Vedic Wisdom Talks

  Satisfaction is not in possession!   King Dasarath paced his palace balcony. Ina pensive mood he surveyed the scene around him. People thronged the inner courtyard below. Feudal kings & princes came with their retinues to pay tribute. From his seventh-story terrace, Dashrath could see much of his city Ayodhya, which stretched to the horizon in all directions. Crowds of citizens moved along the well-planned roads, which was interspersed with mango groves & orchards The broad central highway, built entirely of red stone, ran the full hundred-mile length of the city. Large white mansions lined that road, with many coloured pennants waving in the breeze on their roofs. The road was sprinkled with perfumed water & strewn with flowers. Above the city the king could see the golden airplanes of apsaras, the consorts of the gods Looking over his capital, Dasharath was plunged in an ocean of anguish. He entered the palace & walked slowly towards the inner chambers. As ...

Ideal leaders! As Ravan tried to lift mount Kailash, Lord Shiva stood up & pressed down the hill with his toe. Ravana at once felt an unbearable pressure. His arms, which resembled huge pillars holding the hill, were crushed. He let out a tremendous cry & trapped by the weight of the mountain could not move Ravana’s ministers at once advised him to appease Shiva–Offer him prayers & seek his compassion & He will be gracious to you. Ravan, who had studied all scriptures, began to sing hymns from Samaveda glorifying Shiva. But even after a hundred years had passed, he still remained trapped. Although in great pain, he continued offering prayers to Shiva Finally, the Lord relented & relieved Ravan of the pressure. He appeared before the demon & spoke kindly:O ten-headed one, your prayers have pleased me. Do not be so rash again. Leave now & go wherever you like Ravan bowed to the god, who stood holding his famous trident. The crescent moon showed from hi...

Your Friend or enemy! As Ravan sat aboard Pushpaka chariot, gazing at the magnificent scenery below, he suddenly noticed a lady sitting in meditation. This was most unusual as women were rarely seen in those mountains. Sometimes the rishis would have their wives with them, but this woman seemed to be entirely alone Ravan slowed the chariot & moved down to have a closer look. He saw a young ascetic girl sitting on a soft grassland surrounded by wildflowers. She glowed with golden beauty; her limbs were exquisitely formed & she wore a black deerskin. Dark locks of thickly matted hair hung down to her waist, framing her white-complexioned face. Her red lips moved slightly as she intoned the sacred syllable Om. Her smooth golden arms were bared in front of her as she sat with folded palms, her long curling lashes covering half closed eyes Ravan’s mind was overpowered with lust. Who was this youthful lady? What is she doing here in such a lonely place? Does she have a protecto...

Ayodhya – The crown jewel! King Dasaratha, who always kept his word & followed dharma, attained prosperity and pleasure in equal measure by righteous means ruled Ayodhya as Indra ruled Amaravati. The people living in that excellent city were happy, virtuous, well-read (in Vedas & the sastras) and content with the possessions they owned. They were free from avarice & always spoke the truth In Ayodhya, there was not even a single householder who did not have adequate wealth or who had not achieved Dharma, Artha and Kāma or who did not possess the wealth of foodgrains, cattle and horses. The lustful, the miserly, the unscholarly & atheists were not to be seen anywhere in the city of Ayodhya. All men and women in the city, were of righteous conduct, fully self-controlled & prosperous, with good conduct and behaviour. They were pure like Maharshis In the city, there was none without ear ornaments, without coronet, without wearing garlands. They were all clean &...

The invincible city of Ayodhya! Ayodhya city was surrounded with suburban towns on all sides. It was filled with beautiful, mesmerizing & soothing gardens & mangroves and girdled by sal trees. It was enclosed by strong fortifications & a deep moat. No enemy can ever enter and occupy Ayodhya. It had abundant elephants and horses, cattle, camels and mules. It was embellished with a host of tributary kings who used to pay tributes and with merchants from different countries Like Indra's Amaravati, it was adorned by mountains & mansions were inlaid with precious stones. Groups of men and women lived in seven storied palaces. It looked wonderful like a board where the game of Ashtapada is played. It was rich in all kinds of gems & its dwellings were constructed on levelled ground with no space left unutilised. It was abundantly stocked with fine-grained rice & water which tasted sweet like sugarcane juice The city echoed with the sounds of trumpets, mridang...

The great Epic-It shines & soothes! Sri Rama, the tormentor of enemies, surrounded by his ministers & brothers occupied the splendid golden throne. He then admirably looked at the two very handsome brothers (Kusa & Lava), addressed Laxman, Shatrughna & Bharata, saying-Listen to the story sung by both of them, portraying excellent sense & words He then urged the singers with the lustre of demigods to commence. Both of them, with good & ample voice, chanted the kavya (poem) in a distinct meaningful way. Tuning their stringed instruments, they sang melodiously & engagingly. The chanting of the kavya in the assembly of men, comforted their sense of hearing & the listeners rejoiced in their mind, heart & the whole being Addressing the assembly Rama said-Both Kusa & Lava, even though ascetics, are endowed with the attributes of royalty. Even though they are singers, they are ascetics. Listen to the meaningful story with concentration. Encouraged ...