The Sanskrit term ‘nava’ means ‘new’. Pranava (the term used to refer the sound of ‘AUM’) can be split as ‘pra’ + ‘nava’ . The prefix ‘pra’ can be taken as a prefix divinity
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Columns by Devotees
Ant and the Airavata!
Even though Airavata, the vehicle of Lord of Devas, is mighty and big, it is goaded by the hook in the hands of Lord Indra and suffers constant pain. But an ant, though small moves about freely! With
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Water – the subtle purifier
In the ancient times, sages who lived in the forest used to carry a Kamandalu (a small pitcher) filled with water). Many paintings that depict these sages too show this. Even today many who perform
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Thulasi the healer
1. Thulasi , when taken along with pepper in the evenings for three days consecutively, treats cold, cough and fever. 2. Irritation in the urinary tract is healed when the juice of Thulasi and
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Talk to my right ear!
During Upanayana Samskara (ceremony of administering the sacred thread to the young boy), the father of the boy performs the ‘Brahmopadesha’ by chanting the Mantra to the right ear of the boy. If
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Security
Once a devotee approached Kanchi Mahaswami Sri Chandrasekarendra saraswathi swami and told ” Swami! I feel very insecure in life. I have no “Paadhukaapu” (security)” The great Sage of Kanchi
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Greatest enemy
The greatest enemy as far as liberation is concerned is body- consciousness – attachment to the physical body. Diseases, insults and abuses are enemies of the physical body. Logically, the
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Aid en-route
The plantain leaf that is used as a plate to take a meal is cleaned and taken care of only as long as the meal is taken. Once the meal is done, the leaf-plate is discarded. Similarly the physical
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Madhura Vani: Mahans and Messengers
Mahatma’s have made messengers out of clouds, birds, oceans and mountains! In Krishna Karnamrita, Shri Leela Shuka prays to the flute of Lord krishna “Oh flute! The knower of the taste of the
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Madhura Vani: You and the world
One should be in the world but not of the world. A boat floats on water. But if water enters the boat, it may drown the boat itself. Similarly though remaining in the world, one should not carry the
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Contemporaries
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa who lived near Calcutta and saint Thyagaraja who lived in Tamil Nadu were contemporaries but have never met each
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Deity Worship
The mind can be destroyed only by upasana(worship) to a particular deity. When that is the case, how can the mind be destroyed by turning one’s vision inward putting it back in its place of origin.
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