Today we will learn the meaning of the word Vasudeva. This is one of the most beautiful meanings I have learnt so far.

Vasu means “Vasanthi Asmin Sarvani Bhutani ithi” i.e. in whom all beings reside and “Vasanthi ayam dehe ithi” i.e. He who resides in all jiivas.

Deva means “Divu kreda ithi” i.e. for whom the acts of creation, sustenance, and destruction are mere play.

So, Vasucha Devasha Vasudevaha. He is both Vasu and Deva, so he is Vasudeva.

Feel free to offer your suggestion or correct any mistake in the comments section.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.

Today we will learn the meaning of the word “Janardhana.”

“Na Jayathe Ardhayathi Cha Samsaram ithi janardhana,” meaning, one who is birthless (Na Jayathe) and who redeems the suffering of his Bhakthas (Ardhayathi Cha Samsaram). Here the sufferings refer to “Samsara.” Since he does both he is called “Janardhana.”

Feel free to offer your suggestion or correct any mistake in the comments section.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.

Namaskara,

Today we will learn the meaning of the word “puruShottama.” This is actually another name for Lord naaraayaNa.

In the Bhagavad Gita, kRishNa paramatma says “dwavimou puruShou loke, xara axara eva cha,” meaning, there are two types of people (jiivas) xara (whose bodies are destroyed during praLaya) and axara (whose bodies are not destroyed during praLaya).

Here puruSha refers to both xara and axara. Uttama means superior. So Lord naaraayaNa is superior when compared to both jiivas. That is the reason why he is called “puruShottama”.

Note: All beings except Laxmi devi come under xara. Laxmi devi is called axara.

Feel free to offer your suggestion or correct any mistake in the comments section.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.

Veda Vyasa classified the Vedas into four divisions and preached it to four different people who were also referred to as the pravartakas. Let us know who they are:

• The Rig Veda was preached to Paila.

• The Yajur Veda was actually preached to two people: kRiShNa Yajur Veda to Vaishampayana and shukla Yajur Veda to Soorya.

• The Saama Veda was preached to Jaimini.

• The Atharva Veda was preached to Sumantu.

If anybody has additional information on this please let me know.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.

Namaskara,

Today, let us learn the meaning of the word “Shikandi.”

Usually this term is thoroughly misunderstood and consequently is often used in wrong instances. It just means “a brave warrior who has tied his hair in the form of a jate/shika” (locks or plait). He was the person who was responsible for Bheeshmacharya’s death.

Feel free to offer your suggestion or correct any mistake in the comments section.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.

Namaskara,

Today let us learn the meaning of the word “Ashwattaamaa.”

Ttaamaa means to make a noise or sound.

When he was born he made a noise like that of a Ashwa (horse). So he was called Ashwattaamaa. You should know that Ashwattaamaa achar was the son of Dronacharya.

Feel free to offer your suggestion or correct any mistake in the comments section.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.

Namaskara,

You would all know that one of the names given to Arjuna was “Savyasachi.” He got this name because he was able to use his weapons with equal ease with both of his hands. In English, we call this as being ambidextrous.

Feel free to offer your suggestion or correct any mistake in the comments section.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.

Namaskara,

Today we will learn the meaning of the word Ghatothkacha.

“Ghato ayam Uthkachoyam.”

When he was born there was not a single hair on his head. He was as bald as a pot (ghata). In the next second, there was a lot of hair (Uthkachoyam). So initially it was as bald as a pot then there was a lot. Hence the name Ghatothkacha.

You must all know that Ghatothkacha was the son of Bheemasena Deva and Hidimba. In the Kurukshetra war he fought bravely and died after Karna used the Narayana Astra (weapon) agains him. He had got this astra as a boon from Lord Indra (in exchange for Kavacha and Kundala) to kill Arjuna. Since Ghatothkacha was creating a lot of havoc in the battlefield, Duryodhana forced Karna to use this weapon (it could be used only once).

Feel free to offer your suggestion or correct any mistake in the comments section.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.

Namaskara,

Today, we will learn the meaning of the term “Mahabharata.”

“Mahatvat bharavatvat cha MahaBharatham uchyate.”

Meaning of the shloka: Since the epic is of great significance and it is very heavy it was called “Mahabharatha.”

The Mahabharatha contains one lac (100,000) shlokas and is most likely the largest epic ever written. All of us should make an attempt to read it once. We should remember that it is just not a story of two families fighting for some kingdom. The epic is filled with learnings at every step. You should know that modern management education often refers to the “Bhagavadh Gita” (song of the Lord) to find solutions for problems.

One more interesting story about the Mahabharatha is that a “Tulabhara” (weighing scale with two pans) was done. On one side the epic of Mahabharatha was kept and on the other all the other Vedas and Upanishads were kept. However the pan on which the “Mahabharatha” was kept never moved.

Feel free to offer your suggestion or correct any mistake in the comments section.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.

Namaskara.

Today we will learn the significance of the term “Phalguna.”

One of the names for the great warrior Arjuna was “Phalguna.” Let us understand why he is called by this name.

Arjuna was born in the Phalguna masa. As a result he acquired that name. You can argue that many people are born in this masa, why only he is named so. That is because he was the only great warrior who was born in that masa for that year. Additionally, it was the same year in which Shri Krishna Paramatma was also born.

A question might come that there were many great warriors who were born in the Phalguna masa in subsequent years. That year’s Phalguna masa was special because Krishna was also born in that year

Feel free to offer your suggestion or correct any mistake in the comments section.

Naham Kartha Harih Kartha

Note:

For newcomers, Adhyatma Chintane is a weekly column by my school friend R, where he discusses all things spiritual, in readily understandable tidbits. The purpose is to spread awareness about our culture and tradition, which is increasingly becoming a distant memory. A new issue will be delivered to your inbox/feed reader every Monday morning.

For previous issues, hit the search box.