Swetha Sundaram's Blog, page 3

ANCIENT VEDIC WISDOM IN DISEASE PREVENTION - CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC 4

Continued From: https://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.com/2020/03/ancient-vedic-wisdom-in-disease_73.html
        Medical literature shows that a variety of viruses have been successfully treated with silver-based drugs. Efficacy against the SARS-related coronavirus, for example, maybe enhanced when nebulized Ag+ is inhaled. This should achieve a swift reduction of viral loads, especially in the early stages. Moreover, there is no known toxicity for Oligodynamic Ag+ in humans.  [Ref: Cnmo, Eric. (2009). Viral Pathogens and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome: Oligodynamic Ag+ for Direct Immune Intervention. Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. 13. 109-118. 10.1080/13590840310001594061.] A variety of viruses such as adenovirus, coronavirus, coxsackievirus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus cause upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). There are over 200 viruses that cause URTIs. Oligodynamic silver is a broadspectrum anti-viral agent that is effective against most of these viruses. Emerging medical studies confirm the virotoxic efficacy of oligodynamic silver even against viruses causing HIV and herpes. The minute quantities of metal ions work by binding to the protein contained within the cell of the microorganisms. Once the metal ions bind to the protein,  the protein is denatured resulting in the death of the microorganism.  Positively charged metal ions like copper also work by binding to the negatively charged particles of the cell membranes.  This weakens the cell membranes and kills the microorganism.  The dead microorganisms, in turn, act like zombies and kill other microorganisms near them. The small number of metal ions cause a chain reaction which wipes out an entire colony of harmful pathogens within a few hours. This was the reason water was stored in copper, silver or bronze vessels in ancient times. A study found complete inhibition of Salmonella paratyphi (causes typhoid fever), Shigella spp (diarrhoea due to shigellosis)., E. coli (MDR), E. coli, Vibrio cholerae (causes cholera) and Klebsiella (causes a variety of infections including pneumonia and meningitis)  within 4 to 48 hours when water was stored in copper, silver or bronze pots. [Ref: Shrestha, Rajani & Joshi, Dev & Gopali, Jyotsna & Piya, Sujan. (2010). Oligodynamic Action of Silver, Copper and Brass on Enteric Bacteria Isolated from Water of Kathmandu Valley. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology. 10. 10.3126/njst.v10i0.2959.]I trust our ancestors more than the pharmaceutical industry. I would rather get a dose of the heavy metal ions naturally by using traditional cutlery than inhaling vapours containing nanoparticles of these metal ions. To me, the best way to get a dose of silver and copper ions is by using silverware/bronze/copper utensils.
Continued On: https://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.com/2020/03/ancient-vedic-wisdom-in-disease_24.html

ANCIENT VEDIC WISDOM IN DISEASE PREVENTION - CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC 3

Continued From: https://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.com/2020/03/ancient-vedic-wisdom-in-disease_23.html
 

For the past few decades, our society has been brainwashed in thinking that traditional cookware is harmful to health. Many families even traded their traditional brass/bronze(vengala வெங்கலம்) and eeya ஈய (tin) vessels for shiny stainless steel vessels which were traded under the name "ever silver". Any attention drawn to the iron content in stainless steel was dismissed by the statement that the ancient people did not have any knowledge about iron alloys and that they did not have manufacturing processes in place to produce stainless steel. I request those who think that our Vedic ancestors did not know about iron alloys to take a good look at the iron pillar at Delhi. For centuries this pillar has withstood weathering effects without rusting. The corrosion-resistant pillar installed during the reign of King Chandrahupta II between 375 and 415 CE is a testament to the high level of metallurgical skills possessed by ancient ironsmiths. The chemical composition of this pillar still remains a mystery to modern-day metallurgist. So, it was not the lack of iron alloys that made our ancestors choose brass, copper, tin and silver kitchenware. They carefully selected the material for cookware to promote good health.        The ancient Vedic surgical medical text Shushrutha Samhita specifies the material of choice for surgical instruments based on the oligodynamic effect of certain metals. Oligo means a few and dynamic means force. Certain metals like copper, silver and tin release metal ions in minute quantities. This minute release of metal ions exerts a force that keeps pathogens at bay.
Continued On:https://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.com/2020/03/ancient-vedic-wisdom-in-disease_70.html

