My broadband link to God

||Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya

The week that passed was decorated with a mosaic of activities which added much flavour to my birthday which I celebrated on Wednesday. I cannot but smile to myself as it unfolds in my mind as a festival. The festivities galloped over six days starting with Swamiji’s visit home, Deepavali and culminating with the South Africa vs Australia cricket match at the Sahara Kingsmead Stadium. Indeed these activities released much joy and colour into what can be termed a memorable and blessed birthday.

It was rather disappointing that South Africa could not capitalise on the atmosphere and support created by the “die hard” fans who went to all extremes to cheer South Africa to victory. As the match progressed, I observed very intently a group that were seated in front of me, whose dedication to South Africa was very admirable. My mind at once trounced for a six out of the ground to the Indian Premier League which was played recently. I recalled how one very devout fan of the Mumbai Indians was engaged in prayer for the entire duration of every match for them to win.

I noticed the gaping lacerations in the hearts of these fans who were also engaged in communication with God for South Africa to emerge victorious on Friday. The questions that barge into my thoughts as I relay this incident are: “Is it okay for one to pray for such things?”; “What is the purpose of prayer?” and “Is it a bargaining tool to satisfy our desires?” 

 I recall a beautiful incident from the life of Swami Vivekananda. After the death of His father the family was thrown into financial difficulties due to poor financial management by His late father. In this state of despair, Swamiji approached Sri Ramakrishna for assistance. He asked Master to advocate to the Divine Mother on His behalf to mitigate the difficulties that plagued Him. Master explained that He should ask the Divine Mother Himself as She has never failed to please Her children.

On three occasions Swamiji failed to ask the Divine Mother for material wealth but instead asked for divine knowledge. We should not falter in our understanding that at the level of devotion that Swamiji was constituted in, even if He asked for money the Mother would have poured fourth unceasingly unto Swamiji crores and crores of Rupees.  Swamiji’s life therefore comes to us as a compass to navigate the stormy seas of life in search of the calm waters of moksha.

Sri Sri Swami Yogananada Paramahansa very authoritatively explained that our lives are a dream of the supreme consciousness.  If the Lord is the creator of the dream that is this world and life, then it is He alone who is in control of all activities in the dream. The dream cannot be changed or interfered with by anyone of us. As much as you may try, it will be impossible to alter any part of this dream.

Logic then tells us that the only way this dream can be altered is through the dreamer itself. But we are faced with a severe dilemma – because through our own actions we have marooned ourselves by not maintaining our connection to God through constant prayer. We have neglected to maintain this link on account of material and worldly pleasures.

Swami Chidanand Saraswati of the Parmath Ashram beautifully explained that when someone breaks his arm, wherever you touch on that arm will induce pain. Likewise when the connection to God is broken, whatever you do devoid of this connection will induce pain.

We need to reconnect this link with God immediately by invoking prayer for His love and grace alone. By calling His name and singing His glories every moment, and constantly inundating our mind and thoughts with His form, there is no doubt He will respond to the sincere prayer of His devotee as declared by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavat Gita:

Mam mana bhava mad bhakti.
Mad yaji mam namaskuru.
Mam evaishyasi satyam te.
Pratijan priyo si me.

Always think of me become my devotee, worship me and offer your homage unto me, you will come to me without fail. This I promise thee.

The Lord always protects His devotees

 Like how a DSL connection gives you access and freedom of the internet, the connection of prayer will allow you the access to God’s grace and love. He will then alter His dream to ensure that you have a life that is free from pain and suffering.

This can be seen in the life of Prahalada who because of His intense devotion to Narayana alone, felt no pain or misery of this material world. If this may seem a bit puranic for you, we can look at the life of Swamiji who lived in our era not so long ago. While Swamji was wandering through India he felt the ignorance and arrogance of a man who ridiculed him at renouncing the world. The man thought ‘why couldn’t He just work like everyone else to feed Himself and not resort to begging for His food.’ Through all this, the man did not find any compassion in his heart to offer Swamiji even a morsel of food. 

