will be observed at Sivanandashram, Batu Caves with all night vigil commencing at 6.30 p.m. on Friday, 24th February 2017.

6.30 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. - Prayers.7.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. - Abhisheka (Milk) and Archana Ubhayam: Sri & Smt Rajkumar.8.00 p.m. to 8.45 p.m. - Devotional songs and Bhajans by Music Class and Religious class students of DLS Batu Caves.8.45 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. - Devotional songs by Students of Kumari Rajeswari Rajaratnam.9.30 p.m. to 10.15 p.m. - Devotional songs – Students of Smt.Nesamani Retnasamy.