Arunachala Baba

Arunachala Sathya Sai

Nov 23 marks the 84th birthday of Sathya Sai Baba.

Worshipped as God by millions, this Godman of South India has many times fascinated me by surreal dreams.

Though I have never met him before my firts girivallam of Arunachala took place last year on his birthday. For the same, Nov 23 is very close to my heart.

It is reported that Sathya Sai Baba first instructed the world by a song:

On October 20th, 1940, at Uravakonda, He came back from school, threw his books and declared, "I am no longer your Sathya! I am Sai Baba. I do not belong to you. I have my work. My devotees are calling me." He walked into the neighbor's garden, sat on a rock and gave His first message, to the faithful who had assembled there, in the form of a bhajan: Manasa Bhajare Gurucharanam…

Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam
Dustara Bhava Sagara Tharanam
Guru Maharaj Guru Jai Jai
Sai Natha Sad Guru Jai Jai
Om Namah Shivaya Om Namashivaya
Om Namashivaya Shivaya Namah Om
Arunachala Shiva Arunachala Shiva
Arunachala Shiva Aruna Shiva Om
Omkaram Baba Omkaram Baba Om Namo Baba

This song urges the devotee to adore the feet of the guru.

Also, this song contains the Arunachala Mahamantra. It is very surprising that a young boy of 14 knew about Arunachala much before the majority in the world had known it, even though he had never gone there.

Let us all wish this great man a wonderful birthday.

Sathya Sai Baba himself says,"I am beyond the reach of the most intensive enquiry and the most meticulous measurement. Only those who have recognized my love and experienced that love can assert that they have glimpsed my reality. Do not attempt to know me through the external eyes."

Arunachala Apex

This darshan of Arunachala confers on the believer the increased power of concentration, strength of purpose and clarity of thought.

A very abstract darshan.

Arunachala Ashta Lakshmi Darshan

This is the 100th post in this blog and befittingly it is about Goddess Mahalakshmi.

This darshan of Arunachala carries in it the sub darshans of Mahalakshmi as the Eight Goddess Forms called Ashta Lakshmi.

Remembrance of this darshan and worship of this form bestows on the believer the bendiction of the Fortune Goddess.

The Maha Ashta Lakshmi Darshan of Arunachala!!!

Who can know?

Who can know Arunachala?

Who knows...knows not..

Who knows not...knows.

Arunachala Deep Sleep

A few days ago I was feeling really chaotic. There was a subconcious panic in me. I prayed to Sri Ramakrishna and slept for fifteen minutes.

I woke up thoroughly refreshed.

My mental chaos was gone.

I had slept deeply.

No dreams, no thoughts.

Only my mind had merged in the dark.

here is what Ramana has to say about Deep Sleep.

"
In deep sleep mind is merged and not destroyed. That which merges
reappears. It may happen in meditation also. But the mind which is
destroyed cannot reappear. The yogi’s aim must be to destroy it and
not to sink in laya. In the peace of dhyana, laya ensues but it is not
enough. It must be supplemented by other practices for destroying the
mind. Some people have gone into samadhi with a trifling thought
and after a long time awakened in the trail of the same thought. In the
meantime generations have passed away in the world. Such a yogi has
not destroyed his mind. Its destruction is the non-recognition of it as
being apart from the Self. Even now the mind is not. Recognise it. How
can you do it if not in everyday activities. They go on automatically.
Know that the mind promoting them is not real but a phantom
proceeding from the Self. That is how the mind is destroyed."

Arunachala Goddess Darshans

Arunachala Hill is the Absolute. It is also the power of the Absolute. In this Hill Shakthi remains in forever absorption with Shiva.

As the Great festival of Dussehra approaches I am highlighting ten darshans of Arunachala as the Goddess.

These darshans are pure inspirations and are not detailed elsewhere.

Goddess Tripura Sundari (the radiant light in the eyes of Shiva)

Goddess Sahasrakshi (lit., "she who has a thousand [infinite] eyes")

Durga Shailputri (Daughter of Mountain)

Brahmacharini

Chandraghanta

Skanda Mata

Katyayani

Siddhidatri

Maha Gauri

Maha Lakshmi

Goddess Parvathi

Vanavasini ( Goddess in the forest)

Goddess Simhavahini
MAHA DURGA




O Glorious Mother with Flowing locks and bright eyes, with the sun and the moon as ear rings and the Earth as a Nose ring, with a smile that thrills the billions of universes, O Goddess Arunachala to you I bow and to you is my love.

P.S. Images have been sourced from the World Wide Web

More Goddess Darshans to follwo...culminating in the Mother of all Darshans of Arunachala.

The Guru's Birthday

Yesterday the birthday of Sri Nannagaru was celebrated with joy in Hyderabad. I had a chance to meet my guru and share some moments with him.

Sri Nannagaru gave a talk about Vasana's in the Heart and also the role of the sadguru.

The next day he left for Benaras.