When the train had stopped, Swamiji alighted the train and sat on the platform hungry and tired. It was then that a man ran towards Swamiji saying that he had a dream that he must provide meals for Swamiji. It was at that point that the ignorant man realised that God provides all the needs for the devotee who has surrendered to Him.

We must realise that our prayers should not be for specific material things in life. Our prayers should be solely for the grace of God. Then, He alters the course of life to ensure that your life is comfortable, free of pain and miseries and conducive for the attainment of liberation.

May we all restore this connection is my sincere prayer.

With love and prayers always.

From Darkness to Light

|| Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya

Sri Ramachandra, Sita, Lutchmana, Hanumanaki  Jai


As I sit now and reflect on the day that has been, I cannot but draw a parallel between my residence and Ayodhya in the time of Lord Rama's return from exile. The festoons were out and every street was bursting with excitement at the arrival of the Lord to his rightful palace.



Swamiji speaking to devotees



Today, as I installed the pictures of Master , Mother and Swamiji in my home, the devotees and guests awaited with the same kind of enthusiasm and delight for the arrival of revered Swami Vimokshananda who blessed the occasion with His divine presence.

 Sri Ramakrishna said in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: ”a thousand years of darkness is dispelled in one instant of light". That is the power of light and no doubt in His discourse and presentation revered Maharaj was able dispel the darkness that has plagued many for so long.
I offer my sincere pranams to Maharaj and thank Him sincerely for taking the time to grace my home with his presence and lighting the lamp of hope and divinity in all present. That is the message essentially that Swamiji relayed to all.

I always wondered why the festival is called Deepavali and not that just 'deepa'. 'Deepa' means light and 'vali' means row. If this is a festival of lights then it could have  been called just deepa. We find that if we scatter the diyas all over the shore then the intensity of the light emanating is rather low.  However, if we co-ordinate the diyas in a row the illumination is much stronger. In the same manner if we can summon and co-ordinate our thought and action on God then his presence in our life becomes intense. If we scatter our thoughts and actions on worldy matters then the manifestation of the divine is lessened. Like the rows of lights had to be lit so that the Lord can be seen as He returned , let us prepare for the home coming of the Lord within us.

Let this Deepavali be more of a personal celebration of the victory of all the vices within us and may the lamp of knowledge be lit with the candle of devotion. I take this opportunity in wishing all of you a spiritually rewarding Deepavali. May this festival bring with it hope, prosperity and the grace of God.

With Love and prayers always

Strength is life Weakness is death

|| Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya

The greatest benefit of life is struggle declared Swami Vivekananda. Clearly a deviation from our conventional thinking wherein everything we do is to avoid challenges and approach this journey with a nonchalant attitude. In fact it is this very behaviour that has been the catalyst and driver of the electronics industries which has devised every possible gadget to ensure that very little physical effort is needed in most of our daily activities and chores.

It takes one of immense inner strength and courage to pray to God for inspiration and strength to face and overcome challenges rather than the mediocrity of asking for them to be removed. I was deeply moved and inspired by one such devotee of the Lord. Queen Kunti was an ardent devotee of Sri Krishna. Upon the victorious culmination of the battle of Kurukshetra Lord Krishna was preparing for his return to Dwarika.

At this point he had placed before this great devotee the opportunity to ask for any boon she desired in view of all the pain and suffering she had undertaken. Sri Krishna was displaying his compassion to his devotee to assist in ameliorating her pain. Without a hint of hesitation she asked, “Dear Lord give me pain “The Lord was surprised as he was giving this boon to remove her from miseries yet she intentionally wanted to be in the very same predicament.

