Bhagavad Gita means which is said by bhagavan (god) himself. Bhagavad Gita is also known as Gitopanishad as it is the essence of vedic knowledge and the most important Upanishad in vedic literature. Bhagavat Gita is a part of Mahabharata. It was told by bhagavan Shri Krishna to his devotee Arjuna, before the start of Kurukshetra war. Bhagavat Gita consists of 18 chapters and 700 slokas.
Krishna arjuna bhagavad gita importance
Bhagavad Gita starts with Arjuna vishada yoga and ends with moksha-sanyasa yoga. Every human starts his life with crying (after a kid is born first thing he do is crying) and moksha being the ultimate goal where he has to reach.
So Arjuna vishada yoga represents the birth of a human and moksha yoga represents the ultimate goal one should reach. So 18 chapters in Bhagavat Gita represents the 18 steps a human should climb to reach his ultimate goal,moksha.
Being a human we are supposed to reach the ultimate goal moksha and Bhagavat Gita is the guide which teaches us how to reach that goal. So reading and most importantly following Gita is must for every human.
List of 18 chapters in Bhagavad Gita (chapter names)
Arjuna vishada Yoga
Sankhya Yoga
Karma Yoga
Jnana Yoga
Sanyasa Yoga
Atma Yoga
Jnana Vigyana Yoga
Akshara para brahma Yoga
Raja Yoga
Vibhuti Yoga
Vishwarupa pradarshana Yoga
Bhakthi Yoga
Kshetra Kshetragna Vibhaaga Yoga
Gunatraya Vibhaaga Yoga
Purushottama Yoga
Daiva asura Sampad Vibhaaga Yoga
Shraddha Traya Vibhaaga Yoga
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
So friends read, understand and follow all this 18 yogas told by bhagawan shri krishna which will for sure help you in getting Moksha. Above all chapters of Bhagavat Gita are explained in an easy and short form for easy understanding of everyone in next posts. Certainly it will help you in understanding the Bhagavad gita
1. Take risks in your life, if you win, you can lead! if you lose, you can guide.
2. Meditation can turn fools into sages, but unfortunately, fools never meditate
3. In a conflict between the heart and brain, follow your heart
4. Talk to yourself once a day. Otherwise, you may miss meeting an excellent person in this world
5. All power is within you , you can do anything and everything
21 best quotes of swami Vivekananda
6. We are what our thoughts have made us, so take care of what you think.
7. The greatest sin is to think yourself weak. So always think yourself strong.
8. Think of God all the time and that will purify you
9. Believing others is easy but believing in yourself is the real challenge
10. Do not wait for anybody or anything, do what you can, build your hope on none.
11. A man is not poor even if he doesn’t have a rupee but a man is really poor if he doesn’t have a dream and ambition
12. The calmer we are and the less disturbed our nerves, the more shall we love and the better will be our work.
13. Neither money pays, nor name, nor fame, nor learning, it is a character that can break walls of difficulties
14. There is only one difference between dream and aim. Dream requires effortless sleep and aim requires sleepless efforts. So sleep for dreams and wake up for aims.
best quotes of swami vivekananda
15. You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but our own soul.
16. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong. Tell your mind that it is strong and have unbound faith and hope in yourself.
17. When you are doing any work do it as worship and devote your whole life to it for the time being
18. Heart is very good fertilizer, so anything we plant – love, hate, fear, hope, revenge, jealousy; surely grows and bears fruit. We have to decide what to harvest.
19. Have faith in yourself – all power is within you. Even the poison of a snake is powerless if you can firmly deny it.
20.Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life. Think of it, dream of it, and live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, and every part of your body be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.
21. Do not hate anyone, because that hatred that comes out from you, will come back to you in long run. If you love, that love will come back to you in long run.
The presiding deity in the temple is Shri Bhuvarahaswamy, an incarnation of Lord shri Mahavishnu in the form of wild boar. Shri Bhuvarahaswamy was residing on the hills when Lord shri venkateshwara swami descended onto the earth. Tirumala was originally called Adivaraha kshetram .
