The L(e)ast Temptation

In the last post, I spoke of the mantra prayoga (application) and that it should not be done, though how may ever it be tempting. But, when I was going through a very old book on prayoga, which came to me accidently, I was tempted. Don’t jump into any conclusion. This is not any prayoga of ordinary kind. Any mantra can be applied for satvic karma(peaceful, like attracting others etc), or rajasic karma (making others fight, controlling tohers) or a tamasic karma (killing others). But this prayoga which I saw is not of any of these types. The book promised that, if a particular deity is worshiped through fire oblation (yagna) with a special type of twig (the tip portion of the branch only) and from a specific tree, for 1008 times then he is sure to get the darshan of this godess.

It is not like, I have not had any experience with the mantras, that I wanted to perform this karma. But, the means is very simple, and in my grasp, which made me do this. During this period accidentally (maybe, master oogway (kung fu panda) will dismiss this 4^th time ‘there are no accidents’ :) ), in a nearby place, which belongs to army, they had cut branches of this very tree I wanted. Normally, though it is not a military cantonment, they don’t allow anyone inside this premise. When I asked for the permission to remove the twigs , they allowed me without any second thought. So, I went to this place with two sacks (a big jute bag) and started to break the tip portions of the branches. Since the wood was not totally dry, I had difficulties in breaking, I even got swelling in the fingers because of the friction-burn.

After collecting the necessary articles, I fixed an auspicious date for the performance of the homa. After performing my daily duties, of puja etc., I started the homa. The mantra was not a big mantra, did not have too many bija aksharas (root or esoteric characters) and the deity too is not a very famous one. But, as in other places, the solution to the problems are always simple. So, hereto, the simple looking mantra did deliver its goods as promised. During  performing the homa, I had a counter to have the ahutis (the fuel / the food that is thrown in the fire) I perform counted and this I stopped after around 950 chants, I didn’t want to loose the concentration in something silly as counting. Though the number of ahutis is a part, I have now made sure that I will perform more and not less. And there is a mimamsa (karma peoples) statement, ‘ adikasya adikam phalam’ – greater will be the result for greater karma, or in other words the result is directly proportional to the performance. So, after 950 chants, I was totally focused in the mantra, and not the finishing. So, after some time I did have the darshan as promised. I am not finishing this story simply, nor is it so simple.

I have in a previous blog, said about the fear even to meet the God. So, now this time, I was not having any fear, and not only that, I was very prepared to have the darshan.  But, even that preparation didn’t take the surprise from me, when I had the vision. On the other side of the kunda (one can see the place I did the havans in virakth ashram in the collection of photos in our site), just opposite to me, I saw a woman sitting with her back to me, she was wearing an off-white saree, and had no blouse, so her right side of the shoulder was bare and had her hair tied or bound like a ball loosely, this site was not the surprise though. When she turned, instinctual fear shook me, but I was determined to have the darshan completely. When she turned to her right and looked directly at me, what I saw still stands in front of my eyes, She had a wheatish complex, her eyes were big and red, and had a big vermillon (kunkum) on her forehead. And after a few seconds, I lost this vision completely and she disappeared as she appeared. I completed the homa with a poornahuthi (the completing oblation) in the fire.

From then, I had no doubts in any of prayoga shastra. And though we may doubt the veracity, and whether the author had used the application (applied) etc.. We should understand that these prayogas are gained only from the guru by the disciple. So, there is no need to doubt. But, to remind again, the application only makes the mantra enemy to the user :) or should it be :(.

Of Gods and Demons

After so much talk about the Gods and their darshan, we will look at the other side, spirits. Even people who believe in God or ‘super’ power, still have the doubt about the spirits. Many have asked me this question, time and again. The answer is, as the existence of the Gods, the spirits existence too is. Meaning, the level of truth in both existing is same, and there is no gradation. They are the different sides of the same coin. If the punya exists, then papa too, naturally should exist. So, if God exists, at the same level the evil spirit should exist. It is like the cinema stars :), for a particular hero, there will always be an anti-thesis and that ensures the survival of both.

But the only difference is, in experiencing them. Anyone with the right sadhana (practice) can definitely have the darshan of God. But, it is not the same with the evil spirit. This depends upon the kind of purity, which is obtained right from the birth. And this is the reason, the astrologist predict that people born in so-and-so stars cannot have the sightings of evil spirit.

There was this disciple (he is now a mahant – head of an ashram), who had this strange experience. Though we can brush these experience as psychic experience, in our inexperience, it is not so.  He is not altogether an impure person. If one listens to the last lecture of pancadasi tamil class second chapter, one can easily understand, it was finished in a hurry. The reason for this is, when the class was on this person got into a bhava Samadhi. His eyes go stuck to the upper lid, and there was no moment, either in his eye or body. The other students who were witness to this incident got very disturbed, and had lost the concentration (because of seeing one in such concentration :) ). And that or any kind of Samadhi cannot be achieved with an impure mind.

Ok, coming back to the story, this person wanted to be initiated in a mantra. And as his prakrti (his nature), I decided to give him a vaishnava mantra. Talking about mantra, always we should remember it should not be done for any specific result, other than purity of heart. For, the mantra shastras say, the mantra if is applied for a specific purpose, becomes his enemy. But then why will these master write such texts on application of mantras, if asked, is for a simple reason, there are people who do not worry about the aftermath, but only now, the instantaneous result. So, to initiate him In a vaishnava mantra, I picked up a copy of the books of mantras, and chose randomly. And every time I chose, the mantra that came up was one of Lord Rama, and that in which Sri Rama is described as a slayer of demons. Now, why will a pure person, with sattvic (pure) mind need a mantra like that. So, I tried to choose him a different mantra, and each time I chose to select randomly, it was the same Rama mantra which came up. Thinking this to be a problem because of the page block or something, I tried to setup some blocks in other different parts of the book. But, strangely, the same mantra came up. Giving up my divining for mantra, I decided to initiate him in this same mantra with questioning the providence, even without fully understanding the reasons.

After some days, when he wanted to move into a different place, little farther from Rishikesh, even after me warning him against it (felt something! odd and indescribable). After a couple of days in that room, he started to experience some strange things, when he sits for meditation the wooden slippers (kadav) which is kept on the window sill will fall from there without any external influence (remember it is made of wood, and will be little heavy, and therefore cannot be carried by the wind). Other times, when he sits for  meditation he felt like someone being thrown out of the body, and also, when he stops the chanting this something tries to enter his body. This went on for a couple of days, when one day when he was travelling in his cycle, without any mistake from his or the motorists part, he met with an accident, which changed his views towards these things. It didn’t create any fear, but he just accepted to respect, whatever that maybe, and left that place.  There is no doubt later for me about the reason for that particular mantra to appear again and again.

