Tfqu!3122Year 17 Issue 3

Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission

In This Issue

1. Vedanta Section: Atma Bodha - Shloka-34

2. Letter Section: Relationships

3. Festival Related: Navratri Parva

4. Story Section: Lagends of Navratra

5. VM Programs: Mission / Ashram Progs

From Poojya Guruji

Vedanta SandeshSpreading Love & Light

Monthly eMagazine of theInternational Vedanta Mission

Sharing the message of Vedanta and Sanatan Dharma

Sept 2011

On the Net since 1995

Started by:

Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji

Editor:

Swamini Samatananda

Published from:

Vedanta Ashram

E/2948-50, Sudama Nagar

Indore-452 009, India

Web:

www.vmission.org.in

Email:

vmission@gmail.com

Hari om!Religion is one thing & spirituality is another. Both these represent dif-

ferent set of goals, means & also the people who strive for them. Religionimplies following a set of values & convictions which is seen as a divine dispen-sation. Religious followers believe in the existence of a divine order created byGod & we see a blessed role for us in that dispensation. Religion is morebased on belief & most often it aims at submission to the divine will & tuning upwith a divinely established delicate order & balance. The basic structure of allreligions is in the belief of God, the supreme power & intelligence which cre-ates, sustains & destroys the world. One who is the Master of the whole cre-ation and thereby have a set of do's & dont's, which basically facilitates us totranscend our sense of individuality & thus perceive the whole world very holis-tically. While there are many common things in all religions yet it will be wrongto say that all religions are basically same. Such statements do injustice to theunique thought and contribution of every religion. Some religions they teach ustolerance, while some are very intolerant of others. Therefore they resort toconversion & even violence. It is indeed a fact that some of the greatest warshave been fought in the name of religion, which have killed millions & billions ofpeople. While it may be politically convenient to say that all religions are basi-cally same yet philosophically it is a baseless proposition & such things can besaid only at the cost of ignoring the very uniqueness of every religion. At thelevel of religion there will always be the possibility of the fragmentation of thesociety & the inevitable subsequent conflicts amongst each other.

The solution of such problems is neither in resorting to living a life de-void of all religious traditions nor forcing others into belief of one religion. Wecan neutralize all problems of religious confrontation by becoming aware of amore sublime role of religions. That goal and objective is spirituality. The mainobjective of a religious life is to help us graduate into spirituality. In spiritualitythe priority is to awaken to the truth of our self and the world. Here we delvedeep into the various aspects of life and realize the truth of everything. There isno following of any do's & dont's, no rituals and no looking beyond. It is allawakening to the truth here and now, which is one without a second, infinite,un-fragmented & all pervasive. This goal of spirituality can become a true inte-grator of different religions which are different from each other in so manyways. In a country like India where there are so many intra-religious traditionsas well as other religions, the integrating & unifying factor can only be thisspirituality. In fact this had been the secret of keeping together our multi-cul-tural society. Even today when we see the divisionary and fragmentary forcesat work in the country and also the world at large, we realize that it is high timethat the unifying goal of spirituality should be brought to the forefront so thatnot only every religious person awakens to the timeless truth but the societytoo gets a unifying factor in spite of its intrinsic differences and uniqueness.

Love & om,

Swami Atmananda

Vedanta Section

Atma Bodha - Shloka 34

Nirguno Nishkriyo NityoHere the Scripture is giving a number of

lakshanas(pointers) to discover the real nature of

the Self. In meditaton one should contemplate on

all these lakshanas, and come to discover the Real

nature of the Self.

Nirguno: I am free from the three attributes of Maya,

the Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. All that we see as a

creation, from all inert matter to living beings is a

creation of Maya alone. Maya is explained as that

which is not; yet appears to be; is called Maya (Ya

ma sa maya). Ishwara with his power of Maya cre

ates the world.This Maya has three gunas (at-

tributes). The Sattva Rajas & Tamas. The first pointer

Vedanta Sandesh - Sept 2011

Contemplation by Negation

in this sloka reveals that I am free from these three

attributes. Although the world is a play of Maya but

from the standpoint of truth the existence of Maya

is like a dream existence which has no reality. It

exists like the imagination of a snake on a rope.

Hence the play of Maya can also be seen only at

the level of its own creation viz the world of objects

, the body, mind and the itellect. Maya cannot touch

the Real substratum of all existence i.e. the Self.

Thus the scriptures reveal that I am ‘Nirguna’ free

of the attributes of Maya.

