Vedanam 2023

  From time to time, Asuras and Devas have fought and defeated one or the other. But once, there came such an Asura named Vritrasura who was so powerful, that it required the supreme sacrifice of a sage to forge a weapon that could kill the Asura! The Bhagavatham mentions this beautiful legend in one of its chapters. Indra, the lord of the heavens, once failed to give the respect due to the Sage Brihaspati, the Guru of the Devas. Insulted by his behaviour, the Guru left Indra’s kingdom and Indra could not find him again for a long time. In the golden age, the presence of a Guru in the kingdom prevented enemies from attacking, and the absence of a Guru was considered as a sign of a weak king. As the news spread that Indra, the king of the Gods was without a Guru, the Asuras wasted no more time and with the help of their Guru Shukra, they waged a war on Indra who was defeated in the same. Lord Brahma advised Indra to request Sage Vishwarupa, the son of Prajapati Twashta to ac...

  Happy Janmashtami to all of you! May Lord Krishna continue to guide us in the right direction always! Today we will be reading about a Divya Desham of Maha Vishnu that is closely associated with the ritual of fasting for Ekadashi. The temple is called Parimala Ranganathar temple and is located in Thiruindalur village of Mayiladuthrai, Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity is Maha Vishnu in the form of Parimala Ranganathan and His consort is Devi Ranganaayaki.  King Ambarisha was a pious and devoted king and followed the fasting ritual on Ekadashi rigorously. It was the occasion of his 100th Ekadashi and he had spent the day in dedication to Lord Narayana without intaking any food or water. The next day being Dwadashi, he had chosen an auspicious time to break his fast. On completing his morning ablutions, he was about to break his fast when Rishi Durvasa visited him. A wise king reveres spirituality and wisdom above all. Ambarisha offered food to Rishi Durvasa who told him to wait...

  There is immense power in the name of the Lord. For all of us living in the Kaliyuga, if there is any scope for salvation and liberation, it is through chanting the name of the Divine. Just the name is enough to get rid of any major sin that one might have committed The name of Narayana leads one to Sharanagathi. The Bhagawatham has a beautiful story that shows the sheer power of the Lord’s name. In a place called Kanyakubja, there lived a Brahmin named Ajamila. Although he had taken birth in a pious and devoted family, he fell into evil ways and took a wrong path in life. He spent his life stealing from people, picking up fights with everyone he met and not paying any attention to the duties that his religion and spirituality required him to do. He lost himself in a worldly life, spending all of his time with his family. He had ten sons and the youngest of them was named Narayana. This son was Ajamila’s favourite. All of the latter’s affection and attachment was directed t...

  Before beginning the blog, I would like to pay my humble obeisance to Mahan Sri Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal who attained moksha-prapthi on 31st August 2023. We were blessed that such a Bhakta of the Divine as well as a Guru to the masses, was present in our times and shared his precious knowledge and wisdom with the whole world in the form of the innumerable soulful shlokas, songs, books and spiritual discourses that he presented himself.  The spiritual revolution that he brought among the masses will always resonate in the world and will keep him and his teachings alive for eternity. My humble salutations to the Guru! Today we will be reading about Veerateswarar temple located in Korukkai village in Mayiladuthrai district of Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva as Veerateswarar and His consort is Devi Gnanambigai.  It is believed that Lord Shiva destroyed eight demons and there are eight temples termed as Ashta Veerathanam temples dedicated to the Lord's v...

  The purpose of life is to evolve from a lower state to the highest till there is no need for rebirth or reincarnation. It is believed that getting a human birth is a privilege and a higher state in the process of evolution. However, the Bhagawatham cites the only known instance of a human, who at the time of his death, was focused on an animal and hence, instead of evolving one step further, he had to step down in the process of evolution and take birth as an animal again. One of the kings in the lineage of Swayambhu Manu was King Bharata. It is believed that our country came to be called as Bharatavarsha in his supreme and majestic reign when prosperity and peace reigned in the country. The king was a great devotee of Lord Narayana and spent his life in silent worship of the Lord, calmly attending to his royal duties all the while keeping his mind dedicated to the divine. When the time for renunciation came, he divided the kingdom among his sons and retired to Haridwar where...