Now, he is in an ashram in Himachal Pradesh, and there is a temple in this ashram, to which the dead body is brought before the final  rights is performed.  Strangely, in South India, when there is a dead body in the vicinity, the gates of the temples will be kept closed.

Searching beauty.

My previous blog titled “oh, what a LIFE” seems to be one with a lot of self-pity or complaint, when viewed otherwise. But the truth is, it was a expression of happiness or contentment. It is a way of life, as I said before, accepted whole-heartedly with love by me. To do something one loves one will have twenty-six hours per day.

Let me tell a story of another Saint poet, Sri Rabindranath Tagore (I think it is him who wrote this story, read it long back). There was this man in search of god, he decided the best way to meet him is go out and make a search. And, thus he went on a God hunt  :). After a long period of search, he had a glimpse of God walking a little distance away from him. By walking faster he narrowed the distance between them, and before he could present himself in front of God, God went inside a building climbing the stairs. Our man was happy now that he not only has a chance to meet the God but has his address too. So, after making himself presentable, he climbed the stairs, and was about to knock on the front gate. Suddenly the fear caught him, no this time it is not the fear of seeing the God, let us accept him to be a pakwi (an evolved soul). But, this fear is of the nature, “ok, I am in the front gate of God, when I knock on the door he may come and open the gate and ask ‘Yes’, now what will I say or do for the rest of my life. Now that my quest is fulfilled”, not able to give-up the search, mind-you the search itself becomes an enjoyable thing and one becomes addicted to it, like any other source of happiness. So, our man, removed his slippers slowly without making any noise climbed down the stairs, and put some distance between him and the house, and started running from that place. Still, this man is in search of God, but that now he knows where he lives, he searches for him in all the other places.

If you remember what Birbal told Akbar, this may seem to be a logic-less story, but the idea it gives is about the addiction to the search. What did birbal tell ? let us see – one day akbar called the court and asked everyone there, “who is great, me or God” , since akbar was a believer the others in court happily thought the best course to answer is to accept it is God. But, birbal thought otherwise, a wise man he was, he said akbar, that he (akbar) is greater than the God. Akbar became furious and the crowd became happy, they were envious of the position birbal had in akbars court. Akbar asked birbal to prove it otherwise he will be sent out of the kingdom, akbar could not bring himself to the level of beheading birbal. Birbal countered, exactly this is the reason for you being greater than the God, for God even if he dislikes someone cannot sent him out of his kingdom, whereas akbar can. Should we anything more ?

From this standpoint the previous story may seem to be illogical. But always remember this, similes should not be extended, only smiles can be. The purport of a simile is just to prove one angle of the proven, and not wholly. Otherwise there will not be two states of the example and the exemplified.

The point is, I lost the joy of search, ‘ekaki na ramate’ – alone one cannot enjoy.

oh, What a LIFE !!!

When I was discussing about these ‘experiences’ I was asked this “does these blogs include details of your study period?”. Now, I will discuss it here.

When I came to Virakth Ashram on August 15 what I had was only some box of books, which I had purchased and was in a hope to study. So, I started studying under  Shanti Dharmananda Saraswati (SDS) swamiji, Rishikesh. He used to stay at about a kilometer from Virakth Ashram.

After a year or so, this was my schedule – it begins at around 4.30 in the morning, the ashram had only a single loo for we 7/8 persons, so, we had to fix a time, atleast in the morning (on other times, if it is occupied we used to throw a small stone from far-off). From 5 – 6.30 I used to perform, Sandyavandhana, Puja and Japa. After this I will have a cup of Black Tea, sometimes with ginger or lemon grass. I had an old stove, which was left by some old occupant of the ashram. This stove is almost an antique piece, and I learnt to use it only in this ashram. Not just this, this period was a formidable period, during which I learnt many things. After this at about 6.45 am will leave for Satya Darshan Ashram, the place of my acharya. From 7-9 will attend two different classes, and after the class will have to rush back for the biksha. I used to take biksha at Shanti Bhavan, which was very close to Virakth Ashram, in the morning before going to class I w=used to leave my kamandalu (a steel vessel with a handle and not the coconut shell one). They no longer give biksha, and I think the ashram itself is sold to somebody. This is the place where we used to get 4 tikkadd. A tikkad is a thick roti, which is half cooked on top of a tava/pan and the other side on the burning coal. The taste of this is something only someone who has tasted can understand. Sometimes I will not have time to eat it, because I had to go to Sarveshananda Saraswati (SS)swamijis class, first on the insistence of SDS swamiji to complete laghu, and later to study the Prastana Traya. And on those days I had to call it a lunch instead of Brunch.  This class will be from 10 AM and I will have to go to this Ashram called Mangal Ashram which is about half kilometer from Virakth. When I come back will have a siesta for some time. And for some period I also stopped eating morning biksha, for want of time. Until was scolded by an old sadhu for it.

And then used to teach from 1-1.45 PM, after which will go again to SDS swamiji for the class from 2-4 PM. Swamiji used to take 4 classes , 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, generally. After coming back from the class, had to run to Madhuban Ashram for the biksha. They used to give biksha for quite a few people, and later decided to only give it to old Sadhus. Or, should do hare rama bhajan for an hour, I declined the offer, for the sake of food I could not make myself to do it. Though there were some ashrams, which provide food, I preferred this biksha system, there are no strings attached or ties created.  After coming from biksha, generally I go to Tirupathi Balaji Temple, Andhra Ashram about a kilometer, where I used to study Yajurveda under Sri Srinivasa Tatthacharya ji. Until he was in Rishikesh, I could study some portions of it (I think a little more than  4 chapters).

After coming back from this class used to perform evening Sandya and Japa. After having the biksha, used to go to a nearby ashram to have a class in the night, from 9 o’clock. This was partly because, before coming to Virakth Ashram, I used to read till 10/10.30, and it was difficult in Virakth Ashram, not because and in-charge, but because of lack of power. Viraktha Ashram did not have electric supply. It was very difficult, though I can brag, I too studied under a kerosene lamp (like some great scholars). For a brief period in this schedule I had Music class, learning flute, though had to give up not just because of lack of time for practice, but didn’t get the basics right/clear.

