Latest news with #SrimadBhagavatam
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Bhagavatha Dharmam
Dharmas can be classified into various types, such as Sannyasa dharma, Sthree dharma, and Raja dharma, among others. Sannyasa dharma is meant only for ascetics. Sthree dharma is only for women to follow. Raja dharma refers to the specific rules and regulations that a king is expected to adhere to. These dharmas are exclusive to each category and cannot be followed by other groups. Sri. Muralidhara Swamigal said in a discourse that Yudhishtra asked the grandsire Bhishma whether there is any common dharma that can be followed by all, irrespective of gender, caste, creed, religion, or language. ( Ko dharma: sarva dharmanam ) The grand sire replied that there is a dharma called 'Bhagavatha Dharmam' which can be adopted by all. In the eleventh skandha (chapter) of Srimad Bhagavatam, it is elaborately explained what Bhagavatha dharma is. A king asks the Navayogis, What should I do so that God will be pleased and give Himself to me? One of the Nava yogis, Yogikavi, asks the king to follow Bhagavata dharma, which implies chanting/calling the names of God. God likes the Bhagavata dharma, as He introduced it to the world so that people could reach Him. It is rare to be born as a human being, and people cannot afford to waste this opportunity. Saint. Pattinathar says life is like a pot filled with water, and if spilt, cannot be collected and put back into the pot. (Vazhvai Kkudam kavizh neer ena ninai.) We should approach an Acharya and learn the dharma from him. People should not attempt to do it themselves. It will be like a person plucking a lotus from a pond in the evening and showing the same before the Sun the next morning to blossom. (Will it?) The grace of the Acharyas is like the water in a pond, which helps our lives blossom.
The Hindu
21-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Redefining service
In today's fast-paced world, people toil endlessly for money, fame, or power, and often mistake their relentless work for service. True service, however, requires no such excess. No profession demands unyielding labour — not even medicine, where the myth of sacrifice is most evident. Doctors often work 15 to 16 hours daily, some seeing 200 patients or more. Consumed by patient care, they neglect their own health, facing shorter lifespans than the general public. If physicians cannot sustain their own well-being, how can they ensure others' health? Their efforts, while valuable, remain less effective unless the root causes — lifestyle issues and stress — are addressed. Yet doctors themselves grapple with these challenges. By adopting healthy, stress-free lifestyles, physicians could lead by example, promoting wellness and reducing reliance on costly treatments. How can overworked doctors strike a balance? By sharing work with colleagues, instead of competing with them for more; and by employing and delegating to assistants, sacrificing a small portion of their earnings, they can ease work stress, protect their health, and live balanced lives. Yet many doctors treat hundreds alone, driven by materialism or the belief patients trust only them — a belief doctors must overcome. History shows patients move on to other doctors with equal faith. Clinging to such beliefs harms both physicians and their patients, especially when thousands of unemployed young doctors in India seek opportunities to serve. Society's obsession with wealth lies at the root. Materialism fuels stress and sedentary lifestyles, driving much of modern disease. If people embraced affordable, eco-friendly living, most ailments could be prevented, shrinking the need for hospitals. Doctors, as health leaders, are ideally positioned to champion this shift, but only by prioritising their own well-being. This issue extends beyond medicine. In every field — politics, business, sports — intense competition signals a lack of service. True service lies in sacrifice, not in outpacing others. Our flawed education system, with its relentless exams and comparisons, breeds a culture of competition, fostering anxiety, depression, and unrest. Yet we don't need to compete for a livelihood. Nature offers abundant resources for all to thrive, and a fulfilling life requires only modest effort. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, 'Yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam' — Karma Yoga means working skilfully. This involves prioritising quality over quantity, enthusiasm over exhaustion. A wise person works six to eight hours enthusiastically, then enjoys family time, measuring success in peace, not wealth. Toiling 16 hours for riches only to collapse in exhaustion is no skill. The Srimad Bhagavatam (4.22.33) warns that chasing material luxuries destroys everyone's welfare, likening such pursuits to the lowest instincts. We must redefine service to uphold dharma — living justly. By working smarter, not harder, we can foster joy, peace, and sustainability. Let's distinguish service from self-interest, valuing peace over wealth, sacrifice over competition, and healthy living over extravagance. Only then will we build a healthier, happier society, led by doctors and citizens who embody true service. drgsrinivas123@
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Rishabha's sermon
