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orlando
12 April 2006, 01:45 PM
Namaste all.
I already posted this post at http://www.hindunet.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=godsgoddesses&Number=65635&Main=65635#Post65635

Dear brothers and sisters,I can assure you that the reason I want to became wealthy is not just to be wealthy.Thanks to much wealth,I will not need to work anymore.
Even my family will not need to work anymore.
So,thanks to the fact that I will have much free time and because of many money,I will use all my free time for spiritual purposes.I will buy many spiritual books,I will do many travels to Sri vaishnava temples in India.And I will use money to build at least a Laxmi-Narayana temple in my country and I will help poor people.I will try do many good deeds.Because I will not work anymore,I will use all my free time for devotional activities.
One may say that if I will became wealthy I will bacame a materialist man.But I can assure you that I developed enough vairagya thanks to my religion.
I already know that while some men become materialist because of wealth,I will obtain peace of mind because I know how to use it.Because of my work,almost every day I have to have to do with people that ruin my peace of mind.
My questions is:which deity is better to worship in order to obtain quickly wealth?
Please read what happens in the Chapter XI of the first book of Sri Vishnu Purana.
By http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp046.htm
Having thus spoken, Dhruva went forth from his mother's dwelling: he quitted the city, and entered an adjoining thicket, where he beheld seven Munis sitting upon hides of the black antelope, which they had taken from off their persons, and spread over the holy kusa grass. Saluting them reverentially, and bowing humbly before then, the prince said, "Behold in me, venerable men, the son of Uttánapáda, born of

p. 88

[paragraph continues] Suníti. Dissatisfied with the world, I appear before you." The Rishis replied; "The son of a king, and but four or five years of age, there can be no reason, child, why you should be dissatisfied with life; you cannot be in want of any thing whilst the king your father reigns; we cannot imagine that you suffer the pain of separation from the object of your affections; nor do we observe in your person any sign of disease. What is the cause of your discontent? Tell us, if it is known to yourself."

Dhruva then repeated to the Rishis what Suruchi had spoken to him; and when they had heard his story, they said to one another, "How surprising is the vehemence of the Kshetriya nature, that resentment is cherished even by a child, and he cannot efface from his mind the harsh speeches of a step-mother. Son of a Kshetriya, tell us, if it be agreeable to thee, what thou hast proposed, through dissatisfaction with the world, to accomplish. If thou wishest our aid in what thou hast to do, declare it freely, for we perceive that thou art desirous to speak."

Dhruva said; "Excellent sages, I wish not for riches, neither do I want dominion: I aspire to such a station as no one before me has attained. Tell me what I must do to effect this object; how I may reach an elevation superior to all other dignities." The Rishis severally thus replied.--Maríchi said; "The best of stations is not within the reach of men who fail to propitiate Govinda. Do thou, prince, worship the undecaying (Achyuta)." Atri said; "He with whom the first of spirits, Janárddana, is pleased, obtains imperishable dignity. I declare unto you the truth." Angiras said; "If you desire an exalted station, worship that Govinda in whom, immutable and undecaying, all that is, exists." Pulastya said; "He who adores the divine Hari, the supreme soul, supreme glory, who is the supreme Brahma, obtains what is difficult of attainment, eternal liberation." "When that Janárddana," observed Kratu, "who in sacrifices is the soul of sacrifice, and who in abstract contemplation is supreme spirit, is pleased, there is nothing man may not acquire." Pulaha said; "Indra, having worshipped" the lord of the world, obtained the dignity of king of the celestials. Do thou adore, pious youth, that Vishńu, the lord of sacrifice." "Any thing, child, that the mind covets," exclaimed Vaśisht́ha, "may be obtained by propitiating

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[paragraph continues] Vishńu, even though it he the station that is the most excellent in the three worlds."