As per Brahma Puranam, it is lord shri Bhuvarahaswamy who granted land to shri Lord Venkateshwara Swamy, on his request to reside on the sacred 7 hills. As a thanks-giving gesture, Lord Shri Venkateshwara Swamy told that devotees should first have darshan of Shri Bhuvarahaswamy before coming for his darshan. And the first naivedhyam will also be offered to Lord Shri Bhuvarahaswamy.
So devotees should first offer their prayers to Shri Bhuvaraha Swamy before visiting Lord Shri Venkateshwara Swamy.
varahaswamy temple tirumala tirupati
2.LORD SHRI VENKATESHWARA SWAMY TEMPLE, TIRUMALA
The Lord Venkateshwara Swamy temple is also called kaliyuga Vaikuntam. Venkateshwara means Lord of Venkata. Word Venkata means Destroyer of sins. Venkata is derived from Sanskrit words VEM (sins) & Kata (power of immunity).
Meaning of Tirumala is 7 hills(edukondalu) and the actual/old name of this place is Venkatachalam or adivarahakshethram
There are three main reasons for Lord Vishnu to come on to the earth as Lord Venkateshwara.
1. To save people in kali yuga
Once Naradha muni visited Lord Vishnu and told that people in kali yuga will have less life span and because of influence of kalipurusha they will be not able to perform great yagas and penance, they will be busy in worldly pleasures. So Narada Muni requested Lord Vishnu to help them.
Then lord Vishnu told to Narada Muni that ” I will be taking an avatar as Venkateshwara in Kaliyuga to bless the devotees who visit me and offer their Thalanilalu (hair on the head)” (this why devotees offer head hair to god in Tirumala)
2. Boon to Yashoda Mata
During DwaparaYuga Yashoda Mata was not able to see the marriage of Lord Shri Krishna with Rukmini Mata. So once she expressed her grief to Lord Krishna. Then Lord Shri Krishna gave a boon to her that in her next life she will perform the marriage of Lord Venkateshwara with Padmavathi.
3. Boon to Vedavati
During Trethayuga there was a Brahmarshi Kushadwaja who was a great devotee of Mata Laxmi. Pleased by his devotion Mata Laxmi taken an avatar as his daughter. He named her Vedavati. In the meantime, she became a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Once when she is doing penance, Ravan has seen her and tried to touch her by force.
When he caught her hair, she has cut her hair and entered into the fire to sacrifice herself. Before entering the fire she cursed Ravan, that she will again take birth and will become a reason for his death.
Taking birth as Maya sita
In her next life, she was born as Maya Sita and brought up by God Agni. As per some Puranas, it is said that when Ravan tried to take Sita Mata. God Agni has replaced Sita with Maya Sita. So Maya Sita stayed in Lanka instead of Sita Mata. After the death of Ravan when Rama asked Sita Mata for Agni pariksha, God Agni replaced the actual Sita with Maya Sita.
Since Maya Sita (Vedavati) suffered a lot, God Agni requested Rama to marry her. But Rama told him that he can’t marry her in this life, but promised that in kali yuga when he will come as Venkateshwara he will marry Vedavati who will be reborn as Padmavathi.
So to make these 3 boons come true Lord Vishnu came to earth as Lord Venkateshwara.
Tirumala_Tirupati
3.PADMAVATHI AMMA TEMPLE
When King Akasharaja and his wife were plowing the land to perform Yagna, the couple found a child in a thousand petal lotus. A divine voice urged the king to bring up the child. The child was named Padmavathi as she was found in a lotus (Padma). When Padmavathi amma grew up Lord Venkateshwara came in search of her. Then the marriage of Lord Venkateshwara(Srinivasa) and Padmavathi amma happened in a grand way
Padmavathi Amma_Temple tiruchanoor tirupati
4.SWAMI PUSHKARINI
Swami Pushkarini lies within the sacred premises of the main temple. This is the place of the utmost reverence and religious significance. It is believed that Lord Shri Venkateshwara (Balaji) himself bathed in this pond along with Mata Laxmi. A bath in this holy Pushkarini (temple tank) purifies body and soul. A dip in this is highly sacred and considered as a custom before entering the temple.
