Swetha Sundaram's Blog, page 10

Srimadh Bagawatham - Description of Pralayam

Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/11/srimadh-bagawatham-characteristic-of.html



There are four kinds of pralayams decribed in Srimadh Bagawatham. Nithya Pralayam occurs everyday when a life form dies. Maimithika Pralayam occurs during Brahma’s night when the first three worlds are destroyed even though the Sun is still there. Prakrutha Pralayam occurswhen all worlds are destroyed and all jeevatmas rest in a state of inactivity by Perumal. Perumal lies down in Yoga nidra for a very long time and starts creation again upon waking up. Akruthika Pralayam occurs when a jeevatma attains Moksham.Markandeya Maharishi performed severe penance at Naimisharanyam in order to attain the Lord’s feet. The sage is a Brahmachari blessed with everlasting youth. The devas were worried by the sage’s penance. Devendran sent the apsaras to seduce the sage. The apsaras arrived with the lord of Love Kama and created spring season.The sage noticed the beautiful sweet scented flowers, pleasant weather and the beautiful women. Even then he didn’t give in to their advances as he had complete control over his senses. He pitied the apsaras and promised not to curse them for trying to ruin his penance.Lord Vishnu was pleased that the sage had defeated kamam as well as krodham. He appeared before the sage.‘Only great personality like you can win over anger and lust’, praised the Lord.‘It is because of your compassion for me. Your grace is the reason for the control over my senses. It is definitely not because of my efforts.’The Lord was very pleased that the sage was not affected by pride either. ‘Ask me for a boon.’‘I hear people speak about maya but I don’t understand it. Could you please show me you maya?’The Lord smiled and then disappeared.Sage Markandeyar returned to his duties. It started to rain. Very quickly rain turned into a great storm. The sage went outside when he heard a roaring noise. To his dismay he saw a huge flood; water rushed everywhere destroying all life.Soon there was nothing but water. The sage waded through the deluge for days trying to find survivors. After many lengthy days, the sage spotted a huge banyan tree. ‘Land at last!’ cried the sage and ran towards the tree. He stopped midway when he saw a beautiful baby lying on top of a banyan leaf.
The child was dark in colour with curly locks which framed its face. Its eyes looked mischievous as we looking for butter to steal. It lay on the banyan leaf sucking its  big toe. The sage recognized the Lord. It was as if the Lord wondered why people sought his divine feet; to test if they were sweet, He was sucking on His big toe. Mesmerized by their sweetness, He lay they enjoying His toe.The sage waded near the Lord to pick the child up. The child looked at the sage with love and opened its coral lips. As we pulled in by a vacuum, the sage entered the baby’s mouth and went into His belly. With a jerk the sage got-up and saw that he was back at his ashram and everything was back to normal!This shows that the Lord keeps us safe in His belly even during pralayam and lets us out once creation begins.Continued On:

Koil Azhwar

Most people know that Kovil Azhwar is the replica of our temples at home. They are called as “home temples” in English. They are usually made of wood , with beautiful doors with bells on them so that the bells jingle merrily when the door is opened in the morning. Please refer to the following link for more information about Kovil Azhwars. http://vaadinen.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/koil-azhwar/ People who live abroad often do not know where to procure a kovil azhwar for their Perumal Sannidhi. Depending on the size of the kovil azhwar, it can be very difficult to bring the package with us from India due to baggage limitation. We also face difficulties in finding a kovil azhwar which can meet our specific requirements.  We were faced with similar problem when we found out that the manufacturer “Ajay Exim” can make kovil azhwar to our specification and can ship them world wide by courier. Like most people we were concerned about placing online orders with companies which are not through ebay or Amazon. To our amazement, the company gave us frequent updates to let us know the status of the order. They agreed to receive payments in installments and collected progressive payment at various stages of the manufacturing process. Once the shipment was ready, they shipped it via Fedex air and the package arrived in Canada within 3 days! It was door to door delivery. We were impressed by the packing! Each part had been carefully wrapped in bubble wrap, packed in layers of thick styrofoam and had been enclosed in strong carboard box. There was not even a single scratch on the unit! They had also sent us a large laminated photo of Ramar pattabhishekam with the kovil azhwar! They also emailed us the assembly instruction as a pdf file and had enclosed all required hardware and tools required to complete the assembly with the package.
The product had beautiful carvings! It was an exquisite piece! Please see the attached link to the website of Ajay exim in Madurai. You can browse through the various products posted on their gallery. http://www.ajayexim.net/wooden-pooja-mandir.html

We highly recommend Ajay Exim to everyone who is looking to purchase a kovil azhwar. They also specialize in other products like earthen ware cookware, decorative wooden swing sets. etc. Please visit their website for more detail.