Dhruva replied to them; "You have told me, humbly bending before you, what deity is to be propitiated: now inform me what prayer is to he meditated by me, that will offer him gratification. May the great Rishis, looking upon me with favour, instruct me how I am to propitiate the god." The Rishis answered; "Prince, thou deservest to hear how the adoration of Vishńu has been performed by those who have been devoted to his service. The mind must first be made to forsake all external impressions, and a man must then fix it steadily on that being in whom the world is. By him whose thoughts are thus concentrated on one only object, and wholly filled by it; whose spirit is firmly under control; the prayer that we shall repeat to thee is to be inaudibly recited: 'Om! glory to Vásudeva, whose essence is divine wisdom; whose form is inscrutable, or is manifest as Brahmá, Vishńu, and Śiva 2.' This prayer, which was formerly uttered by your grandsire, the Manu Swáyambhuva, and propitiated by which, Vishńu conferred upon him the prosperity he desired, and which was unequalled in the three worlds, is to be recited by thee. Do thou constantly repeat this prayer, for the gratification of Govinda."

I am very interested to what Sage Vasishtha says:
Any thing, child, that the mind covets may be obtained by propitiating Vishńu, even though it he the station that is the most excellent in the three worlds.
I covet wealth,so I think that in order to obtain it I should propitiate Lord Vishnu by reciting many times every day tha mantra "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya".

Or I may propotiate more Sri Maha-Lakshmi by reciting Om Sri MahaLakshmiay namah.

Or I may propitiate a great deva like Lord Shiva.
At http://www.livelongto100years.com/mantras.html I found the following:
“Om Namah Sivaya”
It is the mantra of Lord Shiva. Many people have become multi-millioner from penniless by enchanting this mantra. Lord Shiva is very innocent God and bestows his blessings immediately on the devotee.

“Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”
The mantra of Lord Vishnu. Any thing in the world is possible by worshipping lord Vishnu, who sustains the life in world. Enchanting this mantra saves you from many types of troubles. It bestows the devotee with prosperity, peace, wealth etc.
So,who I should more in order to obtain quickly wealth?
Lord Vishnu,Sri Lakshmi,Lord Shiva?Or some other deva?

Please note that this questions is very important for me!

Regards,
Orlando.

Gill Harley
12 April 2006, 07:49 PM
I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but there are no gods that you can worship to get wealthy. :)

The 'gods', so-called by the Greeks, or 'devas' and 'asuras' as they are known on the path of sanathana dharma, are not proud beings who need to have their egos stroked by worshippers upon whom, in their gratitude, they shower good fortune. This is a storybook understanding of the 'gods' that is for children.

The ancients understood the term 'gods' or 'devas' as aspects of nature in the manifest form of the Supreme Godhead. The purpose of human life is to love the Supreme Godhead with all your heart and all your soul. After that, you will be given whatever it is you need - poverty or riches, fame or infamy, illness or health - whatever it will take for you to burn the seeds of your karma and merge with God.

You don't need to be wealthy to express your devotion to God. You just need a pure and loving heart. Without that, all the riches in the world won't help you. And with that, you won't even notice whether you're rich or poor. :)

Namo Narayana
12 April 2006, 08:14 PM
Orlando, traditionally it is Mahalakshmi who you pray for wealth. You can also have kubera yantra at home or do kubera pooja to attain wealth. But be sure to put in some effort on your job.

Namo Narayana
12 April 2006, 08:18 PM
Orlando, Vishnu sahasranamam has many mantra verses in it that will lead you to good life.
Read it daily.

Gill Harley
12 April 2006, 08:20 PM
Hi Naro Narayana

So according to your recipe, the Indian people must be the richest people in the world, as they pray to Mahalakshmi far more than anyone else does! ;)

The streets of Mumbai and Chennai must be paved with gold! :)

Namo Narayana
12 April 2006, 09:21 PM
not really Gill. If you observe clearly the marwadis ( jewellery shop owners pawn brokers ) do lay an extra emphasis on Mahalakshmi worship. In chennai you will find lot of ganesha temples and siva and vishnu temples. there is only one temple for lakshmi in chennai which is ashtalakshmi temple in besant nagar . in bombay there is a mahalakshmi temple in grant road.

actually we dont pray much to mahalakshmi. we need to do prya a lot. ironically india was rich few hundred years ago. on hearing those riches Christopher columbus , vascodagama all wanted to find a route to india.

nekozuki
12 April 2006, 09:42 PM
Yep, India was the richest country for hundreds of years.........and then the British came along. But now India is bringing itself back up and is now being called asia's second superpower.