swami puskarini tirumala
5.BEDI ANJANEYA SWAMI TEMPLE
During his childhood, once lord Hanuman wanted to leave Tirumala in search of a camel. This forced his mother Anjanadevi to tie his hands with cuffs in this place. Hence the idol of Lord Hanuman in this temple will be seen in a unique form where both his hand were handcuffed.(Bedi means Cuffs)
Bedi_Anjaneya_Temple Tirumala Tirupati
6. GOVINDARAJA SWAMY TEMPLE
When south India was invaded by Muslim rulers, the preceding deity of Chidambaram Sri Govindaraja swamy was brought and kept safely in Tirupati. After the situation at Chidambaram returned to normal the deity of Lord Sri govindarajaswamy was taken back to Chidambaram from Tirupati. After that one day, Sri ramanujacharya had a vision of lord Govindarajaswamy in his dreams advising to make arrangements for him to stay in Tirupati.
When Sri Ramanujarcharya visited the place which he has seen in the dream, to his surprise he found the vigraham (idol) of Lord Govindarajaswamy in that place. Sriramanujarcharya advised the king to construct a temple to the Lord. It is also told that Sri Govindarajaswami (a form of Lord Vishnu) is the elder brother of Lord Venkateshwara swami, who has taken care of the marriage of Sri Venkateshwara Swamy and Padmavati amma.
Govindarajaswami temple tirupati
7.KAPILA THEERTHAM WATERFALLS
It is the place where Kapila muni (a form of Lord Vishnu) has performed Tapasya (penance) for Lord Shiva and got the darshan of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvathi. In the temple, there is a waterfall and water body. During the Karthika Purnima, the power of all the theerthas situated in the 3 worlds merges into Kapila theertham at noon for 10 gatikas (1 gatika = 24 minutes). If a person takes bath in Kapil theertham during that time then it is considered as he has taken bath in all the theerthas in the three worlds.
Kapila theertham- Tirupati
8.KODANDARAMA SWAMY TEMPLE
This temple which has a glorious history of over one thousand years was built by the Chola kings in the 10th century A.D. This temple was well developed by various kings especially by Sri Krishna Deva Raya in the 15th century. The symbols and raja mudrikas of the Vijaya Nagara dynasty can be seen on the rock walls of the outer mandapas.
Kodanda Ramaswamy Temple Tirupati image
9.SRIVARI PADAMULU
It is the place where Lord Vishnu first kept his feet on the earth as Venkateshwara. Footprint is available here and you can have a darshan of it.
Srivari_Padalu tirumala tirupati
10.SHILATHORANAM
During excavations in 1980, a very rare phenomenon of 2 different sets of rocks connected together in the form of a thin link was found. They are formed naturally. Shilathoranam is believed to be 2500 million years old
shilathoranam Tirumala tirupati
11. CHAKRA THEERTHAM
Once lord Brahma wanted to perform penance so he visited lord Vishnu and asked him to show a perfect place to perform penance. Then lord Vishnu plunged the Sudarshana Chakram which reached this place and stopped here. So it is called Chakra Theertham. The water body here will remove the sins of people who take a dip in it.
way to chakra theertham
12.AKASHA GANGA THEERTHAM
Here the holy water will come out as a natural stream from the hills. It is believed that Akasha Ganga originates from the lotus feet of the main deity Shri Venkateshwara Swamy. This sacred water is used for Shri Venkateshwaraswamy daily Abhishekam.
Once God himself self told a priest to use this water for his Abhishekam. Here there is also a temple(mandir) of mata Anjanadevi (Mother of Lord Hanuman). It is also believed that this is the place where Mata Anjanadevi performed penance and got Hanuman as Son. so a dip in this theertham will remove the sins of devotees.
akasha ganga tirumala tirupati
13. PAPAVINASHANAM THEERTHAM
Papa means sin and Vinashanam means destroyer. So Papavinashanam means destroyer of sins. The water in papavinashanam will remove the sins of devotees.
papavinasanam tirumala tirupati
14.SHRI KALYANA VENKATESHWARA SWAMY TEMPLE
After the marriage with Padmavathi amma, Lord Venkateshwara visited sage Agasthya’s Ashram to seek the blessing. Over the wish of sage Agasthya, Lord Venkateshwara along with Padmavathi amma stayed at the ashram for 6 months. This Ashramam now became a famous temple
Srikalahasti is one among the Panchabootha Lingas. Swarnamuki nadi (river) will be flowing near srikalahasti temple. Srikalahasti temple has great importance among lord shiva temples. Shiva lingam in Srikalahasti temple is Vayu (meaning air) Lingam. This is swayambu (self-manifested) Lingam. Srikalahasti got its name from the three best devotees of Lord Shiva. Srikalahasti name meaning: Sri – Spider, Kala – snake, Hasti – elephant.
