The MindSalsa

There is a very interesting and educative anecdote from the life of the great Indian monk, Swami Vivekananda who, in his very short life of just about 39 years between January 1863 to July 1902 dazzled the world with his brilliance and eloquence and strode like a Colossus on the world’s arena of Spirituality, transforming the lives of millions of people. He is best remembered for his stunning speech at the World’s very first ‘Parliament of Religions’ held at Chicago between 11th to 27th 1893. But that’s a different story. This anecdote is about the time when the Swamiji was traveling in India by train. There were a few British people in the same compartment who were amused at his monk attire and his sage-like demeanor. Assuming that this Indian native would not be knowing the English language, they proceeded to make snide remarks and jokes about him. His nonchalant and unconcerned behavior only reinforced their beliefs that he didn’t understand English. However when a station

HAR HAR MAHADEV! HE IS LORD SHIVA IN PEACEFUL MEDITATION AND THE ETERNAL CONSORT OF PARVATI- -THE MOST GRACEFUL DEVI, SHAKTI- -SHIVA- PARVATI BEING THE ADHI-DHAMBATI, THE CELESTIAL,MOST PRIMEVAL COUPLE. SHIV AND SHAKTI ARE MATTER AND ENERGY, ONE CANNOT BE WITHOUT THE OTHER. AS NATARAJA, HE IS THE MOST GRACEFUL AND GRACIOUS ,GREAT LORD OF DANCE. AS RUDRA, HE IS BOTH FEROCIOUS POWER AND GENTLEST COMPASSION . AS NEELAKANTAN, HE'S HUMANITY'S SAVIOUR FROM THE WORLDLY POISONS. AS KAALABHAIRAVAN, HE'S THE FEARSOME DESTROYER OF EVIL. AS PARAMESWARAN, HE IS THE LORD OF LORDS. AS SANKARA, HE'S THE DOTING FATHER OF GANESHA, KARTHIKEYA AND AYYAPPA. THE EASIEST TO PLEASE AND THE FASTEST TO GRANT BOONS. OM NAMA SHIVAYA V R Shankar

• Do you get easily perturbed by happenings not in your control? • Do you keep wallowing in misery, real or perceived? • Do you feel the rest of the world is ganged up against you? • Are you restless due to not having a purpose in life? • Are you often confused about what constitutes your duty in life? • Do you have doubts about the best Spiritual path to follow, or the best Guru to emulate? For finding your remedy to each of the above, plus many other anxieties of life, please read the Bhagvat Gita of Lord Krishna and be guided by the Lord Himself. Before reading the Great Epic, you might find it useful to download and read my e book ‘How to lead an Ethical Life as per the Bhagvad Gita,’ which is a humble effort of mine to present the readers the essence of the Great Teachings by the Greatest Guru, Lord Krishna. The title is available on Amazon. Hari Om Krishna.

ONE OF THE GREATEST TREASURES OF PURE UNALLOYED WISDOM IS THE BHAGVAD GITA RENDERED BY LORD SRI KRISHNA AS GURUGYAAN OR GURU’S TEACHING TO THE GREAT PANDAVA WARRIOR SRI ARJUNA ON THE KURUKSHETRA BATTLEFIELD OF THE MAHABHARATA WAR. THESE TEACHINGS ARE ETERNAL PRINCIPLES WHICH ARE MEANT FOR AND CAN BE FOLLOWED BY ANYONE AND EVERYONE IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE IRRESPECTIVE OF RELIGION, REGION, RACE, COLOR OR COMMUNITY. ‘HOW TO LEAD AN ETHICAL LIFE AS PER THE BHAGVAD GITA’ IS A HUMBLE ATTEMPT BY ME TO INTRODUCE THIS TREASURE TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE GITA. THE MOST IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT TEACHINGS OF THE LORD HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO THE READER IN THIS BOOK WHICH IS AVAILABLE IN E -BOOK AS WELL AS IN PRINT FORMAT ON AMAZON.COM. HOWEVER IT IS AVAILABLE ONLY AS E BOOK ON AMAZON.IN AS PER FOLLOWING LINK. HOW TO LEAD AN ETHICAL LIFE AS PER THE BHAGVAD GITA https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08314LY7K/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_wn7nEbM8M13KP ANYONE DOWNLOADING OR BUYING THIS BOOK MAY KINDL

MY (ONLY) NEW YEAR RESOLUTION We saw the frail old lady standing noontime in the hot Vizag summer, holding a cheap plastic bag in her left hand. Her hands looked more like dried twigs and grinding poverty was written all over her thin frame. Seeing us approaching slowly in the car, she waved the plastic bag at us with a tired smile on her face. My wife looked at me and smiled in quiet assent as I stopped the car near the poor woman. We knew that the cheap plastic bag would be holding the season’s offering called ‘Tati Pandu’ meaning palm fruit in Telugu, a simple fruit full of watery juice for thirsty throats. Though quite a few passersby would stop for this cheap fruit, most others preferred the colas and other drinks to this rustic delight. Sadly, even many among those who paused to buy would bargain away any measly profit these miserable sun- burnt folks hoped to get after several hours in the merciless heat. After we gave the amount quoted by the astonished woman for the full