GITA - Glorification of Chapter Four

Lord Vishnu then described the glories of the fourth chapter of the 

Bhagavad-gita.

 He told of a saint named Bharata, who lived on the bank of the 

Ganges.

 There the devoted Bharata daily recited the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita.

Once, Bharata went on pilgrimage to the town of Tapodhana and saw a Deity of Lord Krishna. On his way home he rested beneath two fruit trees, using the root of one as a pillow and the root of the other as a foot-rest. There, as usual, he recited the fourth chapter. When Bharata left that place, both trees dried up and died. The two souls living in those trees took their next births as daughters of a pious brahmana.

When the girls reached seven years of age, they went on pilgrimage and happened to meet the great sage Bharata. Upon seeing him, they fell at his feet and said in sweet words, “O Maharaja Bharata, by your mercy we were freed from the forms of trees.” Bharata heard this with surprise. Then the girls narrated their story to Bharata.

“Dear Maharaja Bharata, in a previous life we were apsaras, heavenly nymphs. Once, we were ordered by King Indra to cause the falldown of the sage Satya-tapa, who was performing difficult austerities on the bank of the river Godavari. Satya-tapa had complete control over his senses and had become so advanced in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that Brahma the creator of the universe, daily visited him to inquire from him about devotional service.

But Indra was displeased to see Satya-tapa’s purity and elevation. Indra worried that this powerful sage would one day want to usurp the position of king of heaven. To prevent this, Indra sent us to the bank of the Godavari. There we danced provocatively to sexually agitate the sage and seduce him and Satya-tapa cursed us, saying, ‘You both go and become fruit trees on the bank of the river Ganga.

Upon hearing his curse, we fell at his feet and begged forgiveness, for we had acted merely as Indra’s servants. When Satya-tapa saw our repentant attitude, he became pleased and told us we would live as trees only until Maharaja Bharata came in contact with us. He also blessed us that we would be able to remember our previous lives.”

Reminding Bharata that he had rested between two fruit trees, the two girls said they had heard his recitation of the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, After being freed from that form of life, they said, they had been born in a family of devotees. Since then they had lost all desire to enjoy this world. They had carefully been reciting the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita daily and thus had attained devotion to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu.

source: folknet

GITA - Glorification of Chapter Three

Lord Vishnu then recited the glories of the third chapter of the 

Bhagavad-gita

 by narrating the story of Jada. Jada was a brahmana who had wasted his wealth in gambling, drinking, hunting, and visiting prostitutes. Once, after going on a business trip, he earned a lot of money and then decided to return home. On his way, Jada stopped for a night in a deserted place. Robbers there plundered his wealth and murdered him. And because of his sinful life, Jada attained the body of a ghost.

Jada’s son, in spite of his father, was religious and learned in the Vedic scriptures. When the father remained absent for a long time, the son decided to search for him. Wherever the son went, he inquired about his father. One day the son met a man who told him what had happened.

Jada’s son started at once for Gaya to worship Lord Vishnu, to release his father from ghostly life. One evening on the way to Gaya, the son happened to perform his daily worship of Lord Krishna under the same tree where his father had been killed. As the son recited the third chapter ofBhagavad-gita loud sound came from the sky. He looked up and saw his father changed into a most beautiful being, his body the color of a dark rain-cloud. He was four-armed, he was dressed in yellow cloth, and his bodily effulgence lit up all directions.

The father said, “My dear son, because you recited the third chapter of Bhagavad-gita, you freed me from a ghostly form. Now you should return home. The purpose of your going to Gaya has already been achieved. Then the father asked the son to liberate a brother and some ancestors who had also led sinful lives and were suffering in hell. The son said he would recite the third chapter of Bhagavad-gita until the time all the souls trapped in hell were freed.

Then an airplane arrived from 

Vaikuntha,

 the spiritual world, and transported the father to the supreme destination. The son returned home and began reciting daily the third chapter in front of a Deity of Lord Krishna. As the recitations continued, Lord Vishnu sent His messengers, the Vishnudutas, to the kingdom of Yamaraja, who punishes the sinful. The Vishnudutas told Yamaraja that Lord Vishnu wished him well and had ordered him to free the conditioned souls suffering in hell. Yamaraja at once had all the souls released.

Then Yamaraja went to 

Shvetadvipa

 to see Lord Vishnu. Yamaraja found the Lord lying on His serpent bed, Ananta Shesha, while Lakshmi-devi massaged His feet. His spiritual body had the effulgence of many suns, and demigods and sages surrounded Him and sang His praises. With folded hands Yamaraja offered obeisances and prayers lo Lord Vishnu: “My dear Lord Vishnu, You are the well-wisher of all the conditioned souls, and there is no limit to Your glories. From You the Vedas have come. You are time and the cause of time. You are the cause and the maintainer of the three worlds, and You will destroy all things. You are the 

Supersoul

 directing everyone’s activities. You are the guru of the universe and the goal of devotees. O lotus-eyed one, please accept my obeisances again and again.”

