In Hinduism, Lord Mahavishnu is an

Karma aspect of Vishnu, the Absolute which

is beyond human comprehension and
is beyond all attributes. In Vaishnavite
theology, the term is similar to Brahman
Content.........
Atherva vedic Vasthu 3
and Almighty God. It is also often used
interchangeably with Vishnu to indicate
Spirituality 5 reverence, as the prefix “Maha” exalts the
Achi’s Carner 9
Vedic Astrology 18
noun to which it is attached. Mahavishnu
Lord Shiva-Shivarathri 34 is said to lie in the causal ocean or the
Sakthi and its yoga 44 Ocean of milk, in the bed of a great
Sports Page 52
Zodiac Sign 55 serpent having five heads. The five headed
Wonderful Siddhars 60 serpent is known as Adhiseshan and he
is the bed, throne, umbrella and shoes of
Lord Mahavishnu. It is a rare pose to see
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Karma 1
First, let me explain who Vasthu is. Vasthu Purusha is the god
for construction of structures and buildings. Once upon a time,
an unknown person came into existence and he obstructed the
earth and the sky with his huge body. The Devatas suddenly
caught the person and threw him below with his face down, and
different Devatas held whichever part of the body of the person,
the Devatas became presiding deities of that part of the body.
The creator, Brahma, had made the person as “god of the house”
- ‘Vasthu Purusha.’
There is another interesting story of Vasthu Purusha in Matsya
Purana. It narrates the birth of Vasthu Purusha. In an encounter
with a Rakshasa called Andhakasura, Lord Shiva became
tired and exhausted, and he began to sweat profusely. A man
was born out of the drops of Lord Shiva’s sweat. He looked
very cruel. He was very hungry and began to make penance to
appease Lord Shiva and to get a boon from him. Lord Shiva
was pleased with his penance and appeared before him. The
devotee prayed to Lord Shiva, “Oh Lord! Please permit me to
eat away all the three worlds.” Lord Shiva granted his prayer.
He got possession of all the three worlds and was about to eat
the terrestrial world. The celestial beings, Brahma, Vishnu, the
deities and the demons were terrified and they caught hold of
the devotee and encircled him. Forty-five deities caught hold of
the devotee and pressed him down. This Devotee has been in
that position ever since that time. Lord Brahma blessed him and
said that he would be the deity of all the plots and constructions,
and offerings would be made to him. In return, Vasthu Purusha
is said to be taking care of the inmates of the building. Let
me narrate the Vedic verse here. “Vasthu Varcho Maha Kaayo
Krishnango Rakta Lochanaha. Aisaanyaam Masthakam
Dhruthwa Nanairuthyaangathamaarabheth. Aakunchitha
Kavacham Vasthum Utthaanamasutraakruthim”.
The variations of the measurements of the rooms in house
will result in the following problems. If the master bedroom is
improper in measurements, it will create unnecessary problems
between the husband and wife. Health related problems would
also occur. If the children’s room varies from the measurement
the education, physical and mental health of the children will
be spoiled. Atharva Veda tells about many yantras for solving
these kinds of problems. For example, Amruta Sanjeevini
Yantra is to be worshipped for solving the health related
problems. The Yantra should be fortified with certain number of
“Rasaayanams”, and then only the Yantra should be worshipped.
The term “rasaayanam” used in Atharva Veda is entirely
different from the word’s usage in Ayurveda. In Ayurveda, the
word “rasaayana” means “combination of different chemicals”.
However, in Atharva Veda it should be split as rasam+ayanam.
Rasam means “juice” and ayanam means “route”. The juice of
the specified mantras is to be extracted and the Yantra should
be fortified. The mantras will vary according to the severity of
the problem. For education, “Vidya Sanjivini” Yantra should be
worshipped. Before doing alterations according to Vasthu, the
consultation from a learned scholar is a must.
Now let me give some tips regarding Vasthu for the different
rooms in the house.
Vasthu tips for children’s room:
The apt direction for constructing children’s room is west.
North or East directions can also be used for constructing kids
room. Vasthu for children room suggests that a married couple
should not use East direction bedroom. There is no problem if
an unmarried child uses that room. Bed can be placed in the
southwest corner. As a part of Vasthu guidelines for children
room, it is recommended to avoid placing the mirror just on the
opposite side of the bed. Do not place the furniture sticking to
the wall, as it obstructs the flow of positive energy. The study
desk should be placed in such a manner that the child faces
eastern, northern or northeastern corner while studying. East
is the most appropriate direction, as it paves way for enhanced
concentration. Avoid placing the electronic gadgets like TV and
Computer in the kids’ bedroom. Still if you wish to install one,
then for computer, the right place is Southeast corner and for TV,
Northwest corner would be fine.
Vasthu tips for bathroom:
For bathroom construction, the most appropriate location lies
in the eastern portion of the house. There must be a provision
Karma 3

for proper lighting and cross ventilation. As a part of Vasthu
remedies for bathroom, it is suggested that the geyser should
be placed in the Southeast corner. Drainage system should be
in the northeast direction. Therefore, it is advised that the taps
and showers should be fixed on the northern side. As per Vasthu
for bathroom, the door should not be in the southwest direction
of the bathroom. For keeping the washing machine, the suitable
directions are southeast and northwest. Bathtub can be placed
on the west side.
Vasthu tips for bedroom:
For ensuring peace in the house, the main bedroom should be
constructed in the South direction. While sleeping, make sure that
everyone sleeps with his or her head pointing towards the South
corner. North direction should be completely avoided, as it acts
as a source of nightmares and disturbed sleep. Avoid placing the
divine idols in the bedroom. As a part of Vasthu guidelines for
bedroom, if you want to have a bookshelf in your bedroom, then
west or southwest corner is apt for this purpose. For constructing
the master bedroom, southwest direction is just perfect. Other
bedrooms can be constructed on the eastern or northern side of
the master bedroom. Square and rectangle shape bedrooms are
just perfect for ensuring peace and prosperity. Vasthu for dining
room makes sure that the food you are eating will have positive
effects on you and your family. There are plenty of things that
are to be considered, while giving the right Vasthu remedies
for dining room like the proper location of dining room, proper
placement of dining table, position of electronic gadgets, the
direction you are facing while eating food etc.
Vasthu tips for dining room:
The ideal location for the construction of dining room is the
West portion of the house. Construction should be done in such
a manner that the dining room and kitchen both are on the same
floor, lying adjacent to each other. Square or rectangle shape
dining table is just perfect for the room. Dining table should
not be sticking to the wall. The most suitable wall colors for the
room are the shades of pink and orange. If you want to place a
fridge in the dining room, then southeast direction would be just
apt. If you want to make provision for the fitting of washbasin
in your dining room, then the right place would be either eastern
or northern corner.
Karma 4
Vasthu tips for drawing room:
The north direction is ideal for the construction of drawing room.
As per Vasthu for drawing room, it is advisable to keep square
or rectangle shape furniture. Southern and western corners of
the room are perfect for placing the furniture. As per the Vasthu
advice for drawing rooms, there should more of open space in
the northern and eastern corners. The perfect place for placing
sofa lies in northwest. TV can be kept in the southeast direction
and showcase cum almirah in the southwest corner. Seating
arrangement for the guests should be done in such a manner that
the guests face southern or western direction. Center table can
be in the shape of square, rectangle or even round. Avoid placing
L shape sofa in your drawing room.
Vasthu tips for kitchen:
Vasthu for kitchen takes into consideration various things,
which when properly placed, pave way for safety in the
kitchen. Some of the essential determinants considered are
proper location of the kitchen, direction and placement of doors
and windows, placement of cooking gas, gas cylinder, sink,
refrigerator and other electronic gadgets etc. The ideal place for
the location of kitchen is the southeast corner. An alternative
can be the northwest corner of the house. As per the Vasthu
remedies for kitchen, certain directions, which are a total no
for the construction of the kitchen, are: Northeast, mid-north,
mid-west, southwest mid-south or the center. Make sure that the
cooking platform does not touch eastern or northern sidewall.
The best direction for cooking is facing east, as this direction
is considered auspicious. No shelf should be placed above the
cooking platform. Refrigerator can be placed on the northwest
corner in the kitchen. While constructing the kitchen, make
adequate provision for cross ventilation.
To know more and more about the Vasthu especially for the
western countries, contact Swamiji Sri. Selvam Siddhar @
USA Toll Free No. 1-888-808-1418 or email to avtemple@aol.
com

In past issues I have shared many of my thoughts on spirituality.
First, I humbly submit my Pranams to the Almighty and thanks
to Swamiji for blessing me with the opportunity to do so. In this
issue I wish to talk about the spirituality taught to King Janaka
by one of the great saints, Ashtavakra.
The reason for his name is that he had eight misplacements in
his physical body. Even though he had the misplacements his
knowledge is great. Even though he lived and died thousands of
years ago, his thoughts on humanity and spirituality are suitable
even for today’s hectic world. The Ashtavakra Gita, or The Song
of Ashtavakra (also known as the Ashtavakra Samhita), is an
Advaita Vedanta scripture which documents a dialogue between
the Perfect Master Ashtavakra and the student Janaka, the King
of Mithila.
The Ashtavakra Gita comprises of a total of 20 chapters.
Ashtavakra Gita presents the traditional teachings of Advaita
Vedanta with a clarity and power very rarely matched. In the first
chapter, the teacher Ashtavakra imparts the highest knowledge
to King Janaka. In the 2nd chapter, King Janaka asserts that he
has figured it out (as to what true knowledge is). In the third
chapter, Guru Ashtavakra tests if King Janaka really got this
knowledge, and starts explaining in more detail the nature of this
“Brahma Jnana,” or “Knowledge of Brahman.” This continues
through the 6th chapter, and then Janaka speaks again in the 7th
chapter. Ashtavakra further instructs Janaka in chapters 8 to11.
In chapters 12, 13, and 14, Janaka speaks, giving a rare glimpse
into the mind of a true seeker, who surely but steadily shows the
signs of “Jeevan-Muktah,” or liberated-while-living.
The Ashtavakra Gita states that there is nothing as existence or
non existence, right or wrong, or moral or immoral. In the eyes
of the Ashtavakra, one’s true identity can be found by simply
recognizing oneself as Pure Existence and that as individuals
we are the Awareness of all things. The Ashtavakra Gita teaches
that one is already free when one realizes that he or she is free.
In the first chapter the student Janaka asks only one question,
and for that one question the master gives a very big answer. The
question of the student Janaka is essentially, “How is knowledge
to be acquired? How is liberation to be attained? And how is
dispassion to be reached?” For this question the master’s long
reply is as follows.
If you are seeking liberation, turn away from the objects of the
senses like poison. Practice tolerance, sincerity, compassion,
contentment, and truthfulness like nectar. You are neither earth,
water, fire, air, nor even ether. For liberation, know yourself as
consisting of consciousness, the witness of these. Only if you
remain resting in consciousness, seeing yourself as distinct from
the body, then even now you will become happy, peaceful, and
free from bonds. You do not belong to any caste, you are not at
any stage, nor are you anything that the eye can see. You are
unattached and formless, the witness of everything. Only by
being a witness of the world and worldly actions can one be
happy.
Righteousness and unrighteousness, pleasure and pain are purely
of the mind and are no concern of yours. You are neither the doer,
nor the reaper of consequences, so you are always free. You are
the one witness of everything, and are always totally free. The
cause of your bondage is that you see the witness as something
Karma 5
other than this. Since you have been bitten by the black snake of
the self-opinion that “I am the doer,” drink the nectar of faith in
the fact that “I am not the doer,” and be happy. Burn down the
forest of ignorance with the fire of the understanding that “I am
the one pure awareness,” and be happy and free from distress.
That in which all this appears - imagined like the snake in a
rope - that joy, supreme joy and awareness is what you are; so
be happy. If one thinks of oneself as free, one is free; and if one
thinks of oneself as bound, one is bound. Here this saying is true,
“Thinking makes it so.” - On following the great sayings of this
wonderful scholar saint Ashtavakra, our Swamiji Sri. Selvam
Siddhar always says, “You will live according to your thoughts.”
Your real nature is as the one perfect, free, and action-less
consciousness, the all-pervading witness. You are unattached
to anything, desire-less and at peace. It is from illusion that
you seem to be involved in Samsara. Meditate on yourself as
motionless awareness. Be free from any dualism, giving up the
mistaken idea that you are just a derivative consciousness, or
anything external or internal. You have long been trapped in
the snare of identification with the body. Sever it with the knife
of knowledge that “I am awareness,” and be happy. You are
really unbound and action-less, self-illuminating and spotless
already. The cause of your bondage is that you are still resorting
to stilling the mind. All of this is really filled by you and strung
out in you, for what you consist of is pure awareness. So, don’t
be narrow-minded. Keep your mind broad and wide. You are
unconditioned and changeless, formless and immovable,
unfathomable awareness and imperturbable, so hold to nothing
but consciousness. Recognize that the apparent is unreal, while
the un-manifest is abiding. Through this initiation into truth you
will escape falling into unreality again. Just as a mirror exists
everywhere, both within and apart from its reflected images, so
the Supreme Lord exists everywhere, within and apart from this
body. Just as one and the same all-pervading space exists within
Karma 6
and without a jar, so the eternal, everlasting God exists in the
totality of things.
This long answer given by the master teaches the highest
spirituality. If everybody were to adopt this point of view there
would be no ego and jealousy. The entire world would be very
peaceful. After hearing the longer answer, the great student
Janaka asks for a longer explanation from the great master by
narrating his experience as well. This makes the second chapter
of this wonderful work.
Truly I am spotless and at peace, the awareness beyond natural
causality. All this time I have been afflicted by delusion. As I
alone give light to this body, so I do to the world. As a result,
the whole world is mine, or alternatively, nothing is. So now,
abandoning the body and everything else, by some good fortune
or other, my true self becomes apparent. Just as waves, foam,
and bubbles are not different from water, so all this which has
emanated from oneself, is no other than oneself. In the same
way that cloth is found to be just thread when analyzed, so when
all this is analyzed, it is found to be no other than oneself.
Just as the sugar produced from the juice of the sugarcane is
permeated with the same taste, so all this, produced out of me,
is completely permeated with me. From ignorance of oneself,
the world appears, and by knowledge of oneself, it appears no
longer. From ignorance of the rope, a snake appears; and by
knowledge of it, it appears no longer. Shining is my essential
nature, and I am nothing over and beyond that. When the world
shines forth, it is simply me that is shining forth. All this appears
in me imagined due to ignorance, just as a snake appears in the
rope, the mirage of water in the sunlight, and silver in mother
of pearl. All this, which has originated out of me, is resolved
back into me too, like a jug back into clay, a wave into water,
Karma 7
and an ornament into gold. How wonderful I am! Glory is to me,
for whom there is no destruction, remaining even beyond the
destruction of the world, from Brahma down to the last clump of
grass. How wonderful I am! Glory is to me, solitary even though
with a body, neither going nor coming anywhere, I who abide
forever, filling all that is. How wonderful I am! Glory is to me!
There is no one as clever as me! I who have borne all that am
forever, without even touching it with my body! How wonderful
I am! Glory is to me! I who possess nothing at all or alternatively
possess everything that speech and mind can refer to.
Knowledge, what is to be known, and the knower, these three do
not exist in reality. I am the spotless reality in which they appear
because of ignorance. Truly dualism is the root of suffering.
There is no other remedy for it than the realization that all this
that we see is unreal, and that I am the one stainless reality,
consisting of consciousness. I am pure awareness, though through
ignorance I have imagined myself to have additional attributes.
By continually reflecting like this, my dwelling place is in the
unimagined. For me there is neither bondage nor liberation. The
illusion has lost its basis and ceased. Truly all this exists in me,
though ultimately it does not even exist in me. I have recognized
that all this and my body is nothing, while my true self is nothing
but pure consciousness, so what can the imagination work on
now? The body, heaven and hell, bondage and liberation, and
fear too, all these are pure imagination. What is there left to do
for me whose very nature is consciousness? Truly, I do not see
dualism, even in a crowd of people. What pleasure should I have
when it has turned into a wilderness? I am not the body, nor
is the body mine. I am not a living being. I am consciousness.
It was my thirst for living and that was my bondage. Truly it
is in the limitless ocean of me, that stimulated by the colorful
waves of the worlds, everything suddenly arises in the wind of
consciousness. It is in the limitless ocean of me that the wind of
Karma 8
thought subsides, and the trader-like living beings’ world bark
is wrecked by lack of goods. How wonderful it is that in the
limitless ocean of me the waves of living beings arise, collide,
play, and disappear, according to their natures. After hearing the
longer explanation of experiences by the student Janaka, the
Master speaks more.
Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible, how could a
wise man possessing self-knowledge like you feel any pleasure
in acquiring wealth? Truly, when one does not know oneself,
takes pleasure in the objects of mistaken perception. It is just as
greed arises for the mistaken silver in one who does not know
mother of pearl for what it is. All this wells up like waves in the
sea. Recognizing, “I am that”, why run around like someone in
need? After hearing of oneself as pure consciousness and the
supremely beautiful, is one to go on lusting after sordid sexual
objects? When the sage has realized that he himself is in all
beings, and all beings are in him, it is astonishing that the sense
of individuality should be able to continue. It is astonishing that
a man who has reached the supreme non-dual state and is intent
on the benefits of liberation should still be subject to lust and
held back by sexual activity. It is astonishing that one already
very debilitated, and knowing very well that its arousal is the
enemy of knowledge should still hanker after sensuality, even
when approaching his last days.
It is astonishing that one who is unattached to the things of this
world or the next, who discriminates between the permanent
and the impermanent, and who longs for liberation, should still
feel fear for liberation. Whether feted or tormented, the wise
man is always aware of his supreme self-nature and is neither
pleased nor disappointed. The great souled person sees even his
own body in action as if it were some-one else’s, so how should
he be disturbed by praise or blame? Seeing this world as pure
illusion, and devoid of any interest in it, how should the strong-
minded person feel fear, even at the approach of death? Who is
to be compared to the great souled person whose mind is free of
desire, even in disappointment, and who has found satisfaction
in self-knowledge? How should a strong-minded person, who
knows that what he sees is by its very nature nothing, consider
one thing to be grasped and another to be rejected? For someone
who has eliminated attachment, and who is free from dualism
and from desire, an object of enjoyment that comes of itself is
neither painful nor pleasurable.
This country is great and the world is the greatest. We are all
living an uncomfortable life, even though we have all the earthly
comforts needed for a comfortable living. What is the reason
for it? We all forget the spirituality taught by our ancestors!
By adopting this spiritual life, one can have a peaceful and
comfortable life. I whole heartedly thank the Almighty and
Swamiji Sri. Selvam Siddhar for blessing me with the chance to
share my thoughts on Spirituality. I pray that they bless me with
ever more opportunities such as this. In our next issue we will
continue to discuss this same subject. Om Nama Shivaya.
 Aachi’s Corner

Chundakkai Pachadi or Sundakkai pachadi Chenai Kizhangu Meen Masala Varuval

(Turkey Berry hot and sour gravy) (Yam fish masala fry)

Ingredients Ingredients
Sundakkai-1 cup(tender ones) Yam-1/4 kg (Cut like finger chips pieces)
Small onion chopped-20 Oil-2 table spoons
Tomato-1 Ingredients for the masal
Sambar powder-1 teaspoon Garlic-7 to 8 pods
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Tamarind paste-1 teaspoon Pepper-1 teaspoon
Cooked Thoor dhal-1/4 cup Chili powder- 1 table spoon
To season Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Musrad seed-1 teaspoon Salt-1 table spoon
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little Procedure
Corriander leaves to season Cook the Yam pieces in a kadai for 5 to 6 minutes (till they
are 3/4th cooked) Drain the water and keep it to cool. Mean
Procedure time grind the ingredients given for masal in the small jar with
Select tender sundakkai while cutting. Split into 4 and put into just enough water. Marinate the yam pieces with the masal for
water. Mince onion and tomatoes. Cook thoor dhal one whistle 5 minutes. Keep the kadai in the stove and in 2 tablespoons of
less than you cook for sambar. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season oil season the fry with a teaspoon of mustard seed and fennel
the pachadi with the items given in to season in 1 table spoon seed and little curry leaf. Add the yam pieces and fry nicely
of oil.Add the onion and tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes. Now without stirring much. Too much of stirring will make the
add the cut sundakkai and saute in medium fire for 5 minutes. pieces break. (Be sure that the pieces are not cooked too much
If sauted nicely,there will be no bitter taste in the curry. After in the beginning).When the pieces get roasted oil will separate
sauting add the water that is there on top of the cooked dhal. Remove the pieces alone and discard the excess oil. This fry will
(If there is not much water in your cooked dhal, add a cup of be yummy with Rasam rice as well as curd rice.
water into it, mix it lightly and take out that water.).Add turmeric
powder. Half close the kadai and cook for 6 to 7 minutes in Palakkai Pirattal
medium fire till the Sundakkai cooks soft. Now add little more (Baby Jack Fruit Masala)
dhal water and sambar powder.cook for 3 minutes. Add the salt
needed and the tamarind paste now. When the curry boils add Ingredients
the cooked thoor dhal left and cook for 5 more minutes. You Baby jack fruit
should not cook long after adding dhal as the curry will turn Potato-1
very thick. Garnish with coriander leaves. This gravy will be Big onion-1
semi solid .This can be mixed with rice as well as used as a side Tomato-1
dish for curd rice. To Grind
Coconut grated-3 table spoons

Karma 9
Karma 10
 Muttai Kose Muttai Poriyal
( Cabbage Egg Fry )

Ingredients
Grated cabbage-2 cups
Minced big onion-1
Green chillies chopped-4 or (1 teaspoon of chili powder)
Egg-1 or 2

Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the fry with a teaspoon of
mustard, curry leaf and broken urudh dhal. Add the minced
onion and chilies and sauté for a minute. Now add the cabbage
and sauté for a while. Sprinkle little water. Half close the kadai
and cook in medium fire for 3 minutes. Open the lid and add the
Red chilli-5 salt needed and cook till the cabbage is rightly cooked. sprinkle
Pottukadalai-1 table spoon water in between till it gets cooked. Make sure that there is
Cashwes-4(optional) not much water content in the vegetable. Now break the egg
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon and pour it on top the vegetable and mix well till the egg gets
To season cooked. Chilli powder instead of green chilies will taste little
Cinamon-2 small pieces different. I like that taste more. so try both ways and find out
Cloves-2 which taste you like.
Cardomom-2
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Karunai Kizhangu Kuzhambu
Procedure
Peel off the skin from the baby jack fruit and cut as shown. Cut
the potato also in the same size. Chop the onion and tomatoes
also. In a small cooker or pressure pan cook the cut jack fruit and
potatoes for 1 whistle in high flame. This will get cooked fast
and will get smashed if over cooked. So if you are not sure when
to switch off then cook it in microwave or in a kadai in such a
way that the pieces are just correctly cooked. Grind the items
given in ‘To grind’ to a smooth paste.

