Shivam means auspicious. The other meanings of Shivam include propitious, felicitous, fortunate, benedictory, bright and lucky. Its synonym in Sanskrit are mangala, kalyana, shubha and shri. In fact Lord Shiva is called so because he is auspiciousness incarnate. The word Shivam occurs frequently in Vedic literature. Satyam, Shiva, Sundaram (Truth, Auspiciousness and Beauty) are allied aspects of spiritual perfection. In social, religious, ritualistic, literary, academic and other spheres of Hindu tradition, we find references to everything in Hinduism as always linked with the auspicious as Shivam, Shubham or Mangalam. All forms of worship, ritual and sacrifice commence with the utterance of words like om and sri, indicative of auspiciousness. Sanskrit texts always commence with one or more mangala shloka (auspicious verses), praying for divine blessings to one and all (asisa). Literary works commence with auspicious words or verses. The same is the case with music concerts

Menaka is a celestial woman or apsara and she is one of the most beautiful dancers in the palace of Indra , the king of Devas. Indra who is constantly scared of being disposed by more pious living beings takes the help of Menaka to keep his throne intact. When saints perform intense penance to achieve more spiritual powers, Indra deputes Menaka to distract the saints. As per Mahabharata, Shakuntala is the daughter of Menaka and Sage Vishwamitra. Sage Vishwamitra was performing intense austerities. Indra felt his position as king of celestial beings will be threatened if Vishwamitra acquired spiritual powers by virtue of the penance. So he deputed Menaka to distract the sage. She successfully did this. And Shakuntala was born from the union of Menaka and Sage Vishwamitra. Later Shakuntala married Dushyanta and they had a son named Bharata, after whom India got the name Bharata. Apsara Menaka was also the first link in the events that led to the Churning of Ocea

A collection of quotes from Ramcharitmanas Gods, demons, serpents and humans, animates and inanimates, keep wandering day and night in the shoreless sea of samsara, possessed as they are by time, fate and modes. Only those that receive your compassionate glance are liberated from three types of maladies. Protect us, Sri Rama! You are competent to tear asunder the misery of transmigratory existence. (VII. 13: Ch.2) When, for example, there is a boil on the child’s body, the mother, with a hard, heart, gets it removed by surgery. The child suffers, it cries petulantly. But the mother ignores that pain to ensure that the disease is alleviated. Similarly, Raghupati, in the interest of his servitor, scratches ego out of him. (VII. 74: 4) The Name of Rama is the bestower of one’s desired object in the age of kali. In kaliyuga neither action nor devotion nor knowledge avails; the name of Rama is the only resort. There are three evils most formidable of all – lust, anger and