ANCIENT VEDIC WISDOM IN DISEASE PREVENTION - CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC 2

Continued From: https://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.com/2020/03/ancient-vedic-wisdom-in-disease.html
In this newsletter, I want to throw light on traditional cooking utensils which were specifically designed to kill pathogens (disease-causing organisms). My attention was drawn to the traditional cooking utensils by HH Srimath Thirukkudanthai Andavan (his Thirunakshatram is approaching. Panguni Pushyam, Apr 3rd 2020). In one of the Thiruppavai upanyasams, HH Srimath Andavan mentioned that it is prohibited by shastras to use serving spoons and cutlery which contain iron and as stainless steel cutlery contain iron, HH Srimath Thirukkudanthai Andavan advised those who could afford to use silver serving spoons and silver cutlery.            My mother also drew my attention to microorganisms in stainless steel vessels when she mentioned to me that one must not repeatedly use the same stainless steel vessel to make curd as doing so will ruin the quality of the curd. Using the same vessel to make curd results in a very smelly end product. Even when the vessel has been cleaned and dried, one must not reuse the vessel to make curd immediately.             Our ancestors used brass, copper, tin (eeyam), clay and soft stone cookware. Silver plates and Cutlery was used to serve food.  Those who couldn't afford silverware used natural biodegradable products like banana and lotus leaves.
Continued On: https://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.com/2020/03/ancient-vedic-wisdom-in-disease_73.html

ANCIENT VEDIC WISDOM IN DISEASE PREVENTION - CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC 1

 

The global spread of the novel coronavirus has affected our lives to a great extent. No one anticipated the impact of this pandemic on our day to day lives and our economy. At this time when social media posts are overflowing with advise to practice “social distancing”, I wanted to write about the ancient Vedic wisdom with regards to disease prevention. The practices of our ancestors from the choice of cookware to the practice of “namaste” to greet others was centred around the concept of disease prevention. Social distancing is a must in tropical countries like India where communicable diseases spread like wildfire, but unfortunately, this age-old practice followed by our ancestors was labelled as “untouchability” to suit the divide and rule agenda of the European colonists. Today, even those people who labelled “namaste” as primitive are promoting it as a means to stop the spread of the virus. I came across the above poster in my office in Canada. I request everyone to use this opportunity to re-introduce our age-old practice of greeting others with namaste.
Continued On: https://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.com/2020/03/ancient-vedic-wisdom-in-disease_23.html