Nishkriyo: I am action-less. Being attibuteless I am

therefore action-less because all actions take place

only at the level of the three gunas. Gunas are re-

In the previous sloka the Acharya expounded the discrimination between the Seer and the Seen. In

that it was explained that all which can be seperately seen by the Seer as an object is not my Real Self and

is therefore negated as Anatma. Hence the physical body, the indriyas, the pranas and the mind were all

negated as the Anatma. This process of discrimination between the Drishta and the Drishya (the Seer &

the Seen) is of great significance in the process of Self Realisation which ultimately culminates in knowng

the Self as pure existence where even the Seer is dropped as a relative identity. The discrimination be-

tween seer & seen is a process in and through Manan and the realisation of the attributeless pure Self is

a natural state of pure existence glided into by nididhyasan or cotemplation.

The following slokas are contemplative slokas of nididhyasan. Various words which are pointers to

reveal the Atma are used for contemplation on the Atma. When a student of Vedanta contemplates on

these pointers in the seat of meditation it culminates in bringing about the realisation that I am Brahman.

Nirguno nishkriyo nityo nirvikalpo niranjanahNirvikaro nirakaro nityamuktosmi nirmalah

Nirguno: attributeless; nishkriyo: action-less; nityo: eternal; nirvikalpo: without any desire &

thought; niranjanah: without any impurity; Nirvikaro: without any change; nirakaro: without

form; nityamuktosmi: ever liberated; nirmalah: ever pure.

I am without attributes and actions; Eternal (Nitya) without any desire and thought (Nirvikalpa),

without any dirt (Niranjana), without any change (Nirvikara), without form (Nirakara), ever-liber-

ated (Nitya Mukta) ever-pure (Nirmala).

34

Page # 5

flected in the manifested adjuncts of the body, mind

& intellect. Hence all actions take place at the level

of the BMI alone. In the previous slokas it has been

explained that it is due to ignorance that the activi-

ties of the BMI are superimposed on the Atman and

the Atman is not the doer.

In the whole process Atman is the energiz-

ing factor but an effortless one just as iron fillings

dance in the very presence of the magnet, without

the magnet having any sense of doership in attract-

ing the iron fillings and enlivening them.

Nityah: Eternal. I am eternal. I do not have any limi-

tations of time and space ane therefore I am

beginingless & endless. Since the atman is nityah

hence it is the one who is there to witness all the

changes but it itself does not undergo any change.

All our identities, our experiences are relative and

come and go in time. But if one were to contem-

plate and see for the self that if all the identities are

dropped ‘I still exist.’ In deep sleep state identifica-

tion with the gross and subtle body is dropped yet I

do exist and therefore I can wake up in the morning

and say ‘I slept well.’

Nirvikalpo Niranjanah:Nirvikalpo: I have no parts or divisions. All khanda

(divisions) belong to the gross & the subtle bodies.

I have no thoughts, doubts or resolves at the level

of the mind & the intellect.

Niranjanah: I am unsullied, free of any kind of im-

purity of ignorance and its consequencial vasanas.

Ignorance alone is the cause of all our sufferings

and bondage. Ignorance of the Self gives birth to

desires and desires lead to a chain of constant seek-

ing and vasanas. But ignorance too is at the level of

the mind and can be removed with its opponent i.e.

knowledge. Atman is neither touched by ignorance

nor is it influenced by knowedge. Atman is that light

which illumines ignorance and knowledge both. The

nature of ignorance is that no one knows when the

darkness of ignorance creeped in but ignorance can

be removed for sure. Its begining is not known but it

surely can be brought to an end, by lighting the torch

of knowledge. This is possible only because basi-

cally I am niranjanah, untouched by ignorance.

NIrvikaro Nirakaro:

Nirvikaro: I am free from the modifications of the

Sareera like, Asthi, (exisitence) Jayathe(birth),

Vardhathe(growth), viparinamathe, (maturity),

vipaksheeyathe(decay) and vinashyate(death).

Nirakaro: I am not bound by names and forms. Since

I have no form I am not limited by time, space and

object. In fact because i have no form I can take any

form. Just like water has no form hence it can take up

any form.

Nityamuktosmi Nirmalah:

Nityamuktosmi: I am ever liberated. Bondage does

not have a real existence. It is a play of the mind

when ignorance veils the mind from seeing the true

nature of the self. If bondage was real then liberation

would never be possible. But I am liberated here and

now, which makes the existence of bondage too as

imaginary. Through the disciplined study of the scrip-

tures one can awaken into his natural state of libera-

tion here and now.