Now keep the kadai in the stove.In two tablespoons of oil season
the curry with the items given in’ To season’. Add the onions and
tomatoes and sauté nicely till oil separates. Now add the grinded
masal and salt needed also and sauté till it gets cooked well and
oil separates in medium fire. Add ¼ cup of water to this and put
the cooked baby jack fruit and potato pieces. Mix everything
Ingredients
nicely in such a way that you don’t smash the pieces and cook in
Karunai kizhangu-5 to 6 (pressure cook for 6 minutes)
medium fire for 5 to 7 minutes till oil separates.
Small onion-20
Garlic-20
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-2 teaspoon
Coriander powder-2 teaspoon
Tamarind-little more than you use for sambar (a small gooseberry
size)

For seasoning
Mustard seed-1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Oil-2 table spoon
Fenugreek seed-1/2 teaspoon

Karma11
 Procedure
Peel off the skin of the cooked kizhangu. Cut into small round
pieces. If your kizhangu is over cooked or undercooked adjust
the cooking time next time. This time if it is over cooked add
the kizhangu to the gravy by the end. Cut the onion, garlic
and the tomatoes too.Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the
gravy with the items given in ‘for seasoning’. Add the onion,
garlic and tomato pieces one by one after sauting each for
some time. Soak the tamarind and the salt needed in 3 cups
of water. Squeeze out the tamarind pieces and add the sambar
powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder to this water.
Add this water to the kadai and cook in high flame for 5
minutes. Add the kizhangu now. Reduce the flame and in slow
medium fire cook for another 10 minutes. When the gravy is
almost half or little less than half in quantity, switch off the
stove. I usually wait for the oil to separate but for those who
are new to cooking this method wont work.
Kathirikkai Masal
(Brinjal Masal)
Ingredients
Brinjal-1/4 kg
(The ancient Prasnotthara malika was written by the great saint
Adhi shankara. Prasnam means questions and uttharam means
answers to those questions. The ancient prasnotthara malika
was written in Sanskrit By Sri.Adhi shankara, with questions
of his disciples and his answers. The Naveena prasnotthara
malika is written in English By Swamiji Sri.Selvam Siddhar.
In this, he answers the questions of his disciples/followers/
sishyas)
Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar’s Satsang- Questions from his
followers / Sishyas and Answers from His Holiness:-
( If you have any kinds of problems in your life, do not hesitate
to call “Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar” immediately. Do not live
with stress, fear and anxiety. Toll Free@ 1-888-808-1418 or
email to avtemple@aol.com .)
1. Who is a Guru/ Swamiji?
Who ever teaches Brahma Gyan (Knowledge to reach God -
The Supreme power) is a Guru/ Swamiji or Spiritual Master.
A Spiritual Guru is the external manifestation of God. He is
the personification of Vedas. He is empowered by the Lord to
deliver the conditional Souls. Sometimes the Lord Himself
becomes the Spiritual Master like Sri.Dhakshinamoorthy, who
taught every thing in silence to his disciples Sanaka, Sananta,
Sanathana and Sanathkumara or like Sri.Krishna, who showed
Karma 12
Onion (big)-1
Garlic-10 pods
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-1 table spoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Fresh coriander leaves-little
Curry leaf-little
Salt-to taste
Oil-1 table spoon (be little liberal in using oil for this fry)
Procedure
Cut the brinjals into pieces of two inches length (approximately).
Mince onion, garlic and tomatoes. Keep the kadai in the stove.
Season the fry with a teaspoon of mustard, fennel seed and curry
leaves. Add the onion and garlic pieces first and sauté for a while.
Then add the tomatoes and sauté for a minute .Now add the brinjal
and sauté nicely in medium fire for 5 minutes. Now it will be half
done .In this stage add the turmeric powder, sambar powder and the
salt. Mix everything well. Pour half a cup of water into the kadai now
so that the brinjal pieces get cooked softly. Reduce the fire, close the
kadai and cook for 5 more minutes or till the water gets absorbed and
oil separates .Make sure that the brinjal pieces are softly cooked and
get blended with the masal else add little more water and cook for a
while. Garnish with coriander leaves. Corriander leaves along with
brinjal will be excellent.
Arjuna his original form.
2. Are Guru/ Swamiji and Parmatma one? Guru/ Swamiji is
the form of Parmatma.
3. Do you talk with God? How can we know?
Those who have attained such a state can know. Just as I have
not learnt English and so cannot understand if someone speaks
in English. Similarly those who know the language of God can
only understand.
4. What should be relationship between a true Guru and
disciple?
That cannot be explained through language. It can be only
expressed though feelings of heart.
5. Dear Mahatma, Lord Krishna says in Gita - “Everyone has
to hear the fruits of his Karmas.” Can Guru save his disciple
from punishment of his irreligious acts?
One cannot escape from Karma-Phal. Karma or Destiny can
not be changed. That is a universal law. Nature never changes
its rules. But a Brahma Gyani, Brahma Nista Guru can help his
devotee, if his faith and devotion on to Guru is unshakeable.
Suppose a person has to fall from the 7th floor of a building
due to his previous Karmas. No one can save him from falling,
Karma 13
because this is his Karma’s matured fruit.
But a Mahatma, a Satguru can help the
person, making him fall on some truck
full of Dunlop or cart carrying cotton.
The person is to fall this is his Karma’s
punishment. But he will be saved from
hurt or injury by any means. This is
Guru’s help.
6. Dear Holiness Sri Selvam Siddhar,
what is difference between Atma and
Parmatma?
Atma and Parmatma are one and the
same. The whole modern civilization is
operating on the misunderstanding that
body is the self, but this is the mentality
of animals as they are not having Buddhi
for self-realization.
7. Swamiji, by surrendering to Guru,
what does one get?
By taking the shelter of a bonafied
Spiritual Master and obeying his
instructions with firm faith and devotion,
one gets knowledge, detachment and
ultimately Liberation (Moksha).
8. Satguruji, Our Vedanta declares,
“Destiny is irrevocable and
unavoidable.” Then why one should
unnecessarily bother and labor hard?
It is indeed true that one would get
only what is destined for him. However
it behaves one to make a clear and
proper distinction, between where it
is appropriate to be resigned to one’s
fate and where it is appropriate to exert
personal effort. Securing a job is a matter
of destiny, but having secured one, to
sustain it with sincerity is a matter of
personal efforts. To acquire or come into
wealth is dictated by destiny, but how
to use that wealth for a good purpose is
a matter of personal choice and efforts.
Whatever one is given by destiny, what
one gets is his destiny; but how one uses
it is his freedom of choice and efforts.
This is called as Purushartha or New
Karmas.
9. Swamiji, is it true that Heaven and
Hell are only on this Earth?
Heaven and Hell on this earth are only
Karma 14
samples. As per our Holy Scriptures, spiritual progress by observing the
there are eighteen varieties of Heavens state of their relationships. If their
and Hells. Among them one type of relationships have become sweeter, more
each is here on this earth. They are like unselfish, resilient, less demanding, then
samples. When a trader, like a cloth I conclude that one is making progress in
merchant, comes to you to fetch order, meditation. Otherwise there is something
he only brings his samples to show you. missing both in meditation and in service.
Again a grain merchant will only show
samples of grains. He does not carry his Then there is another dimension.
godown with him. Likewise nature has Common people use only a fraction of
created only one sample of Heaven and the surface of their minds for all their
Hell here on earth. activities, which is like the waves in the
shallows at the beach. At greater depths,
10. How do I figure out what is my life’s the mediator discovers layers of the mind
purpose? ocean which are ever in silence. One
Look into your life and find your aim in
life. Do not make a choice on the basis
of your current emotion, but on the sum
total of the inclinations in your life.
Arrive at a conclusion. Try to project
yourself to the end of your life and in the
last minute of your life, what would you
like to feel about yourself? Aim all your
choice and actions on that basis. If after
you’ve made a thorough search you have
not found the answer and feel the need
for spiritual guidance, then find a guide
and ask.
11. Why am I so indecisive? Why do I
not have will power?
When one is indecisive or when one
lacks will power, one has an emotional
need which is not yet fulfilled. Examine
that and discover the need which is
not fulfilled and one will stop being
indecisive.
12. How do I reconcile spiritual life
and family/worldly life? I want to spend
my time meditating and giving service.
However, there are family and work
demands. How do I create a balance?
Love and service begin at home. If you
have not learned to serve the people
in your immediate circle unselfishly,
any service given outside that circle
also will be polluted by the elements
of ego. There is no sadhana greater who has learned the art of karma yoga,
than that of a householder. The art of the practice of yoga while performing
life consists of resilience, which one actions, remains in touch with the silent
has to learn to practice in family life. depths while still acting in the world.
The family becomes your crucible and But this is an art that can only be learned
your touchstone. I always test people’s by close association with an advanced
teacher/Guru whose formula for life is:
Eat only while you are fasting, speak
only when are in silence, act only while
you are still.
13. Swamiji, How does one balance
common sense and faith when making a
decision? In other words, when should
common sense prevail and when should
faith prevail?
Look within. When there is no doubt
in your mind, common sense and faith
has merged into one. Analyze your
doubts. Or as Lord Rama said, “Doubt
your doubts” and you may arrive at
faith. Actually there is no definite
answer to this question. One should
learn to listen to one’s inner self but
first learn to distinguish between inner
self and psychological conditioning.
This distinction is most important.
Unfortunately, almost all students I have
met call their psychological conditioning
their inner self. That is not the path from
conditioning to the unconditioned self.
Have faith only in the unconditioned
self.
14. Pranams Swamiji. It is stated that
we have two alive matters in our body,
soul & God. So our energy, movement
etc. in the body is due to power of God
or independent power of soul? If it is
power/energy of soul then what is the
effect of God residing in our body?
God resides in our body first, His nature
being omnipresent. second, if God will
not reside in body then neither soul nor
body will function, so, the main source
to make not only human body but entire
universe to function the almighty God,
but, no doubt, all souls living in human
body are free to do good or bad deeds at
their own.
15. Revered Swamiji, Bless me and my
family and help us to do the right things
needed by God for us to do.
My blessings to you, dear Kid. I, first
of all, appreciate your pious desire, I
heartily bless you and your family for
long, happy life and get success at step
of life while doing pious deeds.
16. I am not well. I am unmarried and
want to keep a fast for Lord Shiva on
special days. Should I keep the fast or
not?
I would advice you not to keep fast. You
must always take care of your health. In
Vedas it is said as “Sareeram Aadhyam
kalu dharma saadhanam”(the physical
body is the base for doing or adopting
the proper dharma in the proper way).
17. Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar Ji ,I
need a powerful prayer or mantra or
sloka or any chant to get succeeded in
my love with friend and to make my
present love life to turn as a successful
love marriage life.
First of all, I would like to advise you
that the sign of best lover is that he
would never touch the opposite sex
before marriage, if you also maintain
your purity and then you marry with your
lover then sure your married life would
be happy. I bless you, for the same.
18. Pranam, Swamiji. We humbly
request you to guide us for the below
mentioned subjects.
(1) We sometimes read/hear that very
young child chants Sanskrit slokas or
verses/shashtras etc. by heart. It is said
that due to previous births’ knowledge
that child remembers that. Whether it
is possible? Since it is explained by you
only yogi who has realized God can
know his previous births.
(2) It is stated that our present life is
prarabadh based on past life’s deeds and
we should discharge our duties as stated
in Vedas which will destroy our sanchit
karmas. So Swamiji, whether our life
or age is fixed from our birth? If it was
fixed on birth or before then whether by
discharging moral duties as per Vedas
(listening Vedas from learned acharya,
doing Gayatri havan daily both times,
doing ashtang yoga etc.) The age of our
present life gets increased and better? Or
whether after such deeds also our present
life is fixed and result of such deed will
be given in next life only?
We request to please clear this doubt.
Pranam.
My blessings to you……….,
(1). No, please. It is not possible for a
child to talk or recite Sanskrit slokas
without learning the same from a learned
acharya of Vedas in present life. First of
all generally public does not know about
the Vedas and therefore public is not able
to decide whether the child is reciting
Veda mantras or any other Sanskrit
slokas. Secondly, if Veda mantras due
to the pious result of the deeds of the
previous life are chanted by an ordinary
boy or girl who has not learnt Vedas
from present alive learned acharya
of Vedas then the boy/girl etc., will
also experience the divine pleasure of
realizing God and in the said condition/
situation, the boy or girl will never chant
the Veda mantras publicly. They will
enjoy within themselves only.
Karma 15
(2). Yes, it is true that our present life has to face the result
of past lives’ deeds-good or bad in the shape of pleasure and
sorrows respectively. Now, you see there are three types
of karmas. In present life, we are also free to do kriyamann
karmas either good or bad. So, human-life is especially meant
for worshipping the God as per Vedas’ philosophy. To know and
do pious deeds only by which the effect of bad deeds as well as
sorrows is wiped away and a person gets long and happy life.
Yes, if a devotee follows the eternal Vedas’ philosophy which
emanates direct from God at the beginning of the earth then by
listening Vedas from learned Acharya, doing Havan/Yajna both
times, daily name jaap of God, hard practice of Ashtang Yoga
philosophy which also emanates from Vedas, while discharging
all his mortal duties towards family, society, nation etc., then
automatically his life will become happy and long.
19. What should I do to earn money?
First of all we should know that the lord of universe is Almighty
God. He is only empowered to give us assets etc. Therefore,
we must first worship Him daily according to Vedas and after
seeking His blessings, a person should do hard-working with
full concentration. God sure will fulfill the desire.
20. I have tried hard for Army but I have not succeeded. I
want to earn money. I am pursuing MBA . So, guide me what
is better for me.
To listen the voice of heart which says go and join army at any
cost or listen to mind which always follow the path of money.
If you are desirous of service then only go to army. If you
are desirous of earning money, then MBA study will be more
beneficial for you.
21. Pranam Swamiji. My question is what should I take after
science or commerce? What will I become in life?
My blessings to you. Although, the study is based on the
interest of a student, so take that subject which is of your
interest. Otherwise, you may do higher studies and can either
be a lecturer or a professor or a certified public accountant.
22. Namaste Guruji Maharaj, from all of us. Guruji, The
body of a normal human is cremated once the soul leaves the
body, but in some literatures it is said that the body of yogi is
to be buried. Why so? Please explain Guruji.
My blessings to you all, my kids. In fact, the body of yogi
should also be burnt. Yajur Veda mantra 40-15 of the fifth
Kanda clearly states to burn all the human-bodies.
23. Respected Swamiji, Namasthe. Thank you answering my
previous two questions submitted to you. I read your questions
& answers section regularly. I have three questions today.
1) According to jyothish shastra, Sun, Moon, Raaghu, Kethu
are treated as planets. But in Science Sun is light & energy
Karma 16
provider for Planets. Moon is a satellite of earth. Raaghu/
Kethu are not in Science. Should we believe jyotish shastra or
science? Will Raaghu/Kethu affect our life?
2) I was told that Shani dasa runs for 19 years in a person’s
life time. The person will have most difficult times during that
period and Shani dev would ruin the life of the person during
that period. is it true?
3) Planet Saturn and Mars are far away from Earth and they
don’t have power as per scientific research. But in Vedic
astrology Saturn (Shani) and Mars (Kuja/Mangal) are harmful
to human beings. What is your opinion on it? Please reply.
Thanking you.
My blessings to you. You are most welcome. The following are
the answers for your questions.
(i) Yes, in science also there are nine planets in solar system
including Raaghu and Kethu but their names are being recited
in English. God has created the universe and every matter
has been made for the benefit of human-beings. Naturally, all
the planets are of use for all living beings. There is not even
the most minute matter of the universe which is useless. So,
we must believe in science which also emanates from Vedas.
Raaghu and Kethu being non-alive cannot give bad effect on
our lives but a person’s deeds (good or bad) affects his life
accordingly.
(ii) No, please. It does not seem to be true that Shani dev runs
for 19 years in a person’s life creating difficulties in his life and
ruining it. You know, like earth, all planets are non-alive and
can never be harmful for living beings, on their own.
(iii) I‘ve told you that every planet has been created by God
for the benefit of human-beings. However, Sun gives us life
and energy because without sun-rays crops can’t grow/ripen.
On the other hand, several people die due to sunstroke. Reason
behind that God tells all human-beings in Vedas to perform
Yajna/hawan daily to get timely rains. Sama Veda states that
pious smoke of hawan reaches the outer layers of atmosphere
up till Sun and then the sun-rays prove beneficial to everyone
and do not cause any harm.Nowadays, the problem is that
people do not listen to Vedas and do not get to know about the
real worship and the eternal path of the Vedas like Yajna/hawan
nama jaap of God etc., which gives innumerable benefits to the
living
( If you have any kinds of problems in your life, do not hesitate
to call “Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar” immediately. Do not live
with stress, fear, anxiety. CALL NOW in USA @ 408-829
-7780)
Karma 17
 Fourth House: People with sun in the fourth house have a
great need for domestic security. Their life is aimed mainly
towards family matters and also to the home environment.
These are family people who are normally very proud of
whom they are, their heritage and their origins.

Fifth House: These are very creative people, generally

actors, performers and writers. They choose to express
themselves by creative means and want to be noticed and
appreciated. These people are sometimes a bit of a show
off – very self confident. They have a great passion for
children. They are often very daring and adventurous and
tend to take a lot of risks.
Swmiji Sri Selvam Siddhar Sixth House: These are normally very determined workers
but can be very demanding.

Seventh House: Their lives tend to be strongly influenced

D uring the past issues I explained a lot about Vedic

Astrology. In this issue I wish to explain the nature
of the planets in different houses. In this issue, I will
explain about the positions of Sun, Moon and Mercury in
the twelve houses of an individual’s horoscope. These are
all only hints. The strength of the planet will vary from
person to person or horoscope to horoscope. The first is the
planet Sun. Planet Sun is considered as the leader of all the
planets. He is the king among all the planets.
First House: People with the Sun in their first house
care a lot about their self image and physical appearance.
They tend to be very brave, competitive and determined.
This gives them very strong natural leadership qualities.
They tend to have their own views very clear so it is near
impossible for them to get swayed by others opinions.
by people close to them such as business partners and family
members. They are excellent at greeting and meeting new
faces as they can cooperate well and know how to deal with
others. This means that careers where they will have to talk
to strangers such as sales and promotional jobs are well
suited to them.
Eighth House: The energies here tend to be in looking after
others’ possessions for them. Things such as house sitting,
banking, pensions and stock marketing would be a well
suited job. There could possibly also be a strong interest in
philosophy, metaphysical and occult subjects.

Second House: The Sun within the second house orientates

around energies that focus on money and wealth. Not only
is wealth important to second house sun people, but also
material possessions.

Third House: People with the Sun in the third house have
a great compassion to learn and broaden their knowledge.
They are likely to try to broaden their education for many
years to adult hood or throughout their entire life. Along
with study, travel is also considered important. People
with the sun in their third house usually become writers
or teachers. These are very optimistic people even in the
hardest of times.
Karma 18
Karma 19
Ninth House: These people are often dreamers who try and
make their life ideal rather then what is practically possible
for them. This can lead to problems. There is very likely
to be great interest in spiritual and religious practices; also
in law and philosophy. If you are convinced that you have
answers to questions that people ask and you are convinced
you are right, you are likely to try everything in your power
to get everyone to hear. There is a strong desire to travel to
foreign countries for these people.
Tenth House: There is a need for these people to be noticed
whether it is through fame and fortune, power, politics,
authority or responsibility.
Eleventh House: To reach your goals will heavily rely on
those around you such as friends, family and colleagues.
Twelfth house: People here will have a need for self-
perfection. Yet they will normally feel somewhat estranged
from others like they are an outsider even if other parts of
their chart say so otherwise. They are often introverted, shy
and like a peaceful life and time on their own. They shouldn’t
be concerned by feelings of not belonging and failures to
mix well with others. They may feel that not many life them
but they have a lot of people who respect them strongly
that they are not aware of. Work in the community such as
in churches, hospitals, learning institutions or professions
such as art, literature and psychology are well suited. These
people normally have at least one major psychological,
physiological or social crisis that they have to overcome in
their life.
The Moon is the planet most connected to our feelings and
emotions linked to other people in their lives. The way you
have been brought up will mostly be reflected here and this
is also where unconscious decisions are made.
First house: People with the Moon in the first house are
usually hyper sensitive. Although they are very restless,
easily changed and easily hurt, they are quick and easy
Karma 20
at making new adjustments when needed. Their feelings
constantly change which means that it is hard for them to
make lasting plans. They need a partner who can respect
them, be loyal and cope with the frequent mood swings.
They care a lot about physical appearance and appearing
healthy.
Second house: People with the Moon placed in the second
house get a lot of emotional security from their money and
material possessions. Emotional insecurity occurs when
there are problems with finances.
Third house: People with the Moon in the third house are
very good at remembering things in excellent detail. They
are not very well suited for repetitive or routine job as they
have to keep their mind focused. They are frequently in their
own world, daydreaming or living in a world of fantasy.
Fourth house: They have a great love for Mother Nature
and outdoors. Their life is full with strong influence from
parents and domestic influences.
Fifth house: People that have the moon in the fifth house
will often try to keep their children as home for as long as
possible and be slow on letting them go out on their own
and to become independent. These people can often find
themselves becoming impulsive gamblers.
Sixth house: The Moon in the sixth house often makes
people very restless in nature. They can be strongly
depended upon by others. These people tend to worry a lot
and are very sensitive; this means that they are easily hurt
by things.
Seventh house: These people are characterized by a
flexibility to fit in anywhere and possess a strong desire for
social acceptance. They don’t like being alone, this may
cause them to marry early; their partner is likely to be very
moody and overly sensitive.
Eighth house: These people feel that they have a strong sense
of duty and obligation to others. They are very sensitive to
social demands.
Ninth house: These people have an innovative mind and are
dreamers. They hold strong beliefs. They usually have one
subject that they become deeply involved with and spend a
lot of time studying; they enjoy sharing knowledge on this
subject to others. They are usually interested in philosophy
and the search for metaphysical truths. Practical knowledge
is often obtained through dreams or meditation.
Tenth house: They have a strong desire for recognition and
for a good reputation. Their feelings are often dominated by
a desire for achievement.