Srimadh Bagawatham - Characteristic of people in kali Yuga.

Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/11/srimadh-bagawatham-effects-of-keeping.html

 Characteristic of people in Kali Yuga


Wealth alone will be considered as the symbol of good birth. Law and judgement will be amended based on ones power. Men and women will decide to live together based on physical appearance. No importance will be given to good character. Deceit will be used to succeed in business. External identification marks like wearing the sacred thread etc alone will be used to identify a person as a Brahmin even though they might have no other qualifications.People will give importance to hairstyle as hairstyle will be considered as the symbol of beauty. Men will gain political power by using strength.Rulers will be no better than thieves. Harassed by corrupt rulers people will suffer from drought and famine. Weather will become unbearable as people will face the extremes of cold weather, severe rains and extreme heat.  Life span will be reduced to fifty years. People will become short in stature. Atheism will take control and people will forget the path of Vedas. Cows will be small in size like goats. Spiritual retreats will be like regular homes. Trees will be very small in size. At this time, Lord Vishnu will incarnate as kalki to uplift everyone. He will incarnate as the son of Viṣṇuyaśā in the village of Śambhala.Lord Kalki will ride on His  swift horse Devadutta with a sword in hand. He will rid this Earth of all the corrupt people. Once the corrupt rulers have been removed, a gentle breeze filled with the fragrance of sandalwood will flow through the cities purifying the minds of everyone. The Krita Yugam will once again enter when the sun, moon and Jupiter are together in the constellation of Cancer and together enter the lunar mansion of the star Pusya. Of the seven stars forming the constellation of the seven sages, Pulaha and Kratu are the first to rise in the night sky. If a line running north and south were drawn through their midpoint, whichever of the lunar mansions this line passes through is said to be the ruling asterism of the constellation for that time. The Seven Sages will remain connected with that particular lunar mansion for one hundred human years. Currently, during your lifetime, they are situated in the nakṣatra called Maghā.When the constellation of the seven sages is passing through the lunar mansion Maghā, the age of Kali begins. It comprises twelve hundred years of the demigods. When the great sages of the Saptarṣi constellation pass from Maghā to Pūrvāsāḍhā, Kali will have his full strength, beginning from King Nandaand his dynastyAfter the one thousand celestial years of Kali-yuga, the Satya-yuga will manifest again. At that time the minds of all men will become self-effulgent. No Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati Malayalam Tamil 1 Aswini or Ashvini or Ashwini Aswathi or Ashvati Aswathi 2 Bharani or Bharni Bharani Bharani 3 Krithika or Kritika or Krittika Kaarthika or Karttika Karthigai 4 Rohini Rohini Rohini 5 Mrigashiras or Mrigasira or Mrigashirsha Makeeryam or Makayiram Mrigasheersham 6 Aardhra / Ardra
Arudra (Telugu) Thiruvathira or Tiruvatira Thiruvaathirai 7 Punarvasu Punartham or Punartam Punarpoosam 8 Pushyami or Pushya Pooyam or Puyam Poosam 9 Ashlesha Aayilyam or Ayilyam Aayilyam 10 Magha or Makha Makham or Makam Makam 11 Poorva Phalguni or Purva or Purva Phalguni or Poorvaphalguni or Pubba (Telugu) Pooram or Puram Pooram 12 Uttara Phalguni / Uthraphalguni /
Uttara (Telugu) Uthram or Utram Uthiram 13 Hastha or Hast or Hasta Atham or Attam Hastham 14 Chitra Chitra or Chittira Chithirai 15 Swaathi or Swati or Svati Chothi or Choti Swaathi 16 Vishaka or Vishaakha Visakam or Vishakham Visaakam 17 Anuradha or Anuraadha Anizham Anusham 18 Jyeshtha or Jyeshta Thrikketta or Ketta or Triketta Kettai 19 Moola Moolam or Mulam Moolam 20 Purva Ashadha or Poorva Shada or Poorvashaada Pooradam or Puratam Pooraadam 21 Uttara Ashadha or Uttara Shada or Uthrashaada Uthradam or Utradam Uthiraadam 22 Shravana or Shravana or Sravana Thiruvonam or Tiruvonam Thiruvonam 23 Shravishtha or Dhanista or Dhanishta Avittam or Avitam Avittam 24 Shatabhisha or Shatataraka or Shathabhisha or Shatbhisha Chatayam or Chathayam Chathayam or Sadayam 25 Purva Bhadrapada or Poorva Bhadra or Poorvabhadra Poorattadhi or Pururuttati or Pooruruttadi Poorattathi 26 Uttara Bhadrapada or Uttara Bhadra or Uthrabhadra Uthrattathi or Uttrattati Uthirattathi 27 Revathi or Revati Revathi Revathi
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Srimadh Bagawatham - Effects of Keeping bad Company

Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/10/srimadh-bagawatham-age-of-kali.html



There once lived a man called Govardhanan. He lived happily with his wife serving his guru Vishnu Swami at his house. Everyday his guru would decide to leave their home so that he could go away to meditate upon the Lord in solitude but Govardhanan and his wife would plead with the guru and make him agree to stay for one more day. Vishnu Swami realized that he could never take leave of Govardhanan; he decided to leave without telling them. Vishnu Swami left their home in the middle of the night so that he could detach himself from the affection of Govardhanan.The couple searched for Vishnu Swami everywhere in the morning. They felt dejected when they didn’t find him. As they had spent their time listening to the lectures of Vishnu Swami they didn’t know how to spend their time after their guru left them.‘I will go for a walk’, Govardhanan announced one day to his wife.He started walking down the street. At the end of the street he saw a group of young men sitting around a table playing dice. He stopped to look at them out of curiosity.‘We are short of one hand’, one of the men called out to him. ‘Would you like to play with us?’‘What is this game? I don’t  think I know the rules.’‘It is very easy. We will teach you the rule’, they called to him.Govardhanan joined their company and started to enjoy the game. ‘I met some nice young men who invited me to play a game of dice with them’, said Govardhanan to his wife.‘It doesn’t sound right to me. Why seek such company while you can sit at home and chant the Lord’s names?’‘You won’t understand!’ snapped Govardhanan. His wife was taken by surprise as he had never raised his voice before.Soon Govardhanan’s new found friends introduced him to alcohol.‘We are going to see a dance’, they told him one day. ‘The dancer is very exquisite! Why don’t you come with us?’Soon Govardhanan was swayed by passion and went to live with the dancer after abandoning his wife. Whenever the dancer demanded more money, Govardhanan would visit his wife, hit her and snatched her jewellery.His wife overcome by misery started to cry one day. She said to herself, ‘if only our guru hadn’t left us my husband wouldn’t have gone astray!’She heard someone knock at the door. Afraid that it might be her husband come back to torment her for more money, with trembling hands she opened the door but to her surprise she saw Vishnu Swami standing on the threshold.‘Whats the matter? Is Govardhanan okay?’ asked Vishnu Swami as Govardhanan’s wife started to cry.‘He has gone astray’, she said and then recounted everything to Vishnu Swami.‘I will return with Govardhanan’, promised Vishnu Swami and he went to the home of the dancer.Vishnu Swami knocked at the door of the dancer and called for Govardhanan. Govardhanan heard his guru’s voice and something stirred in his heart. Govardhanan came to the door and seeing his guru standing outside, he remembered the time he had spent in the company of his guru. Immediately he was overcome by remorse as he realized his errors. He fell at his guru’s feet and asked to be pardoned.Vishnu Swami reformed Govardhanan. Stayed with Govardhanan and his wife till Govardhanan returned to the old path. The above narrative shows that a bagawatha must avoid bad company as through such company  other evils enter our life and can take us away from the right path on to the path of sins.Continued On: 

Srimadh Bagawatham - The Age of Kali

Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/09/srimadh-bagawatham-krishnas-instruction_26.html



