INCREDIBLE INDIA !! [BLOG #1]

ARASAVALLI SUN TEMPLE

Arasavalli Sun Temple is a temple for Lord Surya, the solar deity, at Arasavalli in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Arasavalli Village 1 km east of Srikakulam. It is believed that the temple was built in 7th century CE by King Devendra Varma, a great ruler of Eastern Ganga Dynasty of Kalinga . The present structure is largely a result of 18th century renovations. The temple was built in Rekha deula style of Kalinga Architecture like Puri Jagannath temple of Odisha. This temple is considered one of the oldest sun temples in India.[citation needed] The temple is one of the two major (remaining out of three, as the third temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri) temples who worship Lord Surya in India. The other two are the Konark Sun Temple, Odisha and Martand Sun Temple, Jammu and Kashmir (union territory).

According to Padmapuranam, Sage Kasyapa installed the Idol of Surya at Arasavalli for the welfare of mankind. The Surya is of Kasyapasa Gotra. He is also termed a planetary King.

The walls are inscribed saying the creator of the temple was the ruler Devendra Varma, stating it was built in the time period known to them as the 7th century. The walls also state the temple was fixed and changed to help with some of the sun temple’s major flaws during the 18th and 19th century. Many of these changes were donated by the Dusi family.[citation needed] The temple fell into despair over the centuries and was reconstructed in 1778 CE by Elamanchili Pullaji Panthulu. Over the years the Sun temple was a landmark for many of the festivals celebrated in the town. Including festival Rathasaptami.

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The Bhagavad Gita Talks 44

The Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate book of knowledge and is duly recognized as such throughout the world. Its wisdom transcends the limits of time and space. I publish daily one message from the book which can be related to our daily life titled: Thought4TheDay
These are widely read and highly appreciated by my connections on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook and followers on twitter totally about 27000 people. As recommended by some friends, I am posting the same here. You may ask questions and/or post your comments which be appreciated. Hope you will find the initiative very rewarding.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 16, 2017)
LAO TZU
Mother of All Things
The universe had a beginning
Called the Mother of All Things.
Once you have found the Mother
You can know her children.
Having known the children.
Hold tightly to the Mother.
Your whole life will be preserved from peril.
Open up the openings,
Multiply your affairs,
Your whole life will become a burden.
Those who see the small are called clear-headed;
Those who hold to gentleness are called strong.
Use the light.
Come home to your true nature.
Don’t cause yourself injury:
This is known as seizing truth.
The stress today is due to people seeing big only and loosing the sight. Mother will never wish that for her children. World is what it is. Ups and downs are intertwined in life. Realistic goals will help to see small, maintain gentleness, and remain in control. And that is your true strength. The Bhagavad Gita also teaches the same among so many other things.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 15, 2017)
THE CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD
The City of Brahman
In the city of Brahman is a secret dwelling, the lotus of the heart. Within this dwelling is a space, and within that space is the fulfillment of our desires. What is within that space should be longed for and realized.
As great as the infinite space infinite space beyond is the space within the lotus of the heart. Both heaven and earth are contained in that inner space, fire and air, sun and moon, lightning and stars. Whether we know it in this world or know it not, everything is contained in that inner space.
Never fear that old age will invade that city; never fear that this inner treasure of all reality will wither and decay. This knows no age when the body ages; this knows no dying when the body dies. This is the real city of Brahman; this is the self, free from old age, from death and grief, hunger and thirst. In the self all desires are fulfilled.
 Life is a beautiful gift. Once we respect it, we find peace. Since at any time one has to perform his/her duty, there is no time that we will ever feel that life is drudgery. So always be positive!
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The Bhagavad Gita Talks 43

The Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate book of knowledge and is duly recognized as such throughout the world. Its wisdom transcends the limits of time and space. I publish daily one message from the book which can be related to our daily life titled: Thought4TheDay
These are widely read and highly appreciated by my connections on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook and followers on twitter totally about 27000 people. As recommended by some friends, I am posting the same here. You may ask questions and/or post your comments which be appreciated. Hope you will find the initiative very rewarding.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 14, 2017)
A SONG OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA
Dwell, O Mind, Within Yourself
Dwell, O mind, within yourself;
Enter no other’s home.
If you but seek there, you will find
All you are searching for.
God, the true Philosopher’s Stone,
Who answers every prayer,
Lies hidden deep within your heart,
The richest gem of all.
How many pearls and precious stones
Are scattered all about
The outer court that lies before
The chamber of your heart!
One of the greatest saints of all times. His teaching touched Swami Vivekanda’s heart and made him what he was-a soul to be revered at all times to come.
The Bhagavad Gita was the guide both for the teacher and the taught.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 13, 2017)
From:
THE ISHA UPANISHAD
Those who see all creatures in themselves
And themselves in all creatures know no fear.
Those who see all creatures in themselves
And themselves in all creatures know no grief.
How can the multiplicity of life
Delude the one who sees its unity?
The self is everywhere. Bright is the self,
Indivisible, untouched by sin, wise,
Immanent and transcendent. He it is
Who holds the cosmos together.
In dark night live those
For whom the world without alone is real;
In night darker still, for whom the world within
Alone is real. The first leads to a life
Of action, the second of meditation.
But those who combine action with meditation
Go across the sea of death through action
And enter into immortality
Though the practice of meditation.
So have we heard from the wise.
The Bhagavad Gita teaches the core thought The Isha Upnishad with the help of a simple dialogue between the teacher and the taught.
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The Bhagavad Gita Talks 42

The Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate book of knowledge and is duly recognized as such throughout the world. Its wisdom transcends the limits of time and space. I publish daily one message from the book which can be related to our daily life titled: Thought4TheDay
These are widely read and highly appreciated by my connections on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook and followers on twitter totally about 27000 people. As recommended by some friends, I am posting the same here. You may ask questions and/or post your comments which be appreciated. Hope you will find the initiative very rewarding.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 12, 2017)
RUMI
A Garden beyond Paradise
Everything you see has its roots
in the Unseen world.
The forms may change,
yet the essence remains the same.
Every wondrous sight will vanish,
Every sweet word will fade.
But do not be disheartened,
The Source they come from is eternal-
Growing, branching out,
Giving new life and new joy.
The Source is full,
Its waters are ever-flowing;
Do not grieve,
Drink your fill!
Don’t think it will ever run dry-
This is the endless Ocean!
The presence of Almighty in all things is a good cause for human optimism. Unflinching faith and carrying on one’s duty is the only salvation. It gives us the best reason to celebrate life!

Thuoght4TheDay (Dec. 11, 2017)
CHIEF YELLOW LARK
Let Me Walk in Beauty
O Great Spirit,
whose voice I hear in the winds
and whose breath gives life to all the world,
hear me.
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty
and let my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
and my ears grow sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand the things
you have taught my people.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden
in every leaf and rock.
I seek strength not to be greater than my brother or sister
but to fight my greater enemy, myself.
Make me always ready
to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes
So when life fades as the fading sunset
my spirit may come to you without shame.
Your biggest enemy is within; not other people, but you, your own self. It assumes various forms: poor habits, which hinder progress; negative emotions, which make life miserable and low self-esteem due to which you rate yourself inferior to others. We don’t respect ourselves. How would others respect us in this situation? All we need to do is to identify these demons before we set out to find a remedy. Like all significant achievements, it’s not easy and yet with consistent efforts and patience success is realized. In the complicated life we have today, role of a mentor cannot and should not be undermined. Let each one of us find a mentor, not necessarily a Guru.
Please share this post with your friends for greater awareness, should you like it. Thanks.

The Bhagavad Gita Talks 41

The Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate book of knowledge and is duly recognized as such throughout the world. Its wisdom transcends the limits of time and space. I publish daily one message from the book which can be related to our daily life titled: Thought4TheDay
These are widely read and highly appreciated by my connections on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook and followers on twitter totally about 27000 people. As recommended by some friends, I am posting the same here. You may ask questions and/or post your comments which be appreciated. Hope you will find the initiative very rewarding.