Eleventh house: They are often very popular with a wide
circle of friends, especially women. They have a very wide
range on interests that sometimes they may appear to others
as being superficial. Their emotional security is strongly
tied to their circle of friends and relationships.
Twelfth house: Being in the twelfth house, a house of
closed doors, these people often feel emotionally isolated
from others. They are subject to emotional chaos and
have difficulty to freely express their emotions. They are
sensitive and tend to get easily hurt due to having fragile
feelings. Others may view them as emotionally withdrawn
or lonely.
Mercury governs the way that you communicate with those
around you.
First House: The first house being the strongest of all
houses means that people with mercury in the first house
can easily communicate their thoughts to others and are
very talkative. They can easily and quickly adapt to new
situations and always seek new and useful information.
Second House: These people are full of money making
ideas. They know the true value of things and are very value
conscious.
Third House: People with mercury in the third house tend
to be very witty and clever, especially in the use of words.
They are not necessarily deep thinkers, but are very alert
and adaptable. They express their ideas fluently and have a
wide variety of talents.
Fourth House: These people have been brought up in a
home surrounded by mental and educational activities.
Their parents place an unusually high priority upon learning.
These people tend to be high-strung and easily irritated and
they often find it hard to relax. They usually have a home
based career.
Fifth House: They usually have very clear legible writing
and a very clear speaking ability and usually have some
form of artistic and creative interests. They have a deep
need of mental pleasure and intellectual stimulation and are
likely to have very intellectual friends and partners.
Sixth House: They tend to worry if things aren’t the way
they are supposed to be. When it comes to careers they
are in jobs that involve work requiring specialized mental
or physical skills, such as working with computers or
electronic devices. They are usually perfectionists and very
precise in everything that they do.
Seventh House: People with mercury in the seventh house
are usually friends with clever and articulate people. They
are good at expressing their thoughts and ideas in an
intelligent manner.
Eighth House: They try to get to the bottom of problems
and resolve issues themselves. They are interested in human
behavior and usually study subjects like psychology. They
also hold an interest in scientific, metaphysical and occult
subjects; instead of gathering all of their knowledge though
books they tend to gather information through their own
intuition and experiences.
Ninth House: These people like to travel especially in
foreign lands. They are interested in how other cultures live
their lives. They are also interested in philosophy and like
to study to the highest of their abilities.
Tenth House: People that have Mercury positioned in
the tenth house are very good at communication through
both speech and writing. They are well suited to political,
managerial, and executive and government related jobs.
Eleventh House: These people can easily communicate
and exchange their ideas with anyone. They have a good
memory for things in good detail and have strong minds
capable of hard work.
Twelfth House: They tend to be secretive about their
thoughts and ideas. Others may think that they are shy
as they tend to be quiet and hesitate to speak their ideas,
especially in public settings. Sometimes they have learning
difficulties such as dyslexia. They often lack confidence but
hide this very well.
In the next issue we will discuss about more planets. I pray
Lord Shiva and Vanadurga matha to shower their entire
blessings on all of us.
Om Shanthi Om Shanthi OmShanthi
Karma 21

Problems in getting
married and
salvation of the
problems through the
Atharva Veda
T here are many problems in getting married. Nowadays
getting married in the prescribed age has become very
rare. There are a lot of reasons for this. The major problem
is called as “Mars Dosha” or “Manglik”. There is nothing
wrong in being a Manglik. Mangliks are normal people. Most
importantly, Mangliks should realize that being a Manglik
is not a matter to be afraid of; it is not the end of the world
for them. Matters pertaining to the intensity of the Manglik
Dosha and its cancellation play major roles and these are to
be studied deeply. Atharva Veda has mentioned a lot about the
Manglik Dosha and the remedies for overcoming the Manglik
Dosha. One of the biggest misconceptions and fears in the
Hindu society with respect to marriage is the presence of Mars
Dosha or Kuja Dosha in the horoscope. Mars Dosha occurs,
when Mars is placed in the ascendant, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th
house of the natal chart. However, the Atharva Veda includes
the 2nd house also in the Mangal Dosha list. People in whose
natal chart Mars is placed in the above positions are called
Mangliks. Now let us see who is Mars or Mangal or Kuja.
Planet Mars in Vedic Astrology
Planet Mars is considered to be a commander-in-chief
among all the other planets. It symbolizes immense courage,
aggression, vitality, confidence and warrior qualities. It drives
the fire of independent spirit and sense of purpose among
individuals. Mars is also known as Angaraka and Kuja,
meaning the burning coal and the fair one respectively. He rules
over the two sidereal signs of Aries and Scorpio. He is exalted
in Capricorn and fallen in the sign Cancer. Mars is identified
with Lord Karthikeya, the god of war. He is the son of Lord
Shiva. Karthikeya was born with six heads and he killed the
invincible demon Taraka, releasing the Devas from Taraka’s
oppression. The above depict the valor, strength, courage and
the protective quality of Mars. Thus, Mars is known as the
protector of dharma and the purpose in life.
Misconceptions about Manglik Dosha
Now days a lot of fake astrologers have entered in the field.
They are not so well learned scholars of astrology. They have
done a lot of misconceptions in all aspects of astrology. That
too particularly, they have done a lot of misconceptions about
mars. They have done a lot of misconceptions in married life
and getting marriage. They have taken their shelter in Magal
or Kuja or mars. Some of the most common misconceptions
Karma 22
about the planet Mars is that if a person is born on a Tuesday,
then he is said to be a Manglik or Mars-dominated native.
But it is not true. Another misconception is “double Manglik
Dosha”, which is a term being used by many astrologers.
There is no such term as “Double Manglik Dosha”, which
refers to Mars being in any of the above mentioned houses
and also in its own sign or in exaltation. Atharva Veda,
be On the contrary, Mars in own house or exaltation will
considerably reduce the ill effects of the Manglik Dosha. The
most famous misconception about being a Manglik is that if
he/she is married to a non-Manglik, then the spouse is bound
to die. The above can be seen in a few cases, where Mars
is severely afflicted; overall strength of the horoscope also
needs to be checked according to the Atharva Veda techniques.
Marriage and Manglik Dosha
Manglik Dosha is primarily considered at the time of marriage.
Many people consider Manglik Dosha as a bad yoga and are
reluctant to marry the persons, who have the Dosha, even if the
Dosha is cancelled in the birth chart. The nature of the troubles
in marriage absolutely depends on the nature of Mars in the
natal Chart and the Navamsa Chart. Also the birth chart’s
overall strength should be assessed, especially regarding
aspects from any benefic planets on the 7th house and 7th lord.
Another factor influencing the Manglik Dosha is the age of the
person at the time of marriage. Mars is said to have a maturity
age of 28. For a Manglik person, the malefic effects of Mars
reduce after the age of 28.
Common effects attributed to Mars with respect to its position
in the natal chart:
Mars in the first house: - quarrelsome on even minor issues;
combative and dominating in relationship.
Mars in the 2nd house: - harsh speech, lack of money and
understanding in the family.
Mars in the 4th house :- aggressive emotional nature,
which may effect the career-front, with frequent changes in
profession.
Mars in the 7th house: - a lot of energy; difference of opinion
with family members, that too particularly with the spouse.
Mars in the 8th house: - early death of the mate.
Mars in the 12th house: - financial losses, many enemies and
repressed anger.
All the aforesaid are only hints and basics. This will vary
from person to person and horoscope to horoscope. To know
more and more about individual horoscope and to solve your
problems contact Dr. Commander Selvam (Swamiji Sri.
Selvam Siddhar) @ USA toll free 1-888-808-1418 or 1-888-
808-1428 or email to avtemple@aol.com
 Problems in getting good kids
and spiritual salvation of the problems through the
Atharva Veda
The human race begins only from a child or kid. The Atharva
Veda tells a lot about kids or children. Swamiji Sri Siddhar
has conducted many researches according to Vedic scriptures
to analyze the problems in getting good kids. There are too
many problems. Even though there are too many problems
the problems have been clarified into two major parts. One is
getting a kid and the other is bringing up the kid. The Atharva
Vedic astrology deals a lot into this subject. Swamiji Sri.
Selvam Siddhar has brought out all these factors to the modern
world. The Atharva Veda has also classified the kids in various
manners. They are sisu, balaka or balaki, tharuna/tharuni. Balaka
is masculine gender and Balaki is feminine gender. Tharuna is
masculine gender and Tharuni is feminine gender. The term sisu
has the similar meaning of a neonatal and an infant. The sisu is
up to the age of pre schooling. Balaka/balaki is up to the teen
age. The teenagers are called as tharuna/tharuni. Childbirth is
the process in which the baby is born. It is considered as the
beginning of a person’s life, where age is defined relative to this
event in most cultures. There are many problems in getting good
kids. The problem starts from the parent’s fertility. The problems
are to be analyzed right from the beginning. The problems begin
right from the stage of fertilization. The Atharva Veda has also
classified the kids in various manners. They are sisu, balaka or
balaki, tharuna/tharuni. Balaka is masculine gender and Balaki
is feminine gender. Tharuna is masculine gender and Tharuni
is feminine gender. The term sisu has the similar meaning of a
neonatal and an infant. The sisu is up to the age of pre schooling.
Balaka/balaki is up to the teen age. The teenagers are called as
tharuna/tharuni.
Childbirth is the process in which the baby is born. It is considered
as the beginning of a person’s life, where age is defined relative
to this event in most cultures. There are many problems in
getting good kids. The problem starts from the parent’s fertility.
The problems are to be analyzed right from the beginning. The
problems begin right from the stage of fertilization. As per the
Atharva Vedic scriptures the children up to the age of seven are
considered as divine images and they are considered as next to
God. Children from the age of seven were considered responsible
for their actions. Child development refers to the biological and
psychological changes that occur in human beings between birth
and the end of adolescence, as the individual progresses from
dependency to increasing autonomy. According to Atharva Veda
and Swamiji Sri.Selvam Siddhar (Dr. Commander Selvam)
these developmental changes may be strongly influenced by
genetic factors and events during prenatal life, genetics and
prenatal development are usually included as part of the study of
child development. Developmental change may occur as a result
of genetically-controlled processes known as maturation, or as a
result of environmental factors and learning, but most commonly
involves an interaction between the two. Above all these factors
there is another invisible factor that decides the nature of a kid.
That is astrology. According to Vedic Astrology the Ascendant
or lagna is the most important factor to decide the life of a
common individual. There is another ascendant too. It is called
as “Aadhana Lagnam”. By calculating that Aadhana lagnam one
can ascertain the time of the concievement of the particular kid.
Atharva Veda has put a rule to the Vedic Astrologers. It is “Learn
the process of preparing the Aadhana Lagnam. Unless otherwise
it is considered as the most important don’t use it”.
There are a lot of factors that decide the various aspects of a
kid. The various aspects are obedience, knowledge, adherence to
the elders, thirst towards education and strong physic and strong
mind. The factors that decide all the things are the position of
the planets in one kid’s birth chart or horoscope. By properly
analyzing the position of the planets one can easily have the
spiritual salvation of the problems faced by a kid. The horoscope
is to be prepared according to the Atharva Veda techniques and
to be read in the Atharva Veda standard. The rituals are to be
performed according to the guidance of a learned Atharva Veda
scholar. By doing so one kid can have a wonderful spiritual
salvation for the problems. The optimal development of
children is considered vital to society and so it is important to
understand the social, cognitive, emotional, and educational
development of children. In addition there are also some theories
that seek to describe a sequence of states that comprise child
development. Attachment theory, originating in the work of
Atharva Veda, is a psychological, evolutionary and ethological
theory that provides a descriptive and explanatory framework
for understanding interpersonal relationships between human
beings. Attachment theorists consider children to have a need
for a secure relationship with adult caregivers, without which
normal social and emotional development will not occur.
There are a lot of problems concerned with kids. It starts from
getting the kids and it goes up to the marriage of the kids.
Swamiji Sri.Selvam Siddhar has done a vast research of Atharva
Veda and he has many wonderful spiritual ways to solve the
problems. To solve your problems contact Swamiji Sri. Selvam
Siddhar @ USA toll free 1-888-808-1418 or 1-888-808-1428 or
email to avtemple@aol.com
Karma 23
1. Kishin Manohar & Komal Manohar. Georgetown, DE
Jai Swamiji Maharaj. Only because of your best prayers,
we got our kid now. We married 17 years back. We both are
hale and healthy. But we were unable to get good kids. Only
after your consultation and Thantric rituals we are blessed
with a kid. Our life is dedicated to your golden feet. As it
has shown me a good way, we wish to donate $501.00 to
Karma every month. Once again Namaskars and Thanks
Maharaj.
2. Rohini Singhadia, Ormond, FL.
Swamiji, I approached you after reading your article in
the magazine Karma to bring out my son from his drug
addiction. You performed wonderful Thantric rituals for
him. Now he is very well in all aspects of life. Thanks and
Pranams Swamiji.
3. Xavier Bongibo, Crystal Bay, NV
I am a Christian from Africa. I was cheated by a lot or Peers.
So I developed an aversion towards the Peers or Swamijis.
When I met you and told my problems to you, you just
placed your right hand on me. I realized the energy with you
and from that moment all the aversions went out of me. You
solved all my family problems in a miraculous way. First
my thanks to the magazine Karma and my salutations and
thanks to you Swamiji. Please don’t forget this poor man.
4. Sudha Krishnamurthy - Danville AK
I am a regular reader of Karma. After reading the magazine,
I am able to understand what Astrology is and how to solve
the problems. I can even challenge any Astrologers in the
world. Thanks and namaskars to Swamiji Siddhar for the
wonderful article “Vedic Astrology”.
5. Purushotham Agnihothri, Winslow, AZ
I belong to the best family of Agnihothris from India. Even
though I came from a higher family, I had no faith towards
God or any kind of super human powers. I was having some
kind of mental stress. I came to know about you through the
wonderful magazine Karma. I called you through telephone.
On hearing your voice itself I had a great courage. Within
a short period I am able to come out of the stress. Thank
you very much Swamiji for bringing my life back. My life
Karma 24
is dedicated to you. Your blessing is the only reason for
getting back my life.
6. Ranganatha Mahopadhyay, Dallas TX
Namaste Swamiji. I am a Sanskrit Scholar and pundit. I
retired from an esteemed university in India. I feel very
proud of you. In this very young age you have learnt a lot of
things. I pray Amba maa to bless you with a long and happy
life for the benefit of the entire human race.
7. Karthik Ganesh Iyer, Garden city, ID
Vanakkam Swamiji. I realized you as a “Mahapurush”. When
I met you to solve the problems in my life you considered
me as your family member and solved the problems in a
wonderful spiritual way. My humble salutations for your
great knowledge and wisdom.
8. Chandra Motilal, Creedmoor, NC.
Swamiji, my life has become wonderful after praying Sri
Atharva Soolini. Only because of you and your magazine I
understood the powers of Sri Atharva Soolini Durga. I wish
to contribute a sum of $2501.00 for Sri Atharva Soolini and
$1001.00 for the magazine. Please accept this donation.
Namaskars Swamiji.
9. Ramarathnam Guruswamy- East Hampton, CT
I have a son of seven years old. All of a sudden, he became
very dull in his studies. After reading the magazine, I
requested Swamiji Siddhar to solve the problems. As a
Thantric Expert, he performed Thantric rituals for the
betterment of my son. Now he is doing very well in his
studies. Thanks and pranams to Swamiji for making my son
well. Thanks for bringing out such a wonderful magazine
also.
10. Balesh K Moti, Tullahoma - TN
I had a kind of mental trouble. After reading the magazine
Karma, I asked Swamiji for remedy. He gave me wonderful
spiritual treatment by two ways. Now I am getting out of
my problems slowly. Thanks and pranams to Swamiji for
helping me to come out of my problems.
Karma 25
11. Ramlakhan Singh Phoenix, AZ
Siddharji, namasthe. I got the magazine Karma form the
Hindu Temple here. I am really very happy to know about
you. Immediately I called you to rescue me from my
sufferings. You explained me well about my horoscope and
performed the rituals to clear off my sufferings. You are the
one and only person to rescue people from their sufferings.
I recommend all the suffering people to come to you for
solving the problems. I am a practical example for your
powers. Thanks and Namaskars Siddhar Swamiji.
12. An Ardent Devotee, Johnstown - PA
I had many problems in my family, particularly with my in
laws. I contacted His holiness Swamiji Siddhar to solve the
problems. He solved all the problems through the wonderful
Atharva Veda Thantric rituals. Now I have a wonderful
relationship with all my in laws. Namaskars to Swamiji and
his divine magazine Karma.
13. Sasi Chandrika, Imperial beach, CA
Swamiji I cannot forget the first day I met you in California
Ashram, four years back. I came to you for having a
spiritual solution of my marriage problems. You checked my
horoscope and solved the problems in my marriage life. Now
I am married and I am having a kid boy. I humbly request
you to make the horoscope for my kid and bless all of us.
Thanks and Namaskars Swamiji.
14. Baskara Kethumala, Redding, CT
Om Namashivaya. I have a great pleasure in writing my
opinion on the wonderful Siddhapurush. Only because of
the magazine Karma, it was possible for me to contact Guru
Maharaj. His wonderful blessings and rituals only made
me to come out of all my troubles. Thanks a lot for Guru
Maharaj and the wonderful magazine.
15. Fredric De Souza, Barbers point, HI
When I went for shopping, I picked up the magazine Karma. I
thought that it will be an ordinary magazine but after reading
it completely I understood that it is a special one and not the
usual magazines. From that day onwards, I became a regular
reader of the magazine. Thanks a lot and pranams to Swamiji
Sri Siddhar for bringing out such a wonderful magazine.
16. Rajendra Grewal, Montgomery, AL
Om Namashivaya Guruji. I came to know about you and your
wonderful services to the humanity through the magazine
Karma. I am amazed at your knowledge. We were undergoing
the worst troublesome period. Only after your consultations
and rituals we are doing well now. Please shower your
blessings on me and my family to have a peaceful life.
Karma 26
17. Krishna Chaudri, Harrington, DE
I feel very proud to be in the community
of Swamiji Siddhar. Even though I
cannot donate a big amount of money
as Swamiji, I offered 1/10th of my
monthly salary to the holy and noble
cause. I humbly requested Swamiji
Siddhar to take money from me but he
blessed me and refused to take money
from me. This noble work moved my
heart. I am ready to volunteer myself
for the building works of the temple.
Thanks to Swamiji for giving this
opportunity.
18. Rama Jahan Alamosa, CO
Pranams Siddhar Swamiji. I came to
know about you through the magazine
Karma. I requested you to solve the
problems in my son’s education. You
blessed him and performed special
rituals for him. Now he is doing
very well in his studies. Thanks for
making my son great.
19. Walton K Richmond, Orange
City, IA
I am a professor. I am much interested
to know and learn a lot about the
religions. On going through the websites,
I had a chance to read the magazine
Karma. The writings of Swamiji Sri
Siddhar covered me. His Vedic Astrology
is the best and shows his vast knowledge
in astrology and Vedas. Thanks to him. I
pray the Almighty to shower his entire
blessings on Swamiji Siddhar and his
family for doing more and more good
works like this.
20. Mita D. Sai, Smithfield, UT
Swamiji, it is my great pleasure to write
a small note of you and your magazine
Karma. As a family we are always
thankful to you for the wonderful healing
we are receiving. I have enclosed a check
for $251.00 as a note of thanks to the holy
magazine Karma. Once again thank you
for all the services given to us.

(A small portion of discourse/ satsang
held on 2010 Maha Shivaratri day)
Devotee: The scripture speaks of our
dream state and our awakening state; but,
at the same time, it says that everything
is illusion.
Swamiji: It is not illusion. As long as
you believe that it is there, you can see
it. It is illusion only for the person who
cannot see it, and will not see it. When
you are seeing it with your eyes and you
believe that it is there, then why do you
call it illusion? Who told you that it is
illusion?
Devotee: No one.
Swamiji; Does your feeling say that it is
illusion?
Devotee: No I don’t think that it is…
Swamiji: Then what is the good of
saying it is illusion? Somebody is saying
something, and you are quoting it. Your
heart should say that it is illusion; then,
you are free from it. You will not cling
to an illusion. Who clings to an illusion?
It is an illusion only when you transcend
it. When you are experiencing it, why do
you call it an illusion? It has a relative
reality. It may not be absolutely real,
but it is relatively real. It has a workable
reality - a tentative reality. What binds
you is your feeling that something is
real. What the scripture says has no
meaning; it has no relevance to you. The
scripture cannot bind you, and it cannot
liberate you. Your feelings will bind you
and liberate you. Do you believe that
the world is real? Then you are bound,
even if the scripture says another thing.
But if you say the world does not exist
for some reason - “I have got some
conviction that for some reason it does
not exist” - then it cannot bind you. But
your heart should be convinced that it
does not exist, and you must also have a
reason why it does not exist. What is the
reason you say it does not exist? What
are the proofs? Bring the proofs. If the
proofs are there, the world will vanish.
But you if have no proof to say that the
world is not existing, it will be clinging.
Merely saying something is not the
answer. You must have an argument and
a proof and a conviction in the heart that,
“For these reasons I can really feel that
it is not Ultimate Reality. Therefore, I
cannot cling to it.” But if your heart says
it is very nice, then why do you call it
illusion? It is illusion to a person who is
convinced that it does not exist. But if
you are not convinced, then why do you
call it illusion?
Swamiji: To the extent it exists, is a
binding factor. You cannot be free from
it. But you must find out the way. Ask
any other Swamiji, “Why do you call
it illusion?” You could not find a better
time to ask than now? Than one minute
before going? You simply throw the
world out and go out from here?
Devotee: No, I asked him for examples.
He said as an example the bangle and the
gold - that everything is gold…
Swamiji: Are you convinced that it is
gold and not the bangle? The whole
world is only gold and not the bangle?
Devotee: I can understand that it is
gold…
Swamiji: You understand?
Devotee: The intellect can understand
that I am…
Swamiji: Why do you say it is all gold
and not bangle? What is the argument
behind it?
Visitor: Well, he explained to us that
‘bangle’ is a name that we give to the
objects and the subject.
Swamiji: We have to deeply meditate on
this great truth that all these objects of the
world are only variations, formations of
a single substance, and, therefore, these
variations and forms and diversities are
not true. Gold has never become the
bangles; it is still gold only, looking a
little round. Similarly, the one substance
looks like the world because of the shape
it has taken through space and time. You
are also included in the various shapes
that it has taken. Therefore, neither you
exist nor the various forms exist. It is
one substance that exists. You should
not unnecessarily going on clinging to
the form of Mr. So-and-so and the form
of something else. It is like clinging to a
chain and a ring or a particular ornament,
forgetting that it is gold. It requires deep
meditation. Whatever you see with your
eyes, including your own self, actually is
a form of the one Universal Substance.
Therefore, when you think, actually
the Universal Substance is thinking.
You are not thinking; you are not doing
Karma 27

