Friday, 6 December 2013

Lord Vishnu in Virat Rupa



In this spectacular brass figure Lord Vishnu is manifested in his Vishwarupa as was witnessed by Arjuna. In chapters 10 and 11 of Bhagwat Gita, Lord Krishna reveals himself as the Supreme Being and finally displays his Vishvarupa to Arjuna, who was reluctant to fight against his brothers in the epic battle of Kurukshetra. In Chapter 10 of Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna was curious to know about various forms through which Lord is pervading all over. Lord Krishna replies that, "Of lights He is the radiant sun; of immovable things, He is the Himalayas; among the stars He is the moon; of purifiers He is the wind; of the wielders of weapons He is Lord Rama etc. etc."

On Chapter - 11 of Gita, Arjuna asks Krishna to show him the Cosmic Form of God. Lord Krishna bestows a special “vision” to Arjuna so that he can see the Divine God in His universal form. Lord Krishna shows His opulence, hundreds of thousands of varied divine and multicolored forms. Lord Krishna shows Arjuna, different manifestations of Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Asvini-kumaras and all the other demigods. Lord Krishna also shows in His Universal Form many wonderful things which no one has ever seen or heard of before. Arjuna saw numerous mouths, eyes, wonderful visions. The form was decorated with many celestial ornaments and bore many divine upraised weapons.

He wore celestial garlands and garments, and many divine scents were smeared over His body. All was wondrous, brilliant, unlimited, all-expanding. "If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that Universal Form." On seeing such a fierce form, Arjuna was awe-struck and asks God, “Who are you in this fearful form & what is Your mission in this form?” To this query of Arjuna "Lord Sri Krishna says: Time I am (Kala), the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you (the Pandavas), all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain." Arjuna asks Lord Sri Krishna to return to his “intimate, beautiful form (saumya-rupa)." At Arjuna's request, Lord Krishna, again displays His real four-armed form and at last shows His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna.

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

Lord Laxmi Narayan on Sheshnag - Ganges India


Lord Laxmi Naryan on Sheshnag 


In this spectacular brass figure, Lord Vishnu and His wife Laxmi are beautifully crafted with a deep sense of finesse. The Lord is taking rest in a serpentine coil as Laxmi lakshmi ganesh saraswati massaging his feet. In Hindu tradition, Shesha, also known as Sheshanaga or Adishesha is the king of all Nāgas, one of the primal beings of creation, and according to the Bhagavata Purana, an avatar of the Supreme God known as Narayana. In Puranas, Sheshanaga is said to hold all the planets of the Universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths. It is said when Adishesa uncoils, time moves forward and creation takes place. When he coils back, the universe ceases to exist. Shesha is generally depicted with a massive form that floats coiled in space, or on the ocean of milk, to form the bed on which Vishnu lies. 

In the Bhagavadgita of Chapter 10, verse 29, Sri Krishna while describing 75 of his common manifestations, declares ‘of the nagas, I am Ananta’. According to Mahabharata, Shesha was born to sage Kaśyapa and his wife Kadru. Kadru gave birth to a thousand snakes, of which Shesha was the eldest. After Shesha, were born Vāsuki, Airāvata and Takaka. As a lot of Sesa brothers were cruel in nature, Sesa left his mother and kin, and resorted to austere penance. His penances were so severe that his flesh, skin and muscles dried up and merged with his frame. He was able to please Brahmā. Following this, Shesha was able to keep his mind under control so that he could continue to perform ascetic penances. Brahma asked Sesa to go beneath the unstable earth and stabilize it. Sesa agreed and went to the netherworld, and stabilized her with his hood. He is known to support her even today, thus making Pātala his perennial residence.

Monday, 18 November 2013

Meditation: Good for you


The Awakened One 'Buddha'
Meditation or dhyan is a key part of Hindu life. Old sages and rishis used to exercise meditation for years. Deep meditation enabled them to accomplish the toughest task kin life. By dint rigorous meditation in adverse climate, the sages often could satisfy the Gods and got boons from them.

It may not be possible for a layman to meditate for hours, not to speak of years, but half an hour of meditation daily will do miracle for our body and mind. Mediation makes our life more disciplined, and our mental or other tensions will disappear once we start meditation on regular basis.

Indian Hindu Lord Buddha Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.” In fact meditation was considered an essence of religion in Buddhism. Even today Buddhist monks practice meditation on regular basis.