Namo Narayana
12 April 2006, 10:27 PM
Neko dont say anything bad about British loud. Gill is English :p. British only ravaged the left overs of Muslim onslaught.

I realised mahalakshmi worship is important only when i lived in bombay . you will see lot of venkateswara swami pictures and mahalakshmi pictures. gujus are smart a$$e$. they know which swamy is powerful and dont forget to pray to Lord at thirupathi to prosper in business. One guju/srilankan tamil cross breed guy told me this .

nekozuki
12 April 2006, 10:30 PM
I can't help it, it's evident. Don't worry Gill I have Welsh blood in me so I'm pretty much criticizing myself.

Namo Narayana
12 April 2006, 10:39 PM
I can't help it, it's evident. Don't worry Gill I have Welsh blood in me so I'm pretty much criticizing myself.

lol i wanted to add that but it was after i posted it. Gill wont take it serious. She is much more open minded than that.

nekozuki
12 April 2006, 10:45 PM
I tend to go more towards my Italian side but I'm just as Welsh as I am Italian ;) It's nearly split in half with a bit of Irish from my mom's side.

Namo Narayana
12 April 2006, 10:48 PM
orlando is italian. pure like the italian olive oil.

nekozuki
12 April 2006, 10:50 PM
Cool me and him can chill on the couch and eat grapes and recline like our good ol' Roman ancestors.

Namo Narayana
12 April 2006, 10:54 PM
lol. orlando wants to follow celibacy. he wouldnt want an attractive sthree next to him on couch. let alone grapes and vines :p.

he regards himself an iyengar of sriramanuja tradition. ofcourse you were in hindunet you would know his postings.

nekozuki
12 April 2006, 10:56 PM
meh, we can still be Romans :p

Namo Narayana
12 April 2006, 10:57 PM
yeah and watch some gladiator sports on your wide screen plasma tv ? lol

nekozuki
12 April 2006, 11:01 PM
That would be cool, don't know if I could take all the blood though.

Namo Narayana
12 April 2006, 11:15 PM
lets fake the blood with some ketchup :p

nekozuki
12 April 2006, 11:17 PM
My stepdad's nickname is Caligula maybe he would enjoy real bloodshed, lol j/k :p

Bhakti Yoga Seeker
12 April 2006, 11:50 PM
Moderator Note:

I don't mean to spoil the fun on this thread but it has gone quickly off topic from the original post. In order to show respect to the original poster, please make an attempt to answer his questions or otherwise discuss the topic that this thread is about. The topic is about which deity or deities one should pray to if one has the desire to obtain wealth. The poster also states his reasons for his question. It is easy to go off topic but it is important to keep the dialogue proper to the thread so that others can follow it closely to seek information on the topic and to be respectful to the person who started the thread. If this continues off topic, I will be required to either move the off-topic posts to another thread or remove them altogether.

Do you have any questions or comments about moderation policy? If so, please send a private message to Bhakti Yoga Seeker or contact any of the other administrators on this website. Namaskaar. ~BYS~

orlando
13 April 2006, 01:52 AM
I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but there are no gods that you can worship to get wealthy. :)

The 'gods', so-called by the Greeks, or 'devas' and 'asuras' as they are known on the path of sanathana dharma, are not proud beings who need to have their egos stroked by worshippers upon whom, in their gratitude, they shower good fortune. This is a storybook understanding of the 'gods' that is for children.

The ancients understood the term 'gods' or 'devas' as aspects of nature in the manifest form of the Supreme Godhead. The purpose of human life is to love the Supreme Godhead with all your heart and all your soul. After that, you will be given whatever it is you need - poverty or riches, fame or infamy, illness or health - whatever it will take for you to burn the seeds of your karma and merge with God.