Survival in Virakth Ashram was very difficult, not because of the neighbours though. And it made me even more strong mentally and physically, other than the padayatra which I did. Living in a place infested not just by mosquitoes, but lot of scorpions and some snakes actually removed the fear over them (for quite a period, maybe around six-eight months, I had a small bottle of homoeo antidote for scorpion bite, which was never used).  During this time I didn’t have money, nor was I going to any Bandara. Bandara means inviting Sadhus (they have tokens distributed) for food and give them money and materials. This is referred to as Narayana Seva or Maheswara Puja in the south. Normally, these Bandaras were done for the pitrus (dead ancestors). And the rich food, will make one drowsy. So, even to buy kerosene was difficult. Sometimes, knowing my position, my neighbour (late) Sw. Ranganathananda ji used to check the cans and get it refilled. Buynig books was another problem, for which I used to resort to getting the books from nearby Kailas Ashram, where Vishudda Chatanya (now Sw. Vishuddananda)  ji the then librarian used to supply me with whatever and how-many-ever books which he used to take in his name.

Who is Lord Karthikeya?

As part of this blogging, now as today is skanda shasti – A sacred day for the worshippers of Lord Karthikeya or Muruga as is known in the south, I write here some thoughts which I gained during the purascharana of Subramania Mantra.

I used to think, as many others, Lord Karthikeya is worshipped about only in South india. When I came here I understood, this to be in contrary with my belief. There is an Akada (group of sannyasis, who are created in the later part by Sri Madhusudana Saraswatiji to protect the hindu sadhus from the muslims with the blessings! Of Emperor Akbar)  which has as its presiding deity, Lord Karthikeya. The difference between the belief of the South and North being, in south Lord Ganapathi is accepeted as a celibate and Lord Karthikeya to have two wives, but in the north this situation is reversed. There is a mountain called Karthikeya Parvath in uttarkashi on the road to gangotri from rishikesh, in which the ladies when they climb to gather some grass or wood remove the footwear on the foot hills.

Lord Karthikeya worship though is performed prior to the Navratri in Bengal, we don’t see the same fervent in the north as in the south. This is because here Karthikeya is replaced with Krishna, and the similarity does not end in just that they both seem to be having two wives, or being linked to peacock, or being extolled as the God of beauty or for initiating their father or for  Karthikeya being taken care of by other nurse maids called karthikaipengal, as too is Krishna by a Yashoda. Here in the case of Krishna the birth was because of the Demon king Kamsa, and of that of Karthikeya is Soorapathma.

Many who worship Karthikeya ask for any citation from the Sruthi, though name Skanda comes in a place in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. We should understand wherever there is a description of Fire (Agni) or of Sun (Savitr) it denotes only Karthikeya. Karthikeya is born of the fire from the forehead of Shiva (from the third eye), which is thrown in the pond called Sharavana, which incidentally is none other than Parvathi, who fearing Basmasura took the form. This is the reason Karthikeya is called as Sharavanodbava or Shivashaktitanaya. This idea can be backed up with the worship of Sun God in the northern Ganges belt called Chat Puja, where the women folk, fast the whole day and in the night sitting in the banks of the ganges in groups perform bhajan, and in the dawn after bath and performing prayers to the Sun God, break the fast. Logically too, something born of the fire cannot be anything else (remember, agni kunjondru kanden by Saint poet, Mahakavi Bharati, in the end he says ilamendrum moopendrum undo -  is there a small or big, in the fire).

Really Saravana pond is Ganga materializing in that pond, we can see Karthikeya being called Gangeya for this reason. But all this story relating Karthikeya to Fire god etc is just an empherical way of stating the truth. The truth being, Sharavana is nothing but Shravana – listening (and apabramsha – misconstrued word), and from this is born the Fire of Knowledge, which is inclusive and exclusive all the six sense organs (six faces) with Lord Shiva being the Guru Dakshinamurthy (Dakshina – Gnana,  Knowledge, Murthy – Form, embodiment) his third eye being the eye of knowledge. This is just a pointer.

Talking about Karthikeya, I remember this experience. This one is not about the time of purascharana, but during someother period when I had been to Nagerkoil. My hosts in Nagerkoil took me to nearby area called Maruthuvalmalai. We travelled to the peak, and in the top there is a cave in which stayed many a sadhu. One of them in the recent past is Sri Narayana Gura. Opposite this cave there is a small altar, like a shelf, which they said had a Karthikeya statue. When I went there was no statue. I was sitting on a rock, just opposite this altar outside the cave enjoining the scenic beuty of th land surrounded almost by the Ocean.  One of the two boys who took us, I had gone with my disciple Vasu,  was smoothening the surface of the altar, where some sand was spread. After some time he told me when asked what he was doing, that, when one spreads the sand or smoothens it, it is said they will be able to see the foot prints of the Cock, which is a emblem of Karthikeya. And he added, whenever he comes to this place he does that, and till date has not seen any mark, and is on the verge of non-believing. He requested me to do it, and so, I went to this place and as asked waved my hand on top of the sand smoothening it, to our Surprise, we could see the mark of the footprint of the Cock. I told him, this is nothing and he also could get it, if we pray to Karthikeya before doing it. So, before he tried his hand the second time, we paryed, I prayed for him, and sure we say the same footprint running across the altar surface.

Let us pray to Lord Karthikeya the bestower of Knowledge to shower his Grace on us.

Sleeping Beauty

This happened just before I moved to Virakth Ashram. I had been to Chennai, Tamilnadu, India for a brief period. After which I was returning to Rishikesh. My friends suggested me to travel to Omkareshwar en-route.  I, though already had a ticket to Delhi, changed my plans to return to Delhi directly, as was suggested. After some short hiccups in the travel, which I encountered, because I travelled in a Reservation compartment with an unreserved ticket (will write in my next blog, about the travel without any of these hiccups which I made for about two months, without any ticket, and money).

I alighted in Omkareshwar Road railway station, which is around 15 – 20 kilometers from Omkareshwar, Madhyapradesh. This omkareshwar is a very sacred place form many a reason – 1. This is the place of one of the 12 jyothirlingas (sacred shivalinga shrines across india) named Amaleshwaram (some though like to call it mamaleshwaram, breaking the compound word in inappropriate place in Omkaramamaleshwaram). 2. This is the place where Bhagavan Shankaracharya met his Guru Bhagavan Govindapada.

