Parimal Devanath

  Kama-- desire Kama means desire.   Kama also means lust, but lust is basically a desire. Desire or Kama is everywhere, all the time. Everything in existence or not in existence is due to desire.   All things are backed by desire. The entire universe is here just because the supreme creative force desires it to be here. It may disappear, if the same force wants it to disappear. This is said in the Upanishads: ‘Prajapatir-akamayata, bahu syam prajayeya’: ‘ The Creator Prajapati wished to multiply itself ’.   There was nothing in the beginning.   A spark (of desire) popped up in the infinite ocean of nothingness. That is the desire of Prajapati. Prajapati was alone.   It wished to be many. This wish created to multitude of living creatures and objects. Prior to this wish, there was no living creatures or objects since there was absence of wish. ‘Kamas-tad-agre samavartatadhi manaso retah prathamam yad-asit’ –Rigveda-Sukta:129. Kama existed in the...

  Is mind the subject? This question can be elaborated upon by studying the first verse of D&g-d&<ya-viveka#: rUpM dRSyaM laaocanaM dRk\ td\dRSyaM dR@tu maanasama\ AA dRSyaa: QaIvaR<ayassaaxaI dRgaova na tu dRSyato AA -- Mind (dh$), with all of its modifications (v&ttis, functions) is perceived (d&g).   The witness (s§k>$) is very much the perceiver (d&g).   Yet the perceiver (d&g, Self) is not perceived (d&<ya).   a.   Seer (d&k) and the seen (r%pa) are different.   Subject, the seer and object (r%pa, a perceived object) are two different entities and therefore they cannot be the same. b.   The seer is only one and the seen are many. For example, eyes have many objects available for seeing.   c.   The seen (object) is continuously changing, the S§k>$ (the witness) remains unchanged.   The self (perceiver) cannot be known, since it is not an object available for sense perce...

  Immunity in Yoga   Dr. Parimal Devnath, 12B174-Valvan, Lonavla, Pune-410403.   Introduction They say that prevention is better.   It is wise to prevent a perceived issue which may strike in future.   Especially when it comes to health this makes more sense to prevent a health disorder.   Living a healthy life is paramount and it is blissful. One very effective way to prevent possible onslaught of diseases is to maintain and refurbish immunity or resistance (vyadhi-kshamatva, roga-pratirodhaka-shakti).    Immunity is of two types, innate (natural and inbuilt) and adaptive (acquired, maintained and developed).   Body is always susceptible to disease.   It is said that SarIrM vyaaiQamaindrma\. Therefore immunity assumes significance. Yoga offers a time-tested and systematic plan of action for maintenance of immunity and its development.   This system does not involve any toxic medication or harmful or damaging pro...

  I am suffering from fever! The following Mantra is from Brihadaranyak Upanishad (Verse 4.4.12): आत्मानं चेद्विजानीयादयमस्मीति पूरुषः । किमिच्छन्कस्य कामाय शरीरमनुसंज्वरेत् ॥ It means, ‘If a man knows the Self as ‘I am this Purusha (Atman),’ then desiring what and for whose sake does one suffers from fever ( shariram-anu-sam-jvaret ) of this body?’ Only one person out of millions realizes the Atman.   It indicates to the fact that Self-realization is the rarest of all human endeavor. Such a person knows the physical body to be his own. He also knows the Supreme Self (Paramatman).   He is fully aware of the desires that are contained in the heart (mind and intellect).   He is quite clear that Atman is free of all attributes such as hunger, thirst, aging, pain, pleasure etc.   How does one know Atman? ‘I am the Supreme Self, mere witnessing fleeting events. I know that I am not this, not this —Neti neti and much more. There exists no other seer,...