You don't need to be wealthy to express your devotion to God. You just need a pure and loving heart. Without that, all the riches in the world won't help you. And with that, you won't even notice whether you're rich or poor. :)

Dear Gill,please note that what the hindu scriptures say are not "stories" but history.
Devas are of course high beings but they have their own ego.Puranas are not "mythology".Puranas and Itihahas (Mahabharata and Ramayana) are history.

Look at what is wrote in Srimad Bhagavata Purana,Canto 2,Chapter 3:
Chapter 3: Pure Devotional Service - The Change in Heart


(1) S'rî S'ukadeva said: 'For the intelligent among men, I have given you all the answers in response to the inquiring of your good self about the human being on the threshold of death. (2-7) The ones who desire for the luster of the Absolute worship the master of the Vedas; Indra, the King of Heaven is for the ones desiring strength of the senses [sex] and the Prajâpatis [the strong progenitors] are for those who desire offspring. The goddess [Durgâ] is for those desiring after the beauty of the material world, the firegod for the ones desiring power, for wealth there are the Vasus [a type of demigod] and the incarnations of Rudra [Lord S'iva] are for those wishing for strength and heroism. For a good harvest the mother of the demigods Aditi is worshiped, desiring heaven one worships her sons, for those desiring royal riches there are the Vis'vadeva demigods and for a commercial success there are the Sâdhya gods. The As'vinîs [two brother demigods] are for the desire for longevity, for a strong body the earth is worshiped and those who want to maintain their position and be renown respect their environment up to the horizon. Aspiring beauty there are the heavenly Gandharvas, those who want a good wife seek the girls of the heavenly society [the Apsaras and Urvas'îs] and everybody who wants to dominate over others is bound to the worship of Brahmâ, the head of the Universe. Yajña, the Lord of Sacrifice is worshiped for tangible fame and for a good bank balance Varuna, the treasurer, is sought. But those who desire to learn worship S'iva himself while for a good marriage his chaste wife Umâ is honored.


(8) For spiritual progress the supreme truth [Lord Vishnu and His devotees] is worshiped, for offspring and their protection one seeks the ancestral [the residents of Pitriloka], pious persons are sought by those seeking protection, while the demigods in general are for the less common desires. (9) The godly Manus [the fathers of mankind] are for those desiring a kingdom, but the demons are sought for defeating enemies. The ones desiring sense gratification are bound to the moon [Candra], while those who are free from desire worship the Supreme Personality beyond. (10) Whether free from desire, full of it or desiring liberation, the person with a broader intelligence should with all his heart worship in devotional service [bhakti-yoga] the Original Personality of God, the Supreme Whole.

I copied the translation at http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto2/chapter3.html

In the Prabhasa-khanda of the Skanda Purana (5.3.121-124) it is said –

veda-van niscalam manye puranartham dvijottamah
vedah pratisthitah sarve purane natra samsayah

bibhety-alpa-srutad vedo mam ayam calayisyati
itihasa-puranais tu niscalo’yam krtah purah

yan na drstam hi vedesu tad drstam smrtisu dvijah
ubhayor yan na drstam hi tat puranah pragiyate
yo veda caturo vedan sangopanisado dvijah
puranam naiva janati na ca sa syad vicaksana

" O best of the brahmanas, the meaning of the Puranas is unchanging just like that of the Vedas. The Vedas are all sheltered within the Puranas without a doubt. The Veda has a fear that unqualified people will read her and then distort her meaning. Thus, the significance of the Veda was fixed in the Puranas and Itihasas. That which is not found in the Vedas is found in the Smrti. That which is not found in the Smrti is to be found in the Puranas. Those who know even the Vedas and Upanisads are not learned if they do not know the Puranas."

rcah samani chandamsi puranam yajusa saha
ucchistaj-jajnire sarve divi deva divi-sritah

"The Rg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva became manifest from the Lord, along with the Puranas and all the Devas residing in the heavens." (Atharva Veda 11.7.24)


nama va rg-vedo yajur-vedah sama-veda atharvanas caturtha itihasa-puranah pancamo vedanam vedah