Sri (spider) used to worship Lord Shiva by building a web around the shiva lingam, Kala (snake) used to worship Lord shiva by placing precious gems, and elephant used to worship by bringing water in its trunk and used to perform abhishekam. Pleased by the worship of all the three, lord Shiva offered Moksha to them in this place.
There is one more legend associated with the temple. A hunter named Kannappa who is a great devotee of the lord(god) Shiva has offered his eyes to Shiva Lingam. Pleased by which lord Shiva offered Moksha to him. This devotee is famously known as Bhakta Kannappa and there is a temple for him on the hill. Srikalahasti temple is famous for performing Rahu Ketu Pooja and kala sarpa nivarana pooja. Below you can see the Srikalahasti temple gopuram image
Srikalahasti temple
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Below you can find how saying Jai Shri Ram in your daily life while wishing someone (before and after the conversation), before starting and completing your work including regular works like driving, eating, business work, etc can change your life and the surrounding environment as well.
Saying Jai Shri Ram was a common practice in ancient Bharat (India). But now most of us have forgotten to say these powerful words.
Meaning of Jai Shri Ram
First, let us know the meaning of the word “Jai Shri Ram”. Jai Shri Ram means victory to Lord Shri Ram. Here Shri means Mata Sita. So Jai Shri Ram means victory to Sita Ram.
jai shri ram – sita rama
Importance of the word Rama
Word Rama is known as Taraka namam or Taraka Mantra which is the most powerful mantra and help us in crossing the Bhavasagaram (ocean of Maya).
Word “RA” is taken from Ashtakshari mantra “ OM Namo NaRAya naya” and word “MA” is taken from panchakshari mantra “NaMA Sivaya”.
RA- is the bija aksharam in Astakshari mantra and MA is the bija askharam in Panchaskshari mantra.
So spelling RAMA means indirectly saying both Vishnu and Shiva mantra. For practicing or chanting a mantra, there are some rules which should be followed. But for saying the word “Jai Shri Ram” there are no rules or restrictions. Only devotion to Lord Rama is important.
Yogic importance
One more importance of the word Rama is that “RA” represents the mooladhara chakra (kundalini origin point) and “MA” represents the Sahasrara chakra (destination point where Kundalini energy needs to be reached). So by saying “RAMA” your kundalini energy will be raised.
If you say “Jai Shri Ram” before starting any work or conversation or to wish someone, positive energy will be generated within you. Which will help you in completing your work successfully or make your conversations with others fruitful. Saying Jai Shri Ram after the work will generate a feeling of peace inside you. Because after the work if you are saying “Jai Shri Ram” means you are keeping the fruits or karma’s of your work at Lord Shri Rama’s feet.
And when “Jai Shri Ram” was told loudly it will also create positive energy in the surrounding environment. Which will remove negative influences.
Lord Hanuman is the best example to show, how great a person can become by saying or Chanting “Jai Shri Ram”
Jai Shri Ram
So start saying “Jai Shri Ram” and you will get below
Positive energy will be generated within you, which will help you in the successful completion of your goals
Your Kundalini energy will be raised
It will help you in crossing the Bhavasagaram (help in getting Moksha)
Will create a positive impact on the environment by removing negative influences.
You will have the blessings of Lord Shri Rama (RA – lord Vishnu and MA- lord shiva) and his great devotee Lord Hanuman.
1.No disease is more deadly than desire (the sexual), no enemy is more dangerous than infatuation, no fire is hotter than the fire of wrath (extreme anger) and no happiness is better than the self-knowledge
2.Even the goals which are very difficult to achieve can be achieved by determination. Nothing is impossible for a determined person.