Buddha also said: The subject on which I meditate is truth. The practice to which I devote myself is the truth. The topic of my conversation is truth. My thoughts are always in truth. For lo! my self has become the truth.”
It is also said in Bhagavad Gita: “Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.”

It is also said in our Vedas: There is one Supreme Ruler, the inmost Self of all beings, who makes His one form manifold. Eternal happiness belongs to the wise, who perceive Him within themselves - not to others.
Sikh Guru Nanak said: “As fragrance abides in the flower, As the reflection is within the mirror, So doth thy Lord abide within thee, Why search Him without?”

The sum and substance of these sayings is that our inner self is a potent force for the realisation of God. When the inner self is awakened, we will attain greater energy for us. And this inner self can be awakened by practising deep and regular meditation.

Life style and meditation

In today’s mechanical life when our body is exerted too far due to all mental pressure we are losing a fine
balance between physical and metal exertion. Mentally we are going too far but at the same time we are losing sight on our physical exercise. At this juncture it is important that we must do meditation for a peaceful life.

At the end of the day when our body almost feel tired, a ten or 15 minutes mediation will do wonder. We will feel not only refreshed and rejuvenated but also all our tiredness will disappear and our mind will feel with new energy and power.

My story: When I was in school and also in my early part of college life, my father instructed me to do meditation for 45 minutes daily. I did it usually in the evening time. My dad told me that the most ideal time for meditation is after 2am in the night, when there is tranquility all around and people around you are in deep slumber. Though it is not possible for a working person like me or any other working person, but I still try and find some spare time to go deep into meditation. While in meditation, you need to concentrate your all energies into one focal point. The point is called the third eye (between your eye brows). When all your focus is one point, gradually you tend to forget about your surroundings and a process of gradual detachment comes into play. You feel like moving into another world. Deep meditation energises our brain and makes us more vigorous. The process of going deep into a stage of trance is an electrifying one and throughout your body you will feel the impact of it. However, for effective meditation concentration is very important. Without concentration, meditation will not be as effective as it deems to be.    

Third Eye: The third eye is located around the middle of the forehead, slightly above the junction of the eyebrows.  Hindu tradition associates the third eye with the chakra. Also, in the Tantra yoga system it is associated with the sound Om, and is known as the Ajna chakra. In Tantra, the crown is believed to be the Shivatic lotus of ten thousand petals. In Taoism and many traditional Chinese religious sects third eye training involves focusing attention on the point between the eyebrows with the eyes closed. The goal of this training is to allow students to tune in to the correct "vibration" of the universe and gain a solid foundation on which to reach more advanced meditation levels.

Research: It's no secret that meditation can have powerful effects on the mind and body. Recent research works have shown that even a short meditation can help to energise the mind. In a study published recently in the journal Psychological Science, it was shown that just five hours of meditation instruction changed how the brain functions.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin invited about 24 people to participate in meditation training in exchange for free meditation instruction. Both before and after the 5 week period, everyone took part in a brief 15 minutes of attempted focused attention meditation. They were told: "relax with your eyes closed, and focus on the flow of your breath at the tip of your nose; if a random thought arises, acknowledge the thought and then simply let it go by gently bringing your attention back to the flow of your breath." During meditation, people wore a cap full of electrodes, creating a picture of their brain activity.

While they were in meditation billions of neurons in the brain communicate by generating small electro-chemical signals. When probes from an instrument that measures electrical energy are placed near a brain cell, a voltage change can be registered whenever the neuron is active.

The researchers have found significant differences in brain functioning during meditation.
So exercise regular meditation and make life live-worthy.

Thursday, 7 November 2013

Lord Shiva Mahadev Sculptures | Ganges India





Lord Shiva Mahadev 

Product code: 4694
Product Weight:  2.600 Kg.
Product Size:  9.75"H x 6.75"W x 4.50"D
Product Material:  Brass

Moustached Shiva - Brass Sculpture

Product code: 4653
Product Weight:  4 Kg.
Product Size:  10"H x 7.75"W x 5.50"Dia
Product Material:  Brass

Shiv Parivar Brass Wall Plaque

Product code: 4670
Product Weight:  2.250 Kg.
Product Size:  11.50"H x 8"W
Product Material:  Brass

Lord Shiva in Ashirwad Mudra 

Product code: 4691
Product Weight:  6.820 Kg.
Product Size:  13.50"H x 8"W x 6.75"D
Product Material:  Brass

Friday, 19 April 2013

Aarti ?