"Indeed, Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva are the names of the four Vedas. The Itihasas and Puranas are the fifth Veda." (Kauthumiya Chandogya Upanisad 7.1.4)

asya mahato bhutasya nihsvasitam etad yad rg-vedo yajur-vedah sama
vedo’tharvangirasa itihasah puranam ityadina

"O Maitreya, the Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas as well as the Itihasas and the Puranas all manifest from the breathing of the Lord." (Madhyandina-sruti, Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 2.4.10)

I don't mean to go off topic.I just want show that what the hindu scriptures say are true things.So,what Sri Sukadeva Goswami,the son of the great sage Vyasadeva,says are true things:one mays worship devas (celestial beings) and obtain boons from them.
Please note that devas are high beings but not spiritual beings.
They have a material body whick is far superior to human body.But they still have ego.In Puranic literature you may read different tales where devas show jelousy and fear.
For example read at
http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto10/c10-2-contents.html the chapters 24,25,26 and 27.This tale,which talks about Indra,the king of devas,will make you understand that devas have ego and jelousy.
I repeat that what sattvik puranas say are not just stories but history and spiritual authority (pramana).
Regards,
Orlando.

orlando
13 April 2006, 01:57 AM
Orlando, traditionally it is Mahalakshmi who you pray for wealth. You can also have kubera yantra at home or do kubera pooja to attain wealth. But be sure to put in some effort on your job.

Dear Namo Narayana,my job is blacksmith.My job will never make me wealthy.:D

I mean to became wealthy by winning at lottery.

Regards,
Orlando.

Gill Harley
13 April 2006, 02:27 AM
I can't help it, it's evident. Don't worry Gill I have Welsh blood in me so I'm pretty much criticizing myself.

I also have Welsh blood, Nekozuki - my maiden name, before I was married, was Evans, a very Welsh name.:)

However, Orlando, if you become rich by winning the lottery, this won't be good karma for you. Krishna says in the Srimad Bhagavatham that the hallmarks of Kaliyuga are the drinking of alcohol, eating of animal flesh, womanising and gambling.

But Naro Narayana is quite right. I woudn't take offence about any criticism about the British in India and in my book about my time in India, I have been critical of them myself.

Also Bhakta of God, my view is - after thirty years of research, meditation and study under an Indian guru - that the stories in the Vedas are allegorical and are not historical fact. This is backed up with much research in the last few years alongside historians and archaeologists. This doesn't mean that I believe that they are useless, frivolous stories. On the contrary, I believe they were used a learning tool by spiritual aspirants to help them explore and work through concepts and ideas that are/were trapping them in worldly consciousness. Words can sometimes be planted like seeds in the heart in the bhakta, and under the right conditions - satsang, prayer, devotion - can grow into God realisation. I am not alone in this view. So you don't have to educate me on what the Vedas says. It's very kind of you to take the time, but I already know.

Anyway, to get back to the subject of whether worship of Lakshmi makes you wealthy, please take a look at this:

Top 20 richest countries in the world
http://www.aneki.com/richest.html (http://www.aneki.com/richest.html)


Rank
Country
GDP - per capita
1
Luxembourg (http://www.aneki.com/Luxembourg.html)
$ 55,100

