The following is a passage penned by His Holiness Swami ChinmayanandaSubmitted by Atma Chaitanya, in reverence of his Guru Swami Chinmayananda
"The versatile genius of Vyasa has never left anything that he has touched without raising to the sublimest heights of sheer perfection. With unimaginable capacities for incomparable poetry, unapproachable prose diction, chaste descriptions, artistic literary designs' original innovations both in thought and form, a brilliant philosopher, a consummate man of wisdom, a genius in worldly knowledge -now in the palace -now
in the battlefields - now in Badrinath now among thesilent snowy peaks - strode the colossus, Sri Vyasa an embodiment of what is best in Hindu tradition and in the Aryan culture. Such an all round genius has not yet been reported ever to have been born, lived or achieved in the history of globe".- By His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda
Saint Tukaram (contemporary of the dynamic Saint Ramdas) would be considered the most recent saints (about 400 years ago) when compared to Saint Namdeo (800 years ago).
Saint Tukaram left his mark on TIME itself and swayed masses with his mellifluous renderings in praise of Lord Vithal of Pandharpur (Maharashtra, India).
[Perhaps Moses had a similar impact on the masses.]The bhajans, abhangs, kirtans
The bhajans, abhangs, kirtans are forms of devotional songs, through which stories of the Lord are sung, rendered with dance and music in enchanting rhythm that is endearing and is remembered even now. These folk tunes powerfully inspire human beings to tread on the path that leads to the Lord. The devotional songs praise the Lord whom the saint himself has actualized in the bosom and experienced first hand as being present everywhere in every being, in every thing as the timeless Universal Divinity.
The valiant miliatary tactician King Shivaji, the ruler then, humbly and reverently approached Saint Tukaram and offered valuables as Guru dakshina, an offering a disciple is obliged to give voluntarily in token of the learning he gets from Guru, the Spiritual Master. Despite being in dire poverty Saint Tukaram declined to take the riches from the King. When asked, he indicated to King Shivaji, that Saint Ramdas was the perfect Guru for him and not himself.
The story of Saint Ramdas and Shivaji is amongst the repertoire of inspiring historical facts that surpass any bestseller fiction written to date.
Come back at amrutvani.blogspot.com and remind us to give you a glimpse of that too.
Supernatural Power!
What extraordinary power Christ must have wielded? A benign tornado of super power, which ravages of time, has not been able to destroy. The simple, uncomplicated proof of that power is the jubilant celebration of Christmas, which people of tenth generation of our forefather, those before and those after, all have been celebrating. The miser as well as the rich, the ignorant as well as the erudite, everyone celebrates Christmas merrily, out of choice. Christmas has survived the rules of mightiest of the Kings through ages. On Christmas the Lord and his teachings are remembered.
'Holy' days there
Did Christ require any marketing or advertising agency for mass communication?
'Holy' days of Christmas are stamped for ever by Christ.
'Holy' days here
[Ashadi Ekadashi the ceremony in India
What When Where Why]
On the 'holy' days [In the year 2007, from 26 to 29 July, 2007] of Ashadhi Ekadashi you see the power of Saints in a spectacular ceremony in India.
You witness an ocean of people at Pandharpur, the abode of Lord Vithal. It is a unique spectacle to behold, as devotees dissolve in the mammoth procession, which like rivers, flow from different parts to reach Pandharpur. The devotees dance merrily, chant Lord's name, and sing aloud devotional melodies (bhajan, abhang) as they walk on foot all the way, even today.
Devotees carry the image of the Saint enthroned in a palanquin as though the Saint himself is leading and taking them to meet the Lord who is at Pandharpur. From Alandi, Saint Dnyaneshwar travels along with devotees. Saint Dynaneshwar's two brothers Saint Nivrutti and Saint Sopan and one sister Saint Muktabai come from Trayambakeshwar, Sasvad and Edlabad respectively. Saint Tukaram and his devotees come from Dehu. Saint Namdev and Saint Eknath are among the other saints who propagated and kept alive this devout tradition.
The procession begins [In 2007 on 26th July, 2007] on the eleventh day, called ekadashi (literally, one plus ten, origin: Sanskrit), of the bright moon in the month of Ashad, (usually in the month of June or July) every year and ends [In 2007 on 29 July, 2007 2007] on the full moon day, poornima, (literally = full moon, origin: Sanskrit). The day it begins is called Ashadi Ekadashi a day when people fast. The day on which the procession ends is called Guru Poornima. It is a full moon day every year. 'Guru' is Spiritual Master, who enables the communion of the disciple and the God. [Guru from original Sanskrit: removes darkness (of ignorance).] On Guru Poornima, the Guru, the Spiritual Master is remembered and worshiped with piety for he is the one who ushers in transcendental bliss, thus ending all suffering for all times for the devotee.
Such is the breathtaking ceremony of Ashadi Ekadashi, celebrated by Asian Indians throughout the centuries.