  What is Aarti ?
Aarti  is perhaps the most attended ritual in Hindu temples yet it is least understood. ‘Aarti’ Darshan is considered to be one of the most auspicious Darshans in Pushti Margiya and Maryada Purushottam temples. Aarti is one of the 16 offerings of the Pooja ritual. Aarti is also considered to be a stand-alone ritual in Hinduism. It was the masters of the school of Bhakti (devotion) who transformed the simple-fire ritual into an exalted spiritual method referred as ‘aarti’.

In Maryada Purushottam temples, Aarti of God/Goddess is performed twice a day, in the morning at the sun rise and again in the evening at the sunset. While in Pushti Margiya temples, Aarti is performed during each Darshans, typically 6 to 8 times a day. If you want to experience the true mahima of Aarti darshan, then you must visit Nathdwara temple in Rajasthan, India.

Nowadays Aarti has become traditional Indian form of greeting, which has no more religious significance than a handshake in western culture or giving someone a wreath of  flowers as a welcome in Hawaii. As an example, ‘Aarti’ is often performed to greet the principal celebrant in India such as Pope, a movie star or political leaders.
I have come across many explanations on Aarti but none of them conveyed a true meaning of aarti. Recently I found an explanation, which really makes sense and truly says what aarti is all about, which I want to share with you.
What we know about the Aarti
The ritual of aarti is a kind of simple fire ritual. That is why is frequently translated as a ritual as of ‘waving lamps’. In simplest term the Aarti consists of a small flame, which burns on a wick, placed on a plate, which is rotated round the Deity.  Aarti is a form of congregational worship, in which the devotees stand facing the image of a deity or a defied saint or, the personage (‘living idol’) of an exalted saint singing devotional songs in unison. Normally, musical instruments such as bells, gongs and cymbals accompany the singing. The object of worship is devoutly decorated with posy garlands and, aromatic incense and musk are kept smoldering (this is commonly referred as Shringar). While the devotees sing psalms, either an official or a devotee revolves clockwise, (usually) a fivefold oil lamp – consisting of five oil – traylets - round the object of adoration. By waving the lights in circular motion, we, in fact, symbolically perform ‘Pradakshina’ around our Deity.  

A lamp with wicks burning clarified butter (ghee) is most preferred. After the devotional singing, the flame of the aarti-lamp is offered to the devotees, who pass their hands by turns over the sacred flame and quickly draw them to their faces and heads as a gesture of drawing onto themselves the auspicious energy emanating from ‘the receptacle grace’ i.e. the flame.
A hymn is an expression of ardent devotion which in turn is capable of evoking emotions in the hearts of those who recite it. The most common hymn (ironically this is also called ‘aarti’) is ‘Om Jaya Jagdish Hare’.
What we should know about the Aarti

The Word. First let us understand the word. The word ‘aarti’ is an adjective form of the word ‘aart’  which in Sanskrit/Gujarati means tiredness or Vedna. The Meaning. When we think of Aarti, we immediately have an image of ourselves waving a flamed lamp in front of an idol. This action really does not go well with the meaning of the word ‘aarti’ which we just learnt. You may think what tiredness or vedna got to do with waving a flamed lamp in front of an idol. Now let us understand this concept. This is little hard to understand moreover, it is hard to explain in English language because the lack of proper words to explain the meaning! However, I will try!

The vedic philosophy believes that Lord does everything for us. In fact the very existence of us is due to Lord’s Kriya. This constant kriya makes Lord tired and experiences vedna. In order to alleviate him/her from this vedna or tiredness, we the devotees essentially tell Lord that give us your vedna and we will perform your work.
In aarti, the jyot or deep means aatma. Usually there are five jyots representing five pranas. The thali or a lamp holder represents the body. So basically when we wave a lighted lamp in front of an idol we are saying to the Lord that give us your vedna and I will do all the work. Based on this thought, we have ‘dev podhi ekadashi’ and ‘dev uthi ekadashi’. The period between these two ekadashis’s is a resting period for Lord. The circular waving motion of the lamp represents the circle of life or Kriya chakra. In other words we are saying that we will keep this kriya chakra moving forward. Remember, without Kriya there is no progress!

The waving motion differs from sect to sect and region to region. This has to do with local customs, schools of thoughts and priest preferences. This is also a deep subject matter. We will discuss it later. After aarti ritual we usually pass the lamp (aarti) to others. The philosophy behind this is that we essentially all have to distribute vedna and participate in Lord’s kriya.