Nirmalah: I am nirmalah i.e. I am free of any impuri-

ties in the mind born out of ignorance. Although we

see a no of Impurities in our minds, these impurities

are not the basic nature of the Self, they are condi-

tional in nature, they exist due to some relative

conditionings that bring about such impurities like

personal likes and dislikes, self-centredness, anger,

etc. Impurities are negative impressions on the mind.

Even though such impurities are experienced these

impurities are due to some factors and limitations of

the mind, & of the environment etc. But basically I

am pure and uncontaminated. Hence there is a pos-

sibility of awakening in the pure nature of the self.

The impurities of the mind are eradicated by purifica-

tion of the mind through selfless service, devotion and

satsang.

In this manner by contemplation on these

pointers one should negate all that which is the Non-

Self and awaken into the Real nature of the Self

thereby being liberated of all sense of limitation and

duality and culminate in the vision of one non-dual

existence.

Greetings to all on the pious occassions ofGanesh Parva Celebrations, Pitr Paksha & Navratras.

Vedanta Sandesh - Sept 2011

Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell

into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-

side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without

a hitch.Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small

misunderstanding and it grew into a major differenceand finally, it

exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to

find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I ‘m looking for a few days’ work,”

he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I

could help with? Could I help you?””Yes,” said the older brother. “I do

have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor.

In fact, it’s my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between

us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a

creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do

him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build

me a fence an 8-foot fence — so I won’t need to see his place orhis face

anymore.”The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show

me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that

pleases you.”The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the

carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day.

The carpenter worked hard all that day — measuring, sawing and

nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just

finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There

was no fence there at all.It was a bridge .. A bridge that stretched from

one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all!

And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his

hand outstretched..”You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all

I’ve said and done.”The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge,

and then they met in middle, taking each other’s hand. They turned to

see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder.”No, wait! Stay a

few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother.”I’d

love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have many more bridges to

build.”

The Carpenter

Page # 7

Dear P....,

Hari om !

I have gone through your mail and can see the problems you are facing.

I wish & pray that all your problem get resolved soon and you have a

good family life. However, you need to realize that good relationships

are not about getting the best & pure, but making the best of what you

get. That is the secret. Not knowing this you got disturbed and angry

on seeing the past of your husband about which he frankly confided

with you. This was a big mistake. You should have seen that confession

as a sign of his love & confidence in you, anyways, he is what he is,

and I see obvious aspirations in him for relationships and sensuality,

and really speaking that is nothing abnormal. That is one of roles of

both wife & husband, to take care of this natural desire in each other.

Lets be frank, you were obsessed with some of your dreams, freedom,

& identity etc, and all this left a vacuum in him and also a dissatisfaction

in you. All this could have been handled easily with just a shift in

perceptions, mutual love & right understanding, and most important

some tyaga too, but that was not to be, both of you have your own

areas of shortcomings, and so the drift inevitably continued. No

relationship can be successful without any sacrifices, and if individual

satisfaction rules the roost, then success of relationship always takes

the back seat. That is what is happening even today. Both of you have

your own individual worlds, wanting each other only when you are free

from the world of your dreams, and no one is really ready for sacrificing

anything for the other. No one is trying to understand the other, but just

want the other to understand them. So the million dollar question is

whether you both really want to enjoy the joys of relationship, if yes,

then both need to ask, Am I ready for some sacrifices. If both of you

are ready, then even today you can do it – otherwise there will be an

inevitable struggle between what you want and what others give.

Blessings & Best Wishes

Swamiji

Knowledge is all

about being aware

of the truth of what

is, while Yoga and

Bhakti aim to

change the mind for

the better, so

technically they fall

in the category of

karma, working to

change something.

For knowledge even

a sankalpa to

change anything is

an impediment,

because then our

priorities change

from knowing what

is to working for

what should be.

- Poojya Guruji

RelationshipsLetter of the

Month

G o o d

relationships are

not about getting

the best & pure,

but making the

best of what you

get. That is the

secret.

