Glimpses from Indian spirituality, mythology and way of life.

Sri Vallabhacharya

In earlier episodes, I have presented three chapters from my book titled ‘Great Saints of India’.

This is the fourth chapter of the book dealing with Sri Vallabhacharya.

Link for book

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZB809A

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520412738

https://www.draft2digital.com/book/739855

Link for audio book

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/great-saints-of-india-4

https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/VENKATARAMAN_M_Great_Saints_of_India?id=AQAAAEC8-xe7uM

https://shop.authors-direct.com/products/great-saints-of-india

https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/great-saints-of-india-by-venkataraman-m

https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/537763163/Great-Saints-of-India

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/id1593857836

https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/1060319/Great-Saints-of-India

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781667080727

https://www.audible.com/pd/Great-Saints-of-India-Audiobook/B09MSPFHKL

This is a story based on Hindu mythology and is a mixture of facts and fiction. Yathni is a little girl studying in Fifth Grade and she is a devotee of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha takes her on an excursion to the legendary mountain of Kailash. How was this excursion, what are the things which she saw and how was her meeting with Lord Shiva. These are the things covered in the story.

The main book titled ‘Yathni’s Travel to Kailash’ was published in the year 2012. While giving a number of anecdotes from Hindu mythology, the story takes one to the North Pole, the Moon and the outer space and beyond. In this process matters of educational interest like climate change, bio-diversity, space science etc have been dealt with. These are given with colourful illustrations. Subsequently, an abridged edition was published in the year 2020. An audio book has also been published.

This is the ninth episode of the story from the audio book. The earlier episodes had been published as follows:

First episode - 5th August 21.

Second episode -3rd September 21

Third episode -15th September 21

Fourth episode -22nd October 21

Fifth episode -16th November 21

Sixth episode – 24th December 21

Seventh episode – 10th January 22

Eighth episode-11th February 22

Links to the audio book.

https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/VENKATARAMAN_M_Yathni_s_Travel_to_Kailash_Abridged?id=AQAAAEBcbkUuCM

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/yathni-s-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition

https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/488592948/Yathni-s-Travel-to-Kailash-Abridged-Edition

https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/yathni-s-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition-by-venkataraman-m

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/id1545571778

https://bingebooks.com/book/yathni-s-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition

https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/1026141/Yathni-s-Travel-to-Kailash-Abridged-Edition

https://shop.authors-direct.com/products/yathnis-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition

https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/yathnis-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition/527676

Link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092QR9HF3

Sri Madhavacharya

In earlier episodes, I have presented two chapters from my book titled ‘Great Saints of India’.

This is the third chapter of the book dealing with Sri Madhavacharya.

Link for book

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZB809A

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520412738

Link for audio book

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/great-saints-of-india-4

https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/VENKATARAMAN_M_Great_Saints_of_India?id=AQAAAEC8-xe7uM

https://shop.authors-direct.com/products/great-saints-of-india

https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/great-saints-of-india-by-venkataraman-m

https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/537763163/Great-Saints-of-India

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/id1593857836

https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/1060319/Great-Saints-of-India

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781667080727

https://www.audible.com/pd/Great-Saints-of-India-Audiobook/B09MSPFHKL

Ardhanariswara Stotram

This is a beautiful hymn composed by Adi Sankara offering salutations to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi in the form of Ardhanariswara. Ardhanariswara is a form of Shiva combined with his consort Parvathi. Literally, it means half female deity. The form of Shiva here is depicted as half-male and half-female, equally split down vertically in the middle. The right half is generally that of Shiva, and the left that of Parvathi. The form is stated to represent the synthesis of Purusha and Prakrti. It represents the synthesis of Matter and Spirit or the masculine and feminine energies of the universe and illustrates how Shakti is inseparable from Shiva. In the hymn, the word Shiva represents both Shiva and Parvathi. ‘Shivayai’ is feminine representing Parvathi and ‘Shivaya’ is masculine representing Shiva.

In this hymn Adi Sankara picturises this form.