I had some books which I had bought in chennai, and some semi valuable stuff to be given to an ashram. The train brought me to the station early in the night, around 10.30 – 11 oclock. And there is no conveyance after that from the station to the temple area. I was sitting in the station open area, thinking about the long night which I need to put up, lest someone steal my books which is not worth anything for them or the other baggage. A sadhu in white robe came to me and sat next to me, and started saying that once the last train crosses, around 11.30-12 we can sleep peacefully. I got soe tea for me and my companion, deciding to buy hime a ticket to omkareshwar too, come next morning. After the last train left the station, the old man got his plastic bedding out, and laid it on the platform, and asked me to do the same. I told him that I didn’t have a plastic sheet like him, and sice my dress is white it will get dirty if is used one. The old man without thinking (J will understand later) took out a new white dress and threw it on the ground and mad a bedding for me. I told him, though my bedding is ready I cannot sleep, for I had to take care of my articles. He said something like, we are not in some foreign land of thieves.. and took another yellow cloth, on which ‘Om Namashhivaya’ was written and bound all the luggages. And now I had no excuse. So, without any argument lied down and had a very nice sleep until was disturbed at yearly dawn by the bus fellow, shouting that the first bus was ready. I woke up my old friend and told him the news, for which he replied there are many busses, and said he will do the morning duties (natural call) and left the place. From where I sat I could see him going to the tap, and lo, he just disappeared in front of my eyes. I thought my mind is playing some games with me, and started scanning the whole place, not many people are there to miss this old man. After waiting for a long time I realized the old man will not return, and the lord had himself played this CRUEL game upon me. Cruel because, though he was lying just next to me, didn’t give any hint whatsoever.

Went ahead to Omkareshwar and had the darshan of the cave of Bhagavan Bhashyakara and did a circumambulation of the hill once.

Circumambulation (pradakshina) is a very beautiful ritual, in the Sanathana Dharma. We worship  the God in nature and not nature as God. In the same way, we circumambulate, all the five elements.  The idea is, like the helium atom which revolves around the nuclei ultimately looses its strength and falls in the nuclei, the jiva which revolves around the God in the nature, ultimately losses his individual identity and merges in the Self/God.

Earth – in the pradakshina of the mountain, like Raunachala, Omkareshwara, Brindavan Govardhanagiri etc.

Water –  In the pradakshina of the rivers like, Ganda, Narmada, Kaveri etc.

Fire – During the scriptural karmas around the homa kunda etc.

Air & Ether – though these cannot be achieved like the other elements, one does it by revolving standing in the same place.

Death and Life

While travelling in the jungles of Himalayas, during my yatra of the four hill shrines, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath by foot,  this happened. I was taking a shortcut, which I seldom do, if there is a motorable road. Because, the effort and the energy wasted to navigate is more than in the motorable road. But, it was tempting, the walk from Gangani in Yamnotri road to Uttarkashi in Gangotri road, through the motorable road will take little more than three days and can be done in a day or two. From Gangnani one can reach the other side which is around 10-15 kilometers short from uttarkashi.

So, after a little thought we started the gamble of the shortcut, the routes in the Himalayas are similar throughout, if we get stuck in a place we might be circling in the same place for days. We, went for around two hours, and got stuck in a small valley, having difficulty in finding the correct route. After some time of walking on all the directions, leaving one person to help us navigate to the center, finally we understood we are stuck. I prayed to Lord Ganapathi singing loudly the small poem written by Bhagavan Ramana in the introduction of Aksharamana malai as an invocation. Viola, out of no where in that jungle one small boy came saying, he will guide us to the correct route, and he did just that. He said he is a shepherd and is on in his way to relieve his younger brother who is taking care of the cattles in the mountain. When we came to a clear route, he invited us with him to his place, and have curd, milk and other milk products, which would delay our trip, so, we took leave of him there. He said for us to cross the amall wooden bridge and once we come to the clearing on the mountain top, take the straight road. We promised to the mountain top as were promised, and collected some akruts (nuts) which had fallen from the trees and after that came to the plain top of the mountain. We had a lapse of judgement, my disciple Srinivasan, who was travelling with me said pointing to a red flag, this shold be the route. And there was a small 2 foot road. Looked like a well tread path. So, I went in the lead on that route, after an hour we after a lot of difficulties came to a boulder which was hiding the other side of the road. Thinking once we cross the rock we will be able to come to a proper road, I went ahead. Once I took a half circle I saw a deep fall in front of me, with nothing else to protect my fall. I told my disciple to turn back and incase I don’t return, complete the journey without me. Saying this I just made myself comfortable as much as possible by leaning on the stone, my legs were shaking more of fatigue than of fear. After slowly regaining my strength I crawled back to the side which we had come from, and came back to the point we started, close to the flag. By this time we had lost 2 hours and a lot of energy. When we went around from there we saw a sx feet walkable road which we should have taken in the first place. We came down to the Gangotri road, and stayed in an ashram close by (bharati jis ashram) and proceeded to Uttarkashi the next day.

After staying in Kailash Ashram, for two days because of the request and love showered by Swami Anant Chaitanya, we proceeded towards Gangotri. After 2-3 days of travel we came to Harsil, where this Sanyasini Sarada mataji stays. She is the one who was initiated by one of the eight matts of Udipi, and stayed for a long period in Tapovan above Gangorti beyond Gomuk.Because of kidney failure and other complaint she was strictly advised by the doctors against staying in Tapovan, and heeding to the requests of the devotees she started staying in Harsil. We both, with the other  three who travelled with us and lost on the way and who caught up with us in Uttarkashi, reached her place. Though we could have done the 25 kms to gangotri decided against it. Mataji, normally does not allow anyone to stay with he in her kutia, it is a rectangle room inside a rectangle room. In the inner rectangle she stays, the outer rectangle has her kitchen in one corner and diagonally opposite corned has a small puja altar. She dismissed all the help we offered to cook and did the cooking for all of us, we five and mataji and another boy who stays in the hall built for the travelling sadhus. She prepared food, Rice, Rotis, Dhal and some vegetable. You should understand here, if one walks around 50 kms daily, his appetite will be at its best J. And with that kind of hunger, we found it difficult to eat what the mataji was serving. When we thought we had eaten enough Mataji will refill our plates and ask us to eat it, saying, you all are growing people and are walking so should take enough food etc. Believe me, that is the day in my entire life, in which I had eaten sooooooooo muuuuuuuch. Love makes it possible.

After eating she asked for a small satsang, which I obliged, and spoke of Advaita (monism) J (Udipi matt is the seat of the Dwaita (dualism) philosophy, and she who has done somuch of sadhana is not eligible the who is). After listening keenly, she said, I accept what you say, and understand that it is true too, but I cannot forget Krishna, so, in my next life I will take Advaita. I didn’t argue.

Darshan of Lord Ganapathi

When I was in Virakth Ashram, all the things happened in my life. All the gurus of different disciplines came to Rishikesh for a brief period of time initiated me into these disciplines. I was initiated into Mantra shastra by Sri Raghu Rama Sharma of Guntur, Andra Pradesh, in Tantra by Sri Rama Bhatta of Kasargode Kerala, Sri Srinivasa Tathacharya of Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu.