After praying Yamaraja asked the Lord for instructions. In a voice as deep as thunder and sweet as nectar, Lord Vishnu replied, “My dear Yamaraja, I need not instruct you on your duty. Kindly return to your abode and in the future continue your duty with My full blessings.” Thereafter Jada’s son was taken to the abode of Lord Vishnu, where he eternally engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

source: folknet

GITA - Glorification of Chapter Two

Lord Vishnu continued His glorification of the Bhagavad-gita   

“Please listen carefully Lakshmidevi,  as I tell you the glories of the Second Chapter.” Once a learned brahmana named Devasharma satisfied the demigods. But he remained unhappy because he desired to know the Absolute Truth. Out of his strong desire for such knowledge Devasharma spoke with many sages and rendered service to them. One day he met a meditating Yogi who was peaceful and devoid of material desires. The yogi who had complete knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, advised Devasharma to meet Mitravan a goatherd in Asau-pura, and take instruction from him in the science of God realization.

Hearing this Devasharma offered respectful obeisances to the yogi and left to find Mitravan. When Devasharma arrived in Asau-pura, he found Mitravan in a beautiful forest, beside a small river, sealed atop some rocks. Mitravan looked peaceful, and his goats moved here and there fearlessly. Some goats even sat next to tigers and other ferocious animals. Devasharma also became peaceful, and he approached Mitravan to inquire about devotion to Lord Krishna.

Mitravan narrated the following story: “My dear Devasharma, once when I was in this forest herding goats by the bank of this river, a tiger attacked. After the goats ran away and so did I. From a distance I saw one goat being chased by the tiger. But suddenly a strange wonderful thing happened: the tiger lost its anger and no longer desired to eat the goat.” Mitravan described that both the tiger and goat were confused by this sudden peacefulness and so they approached him to ask what had happened. Mitravan in turn, inquired from a monkey who told him the story of Sukama, a learned sage.

Sukama had once pleased another sage by feeding him sumptuously and speaking pleasant words. The pleased sage gave Sukama the second chapter of the Bhagavad-gita written on stone. The sage left after giving Sukama an instruction to recite this chapter daily. Because Sukama followed this instruction, he quickly attained complete knowledge of Lord Krishna. And because of his devoted austerities, performed at the very place where Mitravan and the monkey were standing, anyone who came there no longer fell the pangs of hunger and thirst and at once attained complete peace.

Thereafter Mitravan told Devasharma that he and the tiger and goat had later found the stone in a temple and had begun reciting the second chapter of the Bhagavad-gita daily. In this way they had quickly attained devotion to Lord Krishna. Devasharma decided to carefully follow Mitravan’s example, and thereafter, in the village where Devasharma lived, visitors would recite with him the second chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. In this way Devasharma attained the mercy and the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.

source : folknet

GITA - Glorification of Chapter One

Susharma, although born in a brahmana family, was a sinful, wicked man devoid of piety. He particularly enjoyed hurting others. For his livelihood he sold leaves he had collected and sewn together to make plates and cups. One day Susharma entered the garden of a sage to collect leaves, and a snake slithered in and killed him. Because of all his sins, he was cast into many hells and suffered a longtime.

Afterward, he received the body of a bull. As a bull, he was purchased by a crippled man and for many years had to carry heavy loads. One day the bull, his back piled with such an extremely heavy load, fell unconscious. Bystanders felt sorry for the bull and bestowed upon it some results of their pious acts. One person there, a prostitute, doubted she had ever performed pious acts, but upon learning that everyone was offering pious credits to the bull, she also offered whatever results of pious activities, she might have had.

After the bull died and entered the abode of Yamaraja, the god of death, Yamaraja, informed him, “Now you are freed from the reactions to all your previous sinful deeds because a prostitute gave you her pious credits.”

In his next life Susharma again took birth as an elevated brahmana, but this time he could remember his past lives. He decided to find the prostitute who had caused his liberation from hell. When he found her, he asked her what pious acts she had performed. The prostitute replied that her pet parrot had daily recited verses that had completely purified her heart.

Thereafter the parrot told them about the recitation. In a previous life the parrot had been a proud and envious yet learned brahmana who had insulted other learned persons. He had now, therefore, received the body of a parrot.

But as a parrot he had often heard certain sages reciting the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, and he had also begun reciting it. So he had become purified. After being sold to the prostitute, the parrot continued his recitations and thus earned the prostitute pious credits. Susharma eventually became completely pure, and within a short time he attained Vaikuntha, the supreme destination.

source : folknet

Sayings on the Bhagavad Gita

The Gita is the universal mother. She turns away nobody. Her door is wide open to anyone who knocks. A true votary of the Geeta does not know what disappointment is. He ever dwells in perennial joy and peace that passeth understanding. But that peace and joy come not to the sceptic or to him who is proud of his intellect or learning. It is reserved only for the humble in spirit who brings to her worship a fullness of faith and an undivided singleness of mind. There never was a man who worshipped her in that spirit and went back disappointed.

I find a solace in the Bhagavad Geeta that I miss even in the Sermon on the Mount. When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagavad Geeta. I find a verse here and a verse there, and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies--and my life has been full of external tragedies--and if they have left no visible, no indelible scar on me, I owe it all to the teaching of the Bhagavadgeeta.