3.One should always feel satisfied with his wife, with his diet, and with his wealth. But one should never be satisfied with the knowledge one has, austerity, penance (Tapasya), and giving a donation to the deserved.
4.A person who is aware of future troubles, and fight against them with his intelligence will be always happy. And a person who remains inactive (without working ) waiting for good days to come will destroy his own life.
5.An evil (wrong) person is more dangerous than a Snake. Because a snake will sting (injure) only once but the evil person will sting at every step.
best quotes from Chanakya neeti
6.One should not live in a place where one will not get respect, where it is not possible to earn a livelihood, where there is no close friend/relative, and where there is no chance of getting good knowledge.
7.Reject a friend who talks sweetly on the face but tries to harm (or talk bad about you) in your absence. They are like delicious food mixed with poison.
8.One should save money to save oneself from bad situations/problems. Because no one can expect when a bad situation can arise.
9.A person who tries to get temporary things leaving aside the permanent things will lose both temporary and permanent things.
10.one should not spend his day without learning a sloka, without donating something, and without doing good work.
11.There will be no poverty for a hard-working person, there will be no papa for the person who does Japa, there will be no conflict for a silent person and there will be no fear for a person who is always alert.
12.one should fear only till he doesn’t know the reason for the fear. Once you find the reason for fear then you should fight against it with courage.
13. Human will take birth alone will die alone and will take the fruits of his karma alone.
best quotes from chanakya
14.Knowledge is the best friend during travel. Spouse is the best friend in the house. Medicine is the best friend during ill health and the dharma one followed will be the best friend after death.
15.In this world everything is volatile (will not be permanent) including money, property, life span, and place. Dharma followed by a person is the only permanent thing.
16.There is no great Tapasya (penance) than peace, there is no great happiness than satisfaction, there is no great disease than greediness and there is no great dharma than mercy.
17.One who doesn’t have the knowledge, Tapasya, mercy, patience, purity and one who doesn’t follow dharma are animals in the form of humans.
18.Goddess Laxmi will not bless a person who wears dirty clothes, who don’t keep himself clean, who eats more, who sleeps during sunrise and sunset.
The word karma is derived from the Sanskrit word “Kri” meaning “to do”. All action is Karma. Karma yoga teaches, how a man can get “Moksha” by doing his duties. It teaches us the secret of work.
how to practice karma yoga
Karma Siddhanta (Karma Philosophy)
As per Karma yoga what all we do, physical or mental is Karma and it will have an effect on us.
What all is going on in one’s life is because of the previous karma’s one has done and the Karma’s which one will do now will decide one’s future.
Our karma determines what we deserve and what we can assimilate. We are responsible for what we are and whatever we wish ourselves to be. We have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in the future can be produced by our present actions.
Karma Yoga
According to karma yoga, the action one has done cannot be destroyed until it has borne its fruit. If you do evil actions you will suffer for it, if you do good actions you will enjoy good results.
But both good and bad Karma’s will bind you and will stop you from reaching one ultimate goal Moksha. To achieve Moksha one should be free from Karma’s
So is it possible to stop doing Karma? For a normal person, it is impossible. So Karma yoga teaches a method by which a person can achieve Moksha by doing his duties (Karma’s)
Karma yoga says to do only good karma and at the same time don’t get attached to that karma. Means doing good work just for the sake of doing good and not expecting anything in return.
For example, if you want to donate “X” amount of money for charity, donate it only for the sake of helping others, and don’t expect name or fame from that action. And at the same time don’t have the attitude that you have donated it, feel blessed that god has chosen you as a postman to do that good activity.
So like this does your duty continuously just for the sake of doing duty and don’t get attached with the duty or result.
So how can we give up this attachment?
One of the best ways told in karma yoga to avoid this attachment is to give up the fruits of work to God. Don’t do bad and for whatever good work you have done, don’t claim any praise or benefit and offer them at lord’s feet.
This article will help you to understand what is raja yoga and how you can use some of its principles, in an easy way so that you will also get some benefits of Raja Yoga.
What is Raja Yoga and what does it teach?
