Vineet's Spiritual Yearnings

Saturday, 22 October 2011

Main Kya Hoon - Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Acharya

Today I finished reading a very good book "Main Kya Hoon" by Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Acharya of Shantikuj, Haridwar.

In the book, Gurudev provides the practical methods of "Sadhana" for self attainment. He takes the readers from the knowledge of self: "What am I? my source of strength; place, time needs, means of resources and friends for me" to self realisation "So'ahamasmi-I am that " meaning My immortal soul is an inseparable and indivisible portion of the absolute spirit (Parmatman) in its ultimate state.

Shri Adinath Digambar Jain Temple, Jaya Nagar, Bangalore

This is relatively new Jain temple in Bangalore. The construction of this temple started early in the decade and completed in 2007. Built in white marble with colourful shades, the temple welcomes the devotees with a nicely sculpted gate.

Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore

Meenakshi Sundareshwar temple is one of the important temples of Bangalore situated at Hulimavu in Bannerghatta Main Road at a distance of about 15 kms from Bangalore.

It is a replica of the famous Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, Tamilnadu and is also run by the same trust. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, known here as Sundareshwar and his consort Parvati or Meenakshi. It is a beautiful temple with a tower (Gopura). On entering the temple, Lord Sundareshwar is seen at the entrance and Goddess is on the other side of the temple.

ISKCON Temple, Bangalore

A few days back read a very inspirational book "He Did It - Swami Chinmayananda, A Legacy". Chinmaya Mission West's publication Mananam has brought out special issue "He Did It – Swami Chinmayanand, A Legacy" as part of special 12 issues, starting with this book, to celebrate Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda's birth centenary in 2015-16

Swami Chinmayananda (8 May 1916 – 3 August 1993), born Balakrishna Menon (Balan) was a great spiritual leader, Vedantic Master, Visionary and Missionary who inspired the formation of Chinamaya Mission in 1953 to spread the message of Vedanta. The organisation founded by his disciples has over 300 centres in India & abroad.

Shri Shakambari Mata

नमः सर्वनिवासाय सर्वशक्तियुताय ते

ममाभीष्ठम करू श्वासु शरणागतम वत्सल

Shakambhari is an incarnation of Ishwari, consort to Shiva. She is the divine mother, called "The Bearer of the Greens". Ishwari is a name of Goddess Durga and means divine counterpart of Ishwara (supreme Lord). She is God's Shakti (force, infinite strength) represented in a form as an all powerful, sovereign Goddess reigning all over the worlds.

The word Shakambhari comes from "shakam" joined with the root "bhri"("shaka" = vegetables or food and "bhri" = to nourish) means the Goddess who bears or gave vegan food to the hungry.

SHAKUMBHARI DEVI (A Symbol of Botanical Energy): Stating in terms of botanical-science, there exist form of energy behind the growth of plants and vegetables; the evolution of this energy is caused due to the multiplication and compounding of atoms. The same energy has been worshipped as SHAKUMBHARI Devi. Indian Culture had adopted the importance of plants & vegetation thousand of years ago, when the worship of SHAKUMBHARI DEVI was started.