With tears in her eyes she said,Lord it is through this very pain and suffering that I am closest to you. In the absence of such my mind will be engaged in some other fruitless activity. This answer is the defining boundary between being religious and spiritual. Our revered Swami Vimokshanadaji Maharaj on many occasions highlighted the difference between these two. Religious he said was a routine with which we approach or participate in our activity. For example we daily get up at 4am every morning take a bath, perform meditation and japa and upon our return from work at 4pm take bath again and perform sadhanas , read  literature and take supper and sleep. It is thus said you are very religious about your pooja and reading.  Spiritual is when you are faced with challenges in life, it is how effectively you utilise all that you have read and learnt in ensuring the challenge is dealt with in a responsible manner.

In the case of Queen  Kunti  we see how she has developed such devotion and love for God that even the obstacles and pain in her life have become conduits to god’s love and affection.



Prahalad fearlessly facing the torture by his father



That is what our revered Swami Vivekanada projects through his statement that the Great benefit of life is struggle. It is as certain as the sun shall rise in the morning that were it not for some sort of pain or struggle in some peoples life they would not entertain even the smallest thought of god. Yes indeed there are some because of their good past deeds and karma are born with the Lords name on their lips , this is clearly illustrated through the life of Prahalada who despite all the torture his father lunged at him, he continuously and involuntarily called Sri Hari’s name.

Many are constituted such today, that at the mere sight of a challenge, welcome defeat so graciously within the folds of their lives. This chronic refusal to exploit challenges and obstacles to our advantage has created a generation of vegetables obsessed with bread winning education as a means to their peace and joy. On the contrary we find that the more affluent man becomes the more maladies he incurs and as a result makes no significant approach to real joy.

Face the brutes thundered Swamiji. Let these words vibrate in every cell and inch of your body to awaken the inexhaustable strength that lies within you. Let it amass you like a tsunami and give you a clear understanding of the divinity that you are. So long as you think you are weak you are as good as dead. Strength is life said Swamiji.

Harness this strength and concentrate your efforts in finding that state of eternal bliss. For that is our true nature. From the time we awake in the morning, if we closely analyse the purpose of all our activities, we conclude it is to bring us some kind of comfort and joy.

We have however fallen short of the objective as these joys and comforts are of a very transient nature. The secret to our success therefore lies in making every activity in our lives a pathway to god. Do whatever we do as a form of worship or offering to him alone as a result we will fail to see these as obstacles or challenges but utilise them as our daily sadhana.

Our lives will be so full of strength and joy as the mirrors of our minds will be constantly reflecting the divine. Why should you ever think you are weak, you are the prince or princess of the world. Your father is the King. Lift your head up high and take this journey with the confidence and knowledge that you travel in the kingdom of thy father and at a mere call you have the backing and support of his Majesties protection. If you have his strength then you have his life.

May we all approach life with this attitude of strength is my sincere prayer.

Climbing the rungs of spirtual consciousnes

|| Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||


Aum Namo Narayanaya


Flag Post(Kodi Maram) at Arunachalla Temple



It became quite lucid to me as I started to pen this blog that the intention behind creating festivals and prayers to constantly engage the mind on God was an extraordinary and  successful concept. I cannot speak for other countries and towns but can proudly proclaim that Tongaat has kept the Hindu torch ablaze despite the tumultuous history and religious and cultural isolation from India for many decades.
It portrays an essentially unique Hindu characteristic where at regular intervals, the town sprouts with excitement and colour over an impending festival. I must add they are quite strategically positioned to ensure that the devotee is never robbed of his dose of spiritual inspiration throughout the year. Even in the midst of the seasoned holidays like Easter and Christmas,  temptations fail to lure the 'bhaktas' from chanting the Lords name.


I recall vividly growing up in one of the Tongaat Sugar Housing schemes,  how households would be abuzz with excitement and preparations awaiting the arrival of the Lord mounted on his gloriously decorated chariot, parching the thirst of his devotees with his enchanting 'dharshan'. Seasons and landscapes may change but I remain confident that these wonderful  traditions will continue to add flavour to our lives till our last breaths.