The phalasruti says that those who chant or hear this Stotram with devotion will be blessed with long respectful life, fulfilment of all desires and will obtain all auspicious things for eternity.

I have also brought about an audio book titled ‘A few hymns on Lord Shiva’ which you may like to hear. It is available with leading audio book-sellers like Google’s play books.

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/few-hymns-on-lord-shiva-a

https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/VENKATARAMAN_M_A_few_hymns_on_Lord_Shiva?id=AQAAAEAcdhw2EM

https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/474406294/A-few-hymns-on-Lord-Shiva

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/id1529867083

https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/a-few-hymns-on-lord-shiva-by-venkataraman-m

https://www.hibooks.com/discover/audiobook/few-hymns-on-lord-shiva-a

https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/few-hymns-on-lord-shiva/455949

https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/1020415/A-few-hymns-on-Lord-Shiva

https://shop.authors-direct.com/products/a-few-hymns-on-lord-shiva

Subrahmanya Bhujangam

This is a hymn composed and sung by Adi Sankara at a place called Tiruchendur in Tamilnadu. Lord Subrahmanya, the second son of Lord Shiva is well known by the name of Murugan in Tamilnadu. Tiruchendur is a seacoast in the south eastern part of the state and there is a beautiful temple there for Lord Murugan. It is said that it was in this place that Lord Murugan annihilated the demon Surapadman.

It is said that when Adi Sankara visited this shrine of Lord Murugan in Tiruchendur and meditated on the deity, he became aware of a self-luminous light shining in his heart and this hymn came out spontaneously from his mouth in a rhythmic structure known as the bhujanga metre.

After praising Lord Murugan with various forms of worship, in the phalasruti, Adi Sankara says that persons who recite or hear this hymn with deep devotion and reverence will get good spouse and children, wealth and long life. Finally, those persons will obtain salvation.

This is a story based on Hindu mythology and is a mixture of facts and fiction. Yathni is a little girl studying in Fifth Grade and she is a devotee of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha takes her on an excursion to the legendary mountain of Kailash. How was this excursion, what are the things which she saw and how was her meeting with Lord Shiva. These are the things covered in the story.

The main book titled ‘Yathni’s Travel to Kailash’ was published in the year 2012. While giving a number of anecdotes from Hindu mythology, the story takes one to the North Pole, the Moon and the outer space and beyond. In this process matters of educational interest like climate change, bio-diversity, space science etc have been dealt with. These are given with colourful illustrations. Subsequently, an abridged edition was published in the year 2020. An audio book has also been published.

This is the eighth episode of the story from the audio book. The earlier episodes had been published as follows:

First episode - 5th August 21.

Second episode -3rd September 21

Third episode -15th September 21

Fourth episode -22nd October 21

Fifth episode -16th November 21

Sixth episode – 24th December 21

Seventh episode – 10th January 22

Links to the audio book.

https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/VENKATARAMAN_M_Yathni_s_Travel_to_Kailash_Abridged?id=AQAAAEBcbkUuCM

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/yathni-s-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition

https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/488592948/Yathni-s-Travel-to-Kailash-Abridged-Edition

https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/yathni-s-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition-by-venkataraman-m

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/id1545571778

https://bingebooks.com/book/yathni-s-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition

https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/1026141/Yathni-s-Travel-to-Kailash-Abridged-Edition

https://shop.authors-direct.com/products/yathnis-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition

https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/yathnis-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition/527676

Link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092QR9HF3

Saints

Saints are the great souls who have devoted their life, energy and experience for the welfare of the people. India has been blessed from time immemorial by the advent of innumerable saints like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swamy Vivekananda and Goswamy Tulsi Das. I have published a book on nineteen such great Saints along with an audio version of that book. I am presenting them here in a series of nineteen episodes. I have earlier presented the first one on Adi Sankara. This one is on Sri Ramanujacharya.