Thuoght4TheDay (Dec. 9, 2017)
Wisdom is not the prerogative of the highly qualified or the well-known. Ravidas was a cobbler, yet his understanding of life speaks loudly through his words. The most important aspect of an individual’s life is his/her ability to contemplate on any subject, make a considered opinion and express. Expression requires both a strong desire to communicate and develop a coordination between the mind and speech. Yet, ‘many a flowers bloom unseen till these wither away’.
It’s for our society to create as many opportunities for the ‘budding flowers, to be recognized as possible.
Following are the words of Ravidas.
“Grieve Not is the name of my town.
Pain and fear cannot enter there,
Free from possessions, free from life’s taxes,
Free from fear of disease and death.
After much wandering I am come back home
Where turns not the wheel of time and change,
And my Emperor rules, without a second or third,
In Abadan, filled with love and wisdom.
The citizens are rich in the wealth of the heart,
And they live ever free in the City of God.
Listen to Ravidas, just a cobbler:
“All who live here are my true friends.”

Thuoght4TheDay (Dec. 8, 2017)
LAO TZU
Break into the peace within,
Hold attention in stillness,
And in the world outside
You will ably master the ten thousand things.
Knowing who you are, you will find the constant.
Those who lack harmony with the constant, court danger,
But those who have it, gain new vision.
They act with compassion;
Within themselves, they can find room for everything.
Having room, they rule themselves and lead others wisely.
Being wise, they live in accordance
With the nature of things.
Emptied of self and one with nature,
They become filled with the Tao.
The Tao endures forever.
For those who have attained harmony with the Tao
Will never lose it,
Even if their bodies die.
Tao gives humanity a great philosophy of life. Follower does good things, but he does not claim that ‘he has done it’. The core principle of Tao is acceptance without judgment. Doing ‘good’ is its own reward. Tao is like a low water. Tao is nature; the way all that behave. Nothing can live without each other.
In short, Tao is total interdependence on each other. The more liberty you give the better order you’ll have. Four basic principles need to be followed to have a happy life. These are:
i) Gentleness
ii) Natural sincerity
iii) Reverence for all life
iv) Supportiveness
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The Bhagavad Gita Talks 40

The Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate book of knowledge and is duly recognized as such throughout the world. Its wisdom transcends the limits of time and space. I publish daily one message from the book which can be related to our daily life titled: Thought4TheDay
These are widely read and highly appreciated by my connections on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook and followers on twitter totally about 27000 people. As recommended by some friends, I am posting the same here. You may ask questions and/or post your comments which be appreciated. Hope you will find the initiative very rewarding.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 7, 2017)
THE SHVETASHVATARA UPANISHAD
May the Lord of Love, who projects himself
Into the universe of myriad forms
Through maya, from whom all beings come,
To whom all beings finally return,
May he grant us grace of wisdom.
He is the fire and the sun, and the moon
And the stars. He is the air and the sea,
And the creator Prajapati.
He is this boy, he is that girl; he is
This man, he is that woman, and he is
This old man, too, tottering on his staff.
His face is seen everywhere.
He is this blue bird, he is the green bird
With red eyes; he is the thundercloud, and
He is the seasons and the seas; he has
No beginning, he has no end. He is
The source from whom all the worlds evolve.
In this event, our learning from the above passage need to be:
Comparison is odious. We must not harbor any envy, jealousy, enmity with anyone else. Because this is the root cause of our dissatisfaction with life, our unhappiness! Peace can never come unless we cease to compare ourselves with others.  All beings are His different forms. We need to accept; we need to respect. Nevertheless, it should, in no way, stop our pursuit of excellence. Personal development and ability to forge ahead than others is nothing less than a service to humanity, and therefore, a service to the Lord Almighty.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 6, 2017)
This is the teaching of Uddalaka to Shvetaketu, his son:
As by knowing one lump of clay, dear one,
We come to know all things made out of clay –
That they differ only in name and form,
While the stuff of which all are made is clay;
As by knowing one gold nugget, dear one,
We come to know all things made out of gold –
That they differ only in name and form,
While the stuff of which all are made is gold;
As by knowing one tool of iron, dear one,
We come to know all things made out of iron –
That they differ only in name and form,
While the stuff of which all are made is iron –
So through spiritual wisdom, dear one,
We come to know that all of life is one.
In the beginning was only Being,
One without a second,
Out of himself he brought forth the cosmos,
And entered into everything, in it.
Why Have any Ego? Yet Move Forward Every Moment. That Is Your Duty!
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The Bhagavad Gita Talks 39

The Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate book of knowledge and is duly recognized as such throughout the world. Its wisdom transcends the limits of time and space. I publish daily one message from the book which can be related to our daily life titled: Thought4TheDay
These are widely read and highly appreciated by my connections on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook and followers on twitter totally about 27000 people. As recommended by some friends, I am posting the same here. You may ask questions and/or post your comments which be appreciated. Hope you will find the initiative very rewarding.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 5, 2017)
Self-defeating Ego
The most potent hidden enemy of anyone is ego. It is subtle, rarely recognized, never accepted. Yet, this capricious ego scuttles our efforts to stay on the road-map to achieve our goals, time & again. The passage below explicitly explains the main characteristic of ego. The passage is taken from The Katha Upanishad.
In the secret cave of the heart, two are
Seated by life’s fountain. The separate ego
Drinks of the sweet and bitter stuff,
Liking the sweet, disliking the bitter,
While the supreme self drinks sweet and bitter
Neither liking this nor disliking that.
The ego gropes in darkness, while the self
Lives in light. So declare the illumined sages,
And the householders who worship
The sacred fire in the name of the Lord.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 4, 2017)
THE KATHA UPANISHAD
Perennial Joy
THE KING OF DEATH
The joy of the spirit ever abides,
But not what seems pleasant to the senses.
Both these, differing in their purpose, prompt us
To action. All is well for those who choose
The joy of the spirit, but they miss
The goal of life who prefer the pleasant.
Perennial joy or passing pleasure?
This is the choice one is to make always.
The wise recognize this, but not
The ignorant. The first welcome what leads to joy
Abiding, ever though painful at the time.
The latter run, goaded by their senses,
After what seems immediate pleasure.
Well have you renounced these passing pleasures
So dear to the senses, Nachiketa,
And turned your back on the way of the world
Which makes mankind forget the goal of life?
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The Bhagavad Gita Talks 38

The Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate book of knowledge and is duly recognized as such throughout the world. Its wisdom transcends the limits of time and space. I publish daily one message from the book which can be related to our daily life titled: Thought4TheDay
These are widely read and highly appreciated by my connections on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook and followers on twitter totally about 27000 people. As recommended by some friends, I am posting the same here. You may ask questions and/or post your comments which be appreciated. Hope you will find the initiative very rewarding.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 3, 2017)
THE ISHA UPANISHAD
The Inner Ruler
The Lord is enshrined in the hearts of all.
The Lord is the supreme reality.
Rejoice in him through renunciation.
Covet nothing. All belongs to the Lord.
Thus working may you live a hundred years.
Thus alone can you work in full freedom.
Those who deny the self are born again
Blind to the self, enveloped in darkness,
Utterly devoid of love for the Lord.
The self is one. Ever still, the self is
Swifter than thought, swifter than the senses.
Though motionless, he outruns all pursuit.
Without the self, never could life exist.
The self seems to move, but is ever still.
He seems far away, but is ever still.
He is within all, and he transcends all.
Lord yourself self is nothing but Almighty himself!