Srimad Bhagavatam is a road map for a man's true journey in life, which is, not worldly pleasures, but a wealth of devotion which alone can help him attain God. To reach that goal, one should be guided by the teachings in our scriptures which are explained in a simple manner by pandits through discourses. The ever-merciful God, aware that, today, man is distracted by technology as well as material quest, has ensured that the same technology is a convenient tool for dissemination of knowledge to devotees, constrained by space and distance, which in due course will crystallise into bhakti, said B. Damodara Dikshithar. Gnana is indeed true acquisition, the only wealth worthy of being passed on to successive generations. As in life, not everyone will be on a same level when it comes to scriptural knowledge, but one can gradually gain mastery with diligent application of mind. The sermon by the great ruler Rishabha, detailed in the fifth skandam of Bhagavata Puranam, is a great primer. Rishabha, who had once made the rain arrive during severe drought through his yogic powers, informed his hundred children that he would be leaving home within an hour and asked if they had any questions. When they said he had not taught them anything, he quietly asked whose fault it was, before proceeding to deliver his sermon. 'The sacred human body you have got in the world is not meant to be utilised for sensuous enjoyments. It is to be used for the observance of austerity with noble spiritual ends. By such austerity the mind becomes pure, enabling one to attain the bliss of Brahman. The association with holy ones is the door for entrance to the realm of liberation. So long as man does not make an earnest enquiry about the spirit within, will he, out of ignorance, be debarring the dawn of spiritual consciousness in him.' He then advised everyone on the efficacy of devotion and service to an enlightened guru, equanimity in joy and sorrow, study of scriptures, conquest of the senses and dedicating everything one does, to God.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Man shares chilling story of how his Nepali help's wife started speaking fluent Tamil after being possessed by a "Chudail"
A tweet posted this morning at 8:10 AM by X user @narayananh has gone viral for its unexpected content. Narayanan Hariharan, a visibly active X user, shared a firsthand experience with his regular car cleaner that has left many on the platform both curious and unsettled. The car cleaner, who is reportedly from Nepal and lives in Chennai, recently informed Narayanan that he would be going on a month-long break due to an emergency. Narayanan provided financial help, but what happened next, he noted, was shocking and deeply unsettling. He said: 'Mere wife ko chudail ne pakad liya hai.' (A ghost has possessed my wife.) Wife's sudden fluency in Tamil raises questions Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo According to Narayanan, the man's wife had been unwell, reportedly due to a heart condition involving a hole in her heart. However, the husband is convinced that the issue is not medical, but supernatural. 'In the last 6 months, she's started speaking fluent Tamil. Not a few words. Entire sentences. Almost like a native speaker.' He added that she had never learned Tamil before. The couple lives in a closely-knit Nepali community in Chennai, with limited exposure to the language. 'It is definitely not easy to pick it up naturally,' Narayanan noted. Medical visits, religious rituals, and a warning The man reportedly took his wife to a government hospital (GH) for treatment, but there was no improvement. The man then went to a local mosque for help, where rituals were performed over the past two months. Narayanan noted there was still no progress. 'In fact, she now speaks even more Tamil.' Eventually, the imam at the masjid issued a warning. 'Take her back home. If she stays here, she may not survive.' This advice has led the family to go back to Nepal. 'This guy is super bright' In a follow-up comment, Narayanan mentioned that the car cleaner is known for his intelligence and quick learning abilities. 'And btw, this guy is super bright. I even got him a second-hand laptop (@\_glnarayanan, remember?) last year, considering his intelligence, interest, and grasp for picking new things up, especially tech.' Commenters share their thoughts: From past lives to mental well-being The tweet has sparked a lot of discussion, with people sharing everything from spiritual knowledge to scientific explanations. One user mentioned: 'In sastras, we refer to people as jatismara, where a rare person could acquire memories of the past birth. Then the language of the previous birth is known to them. While a medical doctor should be consulted for therapy, it is said that listening to Jada-bharata charitram of Srimad Bhagavatam helps.' Another commented: 'The fluent Tamil factor is something even science can't explain. I hope she recovers.' Some advised being cautious and thinking critically: 'I also have a Nepali driver. They are very superstitious. Fluent Tamil– who called it fluent Tamil? For someone who knows no Tamil, anything might seem fluent. She should see a psychiatrist right away.' Another user wrote: 'Seen a psychiatrist? A lot of such behaviours could stem from mental conditions. She may have had the condition for a while and has been quietly learning Tamil passively. Now, some trigger has outwardly manifested the problem.' Narayanan responded to this: 'He has been taking her to the GH, and the GH here is supposed to be really good. Not sure which specialist, etc. He has already bought tickets to go back, etc, so l didn't ask any further questions, plus I was taken a bit aback. This guy is smart.' Speculations, suggestions, and spiritual routes Many users in the replies suggested the family seek spiritual help, both in Tamil Nadu and Nepal. 'Nepal, there should be tantrics who can help. Hope he can find the right help there, or also some of their village deities will be powerful. I wonder, even in Tamil Nadu, didn't he try some of the temples... There should be some who would help with this.' Another suggestion was made: 'Recommend to go to Chotanikara and visit the Bhagavathi temple.' Some questioned if she was really fluent: 'How can they be sure it's Tamil and very fluent too? If they have minimal exposure in the region, who's the one identifying it?' To which Narayanan replied: 'I stay in Chennai.' A case that has left the internet thinking With hundreds of reactions, guesses, and suggestions still coming in, the tweet continues to get people talking. While the story hasn't been confirmed and is personal, it has caught the attention of many, raising questions about health, beliefs, and the unknown. At the time of writing, no further updates have been shared by the original poster. Note: The thumbnail image was created using Canva AI and is for representation purposes only.