Yesterday, two of our sister organisations, the Isinembe Shree Veeraboga Emperumal Temple and the Chinna Thirupathi Venketeshawara Devastanam held their annual chariot festivals. A colourful display of devotion that contagiously spreads a warm and inspired feeling amongst people,  having spent the entire day singing and chanting God's sweet name.


A dear friend was chatting to me after the proceedings of the prayer and asked a very interesting question. “When will people learn to elevate themselves, they come sing songs eat and go home.” A very interesting observation I thought as it quintessentially speaks to the perennial despondency, pain and suffering experienced by many. We are often so quick to point fingers at God, but have we sat and analysed what we have done to change the status quo of our lives.


Sri Ramakrishna said: “The wind of God’s grace is incessantly blowing. Lazy sailors on the sea of life do not take advantage of it. But the active and strong always keep the sails of their minds unfurled to catch the favourable wind and thus reach their destination very soon”.


The inaugural celebrations of the chariot festivities commence with a very significant practice which is pregnant with a philosophy of self evolution. The prayers involve the raising of the flag on the flag staff which is located in front the main entrance of the temple. The presiding deity of all flag poles is an animal which is the 'vaganam' (carrier) of the presiding deity of that temple. In this case it is 'Garuda', the celestial bird who is the official transporter of Maha Vishnu. Temple architectural design is governed by the scriptures which dictate that the eyes of the Garuda murthi must be in line with the feet of the Installed murthi in the inner sanctum. Above this main murthi is the dome of the temple which culminates with a gold or metal 'Kalsum'. The top of the flag post must be in line with the 'kalsum' on the dome.


Most of us although given a very important and divine gift of 'Viveka' (discrimination and intellect) in this human birth, live our lives like animals who are slaves to their senses. Animals operate purely by instinct and sense stimulation. As Paramahamsa Yoganandaji said: ”We live like sudras who see no greater purpose than the satisfaction of wants and desires of the body. Such persons eat, sleep, work , multiply and finally die.” Such an existence is plagued with despondency, unhappiness, troubles, irritation and anxiety. This mechanical way of living and even mechanical way of attending prayers and functions does nothing to release you from the fetters of this chronic misery.


Then it is understandable why most prayers or festivals at the temple commence with the flag hoisting ceremony, indicative of the first step we should all practice if we want to experience perennial joy alone. That is, to raise our consciousness from the base animal and body conscious level to the divine spiritual level - as one would see the 'garuda' on the flag is raised from the bottom to the height of the 'kalsam' on the dome. Forget that you are this body, and forget about the existence you lead, think you are divine, that very Lord that pervades this universe is in you.  And as the singing and activities go on in the temple take some time to delve inward to commune with this Lord that is within you. Start to remove the layers of ignorance and negativity from your minds activity. Use the bhajans and worship that is being done as detergents to clean the mirror of your mind. Let it shine and reflect all the positive energies inside so you can see that he who is the universe himself dwells in you as the atman. Raise that energy from down below to the topmost part of your head which will unlock the treasure of eternal bliss that you are.


Essentially that’s what beloved Swami Vivekananda speaks of when he said "Arise, Awake, stop not until the goal is reached". Raise your consciousness to that divine level. Take note though this does not come easily. One must be sincere and have steadfast devotion and faith in God. It is through His grace alone that the lubrication is provided to ease the friction of spiritual elevation.

May your journey to divinity be blessed by His grace is my sincere prayer.


With love always.

Shubh Navarathri

Aum Namo Narayanaya



|| Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||                               

In a special hymn to the Divine Mother, Shri Shankarcharya said, Jagadambe vichitramantra kim paripurna karunasti cenmayi aparadhaparamparavrtm nahi mata samupekshate sutam.

“O mother of the Universe, there is nothing to be wondered at if thou should’st be full of compassion for me. For a mother does not forsake her son even if he has numerable faults”.

