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Showing posts from December 12, 2017


Sajan Kasai – A Muslim Devotee of Vithal in Maharashtra

Sajan Kasai was a Muslim by birth. He was butcher by profession. ‘Kasai’ means butcher. He was drawn into the Bhakti movement that spread across Maharashtra during the middle ages. It is believed that he hailed from the Solapur District of Maharashtra. Very little is known about his personal life. What we get to hear about his life is from folk material. His mother tongue was Hindi and he sang in Hindi about Krishna and danced in ecstasy. He used to visit the Vithal Mandir in Pandharpur. He thus became famous among the Warkaris. It is said that Aurangazeb ordered his imprisonment on the charge of blasphemy. But he was soon set free as the Mughal Emperor realized that he was a genuine devotee of Lord Vithal.

Chintaman Ganesh Mandir – Chintaman Ganesh Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

Chintaman Ganesh Mandir is a very popular temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Here some important facts about Chintaman Ganesh Temple: ‘Chintaman’ literally means ‘remover of worries’. The Ganesh murti worshipped in the temple was consecrated by Lord Ram during his exile period as mentioned in the Ramayana. Three forms of Ganesha is worshipped in the temple. They are: Chintaman Ganesh Icchaman Ganesh and Siddhi Vinayak Riddhi and Siddhi, the wives of Lord Ganesha, are enshrined on both side of the Chintaman Ganesh. The artistically carved pillars in the assembly hall of the temple belong the Paramara period (9th – 14th century AD). Couples come here to seek the blessings of Chintaman Ganesh before or after their marriage. The temple also has a murti of Lord Vishnu in the complex. Temple timings 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM Banganga Water Tank in Chintaman Ganesh Temple in Ujjain Bangana water tank is a sacred water body in the p

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 27

The Gunas of Prakriti perform all karma. With the understanding clouded by egoism, man thinks, “I am the doer.” (Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 27) Karma is inherent in nature, which is constituted of the three Gunas – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. But there is no karma whatsoever in Atman. The ignorant man is incapable of distinguishing between the action ridden nature and the actionless Self. It is egoism to identify the Self with the non-Self. Two trains stand side by side in a railway station. A passenger in one train fixes his gaze on the other. When the other train moves the man fancies that his own vehicle moves. Likewise, the mobility of Prakriti is imposed on the immobile atman. Egoism is brought about by mistaking Prakriti for Atman. Bondage persists as long as egoism lasts. The egoistic man thinks himself as the doer while actually he is not. Egoism and agency are the outcomes of ignorance. Source – Bhagavad Gita commentary by Swami Chidbhavananda published in