Any luxury or extravagance is a sin..

When we spend money on luxury and ostentation we are actually denuding the earth and the society of the collective means of sustenance.. We are committing a slow murder of our own kin

We have to be level headed...

We do some work which is useful to the society or pretend to do so or even indulge in some crooked activity ,

and we earn the money..

money actually is a number, an advantage give to us or earned by us..

But money is not the actual resources we have in nature, on earth, without which human life cannot be sustained..

Actually money is some right given to us to take advantages of the resources which are the community assets

.

So just because we have the advantage of numbers in terms of money, we should never become arrogant and fritter away the resources..

Of course certain amount damage to the resources and creation of waste too are necessary to keep our body and soul alive..

We cannot avoid that .

Any luxury or extravagance is a sin..

In fact it is a great charity and act of goodwill if we live our lives using resources frugally and optimally..

We need not show off our affluence to others..

It is actually meaningless vanity..

Even if we do not contribute anything to others and their welfare publicly, the act of living with minimum frittering away of resources itself will mean that we leave useful things on earth to be uses by our brothers and kin and that itself is a punyam, right act, and act of goodwill, and service to society..

If life is to be worthwhile

If life is to be worthwhile,

we have to restrict our expenditure in terms of money

and

in terms of WORDS too

It is sheer waste of time and energy

to give thoughts,

words,

make remarks, shower praises,

offer reactions,

spell out criticisms

and

any use of words on which one has no connection is not only futile but can be suicidal ..

This is the basic and realistic rule, which can be used to the benefit of one and all..

But in reality we are wasting everything.. Even the fellows who are misers with money are very generous with words..they waste words ..

What to do..?

The mangalya suthram is originally a cotton thread and thaali is actually a piece of palm leaf

The mangalya suthram is originally a cotton thread and thaali is actually a piece of palm leaf..the gold chain and the gold locket are just ornamental displays.

A charadu.. a cotton thread.with a piece of manjal tuber( turmeric) is good enough as a thaali or insignia of sumangali.

Such a product if god need not be removed from the body at any medical eventuality.

This piece will not be burnt by any radiation or induction current

And yajnopaveetham is also a cotton thread.

fate acts indirectly

 

न कालः खड्गमुद्यम्य शिरः कृन्तति कस्यचित्।

कालस्य बलमेतावद्विपरीतार्थ दर्शनम्॥

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे १३४८ शार्ङ्गधरपद्धति

na kālaḥ khaḍgamudyamya śiraḥ kṛntanti kasyacit|

kālasya balametāvadviparītārtha darśanam||

indiśce sprūce 1348 śārṅgadharapaddhati

We often call fate as a great taskmaster, a strict dispenser of punishment. Of course, the vagaries of fate cause great damages, and therefore the striking power of fate is indeed ominous. No dispute over that idea. However, fate never acts direct. If a person commits a serious offence, the society would punish him physically. That is the usual norm.

We know fate also would punish the wrongdoer with befitting quantum of sufferings and pains. Whereas the executioner of the State would take out a sword, and strike it hard on the neck of a murderer and cut off his head, such direct action will never be apparent when fate, the greatest executioner is in action. The fate clouds the mind of the wrongdoer, clamps physical disabilities and limitations on him, and thus the offender loses his capacity to look at things in the right perspective, and with due diligence. He commits errors that would bring miseries for him eternally. The punishment by fate is very severe and tough, but we cannot see the act of fate directly.

This is a very tough situation. If a fellow has done something wrong, he can at least know what punishment is in store for him. He can defend himself, argue in legal forums and beg for pardon and so on. However, when fate clouds the power capacity of the person to think, the wrongdoer has no other choice but to suffer

kva

A quote from Shaarngadhara padhati

(I have to point out here that the interpretations and comments given above are after understanding the literary meaning and message contained in the subhashitam, as I could understand to the best of my capacity. I give the word-by-word meaning in simple language below. That would help students of Sanskrit)

कालःthe fate, the lord and master of fate खड्गम् the sword उद्यम्य brandishing कस्यचित् of any person शिरः head न कृन्तति does not cut off विपरीतार्थ meaning of interpretation in the wrong way, opposite interpretation, clouded judgement दर्शनं showing of एतद् this हि indeed कालस्य of fate, of time बलं strength वर्तते is

the day for Karthika Deepam in Agraharam

 

All said and done whether we are Smartha, Vaishnava, or Shaiva, the deciding factor ultimately is the authority of the grama devata. The presiding deity of our place.