  Holistic health in present times Dr. Parimal Devnath 12B174-Valvan, Lonavla Pune-410403. Ph:9421058695. Abstract The idea of holistic health is an ancient one.   Many of the cultures of the world explored the possibilities of taking into consideration the wider issues of life which directly or indirectly   influence the condition of a disease or disorder.   Holistic approach does not suggest a specific method of diagnosis.   It is an approach.   It suggests that rather than treating the symptoms of cold in an isolated manner, it would be better to take into consideration several other factors such as climatic, weather, working condition, sudden exposure, food, age etc.   and proceed with the treatment of cold accordingly.    In the recent past many of the cultures have ignored this approach.   This is done due to advent of the reductionist theory.   It reduced a human being into cells and organs.   It has conven...

  Gorakshanatha His life Gorakshanatha was the most prominent of the Hatha Yogis.   He is a miraculous personality.   He dominated over the large part of Indian sub-continent spearheading the message of Yoga through its length and breadth.   Patanjali placed the philosophical and fundamental understandings of Yoga with clarity of logic and rationality.   Hatha Yoga cult most of which was constructed by the Natha Yogis, come into picture to spread the practical aspects of Yoga.   (Nathas popularised Yoga and they also initiated a special religious/spiritual   movement which has a mixture of elements of Shaivism, Buddhism, and Hatha Yoga). Gorakshanatha was so very overpowering that even today resonance of his work can be felt in the major part of India and neighbouring countries.     Yet, very less can be known about the life of Gorakshanatha.   His personality had been distorted by myth and folklore.   His time can be assume...

  Gau*$ya-matam Theory of ‘ Acintya-bheda-abheda-tatvam ’:   Out of several schools of Ved§nta, for example, <uddh§dvaita, vi<i>+§dvaita etc.,   Gau*$ya-matam makes one more school in this line.   This school was propagated by Lord |r$ Caitanya Mah§prabhu of Nadiya (West Bengal).   Today it has got the international name as ISKCON.      This school puts its thoughts as:   ‘ Acintya-bheda-abheda-tatvam ’— It means that ‘there is oneness and also difference between personal self and the Supreme Self and both (oneness and difference) of these are beyond human comprehension’.   These difference and oneness are not (fully) comprehensible to human intelligence.      The Absolute Lord is one.     Yet His expansions are limitlessly multi-dimensional.   Thus, Lord is the Super Soul.   When a man sees anything, he must know that his seeing is secondary and the Lord’s seeing is primary.   ...

    gajaond`maaoxa: - EaImad\Baagavadantga-t gajaond`maaoxa kRt stva   EaISauk ]vaaca evaM vyavaisatao bauQyaa samaaQaaya manaao hRid ÈÈ jajaap prmaM jaaPyaM p`aga\ janmaina Anau - iSaixatma\ ÈÈ 1 ÈÈ   gajaond` ]vaaca ! namaao Bagavato tsmaO yat etca\ icad\ - Aa%makma\ ÈÈ puruYaaya Aaid - baIjaaya proSaaya AiBa - QaImaih ÈÈ 2 ÈÈ   yaismana\ [dM yat: caodM yaona [dM ya [dM svayama\ ÈÈ yaao Asmaat\ prsmaaca\ ca pr: tM p`pVo svayama\ - Bauvama\ ÈÈ 3 ÈÈ   ya: svaa%maina [dM inaja - maayayaa Aip-tma\ @va icad\ ivaBaatM @va ca tt\ itrao - ihtma\ ÈÈ Aivaw - dRk\ saaxaI - ]BauyaM td\ - [-xato sa Aa%ma - maUlaao - Avatu maaM prat\ pr: ÈÈ 4 ÈÈ   kalaona pHca%vama\ - [toYau kR%snaSaao laaokoYau palaoYau ca sava- - hotuYau ÈÈ tmasa\ - td\ - AasaIt\ gahnaM gaBaIrM yasa\ - tsya paro - AiBa - ivarajato ivaBau: ÈÈ 5 ÈÈ   na yasya dovaa ?Yaya: pdM ivadur\ jantu: puna: kao Ah-it gantuma\ [-irtuma\ ÈÈ yaqaa naTsya...