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 2, 2017)
Reflections by the great saint- KABIR
The unstruck Bells & Drums
The Lord is in me, the Lord is in you,
as life is there in every seed.
O servant! Put false pride away
And seek for him within you.
A million suns are ablaze with light,
The sea of blue spreads in the sky,
The fever of life is stilled, and all stains
are washed away
When I sit in the midst of that world,
Hark to the unstruck bells and drums!
Take your delight in love!
Rains pour down without water,
and the rivers are streams of light.
One love it is that pervades the whole world;
few there are who know it fully:
They are blind who hope to see it by the light of reason,
that reason which is the cause of separation –
The house of reason is very far away!
Transcendental wisdom by saint rare to find today!
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The Bhagavad Gita Talks 37

The Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate book of knowledge and is duly recognized as such throughout the world. Its wisdom transcends the limits of time and space. I publish daily one message from the book which can be related to our daily life titled: Thought4TheDay
These are widely read and highly appreciated by my connections on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook and followers on twitter totally about 27000 people. As recommended by some friends, I am posting the same here. You may ask questions and/or post your comments which be appreciated. Hope you will find the initiative very rewarding.

Thought4TheDay (Dec. 1, 2017)
LAO TZU
Those who know do not speak;
Those who speak do not know.
Stop up the openings,
Close down the doors,
Rub off the sharp edges.
Unravel all confusion.
Harmonize the light,
Give up contention:
This is called finding the unity of life.
When love and hatred cannot affect you,
Profit and loss cannot touch you,
Praise and blame cannot ruffle you,
You are honored by the entire world.
In The Bhagavad Gita, these are the qualities of the ‘Sthir Budhi Purush’, explained in different language, which according to me, is easier to understand, more effective and comprehensive.

Thought4TheDay (Nov. 30, 2017)
THE RIC VEDA
United in Heart
May we be united in heart.
May we be united in speech.
May we be united in mind.
May we perform our duties
As did the wise of old.
 
May we be united in our prayer.
May we be united in our goal.
May we be united in our resolve.
May we be united in our understanding.
May we be united in our offerings.
May we be united in our feelings.
May we be united in our hearts.
May we be united in our thoughts.
May there be perfect unity amongst us.
Please share this post with your friends for greater awareness, should you like it. Thanks.

The Bhagavad Gita Talks 36

The Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate book of knowledge and is duly recognized as such throughout the world. Its wisdom transcends the limits of time and space. I publish daily one message from the book which can be related to our daily life titled: Thought4TheDay
These are widely read and highly appreciated by my connections on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook and followers on twitter totally about 27000 people. As recommended by some friends, I am posting the same here. You may ask questions and/or post your comments which be appreciated. Hope you will find the initiative very rewarding.

Thought4TheDay (Nov. 25, 2017)
Lord Krishna refers to many gods who are worshiped by people for their different wishes or goals. He further says that the devotee who worship concentrating on what they want achieve the same by the grace of the god they worship. The question of many gods has been creating many doubts in the minds of many. However, these doubts are highly misplaced and betray gross ignorance. As has been repeated in The Bhagavad Gita, Lord Almighty is omnipresent. He is present everywhere and in everyone. Thus His presence empowers gods who are also His creations. In Hindu traditions if an individual wants wealth, he worships Goddess Lakshmi. If he wants power, he would invoke the grace of Goddess Durga. Likewise for the other human desires.
Popular authors and philosophers the world over profess that you can achieve anything that you may strongly desire. In fact the strength of these desires make us take such actions consistently that the desired objectives are achieved. When we invoke the benevolence of celestial forces our efforts are further strengthened. We achieve wealth, power, reputation or knowledge with our sweat and perseverance for which we receive power through our worship.
Thought4TheDay (Nov. 24, 2017)
In a way The Bhagavad Gita represents the dictum, ‘Faith Conquers All’. But if we look around in the world today, we observe that faith and trust have become rare commodities. In fact, we observe that it is not for no reason that the situation is what it is.
Can students have faith in the education system? Can they trust teachers? Can bankers trust the borrowers? Conversely, can entrepreneurs trust that the bankers will fund the valid enterprise purely on merits without some personal interest? People have lost faith in their chosen representatives. Are they to be blamed for that?
Are doctors pursing ‘the noble profession’ and living up to the trust that patients are compelled to have in their ‘nobility’? And what about  hospitals? And what about their fat bills?
Please share this post with your friends for greater awareness, should you like it. Thanks.

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