After going to the Maha Kumba in Allahabad in 1999-2000, I found many a sadhus, for that matter the pontiffs of the ashrams ranking from a simple Mahant to Maha Mandaleshwara were involved in only worldly activities and giving lectures in a cultivated voice (There was one who was speaking like Osho, imitating even the long breaths which osho takes because of some lung problem, which I had listened to long back). This attitude of some and the many others who were doing rigorous austerities made me thing about the mantras I have been inititated and of which I am only using very little.

So, after coming from Allahabad, I started to do Purascharanas of different mantras. The first among my many purascharanas was of Ganapathi. Purascharana means chanting the mantras for a particular number of times daily for a period of time to complete a particular number of repetition (generally 1 lakh per character in the mantra), followed by 1/10 th tarpana, 1/10 of it homa and finally 1/10 of the previous brahmana bojana (feeding the pious). If one is not able to do any one of the last three he can compensate it by chanting of mantras twice the number specified. During the chanting of the mantra one should worship the deity in a form or yantra.

When I started this japa, the inmates of Virakth Ashram during that period were very helpful (majority of them were Marathis, except for two, one Swami Ranganatha of Karnataka (around 65) and the other Swami Baskara (around 90) of Kerela). Once during some discussion the marathis said, they worship the White Arka trees root, which takes a natural form of Ganapathi (This is common in Tamilnadu also, though normally they carve the form in the root).  And also said it is very difficult to get this kind of form. And pointed out to  a place where they had dug a tree for its root, and came up with nothing, after days of hardwork

I did the japa and other portions of the purascharana and during the penultimate day (the day before the one on which I had decided to perform the home, I had substituted japa for feeding pious men, it being a very expensive ritual), I had a darshan of Ganapathi winking his right eye at me.this time around I was not afraid.  It was strange, the form of ganapathi was a peculiar one in bright golden color which I had not seen before in any photo. In the evening I had gone to the market to buy the necessary materials for the homa. I met with this old Brahmin from Mithila, Bihar, which is a place of learned Brahmins (Sri Vachaspati Mishra is from this area), whom I had met in Kumbha mela. In the Kumbha mela, I was staying in a ashram and this old man was staying in the same ashram tent. I used to do my Sandhya vandana in the open under a tree. One day (the day i had tonsured), I had to change the Sacred thread, so, after my bath, I sat in this place doing the necessary rituals for the thread changing. At the end of the ritual, I just threw my old sacred thread in a corner. Seeing this, this old man asked permission to ask some questions (as this is the proper way to do), maharaj I am happy to see you do the rituals very strictly, but today after the ritual you threw the sacred thread in the corner, we throw it in the river, even though the river is only close by, why did you do like this. I told him, the thread I was wearing on my body is the sacred thread, and once it is removed it looses it’s status and just becomes a normal thread.

So, this gentle man I again after a long gap meet in Rishikesh. He asked me what am I doing in the market. I told him about the homa on the next day and surprise he took a photo of Ganapathy from his bag and gave it to me. It was the same form which I had darshan of.

After the homa, during this period when I used to go to the class or biksha on this route, I had a peculiar feeling of someone calling me. It came from the direction where there was one arka tree. After a few days of this repeated experience I asked my neighbours to help me to dig this place. They were not ready to do this strainous job, for which the result is not a sure one. So I dropped this plan and route and used to take a new route for some period. One day due to urgency to go to biksha I took this old route, and again I felt the calling, but when I turned there was no tree but a small building in its place and a tree is kept upside down. I asked the people whether this is a arka tree, they didn’t understand and said it is a madhar tree. I didn’t know a madhar tree. So, I left that place, after a few steps, ther was this small tree of Arka, and pointin out to it I was about to ask them, but before this, their voice in unison said, it is the tre. I told them to keep it and in my return I will take it. After I came from biksha, I had picked it up, and after the proper cleaning, with milk, water, vermillon, turmeric, sandalwood paste mix, what I say is a wonder, Ganapathi form with a similar one eye closed state.

Why are we Angry?

GET OUT, the swami sitting in a comfortable seat said to the young man sitting there.

—

I was visiting south india when a devotee couple came to meet me. Husband was asking me to advise the wife, because she gets angry very fast. Wife said, no it is not like that, if I see some wrong I cannot stop myself from reacting.

I replied, there is nothing wrong in getting angry. It shows we are really living our life. But still, we should enquire why and what makes us angry. If it because of the action of someone, then does not that someone know it. If he/she knows than they are doing it on purpose, if they don’t know still they are doing it, then in both the cases their knowledge says that is the right action for the particular situation. If we see it as right or wrong, it also is from our own limited knowledge. So, judging or reacting to it is futile. Secondly, if everyone in this world sees things as we do and reacts as we do then this world will be a very boring place. We get angry about something or someone, this is because of the short sightedness, if we see it globally, in a birds-eye view, maybe, there is nothing to worry about. Because, everything is functioning very perfectly according to its and our karma.

—

Coming back to the swami and the young man. It was during the year 1997 and in the month of march this happened. Yes, you guessed it correctly, the young man who became an angry young man is me. And the swami is Swami Krishnananda ji of Divine Life Society (Sivananda Ashram) Rishikesh. After leaving the house, I stayed for 2-3 days outside in Tiruvannamalai, and once I got a ticket to Delhi to come to Rishikesh, came to Chennai. From Chennai it was a very tough travel for a person who has not done a similar long journey (though I had once come to Delhi for an interview with Indira Gandhi National Institute for Arts and Science, and had been to Agra instead of Hardwar-Rishikesh as suggested by someone who had come from south, staying in the same house as i. Need I add, I did not want to go to Rishikesh). I had a friend Swami Atmananda ji, who was a disciple of Sw. Krishnananda and left Sivananda ashram long back, had come to Rishikesh from Tiruvannamalai, just recently. I had met him and befriended him in Tiruvannamalai. So, after a tiresome journey and the climatic condition I was very tired, so, wanted to stay in ashram for a day or two and go to some cave J. As my fate had decided already, I was not able to meet my friend swami. So, someone suggested to me to meet Swami Krishnananda ji. After explaining about my past and my desire to gain Realization,without any other word, Swami Krishnananda shouted GET OUT. I was angry with him from that second. And when I was studying Shastras and saw to the conditions of the sadhus staying in other ashrams and particularly in Shivananda Ashram I thanked Swami Krishnanada ji whole heartedly in my mind. if he had not said that, then, maybe, I will be one of the inmates of Shivananda Ashram, involved in everything other than realization. As my Acharya Swami Sarveshananda ji says, no one can gain realization in an institution.

