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Satva guna - Gita

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Krishna Kalale • December 8, 2000 


Srimate Sri Lakshminrisimha Parabrhmane Nama:
Srimate Ramanujaya Nama:
Srimate Nigamantha Mahadesikaya Nama:
Srimate Athivan Satakopa Yathindra Mahadesikaya Nama:
Srimate Srivan Satakopa Sri Vedantadesika Yathindra Mahadesikaya Nama:
Srimate Sri Lakshminrisimha Dhivya Padhukasevaka
Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yathindra Mahadesikaya Nama:


We had a number of discussion on what is satvaguna during our Gita classes.
There are several meanings of satvaguna :

1.  that guna which make us happy and gives us clear knowledge
2.  that by which we know what kind of activities are binding and what is
for release from bondage
3.  that guna which makes us perceive spiritual truths like soul, paramatma
etc.

Does anyone want to experience satva guna??

it is simple :  fast fully on ekadasis.  Guess who is talking, I dont do
full fasting on ekadasis. But I try my best to reduce food to very low
levels.  Believe me I have failed miserably and even got upset about the
whole concept of Ekadasis.  But trying is the key.  Never give up.  There is
a magic in ekadasis, only the tough one can find out.

I reduce my ekadasi fasting to atleast just fluid intake controlled to be
very low. ie. a couple of  glasses of milk / water / etc.  I have fasted
without water during some ekadasis.  Make sure you have a vacation next day,
since it will be tough.  I dont do such ekadasis often.

One cannot believe what effects you experience.  This Gita jayanti was my
classic ekadasi. I read the whole of Gita once.  while reading I stopped to
think about the meanings of all the slokas.  thanks to my elders, the most
of the meanings stood before me like living truths.  When it came to the
yoga portions, Sri Krishna's words are far out.  I realized quickly, that no
human being however smart could have uttered Gita. There is no other form of
our Lord which is so unique just because no other form of srimannarayana,
uttered the divine Gita.  When you realize the greatness of THe meanings as
you go from chapters 2,3,4,5,6,7... YOu see tha ascent of Yogic hierarchy of
what is possible.  in the 9th you come across the glory in full of the Lord.
...Then till the end the magic is spell bounding.

The the whole night I did not sleep, I was forced to think about gita just
because I had no food in my stomach to make me sleep. ( yes it is tough but
a divine experience!).  Next morning on dvadasi, my japams etc were
delightful.  Note that all our senses are deprived of food, this makes our
mind very powerful and spiritual truths settle in our minds.  THis is one
example of experience of SATVA GUNA.  This is when I could understand the
real meanings of Lord Krishna's words - Ya nisha sarvabhutanam yasyam
jagarti samyami, yasyam jagarti bhutani sa nisha pashyato muneh

" with respect to what, all beings are (ignorarant) in deep sleep, a yogi is
wide awake in such matters fully cognizant"

FAST OFTEN ( ekadasis) AND ENJOY THE BLISS OF SATVA GUNA....

Please note :  I am not a yogi.  if just fasting gives us so much bliss,
what happens If we really are yogis!.  this is just to indicate the value of
right discipline which is just the one of the requirements to just begin
yoga. If fasting is so difficult, how difficult is it to really do yoga...
hence bhakti  yoga is very difficult.  Even a prapanna should observe
ekadasi vratha etc. to please srimannarayana.

(sorry for making such a fundamental thing public.  I know that there are so
many other devotees who are so quiet, yet so resolute in ekadasi vratham.  I
know of a person sri Srinivas Tanikella who has done 18hours of japam
 without even sipping water) during ekadasi without getting up except for
sandhyavandana etc....I believe he would have delightful experience)

sri Krishnarpanam astu.

adiyen Krishna Kalale


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