Wednesday, September 28, 2011

When thus the non-existence of the mind is realised, it is seen that the ego-sense, etc. do not exist. One alone exists - the infinite consciousness. All notions cease. The falsity which arose as the mind ceases when the notions cease. I am not nor is there another, nor do you nor do these exist; there is neither mind nor senses. One alone is - pure consciousness.

- The Supreme Yoga - Yoga Vasistha by Swami Venkatesananda

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Me or my army?

Krishna, however, has long been a presence more mysterious and powerful than any role he has assumed. His decision to accept a subordinate place for the battle, as Arjuna's suta is the result of wager in which Yudhishthira the Pandava and Duryodhana the Kaurava were offered either Krishna as non-combatant or the force of all of his armies. When Yudhishthira chooses Krishna for his counsel, friendship, and companionship over the mighty armies he might have chosen in alliance, Duryodhana believes he has received yet another boon from the choice of a foolish idealist who places false hope before realpolitik. But there is never anything false about hope and with Krishna, who then chooses to be Arjuna's charioteer, the Pandavas know they cannot lose: by having chosen from the heart than from the mere exigency of practical reality, they have chosen the divine. –

Douglas Renfrew Brooks in Poised for grace: annotations on the Bhagavad Gita from a Tantric view
In Pranatoshini, Kali being blue-complexioned has been named Tara. Truly speaking, Sati being born at Daksha's abode has been known as Eka Jata owing to her divinely benevolent nature. She is ever called Tara as she is famed for giving salvation or moksha. She also spontaneously awards Vak sakti; hence she is befittingly called Nila Sarasvati. She is Ugra Tara due to her rash nature and is known as Ugratarini by way of saving her devotees.

- Dr Vishnu Datta Rakesh in Dasamahavidya Mimamsa.

Sunday, September 18, 2011


O daughter of the mountain king, the seers have said that the world is dissolved and created with the closing and opening of your lotus eyes. I suspect that you never blink and always keep your eyes wide open; keeping this universe, that has sprung up with the opening of your lotus eyes, from pralaya, dissolution. -

Adi Shankaracharya addressing the goddess Kameshwari in Saundarya Lahari.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011



This book gave a possible answer to a core question of mythology - where do stories come from and why do they take the shape they do? They come from Inner Experiences, from strong visual imprinting. This is not just another version of archetypes though it is certainly connected to it. Not just archetypes, but all mythic thinking seems to exist in what Joseph Campbell called the 'inner reaches of outer space.' What this book seems to demonstrate is that such mythic structure is inherent in the condition of being human, which is why tales of Man are so similar all over.
The differences in stories are due to differences in personalities and cultures - they are differences in interpretations of what is fundamentally the same set of inner visions. - Rohit Arya in the Preface to Kundalini Dairy by Santosh Sachdeva


Ardhanarishwara - By Swetha