All You Can Eat Upma A Low Glycemic Pasta Equivalent

https://youtu.be/HaXFd56AGIc

Please watch the video in the above link for a new series on healthy recipes.The recipes are from my book "The Green Banana and The Lentils Diet"
There are so many different kinds of diet but, none suitable for a South Indian vegetarian. How does any vegetarian customize a paleo diet or a high protein diet to meet their needs? Most of the food they normally eat are classified as 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 experimenting, my mom has come up with the perfect diet incorporating the powers of lentils and green bananas. She helped us to turn our attention towards traditional foods which harvest the powers of lentils and green bananas!We personally tried this diet and to our 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! My mom 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)! She ate to her heart content and yet her blood sugar level came down! The veggies prepared with lentil helped her to stay full for more than 6 hours without the need to consume the next meal! She started preparing late afternoon snacks out of green bananas and lentils. It kept us so full that we could even go without dinner! We felt energetic and our body felt lighter!I suffer from severe neck pain and muscle aches as I spend majority of my day on the computer. By staying on the above diet, my joint/muscle aches and pain evaporated!Inspired by our own personal success which was very easy to achieve, we decided to share our ideas with everyone through our book. Who said that dieting has to be hard? It is about finding the right balance to indulge our taste buds in delicious fare while achieving perfect health and a slim waistline!There are enough recipes in this book to please vegans and vegetarians. Most of the recipes are also best suited for people suffering from gluten sensitivity. I invite everyone to give this diet a try and then share their success stories.As an engineer, I am trained to analyze data and arrive at scientific solutions. In this modern age, the gap between engineering and medicine is very narrow that it is just not possible to isolate the two fields any more. The human body itself is a fantastic machine. The brain is nothing but a central control room, the nervous system is the body’s electrical system sending and receiving signal from various organs and the brain, the heart is a mechanical pump, the blood vessels are the pipes which carry fluid, like in any industrial plant we have a waste removal/treatment unit which are the kidneys and the intestine, the lungs are the pneumatic system with structural support provided by the musculoskeletal system. The sense organs are the sensors. The pipes in the industry have thermal insulation to prevent damage due to extreme weather, we have the skin and adipose tissue serving this purpose. The human body is an excellent control system with numerous alarms and feedback signals. In fact, it would be very easy to reduce the functions of the human body into a set of P&IDs (Piping and instrument diagrams). I am trained to analyze data and use a scientific approach to arrive at an optimal conclusion. This has enabled me to understand the many scientific studies conducted to study the effect of diet and nutrition on human health.However, as with any new diet and exercise program, please consult a Qualified Medical Practitioner before following the suggestions in this book.

