MUNDAKOPANISHAD--THIRD CH-SEC-2 VERSE-6

VEDANTHA VIJNYANASUNISCHITARTHA HA; SANYASAYOGADH YATHAYA SHUDDHA SATWAHA; THEY BRAHMALOKESHU PARANTHAKALE, PARAMRUTHA HA PARIMUCHHANTHI SARVE.-------------A VERSE FROM MUNDAKA TALKS ABOUT IMMORTALITY THUS;  THOSE ASPIRANTS WHOS'E NATURES HAVE BEEN PURIFIED BY A LIFE OF RENUNCIATION AND WHO ARE WELL ESTABLISHED IN THE SELF OR BRAHMAN, THAT FORMS THE SOLE QUEST OF ALL VEDANTIC STUDIES-THEY ATTAIN IMMORTALITY IN BRAHMAN AT THE TIME OF DEATH, REALISES THAT HE IS NOT THE BODY AND THEREFORE DEAD TO THE BODY CONCEPT. HE IS NOT EFFECTED BY PRARABDHA KARMA OR RATHER SANCHITA OR AGAMIKA KARMAS[ HE IS ABSOLVED OF ALL BONDAGES HERE OR HEREAFTER, HENCE HE IS NOT REBORN]. HE IS LITERALLY A   FREE MAN, NOT BOUNDED BY BIRTH AND DEATH CYCLES.

NAMA SMARANA[IT'S SIGNIFICANCE]

---NARAYANEEYAM DASAKAM92-VERSE 6-------SAYS THUS------=-OH, SLAYER OF MURARI, OH, FULFILLER OF ALL DESIRES, WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE BORN IN KALIYUGA, IN WHICH EFFORTLESSLY  BY CHANTING LORD'S GLORIES,NAMES ETC, PEOPLE CAN GET THY GRACE. EVEN THOSE BORN IN OTHER 3 YUGAS, WISH FOR A BIRTH IN KALIYUGA, OH, LORD, DO NOT TEMPT US WITH SWEET POISON OF SENSE ENJOYMENTS, WHEN BY SOME GOOD FORTUNE WE HAVE BEEN BORN IN THIS KALIYUGA, IN WHICH LIBERATION IS EASIER TO ACHIEVE THAN IN OTHER YUGAS. [HERE  NARAYANA BHATTATHIRI  TALKS ABOUT ONE OF THE QUALITIES OF  A BAKTHA, WHEN OTHERS CROSSES THE SAMSARA, THRU DIFFICULT PATH LIKE KARMAS, JNYANA, SANKHYA, AND VARIOUS OTHER MEANS, THIS BAKTHA SIMPLY CHANTS LORD'S NAMES, LISTENS TO HIS LEELAS, AND DOES HIS CHITTAVRUTHI, THEREBY ATTAINS SAYUJYA OR PARAMAPADA, VERY EASILY.

AVIAL

CUT TO LONG PIECES OF WHITE PUMPKIN, RED PUMPKIN,PODAWAL,DRUMSTICK, ETC, ADD LITTLE SALT AND PRESSURECOOCK. THE SAME. TAKE THE TAWA. PUT SOME OIL, ADD 4  CHILLIES[GREEN],CUMIN POWDER,BENGALGRAM[CHANA DALL], SAUT IT AND ALONG WITH GRATED COCONUT, PUT IT IN THE MIXY AND GRIND WELL MIXTURE. ADD THIS PASTE TO ALREADY PRESSURE COOKED VEGGIES, PUT KADIPATTHA AND BOIL THE SAME FOR TEN MINUTES. ADD BUTTER MILK OR CURD[IT SHOULD BE SOURLY]. YOUR AVIAL IS READY. ENJOY THIS KEARALA RECIPE.       

KARTIK SHUKLA EKADASHI ON 6TH NOVEMBER

EKADASHI FASTS ARE DONE FOR CLEANSING OF OUR MIND AND BODY. NORMALLY WE DON'T GIVE REST TO OUR SYSTEMS.  ONE OF THE TAPAS IS FASTING ON EKADASHI, AND REMEMBERING NARAYANA'S NAME CONSTANTLY. IT WAS NARADA WHO GAVE DWADASHAKSHARI MANTRA[MANTRA HAVING 12 LETTERS] OM NAMO BAGHAVATHE VASUDEVAYA  , TO DRUVA, WHO MEDITATED UPON THE THE LORD  FOR FIVE MONTHS. IDEAL IS TO FAST WITH FRUITS AND MILK. FOR OTHERS ONE CAN HAVE SABUDHANA. NOW IT'S PREPARATION----------------. SOAK 1 CUP SABUDHANA WITH 3/4 CUP OF WATER OVERNIGHT. NEXT DAY CUT TO PIECES TOMATOES,BELLPEPPER,POTATO,ETC INTO FINE PIECES. POUR SOME OIL AND FRY THE VEGGIES AND SAUT IT  ADD SALT, MIX IT WITH SABUDHANA IN FLAT VESSEL . PRESSURE COOK TILL YOU HEAR ONE WISTLE. MIX WELL AND ENJOY REMEMBERING GOVINDA. TELL ME WHETHER YOU HAVE SUCEEDED?