2
Norway (http://www.aneki.com/Norway.html)
$ 37,800

3
United States (http://www.aneki.com/us.html)
$ 37,800

4
San Marino (http://www.aneki.com/san_marino.html)
$ 34,600

5
Switzerland (http://www.aneki.com/Switzerland.html)
$ 32,700

6
Denmark (http://www.aneki.com/Denmark.html)
$ 31,100

7
Iceland (http://www.aneki.com/Iceland.html)
$ 30,900

8
Austria (http://www.aneki.com/Austria.html)
$ 30,000

9
Canada (http://www.aneki.com/Canada.html)
$ 29,800

10
Ireland (http://www.aneki.com/Ireland.html)
$ 29,600

11
Belgium (http://www.aneki.com/Belgium.html)
$ 29,100

12
Australia (http://www.aneki.com/Australia.html)
$ 29,000

13
Netherlands (http://www.aneki.com/Netherlands.html)
$ 28,600

14
Japan (http://www.aneki.com/Japan.html)
$ 28,200

15
United Kingdom (http://www.aneki.com/uk.html)
$ 27,700

16
France (http://www.aneki.com/France.html)
$ 27,600

17
Germany (http://www.aneki.com/Germany.html)
$ 27,600

18
Finland (http://www.aneki.com/Finland.html)
$ 27,400

19
Monaco (http://www.aneki.com/Monaco.html)
$ 27,000

20
Sweden (http://www.aneki.com/Sweden.html)
$ 26,800


None of the above countries are known for their worship of Sri Lakshmi - or even God!

Plus jewellers and pawn brokers are not what I call rich. Rich, to me, is when you no longer have to work, in the normal sense of the word.

I have a nice ancecdote on Sri Venkataswara. My daughter, Lucy, bought a big poster of Sri Venkataswara when she was in India about five years ago, thinking that he was a goddess, as in this painting, he does look quite androgynous. She also bought several other posters of other gods like Shiva and Krishna, and then about a year ago, she got them all out of the attic and spread them out on floor, and told my grand daughter Kaya (then one year old) that she could pick one for her bedroom. Kaya chose Sri Venkataswara and now he sits on her bedroom wall, facing her cot.

But I read the story of Sri Venkataswara in an allegorical way. The money that he asks for from his devotees is actually a metaphor for devotion (bhakti). His need to pay back the money owed for his wedding with Sri Lakshmi is actually about the sacred marriage of the atma with God, or merging. After all, what use would Vishnu have for worldly money. The only currency that Vishnu is interested in, imho, is our bhakti. :)

Namo Narayana
13 April 2006, 12:42 PM
god and itihasas are dual in nature. either it really happened or incorporated for teaching morals. you can either assume god exists externally or internally that is your mind.

Namo Narayana
13 April 2006, 12:44 PM
the reason i said Lakshmi is because in Hinduism each deity has a speciality. if you believe and keep faith and offer prayers it increases your focus. ultimately it enables you to achieve your goal and the kartha is you if you look in one angle or it is the god in the other angle. winner is you

Namo Narayana
13 April 2006, 12:45 PM
Gill, next time and everytime you copy and paste my login. you seem to make a typo on the Namo part. if you make spelling mistake then it would be hard for me to criticise singhi's typos. :p

Singhi Kaya
13 April 2006, 01:05 PM
... hard for me to criticise singhi's typos. :p

To confess, most of the time they are genuine spelling mistakes and not typos.:(

Namo Narayana
13 April 2006, 01:12 PM
your honesty is appreciated singhi. we will pray goddess saraswathi to give you a wealthy spell bee knowledge.

Gill Harley
13 April 2006, 02:24 PM
Namo Narayana

Many apologies for typing your name wrongly. I'll be more careful in future.

On the nature of the stories, the type of teaching that I'm referring to is not much to do with morals. If you just want morals, you can use the 10 Commandments. The laws in that are very similar to those written by Manu.

No, I'm referring to the stories that gurus use to take their disciples from darkness to light, from being trapped in body consciousness to being released into God consciousness. The archetypal images that they contain operate on a subconscious, rather than conscious level. The words are planted like seeds and then they grow into a tree of god realisation. This has been my own personal experience.

It's true that God is in our imagination, but that's ony because he's (I use 'he', but obviously God has no gender) all pervasive or omnipresent. In other words, he is everywhere, so therefore, how he not be in our imagination? However, for a tiny drop of water (us) to merge into the Ocean (God), it has to lose its resistance. The stories are part of the journey that the guru takes us on in order for us to merge into the Ocean of Bliss.

These stories are constructed in a very specific way. They're not just random tales. The skeleton of them always has a very specific plotline - that of the Godhead descending to rescue the fallen Goddess from the demons/Panis in their cave/underworld. These stories, starting from Indra in the Rig-veda rescuing Sarama from the cave of the Panis in the Rig-veda, spread out of India and right across Mesopotamia and also into Greece.