After Lord Krishna completed His incarnation, the age of Kali entered. It  destroyed dharmam completely.  Law and order started to deteriorate. The dynasties ruling this earth slowly started to deteriorate and gave rise to rule by Mlecchas. Sukacharyar has listed the names of rulers in kali Yugam. I have inserted some slokams below.nava nandāndvijaḥkaścitprapannān uddhariṣyatiteṣāḿ abhāvejagatīḿmauryā bhokṣyanti vaikalau
: A Brahmana named Cāṇakya will betray the trust of King NandaThis Brahmana  will destroy their dynasty. This will cause the Mauryas to take control as the age of Kali continues.sa eva candraguptaḿvaidvijo rājye 'bhiṣekṣyatitat-suto vārisāras tutataś cāśokavardhanaḥCanakya will enthrone Candragupta, whose son will be named Vārisāra. The son of Vārisāra will be Aśokavardhana.tato 'ṣṭau yavanā bhāvyāścaturdaśa turuṣkakāḥbhūyo daśa guruṇḍāś camaulā ekādaśaiva tuThe Mauryas will be followed by Eight Yavanas then by fourteen Turuṣkas, ten Guruṇḍas and eleven kings of the Maula dynasty.There will be many such uncivilized kings ruling at the same time. These rulers will be uncharitable, short tempered, and followers of irreligion.These barbarians will murder innocent women, children, cows and brāhmaṇas. They will covet the wives and property of other men. Even through this terrible age of Kali, a true devotee of the Lord can stay safe by avoiding the following; gambling, intoxicating liquor, company of unscrupulous women, meat. There once was a king at Jagannatha Puri who was a great devotee. He never took any food without worshiping the Lord. The king would have his meals only after he had partaken the offerings from the temple.The King had an excellent moral character but, he had a flaw. He was fond of gambling. The queen was concerned about the king. She tried to correct him.‘Gambling should be avoided especially by a ruler,’ she said. ‘King Yudhishtirar and Nala Chakravathi suffered because they gambled. Please give up this vice.’‘It’s a vice only if it is an addiction. I only play for sport. This cannot be called gambling’, the king replied defiantly.The queen prayed to the Lord asking him to correct the king.One day the king was engrossed in his game that he did not go to the temple. The Bhattacharyar waited for the king for a long time. As the temple had to be closed, the Bhatacharyar took the offerings with him and went to see the king. The king engrossed in the game of dice didn’t notice the Bhatacharyar. He realized that there was someone standing next to him offering something to him. As he rolled the dice with his right hand, the king extended his left hand to receive the offering. The Bhatacharyar left without giving the offering to the king.After the game the king realized that he cannot take his meals because he hadn’t taken the offerings.‘I feel very bad because for the first time I have missed taking the offerings,’ he said to his queen.‘Did you know that the Bhattacharyar came to see you with the offering but, as you extended your left hand, he left without giving you the prasadam?’The king felt very sad. He felt remorseful.‘You were right,’ he said. ‘Under the influence of the game I extended my left arm with arrogance. I deserve punishment!’ So saying the king cut off his own left hand. At that instant Lord Jagannathan appeared.‘I came in the guise of the Bhattacharyar to correct you. Stay away from gambling for it can corrupt the minds of good devotees like yourself!’From that day, the king stopped gambling and led a pious life.Continued On: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/11/srimadh-bagawatham-effects-of-keeping.html

Srimadh Bagawatham - Krishna’s Instruction To Udhavar Part 10

 Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/09/srimadh-bagawatham-krishnas-instruction_25.htmlLord Krishna continued to instruct Udhava. 'Following proper Ahara Niyamam will help develop satva guna. Do not eat anything which is too hot or too cold, too sour, too sweet or too spicy. Don’t eat leftover, don’t eat leftover food eaten by other people or food which hasn’t been offered to me. You will be able to notice the influence of the gunas by observing your characteristic. As soon as you notice the influence of rajo and tamo gunas, correct your habits.An increase in satva Guna will make you happy, you will have clarity of thought and will be able to complete your tasks properly.Increase in rajo guna will fuel your desires. You will seek reward for every activity you perform, you will become stingy, greedy and perform pointless activities like fidgeting.Tamo gunam leads to confusion, ignorance and laziness.’It is said that Udhavar after obtaining instructions from the Lord returned to Vrindavan where he exists in the form of a creeper next to the Kusuma Sarovar. Udhavar appears before true devotees of the Lord even today.
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The Green Banana And Lentil Diet For Diabetes And Weight Loss Paperback This is a book suitable for vegans. Most of the recipes in this book are gluten free. A South Indian Diet plan (CURRY DIET) incorporating more green bananas and lentils in the meal plan for healthy weight loss and to prevent diabetes. The book explains the science behind South Indian Cuisine which aid in achieving the perfect balance between body, mind and the soul. There are so many different kinds of diet out there but, none suitable for a South Indian vegetarian like most of us. How does any vegetarian customize a paleo diet or a high protein diet to meet their needs? Most of the food they normally eat would be classified under the food prohibited by their diet plan. In the name of diet and good health, how long can a person live on raw vegetables and fruits? After years of experiment the authors have come up with the perfect diet that keeps our taste buds satisfied while helping us to shed pounds. The authors personally tried this diet and to their utter amazement the pounds just melted off! The weight came off in a healthy way and there was a significant improvement in the numbers in the blood work! Viji has been battling type II diabetes for years as it runs in her family. She has been trying to avoid diabetes by staying on a strict diet and exercise regimen without taking any medication. By following the above diet, her blood sugar levels came down effortlessly from 8.1 mmol/L to 6.7 mmol/L (145.8 mg/dl to 120.6 mg/dl) in just six months! She ate to her heart content and yet her blood sugar level came down! The book is packed with information. For example, the book explains why enzymes are unable to break down certain types of starches to release sugar into the blood stream. The book also has information on the role played by fats to lower blood sugar levels, the benefits of traditional Indian spices, the types of healthy fats and more importantly, a balanced meal plan suitable for a South Indian Vegetarian diet.Buy Book