UPANISHAD

 A STUDY OF BRAHMAN BY WHICH AVIDHYA[IGNORANCE] IS REMOVED ALONG WITH PAST IMPRESSION[SAMSKARA] IS POSSIBLE. THERE ARE TWO PORTIONS OF VEDAS. KARMAKANDA AND JNYANA KANDA. THE LATTER PART OF THE VEDAS DEALS WITH KNOWLEDGE OF BRAHMAN AND THIS CALLED UPANISHAD.THIS UPANISHADIC KNOWLEDGE IS PASSED ON FROM TEACHER TO HIS DISCIPLES, AND STUDENT HAS TO SIT VERY CLOSE TO HIS GURU.THERE ARE MANY UPANISHADS RELATED TO DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF VEDAS.. SOME OF THE BRANCHES ARE NOT AVAILABLE..ADI SHANKARA COMMENTED UPON ELEVEN UPANISHADS[ISA,KENA,KATHA,PRASNA,MUNDAKA,MANDUKYA,TAITTIRIYA,AITAREYA,CHANDOGYA,SVEASVATARA, AND BRIHADARANYAKA]. UPA MEANS TO SIT NEAR. NI INDICATES NISCHAYARTAM [DEFINITE]  KNOWLEDGE. SADH STANDS FOR BRAHMAN OR CONSCIOUSNESS. HENCE THE WORD UPANISHAD.

WHAT IS BRAHMAN?

IN ADVAIDA BRAHMAN OR SELF IS SAID TO BE THE ONLY REALITY. AND WHATEVER IS OTHER THAN THAN SELF IS MAYA OR ANITHYAM.PURE KNOWLEDGE OR CONSCIOUSNESS CONSTITUTES THE ESSENCE OF SELF AND THIS CONSCIOUSNESS IS REAL. IT'S BEYOND ALL CHANGES,MODIFICATIONS,HENCE REAL. THE SELF IS NIRVISHESHA[CANNOT BE CHARACTERISED]NIRGUNA[DEVOID OF ANY QUALITY]NISHKRIYA[INACTIVE]NIRVIKARA[WITHOUT MODIFICATION]SHUDDHA[WITHOUT ANY IMPURITIES]SATCHITANANDASWARUPA[EXISTENCE-CONSCIOUSNESS,ETERNAL HAPPINESS . PURE AWARENESS  IT IS NEVER NEGATED.CONSCIOUSNESS ALONE EXISTS.THERE IS ONE AND ONLY ONE CONSCIOUSNESS HENCE ADVEETHIYAM. ACCORDING TO ADI SHANKARA THERE IS BRAHMAN AND BRAHMAN ALONE.[AKHANDAM SATCHIDHANDAM AVANGH MANAS GOCHARAM, ATMANAM AKHILADHARAM, ASHRAYE ABHEESHTTA SIDDHAYE.]ATMA CANNOT BE DIVIDED,IT'S SAT-CHIT ANANDA, WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE SINCE NOT AN OBJECT,MIND CANNOT REACH THERE,WHOLE UNIVERSE IS BASED ON ATMA,ONE WHO TAKES SHELTER IN BRAHMAN IS ALREADY  A SIDDHA.

ART OF COOKING

DEAR FRIENDS I TRIED UTTAPPAM. MANY DAYS I WAS WONDERING WHY I CANNOT MAKE     UTTAPPA AS DONE BY SHARAVANABHAVA CHAIN OF HOTELS. RECENTLY I TRIED AND SUCCEEDED TO SOME EXTENT.IT CAME OUT WELL. IT'S V.SIMPLE.FIRST CUT TO SMALL PIECES[FINE] BELLPEPPER,GOBI,TOMATO,CARROT. FRYTHESE PEICES IN 2 TEASPOON OF OILSAUT IT WITH RAYEE, UDID DALL,CHANA DALL, HALDI POWDER ETC. KEEP ASIDE WHEN FRIED AND TRANSFER TO A VESSEL. NOW HEAT THE DOSA THAVA PUT THE THICK BATTER OF DOSA ON THE THAVA PUT 1 SPOON OF OIL, ADD FINE PIECES OF BHAJI  ON THE DOSA. AFTER SOMETIME REVERSE THE SIDE. HEAT FOR SOME TIME, . YOUR UTTAPPAM IS READY. ENJOY  AND DONT FORGET TO INVITE ME.