And the biggest irony is, Swami Sivanada is a distant relative of mine (according to family tree), our village (root, origin) Rajakkalmangalam (between Valliyur and Nanganeri, close to Tirunelveli or Nagerkoil depending upon from where you come) is close to Pattamadai, the place of birth of Swami Shivananda. These facts I discovered later. So, if we see from a distance everything is very normal. Even a mountain becomes a mole hill when viewed from a distance.

If God Appears before you

There is this hypothetical question which many ask, in general – What will you ask god if he appears in front of you?. Every one fancies an answer ranging from nothing to world peace. But the reality being none of this.

Than what will one really ask for, if be asked, we will run from that place if we are not paralysed or having a heart attack.  There is a place in Brindavan, Uttarpradesh, india, the place where Krishna performed his ras leelas (divine plays). This place is a small forest, and with many graves close to a small temple. In front of the temple during the night before closing the enterance, with flowers they decorate the ground, and the story is that Krishna dances every night with the gopis there. If one stays to watch this sight he/she will die. And the graves are of the ones who showed this idiotic bravery.

How can this be so. Let me explain with my own experience. In 1998/99, I started to stay in virakth ashram, rishikesh. During this period one evening I chanted the holy name of god many times. And went to bed with very great longing. In the mid of the night, I heard my name being called from close quarters. I could not open my eyes, was afraid to open, and, because of the fear, covered my face with the sheet I had. This happened for only a few seconds, before I regained my wits, and summoned my courage to look, there was no one there.

The sound I heard was a very clear voice. There is no doubt about it. I cursed myself that night, and sat through the whole night without sleeping, expecting the caller to come. Now, this is one such thing that will happen for a person who is not prepared to face the truth.

When someone comes to rishikesh for the first time, they ask, if one can see the rishis etc. it is definetly possible to see them. But, we should be prepared for them.

One cannot collect water in a vessel kept upside down or in the one with a hole. The vessel should be proper. In the same way to get the grace of the god too, one should prepare his mind to be receptive.

Introduction to Shastra

I had been to Calcutta (Kolkatta) then. My maternal uncle was living there, so i was invited to stay there with him, and possibly take up a job there. But, in a couple of days i was sure of not staying there. So, i went for a sight-seeing trip. We had been to all the regular places of picnik, like kalighat, dakshineshwar, RK Mission etc. These have really become that, a picnik spot. And during that time i was not into spirituality, it was before the accident.

In RK mission, there was and interesting think that happenned, i saw people with garlands and goodies standing in queue in front of a building, i asked my uncle, what for they are standing, my uncle replied, it is to see the head swmiji of the mission, can you beleive all these people standing in line to see a SWAMIJI. I commented, i still remember, (not just me, my uncle also remembers and reminds me of this now) They are idiots. The joke was on me, i stood in some of these queues to see different swamijis, in the beginning, till a point. And some people waiting to see me, the biggest joke.

But anyway, after these trips i had spend all the money i had brought and was left with only Rs.100 /= when i returned to chennai. In Howrah Railway station platform, there was a book stall, i had the bad habit, if i walk across a book shop, even if i dont buy, i will atleast know what books they sell. So, because of this bad habit, i checked this book stall. It was a book stall of Gita Press, Gorakhpur, they had books on gita and others. I picked up a big Gita book and checked the price, thought it should be atleast 100/- to 200/- Rupees. To my surpice it was labelled Rs. 25/-, ao i picked up another of the same kind to check for some printing error. It was same Rs. 25/-. I could not control my surprice, i asked the book shop person, for cross checking, and he confirmed the price. I could not stop myself from buying this book and a couple of others.

I was recently introduced to Gita, by a ‘friend’ who had this book in his shelf. And, i had great respect , maybe not devotion, for Krishna. I used to think Krishna was the biggest CHeaTer and not a TeaCHer. And, this brought a comment from my uncle, careful, this boy may become a sanyasi. A clairvoint, that he is. When he says something it will come true, dont rush to ask for his number/address. Normally, he puts all the arguments, the pros and the cons. And it is ought to happen some way or the other, and, presto, he is right all times.

This, is not just the incident he reminds me often. He also says, when i was born, they came to visit me for the first time in the hospital, in dindigul, where my Grand-father was a BDO (Block Development Officer), during that period. As is the case, being the first child, the birth and the other rituals happens in the maternal grand-fathers house. So, when they came to see me ( have a darshan), they had seen the Sankaracharyas of Kanchi Sri Chandrashekarendra and Sri Jayendra Saraswati swamijis. And today he says, i had a thought, it was very auspicious to have had their darshan, so, this boy will become a great man, but never in my dream did i think you will become a sanyasi. He can fail sometimes too.

I finished reading the small bhagavad gita book fully in the train, before i reached chennai. And started to read the big book daily.

There is no help out there

In the last blog, we saw, what a problem the seniors can be. Now here we will see that even if they dont cause any problem, none of them are really of any help.I was doing, other than those stupid sadhanas, some sadhana during this time. It happened once, when i was sitting in a temple in mylapore, chennai and meditating. After some time, i lost all the consiousness of the external world, and of my body too.  This i later hear / understand as the rise of the kundalini chakra to the chakra in agna. I didnt feel anything for a short/long, i really didnt notice the time (you will understand why). Suddenly a fear of death gripped me, and that is the end of my samadhi. I was shivering for sometime (that too in chennai climate). And gradually came to life, ie, to a state in which i could do a simple transaction of moving my limb. Though, till date i have not spoken of this to many, i did ask some swamijis, who i thought will enlighten me on the experience.But the truth is, many said, this is a very good experience, a proof that you are in the right track (experience for what and right track to what, i know not).

Later, i understood, this is the death of the ego and not the body, which i experienced. And which is not acceptable to the mind. Death of the ego is death of itself. But still, after understanding it, i was not able to acheive the same experience again for a long time. The reason being, i dont have the knowledge of how and what of it. And my goal became, the experience of the same state again, instead of the ultimate truth, it was a peaceful state, and since i had tasted it once, the desire to have it again was there.

Another time, before i came to Rishikesh, when i was in a bus, travelling from mangalore to mookambika, i had the same experience and at an intense level. This coupled with not able to acheive it by myself or/and not able to be in it created a hunger, which made me to leave within weeks of reaching chennai.

Once when i studied the shastras, i understood, the what and how of it. And its use / non-use in attaining the Ultimate Truth.