- Poojya Guruji

Vedanta Sandesh - April 2009 Page # 10

Nav

ratr

i Pa

rva

Vedanta Sandesh - Sept 2011

Navratri, as the name suggests, means nine nights. It is one of the important Hindu

festivals. It is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga, the deity of Power. The festival is

celebrated twice a year. As per the Gregorian calendar, Chaitra Navratri is celebrated in March-

April, while Sharadeya Navratri is celebrated in October-November. Both the celebrations

concentrate on the worship of Goddess Shakti. Each day of the nine-day festival are dedicated

to the worship of different forms of Goddess Durga, which unfolds the religious importance of

the occasion.

Significance of Navratri

The First Three Days of Navratri

The first three days of Navratri are devoted to the worship of the Goddess Durga. This is the

period, when her energy and power are worshipped. Each day is dedicated to a different

appearance of Durga. Kumari, which signifies the girl child, is worshipped on the first day of the

festival. Parvati, who is the embodiment of a young woman, is worshipped on the second day.

The destructive aspects of Goddess Durga symbolize the commitment to acquire triumph over

all the evil tendencies. Hence, on the third day of Navratri, Goddess Kali is worshipped, who

represents the woman who has reached the stage of maturity.

Fourth to Sixth Days of Navratri

When a person acquires triumph over evil tendencies of ego, anger, lust and other animal

instincts, he/she experiences a void. This void is filled with spiritual wealth. For the purpose, the

person approaches Goddess Lakshmi, to acquire all the materialistic, spiritual wealth and

prosperity. This is the reason why the fourth, fifth and sixth day of Navratri are dedicated to the

worship of Lakshmi - the goddess of prosperity and peace.

Although the individual has acquired victory over evil tendencies and wealth, he is still deprived

of true knowledge. Knowledge is required to live the life of a humane, even though he/she is

prospered with power and wealth. Therefore, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped on the fifth day

of Navratri. All the books and other literature materials are gathered in one place and a 'diya'

(earthen lamp) is lit in front of the deity, to invoke the goddess and seek her blessings. Till the

time the books are kept at the puja room, the students would not study.

Seventh and Eighth Day of Navratri

The seventh day is dedicated to worshipping Saraswati, the goddess of art and knowledge.

Prayers are offered with an aim to seek spiritual knowledge. A 'yagna' is performed on the eight

day. This comprises of a sacrifice honoring goddess Durga as well as bids her farewell. The

sacrifice or offering is made out of clarified butter (ghee), rice pudding known as kheer and

sesame seeds.

Ninth Day of Navratri

The ninth day is the final day of Navratri celebrations. It is also known as 'Mahanavami'. On the

day, Kanya puja is performed to worship nine young girls, who have not yet reached the stage

of puberty. These nine girls symbolize one of the nine forms of goddess Durga. The feet of girls

are washed to welcome the goddess and show respect to her. The girls are offered a set of new

clothes as a gift from the devotees at the end of the puja.

She is also worshipped under nine different names for the nine days in Navratri. Every day, she

assumes a new character, a new look and a new duty. She is worshipped as Shailputri,

Page # 9

Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Katyayani, Kalratri, Maha Gauri

and Siddhidatri. For the initial six the Pooja celebrations are limited to home. The celebrations

acquire a festive form since the seventh day when the festivities of Navratri surround the

atmosphere.

Customs & Rituals of Navratri

n The main ritual of Navratri, celebrated on September-October, consists of placing images

of Goddess Durga, in homes and temples. The devotees offer fruits and flowers to the Goddess.

They also sing bhajans in her honor.

n The first three days of Navratri are devoted exclusively to the worship of Goddess Durga,

when her energy and power are worshipped. Each day is dedicated to a different appearance of

Durga, namely Kumari, Parvati and Kali.

n There is also a custom of planting barley seeds in a small bed of mud on the first day of

puja. The shoots, when grown, are given to the attendees, as a blessing from Goddess, after the

puja ceremony.

n These fourth, fifth and sixth days of Navratri are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the

Goddess of Wealth & Prosperity. Goddess Saraswati is also prayed to, on the fifth day, which is

known as Lalita Panchami.

n The seventh day is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while the Goddess of Art and

Knowledge is worshipped on the eight day and a yagna is also performed.

n The ninth day is the final day of Navratri celebrations, which is also known as 'Mahanavami'.

On this day, Kanya puja is performed, where nine young, who have not yet reached the stage of

puberty, are worshipped. Each of these nine girls symbolizes one of the nine forms of Goddess

Durga. The feet of the girls are washed, to welcome the goddess and show respect to her.