In the Greek stories, you have Persephone having to be rescued from the Underworld, and Orpheus trying and failing to rescue Eurydice, because he looked back.

In the Sumerian/Babylonian stories you have Ishtar being rescued from the Underworld by Tammuz, and also Enkidu rescued from the Underworld by Gilgamesh.This theme also penetrated the Celtic sacred lore and so you can see it the Irish stories, and the Welsh Mabinogian.

The Underworld is also sometimes referred to as 'south'. In the Ramayana, you have first Hanuman and then Rama going 'south' to rescue Sita in 'Ceylon'. And Krishna rescued so many 'goddesses' that he had to marry them all and ended up with 16,108 wives!

These are all the same story but told differently according to the locality in which they were told. The story tellers, or kavis, or bards, would change the details to suit the local surroundings and often they would give the rescuing hero the name of a local king, most probably to flatter him but also so that it would be a character recognisable to their audience In the Srimad Bhagavatham, Sukdeva Goswami is the storyteller, the sage, and he used the name of locak king of that time to enrich his story - and the local king's name was Krishna.

Gill Harley
13 April 2006, 05:09 PM
To explain a llittle further how this allegorical form of teaching works, I thought it might be helpful to show an analysis in this respect of one of the Indian sacred stories. So here is Sathya Sai Baba's interpretation of the Ramayana.

Rama is the Indweller in every Body. He is the Atma-Rama, the Rama (Source of Bliss) in every individual. His blessings upsurging from that Inner Spring can confer Peace and Bliss. He is the very embodiment of Dharma of all the Codes of Morality that hold mankind together in Love and Unity.

The Ramayana, the Rama Story, teaches two lessons: the value of detachment, and the need to become aware of the Divine in every being. Faith in God and detachment from objective pursuits are the keys for human liberation. Give up sense objects; you gain Rama.

Sita gave up the luxuries of Ayodha and so, she could be with Rama, in the period of ‘exile’. When she cast longing eyes on the golden deer and craved for it, she lost the Presence of Rama. Renunciation leads to joy; attachment brings about grief. Be in the world, but not of it.

The brothers, comrades, companions and collaborators of Rama are each of them examples of persons saturated with Dharma.

Dasaratha is the representative of the merely physical, with the ten senses.

The three Gunas – Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas – are the three Queens.

The Four Goals of Life – the Purusharthas – are the four sons.

Lakshmana is the Intellect; Sagriva is Viveka or Discrimination. Vali is Despair.

Hanuman is the embodiment of Courage. The Bridge is built over the Ocean of Delusion.

The three Rakshasa chiefs are personifications of the Rajasic (Ravana), Thamasic (Kumbhakarna) and the Sathwic qualities (Vibhishana).

Sita is Brahmajnana or the Awareness of the Universal Absolute, which the Individual must acquire and regain undergoing travails in the crucible of Life [the Underworld].

Make your heart pure and strong, contemplating the grandeur of the Ramayana. Be established in the faith that Rama is the Reality of your existence.

Hope this helps.:)

sarabhanga
13 April 2006, 11:54 PM
In Greek, muthos is anything delivered by word of mouth, word, or speech; a speech in the public assembly; talk or conversation; counsel or advice, a command, an order, and also a promise; the subject of speech, or the thing or matter itself; a resolve, purpose, design, or plan; a saying or proverb; the talk of men, and thus rumor.

muthos ~ mythos ~ mythus ~ myth is a tale, a story, or a narrative; a traditional or recurrent narrative theme or pattern; a standard plot in literature; or a traditional story providing an explanation for or embodying a popular idea concerning some natural or social phenomenon or some religious belief or ritual.

And a myth may be an idealized or exaggerated, or even (though not necessarily) a completely misrepresented, conception.

Myth is a legendary or stylized narrative, usually of a theme that expresses the ideology of a culture.

Myth is a way the unknowable can be understood ~ a device to think with, i.e. a way in which reality is classified and organized. And myth is a type of speech, so that everything can be a myth provided it is conveyed by a discourse.

The Vedas are pure Mythology!