We do pooja for Karthika after lighting the main lamp at home using a lamp lighted specially at the temple with Vedic and agamic rituals.

We take our lamp to the temple, light it from the ceremonial Deepam kindled at our temple and bring this lamp home protecting it from wind, light the lamp at home with the Deepam brought from our temple.

So it is our rule that when our grama devata celebrates then alone we can celebrate too.

The rule is as simple as that

If my grama devata follows vaikhsnasam or pancharatram then that day is celebration for us.

If it is Siva agama for our temple, we have to 'reckon the date as per the temple rules.

We have always to remember that we landed up in our agraharam depending entirely on our grama devata. The presiding deity.

Karthika Deepam is a religious ritual and not a Vedic ritual as per any grihya sootram.

If it were a Vedic ritual then we should follow our Sakha and sootram

The man of character dies only once, but dies in glory.

 

सम्पत्सु महतां चित्तं भवेत् उत्पलकोमळम्।

आपत्सु च महाशैल शिलासङ्घातकर्कशम्॥

sampatsu mahatāṁ cittaṁ bhavet utpalakomaḻam|

āpatsu ca mahāśaila śilāsaṅkhātakarkaśam||

More than a situation, the attitude and approach of the person involved decides his fate.

The above quote underlines this fact

==========

The minds of noble men when they are affluent and in comfort would be as soft as a lotus flower. However when danger strikes the very same minds would be so tough like the huge rocks forming mammoth mountains

===============

Yes, Challenges would betray a coward. In addition, the same challenges would bring out the best in a man of character. Life is just like the flow of a river. When the water flows on even terrain, it flows so calmly, without making much fuss.

However, when there are obstructions in the way the same collection of water builds up a lot of fury, kicks away the blocks ahead, and flows.

If waters are furious when flowing along the plains or if they remain stagnant while facing impediments, they break the laws of nature and they lose their character too.

We should take a lesson or two from the behaviour of things we find in nature.

Ultimately, the river joins the ocean and loses its identity. .

However, we remember the river for what it did while it was in flow.

The man of character dies only once, but dies in glory.

The coward and unstable fellow dies many times but lives in misery

The choice is just with us.

Regards

K v ananthanarayanan

may the cows and the learned live in welfare and safety.

 

Gothram or " go thram " means the shelter where the community tended and nurtured their cows and cattle for the welfare of the community as a whole.

It was with great pride that our ancestors classified their groups in the name of cows.

Our culture always placed cows as the most beloved and mother like personages.

It is not running after cows.

It is being under the benevolent protection of the cows.

We saw the entire universe and all the gods in the form of cow.

गो had at least three established meanings ..The cow. The earth. And - the word. The source and sustenance of all knowledge.

If we try to understand the word and spirit behind the reverence for cow in that sense, we can see things better.

We believe that Lakshmi resides in the hind part of a cow and the cow dung.

gandhdwaaraam duraadharshaam nityapushtaam kareeshineem

Easwareem saevabhoothaanam taamihopauvaye sriyam..( sree sooktham).

We called our Shiva the Pashupathi and we are proud that Vishnu grew among cows and calves in Gokula and brindavanam as Krishna.

Even in our prayers we say go braahmanebhyaH shubhamastu..

may the cows and the learned live in welfare and safety.

There is nothing for us to be ashamed to say that we always tended protected depended and worshipped mother cow

if a person is not genuinely good, the bluff will reveal itself soon.

