GURUVAYOOR EKADASHI-AN AUSPICIOUS DAY!

MAY LORD GURUVAYOORAPPAN BLESS YOU!
28th,November,2009
1.o5 p.m
Saturday
Dear Friends,
Good Afternoon!
Today is an important day for all of us-GURUVAYOOUR EKADASHI!PARTHASARATHI DAY N GEETHA DAY!
I got up early morning and after the normal routine,I had Thulsi Theertham with bhasmam n chandanam[sandalwood paste].Tomorrow morning instead of Thulsi,I will take rice grains with theertham.then people visit Guruvayoor Temple to offer 'Dwadashi panam'[money to God].
today we are not supposed to have rice.many people do fast today.in GURUVAYOOR TEMPLE,kanji made out of wheat and puzhukku[thick gravy of yam n raw banana]will be offered as prasadam at noon.
the previous day of any religious festival I clarify the doubts with my Amma n send mail to my people reminding them about the important rituals.[a prctice since long.....]:)
Morning I went to Sree Ayyappa Temple and could attend usha pooja[morning pooja].since yesterday there is grand Annadanam in the temple n hundreds of people have the feast from Temple.there is a medical camp arranged by the management committe tomorrow at 9 a.m conducted by Rotract club.then I went to Sri Damodar Temple and a big photo of LORD GURUVAYOORAPPAN is kept there.we don't have Krishna temples in this harbour town n I miss having darshan of Lord Krishna!
I must thank my dear friend,Krish for this wonderful forward on Ekadashi!
Amma used to make us chant the shlokas of BHAGVATH GEETHA daily in the morning!there are shloka chanting competitions now.A big bhagavat Geetha was gifted to me by my Achan n Amma.I still have it.these days in the mornings, I somehow find time to listen to the BHAGAVATHA SAPTHAHAM by Udith Chitanyaji.[Nanda is my source of inspiration].today there is a grand programme in the muncipal hall in Guruvayoor on BHAGAVAT GEETHA in the evening .in Trichur Nanda takes me to the venues of satsang.Achan always used to chant 'OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA!still the chants echo in my ears.

"EKADASI" is a highly auspicious day dedicated to Lord Vishnu on the eleventh day of every lunar fortnight in traditional Hindu calendar. There are 24 Ekadasis in a year and the Vrishchika Ekadasi (Suklapaksha) has got special significance in Guruvayur. Ekadashi that falls in the waxing phase of moon in the Malayalam month Vrishchikam (November – December) is observed as" Guruvayur Ekadasi" in the world famous Guruvayoor Sri Krishna Temple in Kerala – the abode of Guruvayurappan.

Gita Jayanti, also referred as Bhagawad Geetha Jayanthi, is the day when the Bhagvad Gita was rendered by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the Kurukshetra on the first day of the famous 18-day battle in the Mahabharata. Gita Jayanthi falls on the Ekadashi day of Shukla Paksha (the bright half) of the Margashirsha month (November-December) in traditional Hindu calendar. In 2009, the date of Gita Jayanti is on November 28.

Bhagvad Gita is the compilation of the teachings of Lord Krishna. This Bhagvad Geeta (Song of the Blessed Lord) contains profound ideas on many issues

touching on the temporal and non-temporal aspects of life.

The greatness of Bhagavad Gita that no other scriptures in this universe can match is her teachings of acquiring the way towards the Supreme without abandoning the worldly affairs, through the methods of Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga.

The greatest quality of Bhagavad Gita is that it prompts you to think, it prompts you to take decision, and it prompts you to look your individual at life differently and refreshingly and all this without surrendering your invidulaty.

Lord Krishna lived his life by his own famous saying, which can be translated in English, as "Thy right is to work only, but never with its fruits;let not the fruits of action be thy motive, nor let thy attachment be to inaction."

The Gita Mahatmya mentions manifold benefits for those who chant the sacred verses of the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Sri Krishna himself has give numerous assurances to his devotees in the Gita that his devotees will never perish or come to harm.

The ideal way to celebrate Gita Jayanti is by reading at least a stanza from the Bhagavad Gita.

So do Complete Surrender to God, as in this way you shall be free of all tensions of life & shall be at peace & be happy during all walks of life. Below verse of Bhagwat Gita teaches the same.

“sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah"

(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66).
"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Surrender unto Me alone. By surrendering all duties to Me, seek refuge in Me. I shall absolve you of all sins; grieve not."

Be pure. Be virtuous. Be sincere. Apply yourself with firm faith and strength of will. Yield not to beguilements and threats. Move on forward with confidence and determination. You shall succeed in achieving life's Supreme Goal. The Grace of the Almighty is ever with you.

Peace be to you all! May the mighty Grace of Lord Sri Krishna flow through your hearts and prepare you for the memorable regeneration in the Spiritual Consciousness!

"JAI SRI KRISHNA".
Today is the 33rd death anniversary of the famous elephant of Lord Guruvayoorappan,Keshavan.years before on the day of Ekadashi,lying down with the trunk towards the shrine of Guruvayoor Temple,the famous elephant breathed its last.there is a statue of the elephant in the south nada of the Temple.yesterday,on Dashami day,after the pooja of the elephants n feeding them,twentyfive elephants held a procession n the elephant called Padmanabhan garlanded the statue of Guruvayoor Keshavan.Amma has written about the last moments of Keshavan in one of her poems.about Ekadashi also poem is written by Amma.

Aano bhadra krtavo yantu vishwatah.(- RIG VEDA)
Please enocourage the younger generation to know our rituals and BHAGVATH GEETHA is a must read holy book.
I love watching Sandhya namam in Amritha channel at 6.30 p.m.
MAY LORD GURUVAYOORAPPAN SHOWER HIS CHOICEST BLESSINGS ON ONE AND ALL!
Happy Birthday to my dear friend,Krish!Many Many Happy Returns of the day!May Lord Guruvayorappan Bless you to have many more!And this is a very special birthday.:)
wishing a very happy n safe journey to Nanda,dearest n chettan!count down has started Nanda,to be with Amma n you!:)
it's Anu signing off.........
Wishing you a wonderful weekend filled with prayers,fun n laughter,
Reminding you,Anu loves you all,
sasneham,
Anu