Churning Of Milky Ocean

The churning of the milky ocean is an episode that highlights the greatness of Goddess Mahalakshmi known as Sri Peria Piratti in the Sri Vaishnava Sampradayam.  The most important function She performs for our benefit is Purushakaram. In order to perform the task of Purushakaram (recommendation).  We can rest assured when we have our recommendation because Perumal will never say “no” to Her. The churning of the milky ocean reveals His love for Her. This episode shows the love and enthusiasm with which Perumal churned the ocean to obtain Her as His consort.
Due to the curse of Sage Durvasa, the Devas lost “Lakshmi Kataksham”. Perumal agreed to help them by churning the milky ocean. Goddess Sridevi the bride of Lord Vishnu is Jaganmatah the mother of the Universe. Sridevi’s appearance as the daughter of Samudra Rajan and as the daughter of Sage Brigu are her incarnations just like the way in which Lord Vishnu incarnated as King Dasaratha’s son during Ramavataram and as the son of Vasudeva during Krishnavataram.Perumal in His eagerness to obtain Sri Peria Piratti, took many different forms and helped the Devas and the Asuras churn the milky-ocean. When He churned the milky ocean, He took many different forms with many different colours. 
He took the form of a tortoise and supported Mount Mandhara on His back. At the same time, He also appeared on top of Lord Garuda and pushed down on the peak of Mount Mandara and prevented the mountain from slipping. He was also present in sayana thirukolam on Ksheerabhdhi witnessing the churning of the milky ocean. Other than the above three forms, He took two more forms to stay by the Devas and Asuras and continuously encouraged them and increased their enthusiasm. Above all, He as the antaryami of the Devas and Asuras gave them power to churn the milky-ocean. Outwardly it looked as if the Devas and the Asuras churned the ocean , but in reality , it was Lord Vishnu who as the antaryami of the Devas churned the ocean. To indicate Perumal as the antaryami of the Devas and Asuras, I have sketched the divine face of Lord Jagannatha next to each Deva and Asura. 
The Yoga Narasimha image on the top left-hand corner of the sketch indicates that all the time while He was churning the ocean, He was meditating on Goddess Mahalakshmi (See image of Sri Ranga Nachiar on the top left-hand corner). He put in a great effort and retrieved the wealth from the ocean which He gave to the Devas and the Asuras. He gave them the “elixir” which was only a decoy because the real elixir that He sought was Goddess Mahalakshmi. He gave the Devas the ordinary “elixir” and took the பெண் அமுது for Himself! 
If Perumal is Ishwaran, Goddess Mahalakshmi is Ishwara. The Vedic Verses address Goddess Mahalakshmi as Ishwara and not as Ishwari. By addressing Her as Ishwara, the verses establish Her Supremacy. When someone is addressed as Ishwari, it means she is the first lady; she is Ishwari because her husband is the president. On the other hand, addressing someone as Ishwara is akin to addressing a lady as “Madame President”.
Sri Thirumazhsai Azhwar in his Naanmuganthiruvandadhi has said ,’those deities who are not with Goddess Sri are not the Supreme; hence worship only the one who is the husband of Goddess Mahalakshmi, worship only the one who is Srinivasan because He is the abode of Goddess Mahalakshmi ( திருவில்லாத் தேவரைத் தேறேல்மீன் தேவு)’ It is Goddess Mahalakshmi who gives identity to Perumal as the Supreme Personality.
Those who wish to perform prapatti seek recommendation from Goddess Mahalakshmi. She is praised as the one who has three aakarams; upayakaram, upeyakaram and purushakaram.  She along with Lord Sriman Narayanan.
UpAya AakAram  - The Supreme Fruit of moksham can be attained only by their combined blessings. Hence, Goddess Mahalakshmi with Lord Srinivasan together are our means to attain moksham. When Lord Krishna said “maam ekam saranam vraja”, by “maam”, He referred to both Him and Piratti. As GoddessMahalakshmi is never away from Him, “maam” also includes Her. Therefore we must perform saranagathi at the lotus feet of both Piratti and Perumal.
PurushakAra AakAram (Recommendation) –When we perform saranagathi, She represents our case to Perumal. At first Perumal doesn’t wish to erase our karma as we have accumulated sins over many births by transgressing the Shastras. but, our compassionate mother Goddess Mahalakshmi,  makes Him understand that while it is our nature to commit misdeeds, it is His nature to forgive. She wins His heart with Her arguments and makes Him bless us.
upEya AakAram and (fruit obtained). Goddess Mahalakshmi together with Lord Srinivasan is the Supreme fruit. When we reach Paramapatham, we perform Nithya Kaimkaryam to both Perumal and Piratti.
The most important function She performs for our benefit is Purushakaram. In order to perform the task of Purushakaram (recommendation).  We can rest assured when we have our recommendation because Perumal will never say “no” to Her. The churning of the milky ocean reveals His love for Her. This episode shows the love and enthusiasm with which Perumal churned the ocean to obtain Her as His consort.