 

न कस्यचित्कश्चिदिह स्वभावाद्भवत्युदारोऽभिमतः खलो वा।

लोके गुरुत्वं विपरीततां वा स्वचेष्ठितान्येव नरं नयन्ति॥

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे १३४६ पञ्चतन्त्रे

na kasyacitkaścidiha svabhāvādbhavatyudāro'bhimataḥ khalo vā|

loke gurutvaṁ viparītatāṁ vā svaceṣṭhitānyeva naraṁ nayanti||

indiśce sprūce 1346 pañcatantre

A very frank and matter of fact rejoinder from Panchatantra

In this world, no one, no one with some sense, would consider any other person as generous, very lovable treating such qualities as inborn, spontaneous attainments. Nor would any sensible person treat anyone as evil and lowly by nature. A human being gets respect from others only by virtue of his exemplary character, positive attitude and generous actions which are worthy of emulation. Similarly, his aberrations in character and wayward and cruel activities will fetch him contempt and overall disapproval.

K v a

Maybe some window dressing may persuade others to believe that a person is of sterling character. However, if he is not genuinely good, the bluff will reveal itself soon.

कस्यचित् for anyone कश्चित् any other person इह here लोके in this world स्वभावात् spontaneously, automatically, by default उदारः generous अभिमतः liked one खलो despised, cursed one वा either न भवति does not become नरं a man स्वचेष्ठितानि own actions, own attitudes, own habits, own doings एव alone गुरुत्वं respectability विपरीततां contempt (opposite of respectability) वा either नयन्ति lead

Ezharassani or Sade Saath

I discussed about Ezharassani or Sade Saath of Saturn in some group.. The post took a lot of toil.. And I know the post will go into oblivion there..So just reposting here

Saturn is supposed to have its evil effects. or prominent powers in action when He occupies the twelfth house, lagnam and the second house...

Hope you can know what is meant by the number of the house.. The time of birth or the time of Prashnam would correspond to one sign in the horoscope,, the LAGNAM..

( a day is divided into twelve rasis.. named mesham rishabham etc, each of more or less two hours.. and the rasi at sunrise varies on the basis of the solar month. and the date of that month.

And the two hour slots in the rasi kundali.. are counted like this..

The first or janma house is called Lagnam.. the next house is the second house and so one and the cycle repeats after the twelfth house..

For example if the lagnam is Mesham, the second house will be Rishabham and the twelfth house will be Meenam..

For those who are born on stars Ashvathy, Bharani and first quarter of Krithika, the janma lagnam is Mesham..

So the second house is Rishabham and twelfth house is Meenam..

When saturn enters Meenam till it leaves Rishabham it is seven and half years... three times two and half years in Meenam Mesham and Rishabham.

. This is the seven and half year period of Saturn. for those born in Mesha rasi... what you call Sade saath.. and the same calculation repeats for other rasis to one after the other..

the seven fuels

 

धृतिः शमो दमः शौचं कारुण्यं वागनिष्ठुरा।

मित्राणां चानभिद्रोहः सप्तैताः समिधः श्रियः॥

महाभारते इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे 1338

dhṛtiḥ śamo damaḥ śaucaṁ kāruṇyaṁ vāganiṣṭhurā|

mitrāṇāṁ cānabhidrohaḥ saptaitāḥ samidhaḥ śriyaḥ||

mābhārate indiśce sprūce

If we can compare one’s state of remaining at the height of affluence and happiness to a well-lit and well-kindled fire that burnt at its peak of glory, then the following seven ingredients are to be considered as the dry logs or twigs that act as fuel that keeps the fire eternally alive.

1. The state of satisfaction or contentment, the realistic nature of the person

2. Calmness, unperturbed nature of the person

3. Complete control over mind and body

4. Transparency, complete honesty in all dealings, integrity

5. Compassion, empathy for fellow beings

6. Complete absence of hatred and cruelty in use of words

7. Solemn resolve, determination not to cause any harm, any prejudice to friends.

Here journey of life is compared to a prolonged fire oblation and the above seven factors are listed as the good fuels that keep that Yajna afloat.

A quote from Mahabharatham

K v a

धृतिः contentment, satisfaction, realistic nature शमः calm, unperturbed nature दमः complete control over body and mind शौचं honesty and integrity कारुण्यं compassion, empathy अनिष्ठुरा वाक् absence of hatred and cruelty in use of words मित्राणां अनभिद्रोहः resolve not to cause harm to friends एताःthese सप्ताः seven श्रियः समिधः वर्तन्ते are the fuels that kindle ones wealth and affluence.