anything, nor are you moving from place to place. Nothing
is happening, really speaking. It is in the dream world of the
Cosmic Consciousness and, therefore, it is one thought that
is operating. The Universal Thought is thinking the whole
cosmos - which means to say, you are not thinking. The idea
that you are thinking must go away from your mind, because
you are included in that universal thought; therefore, you
are not thinking it. Rather, it is thinking you. Instead of you
thinking it, it is thinking you - the other way round. So, all
your thoughts should be melted down into one single universal
thought, and you should think nothing else but that. Then you
will find that what Brahmananda Swamiji said is correct. The
world will vanish; it won’t be there afterwards. But, deep
meditation along these lines should be carried on day and
night.
Devotee: Thank you, Guru Maharaj.
Other Devotee: According to the Panchadasi, avidya is the
cause of aviveka. What is the difference between the two of
them?
Swamiji: The unconsciousness of the existence of a Universal
Reality is called avidya, and the incapacity to distinguish
between the Universal Reality and the appearance of the world
is aviveka. You understand me? The unconsciousness of the
existence of the Universal Reality is avidya; the incapacity to
distinguish between the Universal Reality and the appearance
of the world is aviveka. Do you catch the point? Do you
understand what I say?
Other Devotee: Is avidya connected with avarana?
Karma 28
Swamiji: Yes, you can say that. It is something like that.
Devotee: What is the technical difference between Ishvara and
Saguna Brahman?
Swamiji: Ishvara is same as Saguna Brahman. There are three
stages of the manifestation of the Supreme Absolute, Brahman:
Ishvara, Hiranyagarbha and Virat. All these three stages -
Ishvara, Hiranyagarbha and Virat - are also called Ishvara
only, in one way. The total concept of the inclusiveness of
Ishvara, Hiranyagarbha and Virat is also called Ishvara, and it
is the same as Saguna Brahman. Qualified Absolute - it means
Qualified Absolute.
Other Devotee: From an absolute point of view there is no
creation, but from a relative point of view there is creation.
Do these theories of creation describe a temporal process; or
rather do they describe the logical structure of the degrees of
Reality?
Swamiji: It looks like a temporal process to the human mind
which thinks in terms of temporal process. Here you have your
great friend Immanuel Kant coming to your aid, who said that
the mind of the human being cannot think except in terms of
space and time and, therefore, every event is interpreted by
the human mind in terms of space and time, which means
the temporal process. Though that process might not be
temporal, the mind thinks it is temporal. God has not created a
temporal process, because God does not exist in time. Do you
understand? Therefore, you cannot say that God has created
the world as a temporal process. It is not a historical movement
that God has initiated. There is no history for God, because
that is in time and He is above time. It is a logical process
rather than a temporal historical process.
Devotee: How can you prove that perception is the movement
of the mind towards the object? How do you prove this
movement - that perception is the movement of the mind
towards the object?
Swamiji: I gave you that little book - you never read that book
- that Yoga, Meditation and Japa Sadhana book, which I give
to all people. The first part of it is only that - and you have not
read it. What I meant is, unless your consciousness contacts
the object, it cannot become aware of the object. And if the
object is different from consciousness in quality, consciousness
cannot know that there is an object. Therefore, the object of
consciousness cannot be totally outside consciousness. If it is
not outside consciousness, it should be within consciousness
and, therefore, it is a part of consciousness only. This is the
answer. Do you understand the point? Otherwise, you can’t
be aware that there is an object, if it is totally outside it. How
will you contact the object when it is totally different? What
is the link between object and consciousness? Therefore,
consciousness must have an inherent, implicit presence in the
object itself, which is another way of saying that the object
itself is a potential consciousness - concluding thereby that the
whole universe is consciousness. Do you catch the point?
Devotee: Yes. When the scriptures say that sound is transmitted
by ether and not by the air, how can we make it compatible
with the normal physical theory that sound travels through the
air?
Swamiji: Sound cannot travel without air. When the scriptures
say that sound travels through ether, they mean it travels
through air, which is in ether. That is the idea. Where air is
absent, sound cannot travel. That is the point.
Devotee: About the theory of karma. I think we cannot prove
that the things which happen to me in some particular moment
are due only to my own previous actions, because it is possible
that they are due to the other processes which are external to
me.
Swamiji: What are the other processes?
Devotee: For example, weather, or somebody comes here…
Swamiji: You see, again you are bringing in weather and all
that. Weather, etc., are objects of consciousness. And I told
you, you cannot have any connection with objects unless
your consciousness is implicit in them. So, we should not
say some external causes are troubling you. There are no
external causes. They are connected with your consciousness.
Therefore, they seem to be troubling you. So, there is no
external cause. The external cause, so called, is also implicit in
your consciousness. Otherwise, you won’t be affected by that.
If there is no connection at all between you and the weather, it
won’t affect you at all. It has connection with you, because it
is also an object, and every object is implicitly consciousness
- which means to say, it is connected with your consciousness
also and, therefore, there is action and reaction between
subject and object. That action and reaction between subject
and object is called karma. That is all. It is like the law of
gravitation. The whole universe is conditioning you because
of your consciousness being connected to everything in the
world. Every cell of the brain of a person is connected to every
atom in the cosmos; this is the modern theory of physics. Every
cell in your brain is connected to every part of the cosmos.
And so there is nothing with which you are not connected.
Hence, you are a cosmic man basically, wrongly thinking that
you are an individual person, and so this action and reaction
taking place between your wrong notion of the individuality
and the actual Absolute is the cause of this gravitational force,
which is morally or ethically called karma. It is like the law
of gravitation, which is operative between the individual and
the Absolute on account of the wrong notion of the individual
that it is separate from the Absolute.Karma will not act if you
are identical with the Absolute. Karma acts as long as you are
outside it. Do you understand? So, there is no karma for the
Absolute. And you also will not have any karma, provided
you are merged in the Absolute consciousness in your deep
meditation. All karmas will be destroyed in one minute. But
if you persist in thinking that “I am Mr. Francis and some
separate individual from the cosmos”, it will react upon you.
That reaction is called karma. That is the point.
Devotee: Yes, I understand.
Swamiji: What I am telling you just now is explained in a little
more detail in my book, The Philosophy of Religion, under a
section called The Theory of Karma.
Devotee: I am not convinced about the proofs of the theory
of rebirth
Swamiji: From where do you come - from New Jersey?
Devotee: This individual, this body of mine - what you call ‘I’.
Swamiji: Are you Dr. XXXXXXX?
Devotee: Yes. I am Dr. XXXXXXX?
Swamiji: From where have you come?
Devotee; As far as I know, there was a combination between
my father and mother - some biological thing.
Swamiji: Who compiled the biological elements into the form
of this human?
Dr.R: I don’t know - the biological laws.
Swamiji: Who created these laws? Why are the laws so bad
that they are creating human? They could have created some
angel. [laughter] Why are the laws operating so badly? You
would have certainly liked to be an angel and a god man
instead of a poor little suffering fellow. Why are the laws so
bad? Why they are operating in that way? Tell me. Who is
initiating it from behind? Without a cause, an effect cannot
follow. So you could not have come unless a cause operated.
Who is this cause? You cannot say laws, because who made
these laws?
F…: I think that this question may be… It is not possible to
ask this question…
Swamiji: I want to know who created these laws. Because you
want to know the cause of a thing, we are going to probe into
the cause. How did the effect follow from the cause, unless the
cause has some intention behind it?
Dr R: We can speak of causality inside the world.
Swamiji: Inside the world? There is no inside the world.
Again you are bringing the inside/outside business. In the
world there is no inside/outside; it is a total organism. In a
total organism, there is no inside/outside. The idea of inside/
outside arises because you have separated yourself from
the Universal. The moment you separate yourself from the
Karma 29

Universal, the Universal looks like an outside. But if you
are actually an organic part of the Universal, where is the
question of inside/outside? It is a total action taking place -
a total action. Actually, rebirth or birth, whatever you call it,
is only your desire. You want to be reborn; that is all. If you
don’t want to be reborn, you will not be reborn. If you say,
“I don’t want to be reborn. Why should I be reborn? I have
no business to be reborn. I have no desire for rebirth” - you
would entertain no desire at all for anything whatsoever; then,
why should you be reborn? The rebirth stops in one second.
But you want to be reborn. Your consciousness concentrates
itself in a particular fashion according to the laws, as you are
saying, and projects itself into that location. Consciousness
condensing itself, solidifying itself and becoming a form for
the purpose of fulfilling the existing desires is called rebirth.
Dr.R: But I still need proof…
Swamiji: How can I prove that you have got desires? What is
the proof?
Dr. R: I have desires, yes.
Swamiji: What is that proof that you have got desires? You
yourself are the proof. And you have to fulfill the desire. And
you cannot fulfill the desires in this birth, because they are so
many in numbers.
Dr R: But then maybe I will never…
Swamiji: You will never fulfill them? You will certainly fulfill
them. The law of the cosmos is such that every desire has to
be fulfilled.
Karma 30
Dr R: But if we have faith in… or we have faith in a possibility...
Swamiji: It has nothing to do with faith. It is a scientific law.
It is a scientific law of action and reaction. Even if you have
no faith that if you go to the top of a tree you will fall down,
you will certainly fall even if you have no faith. Why you want
faith? There is no question of faith here; it is an action between
you and the Universal. These problems will not arise if you
don’t persist in thinking that you are an individual outside
the Universal. You have created the problem unnecessarily
by thinking that you are outside, and then going on arguing
against the Universal.
Dr R: I think this state of consciousness of non-duality …
Swamiji: If there is not duality, where is rebirth? The question
doesn’t arise.
Dr R: I think this question of rebirth is of vyavaharika…
Swamiji: It is vyavaharika only. It is perfectly right. The
rebirth is vyavaharika and your existence as Mr. XXXX is
also a vyavaharika existence. Absolutely, you do not exist.
Absolutely, you exist as nothing. So, you have not been born.
Therefore, you will need not to be reborn. This is an illusion,
as this gentleman was talking about. But it is an illusion only
when you identify yourself with the Absolute. Otherwise, if
you are yourself convinced that you are outside it, all the laws
that operate in the universe will act against you because you
have contravened the law of the universal whole. That is all.
It is the law of evolution. Something evolved from matter
to plant, plant to animal, animal to human being. How can
one thing become another thing unless the previous stage has
ceased and the second stage has started? The starting of the
second stage is the rebirth of the first stage. What you call
evolution as the process in biological law is same as rebirth.
How can the higher form come unless the lower form has
gone? The lower form dies. That is, there is a mutation taking
place. And the mutation of the lower transforms itself into the
new form which is the higher form. That new form is what you
call the rebirth. What you call rebirth is nothing but the law
of evolution taking place, and evolution will not take place if
your consciousness is identical with the Absolute. The whole
evolution will cease in one second.
Dr.R; So then, there is some progress.
Swamiji: It is the progress of the Absolute.
Dr.R: Is there any purpose?
Swamiji: It is the cosmic purpose.
Dr.R: There will be some moment when this purpose is
fulfilled.
Swamiji: It will be fulfilled, and you will never see the universe
afterwards.
Dr.R: Not the universe, maybe…
Swamiji: You will never see the universe.
Dr.R: That happens in a new life?
Swamiji: The individual will not be there at that time. Then
why are you again saying individual? Again you are bringing
the individual.
Devotee: During the night of Brahman, it is timeless. Therefore,
it must exist in one moment, and there can be no temporal gap
between one day of Brahman and the next one.
Swamiji: There is no gap.
Dr.R: There is no gap between one day and the next one?
Swamiji: Where is the gap between day and night?
Dr.R: I mean between one day and the next day.
Swamiji: Where is the gap? We are also passing through one
day and the next day. Where is the gap? There is continuity.
No gap.
Dr. R: Is not deep sleep a temporal state also? So there is no
separation between my previous…
SWAMIJI: They are continuous. If they are separated
one from the other, then you cannot know that you are one
continuous person. The sleeping person, the dreaming person
and the waking person are one person; and if each state is
different from the other, there would be discontinuity of self-
identity. Inasmuch as self-identity is maintained in all the three
states, it shows that all the three states are continuous and are
not cut off one from the other. Otherwise, the sleeping man
would be different, the dreaming man will be another man,
and the waking man a third person. It does not happen. It is
one continuity.
Dr. R: The right eye is more active than the left one during
the day.
SWAMIJI: That’s what they say. As they say, the right hand
is more active than the left hand. This is a kind of usual
traditional belief. Perhaps it has some connection with the two
nadis operating, the solar and the lunar, the solar being more
powerful than the lunar, and maybe the right side is influenced
by the solar side, which is more powerful than the lunar side,
the left one.
Dr. R: About the idea of rebirth. I will give two arguments
- not against the idea but against its importance for spiritual
life. The idea of rebirth is not essential in spiritual life because
there have been many saints who did not believe in it.
Swamiji: Rebirth? If they don’t believe, you need not bother
about it. Why are you worried about them?
Dr. R: There are saints who attained this spiritual state, who
have different beliefs. So it is not essential.
Swamiji: A person who has reached the highest state will know
everything that is taking place in the cosmos. And rebirth is
one of the things that is taking place. Otherwise, he will not be
omniscient. Omniscience includes everything, and you cannot
say you don’t know something. You must know everything.
Otherwise, what is omniscience?
Dr. R: I think jivanmuktas are omniscient.
Swamiji: Jivanmukta also is a very lesser condition. There
is something higher than that - Cosmic-consciousness. It is
Universal-consciousness, even above jivanmukta. And they
must know everything - every atom - so there is nothing that
they cannot understand. They should not say they don’t know
something. That is not possible. They will know everything.
They can count how many hairs are there on the heads of all
the people in the world, such consciousness is there. They can
know how many leaves are there in all the forests in the world,
by direct perception.
Dr. R: If rebirth is true…
Swamiji: What is rebirth? It is a kind of transformation
taking place in the cosmos. Why are you using that
word ‘rebirth’? It is a transmutation taking place in
everything in the cosmos. Everybody has to undergo
that transmutation. And nobody could have become
jivanmukta unless he has undergone this transformation.
Otherwise, he would be a pig or a buffalo always.
How would the buffalo become a jivanmukta without
undergoing transformation? That is called rebirth, which
I mentioned to you earlier. The mutation of species for
the purpose of a higher state of consciousness is called
rebirth. Otherwise, how would you reach God? You
would be the same person forever, unless the mutation
takes place. It has to take place. I bless you all for a long
and happy comfortable life. To clarify your doubts on any
subject matter like this, to solve all your problems in a
spiritual manner as per the standards and specifications
of Atharva Veda, contact me @ USA Toll free 1-888-808-
1418/1-888-808-1428 or email me avtemple@aol.com
Karma 31
Karma 32
Karma 33
By Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar
A s the rarest of the rarest occasion, this year 2010 had two
Mahashivaratris. One was on February12th and the other
was on March 13th. Some temples celebrated February 12th
and some temples celebrated March 13th. But Swamiji Sri.
Selvam Siddhar ordered and directed the priests to celebrate
both the days. The following is the gist of the lecture delivered
by Swamiji Sri. Selvam Siddhar on March 13th.
Om Namashivaya. Dear Devotees,
We conceive God as glory, as creativity and as austerity.
Vishnu is glory and magnificence, Brahma is creativity force,
and Lord Shiva is austerity and renunciation. You might have
heard it said that God is the embodiment of six attributes of
which renunciation is one. You will be wondering how God can
renounce things. He is not a Sannyasi. He is not an ascetic like a
Vairagi or a Sadhu. What is He going to renounce? How do you
conceive Lord Shiva as an austere Yogi or a renunciate? What
does He renounce? The all-pervading Almighty, what has He to
give or abandon? Here is the secret of what renunciation is! It
is not renunciation of anything, because there is nothing outside
Him; renunciation does not mean abandonment of object. If that
had been the definition of renunciation, that cannot apply to God.
God does not renounce or abandon any object, because all objects
are a part of His Cosmic Body. Then how do you represent God
as an embodiment of Vairagya (dispassion)? Bhagavan, who is
endowed with ‘Bhaga’ or glories of a six fold nature, is also
embodiment of Vairagya. Do you identify Him with a Sannyasi,
possessing nothing? No, never. God is the possessor of all
things. Then, how can you call Him a renunciate, a Sannyasi or
a Vairagi? The secret behind the concept or the consciousness
of Vairagya, renunciation is here, in the identification of this
attribute with God. It is only when we interpret things in terms
of God that things become clear. Otherwise, we get confused.
We cannot know what goodness is, we cannot know what evil is,
we cannot know what virtue is, unless we refer all these values
of life to the concept of God in His Perfection. The only standard
of reference for us in all matters of life’s values is the existence
Karma 34
of God. So, the concept of renunciation, which has been very
much misused, also gets rectified, clarified and purified when
it is understood with reference to the existence of God whose
special manifestation, in this context, is known as Lord Shiva.
God does not renounce anything. Then, in that case what
is renunciation in this context? It is the freedom from the
consciousness of externality. This is called Vairagya. How can
you abandon things? All things are there in front of you, like
trees in a forest or stones in the jungle. There is nothing like
abandonment of things, because they are internally related to
you. Nobody can renounce anything, because everything in this
world is connected to everything else. Then what is Vairagya?
Vairagya is not renunciation of any object; it is impossible.
Everything clings to you. But the idea that things are outside you,
makes you get attached to them. This false attachment is Raga,
and its absence is Vi-raga. The condition of Vi-raga is Vairagya.
As God has no consciousness of externality, because everything
is embodied in Him, there cannot be a greater renunciate than
God. And in as much as this Consciousness of God is the highest
form of Wisdom, He is the repository of Jnana.
In our religious tradition, Lord Shiva is represented as an
aspect of God, the Almighty. He presents before us the ideal
of supreme renunciation born of Divine Realization - not
born of frustration, not born of an escapist attitude, not born
of defeatism, but born of an insight into the nature of things,
a clear understanding of the nature of life and the wisdom of
existence in its completeness. This is the source of Vairagya, or
renunciation. You do not want anything, not because you cannot
get things, but because you have realized the interconnectedness
of things and the unity of all purpose in consciousness. All
desires get hushed, sublimated and boiled down to the divine
being only when this realization comes. God does not possess
things. Possession is a relationship of one thing with another
thing. But, God is super-relative. That is why we call Him
the Absolute. He is not relative. Anything that is related to
something else comes under the category of relative. God is not
related to anything else, because He is All-comprehensive. And,
thus, in His all-comprehensive Absoluteness, which is height of
wisdom conceivable, there is also the concomitant character of
freedom from the consciousness of externality, and therefore,
as a corollary, freedom from attachment to anything. Thus Lord
Shiva is the height of austerity, Master Yogi, portrayed as seated
in a lotus pose, as the king of all ascetics; not that He has the
desire for self-control, but He is what self-control is itself. He
does not practice self-control. Self-control itself is symbolized
in the personality of Lord Shiva. Such a wondrous concept of
a glorious majestic picture of the Almighty, as Lord Shiva, is
before us for adoration during MahaShivaratri.
We observe fast during the day and vigil during the night. The
idea is that we control the senses, which represent the outgoing
tendency of our mind, symbolized in fasting, and we also control
the Tamasic inert condition of sleep to which we are subject every
day. When these two tendencies in us are overcome, we transcend
the conscious and the unconscious levels of our personality and
reach the super conscious level. While the waking condition
is the conscious level, sleep is the unconscious level. Both are
obstacles to God-realization. We are shifted from one condition
to another. We are shunted, as it were, from waking to sleep and
from sleep to waking, every day. But the super-conscious is not
known to us. The symbology of fast and vigil on Shivaratri is
significant of self-control; Rajas and Tamas are subdued, and
God, the Satwa is glorified. The glorification of God and the
control of the senses mean one and the same thing, because it
is only in God-consciousness that all senses can be controlled.
When you see God, the senses melt like butter melting before
fire. They cannot exist any more. All the ornaments become the
solid mass of gold when they are heated to the boiling point.
Likewise, in the furnace of God-consciousness, the sense-
energies melt into a continuum of universality.
has a tremendous meaning. The Vedas, the Mantras of the Vedas,
are filled with such threefold or fourfold meaning. Hence it is
difficult to understand the full meaning of any Mantra of the
Veda. “Ananta vai vedah”: Infinite is the meaning of the Vedas.
The meaning of the Vedas is infinite. It has no end at all. It is
mathematics; it is chemistry; it is physics; it is Ayurveda; it is
psychology; it is metaphysics; it is philosophy; it is spirituality;
it is meditation; it is love; it is ecstasy. You will find everything
in every Mantra of the Veda. All depends upon how you look
upon it, how you feel it. A person may be a father, a brother,
a son, a friend, a husband and so on but all the while he is one
and the same person. Attitudes are different on account of the
various relationships. So the Rudra Adhyaya before us is a
majestic prayer for world peace, international peace, subjective
peace, universal peace and God-consciousness.
It is difficult to chant this Veda Mantra called the Satarudriya,
because it requires training - as in music, for example. Everybody
cannot sing. It requires tremendous training for years together.
Likewise, the chanting of the Mantras of the Veda requires
training for years together and not for a few days only. Just as
one who does not know how to sing will make a jarring noise
and you will like to get up and go away rather than listen to it,
so also when you chant the Mantra wrongly, the gods will get up
and go away. They will not bear it any more. Hence, it requires
training. But once it is properly learnt, it becomes a protection
for you from catastrophes of every kind - physical, psychological
and what not. So, those who know may chant it, recite it and take
part in the recitation of it every day in the temple, at least during
the worship on MahaShivaratri.

In the famous Rudra-Adhyaya or the Satarudriya of the Yajur

Veda, we have a majestic, universalized description of Lord
Shiva, a chant which we are accustomed to every day in the
temple. Only those who know what Sanskrit is, what the Vedas
are and what worship is, can appreciate what this Satarudriya
chant is. It is one of the most powerful prayers ever conceived
by the human mind. It is filled with a threefold meaning.
According to the Indian Hindu culture, everything is threefold
- objective, subjective and universal. Everything in the world,
from the smallest to the biggest, has an objective character, a
subjective character and a universal character. Objectively you
are something, subjectively you are another thing and universally
you are a third thing. It all depends upon the point of view from
which you interpret a particular thing, person or object. When
you objectively interpret a thing, it looks like one thing; when
you subjectively analyze it, it is another thing; and from the
universal point of view, it is a third something altogether.