Raja Yoga is the science that teaches us how to gain the power of concentration. As per Raja Yoga human mind is the most powerful thing in the universe. Raja yoga teaches us, how we can observe the internal States (soul, mind, body) with the help of the mind. Here you should be careful that you are knowing about the mind (soul, mind, body) with the help of the Mind itself.
It says that by analyzing the mind, one will get to know the reality of the soul which is permanent and perfect. When a person realizes the soul which is perfect, he will have no more desires & miseries – there will be perfect Bliss. And this can be done only by concentration.
how to practice raja yoga
Raja yoga Practise
Study of Raja Yoga will take a long time and constant practice. A part of Raja Yoga is physical but in the main it is mental. Raja Yoga also talks about the link between the body and the mind. Like if the body is healthy, the mind will also be healthy. And if the mind is disturbed, the body also becomes disturbed. Both are interlinked. So Raja Yoga says that to get control over body and mind we must take certain physical help.
Raja Yoga says that the external world is the effect of an internal cause. This means by controlling the internal (mind), one will be able to get the whole of nature under his control. To say in simple words Raja Yoga says to get control over internal nature and through that control, the whole – both internal and external.
Raja Yoga says that one should not sleep more or less, one should not eat more or less, and one should not work more or less. Else control over the mind is very difficult.
Swami_Vivekananda_Raja yoga
Now let us know how Raja Yoga can be practiced step by step. There are total 8 steps in Raja Yoga.
Yama
Niyama
Asana
Pranayama
Pratyahara
Dharana
Dhyana
Samadhi
Yama and Niyama are moral training’s and without this, it’s impossible to reach the higher stages.
Yama
It means avoiding unnecessary violence, stealing, and receiving any gifts.
Niyama
Niyama means cleanliness, being satisfied with what you have, austerity, study, and self-surrender to God.
Asana
The next step is Asana (Posture). Every day one should practice physical and mental exercises. one can choose Asana as per one’s wish but make sure your chest, neck, and head should be in a straight line while you are sitting in that asana. First nerves should be purified before going to Pranayama. Breathing in and out slowly in a rhythmic manner will help in cleaning the nerves.
Pranayama is all about controlling the Prana (vital force in every being). There are many different types of Pranayama. But below you can find one of the Pranayama told by Swami Vivekananda.
Close your right nostril and fill the lungs with breathing, through the left nostril for 4 seconds. Then close both the nostrils and hold the breath for 16 seconds. After that let outbreathe, through the right nostril for 8 seconds. It completes 1 Pranayama. Now repeat it by inhaling with the right nostril, holding it, and exhaling with the left nostril. Do only 4 Pranayamas in a day in the starting, later you can increase it with practice.
There is no need to exactly count this 4 seconds – 16 seconds – 8 seconds but do the inhaling, holding, and exhaling in the proportion. Pranayama also talks about how to raise Kundalini and more. But that should be practiced only in the presence of Guru (teacher).
Pratyahara and Dharana are all about reducing the thoughts in mind and fixing them on one single point. The human mind is the most restless thing in the universe. Controlling it is one of the difficult tasks. So now let us learn how to control it.
Pratyahara
Sit alone for some time and let the mind run. Until you know what the mind is doing you cannot control it. Many thoughts will be coming and going. You just keep watching them. In the first few months, you will find that your mind will have a great many thoughts. Later you will find that they have somewhat reduced and in a few more months they will be fewer and fewer until at last the mind will be under perfect control. But we must patiently practice every day. This controlling of the mind and not allowing it to think of different things is pratyahara.
After you have practiced Pratyahara for a time, take the next step Dharana.
Dharana
Dharana means holding the mind on one particular point. For example, the mind should be made to think of one point in the heart. That is a very difficult and easier way is to imagine a Lotus (full of light) there.
Dhyana
If the mind has been trained to remain fixed on a certain internal or external point, then an unbroken power of current will flow into it. This state is called Dhyana
Samadhi
When one has intensified the power of Dhayana, as to be able to reject the external part of perception and remain meditating only on the internal part then that state is called Samadhi.
Following even a small part of Raja Yoga will reduce nervous excitement, bring calmness, better health, improve concentration and enable us to see things more clearly.
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