                                                                                                     ...Mahatma Gandhi

Vaikunta Ekadashi - 17th December 2010

A major festival of South India, Vaikuntha Ekadashi is observed with all solemnity in the temples of Lord Vishnu.

According to Vishnu Purana, fasting on Vaikunta Ekadashi is equivalent to fasting on the remaining 23 Ekadashis of the (Hindu) year.. However according to Vaishnava tradition fasting is mandatory on all Ekadashi of both Sukla paksha and Krishna paksha. Fasting on Ekadashi is considered holier than any other religious observation.

Lord opened the gate of Vaikuntam (his abode) for two demons in spite of they being against the Lord. They also asked for the boon that who ever listens to their story and see the image of Lord coming out of the door (called Dwar) called Vaikunth Dwar they reach Vaikunth as well! Temples all over the India makes a door kind of structure on this day for devotees to pass through that.

The significance of this very day can be traced back to the Padma-Purana.  

According to this, the female energy of Lord Vishnu slayed demon Muran and protects `Devas'. Impressed by the act, Lord Vishnu names her as `Ekadashi' and gives her the boon that those who worship `Ekadashi' on the day of her victory over Muran would reach `Vaikunth' (His abode).

In Mahabarata, Bhagavad Gita - the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna at the beginning of Kurukshetra War is said to have occurred on this day.

The Vaikuntha Dwara (gate) of all Vishnu temples are opened on this day. Thousands of fans are going through this port to the special grace of the Lord Srinivasa Govinda. Lord Srinivasa Govinda gets a great bathing ceremony and special alankara on this day with sparkling jewels.

Gopi Geet

In the month of Kartik this Gopi Geet is specially recited inorder to have the Darshan of Shree Krushna...
"Daiyt dhrushyatam dixutavkas, tvayeedhrutaasvas tvam vichinvate"...

Gopya uchu:

Jayati te adhikam jamna braj:

shryat indira shshvadatra he

daiyt dhrushyatam dixutavkas 

tvayee dhrutaasvas tvam vichinvate..

Sharadudashaye sadhujatsat

sarsijodara shrimushadrusha

suratnath te ashulk daasika

varad nighnato neh kim vadh:

Vishjalapyyaad vyalrakshadad

varshmarutad vaidhutanalat

vrushamyatmjaad vishvatobhayad

rushabh te vayam rakshita muhu:

Na khalu gopika nandnobhavan

akhildahinam antaramdruk

vikhansarthito vishvguptaye

sakh udayevan satvatumkule

Virchitabhayam vrushnidhurya te

charanmeyusham sansrterbhayat

karsaroruham kant kamdam

shirasi dehina: shree karagruham

Brajjanartihan veer yoshitam

nijjansm ya dhvansan smit

bhaj sakhe bhavatkinkari sma no

jalruhananam charu darshaya

Pranatdehinam paapkarshanam

truncharanugam shreeniketanam

fanifanarpitam te padambujam

krun kucheshu na krundhi hruchayam

Madhurya gira valguvakyya

budhmanogyya pushkarekshana

vidhikareerima veer muhyateer

dharsidhuna aa pyaayyasva na:

Tav kathamrutam taptjeevanam

kavibhiriditam kalmashapham

shravan mangalam shreemdat tam

bhuvi grunanti te bhurida jana:

Prahasitam priyam premvikshanam

viharanam ch te dhyanmangalam

rahasi samvido ya hrudisprasha:

kuhuk no manah: kshobhiyanti he

Chalasi yad brajaan chcharyan pashun

nalinsundaram nath te padam

shiltrunakuraih sidatiti na:

kalilata: manah: kant gachchati

Dinparikshaye neelkuntalair

vanruhananam vibradavratam

dhanrajasvalam darshayan muhurm

nasi na: smaram veer yachasi

Pranatkamdam padmajarchitam

dharanimandanam dhyeymapadi

charanpankajam shantamam ch 

te raman na: staneshvaparyadhihan

Suratvardhanam shoknashnam

svaritvanuna sushtu chumbitam

itarragvismaranam nrunam

vitar veer nasteadharamrutam

Atati yad bhavanheen kananam

trutiryagayate tvampashyatam

kutilkuntalam shreemukham ch te

jad udeekshtam pakshamkrud drusham

Patisutanvayabhratbandhavan

tivildhy teantyachyutagata:

gatividastvodgeetmohita:

kitav yoshita: kastyajenishi

Rahasi samvidam hruchyodayam

prahsitannam premvikshanam

brahudarah: shreeyo vikshya dham te

muhuratispruha muhyate manah:

Brajvanouksam vyaktirang te

vrujinhantralayam vishvamangalam

tyaj manak ch nastavspruhatmanam

svajanhradrujam yannishudanam

yatte sujatcharanamburuham staneshu

bheeta: shanae: priy dadheemahe karksheshu

tenatvimtasee tad vyathate na kimsvit 

kurpadibhirbhramati dherbrvadayusham na: