From Team Venugaanam

We are delighted to bring you the 32nd edition of Venugaanam this March with our wishes for Maha Shivarathri.  We follow the precious discourse of our beloved SWAMI with the SKM updates for the month of Feb.

In Atmajyothi, we further continue sharing the knowledge on devotion as indicated in Naradha Bhakti Sutras. Here we discuss the various aspects of the devotion.

In his article, Prakash talks about the freshness and joy that one can get out of a morning walk.

Bhargav’s article about “The special rescue mission” precedes the final article about “Fanaticism” which was an excerpt taken from the complete works of SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Divine Discourse

A Divine Discourses by Bhagawan Shri Sathya Sai Baba on – 17-02-1985 

SHIVARATHRI is a day when one tries to establish friendship between the mind and God.

Shivarathri makes one aware of the fact that the same Divinity is all-pervasive, that It is to be found everywhere. In our daily experiences, there are a number of instances which reveal the existence of Divinity in every person. Consider a cinema; on the screen we see rivers in flood, engulfing all the surrounding land. Even though the scene is filled with flood waters the screen does not get wet by even a drop of water. At another time, on the same screen we see volcanoes erupting with tongues of flame, but the screen is not burnt. The screen which provides the basis for all these pictures is not affected by any of them. Likewise in the life of man, good or bad, joy or sorrow, birth or death, will be coming and going, but they do not affect the Atma In the cinema of life, the screen is the Atma It is Shiva, it is Sankara, it is Divinity. When one understands this principle, one will be able to understand, enjoy and find fulfilment in life. Sankara (Easwara) refers to the one who is endowed with all types of Aiswarya (wealth). The types of wealth that we enjoy in the worldly sense are not what we mean by Aiswarya. Everything in the phenomenal world, every person, every bit of matter that you see, has this principle of Aiswarya in it. This Aiswarya is nothing other than Easwara. In other words, the entire phenomenal world is made up of Easwara. This has also been described as Sathaamaatra Chaitanya (Pure Consciousness). This principle of Chaitanya cannot be directly seen; it exists unseen. It is eternal, it is permanent, it is all-pervasive.

SKM Updates

Even as March sets in, there are happy tidings for the children of Sai Krushna Mandir and the Sharavathi school.
 

Development of Play Area/ Vegetable garden: The front portion of Sai Krushna Mandir has been witnessing intense activity in the last few days. A vegetable garden and some fruit trees are being planned to cater to the requirement of the inmates.  The ground has been levelled, the pits dug for tree plantation and fertile soil obtained for the vegetable garden.

A small play area is also being constructed, which will include a slide, see-saw, swing and other play items for children. The play area is likely to be ready before the children come back for the new academic session in May.

Atmajyoti

Sri Laxmi Narayan Aithal

 







The one who has become the Form of Brahman becoming pleased in the inner-organ (अन्तःकरण) gives up distress and desire as well. Being equal in all living beings, he achieves My Supreme Devotion. By the Devotion, knowing the extent of My Glory and that of My Own Form - merges in Me alone through that Knowledge of Reality. Thus, the Lord has spoken.

यज्ज्ञात्वा मत्तो भवति स्तब्धो भवत्यात्मारामो भवति ।। 6 ।।

6.The one who has understood that Devotion becomes intoxicated, becomes motionless and becomes delighted in his own Self.

मत्तो भवति

The joy of Walking

Prakash Srinivasan

During our childhood all of us used to fulfill many of our daily tasks by walking or cycling. I spent most of my schooling years cycling to school and I remember my school’s cycle stand being full on almost all days. After two decades, the cyclist has become an extinct entity.

Our modern lifestyle has given us many comforts and today probably there are hundreds of brands of two-wheelers and cars that have flooded the Indian market. It’s surely a good sign but the problem is that it has now gone to another extreme. People have lost the art of walking and even a short distance of half-a-km is covered by a vehicle. The visit to the nearest grocery store is mostly through our two-wheeler and some even use their cars for such short distances.

A Special Rescue Mission

Bhargav KVRK






During the busy New Year week, I was walking past the senior boys hostel at night, heading towards my home when I heard a bunch of boys playing with something on the road. When I went closer, I apparently felt that they are troubling a small piglet. It looked like 'Hamm' of the toy story, only difference being the yellow colour  was replaced by black and white smears all over its body. It had a terrified look in its eyes and her tiny ears were dancing while sprinting frenetically. Little annoyed I thought of teaching them a lesson. As I approached them, one of the boys said frantically gasping for breath, "Brother, cover that side, don't allow the piglet to escape." I retorted, " Why are you troubling a small piglet and having fun at its expense, leave it!" No brother, you are not understanding," he tried to explain, "this small creature has strayed away from its drove and is roaming alone on this deserted road in the thick of the night." He took a deep breath and continued, " Two gangs of stray dogs on either side of the road have already spotted this soft target and are trying to maul it. We are just trying to protect it."

Swami Vivekananda on Fanaticism

SOURCE : http://www.vivekananda.net/ByTopic/OnFanaticism.html 

There are fanatics of various kinds. Some people are wine fanatics and cigar fanatics. Some think that if men gave up smoking cigars, the world would arrive at the millennium. Women are generally amongst these fanatics. There was a young lady here one day, in this class. She was one of a number of ladies in Chicago who have built a house where they take in the working people and give them music and gymnastics. One day this young lady was talking about the evils of the world and said she knew the remedy. I asked, "How do you know?" and she answered, "Have you seen Hull House?" In her opinion, this Hull House is the one panacea for all the evils that flesh is heir to. This will grow upon her. I am sorry for her. There are some fanatics in India who think that if a woman could marry again when her husband died, it would cure all evil. This is fanaticism.