Likewise, this Mantra, the Satarudriya of the Yajur Veda, a hymn

to Lord Shiva, has an objective meaning, a subjective meaning
and a divine, supreme, supra-mental, universal meaning.
Objectively, it is a prayer for the control of the forces of nature.
Subjectively, it is a prayer for self-control and the rousing of
the spiritual consciousness. Universally, it is a surge of the soul
towards God realization. It has an Adhiyajnika, Adhibhautika,
Adhidaivika and Adhyatmika meaning, as we usually put it. It
Karma 35
Those who cannot do this because it
is difficult, can chant the Mantra ‘Om
Namah Shivaya’, the Panchakshara
Mantra of Lord Shiva with Om preceding
it. It is a Kavacha, a kind of amour that
you put on. This amour will protect you
from danger of every kind. It will protect
you and also all those whom you want to
be protected. It will protect your family;
it will protect your country of birth and
the country where you live; it will protect
the entire universe. It can cease wars and
tensions of every kind, provided you
offer the prayers wholeheartedly from the
bottom of your heart. Collective prayer is
very effective. If a hundred persons join
together and pray, it will have a greater
effect than one person praying. Of course,
if that single person is very powerful,
even one person’s prayer is all right.
But where personalities have their own
weaknesses and foibles, it is better that
people have congregational prayer. When
all the minds are put together they form a
great energy. It surges forth into God.
So, during this holy day of aha Shivaratri,
prayer is to be offered to Lord Shiva as
the Master of Yogis, as the incarnation of
all virtues and powers, as a facet of the
Almighty Lord. The glory of Lord Shiva is
sung in the Shiva Purana, in the Yajur Veda
Rudra Adhyaya, as I mentioned, and in the
Mahabharata. You will be wonderstruck
at the force with which Vyasa and other
sages sing the glories of God - of Vishnu,
of Narayana, of Lord Shiva, of Devi in
the various Puranas and epics - because
these masterpieces have been written
by those who had the vision of God.
Only one who has the vision of God can
express with a soulful force. Otherwise,
it will be an empty sound without much
significance and thought. So, chant the
Mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ as many
times as possible every day, mentally or
even verbally as is convenient, with self
control - which means to say, without any
thought of sense-object. If you chant the
Mantra together with the thought of sense-
objects, then there is divided devotion. It
is like dividing the course of a river in
two different directions so that the force
of the water gets lessened. Suppose you
have five sense-objects, and towards all
of them your senses are running, and you
are thinking of God also at the same time
- then energy is divided, concentration
Karma 36
becomes weak and meditation is not soul, fully trusting on the might of God,
successful. No meditation will become wanting nothing from the objects of sense,
successful if the senses are active, because and delighted within that the Kingdom of
the senses oppose the effort at meditation. Heaven is at hand. God is bound to come.
While meditation is the collective force The powers of the cosmos are everywhere
of the mind concentrating itself on God- and they can be invoked at any time by us,
consciousness, the senses, when they provided we are strong enough in our will
are active, do the opposite of meditation and in the method of invocation. We are
and you become a tremendous extrovert. blessed because we live in the Kingdom
You are connected to the objects of sense of God. We are blessed because we are
rather than the universal concept which is seekers of Truth. We are blessed because
God. God is unity, whereas sense objects we are disciples of a great Master. We are
are multiplicity. They are the opposite of blessed, for multiple times because we are
what you are aiming at in your spiritual seeking God who also seeks everything in
life. this creation. God seeks the world and the
With moderate behavior in every manner
in your spiritual life, you will attain
success. As the Bhagavad-Gita beautifully
puts it, “Moderate in your eating,
moderate in your activity, moderate in
your speech, moderate in your sleep” -
form the golden mean, the via-media,
the golden path. God is the harmony of
all powers in the universe. Harmony
means the middle course - neither this
extreme nor that extreme. You cannot say
whether it is or it is not. We do not know
what it is. As Buddha said, “’Nothing
is’, is one extreme; ‘everything is’, is
another extreme. God is in the middle.
Truth is in the middle.” So, the middle
path is the best path, which is the path of
austerity with understanding. This is the
characteristic of the middle path. When
there is understanding without austerity, it
is useless. When there is austerity without
understanding that is also useless. There
must be austerity with understanding and
understanding with austerity, knowledge
with self-control and self-control with
knowledge; that is wisdom. Knowledge
with self-control is called wisdom,
whereas knowledge without self-control
is mere dry intellectuality. That is of no
use. And austerity without understanding
is a kind of foolishness. It will have no
proper result.
Lord Shiva is not merely an austere Being
but also a repository of Knowledge. All world seeks God. This is the mystery of
worshippers of knowledge also worship creation, the subtlety of the spiritual path
Lord Shiva, as He is the God of all and the glory of the meditative life. Jnana
students, scholars and seekers of wisdom and Vairagya combined is Lord Shiva,
and knowledge. Thus, MahaShivaratri who is worshipped on MahaShivaratri
day is a very blessed divine opportunity day.
for us. So on this day, pray to Lord
Shiva with all your heart, with all your
Lord Shiva is easily pleased. He is called
Asu Santhoshi. Asu Santhoshi means
‘easily pleased’. He is not a difficult
Person. You can quickly please Lord
Shiva. If you call Him, He will come.
Sometimes He is also called ‘Bhole Baba’
- a very simple, not complicated Person.
He comes to help you, even unasked.
He helped the Pandavas. The Pandava
brothers were in war with the Kauravas
in the Mahabharata battle, and Lord Shiva
helped them without their knowing that
the help was being offered. Lord Shiva
helped the Pandavas invisibly and why
would He not help us? He helps all those
who tread the righteous path. So let us
tread the path of righteousness and be
recipients of Divine Grace.
We may look at the whole thing from
another angle of vision. The Sanskrit word
“Shivaratri” means “the night of Lord
Shiva”. On this holy day we have to fast
during the day and keep vigil during the
night. You may be wondering why Lord
Shiva is connected with the night and not
with the day - otherwise we could observe
vigil during daytime and fast during the
night. Instead of that, why has the whole
thing been put topsy-turvy? Shiva being
connected with night has a highly spiritual
and mystical connotation. It is not that
divinity as manifest in the form of Lord
Shiva has any special connection with the
period we call night. If you study deeply
the Upanishads and such mystical texts of
high spiritual significance, you will realize
that the Supreme Being, the Absolute,
is designated in its primordial condition
as a Supreme Darkness due to excess of
light. This adjective or qualification “due
to excess of light” must be added. It is
darkness because of the excess of light.
When you look at the sun directly for a
few minutes and then look elsewhere,
you will see only darkness. The sun has
dazzled you to such an extent that all
else appears as darkness. It is said in the
Mahabharata that when Lord Sri Krishna
showed the Cosmic Form in the court of
the Kauravas, everything was dark, as it
were. The intensity of the light was such
that it looked like darkness to the eyes
of man. In one of the famous creation-
hymns of the Rig-Veda we have a similar
reference made to the original condition
of creation. There is the hymn of the Veda
called the Nasadiya Sukta, wherein it is
said, “Tama asit tamasa gudhamagre”:
Darkness there was; at first concealed
in darkness. According to us, light is
perception of objects, and therefore
non-perception of objects is regarded
by us as night, because knowledge or
consciousness unrelated to the perceptual
process is unknown to the human mind.
Generally, to know is to know an object;
and if it is not to know an object, it is not
to know anything at all. For example,
take the state of deep sleep. Why do we
fall asleep? Do you know the reason?
What is the cause for our going to sleep
every night? Where is the necessity?
The necessity is psychological and, to
some extent, highly metaphysical. The
senses cannot always continue perceiving
objects, because perception is a fatiguing
process. The whole body, the whole
nervous system, the entire psychological
apparatus becomes active in the process
of the perception of objects. Without our
knowing what is happening, the senses get
tired. They cannot go on contemplating
things all twenty-four hours of the day.
Why should they not be contemplating
objects of sense throughout the day, all
twenty-four hours of the day? The reason
is that perception is an unnatural process
from the point of view of consciousness
as such. Perception of an object is the
alienation of an aspect of our personality
through the avenue of a particular sense
in respect of its object. All this is difficult
for many to grasp. This is a highly
psychological secret. Consciousness
is indivisible. This is a simple fact.
Many of you would have heard about
it. Consciousness is undivided; it is
incapable of division into parts. So it
cannot be cut into two sections - subject
and object. On the basis of this fact there
cannot be a division between the seer and
the seen in the process of perception. To
make this clear, let us see what happens
in dream.
In dream we see objects like mountains,
rivers, persons, etc. But they are not
there. Things which are not there become
visible in dream. Now, did the mountain
you saw in dream exist? It did not. But did
you see it? Yes, you saw it. How did you
see, when it was not there? Is it possible to
see a non-existent object? How can non-
existent things be seen? It is contradictory
statement to say that non-existent things
can be seen. What do you see when things
are not there? You will be wonderstruck!
What happens in dream is that there is an
alienation of the mind into the objects of
perception; and the mind itself becomes
the mountain there. There is tension
created due to the separation of a part of
the mind into the object and a part of it
existing as the perceiving subject. That is
why we are restless in dream. We cannot
be happy. It is neither waking nor it is
sleep. It is very difficult to be happy in
this condition because a tense situation of
consciousness is created. What happened
in dream, the same happens to us in the
waking condition also. Just as the mind in
dream divided itself into two sections - the
perceiving subject and the object that was
seen - in the waking state also, it divides
itself into the subject and object. It is like
a divided personality. It is as if your own
personality has been cut into two halves,
Karma 37

of which one half is the ‘seer’ and the
other half is the ‘seen’. It is as if one part
of your personality gazes at another part
of your own personality. You are looking
at your own self as if you are a different
person. You are objectifying yourself; you
alienate yourself. What can be more false
and undesirable than this situation? It is a
mental sickness.
Now you are able to understand this
situation in dream on account of the
comparison that you make between
waking and dream. When you wake up,
you do not see the dreamt objects, and
then you begin to analyze the condition
in which you were when you were
dreaming. You say when you are awake,
that you are in a world of reality, whereas
in dream you were in a world of unreality.
How do you know that the world of
dream was a world of unreality? It is
merely because you compare it with the
waking condition which you consider as
real. How do you know that the world of
waking is real? You cannot say anything
about this, because there is nothing with
which you can compare it, as you did in
the case of the dream. If you can know
another standard of reference, higher
than the waking condition, you would
have been able to make a judgment of
it - whether the waking condition is real
or unreal, good or bad and so on. When
you are dreaming, you do not know that
the objects are unreal. You consider
them as real and you take it for granted.
The comparison between the dream and
the waking world is responsible for our
Karma 38
waking. When you do not perceive it, it
is darkness. Now in the waking condition
- the so-called waking world - you see
present before you a world of objects, as
you are intelligent. In dream also there is
a sort of intelligence. But in deep sleep
there is no intelligence. What happens?
The senses and the intellect withdraw
themselves into their source. There is no
perceptional activity, and so the absence
of perception is equated to the presence of
darkness. The cosmic ancient condition of
the creative will of God, before creation -
a state appearing like darkness, or night -
is what we call the condition of Shiva. It is
very important to remember that the state
of Lord Shiva is the primordial condition
of the creative will of God, where there
is no externality of perception, there
being nothing outside God; and so, for
judgment of the unreality of the dream
us, it is like darkness or night. It is Lord
world. But with what will you compare
Shiva’s night - Shivaratri. For Him it is
the waking world? There is at present
not night. It is all light. Lord Shiva is not
nothing to compare it with, and therefore
sitting in darkness. The Creative Will
you are in a condition which is self-
of God is Omniscience, Omnipotence,
sufficient, self-complacent and incapable
Omnipresence - all combined. Sometimes
of rectification.
we designate this condition as Isvara.
When you feel that you are perfectly
The Supreme Absolute, which is
right, nobody can teach you. Nobody can
indeterminable, when it is associated
set you right, because you think that you
with the Creative Will with a tendency to
are right. The question of teaching arises
create the Cosmos, is Isvara in Vedantic
only when you feel that you are ignorant
parlance and Lord Shiva in Puranic
and you need teaching. The waking world
terminology. This is the very precise
is only an indication as to what could be
condition described in the Nasadiya Sukta
happening or what is perhaps happening.
of the Veda as Tamas or darkness. This is,
You cannot know what is happening
to repeat again, darkness due to the excess
actually, unless you transcend this
of the Light of the divine Absolute. If you
condition, which you have not done yet.
look at God, what will you see? You will
But, by the conclusion that you can draw
see nothing. The eyes cannot see Him
from an analysis of the dream condition,
because He is such dazzling light. When
you can conclude to some extent that in
the frequency of light gets intensified
the waking state also you are in a fool’s
to a very high level, light will not be
paradise. What is the guarantee that you
seen by the eyes. When the frequency is
will not wake up again from this waking
lowered and comes down to the level of
world, into something else? Just as in
the structure of the retina of the eye, only
dream you did not know that you were
then you can see light. There are various
dreaming, in this waking also you do
kinds of lights, various intensities or
not know that you are in a state similar
frequencies, and the higher frequencies
to dream. You think that this world in
are incapable of cognizance by the senses
waking is a hard fact and a solid reality,
on account of their structural deformity.
just as you believed the world of dream
So if you see God, you will see nothing.
also to be real. To the senses an absence
of perception is equal to darkness - the
As a matter of fact, we are seeing God
darkness that we experience in deep sleep.
even now. But we are not able to recognize
Him. The world that we see before us is
Let us come back to the subject of
God Himself. There is no such thing as
Shivaratri, the night of Lord Shiva.
the world. The world does not exist. It is
When you perceive an object, you call it
only a name that we have given to the Supreme Being. Who meditation, as much as possible within
asked you to call it a world? Why do you give such a name? You our capacity. We have the whole of
yourself have given it a name and say, “Oh, this is the world!” the night at our disposal. We
You can call it by another name. You are free to give any name can do Japa or we can do the
to it. Really there is no such thing as a world. It does not exist. chanting of the Mantra, “Om
The world is only a name that you give to a distortion created in Namah Shivaya”. We can
the perception of your consciousness due to its isolation into the also meditate. It is a period
subject and the object. of Sadhana. Functions
like MahaShivaratri,
To come back to the analogy of dream again, the mountain that R a m a n a v a m i ,
you saw in dream was not a mountain; it was only consciousness. Janmashtami,
There was no mountain. But it looked like a hard something Navaratri and
in front of you, against which you could hit your dream head. many like
You see buildings in dream. It was consciousness that projected these are not
itself into the hard substance of bricks and buildings, mountains functions in
and rivers, persons and animals, etc., in dream. The world of the sense
dream does not exist. You know it very well, and yet it appears. of festoons
What is it that appears? The consciousness itself projects itself a n d
outwardly; in space and time created by itself, and then you celebrations
call it a world. Likewise, in the waking state also the Cosmic for the
Consciousness has projected itself into this world. The world satisfaction
is Cosmic Consciousness. The Supreme Divinity Himself is of the human
revealed here in the form of this world. As the dream world is mind and soul.
nothing but consciousness, the waking world also is nothing but They are functions
consciousness, God. This is the essence of the whole matter. So of the Spirit; they
you are seeing God. I am right in saying that. What you see in are celebrations of the
front of you is God only. It is not a building. There is no such Spirit. In as much as
thing as a building. But you call it a building due to an error we are unable to think
of perception, due to ignorance and due to not being able to of God throughout the
analyze the situation in which you are involved. We are caught day, for all the 365
up in a mess, in a paradox, in confusion; and the confusion has days of the year, such
entered us, entered into the bones, as it were, into the very fiber occasions is created
of our being and made us the fools that we are today. It is to so that at least
awaken ourselves from this ignorance and to come to a state periodically we may
of that supreme blessedness of the recognition of God in this recall to our memory
very world, that we practice Sadhana. The highest of Sadhanas our original destiny,
is meditation on God. our Divine Abode.
The glory of God is
On Maha Shivaratri, therefore, you are supposed to contemplate displayed before us
God as the creator of the world, as the Supreme Being unknown to in the form of these
the Creative Will, in that primordial condition of non-objectivity spiritual occasions.
which is the darkness of Lord Shiva. In the Bhagavad-Gita there Let us chant “Om
is a similar verse which has some sort of a resemblance to this Namashivaya” and get
situation. That, which is night to the ignorant, is day to the wise; the complete blessings
and that which is day to the wise, is night to the ignorant. The of Lord Shiva for a
ignorant feel the world as daylight and a brightly illumined comfortable life.
objective something; and that does not exist for a wise person.
The wise see God in all His effulgence; and that does not exist
for the ignorant. While the wise see God, the ignorant do not
see Him; and while the ignorant see the world, the wise do not
see it. That is the meaning of this verse in the second chapter
of the Gita. When we see sunlight, the owl does not see it. That
is the difference. The owl cannot see the sun, but we can. So,
we are owls, because we do not see the self-effulgent sun - Om Nama Shivaya!!
the Pure Consciousness. And he who sees this sun - the Pure Om Nama Shivaya!!
Consciousness, God - is the sage, the illumined adept in Yoga. Om Nama Shivaya!!
MahaShivaratri is a blessed occasion for all to practice self-
restraint, self-control, contemplation, Svadhyaya, Japa and

Karma 39
by Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar
(Swamiji’s speech on March 2010 in one of the Satsang/ Discourse)
I take it that this is a spiritual group. Am I right? It is a spiritual
group. Am I right or not? Here is the essential point. Nowadays,
anything and everything goes by the name of spirituality, but it is
a great secret, which always escapes the notice of even a careful
attentive mind.
When you go anywhere, you carry your belongings, your
luggage, and your property for the itinerary. These are the visible
accompaniments of your travel, but there are certain things which
follow you wherever you go, and they follow without you knowing
that you are being pursued by them. These things which invariably
are associated with you, day in and day out, right from your birth
till the end of life, are those things about which you know nothing,
and which you never think in your mind at any time. What are
these?
When you move, you carry with you all those things which are
vitally connected with you. That which does anything, or moves
from place to place, is the person that moves. Now, the person is
not the physical body that moves. Your mental structure is what
you really are. You carry memories, for instance. Memories are
not characteristics of the body. You have loves and hatreds, fears
and anxieties, expectations, and many other characteristics which
go with you wherever you go. You cannot throw your sorrow
somewhere into the jungle, and then go on a travel. The sorrow
will pursue you, and your joys also will come with you.
There is what is known as environment, very much emphasised
these days by environmentalists. You carry with you, wherever
you go, the environment in which you are placed. Like a shirt that
you put on, the environment always comes with you, and you must
know what that environment is.
As an individual, as a person that you are, you are a conglomeration
of feelings, determinations, and decisions. Every person is a
psychological entity. Sometimes we look like psychophysical
individuals, inasmuch as the body cannot totally be dissociated
from the operations of the mind. But, truly speaking, our fortune
is not in the conditions of the body; it is in the conditions of our
mind.
You not only belong to your own self, but you belong to a large
area of human society. It is not possible for any individual to
totally dissociate oneself from social associations or social
conditions. You know very well how much dependent anyone is
on the structure of human society. No individual is complete by
one’s own self. There are things which you can give to others,
which others lack and do not have; but there are things which you
would like to take from others, which you lack but others have.
Farmers produce wheat, rice, and sugarcane, and shopkeepers
Karma 40
move the commodity from place to place for distributing it in the
proper manner. Some produce things; some consume things. There
is a mutual agreement and understanding between the process of
production and consumption, which is one of the characteristics of
human society. You cannot yourself till the land, grow harvest, and
carry wheat bags with you; and your own self must cook and eat.
You require associations from outside.
Not only that, apart from these visible characteristics of social
relation, there are unavoidable relations which we maintain;
namely, we feel within ourselves that we cannot exist unless we
belong to society. We form, generally, small societies for the sake
of our security, like family. Family is also a society. It may be of
two or three persons. The cooperative coming together of these
three or four persons called the family gives security to this group.
The family is secure. A single person, totally independent, sitting
in the wilderness, cannot feel that one is secure, because the winds
of society will blow over the head in any manner.
But even a family cannot be secure unless it has the sanction of
protection from a wider atmosphere, which is a larger society. You
may call it the nation, or the country. The whole country and the
national law protects you, takes care of you. The family cannot be
secure if the nation is in danger. Even a nation is not fully secure
if the international setup is not well balanced. Nowadays, the
world situation affects even little families. The whole world has
become one family now, so social associations extend up to the
farthest corner of the earth, though we do not think deeply along
these lines. None of us feels the necessity to think that we are
existing here comfortably because of stable international relations.
Theoretically, we may accept this fact, but we do not think that it is
essential for us to go on worrying about this. How is it that we take
this for granted? A tumult in international relations, which may
be of great consequence, will affect every individual in the whole
world, and how it will affect us is up to anyone to think for oneself.
The whole world is with you, and you carry it with you wherever
you go. Wherever you go, you are in human society. Wherever you
go, you are conditioned by these unavoidable associations with the
external setup of social relation, even up to the limit of the United
Nations. You have a vital connection with the United Nations. You
may say, “What connection have I got? I am a simple individual
sitting here. Let them do what they like.” No, it is not like that.
“Let them do what they like” is not correct, because if they do
anything which is untoward, this may affect the whole ground of
the earth, and as a wise person, you know what it is all about.
This is to say, you carry social relations wherever you go, up to the
farthest limit of possibility, and you cannot ignore your obligation
to society, inasmuch as the society is also giving you a helping
hand in seeing to it that you are safe. Society supplies what your
needs are. It gives security in the form of a government, and it
produces commodities which you require. The foodstuffs, the
clothing, and other facilities that you need come from sources
which are outside the physical periphery of your personality.
You are a world individual in one sense. You are not a citizen
of one place; you are a citizen of the whole world, if you think
over this matter carefully. You belong to the whole world, and the
world, in its gesture of goodwill and cooperation, has embraced
you and taken you into its bosom. If that had not been the case, you
would not have been here breathing the fresh air comfortably. You
would be disturbed every moment about what is going to happen
outside. You feel that everything is all right; nothing will happen,
because of the stability of human society throughout the world.
These associations which are inscrutable in their nature and not
visible to the physical eye, always escaping the notice of even the
greatest power of introspection, do exist.
So, the first thing to remember is that you are a social unit, apart
from being a citizen of a particular country. Your belonging to the
worldwide organisation of society is a more consequential relation
than your belonging to a single country which gives you a passport
or a visa. Human society is larger than a country and a particular
nation, and that is with you wherever you go.
But, does anybody think like this? “I am a carefree individual.
What does it matter? I go wherever I like.” You cannot go like that.
You cannot go wherever you like. You can go only on the surface
of the earth, in the midst of society. This is possible only if the air
that is outside, the atmosphere external to you, is cooperative and
friendly. You cannot even walk on the road unless the atmosphere
of the road is cooperative. Suppose there is fear on the road; then,
you cannot walk on the road. But you know that everything is all
right. You can walk from here to Delhi without any kind of anxiety
because society is so well knit together in a cooperative gesture of
indivisibility. You are safe. Socially, you are safe because of the
mutual cooperation.
So, in this context you will realise that selfishness is rooted out
completely. No person can be selfish. “I mind my business, you
mind your business.” This kind of thing will not work in this
world. You have no business of your own, even as nobody else has
a business of his or her own. It is a total business of a world family,
to which we belong.
This is to tell you one aspect of that which you carry with you
wherever you go. This is also a commodity that you carry - your
social relations. But there is another thing which is deeper than
this - namely, you carry your relationship with the whole of nature.
Nature includes anything and everything that this physical world
is. This very earth supports you. I mentioned society supports you.
Now I am telling you the earth is supporting you. There are five
constitutive elements in physical nature - earth, water, fire, air,
and ether. Ether or space gives us accommodation. What we call
accommodation is nothing but availability of space, and that space
is everywhere. You do not like a narrow, congested little area of
space for you to exist; you would like to have a wide area.
The physical body cannot continue to live unless it is fed with
the elements produced by the earth which you call diet - food,
for instance. The food that is necessary to maintain this body
comes from the production of essences of the earth itself. The
physical body is made up of earth principle, so it requires to be
plastered every day by that which comes from the earth. The earth
is supporting itself. The body is a part of the physical earth, and
it cannot continue independently without a relationship with the
vast earth.
We require water to drink. Suppose there is no water; what will
happen? We do not manufacture water. Even food we cannot
manufacture, as we think it is. The earth has to permit the growth
of foodstuff. It simply can withdraw its essences and there can be
drought and dryness everywhere. The sun can heat up the whole
earth, and there would be no food to eat, and no water to drink. The
elements are our friends.
We said human beings are our friends; all right, agreed. Now we
come to another thing: the elements are our friends. The earth can
shake, simply; but it does not shake. Why should it not? It can
simply blow up the ground if it wants, and what happens at that
time? We call it an earthquake. We are sure that the earth, the dear
mother of ours, on whose bosom we are sitting and walking, will
not do such a thing. We have a faith that the earth underground will
not break today. This is a faith, without any reason behind it. Faith
has no reason. Why should such a faith be there, that the earth will
not break? But we have faith: “No, no. It will not take place. The
sun will rise every day.” Why should the sun rise every day? Have
we any control over that phenomenon? Let the sun not rise for a
day and see what happens. All life will perish with cold.
You do not have to manufacture fresh air. Are you paying tax for
the air that you get from outside? It is a gesture of God. Let there
be no air. Can you manufacture air by any amount of money that
you have? The earth gives you free food. Water is given to you
freely; air is given you freely. Sunlight is free. What a wonder! All
essentials are coming to you freely. What is man-made has to be
purchased by a recompense of payment, but what God has made
comes to you totally free. Suppose you have to pay a tax for the
air that you breathe, or sunlight. What will happen? This is the
bounty of nature.
In the same way as we have to be perpetually aligned to the
requirement of the international social setup, we have also to be
perpetually in harmony with natural conditions. We cannot violate
the laws of nature. You must know, as educated persons, what
the laws of nature are. You cannot insult nature in any way. You
cannot spit at the sun and condemn air, or criticise water, or hate
fire. No, you should not say like that. They are divinities. God
operates not only in the form of an indivisible social setup for the
sustenance of our life; He also operates as nature. Philosophers tell
us that the world is the body of God. When God created the world,
He did not create human beings first. He created the elements only.
Read the bible, the Upanishads, or the Gita. Whatever you read,
you will find that man and woman were not created first; they are
latecomers. These latecomers are now becoming so proud that
they think they are the masters of the whole creation. This is a
very great tragedy.
Karma 41
Karma 42
Karma 43
SHAKTI AND ITS YOGA
Visitor: What is Shakti? How does it
work?
Swamiji: What is Shakti? Which Shakti?
First of all you tell me what you mean by
Shakti?
Visitor: Well, Shakti like creature power;
Shakti like the Divine Mother.
Swamiji: It works everywhere and
in everything, and everything is its
manifestation. It is cosmic energy. And
everything is constituted of that. Do you
know what the latest modern scientific
discoveries say? They say that every
material object - looking apparently
material - is nothing but a formation of
cosmic energy. Everything including, your
own body, is made up of that one energy,
Shakti - which means energy, power,
force, etc. It is the stuff of everything,
right from earth to heaven. There is
nothing else except that. And the more
you are able to participate in its working,
the more strength you derive. Shakti is not
merely physical; it is also psychological,
and even spiritual. But you must know
how to participate in its working. That
means you have to transcend your ego
and also, to some extent, your personality
and your individuality. Because the
cosmic substance is all-pervading, it is not
affiliated to some particular individual. So
to participate in the universal substance
Karma 44
means to get over the limitations of
personality - that is, to transcend it. What
else do you want to know? What is your
question?
Visitor: Is the Shakti connected with the
feminine quality?
Swamiji: No, no! It is not connected
with any quality, because it has no such
distinction as masculine or feminine. It
is a universal, impersonal force. It may
split itself into various shapes, into not
only into feminine and masculine but
also into matter - the animate and the
inanimate, etc. This is an issue of animate
and inanimate. Even that is the creation of
the ways of human perception. It has no
such distinctions in itself , but it looks as
if there is distinction when you look at it
from your point of view. It is not male or
female; it is impersonal. It is androgynous.
Do you know what androgynous means?
Visitor: Yes!
Swamiji: It is that.
Visitor: It works also in the individuality.
Swamiji: It works also in the individuality;
it works everywhere. In every atom of
the world, it is working. It alone exists
through all that appears as substances.
But it looks to your empirical perception
as if it is divided, whereas it is cosmically
integrated.
Visitor: There are such things as positive
and negative forces. Can the male and
female be regarded as such?
Swamiji: This would be a very gross
and crude form of expressing the two
forces, positive and negative. These two
forces of electricity, for instance, are not
called feminine and masculine. That is a
very peculiar human way of looking at
things. They are two electric couplings
- neutral forces. One becomes complete
by combination with the other. They
appear to be different on account of the
manifestation of the space-time causal
relationship. There are further distinctions,
such as male-female, positive-negative,
etc. But in what people nowadays call
the fourth dimension, there is no such
distinction of positivity and negativity.
The split of positive and negative, male
and female, arises after space and time
have been divided. So what you say in
this context is correct. But everything is
contained in the fourth dimension, and
the uniformity of the continuum in its
essentiality has no division within itself.
There’s a difference between the head and
the legs, for instance. You have a head
and you have legs. Though you can’t say
either that one is the same as the other,
you don’t feel the difference. You feel it is
one whole, one living mass or personality
extending from head to foot. You don’t see
the distinction from one part to another
part of the body. Likewise, the energy
does not see the difference that the mind
sees. It is one mass, in which everything
is comprehended: Pure Awareness.
Visitor: Then why are we not aware of
this?
Swamiji: We are not aware of this because
we are cut off from the source. This is
what is called the fall of Adam and Eve
from the Garden of Eden.
Visitor: What is the meaning of yoga,
please?
Swamiji: The meaning is the realization of the mistaken notion
of the isolation of the individual from the cosmic, your feeling
that you are cut off from the world. You feel that you are outside
things, isn’t it? There are so many things like the sun, the moon,
the stars, etc., and you feel they aren’t connected with you. But
it is not true; you are connected with them. The solar rays and
the cosmic rays constitute the substance of your body itself. But
you feel that you aren’t connected. This is your mistake. Your
mind is not so made as to appreciate the connection of your
existence with other things. This is the inability of the mind to
think correctly. That is your problem. And the practice of yoga
is nothing but a gradual process of self-identification with the
different levels of reality, until gradually you identify yourself
with that to which you originally belonged. It is a great art, a
tremendous, life-long process - life-long, not a question of a few
days and months. And you exist only for this purpose, and have
no other duty in life. Every other duty is only for this purpose.
What can you do in this world is a step in the achievement of
this purpose.
automatically outgrown your limitations. When you know, you
can go up higher and further to this level, and you have to some
extent known what is above you. When you know the limit of
a thing, you also have an idea of what is outside that limit. So
when your intellect has reached its farther limits of logic and
understanding, you would get a flash from the higher level. And
then the soul acts and the intellect stops.
Visitor: What happens to your own personality afterwards?
Swamiji: It all just goes afterwards. It will not exist then. You
will become something different. You will become a larger
personality and not an individual personality. You become
inclusive of all other factors in you. That is what is called a
superman. You must have heard of superbeings. A superman is
nothing but a higher being in whose personality the existence of
the other personality is subsumed. He is a larger individuality
with greater dimensions, tending towards a still higher
realisation, stage by stage.

Visitor: So yoga is connecting the individual reality with the Visitor: What is the difference between Jnana Shakti and
Cosmic Reality? Kundalini Shakti?

Swamiji: Yes, yes; right, right!
Visitor: Have you to use the mind too . . . .
Swamiji: In the beginning, you’ve to use nothing else; you have
no other faculty. In the beginning, the only faculty you have is
the mind and the intellect. But later on, there is no need for you
to use the mind and intellect; the soul itself will act. Your soul is
your total personality. It is not working always. Generally only a
partial part of your total personality works.
Swamiji: Kundalini Shakti is everything. Jnana Shakti is
knowledge. Jnana is a Sanskrit word; the power of knowledge
is Jnana Shakti. Kundalini Shakti includes the power of
understanding, of feeling, the power of action. It is every kind
of Shakti, action, volition, feeling- all these are comprehended
within it.
Visitor: Is it included in the practice of yoga? Can we use this
term?

Visitor: It is the individuality that works. Swamiji: Yes ! Kundalini Shakti is included in yoga. All types
of energy are included therein, and it is inclusive of everything.
Swamiji: Yes. Personality is the outward expression of your
individuality. Your individuality is superior. The feeling that you
exist as a person or individuality does not work for all times.
Either the intellect works, or the emotions work, etc., but the
soul does not work. The whole intellect works, the emotions
work, the will works, but the soul very rarely acts.
Visitor: Is it because the intellect and the mind are very much
conditioned?

Swamiji: They are very much conditioned, and they are not
going to be of help at all times. But when you have nothing else,
you have naturally to take their help for the time being. When
you have no apparatus to rely upon, you have only the mind and
the intellect, you have to take their help.

Visitor: What about feeling? Is it conditionless?

Swamiji: It is equally conditioned, as much as the intellect and

the mind. It is no less conditioned. Your whole vision of things
is conditioned in a particular manner by space and time. As I
mentioned to you, you cannot get over this conditioning. But
the intellect will help you finally in knowing its own limitations.
That is, when you know your own limitations, you have

Karma 45
(Devayani was the beautiful daughter of Shukracahrya, preceptor
to the Asuras, the demons. Shukracharya knew the secret of
Mritasanjivani that brings back to life the Asuras, killed in the
war with the gods, the devas. The devas also wanted to know
the secret of Mritasanjibani. So they sent Kacha, the handsome
son of Brihaspati, preceptor to the Devas, to fall in love with
Devayani. This is the story of Kacha and Devayani and how the
devas learnt the secret of Mritasanjivani.).
Long ago, the Devas and the Asuras fought all the time for
the lordship of the three worlds. The Asuras were care free
and happy as long as Shukracharya, their preceptor, was with
them. The valiant Devas, tired of the unequal struggle, went to
Kach, the handsome son of Brihaspati, preceptor of the Devas
and asked him to go to Shukracharya and learn the secret of
Mritasanjivani. The obedient and dutiful Kacha immediately set
out to meet Shukracharya. He humbly presented himself before
the great wise man, introduced himself as the son of Brihaspati,
and asked to become his disciple.
Shukracharya was a true teacher. He immediately recognized
Kacha’s brilliance as a student. Shukracharya did not differentiate
between his students. He gave Kacha a warm welcome and
accepted him as his pupil.
Shukracharya had a daugher, Devayani, whom he loved dearly.
He introduced Kacha to his daughter saying, “Kacha has vowed
to be my pupil till the period of his studies is over.” All learning
in those days was handed down by word of mouth. The pupil
lived with his guru’s family as one of the household. In return for
his education, the pupil served his guru with love and devotion.
However, Shukracharya was very busy either at court or he was
deep in meditation. So Kacha helped Devayani with her daily
chores and watched after her.
Karma 46
Within a few days of his arrival, Kacha found himself spending
all his leisure hours in the company of the lively Devayani.
Devayani was slowly drawn towards Kacha and they fell in
love. Shukracharya liked Kacha because he was an attentive
disciple. As the years passed, the Asuras became suspicious of
Kacha. They wanted to get rid of him. One day as Kacha was
attending Shukracharya’s cattle, the Asuras fell upon him and
slew him. Then they cut him into pieces and fed his flesh to
their dogs. When Kacha did not come home at the normal hour,
Devayani became alarmed. When the cattle came back without
Kacha she ran in a panic to her father and told him that Kacha
was missing. Shukracharya closed his eyes and to the great relief
of Devayani, Kacha came back to life and appeared before her.
When Devayani inquired about his disappearance, Kacha tried
to explain in a puzzled voice, “I was killed by the Asuras but I do
not know how I came back to life?” Shukracharya just smiled.
The love between Kacha and Devayani grew day by day. The
Asuras were worried. They guessed right, Kacha was there to
learn the secret of Mritasanjivani. One day Devayani asked
Kacha to get her a particular flower that only grows in the deep
forest. Kacha went for it. The Asuras followed him and once
again killed him. But this time they carried his body to a secluded
spot, grounded up into a paste, and dissolved it in the water of the
ocean. Devayani waited and waited. When Kacha did not return
she went again to her father. Shukracharya meditated and once
again used the secret knowledge to revive Kacha. Devayani was
overjoyed. The Asuras were now at their wits end. “How can we
kill Kacha? Every time we kill him, his guru brings him to life!”
They went to one of the senior Asuras and asked him how to
destroy Kacha for good. The senior Asura gave them an idea.
The next day, when Kacha went out with the cattle, they again
slew him. This time then burnt him in the jungle. Then they took

the ashes home and mixed it in a wine which Shukracharya was
very fond of. They took the drink to Shukracharya for a taste.
Shukracharya loved it. He immediately drank it and blessed
the Asuras. When the cattle once again returned home without
Kacha Devajani knew what had happened. “Will Kacha ever
be mine?” she asked herself “The Asuras will never leave him
alone!” She went to Shukracharya and wept. “Father, without
Kacha I am as good as dead, please bring him back to life.”
Shukracharya waited for a while thinking. “It is no good to bring
Kacha to life. The Asuras will only kill him again.” He tried to
console his daughter, “It is futile Devajani to bring Kacha to life.
The Asuras are determined to get rid of him. A wise soul, like
you, should not grieve at a loved one’s death. You are young and
beautiful and you have your own life to live.” But Devayani was
adamant. So strong was her love for Kacha.
“ Father” she said, “Kacha was your best student. I am in love
with him. I can not live without him.” Devayani stopped eating.
Shukracharya could no longer bear to see his daughter in such
agony. Again Shukracharya used his secret knowledge and called
upon Kacha to come back to the world of the living. Kacha came
back to life and spoke from inside the stomach of Shukracharya.
“The Asuras killed me but I do not know how I happen to be
inside your stomach?” echoed Kach.
Shukracharya cursed himself for drinking the wine given by the
Asuras. “Henceforth, wine shall be forbidden for those engaged
in the pursuit of wisdom,” declared Shukracharya in great
frustration. Now Shukracharya had a real dilemma of his own.
He could ask Kacha to come out but that would mean his own
death. When he told Devayani of his dilemma she was again
adamant, “Father, I can not live if either of you dies.”
After long deliberation Shukracharya thought of a way out.
He knew now the real purpose of Kacha’s visit. He addressed
Kacha, “I now see why you came and truly you have succeeded.
There is only one way by which both of us can ensure Devayani’s
happiness. I will have to teach you the craft of Mritasanjivani.
With his new knowledge Kacha emerged from Shukracharya’s
dying body and then immediately brought his guru back to life.
Shukracharya could not have been happier with his pupil’s
progress.
When the Asuras came to offer him wine, Shukracharya shouted,
“You fools! Kacha now knows my secret. You helped him learn
by your foolish deeds. But rest assured Kacha will continue to
live with me because of his love for Devayani. But Shukracharya
was wrong. Kacha too faced the troubling dilemma. Waiting for
the period of his studies to come to an end, Kacha kept silent.
While his love for Devayani was deep, his sense of duty towards
the devas was no less strong. On the last the day of his studies,
Kacha went to Shukracharya for his blessing. As a wise man
and a dedicated teacher, Shukracharya concealed his grudge
against Kacha but he was wondering how Kacha was going to
bid farewell to Devayani.
Devayani waited for Kacha to propose marriage. But when
Kacha broke the heart-breaking news that he was going to
fulfill his obligations to his own people, her joy turned to
tears. Devayani pleaded with Kacha to take her as his wife.
But Kacha replied, “Peerless one! I was reborn in your father’s
stomach. I am therefore your brother. I can’t marry you. I must
return to heaven.” The broken-hearted Devayani cried out in
her grief. She accused Kacha of using her to attain his goal.
Distort she cursed Kacha, “You will never be able to use the
craft of Mritasanjivani.” Kacha quietly listened and then spoke,
“Devayani, it is wrong to curse me. I could have walked away
without reviving your father. There is no doubt that my love was
sincere and truthful. But, I also have a duty to perform towards
my own people. Because of your unfairness to me, I am cursing
you. No Rishi’s son will ever marry you. I may still teach the
craft of Mritasanjivani to others, even though I may not be able
to use it myself.” Saying this Kacha departed for the abode of
Indra, king of the Devas. Shukhacharya gently led Devayani
away.
With the passage of time, Devayani completely forgot about
Kacha. She once again became playful and lived happily with
her father and her playmates in the city of Vrishaparva, king of
the Asuras. Of her playmates, the most important was princess
Sharmistha, the daughter of king Vrishaparva. Even though
Kach and Devyani were not married, the purity of love between
them is worshipped till today.
Karma 47
 Why did the child eat his homework?
jokes corner Because it was a piece of cake

Did you hear the one about the girl and the boy who
kissed on the fog??
They mist

What’s the best way to see a flying saucer?

Trip a waiter (but watch out).

Why did the crab get arrested?

Because he was always pinching things

David Beckham
David Beckham went to the hairdressers to get his hair
cut into a new style. He went in, took off his jacket and
What is a big ant??? sat down. The hairdresser came over to start on his new
cut. But he couldn’t do it as David had his headphones
A Giant on.

He said: “David, you’ll need to take your headphones off

Computer Error
so I can cut your hair.” And David Beckham said: “But I
A man’s computer won’t turn on so he calls a computer
can’t take them off- if I do I will die”
maintenance man to come over and try to fix the problem.
“Nonsense” said the hairdresser and forced them off his
After looking around the maintenance man says, “I have
head.
figured out the problem.” as he plugged the computer
plug in to the wall. “There has been an I.D.10-T error.”
Within seconds, David slumped down his chair, dead.
“I.D.10-T?” said the confused man. “Don’t you know
The hairdresser bent down and listened in the
what that means?” asked the maintenance man and after
headphones. Playing was the same two phrases over and
a moment of hesitation he continued, “Write it down on a
over again..............
paper and you might understand.” He tipped his hat and
“Breathe in.........Breathe out..........Breathe in..........
was on his way. Meanwhile the man was retrieving a pen
Breathe out”
and a paper. The man wrote the letters and numbers and
took a look....... The paper said ID10T

Where do cool mice live?

In mouse pads.

Where do computers go to dance?

The disk-o

Black Cat
There was a man driving along a long road. He was
in the only car around for miles. Suddenly a black cat
jumped out in front of him! There was no moonlight, his
headlights were off and there were no street lights.
How did the driver see the Black Cat in time?
Because it was daytime!!

What do you call a dog with no legs?

It doesn’t matter because he will not come anyways!

Karma 48

There are number of Indian women who have surmounted
their difficulties and problems. Government of India and
other organizations have installed awards in recognition of
such women who are known as Women Achievers of India.
I am sharing with you their life sketches here which should
inspire and motivate young I-Lites who are in despair with
problems. Government of India, at the instance of Shrimati
Sumitra Mahajan, Minister of State of Women and Child
Development, has decided to recognize and honor the services
of such women who have made outstanding contributions in
the life of the nation. This will encourage them further to
carry on their work, and to motivate and inspire hundreds of
such voluntary women workers throughout the country. Five
National Awards, to be known as Stree Shakti Puraskars, were
instituted in 1999, in the name of five illustrious daughters of
India - Kannagi, Mata Jijabai, Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar, Rani
Laxmibai of Jhansi and Rani Gaindiliu. Each award shall be
presented annually and shall carry a cash prize of rupees one
lakh and a citation in scroll. The awards shall be given every
year for outstanding contributions made by five women. In
this issue we will see about some of the women celebrities,
who are considered as the top most of the Indian women.
1. Mrs. Chinnapillai
It is matter of great pride for all Maduraiites and Tamils when
the then Prime Minister of India Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
when he visited Madurai paid his compliments to Mrs.
Chinnapillai. Mrs. Chinnapillai was born in Pullisery village,
Madurai District. She has been deeply involved in organizing
and working with co-agricultural laborers for undertaking
various agricultural operations on a collective basis to
maximize the benefits.
She was the founder of a number of Kalanjiams (savings
and credit groups) of poor women and was instrumental in
forming Vaigai Vattara Kalanjiam, Appantirupathy, which
is the First Federation of Rural Women Savings and Credit
Group in India. This has a membership of over 40,000 women.
The linkages that she has established between the Kalanjiams
and the banks and other financial institutions like NABARD,
HUDCO etc. has resulted in promotion of income generation
for hundreds of poor women to get them rid of the clutches
of hard money-lenders. She led many struggles to establish
the rights and entitlements of poor women against landlords,
moneylenders, politicians and officials. The most notable was
the right for fishing over the village tank, which was controlled
by the landlords. Her selfless and untiring service for the poor
women in the South has earned her Mata Jijabai Stree Shakti
Puraskar for the year 1999.
2. Air Commodore Padmavati Bandopadhyaya,
After 32 years in the Indian Air Force, is at 55, the first
woman Air Commodore in the Indian Air Force. This is just
one of the firsts in a long string of achievements to her credit.
Commissioned into the Air Force in 1968, Bandopadhyaya
was the only woman in her batch of officers. Graduating in
1967, she was the first woman to enter the field of aviation
medicine. She was the first woman officer to have successfully
completed the course offered by the Defense Services Staff
College at Wellington. She and her husband, Wing Commander
S.N. Bandopadhyaya, were the first husband and wife team to
be awarded the Vishist Seva Medal for their work during the
1971 Indo-Pak war. She is the first Indian woman officer to
have conducted research in the Arctic region. She is the first
woman to be made a fellow of the Aerospace Medical Society
of India.
Coming from a conservative Tamilian family, educated in
Tamil, when she joined the AFMC, Bandopadhyaya thought
she had been Para dropped into a whole new world.
Suddenly she was with people who ate with forks and knives
spoke in English and sang English songs. She could only eat
using her fingers, spoke little Hindi or English, and knew no
English songs. Today, Bandopadhyaya prattles in Bengali as
well - a language she picked up after marrying a Bengali Air
Force officer. Trained in Carnatic classical vocal music (“like
all south Indian children”, she insists), Bandopadhyaya is
fond of listening to music and likes mythology as well. These
days, her work as Commandant - entailing a whole gamut of
administrative work - takes up most of her time. She does
her yoga everyday and cooks elaborate meals - fish fries for
the non-vegetarians and sambar for her vegetarian self - on
weekends.
3. Neerja Bhanot,
The brave 23-year-old air hostess who, risking her own life,
saved the lives of passengers in a hijacked PAN AM flight in
September, 1986. She was seriously injured by the hijackers’
bullets while shielding three children. Neerja was awarded the
Ashok Chakra posthumously. An award has been named after
her called the Neeraja Banot Award and it is given to women
who have shown exemplary courage in their personal lives.
4. Alice Garg
One of the Neerja Bhanot award winners for the year 2000,
Alice Garg from Jaipur has been engaged in a constant
battle against injustice. The life of Alice not only inspires
but also underlines the significance of service and sacrifice,
the two qualities which describe this woman best. Starting
Karma 49
from scratch, Alice has been braving
one odd after another to get justice for
exploited women. She has courted fear
with a vengeance and has gone ahead
to accomplish her chosen missions.
She knows courage is resistance to fear,
not absence of it. Today, she has many
reasons to justify her existence, and
each reason is more powerful than the
other.
Watching Alice Garg talk is like
watching a dormant volcano swell
up with lava. She seems to hide a
tempest behind her calm exterior. One
cannot but help wonder how the frail
61-year-old woman could have waged
a war against well-connected criminals.
Alice is credited with exposing many
infamous cases of sexual exploitation
against women in Rajasthan, including
the Bhanwari Devi gang rape case
which hit the headlines a few years ago
and the J.C. Bose case, which sends
shivers down the spine. Alice has also
helped in the rehabilitation of more
than 4,000 migrant laborers, who now
dwell in the Jawahar Nagar Katchi
Basti in Jaipur. Alice says: “In 1975,
the government demolished the slums,
thus uprooting thousands of people. We,
at Balrashmi, commiserated with them.
The government was not prepared for
their rehabilitation. So every time the
government demolished the slums, they
came up again. I helped those people to
secure water and electricity connections.
That was the first time I invited the
government’s wrath.”
Karma 50
5. Ashamma
The story of Ashamma from Andhra
Pradesh, another Neeraja Banot winner,
a socially-marginalized woman who has
been fighting for her rightful place in
society, too follows along the same line.
At 35 years of age, Ashamma has
nothing to share with the world except
tears. She comes from Karni village
in Mehbubnagar district of Andhra
Pradesh, where women belonging to
the lower caste are considered objects
of entertainment. Ashamma was made
to undergo the jogini ritual when she
was seven years old. As per this custom,
she was married off to the village deity.
Recalls Ashamma, “Since the day of
the initiation, I have not lived with
dignity. I became available for all the
men who inhabited Karni. They would
ask me for sexual favors and I, as a
jogini, was expected to please them.
My trauma began even when I had not
attained puberty.” At 11, Ashamma
attained puberty. As soon as the news
spread, men hounded her all the more.
She was forced to sleep with countless
people, some of whom were much older
than her. Still in her teens, Ashamma
delivered a girl child. “I bore the child
from the man I loved, but he did not
marry me. Later, I escaped from the
village,” she says. But all the time she
was reminded that she was a jogini and
should not act like a pativrata.
During those days the Andhra Pradesh
Mahila Samatha Society was running
sanghams in villages. These forums
voiced the concerns of sexually
exploited women. When Ashamma
heard the views of its leaders, she was
impressed. She swore to fight against
the baseless custom of jogini. In 1997,
Ashamma became the head of the
sangham which operated in Karni. As
the leader of the forum, she discouraged
the practice of jogini. Her mission
revolved around thwarting the attempts
of villagers to initiate young girls into
this evil practice. She still remembers
how hard she had to fight in order to
save a nine-year-old girl in her village
from becoming a jogini. The police
had refused to help her and no one in
the village was prepared to cooperate
with her. But Ashamma sat in protest
until she succeeded in preventing the
initiation ceremony.
The two courageous women -Alice
Garg from Jaipur and Ashamma from
Andhra Pradesh were awarded for their
services to society in Chandigarh on
April 28. The award money comprised
Rs. 1.5 lakh each. The commitment of
these women to their respective cause
was evident from the fact that both of
them donated a part of the huge sum
to their respective societies. Ashamma
kept Rs 50,000 for her child and donated
the rest to her sangham. Alice donated
the money to Rustamji Trust which
is dedicated to the amelioration of the
plight of the poor.
In the next issue we will see about some
more women achievers of India.
In this issue we will discuss about an interesting game. It is
Badminton. This is a racquet sport played by either two
opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who
take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is
divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock
with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their
opponents’ half of the court. A rally ends once the shuttlecock
has struck the ground, and the shuttlecock may only be struck
once by each side before it passes over the net.
The shuttlecock (or shuttle) is a feathered projectile whose
unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently from
the balls used in most racquet sports; in particular, the feathers
create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate
more rapidly than a ball. Shuttlecocks have a much higher
top speed, when compared to other racquet sports. Because
shuttlecock flight is stubbornly affected by wind, competitive
badminton is always played indoors. Badminton is also played
outdoors as a casual recreational activity, often as a garden or
beach game.
Since 1992, badminton has been an Olympic sport with five
events: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s
doubles, and mixed doubles, in which each pair is a man and
a woman. At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent
fitness: players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed,
and precision. It is also a technical sport, requiring good motor
coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet
movements.
ideas. The basic regulations were drawn up in 1887. In 1893,
the Badminton Association of England published the first set
of rules according to these regulations, similar to today’s rules,
and officially launched badminton in a house on September 13
of that year. They also started the All England Open Badminton
Championships, the first badminton competition in the world,
in 1899.
The International Badminton Federation (IBF) (now known
as Badminton World Federation) was established in 1934 with
Canada, Denmark, England, France, The Netherlands, Ireland,
New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales as its founding members.
India joined as an affiliate in 1936. The BWF now governs
international badminton and develops the sport globally.
While originated in England, international badminton has
traditionally been dominated by Denmark from Europe.
Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia are among the nations
that have consistently produced world-class players in the past
few decades and dominated competitions on the international
level, with China being the most dominant in recent years.

History and development

Badminton was known in very ancient times; an early form

of the sport was played in ancient Greece. In Japan, the game
was played in a different name as early as the 16th century.
In the west, badminton came from a game called battledore
and shuttlecock, in which two or more players keep a feathered
shuttlecock in the air with small racquets. The game was called
“Poona” in India during the 18th century, and British Army
officers stationed there took a competitive Indian version back
to England in the 1860s, where it was played at country houses
as an upper class amusement.

The new sport was definitively launched in 1873 at the

Badminton House, Gloucestershire, owned by the Duke of
Beaufort. During that time, the game was referred to as “The
Game of Badminton,” and the game’s official name became
Badminton. Until 1887 the sport was played in England under
the rules that prevailed in India. The Bath Badminton Club
standardized the rules and made the game applicable to English

Karma 51

The basics
Each game is played with 21 points, with players scoring
a point whenever they win a rally (this differs from the old
system, where players could only win a point on their serve).
A match is the best of three games. At the start of the rally,
the server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service
courts. The server hits the shuttlecock so that it would land in
the receiver’s service court. This is similar to tennis, except
that a badminton serve must be hit from below the waist in
underhand form (upwards), the shuttlecock is not allowed to
bounce, and in tennis the players stand outside their service
courts. When the serving side loses a rally, the serve passes to
their opponent(s) (unlike the old system, there is no “second
serve”).In singles, the server stands in his right service court
when his score is even, and in his left service court when his
score is odd.In doubles, if the serving side wins a rally, the same
player continues to serve, but he changes service courts so that
he serves to each opponent in turn. If the opponents win the
rally and their new score is even, the player in the right service
court serves; if odd, the player in the left service court serves.
The players’ service courts are determined by their positions at
the start of the previous rally, not by where they were standing
at the end of the rally. A consequence of this system is that, each
time a side regains the service, the server will be the player who
did not serve last time.
Details
When the server serves, the shuttlecock must pass over the short
service line on the opponents’ court or it will count as a fault. If
the score reaches 20-all, then the game continues until one side
Karma 52
gains a two point lead (such as 24-22), up to a maximum of 30
points (30-29 is a winning score).
At the start of a match a coin is tossed. The winners of the
coin toss may choose whether to serve or receive first, or they
may choose which end of the court they wish to occupy. Their
opponents make the remaining choice. In less formal settings,
the coin toss is often replaced by hitting a shuttlecock into the
air: whichever side the corked end points will be the side that
serves first.
In subsequent games, the winners of the previous game serve
first. This can also be called rubbers. If one team wins a game
they play once more and if they win again they win that match
but if they lose they play one more match to find the winning
team. For the first rally of any doubles game, the serving pair
may decide who serves and the receiving pair may decide who
receives. The players change ends at the start of the second
game; if the match reaches a third game, they change ends
both at the start of the game and when the leading pair’s score
reaches 11 points. The server and receiver must remain within
their service courts, without touching the boundary lines,
until the server strikes the shuttlecock. The other two players
may stand wherever they wish, so long as they do not see the
opposing server or receiver.
Faults while playing the game.
Players win a rally by striking the shuttlecock over the net and
onto the floor within the boundaries of their opponents’ court.
Players also win a rally if their opponents commit a fault. The
most common fault in badminton is when the players fail to
return the shuttlecock so that it passes over the net and lands
inside their opponents’ court, but there are also other ways that
players may be faulted. The following information lists some of
the more common faults.
Several faults pertain specifically to service. A serving player
shall be faulted if the shuttlecock is above his waist (defined as
his lowest rib) at point of contact, or if his racket’s head is not
pointing downwards at the moment of impact. This particular
law was modified in 2006: previously, the server’s racket had
to be pointing downwards to the extent that the racket head was
below the hand holding the racket; and now, any angle below
the horizontal is acceptable.
Neither the server nor the receiver may lift a foot until the
shuttlecock has been struck by the server. The server must also
initially hit the base (cork) of the shuttlecock, although he may
afterwards also hit the feathers as part of the same stroke. This
law was introduced to ban an extremely effective service style
known as the S-serve or Sidek serve, which allowed the server
to make the shuttlecock spin chaotically in flight.
Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes
back over the net; but during a single stroke movement, a player
may contact a shuttlecock twice (this happens in some sliced
shots). A player may not, however, hit the shuttlecock once and

then hit it with a new movement, nor may he carry and sling the
shuttlecock on his racket. It is a fault if the shuttlecock hits the
ceiling.
Lets
If a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no
change to the score. Lets may occur due to some unexpected
disturbance such as a shuttlecock landing on court (having been
hit there by players on an adjacent court) or in small halls the
shuttle may touch an overhead rail which can be classed as a let.
If the receiver is not ready when the service is delivered, a let
shall be called; yet if the receiver makes any attempt to return
the shuttlecock, he shall be judged to have been ready. There
is no let if the shuttlecock hits the tape even on service. We
shall see about the racquets, strings, grips of the racquets, the
shuttlecocks and shoes used for playing the game.
Racquets
Badminton racquets are light, with top quality racquets
weighing between 79 and 91 grams including the strings. They
are composed of many different materials ranging from carbon
fiber composite (graphite reinforced plastic) to solid steel,
which may be augmented by a variety of materials. Carbon
fiber has an excellent strength to weight ratio, is stiff, and gives
excellent kinetic energy transfer. Before the adoption of carbon
fiber composite, racquets were made of light metals such as
aluminium. Earlier still, racquets were made of wood. Cheap
racquets are still often made of metal, but wooden racquets are
no longer manufactured for the ordinary market, due to their
excessive mass and cost.
There is a wide variety of racquet designs, although the racquet
size and shape are limited by the Laws. Different racquets have
playing characteristics that appeal to different players. The
traditional oval head shape is still available, but an isometric
head shape is increasingly common in new racquets.
Strings
Badminton strings are thin, high performing strings in the
range of about 0.65 to 0.73 millimeters thickness. Thicker
strings are more durable, but many players prefer the feel of
thinner strings. String tension is normally in the range of 80
to 130 newtons (18 to 36 lbf). Recreational players generally
string at lower tensions than professionals, typically between
18 and 25 lbf (110 N). Professionals string between about 25
and 36 lbf (160 N).The most effective way for a player to find
a good string tension is to experiment.
Grip
The choice of grip allows a player to increase the thickness of
his racquet handle and choose a comfortable surface to hold. A
player may build up the handle with one or several grips before
applying the final layer.
Players may choose between varieties of grip materials. The
most common choices are PU synthetic grips or toweling grips.
Grip choice is a matter of personal preference. Players often
find that sweat becomes a problem; in this case, a drying agent
may be applied to the grip or hands, or sweatbands may be used,
or the player may choose another grip material or change his
grip more frequently.
There are two main types of grip: replacement grips and over
grips. Replacement grips are thicker, and are often used to
increase the size of the handle. Over grips are thinner (less
than 1 mm), and are often used as the final layer. Many players,
however, prefer to use replacement grips as the final layer.
Toweling grips are always replacement grips. Replacement grips
have an adhesive backing, whereas over grips have only a small
patch of adhesive at the start of the tape and must be applied
under tension; over grips are more convenient for players who
change grips frequently, because they may be removed more
rapidly without damaging the underlying material.
Shoes
Badminton shoes are lightweight with soles of rubber or similar
high-grip, non-marking materials. Compared to running shoes,
badminton shoes have little lateral support. High levels of
lateral support are useful for activities where lateral motion
is undesirable and unexpected. Badminton, however, requires
powerful lateral movements. A highly built-up lateral support
will not be able to protect the foot in badminton; instead, it
will encourage catastrophic collapse at the point where the
shoe’s support fails, and the player’s ankles are not ready for
the sudden loading, which can cause sprains. For this reason,
players should choose badminton shoes rather than general
trainers or running shoes, because proper badminton shoes will
have a very thin sole, lower a person’s centre of gravity, and
therefore result in fewer injuries. Players should also ensure that
they learn safe and proper footwork, with the knee and foot in
alignment on all lunges. This is not only a safety concern, as
Karma 53
proper footwork is critical in order to effectively move around
the court. Now we will see the most famous playing methods of
the game. They are Singles, Doubles and Mixed doubles.
Doubles
Both pairs will try to gain and maintain the attack, smashing
downwards when possible. Whenever possible, a pair will
adopt an ideal attacking formation with one player hitting down
from the rearcourt, and his partner in the midcourt intercepting
all smash returns except the lift. If the rearcourt attacker plays
a dropshot, his partner will move into the forecourt to threaten
the net reply. If a pair cannot hit downwards, they will use flat
strokes in an attempt to gain the attack. If a pair is forced to
lift or clear the shuttlecock, then they must defend: they will
adopt a side-by-side position in the rear midcourt, to cover
the full width of their court against the opponents’ smashes.
In doubles, players generally smash to the middle ground
between two players in order to take advantage of confusion
and clashes.At high levels of play, the backhand serve has
become popular to the extent that forehand serves almost
never appear in professional games. The straight low serve is
used most frequently, in an attempt to prevent the opponents
gaining the attack immediately. Flick serves are used to prevent
the opponent from anticipating the low serve and attacking it
decisively.At high levels of play, doubles rallies are extremely
fast. Men’s doubles is the most aggressive form of badminton,
with a high proportion of powerful jump smashes.
Singles
positional play. Clever opponents will try to reverse the ideal
position, by forcing the woman towards the back or the man
towards the front. In order to protect against this danger,
mixed players must be careful and systematic in their shot
selection. At high levels of play, the formations will generally
be more flexible: the top women players are capable of playing
powerfully from the rearcourt, and will happily do so if required.
When the opportunity arises, however, the pair will switch back
to the standard mixed attacking position, with the woman in
front.
The strategy of the games.
To win in badminton, players need to employ a wide variety
of strokes in the right situations. These range from powerful
jumping smashes to delicate tumbling net returns. Often rallies
finish with a smash, but setting up the smash requires subtler
strokes. For example, a netshot can force the opponent to lift the
shuttlecock, which gives an opportunity to smash. If the netshot
is tight and tumbling, then the opponent’s lift will not reach
the back of the court, which makes the subsequent smash much
harder to return.Deception is also important. Expert players
make the preparation for many different strokes look identical,
and use slicing to deceive their opponents about the speed or
direction of the stroke. If an opponent tries to anticipate the
stroke, he may move in the wrong direction and may be unable
to change his body momentum in time to reach the shuttlecock.
In the next issue,we will see about a differentgame.

The singles court is narrower than the doubles court, but the
same length, with the exception that a serve in the single can
reach the end of the court while a serve in the doubles could not.
Since one person needs to cover the entire court, singles tactics
are based on forcing the opponent to move as much as possible;
this means that singles strokes are normally directed to the
corners of the court. Players exploit the length of the
court by combining lifts and clears with dropshots and
netshots. Smashing is less prominent in singles than in
doubles because players are rarely in the ideal position to
execute a smash, and smashing often leaves the smasher
vulnerable if the smash is returned.

In singles, players will often start the rally with a forehand

high serve. Low serves are also used frequently, either
forehand or backhand. Flick serves are less common, and
drive serves are rare.At high levels of play, singles demands
extraordinary fitness. Singles is a game of patient positional
maneuvering, unlike the all-out aggression of doubles.

Mixed doubles

In mixed doubles, both pairs try to maintain an attacking

formation with the woman at the front and the man at the back.
This is because the male players are substantially stronger, and
can therefore produce more powerful smashes. As a result,
mixed doubles requires greater tactical awareness and subtler
Karma 54
 Zodiac Connection
Rasi Reding,
Kind Attention: Zodiac Connection is based upon Moon signs and not upon Sun signs
Aries
Mesham:
Lords Venus and Mercury
will be ruling your sign. This will
create a fluctuation and when you
proceed any affair with speed, un
wanted interference will block the affairs usual trend in your
engagements and profession will fetch you the needy income for
a good maintenance.
Women and children at home:
Will be suffering with set backs which will not be favorable to get
their aims fulfilled. Even the health will not be good. They have
to show much care to maintain the health. Present time is not with
full hopes. But in later stage they will achieve all.
Students:
Critical situation is prevailing and the preparations are not so
suitable to face the exams. Any how the luck will prevail to get
through.
Business people, professionals and employees:
They will be busy and doing extraordinary skills. They can
score a good benefits later on. It is not easy to manage the rising
problems. There will be doubts and even disputes. They have to
be very careful in all their deals.
Lovers:
The combination of Lord Venus and Mercury will start creating
arguments to find solution in their proposals. Some times the
misunderstandings will continue. They have to very vigilant even
to a word.
Married persons and spouses:
Their situation will be little complicated this month. They have
to be with soft corner with their spouse. Even the health will not
permit them to be happy. They have lot of burdens for clearance.
Have more skillful ways to dispurse.
The 2nd and 3rd of April are unfavorable Days.
By
Sri Selvam “Siddhar”
Taurus
Rishabam:
Too much of proposals and mounted
problems will keep you restless. Even in job
and profession the confusion will rise and
your plan will have disturbance. Take leasurely times and find the
problems and clear them with your capacity.
Women and children at home:
They have to do hard work and their ability is checked. It is
too hard to find good solutions. The women will be affected
financially. For all such matters they have show only the bearing
nature. Lord Jupiter will give them clearance.
Students:
Their education is getting effected by their unwanted friends.
They have to be very careful otherwise the rank in class will go
down. Yet the grace of Lord Jupiter will help them in time.
Business people, professionals and employees:
The tenth house Lord is not powerful to keep them at this juncture.
There will be a setback. They have to show their cleverness to
manage the situation. The trend is not towards profits. Better do
their jobs with more options so as to secure victory.
Lovers:
The matters in love lead with long way of pending. The defenite
and positive actions are delayed abnormally. Lord Venus is to be
worshipped on Fridays. Lord Saturn sends his power to create
a blockage. Have good ideas to be on the safer side to manage
every thing.
Married persons and spouses:
This month, it seems still worst. Their proposals are getting
delayed further. The health and good mood of spouse will have
an irritation. Family affairs will also be with heavy burdens.
Health is the most important. They should eat fruits and green
vegetables. They should go to Navagraha Temple and Goddess
Parvathi Temple and pray for grace. The matters will be subsided
properly.
On 5th and 6th attend the matters with all possible care.
Karma 55
 Gemini
Mithunam:
Lords Sun, Venus and Mercury
will have their accomodation in Mesham
on 15th April. You will be observing
certain influence. A release, a promotion
in your job or a modification, like that the
things are going to happen. Since the 10th house will be governed
directly by Lord Saturn, you can fetch a development shortly.
Women and children at home:
Lord Mars occupies the state of debilitation in the second house.
The managing of problems and arranging the needed finances will
be with little difficulties. Since the grace of Lord Jupiter is good
and extending supports, they will be able to face the problems
properly.
Students:
Lord Moon will be having links with Lord Raaghu in the first
week of this month; what the preparation they have done will find
no use to cover the questions. They have to work hard and keep
in memory the entire subject once again.
Business people, professionals and employees:
The first two weeks will not be favorable. They will be in struggle
to decide their actual program. The time will turn good by the end
of this month. The usual trade will be beneficial.
Lovers:
With all their attempts, the good and favourable reaction is
far away. Many Questions and confusions will form a cloudy
atmosphere this month Lord Venus is combined with Lord
Mercury to dictate a hard time for them.
Married persons and spouses:
Lord Sun will combine with Lord Venus. The summer trend and
the claimatic change will raise the inconvenience in all the way.
The good mood and peaceful atmosphere will also to be rare. They
have to eat more fruits and green vegetables. Both of the couples
have to worship Navagraha Lords on Fridays. The comfort and
happiness will reach shortly.
Unfavorable days are 7th, 8th and 9th.
Cancer
Kadakam:
You will be in a position to look
some changes in the casual matters and
business. So far, your mind is covered with
a kind of depression. Such atmosphere will
have a gradual change for betterment. In
your routine of business, you will be active.
Women and children at home:
Grace of Lord Jupiter to the 2nd house is giving strength to their
domestic finance and educational affairs. They will be busy and
Karma 56
their needs are going to be covered step by step. Children at home
will have their usual ways with fun and play.
Students:
The student category will enjoy the good informations relating to
their studies. Their ambition will be on the way to progress. Lord
Jupiter will govern their efforts for an active path.
Business people, professionals and employees:
The expansion of their present career and introduction of new
plans, are likely to give them good hopes. By the middle of this
month the affairs are likely to show the improvements. This
month is a notable one.
Lovers:
The proposal plans are not yet coming to a shape. Unnecessary
delays will follow. They have to be with patience for another 3
weeks. Lord Venus is combining with Lords Mercury and Sun.
This is also increasing their suspicions more.
Married persons and spouses:
The maintenance and usual affairs in family will be good. But the
privacy with spouse and fun times are rare. Even if opportunity
comes some how or other it will be postponed. The travels or
tours will be useful to have peace.
The days 10th, 11th and 12th will cause disappointment.
Leo
Simmam:
After 15th of April you will
be involved in an important job. It will be
giving one way benefit and in other way
will face an opposition. You have to handle it with intelligence
otherwise a scene of Loss may arise. All that shows only a
development which will be in clear sight by next month.
Women and children at home:
Lords Saturn and Sun stand in opposition and make a scene of
tough time passing. Many matters are there for settlement but all
are in the stage of pending. Children will also feel uneasy and
have to be treated in a soft manner.
Students:
Very dull trend and a confused stage of understanding in lessons
will prevail to reach a successful route and they will find a
difficulty in finding a good route. More time to read and the
essential exercises will also give them a relief.
Business people, professionals and employees:
Suspense and a trend of unevenness they are going to face. But it
is new experience only the next month, a result could be obtained.
Progress and new annexure will happen to develope their way of
trade and profession.

Lovers:
Their expectations and plans may have objections. Nothing is
clear to make a further program. In such a way, present time is
held up. Lord Venus is in the house of Lord Mars. Complication
and confusion will be there. Move the matters with intelligence.
Married persons and spouses:
In life of couple, this is a time of arguments to find a clearence
in the usual life. Some times, there will be hurdles in solving the
problems. Lord Venus will come out from “Mesham” only at the
end of April and the expected plans will settle with their objective
term.
13th and 14th of this month will be disappointing dates.
Virgo
KANYA
You are crucial in making a decision.
Lords Saturn, Raaghu, Sun and Kethu
occupy the squares and testing your ability
.You have to control your temper. You have
to think very deeply in conclusion of problems. Totally this month
prevails with challenges.
Women and children at home:
It is just similar to walk on fire. So much burdens demand
immediate clearance of executions .The mounting response will
dictate for positive interference .In this circumstance they have to
act clearly and manage the problems.
Students:
Since the Lords Jupiter, Venus and Mercury energyse their house
of education and the only Lord Mars disturbs half heartedly. They
will be busy and exploiting their duties. With few mistakes they
can gain 70% benefits.
Business people, professionals and employees:
Jobs, professions, trades and all acting in a positive way .The
support from Lord Jupiter is extended properly .Their efforts will
have a good result. The planning and formations will be with little
bit slow trend; but the outcome will be in a encouraging way.
Lovers:
The hot Sun sits at the 7th house and the combination of
Lord Venus and Mercury in the 8th house, will be creating
inconvenience in their efforts. Some times the own confidence
will disappoint them.
Married persons and spouses:
Comparatively, the better time and good occasions are ahead.
The disturbance caused by Lord Mars is unavoidable and they are
facing some hurdles and coming out with 70% success. They can
program for travel and tour and enjoy the times, their spouse will
have good mood and the health will also become suitable shortly.
The dates 15th and 16th are to be dealt carefully.
Libra
Thulam
Lord of your sign supports you
for all your undertaking. Even the Lord
Jupiter helps you to give confidence in
your attempts. The finance and family affairs are brought to the
control of Lord Saturn, who moves very slowly and makes a
delay and that the progress is reaching in a late hour.
Women and children at home:
All the domestic matters and the arranged jobs are ahead for
fulfillment. You are given a privilege boost. Lord Jupiter helps to
a good extent and permits the grants as they desire. Children will
be with good mood and happiness.
Students:
The category of education is on good scope. The development is
awaited in all corners. The House of education is looked by Lord
Saturn, which will create fear. In the last week of this month they
can access their strength.
Business people, professionals and employees:
Occupation of Lord Mars at ‘Cancer’ (Kadagam) will be proving
to be good. As far as their job and trades are concerned, they will
be active to find some new methods. The finance matters will
be with little hurdle, which is essential to have good plans of
progress.
Lovers:
New commitments and their previous plans will mix together
and create confusion in decision making. Lord Venus is not
comfortable at Mesham and they will find setbacks upon that
reason. By the 3rd week of this month they can feel better.
Married persons and spouses:
This month, they will feel very tired. Lord Mars is in debilitation
and on that ground the free atmosphere is not available. When
they make some plans with the spouse that also will drag and give
them delay. By 3rd week of this month, the time will change for
better ways.
Dates 15th and 16th will disappoint them.
Karma 57
 Scorpio
Viruchigam:
Some kind of wants and
expectation of support from outside will
prevail in your way. A fear and doubt will
continue. This situation will be ahead for
first 3 weeks. Gradually it will reduce
and better times will enter. But nothing to worry. The trade and
profession will be helpful. You can manage the situations.
Women and children at home:
Their service to every person of their family is really good. They
have such burdens to manage. Yet some times they forget for a
moment. That causes agony and pain in their heart. The financial
needs are also little short. Some how, they are managing.
Students:
Lord Raaghu in the second house will not be permitting to score
good marks. They have to work hard and keep their position well.
Some how or other, their target will be reached.
Business people, professionals and employees:
The routine of work will be with ease. The desired result will
be there. The traders can score more profits. The professions
are better to get benefit and fame. Lord Jupiter guides them in a
proper way.
Lovers:
Still it is suspense. Open talk and formalities are still hidden.
They have to be firm and bold in their stand. Time is favourable
by the 3rd and 4th weeks of this month.
Married persons and spouses:
Married persons are having more responsibilities and the duties
are mounting up. The privacy and good times at home are not
happening as they desire. They have to wait for two weeks more
in the same manner which they are influencing now. Lord Raaghu
keeps a curtain and postpones the matters. When Lord Venus
reaches “Rishabam” after 3 weeks, his grace will fall on them.
Till that time the patience is needed.
The dates 16th, 17th and 18th are not favorable.
Sagittarius
Dhanus:
A tough time is to be passed
for further 2 weeks. You will be finding
oppositions and challenges in your active
and brisk attempts. The profession and job
will be carried out properly. You will feel
tired and restless.
Women and children at home:
Their home affairs and execution of work will be facing setback.
This will be up to 15th of April. Then the time will change for
betterment. Children will be half heartedly smiling. They have to
Karma 58
be cared by parents by sanctioning their demands.
Students:
For the past 4 weeks, the time spent for studies were on
disturbance. Still Lord Mars commits the same until 15th April.
Show good attention and read to the best of level.
Business people, professionals and employees:
No doubt that Lord Saturn fetches progressive methods to deal.
The fiery Sun spoils the game. Yet the attempt of Lord Saturn will
give them good fruits after 15th April. The professionals will be
exhibiting their skill in a superb way. Their hard work will get
reward.
Lovers:
At present, Lord Mercury is with Lord Venus and proves the
situation to be in a negative path. They have to be very calm and
pass another 3 weeks.
Married persons and spouses:
The sharp look of Lord Mars falls on the second house. They have
to be very careful in all actions. Some times heated exchange of
words will interfere and the pain will not be permitting them with
peace. The mood and health will also react in the heart of spouse.
They have to manage for further 3 weeks. Then the Lord Mars
will depart for Simmam.
The dates 19th and 20th are not in supporting way.
Capricorn
Magaram:
This month is likely to create
a fortune. Some long pending matter can
surprise you to get a clearance in that
affair. New ventures will also have a start.
The routine of your job will be increased
and a scene of success and progress is seen.
Women and children at home:
As far as their physique is concerned, the weakness and tired
observation will rule. Lord Jupiter is accommodating the second
house. Their arrangements and settings will be facing delays.
Children should be very careful in running here and there, while
playing. Some small injuries may happen.
Students:
Their education, even though they are having confidence, there is
lot of disturbance. They must take special care for further studies.
Their planning should be in order. Nothing is simple. Hard work
only gives good result.
Business people, professionals and employees:
There will be elaborate schemes which will have their personal
views. Some of them will prove good and at the same time some
mistakes will also occur. Show much attention to avoid mistakes.
Lovers:
Lord Mars in 7th house will give a hault in their progress. They
will find confusion and disappointment at times. Another two
weeks should pass to come out of the cloudy scene.
Married persons and spouses:
The occupation of Lord Mars at Cancer should be cleared. Till
then the real happiness and exchanging of affection will be
passing half heartedly. The time set for good is only the 4th week
of this month. The family affairs and promises on finance will be
moving at a very slow trend. The health question will also show
anxiousness. The body pain and weakness will prevail. Eat more
vegetables. Take more fruits. They have to reduce the cooked
food during this month.
The dates 25th, 26th and 27th are to be dealt with carefulness.
Aquarius
Kumbam:
You are influencing a weak trend
of atmosphere in your profession. New
suggestions and plans are there with you
when they are going to come true? In this
manner your scopes are mounting in your
brain. Improvements are likely to commence during the last week
of this month.
Women and children at home:
Knowingly or unknowingly, the things are moving with
unsteadiness. They are actually puzzled to look to the
circumstances. There could have been some difference of opinion
causing disputes. All these things are happening because of Lords
Sun and Saturn keeping their position in 180°. Just another 2
weeks to pass and the circumstances will turn favorable.
Students:
Most of the time is spent on suspicions and self arguments. This
is nothing but confusion to keep their position suitable to the
purpose. They are actually taming it. Of course, the result will
be on the better side during the 3rd, 4th weeks. For safer side,
prepare the important portions of the syllabus well.
Business people, professionals and employees:
A present formation in their engagement is getting a strong
position. They can have a progress very shortly. Lord Saturn
keeps his continued support in their ventures. Bright times are
ahead.
Lovers:
This forecast will be with little disappointing way. The present
trend seems to be unfavorable. It is better to be silent for 3 weeks.
If they happen to give pressure, immediately the scene will turn
erratically. They have to worship Navagraha Lords to settle the
problems in an amicable way.
Married persons and spouses:
In common, the month April is not suitable for them. Unwanted
talks and unarranged sequences will create misunderstanding
with spouse. Passing this month with silence will give them good
results. The circumstances will voluntarily compel to involve in
arguments. The health and mood will also prove to be unsuitable.
In this critical scene they have to worship the gods and Navagraha
to get peaceful atmosphere.
Dates 21st and 22nd will be trouble some.
Pisces
Meenam:
It is a testing time of your ability.
The trend is much challenging. Whatever
the ways you lead, the result is likely to be
on contrary way. Specifically the past14
days were with bigger force. The trend will continue for two
more weeks. And then the change for better settlement will reach.
Women and children at home:
It seems to be a unadrustable month to them. So much of matters,
they take initiative steps for conclusion. But the result ends with
partial benefit. First 2 weeks of this month will be like this. Then
the good change will give happiness. Children will be at their
own program and play well.
Students:
They are receiving so much of informations. Some of them are
very encouraging. They can engage in the profitable one. Totally
the trend is very normal. For their further studies some decisions
will settle in the mind by 3rd week of this month.
Business people, professionals and employees:
The business and the profession will be very slow in progress.
The financial positions will also be decreasing considerably. The
usual income will be there and the new expectation will face a
delayed period.
Lovers:
From the side of their counterpart, the opinions are very slowly
passed. This kind of slow trend will give them invitation. After
16th April, the time is changing for better trend.
Married persons and spouses:
The opposition between Lord Sun and Lord Saturn will keep
them in a position of challenge. Generally the month April will
not be good for Meenam. They have to be very polite and calm.
If any word with force comes, some unwanted disputes will rise.
The peaceful atmosphere will come during the 3rd and 4th week.
By that time Lord Sun will be reaching Mesham.
The dates 25th, 26th and 27th will not be favourable.
Karma 59

In the past issues we discussed some ideas on Siddhars. In this issue
we will discuss more about Siddhars. Siddhars and this intense path
of light is the mystical end of Hinduism. This is a journey beyond
enlightenment when beliefs are abandoned and instead, experience
and teachings and the sacred grace of the ancient lineage of Gurus
serve to guide the Siddhar adept.
Much less is known of the yogic traditions of South India as it was
guarded in secrecy and taught in the traditional manner of Guru to
the spiritually mature disciple. In most cases the enlightened beings
went on to evolve into the final objective of yoga and that was to
merge into God in the physical form itself. These sages were called
Siddhars. Many of these Siddhars maintained spiritual diaries and
writings in the form of poetry from the time they actualized into
discovering the divine with deeper meaning and the beginning of
their journey into yoga while attaining enlightenment, and to the
final state of transforming into light, merging with the Supreme.
There are different Siddhar schools with some believing in
18 masters. According to the Siddhar teachings, these masters
constantly take birth again and again with their disciples in different
divine incarnations in different times and different places around
the world constantly to keep up with the changing humanity needs
Karma 60
and effecting change. Swami Vivekananda was said to have been
one of the reincarnations of Siddhar Thirumulanathar. Lao Tzu was
claimed by Siddhar Bhogar to have been one of his incarnations.
They were the greatest scholars of languages, medicine, Vedas and
astrology.
Siddhars were evolved spiritual beings who went beyond
enlightenment to accomplish the final yoga of attaining the ultimate
perfection as becoming one with God. Yoga of Siddha tradition in
South India meant the accomplishment of merging the body into
the supreme light of the absolute as attainments of eight different
dimensions of perfection. Each dimension of perfection is called
a siddhi and siddhi is the miraculous powers that were acquired
while practicing this path of yoga. Although spiritual traditions
of Hinduism throughout India shun acquiring siddhis due to the
belief that acquiring siddhis would grow ego and therefore would
withhold the spiritual progress of the yogi. Siddhars consider
attainment of various siddhis as grace which naturally flows into
them through their yogic practices and it was held sacred as the
mark of the divine presence within them.
The realm of Siddhars is mystical, most times unbelievable and
has remained unchanged over thousands of years. To envision this
world, it is comparable to the life present in the extreme depth of
the ocean existing under intense high pressure and total darkness,
hardly ever disturbed by external forces. This would be an example
to illustrate the world of the Siddhars beneath the known in
Southern India which still vibrant and alive and yet far away from
the rest of human civilization. These ancient spiritual places in
South India, hidden from the rest of the world resonate with the
presence of the Siddhars even today.
Siddhar Agasthiyar.
Sri Agasthiyar Siddhar is considered as the “Father of Siddhar
Tradition. He was very short in height but his knowledge and
wisdom were very great. He has written a lot of religious, spiritual
and astrology books. He established the Ashram called Sri.
Agasthiyar Siddhar Peetam in Soth India. Sri. Agasthiyar Siddhar’s
works to the development of the language Tamil and Atharva Vedic
Astrology are the most commendable.
Siddhar Patanjali:
Siddhar Patanjali, the author of Yoga Sutra, who was one of the
disciples of Siddhar Bhogar, mentions of the this higher yoga which
requires the effort of the spiritual aspirant to understand the deep
insightfulness of this Siddha path through practice and patience for
the true teachings beneath the simplicity of his writings to reveal.
Siddhar Bhoganathar:
Siddhar Bhogar’s extensive writings in Tamil cover Ayurveda
(traditional indigenous medical technique followed in India) and
yogic practices of Siddhars. Siddhar Bhogar had in his spiritual
diary made many claims with some that defy our logic and are
astounding to the point of dismissing it offhand due to its implication
in the modern day. Siddhar Bhogar did teach the Siddhar practice
wherein one form of siddhi was the ability to leave the body and
appear as light behind another person’s intellect to guide or enter in
as life into another body.
Siddhar Thirumulanathar, Guru to Siddhar Bhoganathar:
Siddhar Thirumulanathar, Siddhar Bhogar’s Guru, writes in his
divine poetry that he meditated in his body to attain light for a
thousand years and then wrote a stanza of divine poetry each year
of higher thantra, the yoga of light. He wrote 3047 stanzas! Siddhar
Thirumulanathar’s writings, known as ‘Thirumandiram’ has many
meanings. Thirumandiram means sacred magic, divine words,
sacred mantras and /or sacred siddhi. Thirumandiram teaches the
science of attainment of light body, going beyond realization into
realms of the Siddha philosophy. All eight forms of siddhi are
explained and their ways of attainments are taught too to enable
the metamorphosis into the ‘perfect state’ as the basic objective of
yoga.
The root of thantra
This higher yogic path was called in ancient Tamil, ‘Thantiram’,
the root to thantraic wisdom that is described as thantra. This
divine thantra as revealed by the Siddhars meant breaking through
ego arising though duality that separates us from the divine, by
worshipping the three dimensional context in every thought arising
as seeds of knowing from the mind. There are so many forms of seed
thoughts such as - as perceiver, perceived and as perception; space,
matter, energy; past, present and future; creation, preservation and
destruction; and so on. Once the three dimensions of thought is
understood and held sacred with the unity behind duality achieved,
the mind would break into becoming single pointed. It would be
natural for Oneness to emerge as Source with the Self illumined
in knowing ‘All Is’ as “I am That’ and ‘I am’. Merging into the
Source was then the only grand reality as the destination of this
yogic journey towards Light.
With the soul recognized in its pure form as the ‘Holy Ghost’ and
a divine teacher as Guru to guide knowing All as the Absolute
nameless Father, the higher thantra manifests the primal urge for
the divine union in the ‘trinity of knowing’. Applying this wisdom
as yogic techniques within a spiritual environment to the single
pointed mind and conditioned body, true yoga of the Siddhars
taught that the eternal is attained with the wisdom of the mind
along with intellect absorbed in divine grace, powerful enough to
manifest its Light body!
Within the context of Hindu myth the name Siddhar originally
denoted one of the eighteen categories of celestial beings. These
beings of semi-divine status were said to be of great purity and
their dwelling was thought to be in the sky between the earth
and the Sun. Later they became associated with a class of more
adept human being, often an accomplished yogi. The term had
been derived from the Sanskrit root “sidh” meaning “fulfillment”
or “achievement,” so the noun came to refer to one who had
attained perfection. Because the Tamil language lacks the aspirated
consonants of Sanskrit the word has been written and pronounced
by the Tamils as chittar. This has lead the Tamils to associate the
word more with the Sanskrit term chit, meaning “consciousness.”
All of the writings of the Tamil Siddhars, whether defining
philosophical viewpoints, yogic practices, or presenting alchemical
recipes for herbal tinctures and base metal amalgams were
presented in poetic form, often employing the more difficult meters
that harkened back to the ancient Tamil Sangam Age. These works
are also riddled with thantric imagery, references to Kundalini, and
clues to control the dangerous feminine power through breathing
practices or the recitation of the Goddess’s secret names.
Because of the enigmatic nature of the Siddha imagery, and their
philosophy structured in direct defiance of human logic, few
scholars have ventured to address the Tamil Siddhars and then often
only as mere curiosities. One of the most basic characteristics of
Tamil composition, and one that is particularly relevant to Siddha
poetry, is the tendency to layer the work so that each word or image
builds upon the last. Because each component image is presented so
as to be viewed autonomously and in relationship both sequentially
and to the totality of the verse, the images of the poem may seem
slightly disjointed and contradictory. Though this may at first seem
to undermine the aesthetic quality and over-complicate the simple
act of enjoying poetry, the Tamil Siddha compositions pattern the
imagery to expound the subtle complexity of their philosophical
concepts or to map out the terrain of the inner landscape which is
dominated by the dormant serpent energy.
The following are the 19 Famous Siddhars. Except Swamiji Sri
Selvam Siddhar, no one is alive now
1. Shri Agasthiyar siddhar
2. Shri Pathanjali siddhar
3. Shri Kamalamuni siddhar
4. Shri Thirumoolar siddhar
5. Shri Kuthambai siddhar
6. Shri Korakkar siddhar
7. Shri Thanvantari siddhar
8. Shri Sundaranandar siddhar
9. Shri Konganar siddhar
10. Shri Sattamuni siddhar
11. Shri Vanmeegar siddhar
12. Shri Ramadevar siddhar
13. Shri Nandeeswarar siddhar
14. Shri Edaikkadar siddhar
15. Shri Machamuni siddhar
16. Shri Karuvoorar siddhar
17. Shri Bogar siddhar
18. Shri Pambaati siddhar
19. Shri Selvam Siddhar
According to the Vedic Scriptures, the Darshan of a Siddhar is equal
to the darshan of Lord Shiva. By having the Darshan, getting the
blessings of Siddhar will pave the ways for the spiritual salvations
of the problems faced by the human beings. To get the Darshan
of Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar, call USA Toll Free@ 1-888-808-
1418 or email to avtemple@aol.com immediately to schedule an
appointment.
Karma 61
T he most important question in astrology is predicting
the timing of an event or events. Astrologers have been
doing researches on this aspect of astrology more than any
other aspect. Why is a person born rich and remains rich
throughout his life? Why is a person born rich but looses
money and riches at some particular time of his life and
leads the life of a poor from then onwards? Why is a person
born poor and remains so for the rest of his life? Why is a
person born poor but becomes rich at some particular time
in his life? Why does a person become Prime Minister
or President at a younger age while some other person
becomes Prime Minister or President at an older age? Why
is it that a person’s married life is disturbed right from the
start while some other person enjoys it for 10-15 years and
then suddenly it falls apart? Why do diseases appear at
different times in different people’s lives? And there are
many such questions. The answer to all these question lies
behind the curtain of Sleeping Yogas and Waking Yogas.
Before we go further let me explain the simple meaning
of the term Yoga in the context of Astrology for the
convenience of readers.
Yoga in its literal sense would mean Addition. Adding
something to something is called Yoga in simple context.
But in Astrology and certain other fields it simply means
combination. So for astrological context, Yoga can be
understood as a combination. But a combination of what.
Well, it is a combination of two or more planets by means
of their placements or Aspects. The aspect of one or more
planets on a particular house can also be considered as
Yoga. When all the planets involved in Yoga are good for
a particular native, the Yoga is said to be a good Yoga. In
the same way when the planets involved in a Yoga are both
good and bad, then it is called a bad Yoga of lesser intensity
which would generally mean that the significances of the
good planets or houses will suffer from the bad effects of
the bad planets involved. If all the planets involved in a
Yoga are bad for a particular native, the Yoga is said to be
very bad as in this case the significances of all the planets
and houses involved in the formation of the Yoga would
suffer a great deal. As the number of planets involved
in a Yoga increase in a horoscope, it becomes more and
more of challenge to predict all the effects of that Yoga,
especially if the planets involved are a mixture of good
Karma 62
and bad. There are also some Yogas in which there are no
mutual aspects and only one of the planets is aspecting
the other. This is called a partial Yoga and in this case
the good or bad effects of the Yoga would be felt only on
the significances of the planet being aspected and not the
planet aspecting.
Now that we know what are good and bad Yogas, can we
predict their results to the native. Well if you do this, you
would find that in many cases the effects of the Yogas
formed are not showing properly or not showing at all.
This is simply because of the fact that presence of a Yoga
is one concept in astrology, but the activation of that
Yoga is another very important aspect without which no
significant predictions can be made. There are usually at
least a couple of good or bad Yogas in a horoscope though
some horoscopes witness more than 5 Yogas also. But the
most important thing to remember is that there is a time
assigned to every Yoga and only at that time the Yoga
would Wake up and start giving its good or bad results
significantly to the native, and before that time it would
be just lying in the horoscope giving almost no effect or
nominal effects. So till the time a Yoga wakes up and starts
giving its results to the native, it is called a Sleeping Yoga
for that particular native. And once it wakes up and starts
giving results, it is called a Waking Yoga.
Let’s now try to understand this concept with the help
of some simplified examples and case studies. The first
case is the case of a male born in 1967 in India (complete
details are not being mentioned to respect the privacy of
the client). This person has a bad Yoga formed by bad
aspects of Jupiter in his horoscope. As a result of this
Yoga his marriage should be delayed and disturbed. There
should be problems with his income issues and some
more bad effects are indicated. But this person married at
an early age and is having two children. His married life
was normal and his business was gaining strength year by
year. He even purchased his own house from his income
and was having a good bank balance as well. From the
beginning of the year 2004, the problems started surfacing
him. He started having major disputes with his wife
and his business started to go down. His family life and
business started showing the results which were predicted
at his birth by some astrologers, only the timing was
wrong. Many of the astrologers he consulted told him that
his marriage would be delayed and he would face income
related issues right from the start of his carrier. But those
things did not happen at all till the rise of year 2004 and
then suddenly all of those things started happening. What
is the mystery then, why were the results of this bad Yoga
delayed for this person. The answer to this question is that
the above mentioned Yoga in this person’s horoscope was
a Sleeping Yoga till the end of year 2003 and as the year
2004 started, the Yoga woke up and all the predictions
started becoming true.
Second case is the case of a Male born in India in 1962
who is witnessing some very good and some very bad
Yogas in his horoscope. But the first Yoga we’ll discuss
is the bad Yoga formed by Raaghu and Kethu, which is
supposed to give disastrous results regarding his married
life and partners. In this case the Yoga is waking right
from the birth and as a result, this Male presently at the
age of 47 has already lost 4 wives, two to death and two to
divorces. Regarding some of the other Yogas present in his
horoscope, a couple of good Yogas made by Sun, Mercury
and Mars were present and awake from the birth which as
a result blessed him with very good business and he has
obtained many valuable properties at different stages of
his life. There is another Yoga formed by Saturn present in
his horoscope which is supposed to give him legal troubles
regarding his properties. But this Yoga was sleeping till
the mid of Year 2000 and as a result he was only gathering
properties and nothing was bothering him in this regard.
But as the Yoga Woke up in 2000, he suddenly witnessed
litigations on a couple of his properties and from that
time onwards he has gained some new properties due to
the effect of the good Yoga, and at the same time, more
than half of his properties are facing legal disputes and the
matters are pending in different courts. He is planning to
marry for the fifth time in the coming future.
The next one is the case of this female born in 1978 in India
who has a bad Yoga formed by Raaghu and Kethu in her
horoscope which is mainly supposed to delay or disturb
her married life. As this Yoga is activated right from her
birth, this female has not yet been married in spite of at
least 25 marriage proposals being discussed and failed for
her. Quoting one more case of a Male who was born in
1968 in India in a middle class family and kept on living
a middle class life till the year 1995 and then suddenly he
managed to go to Germany and started getting rich. He is
very well established now. But due to presence of an active
Manglik Dosh (a defect formed by Mars) and some bad
effects of Saturn, this male is still officially unmarried.
The essence of the above discussion is that timing is a
very important aspect of astrology and it is deeply affected
and dependent on the activation of the Yogas present
in a horoscope. You’ll be surprised to know that many
astrologers are actually able to tell good or bad things that
may happen to you. But as they are not able to calculate
the Wake up time of a Yoga so the timings get wrong and
the whole thing does not make any sense any more. But
many of the good things or bad things told to you by an
astrologer may come true in the later parts of your lives
as they are able to read the effects correctly and it is only
the timing that is missing. For more help with any of your
problems call His Holiness Swamiji Sri Selvam “Siddhar”
immediately in the Toll Free number @ 1-888-808-1418
or e mail to avtemple@aol.com. DO NOT SIT AND
WORRY ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS. Take your phone,
call and get the guidance from Swamiji who has helped
countless people to come out of the problems which are
faced by you now!!
Karma 63
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