The problem is, there is not many people who know shastra (even sannyasis) therefore if we are stuck in some situations, no is knowledgeble to help us.

Spiritual Seniors could be a problem

This really happened. Now, if i think about it, it is a big joke. No doubt, will make one laugh when one reads. This  happenned during the beggining of my spiritual journey. As i had already told in my previous blog, i had no inclinations toward magical solutions. But still, strange are the ways of ignorance!During this period, i had some new friends, who are seniors in the path. One among them is mani, who is very senior in age and in the path. He used to belive in (hear still beleives), these idiotic sadhanas. He told me one day (he has so much conviction, if one does not know him or the subject, one is sure to beleive in him) during sadhana period, one should not look into the eyes of others, because, it makes you loose your spiritual energy. I BELEIVED IT.It was a bad day to beleive it, i was invited for a interview for some overseas appointment (by this time i was loosing my inclination for making a career). Anyway, off i went to the interview, very carefully avoiding eye contact with anyone on the way. It definetly gives a big high to do so. Went to this head-hunters office, at the appointed time, and the one who was to interview me was a lady. I didnt give up my sadhana. During the interview, i avoided looking at her, and answered all the questions looking at the table top or the wall behind or her head. She was trying to get my attention, and i was very proud of not to let her. It definetly puts one off-track when one does not see their eyes / face during the talk. I
came after succefully attending the interview and gave a detailed account of my success in the sadhana on that day. My interview ? you have to loose some to gain some

This madness didnt possess me for a long time. It was a good teaching, in the donts of spirituality and the problems seniors can create.

People cant keep their mouth shut, when they dont know. The problem is they dont know that they dont know.

JK not OK.

So, after this episode in the hospital, i was silently seaching for a solution for my questions. The problem i understood with the situation is, no one understands the problem but everyone has one or more solutions.

During this period i was, for sometime, going  to sky, ok, it is simplified kundalini yoga. But, it is as complicated as it can be. Even before studying shastra my interest in these magical solutions left me.

So, this period, someone introduced me to J.K. philosophy ! Honestly, J.K. might kill me for calling it that. For me the situation was, as the saying goes, the end justifies the means. During this period, since my office during that time was situated just adjacent to jk foundation, Chennai, i was a frequent visitor. Sometime, listening to the lecture in audio format, othertime watching the video (i could imitate his mannerism completely), and  some othertime reading the his books, and many times practising the mind watching. This is a kind of high one can easily get caught by, the mind generates so many varied scenes, it will be like watching the movie film, as the thought unfolds. But, during this watchful period, the mind slows down on its own accord (the mind has a mind of its own). As jk himself says, meditation dullens / lullens your mind.

Ok. Though he says, to give up all dogmas …. (chanting of mantras etc.), i was still chanting the gayatri mantra, though was not performing Sandyavandana as such properly. During this period i got a friend who is way older than i was. He had attended the lectures of jk, and said (!) or seemed to understand the teaching. So, whenever our discussions (or dialogue as jk would like to put it), revolve around mantra, my good old friend used to ridicule it and condemn it with such a vigour, i sometime used to think, even jk himself would have not done it in such a manner. And, i being a very young man / boy (i was around 22), was very naive about all this.

The turning point came, this time around i was not the one to be hospitalised. My old friend was not seen for a couple of days, upon enquiry i got to know that he had suffered a cardiac arrest or something and had undergone a by-pass surgery. After learning, about his whereabouts i went to meet him, beleive me, seriously, this person who was in the bed was murmuring something. When i gave some attention, HE WAS CHANTING ‘RAMA’, ‘RAMA’. This was from a person, who condemned it. I asked him, his answer was “you are young, you wont understand”. I didnt argue, but i didnt leave this matter altogether too.

It didnt bring any calrity to my thoughts, but it did eventually. After some period, my friend when he became healthy enough for a walk started coming to jk center. Now, one such time i re-started the dialogue about chanting. And, here again comes the condemnation for such a blasphemy. I asked him, but were you not doing it in the hospital. The answer is million dollar one, listen to it, “you are young, you wont understand”. I told him, i dont want to, and left the place.

But didnt give-up reading jk, long before i surrendered myself to shastra. That is for another blog.

For the Love of “Self”

This here is not to hurt anybody. If you read this, it maybe an eyeopener.

How sometimes your own people dont act like your own. i.e., when we say our own, how many layers of it exists that we really are not aware of.

When as said in the previous blog, was admitted in the hospital. During the same time my Great-Grand-mother (Mothers-Fathers-Mother) was admitted in the same hospital. And the people of the hospital were informed. The doctor asked for the details and send a nurse to the Room which she occupied to inform some relative who were there. I had informed them to tell that it is Mahesh (the name they call me, Ramakrishnan is the official name). And thus went the nurse with the message, suddenly after 10- 15 minutes, my Grand-Aunt (Mothers Aunt), came rushing to see. She was “releived” to see me. Though i was in the bed. Because, the messenger had said Ramesh instead of Mahesh, and Ramesh is her son who is just then recovering from a major second accident or so. Mother will always be a Mother. So, when she saw it was not her son and it was her grand-son she was “releived”, naturally so. “what happenned to you” was not her question, but, “Oh, it is you Mahesh, I thought it was Ramesh”, was her statement of releif.
When i listen or say the story for the statement “atmanastu kamaya sarvam priyam bhavati” – for the love of the Self everything becomes desirable, i remember this incident. About the man first giving up his wealth, next his son, followed by his wife and if need be, also some parts of his body to protect oneself.

If someone is hurt in the next country it is just a news, compared to some in the same country one lives. Likewise, from next city to our city, next road to our road, next house to our house, distant relative to close, close to closer, closer to onself. Like this, the attachment is seen in different layers.

This, along with the question “what would have happenned to me if in the accident i was killed” made me to enter spiritual. So, in the end, i not only thank the Buffalo, i thank the Grand-Aunt  too.

How i Regained Consiousness.

I was about to open my eyes, towards my left i heard a voice, “Doctor, the patient is regaining consiousness”. This prophecy was made by the nurse who was pouring warm water into my mouth. I open my eyes and see the white room and next to me this white dressed lady (See, i didnt know then that she is a nurse, or that, iam in a hospital), it was like scene out of bharatirajas movie (who typically uses white dressed girls in his songs). Now, what is this, you may ask. wait for the next para.

The doctor at the same time was saying”anything is possible, he has no visible injury in his head, but internal injury is possible, and possibility of brain damage is there”. When he hears the nurses voise, he comes to me standing next to me asks for my name, do i know where iam now etc.Remember, these are not difficult questions, but next he asks if i remember why iam here in the hospital. Seemingly innocent question, if i answer it wrongly i will be certified a mad person, possibly. So, i recounted the incident which happenned.