As aspirants are on a quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe and cajole their interpretations within the framework of science, their task becomes unattainable as the grace of God continues to mesmerise the most lettered through the process of creation, sustenance and dissolution. This concept eloquently described as Siristi, Sthiti and Vinashnam in the Devi Mahatmayam.



Mother Universal Kali



But Master Sri Ramakrishna explained in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:

What is the need to know the amount of branches or leaves on a tree when you have come to the orchid to eat mangos. Will our finite mind and intellectual capacity be able to understand this great maya of the perceived world.

It is good enough for us just to have love, devotion and faith in God and according to our nature we will perceive the divine. Although many religions are quite patriarchal in their approach, Hindu Dharma is essentially liberal - allowing the devotee or aspirant the opportunity to approach God in his most comfortable form with the underlying basis that God is one.

It is no wonder then that hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world have taken the Divine Mother as their ishta (personal God). In the two branches of thought, ie. monism and dualistic - one can see God as another or one can understand that God and the self are one. In the dualistic approach which forms the underlying foundation of bhakti, a very special relationship is developed with the ishta.

While growing up we can all give beautiful accounts of the special bond and relationship that we have developed with our mothers. A mother is the reservoir of love and compassion irrespective of your character and appearance. She no doubt is the embodiment of selfless sacrifice. Mothers have lost countless hours of sleep nursing her sick child, worked extreme hours to feed and clothe her children - knowning well one day they will leave her.

Such love is beyond words. If such love is possible by imperfect human beings can you ever image what is possible by the eternal Divine mother of the Universe?  The unconditional, unrestricted river of love that embraces every part of creation is the tonic that can cure the maladies that afflict this world.

But what is the secret to get the attention of our Mother universal? There is no other life documented that has portrayed the most beautiful relationship between a mother and son than that between Sri Ramakrishna and the Divine Mother.

His life demonstrates how the intense yearning and crying for the vision of the Divine Mother culminated in the most divine experience and vision which set out to change the entire course of his life from a mad God man(as called by many in Kolkata ) to Paramahamsa. This episode clearly gives credence to and augments the thoughts of many sages and saints that God does not come to one through elaborate book knowledge; but through intense longing and love, one can then experience God. Yes, God has to be experienced not read about.

When a child is occupied with his toy in a cot, the mother is quite content with her activities and is satisfied that the child is not in need of her. But at the instant that the child starts to cry or scream the mother will immediately drop whatever she is doing to attend to the child. This is the secret to get the attention of the Divine Mother as well, said Master.

We are so intently enjoying the comforts of this world that we have not sent even a glance of a thought towards the Mother. Although She is mindful of us, She will only come to us when we call. Can the toys of the world ever equate to the loving embrace of our mother? Can all the cuisine of the world give nourishment to our soul?

As Her children we undergo many challenges in this world. They can be very overwhelming and stubborn at times. We need not undertake these challenges alone though - like how she took us to school on our first day, or saw our first dance recital or sat with us through our matric exams - in life too we can seek the comfort of our mother universal.

As Durga, She is the fort of our lives, ready to protect us against the challenges of life. Ma Kali is the remover of all our desires which is the biggest obstacle to our joy and happiness. Mother Lakshmi bestows prosperity both materially and spiritually upon us and gives us aim and direction in life. And finally, as Mother Saraswathi, She gives us knowledge of the world but most importantly knowledge of the self to know that we are divine children of her.

Then, why do we behave like beggars? When we want money to buy clothes, or are hungry and want food we go to our mother. Then why are we so shy to ask our mother universal that which is rightfully ours? Take this opportunity my dear brothers and sisters to reconnect with your Mother Divine… cry and intensely long for her… she will undoubtedly answer your call.

I pray sincerely that her love and grace flows abundantly upon all. I conclude with the most loving words of Mother Sarada, “Whenever you are in distress , always remember you have a Mother”.

With love and prayers always