Prahalada Charitram As narrated In Vishnu Puranam 5

Prahalada Charitram As narrated In Vishnu Puranam  5– By Swetha Sundaram[image error]
Continued From : https://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.com/2019/11/prahalada-charitram-as-narrated-in_11.html The day of the peace negotiations dawned and Lord Krishna arrived. As soon as Lord Krishna entered the court, Duryodhana stood up and as a result, all the other elders stood up to receive Lord Krishna with due respect. Duryodhana never realised that he was standing up. He only noticed the others standing up to receive Perumal. After retiring to their private quarters he expressed his annoyance that the others had stood up to receive Lord Krishna. Bhishmacharya reminded Duryodhana that they had agreed to follow the actions of Duryodhana and since Duryodhana stood up with respect, the others followed him. Duryodhana was bewildered that he had been the first one to stand up and receive Lord Krishna with respect. As Perumal is also present in the heart of Duryodhana, He had caused Duryodana to stand-up. Thus the Perumal’s will is the driving force for our activities.Bhishmacharyar turned to Vidura. ‘Didn’t I tell you number 3 will solve the problem?’‘Please explain what is meant by number 3?’ Asked Vidura.‘The first three names in Vishnu Sahasranama sloka are “Visvam, Vishnu, and Vashatkara’. Number 3 is the third name ‘Vashatkara’ in the list. This name reveals the Lord as the antaryami and the inner controller of all. From within He controls people to do or not do certain acts. It was Lord Narayana who from within Duryodhana had made Duryodhana stand up and welcome Him with respect.’Adi Sankaracharyar had provided the explanation of ‘Vashatkara’ by explaining that when ghee is poured into the sacred fire during Yagams, the word ‘Vashat’ is pronounced. Adi Sankaracharyar hence explained the name ‘Vashatkara’ by explaining that the word ‘Vashat’ pronounced while performing Yagams refers to Perumal.Swami Parasarar Bhattar, on the other hand, explained that ‘Vashatkara’ means the ‘inner controller’ in his commentaries on Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Slokams. Swami Parasara Bhattar used Sanskrit Grammer to explain the meaning of the name ‘Vashatkara’.hiraṇyakaśipur uvācakoyaṃ viṣṇuḥ sudurbuddhe yaṃ bravīṣi punaḥ punaḥ /jagatāmīśvarasyeha purataḥ prasabha mama // ViP_1,17.21 //‘Who is this Vishnu you keep speaking about?’ Asked Hiranyakashipu.prahlāda uvācana śabdagocare yasya yogidhyeyaṃ paraṃ padam /yato yaś ca svayaṃ viśvaṃ sa viṣṇuḥ parameśvaraḥ // ViP_1,17.22 //
‘He is Parameshwara the Supreme Being!’The Sri Vaishnavas while performing Sandhyavandhanam utter that they are performing the rite to please Lord Narayana. The smarthas utter that they are performing the rite to perform ‘Parameshwara’. Many people mistakenly believe that ‘Parameshwara’ is the name for Lord Siva. The name ‘Parameshwara’ means Supreme Being and is the name of Lord Vishnu. 
Continued On: 

Animation of Pasuram 67 from Moondram Thiruvanthathi by Sri Pey Azhwar

Animation of Pasuram 67 from Moondram Thiruvanthathi by Sri Pey Azhwar
Visit the following link after reading this post: https://youtu.be/Pp3G1RIsjCM
One day, Sri Peyazhwar visited Perumal at His temple. Azhwar couldn’t take his eyes away from Perumal’s navel.
‘Azhwar,’ called Perumal. ‘Why do you keep gazing at my navel? Why won’t you look at my face?’
‘I am amazed!’ said Payazhwar. ‘I am captivated by the lotus in your navel. I am trying to find if there is a switching circuit somewhere because one moment the lottus blossoms and the next moment it closes its bud. It keeps repeating this cycle and its amazing to look at this lotus which opens and closes its bud repeatedly!’ said Azhwar. ‘Aha! ‘ he said, ‘I have found the switching circuit! The Sudarsana Chakram and the Panchajanyam in your hands are causing the lotus to open and close its bud in a cyclic manner! One moment, the lotus looks at the effulgent Sudarsana Chakram in your right hand and thinks that the Sun has risen; immediately, the lotus blossoms but, the next second it looks at the cool Panchajanyam in your left hand and thinking that the moon has risen, it closes its bud! ‘
ஆங்கு மலரும் குவியுமால் உந்திவாய்
ஒங்கு கமலத்தின் ஒன் பொது ஆங்கைத்
திகிரி சுடர் என்றும் வெண் சங்கம் வானில்
பகரு மதி என்றும் பார்த்து

Animation of Pasuram 67 Moondraam Thiruvanthadhi

Krishna The Butter Bandit Vol1 - Audio Book

After a long time, finally found some time to create an audiobook of Krishna The Butter bandit.
Please visit youtube https://youtu.be/8JwMyzZ1QiA for readings of chapters from the book Krishna The Butter Bandit.