It was like this:I and my boss were coming from a software company fo which we had done a code for a bank on signature verification. That day, we had wound-up the project, and we are on our way back. He was riding the Bajaj bike, and i was in the pillion. When we were close to a Hospital, He asked for the hotel which we want to go, it was the year the Computer Society of India had an exhibition. Before i answer i saw, off his shoulder, a Buffalo in the middle of the road, And before iam able to verbalise it, we had an accident. Normally, then during that time, this road had occasional other vechiles and a lot of Water carrying lorries (Water Tank Lorries). These lorries are the latest BMWs of Lord Yama. Fortunately, that day we didnt have any other misfortune, and someone on the road had admitted us to the hospital.

After a day or two, i was discharged from the hospital. And was pronounced Normal.Because they didnt know, this is when i started to think about for the first time about my existence, the Why and What of it. This is the turning point for my spiritual journey.

My ‘Experiences’ with MAYA

Everyone wants to know His My Story.

So here, in these blogs i will compile some. It is not the Experiments with TRUTH but my ‘Experiences’ with MAYA. All these here maynot be in chronological order of experience, so what, all these stories only help to gain some knowledge or other. Like, as in, i should do/get this or i should not

What is Maya / Avidya / Mitya ?

Simple definition of this is “Anadi Santa Anirvachaneeya” – that which is beginingless but has an end, and that which is inexplicable. Or, “Sad-asad ubhaya bhinnatvam” – that which is different from existence and non-existence.

For this we give examples of Mother of pearl and silver or mirage water or rope and snake.

But to better explain this, a story read longback in some comic book is presented here.

There was an old man with three sons, on his deathbed he willed the cows to his three sons in this ration – the first son gets half of the cows, the second two third of the first and the third gets one third of the second. Upon his death, the sons were confused by the will, they had 17 cows.They went to their Guru and told them the situation. The Guru, without batting the eyelid said, this is very easy, and let me solve this dilemma.Now Assume, I give you one cow. The total is now 18, half of it is 9, he gave the first son 9 cows. for the second son he gave 2/3rd of it which is 6 and for the third son 1/3rd of the second, which is 2. 9 + 6 + 2 = 17 cows. In this the cow, which is added to the calculation by the guru is like the mitya / maya / avidya jagat.One cannot say it exists, because there was none. We cannot say otherwise because the transaction took place.

But are Maya and Avidya same (Maya being Iswaras power and Avidya Jivas weakness) ?

In  Brahma Sutra 1/4/3 Bhagavan Bhashyakara says “Avyakta hi saa maya” and again re-iterates, so that one should not fall in this confusion, “Avidya hi avyaktam”

Listen to mt Abu talk in the site, Vedanta -> Others -> Abu Audio in Hindi.

Why start Vedanta discussion with Mitya ?

This is the famous statement of Bhagavan Madhusudhana Saraswati in Advaitasiddhi, “tatra advaitasiddhe: dvaitamithyatva siddhipurvakatvaat dvaitamityatvameva prathamam upapaadaneeyam” – Here, the non-dual self can be established only through establishing the mityatva of dvaita (mityaness of duality), therefore the mityatva of the duality is what should be established first.

Even after 2/3 years of study of vedanta, and after teaching with that knowledge, many don’t understand what this mitya is.

I had been to an ashram 6-8 years earlier. During my stay, as some knew about my adhyayana of BrihadPrastana, word spread. One brahmachari, came to me during my evening walk, and joined me. During which he asked about the BrihadPrastana and the authors.

After which he said, “when Shankara (!) has explained everything in his bhashya clearly, what is the need of these texts”

I told him, “later period, post acharya, though, there are no errors in the bhashya, people because of their lack of understanding started mis-quoting bhashya and confused others. So, to clear this doubt they were necessary.”

The other one said, “but, bhashya is very simple and clear to understand, how come this error come there. Still, there is no necessity for those books”

I said, seeing him not to be a genuine questioner, to him, “for a person like you, don’t you see, acharyas statement Brahma Satyam Jagat Mitya Jiva-Brahma Eko Na Apara: is itself enough”.

He immediatly said, “yes, it makes everything clear, in one and half stanza”

I asked him to translate, beleive me, he said, “Brahma Truth, Jagat False, Jiva and Brahman are one and not different”

I: Let us leave the first and the last part. Now you said Jagat False, is this statement True.

He: Obviously, what is the doubt.

I: You are talking Advaita? Brahman is Truth and Jagat False is also Truth. He, without thinking said, It is false.

I: Go slowly, Again, Jagat false is false means Jagat is Truth, you still have two truths. Now, he understood what logic is, for him logic is only used to cross the road. He asked me what should I say? I told him to first understand what Mitya means. All this problem arises because of not properly understanding th KEYWORD Mitya. He asked me to explain, I told him to ask his acharya.

Though, this is a logic sequence in many texts, I had a chance to use it.

What is Yoga?

Yoga philosophy, is mainly based in the Sankya philosophy.
It is also said : Sankyans are nireshwara yogis and Yogis are seshwara sankyans. (nireeshwara – without god, seshwara – with god).
With the addition of God, some accept 26 tatwas in Yoga. But, for others, since, Ishwara is vishesha (special) purusha, it is still 25 tattwas.
For the state of knowledge which is said in the sankya, the practice is said here.
There are many, who teach yoga asana in the name of Sri Patanjali. But Sri Patanjali maharishi though supports asana,
specifies in one sutra “stiram sukham asanam”, and not the one which we see.
Though, there is Pramana for these asanas in books like Hatayoga pradipika etc.

The ultimate goal of yoga is samadhi. This is not some  attainment, being established in ones own self is this samadhi
(tatra drshtu swaroope avastaanam).

The tradition of yoga was started by Hirangarbha – the creator.
Books :

The pramanika text on Yoga as philosophy is Yoga Sutra by maharishi Patanjali.

There are many commentories for this. The famous one being the bhashya of Sri Vyasa.This is commented upon by many. The famous being : Bhoja raja who has written a vritti, Sri Vijnana bikshuscommentory and Sri Vachaspati mishras tatwa vaisharadhi.They in some place differ from the Bhashyakara Vyasa, and give some insight (different view) into the sutra.

For Book on Sutra with Sri Vyasa commentory (Tamil) see: Books -> Yoga

For Lectures : www.shastranethralaya.org -> Lectures -> Yoga
For related Video visit : http://www.youtube.com/user/Shastralayam#p/u