Srimadh Bagawatham - Krishna’s Instruction To Udhavar Part 9

 Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/09/srimadh-bagawatham-krishnas-instruction_21.html



‘Why did you give rajasic and tamasic shastras/karmas? Why didn’t you just give satvik shastras?’ Asked Udhava.‘You forget that people with rajasic and tamasic tendencies are also my property. In order to make them believe in the Shastras I have to give them what they desire so that slowly they develop an interest in the higher truth. Once a person reaches the satvic rung, they shouldn’t step down to the lower rungs. Hence I have asked you to avoid anything that increases rajasic and tamasic qualities. Listen to the following story. There was once a man who had an enemy. Unable to bear the enemies torture, the man approached a Vedic scholar. ‘You claim to be a scholar and you state frequently that cures for every problem is there in the Vedas. Can you help me rid my enemy? Is there anything in the Vedas?’ ‘There is a abhijara ritual called Senai Yagam. If you perform it, the deity of the Yagam will remove your enemy like an eagle swooping down to snatch its prey.’ The man performed the yagam and he was amazed to learn that his enemy was destroyed. The man lived comfortably for a while, but soon made ten new enemies. He decided that if he was wealthy and moved up the social ladder, the enemies wouldn’t bother him. He once again approached the scholar. ‘Can you suggest any yagam to make me wealthy?’ ‘Perform the vayavai Yagam; the wealth present in everyone’s homes will be swept to you.’ The man became wealthy. He married a beautiful maiden, but they had no children. He felt that he will be truly happy if he had a son. He went back to see the scholar. ‘Please suggest a yagam so that I can obtain a son,’ ‘Perform the putrakameshti yagam.’ The man was soon blessed with a son but his worries increased. He felt that if he went to heaven, he could lead a worry free life. He returned to the scholar. ‘Suggest a yagam by which I can attain heaven,’ ‘Perform the Jyothish Homa Yagam.’ The man immediately went to heaven, but as soon as the merit earned by performing the yagam was reduced to zero, he was pushed to fall upon Earth. The man went to see the scholar as he had the ability to recall his past life. ‘I need to be eternally happy. Suggest a ritual through which I can attain perpetual happiness,’ ‘There is no ritual for it. Your desire to obtain the perpetual happiness will by itself yield the fruit.’ The scholar then taught the man on ways to attain my divine feet. If in the very beginning the scholar had preached Bakthi Yoga instead of suggesting the Senai Yagam, the man would have not listened to the advice and would have become completely against the Shastras. Thus by giving people what they need, I elevate them slowly but steadily.’ Said Lord KrishnaContinued On: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/09/srimadh-bagawatham-krishnas-instruction_26.html

Srimadh Bagawatham - Krishna’s Instruction To Udhavar Part 8

Continued from: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/09/srimadh-bagawatham-krishnas-instruction_18.html