Links for books

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZB809A

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520412738

Links for audio books

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/great-saints-of-india-4

https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/VENKATARAMAN_M_Great_Saints_of_India?id=AQAAAEC8-xe7uM

https://shop.authors-direct.com/products/great-saints-of-india

https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/great-saints-of-india-by-venkataraman-m

https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/537763163/Great-Saints-of-India

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/id1593857836

https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/1060319/Great-Saints-of-India

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781667080727

https://www.audible.com/pd/Great-Saints-of-India-Audiobook/B09MSPFHKL

Dasasloki of Adi Sankara

The essence of the Advaita doctrine of Adi Sankara is contained in these ten verses. It is said that Adi Sankara composed this at the time when he approached his Guru, Sage Govindabhagawat pada.

Faced with the need of seeking a competent guru who can regularise him into the Sanyasa Ashrama, Sankara approaches Govindabhagawat Pada who was in deep meditation in a cave on the banks of the Narmada. When Sankara expressed his desire to become his disciple, Govindabhagawat Pada asked Sankara as to who he was. Then in reply, Sankara burst out these ten verses. And Govindabhagawat Pada realised that accepting Sankara as his disciple is a formality which he had to fulfil as Sankara had come to him for initiation only to conform to the normal method of entering the Sannyasa Order.

The gist of these verses is that negating so many things, Sankara says that he is the pure Atman devoid of the limiting adjuncts in the form of the body, mind and organs.

Saints are the great souls who have devoted their life, energy and experience for the welfare of the people. They are extraordinary human beings having great wisdom, vast experience and character worthy of imitation. They gifted everything to the world without seeking fame or any kind of gain. Welfare of the world was their sole objective.

India has been blessed from time immemorial by the advent of innumerable saints. This includes saints like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swamy Vivekananda and Goswamy Tulsi Das. Swamy Rama Tirtha for example was one, who had taken the Advaita Vedanta to foreign shores like Swamy Vivekananda. He was also a poet, not only in English but also in Urdu. I have published a book on nineteen such great Saints along with an audio version of that book. I shall present them here in a series of nineteen episodes starting from this one on Adi Sankara.

Links for books

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZB809A

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520412738

Links for audio books

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/great-saints-of-india-4

https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/VENKATARAMAN_M_Great_Saints_of_India?id=AQAAAEC8-xe7uM

https://shop.authors-direct.com/products/great-saints-of-india

https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/great-saints-of-india-by-venkataraman-m

https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/537763163/Great-Saints-of-India

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/id1593857836

https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/1060319/Great-Saints-of-India

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781667080727

https://www.audible.com/pd/Great-Saints-of-India-Audiobook/B09MSPFHKL

This is a story based on Hindu mythology and is a mixture of facts and fiction. Yathni is a little girl studying in Fifth Grade and she is a devotee of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha takes her on an excursion to the legendary mountain of Kailash. How was this excursion, what are the things which she saw and how was her meeting with Lord Shiva. These are the things covered in the story.

The main book titled ‘Yathni’s Travel to Kailash’ was published in the year 2012. While giving a number of anecdotes from Hindu mythology, the story takes one to the North Pole, the Moon and the outer space and beyond. In this process matters of educational interest like climate change, bio-diversity, space science etc have been dealt with. These are given with colourful illustrations. Subsequently, an abridged edition was published in the year 2020. An audio book has also been published.

This is the seventh episode of the story from the audio book. The earlier episodes had been published as follows:

First episode - 5th August 21.

Second episode -3rd September 21

Third episode -15th September 21

Fourth episode -22nd October 21

Fifth episode -16th November 21

Sixth episode – 24thDecember 21

Links to the audio book.

https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/VENKATARAMAN_M_Yathni_s_Travel_to_Kailash_Abridged?id=AQAAAEBcbkUuCM

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/yathni-s-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition

https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/488592948/Yathni-s-Travel-to-Kailash-Abridged-Edition

https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/yathni-s-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition-by-venkataraman-m

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/id1545571778

https://bingebooks.com/book/yathni-s-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition

https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/1026141/Yathni-s-Travel-to-Kailash-Abridged-Edition

https://shop.authors-direct.com/products/yathnis-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition

https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/yathnis-travel-to-kailash-abridged-edition/527676

Link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092QR9HF3