Thereafter, the girls are offered food and a set of new clothes, as a gift from the devotees.

n The nine-day Navratra celebrations, which fall in September-October, come to an end

with the immersion of the idols of Goddess Durga in water.

n Dandiya and Garba are the featured dances performed on the evenings of Navratri,

mainly in Gujarat. Garba is performed before the 'aarti', as devotional performance in the honor

of the Goddess, while Dandiya is performed after it, as a part of the celebrations.

n In case of September-October Navratri celebrations, the tenth day is celebrated as

Dussehra. On this day, devotees perform 'Saraswati Puja', for blessings of knowledge and mental

peace. On the day, the burning of the dummy of demon king Ravana also takes place

Ya devi sarva bhuteshu shakti rupena samsthitaNamastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namah

∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗

Ya devi sarva bhuteshu vidya rupena samsthitaNamastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namah

Vedanta Sandesh - Sept 2011

Today, upon a Bus, I saw a Girl with Golden HairI Looked at her

and Sighed and Wished I was as Fair. When suddenly She Rose

to Leave,I Saw her hobble down the Aisle. She had One Leg and

used a CrutchBut as She passed, she passed a Smile. Oh, God,

Forgive Me when I Whine I have 2 Legs, the World is Mine.

I Stopped to Buy some CandyThe Lad who sold it had such

Charm I Talked with Him a while, He seemed so very GladIf I were

Late, it’d do no Harm. And as I Left, He said to Me,”I Thank you,

you’ve been so Kind. It’s Nice to Talk with Folks like You.You see,”

he said, “I’m Blind. Oh, God, Forgive Me when I Whine. I have 2

Eyes, the World is Mine.

Later while Walking down the Street,I Saw a Child with Eyes of

blue He Stood and Watched the others PlayHe did not Know What

to do. I Stopped a Moment and then I said,”Why don’t You Join the

others, Dear?” He Looked ahead without a Word.And then I Knew,

he couldn’t Hear.

With Feet to take Me where I’d Go.With Eyes to See the sunset’s

Glow.With Ears to Hear what I would Know. Oh, God, Forgive Me

when I Whine.I’ve been Blessed indeed,The World is Mine. Oh,

God, Forgive Me when I Whine. I have 2 Ears, the World is Mine

Money can’t buy you happiness.

But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.

When I whine...

Page # 13Vedanta Sandesh - April 2009 Page # 11

Once upon

a time ...

Stories bySages Legends Of Navaratri Festival

Victory Over Mahishasura

According to a very popular legend, Mahishasura, the mighty demon wor-

shipped Lord Shiva and obtained invincible power. Soon, he started killing the inno-

cent lives on earth and set out to win the seven lokas. He acquired the swarglok.

Nobody could save the living creatures from his tyranny. Even the three mighty

gods of the Hindu Trinity - Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva - were unable

to defeat him. Therefore, all the gods, including the Hindu Trinity, united their su-

preme powers and created a divine being called Ma Shakti or Durga, the Warrior

Goddess.

With all the accumulated power and the weapons given by the gods, God-

dess Durga set her trail to defeat Mahishasura. To accomplish the task, she en-

tered a war with him, which extended for nine days. After fighting hard with him for

nine days, Goddess Durga killed Mahishasura on the tenth day. Consequently, she

lifted the tyranny of the demon off the innocent lives on earth and restored the

swarglok to the devatas (Gods). Therefore, Navratri is celebrated to commemorate

her victory over the demon, which symbolizes the victory of the good over the evil.

The nine nights of Navratri symbolize the nine nights of the war between Goddess

Durga and Mahishasura.

Legend of SatiAccording to a story in the Hindu mythology, King Daksha of Himalayas was

blessed with a beautiful and virtuous daughter, named Uma. She wished to marry

Lord Shiva. In order to tie the wedding knot with the god, Uma worshipped him and

pleased him. Consequently, Lord Shiva married Uma. One fine day, Uma, now the

consort of Lord Shiva, wished to take part in a Yagna conducted by her father.

Since her father was not in good terms with him, Lord Shiva refused her to witness

the Yagna.

When she turned up at the Yagna, her father - King Daksha - insulted Lord

Shiva. Unable to withstand the insult, the angry Uma decided to end her life by

jumping into the agni kund. Soon after doing this, she was united with the eternity.

Therefore, Uma came to be known as Sati. Sati was reborn again. In the second

birth, Sati married Lord Shiva and the divine couple lived happily, thereafter. It is

believed that Sati comes to stay with her parents for nine days, every year. This is

celebrated as Navratri.