Thursday, 21 March 2013

Lord Varaha Retrieves The Mother Earth


In this way, while Brahma was deliberating with his associates, Sri Hari roared tumultuously like the great mountain Giriraja. The omnipotent Sri Hari enlivened Brahma and the other highly elevated brahmanas by again roaring with His uncommon voice. The sound of His roar was so sweet that it destroyed all the miseries of the hearer. Brahma, Svayambhuva Manu, and other sages who reside on Janaloka, Tapaloka and Satyaloka, chanted auspicious mantras from the Vedas as offerings to Varahadeva. Lord Visnu in the form of Varaha accepted the prayers of Brahma and other sages and for the benefit of the demigods, entered into the waters of annihilation. Before entering into the water, Lord Varaha rose into the sky lashing His tail. The Lord raised the hair on His shoulders and scattered the clouds in the sky with His hooves. With raised hairs and white tusks, and with luminous effulgence, the Lord's form was brilliant. This is Sri Hari's unique transcendental pastime. Just the remembrance of it causes shivering in the body. He was omnipotent and omniscient, yet like an animal, He searched for the earth by the sense of smell. His external appearance was fearful; however, He pleased the sages engaged in offering prayers by glancing over them and entered into the water. His dive into the water with his thunderbolt-like body divided the ocean. The ocean prayed to Lord out of fear, "Please protect me, O Supreme Lord!"
The Lord of all sacrifices penetrated the water with His hooves, and in the depths of the Rasatala Ocean, He saw the earth lying there as he carried it in his stomach during the time of devastation. Lord Varaha lifted the earth on His tusks and appeared very splendid. At that time, a very powerful demon named Hiranyaksa challenged Him with a huge mace. An enraged Lord Varaha killed the demon within the water, just as a lion kills an elephant. The body, head and face of the Lord became red with the blood of the demon. The Lord, being thus satisfied with the prayers of the great sages, placed the earth on the water with His hooves.


The third incarnation among the Ten Incarnations is Varaha avatara, (Boar incarnation.) At the beginning of the creation of the universe, Brahma, a male named Svayambhuva Manu and a female named Satarupa manifested from his body. By the desire of Brahma, Svayambhuva Manu accepted Satarupa as his wife for the purpose of creation. Seeing the earth submerged in the water of annihilation and desiring to seek a dwelling place for the living beings, Manu approached his father Brahma and prayed to him to rescue the earth. When Brahma saw the earth submerged in the water, he thought for a long time about how it could be rescued. He had earlier established the earth after removing all the water but he could not understand why the earth had sunk into the water again. He had been appointed for the work of creation but the earth had become inundated in a deluge and had sunk down to the Rasatala planetary system. 


Even after much effort, Brahma was not able to think of any solution. At last, he took shelter of the Supreme Lord Visnu. While Brahma was still deep in thought, a small boar the size of the tip of a thumb manifested from his nose. But the most surprising thing is that the small boar expanded in front of Brahma and within moments, filled the sky and assumed a form as big as an elephant. Brahma, together with the great brahmanas like Marici, as well as the Four Kumaras and Svayambhuva Manu saw the transcendental Varaha form and began to discuss among them. Lord Brahma thought that this was some denizen of the transcendental world in disguise; traveling in the form of a boar.


Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Bajrangabali (Lord Hanuman)



Bajrangabali or Lord Hanuman is one of the most popular gods of Hinduism.because of his loyalty and commitment to the cause of Lord Rama he has become very popular.People from all wakes of life worships and appreciate his divine nature and super human personality shaped by the strength of celibacy,humility, selflessness, unsurpassed devotion, determination,fearlessness and extraordinary commitment to work for the divine.He is such a true devotee. His temples are found everywhere in India,in the streets of towns and cities, on the hills, in the forests and most difficult places. Millions observe fast on Tuesdays and refrain from drinking and smoking as a mark of respect for him.Goddess Seeta the great consort of Lord Raam impressed by the selfless devotion and services of Hanuman blessed him to remain immortal in his existing form till the end of creation and help the loyal devotees of Raam. When people pray to Hanuman, they generally chant the chalisa for boons and protection. The chalisa is a verse of 40 lines containing pure adulation. It describes the great qualities and adventures of Hanuman. It is said that because of his complete humility he would not stir into action, unless one reminds him of his true greatness and  his divine purpose. His devotees therefore chant the chalisa, to remind him of his greatness and prompt him to wake up from his devotion and help them.He is called Anajaniputra or Anjaneya because his mother's name was Anjana and above all he is revered as Raam Bhakta Hanuman means devotee of Lord Raam.