‘The three gunas are associated with prakruthi. As the body is made off prakruthic material, the three gunas are associated with the body and not the atma. The atma sends its knowledge to the mind. The mind contains the three gunas and depending upon which one is in higher concentration it affects sensory perception as well as learning. You must try to enhance satva guna by eliminating the other two gunas. Finally you must also rid yourself of satva guna in order to attain me.’ said Lord Krishna.‘Why should satva guna be eliminated as well?’‘Increased satva guna will keep you happy. As you are happy, you will never wish to leave samsara. People wish to leave samsara because they know that they cannot be always happy.’‘Why should I increase satva guna in the first place? Why not eliminate it as well?’‘Increase in rajo and tamo gunams make your senses go astray. In order to control your senses you need satva guna which also increases devotion towards me. Bakthi further enhances satva guna.’‘Why did you give us tamo and rajo gunas in the first place if we should eliminate them?’ asked Udhavar.‘To make creation more interesting. The following ten can be subdivided into three categories based on the guna they enhance. Take the category which enhances satva guna and leave the rest.’ Item Sub division Quality enhanced Shastra Upanishads and Vedanta Satva Karma Kandam Rajas Avedic shastras Tamo Water Holy rivers, natural sources Satva Flavoured Rajas Mixed with alcohol Tamo People Bagawathas, Prapannas Satva Ritualist Rajas Against Shastras Tamo Country Solitary places dedicated to Lord's worship Satva Crowded places Rajas Gambling places Tamo Time Dawn between 4 am - 6am Satva Afternoon Rajas Night Tamo Karma Nithya karmas like sandhyavandhanam, naimithika like amavsai tarpanam Satva Kamya karma like ishti yagams Rajas Abhijara karma like senai yagam. Tamo Births With bakthi, kaimkaryam to bagawatha Satva Egoist, worship other deities Rajas Those who worship ghosts etc Tamo Meditation Upon Lord Satva Upon other deities Rajas Upon evev lower deities like village deities Tamo Manthram Upon Perumal Satva Upon other deities Rajas Upon evev lower deities like village deities Tamo Samskaram Done to uplift mind Satva Done to improve bodily functions Rajas Done to improve family life etc Tamo
‘Why did you give rajasic and tamasic shastras/karmas? Why didn’t you just give satvik shastras?’Continued On:  

Srimadh Bagawatham - Krishna’s Instruction To Udhavar Part 7

Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/09/srimadh-bagawatham-krishnas-instruction.html



'Udhava, follow the avadutar’s instructions to lead a detached life. If you practice detachment and concentrate on attaining me, at the end of your life you will reach my abode.' Said Lord Krishna.
' I will now teach you about patience. There was once a Brahmin in Avanti. He was extremely wealthy, but despite being wealthy, he was a miser. He never took any money from his savings. He had a pan shop to make money to meet everyday expenses. 
Being a miser, he lived like a sanyasi on simple food. He didn’t enjoy any kind of luxury. His wife and children were upset with him. 
‘Father, please let us buy good quality clothes to wear on our birthday,’ they begged. 
The Brahmin remained firm and never spent money. He had deposited his money to earn interest with many people who soon ran away with his money. The remaining were taken from him forcefully by his family. He had borrowed money to establish his pan shop. As he was unable to repay the loan, he took up sanyasa and left home. 
As he travelled away from home, he soon matured spiritually. He developed the art of patience. Many people mocked him. They recognized him as the Avanti Brahman.
‘Don’t give him food,’ some said. ‘He refused me food when I sought his help at noon one day. I had traveled in the hot sun as I was feeling very tired, I sought shelter in his verendah. He shooed me away without even giving me a drop of water!’ 
‘Hit him with the stick he is carrying,’ some others said. 
‘What an actor!’ said some men. ‘It’s a ploy to escape paying his creditors and to get some free food!’
 If by chance the Brahmin obtained some food, some rascal would come and spit on his food or urinate in his bowl. The Brahmin never lost his temper or uttered any thing in his defense. 
He thought ,'if I bite my cheeks by mistake, I don’t break my teeth. All these people form the body of the Lord. I see no difference between them and myself.’ 
He sang the following song over and over again. ‘Happiness or distress is not caused by people, the devas, planetary position, my efforts, or time but is caused by the mind. Giving in to either happiness or distress, people get stuck on the wheel of life – death and rebirth. The mind is affected by the material modes, called the tri guna. Each guna incites either an activity which is influenced by goodness, passion or ignorance. The status of life appears as the fruit of these activities. Paramatma never abandons me. He is ever present with me and acts as the witness of my activities. He is never affected by the material modes of nature, even while dwelling along with me in this body whereas I get entangled in them. Activities like listening about the Lord’s glories, performing charitable acts , following prescribed practices etc help in controlling the mind so that we can fix our concentration on the lotus feet of the Lord. By controlling the mind, all the senses are controlled. If the mind is not controlled, we perceive other people as friends or as foes. Such people start to think that they are the body and they give rise to false ego and possessive nature. A person who has realized that he/she is not the body is never affected by the words/deeds of other people as quarreling with others is equal to breaking ones own teeth because the teeth accidentally bit our own cheek. ’ So singing the Brahmin remained steadfast in his meditation. 
With a focused mind, he concentrated on me and attained me. Hence Udhava like the Avanti Brahmin, meditate upon me and thus control your mind.’


