Festivals are beautiful. They are fun, filled with joy, food and enjoyment. We celebrate, because life should be a celebration, with a bit of work to sustain ourselves. Unfortunately, we take things to be the other way around. Usually working ourselves to death, while thinking that the good stuff is just round the corner – …
पितृदेवातिथीपिता विद्याप्रदानेन पण्डिताग्रेसरं सुतम् ।यदि कुर्यात्सुतस्यैतत् महत् साह्यमुदीर्यते ॥ The best thing parents can do for their children is to prepare them stand foremost in the assembly of the learned. किंवा तप: कृतं पित्रा प्राप्तुमेतादृरां सुतम् ।इति लोकै: स्तुत्: पुत्र: पितु: स्यादुपकारक: The son’s duty to his father is to make world ask, ‘By what …
Today I read a piece by Richard Branson where he spoke of applied maths, the mathematics that you need in real life. I have also been thinking on these lines from quite a while. This has been accelerated by the thought of Rohāmrta starting school in a few years from now. I studied math upto …
संयोगाभावे गुरुत्वात् पतनम् ॥५।१।७॥ Saṃyogābhāve gurutvāt patanam (5.1.7)In the absence of action, the object falls by gravity. कार्य्यविरोधि कर्म ॥१।१।१४॥ Kāryyavirodhi karma (1.1.14).Action is opposed by reaction. These are extracts from the Vaiśeṣika Sūtra and are attributed to Kaṇāda. Sound familiar? Also, have you ever heard of कणाद (Kaṇāda)? He was an ancient Indian Rishi and philosopher …
There have been a lot of things said about good speech, but the first phrase that comes to mind is Kabir’s famous doha – बोली एक अनमोल है, जो कोई भी बोले जानि । हिये तराजू तौलि के, तब मुख बाहर आनि।। – words are priceless, and so weigh your words well, before you speak. Our ancestors …
पितृदेवातिथीनां च बन्धूनामात्मनस्तथा ।सत्कृतिर्धर्ममागेंण गृहस्थस्य वरा मता ॥ A good householder has five duties to perform – towards God, his ancestors, guests, family and himself. Most of us think that being spiritual involves growing a long beard, wearing white or saffron robes and renunciation of the world. Tiruvalluvar was probably among the first philosophers to advocate …
अकारादेव निर्यान्ति समस्तान्यक्षराणि च ।चराचरप्रपञ्चोऽय मीश्वरादेव जायते ॥ The alphabet begins with the “A” sound, so does the Universe begin with the universal consciousness. The first couplet mentions not the letter A, but the sound ‘a’. This sound is one of the primary sounds that make up any alphabet, and the first of all. The …
शिरीषपुष्पमाघ्राणात् म्लानं संजायते यथा ।तथाऽतिथीनां वदनं स्याद् गृहस्थे पराङ्मुखे ॥ The delicate blossom of the anicham flower withers when merely smelled; an unwelcome look is enough to wither a guest’s heart. सूंघा ‘अनिच्च’ पुष्प को, तो वह मुरझा जाय ।मुँह फुला कर ताकते, सूख अतिथि-मुख जाय ॥ मातृदेवो भव । पितृदेवो भव । आचार्यदेवो भव …
यत् कृतं शुद्धमनसा स धर्म इति कथ्यते ।हच्छुद्धिरहितं कर्म केवलाडम्बरार्थकम् ॥ A mind free of impurity, is the basis of all virtue. Everything else is empty show. I am reminded of the story of Kanaka Dasa, a renowned Carnatic philosopher and poet who lived in the 16th century. Since he was from a lower cast, Kanaka …
இருள்சேர் இருவினையும் சேரா இறைவன்பொருள்சேர் புகழ்புரிந்தார் மாட்டு. Those who are content in God’s praise, are not affected by the delusions caused by good deeds and bad. माहात्म्यमप्रमेयस्य ज्ञात्वा तं भजतां नृणाम् ।अज्ञानमूलकं कर्म द्विविधं चापि नश्यति ॥ (५) Indian philosophy believes in renunciation as a path to liberation. Moksha is the goal, not heaven. Freeing oneself …