Other Legends

A story says that in the ancient times, the Kshatriyas abstained from taking

part in any warlike activities during the monsoon season. Once the season was

over, they made a fresh start with their war activities. Therefore, before their com-

mence their new activities, they would worship different avatars of Ma Durga, the

Goddess of Warriors, for nine whole days, which is now celebrated as Navratri.

Apopular legend associated with the celebration of Navratri is the story of

Lord Rama, who wanted to rescue his wife Sita, from the demon king- Ravana. To

freed her from the clutches of the demon king, Lord Rama worshipped Goddess

Durga in her nine different forms, for nine days, so that he gets all the strength and

power to kill Ravana. All the nine days became Navratri and hence, celebrated

every year. On the tenth day, Rama killed Ravana and that day is called Vijayadashmi

or Dussehra.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Wellingborough:

Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji visited the UK for about three weeks

from 22nd of July to 10th Aug. During this time she had a tight schedule

conducting a Gita Gyana Yagna, Shiv Pujas, Satsangs in various cities and

various home visits.

The Gita Gyana Yagna was organized at the Wellingborough Hindu

Temple from 23rd July evening and continued till the 30th. The discourse

series which was in English, was on the 2nd Chapter of Gita, the Sankhaya

Yoga. This is a long yet a very important chapter of Bhagwad Gita which

deals from the state of the grief stricken Arjuna to the description of the one

who revels in the state of Stitha Pragnya.

This being the month of Savan as a conclusion Poojya Swaminiji con-

ducted a Samashti Shiv Puja at the Temple.

Aug’11 VM / VA ProgramsV

edan

ta M

issi

on /

Ash

ram

Pro

gram

s

Vedanta Sandesh - Sept 2011

Satsangs at Loughborough & Bradford:

After the Gyana Yagna, Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji visited Read-

ing, Loughborough and Bradford for one day Satsangs over there.

The temple at Reading is still under renovation, which has been go-

ing on from last few years, and is likely to complete later this year. Yet the

Mandir authorities welcomed Poojya Swaminiji and organized her satsang.

When the renovation is over there may be longer discourse series over

there.

On 7th Aug a satsang as organized at the Gita Bhavan, Loughborough,

and then later in the evening at Laxminarayan Temple at Bradford. Both

were very nicely recieved. During the last few days of her stay in UK Poojya

Swaminiji conducted Pujas and satsangs in the homes of various devotees

apart from visiting Oxford for a day.

Birthday Celebrations of Sw Amitanandaji, Indore:

On 8th Aug was the Birthday of Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji. 7th

being a Sunday it was decided to have a get-together a day earlier and have

a Birthday Eve celebration instead. As such we had a well-attended celebra-

tion on 7th evening. The Balvihar children and various other devotees came

over in the afternoon and tastefully decorated the place and after the evening

Aarti we had a bhajan & bhojan program. The evening started with prayers

and then everyone chanted Hanuman Chalisa. Later there was a game in

which where ever the ball stopped that person had to present some item. So

there were interesting presentations, including that of some nice sher (urdu

couplets), bhajans, jokes etc.

Later the cake was cut and everyone felicitated Poojya Swaminiji. On

8th morning she also conducted a Rudrabhisheka of Bhagwan Gangeshwar

Mahadev and took blessings of Poojya Guruji.

Check out the detailed Photo Albums of the various functions on

VM News Blog at : http://vmissionews.blogspot.com/Page # 13

Aug’11 VM / VA ProgramsV

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Poojya Guruji’s visit to Mumbai:

Poojya Guruji was invited to Mumbai for a day by Sh Tushar Gandhi

for a talk during a family program on the 14th of Aug. The occasion was a

get together to celebrate the 80th & 75th birthdays of his parents. Tushar

and his sister planned to call even their childhood friends & acquaintances,

So it was a big gathering which was organized at the Juhu Millinium Club in

Mumbai.

To make the celebration pious they invited Poojya Guruji for bless-

ings and a short talk, which was highly appreciated by all, young & old. It

was great for Poojya Guruji to see that the older generation had associa-

tions with his Poojya Gurudev too. After the one hour talk, there was a

sumptous & lovely dinner.

Next day on 15th Aug, the VM Members got together for breakfast at

the office of Mohan Lalaji and met Poojya Guruji.

Tattva Bodha Camp-2, Indore:

Right after the Janmashtami celebrations the second Camp of Tattva

Bodha studies was organized. Basically a group from Lucknow joined the

Camp. This group was also very sincere & dedicated.

A usual day of the Camp started with a Dhyana session at 6 AM, and

then after a tea break, the first session of Tattva Bodha was there. This text

gives an overview of Vedanta, without any dialectics. It has definitions also

of the simplest words, so it becomes an ideal starting point for any beginner.

Later after the Aarti and breakfast, there was the chanting of Vishnu

Sahasranama and Sanskrit by Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji. The 2nd ses-

sion of Tattva Bodha was after tea in the evening, and after dinner there

were lovely bhajans, which was managed by all the Ashram Mahatmas, in

turn. Overall it is a very satissfactory experience for all.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Indore:

This year Sri Krishna Janmashtami was on the 22nd of Aug. As ev-

ery year, the occasion was celebrated at Vedanta Ashram in a nice way.

Beautiful Jhanki of Bhagwan Krishna was made in the Satsang Hall, the

idol in the backdrop and a small swing in the forefront.

In the celebrations, first there was the first session of Gita chanting

in the morning. Later in the evening there was a session of Akhand Japa of

the mantra ‘Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya’. From 9.00 PM till 12 in the

night there were continuous programs of bhajans, chantings, jokes and even

few dances by Balvihar children. The chanting included few more chapters

of Gita Chapters, Vishnu Sahasranama and finally the Purusha Suktam.

The Ashram Mahatmas also gave short discourses. At dot 12 all the lights

were closed and then opened amidst celebrations & Aarti.

Vedanta Sandesh - Sept 2011

Whenever it rains, I feel so free

Free as a bird, rain is my life

Washing away my troubles

Quenching my sun baked soul

While others rush for cover

I stroll among the empty streets

The rain dancing upon my lips

Looking up at the gray clouds

I open my mouth to catch the rain

Laughing at the silliness of it

Whenever I am sad

The rain hides my tears,

And soothes me with

The fresh clean air

The soft pitter-patter on my window

Lulls me to sleep as it sings its lullaby

I let out a sigh

As I wave goodbye

To the departing clouds

The sun shining through

Until next time rain

For now I bid thee Adieu

Brian Tang

Rain is a four letter word

Forthcoming Programs

Page # 15

Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai:Poojya Guruji visits Mumbai twice every year for conducting a Gyana Yagna. This year

also he plans to visit Mumbai from 16th to 22nd Dec. The subject matter of the discourse

series will be Gita Chapter 5, and the 1st Valli of the 2nd Chapter of Kathopanishad (Starting

with Paranchikhani mantra). The inauguration will be on the evening of 16th Dec and the

conclusion on 22nd evening.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Lucknow:A Gita Gyana Yagna will be organized at Hari om Mandire, Lalbag, Lucknow from 19th

to 26th Sept by Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji. The subject matter will be Gita Chapter 13th

and the Satyam Gyanam Anantam section of Taittiriya Upanishad Bhashya.

Discourses at Vedanta Ashram, Indore:Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji will continue his discourses on the sixth & last

section of Kathopanishad from 6th Sept. Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will start her dis-

courses on the 1st Valli of the 2nd Chapter of Kathopanishad for the Elder Citizen Group at

the Ashram. From 18th Sept, Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji will take Gita Chapter 14 for

the same group for a week.

Gita Jayanti Celebrations, Indore:This year the Gita Jayanti is on the 6th of Dec. Every year there are mega celebrations

of Gita Jayanti at Indore, in which the Mahatmas of Vedanta Ashram too participate actively.

There will be talks at Agrasen Dham, Gita Bhavan and also program at Vedanta Ashram.

Tattva Bodha Camp, Indore:Right now the Second Tattva Bodha Camp is going on nicely in full throttle. The Camp

is scheduled to complete on the 3rd of Sept. This camp has been designed for devotees who

wish to take up systematic study of Vedanta. Tattva Bodha is the first text which a student of

Vedanta should study, because it gives definitions & an overview.

Hari om !

Web Site of the International Vedanta Mission:http://www.vmission.org.in/

International Vedanta Mission News Blog:http://vmissionews.blogspot.com/

Checkout the new ‘Gita Section’

of VMission Web Site at:http://www.vmission.org.in/vedanta/shastras/gita/index.htm

This is a Net Publication of the

International Vedanta Mission

Om Tat Sat