Perumal then instructed about the three gunas. 
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Srimadh Bagawatham - Krishna’s Instruction To Udhavar Part 6

Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2014/07/srimadh-bagawatham-krishnas-instruction.html
The Avadhuta Sanyasi continued to instruct Yadu Maharaj.A hunter traps an elephant by using a female elephant as bait. The male elephant desires to touch the female elephant and is hence trapped. We must avoid giving in to the desire of touch. A hunter similarly traps a deer by using music. We must control our sense of hearing as well. The fish on the other hand is caught when it comes to eat the bait. We should avoid falling prey to taste buds. We should eat only the right amount required to survive. Food is called “annam” in Sanskrit, which means the one which is eaten and the one which eats. If we overeat, food eats us because of which we fall sick and die. There was once a lady of the evening called Pingala. She lived in Mithila. Every evening she would stand outside her doors trying to attract customers. As no one came to her home one night, she started to feel anxious as she wouldn’t be able to earn money. ‘If only I had married, I would have a husband to share my worries, but who will want to marry me now that I have become a lady of the evening?’she thought. By morning she became detached with her life as she realized that it was futile to spend one’s energy to earn money just to sustain one’s body. ‘I am the only one living in this great city wasting time on materialistic pursuits,’ she thought. ‘Didn’t I once come to hear that the king had said that God resides inside each and every one of us. He never abandons us and sustains us from within. One of the nine relationships we share with Paramatma is that of a husband and his wife. When I have such a great husband, why should I seek the companionship of an ordinary mortal? All these years I have ignored the one who truly loves me, but no more!’ She finally realized that she should turn her love and affection towards God as He is the only true man in the Universe. Like this lady we should learn to detach ourselves from materialistic desires. A hawk found a piece of meat. Immediately it was surrounded by other stronger birds, but as soon as it let go of the meat the other birds left it alone. Like the hawk as soon as we detach ourselves from our wealth, we can be truly happy. Children never give in to dishonour or honour. They forget their humiliation easily. We should adopt their attitude. Once I met a young girl. She was at home when some people came to arrange an alliance between her and their son. As her parents were away and they were poor, the girl couldn’t find anything suitable to offer to the guests. She asked them to wait while she went to the kitchen to pound a few grains of rice so that she could make porridge with the powder. As she started to pound, her bangles started to chime rhythmically. Afraid that the guests might hear her, she removed all but two bangles from her hands. She noticed now that the noise was reduced. She decided to wear only one bangle on each hand and thus eliminated the noise completely. I learnt from her that meditation must be performed in solitude as otherwise it will only lead to idle chit chat. I learned to concentrate upon the Lord from a goldsmith. The goldsmith looks only at his mark while pounding on metal and avoids looking anywhere else. A serpent never stays in one place like that a sanyasi must never stay for more than one night in a village. As, if they stay for a long time, people will start to approach them to get predictions and if the sanyasi happens to utter something which comes true, people will start to arrive in large groups and offer money. Thus, the sanyasi will not be able to practice detachment from wealth. A wasp carries a bee or worm to its nest and keeps stinging it in the hopes of changing the other insect into a wasp. Like that if we associate ourselves with God, He will change our attitude and uplift us to His abode. Finally, I learnt from my body that it is perishable. If I don’t control it, it will pull me wayward. I learnt not to give importance to my body but to concentrate on uplifting myself the atma.’ Udhava, follow the avadutar’s instructions to lead a detached life. If you practice detachment and concentrate on attaining me, at the end of your life you will reach my abode. I will now teach you about patience. Continued On: