Indian Culture-Bharat Darshan – Whole Dude

Whole Nourishment – Whole Dude at Whole Foods Discovers the Power of Nutrition

The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life

Whole Foods opened its Store in Ann Arbor on September 16, 1993. Whole Foods, Whole People and Whole Planet inspire Whole Dude to invent Whole Phrases: Whole Linguistics-Whole Language, Whole conversation, Whole Cookie, Whole Huddle, Whole Grind, Whole Love and others. Whole Dude uses the phrase Whole Linguistics to describe three entities; 1. Language User, 2. Language Interpreter and 3. Language Creator. Image Credit: Agenda Publications, Ann Arbor District Library, Issue Dates, September 1993, December 1997 and February 1998

National Nutrition Month (NNM) 2026, spearheaded by the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, will feature the theme “Discover the Power of Nutrition!”, focusing on how food choices help individuals and communities thrive by building healthy habits, making informed decisions, and connecting with nourishing foods

Whole Spirituality: Salutations to Mother Annapurna. The name Annapurna is the Original Source of Whole or Purna Concept (Always Full, Complete and Perfect). My mother’s name is Annapurna, the equivalent of Whole Food.

To define food as any substance consumed to provide the nutritional support to an organism is incomplete as it fails to describe the totality of the relationship between food and its consumer. The term Food cannot be defined without defining the Organism, the Consumer of Food. I describe the Seven Dimensions of the man. These are, 1. The Physical, 2. The Mental, 3. The Social, 4. The Moral, 5. The Spiritual, 6. The Creative, and 7. The Rational. I define Whole Food as substances consumed by the man to provide support to the Seven Dimensions of the man. Hence, Whole Food is defined as the Spectrum of Seven Colors.

Whole Spirituality: The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life. I am using the term Spiritual Medium to describe Protoplasm for I want my readers to understand the importance of Culture Medium to provide Support to Living Organisms.

What it is to be a Substance? and What it is to Exist? We need to establish knowledge about the man and the world on a firm basis and the information it provides must be tested for its accuracy and consistency with an external reality.

Whole Spirituality: Goddess Annapurna is depicted as The Mother Principle of human creation and existence. The celebration of Whole Food as a Spiritual Substance of Human Nourishment. **Salutations to Mother Annapurna. The name Annapurna is the Original Source of Whole or Purna Concept (Always Full, Complete and Perfect). My mother’s name Annapurna is the equivalent of Whole Food**.

I discovered the spiritual connection between Food, Man, Planet Earth and Providence. Whole Food, Whole People, and Whole Planet are connected by a material substance called Protoplasm, a divine plan to provide nourishment to Life.

Whole Spirituality – Whole Definition: **Salutations to Mother Annapurna. The name Annapurna is the Original Source of Whole or Purna Concept (Always Full, Complete and Perfect). My mother’s name Annapurna is the equivalent of Whole Food.**

I coined the phrase Whole Spirituality to describe the three dimensional spiritual relationship between Food, the multicellular human organism, and Divine Providence.

**Whole Spirituality: Whole Dude at Whole Foods describes the Spiritual Connection between Cell and its Energy Provider. The 3-Dimensional Spiritual Relationship between Food, Man, and God.**

Spiritualism – The Cell Theory of Spirituality:

The Rudolf and Rudi Connection. The Discovery of the concept of Whole Spirituality, **the three dimensional spiritual relationship between the multicellular human organism, food, and the Divine Providence.**

In Biology, cell is the basic or fundamental unit of structure, function, and organization in all living things or it is the building block of life. Let me begin with my respectful tribute to some of the people who contributed to ‘The Cell Theory’, one of the foundations of Biological Sciences. Cells were first observed in the 17th century shortly after the discovery of the microscope. Robert Hooke, british curator of instruments at The Royal Society of London, during 1665 coined the word cell. Dutch microscopist Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) made over 247 microscopes and examined microorganisms and tissue samples. He gave the first complete descriptions of bacteria, protozoa (which he called animalcules), spermatozoa, and striped muscle. He also studied capillary circulation and observed Red Blood Cells.

**The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: Robert Hooke, British curator of instruments at The Royal Society of London coined the term cell during 1665.**

**The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: Dutch microscopist Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek (1668-80) studied capillary circulation and observed Red Blood Cells.**

Improvements in microscopy during early 19th century permitted closer observation and the significance of cells had received better understanding. Matthias Jakob Schleiden (1838), German botanist, Theodor Schwann (1839), German physiologist, and Rudolf Virchow (1855), German pathologist, and others made important contributions to the Cell Theory that describes cell as the building block of all Life.

The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: Schleiden, Professor of Botany, The University of Jena studied plant structure under the microscope, published “Contributions to Phytogenesis”(1838). He had also published the two-volume text of ‘Principles of Scientific Botany’.

The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: Schwann founder of modern Histology extended the Cell Theory of Plants to animals in his ‘Microscopic Researches into Accordance in the Structure and Growth of Animals and Plants(1839).

The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: Schwann discovered Myelin Sheath covering peripheral axons, now termed Schwann Cells. He coined the term ‘Metabolism’ for the chemical changes that take place in living tissues.

The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: Rudolf Virchow, German pathologist in 1855 coined the biological dictum “OMNIS CELLULA E CELLULA” – All living cells arise only from pre-existing living cells.

The Cell is the smallest unit in the living organism that is capable of carrying on the essential life processes of sustaining metabolism for producing energy and reproducing. Many simple, small, single-celled organisms like Protozoa perform all life functions. In higher, complex, bigger, multicellular organisms, groups of cells are structurally and functionally differentiated into specialized tissues, organs, and organ systems. Thus, the Cell Theory includes the following foundational principles of the Biological Sciences:

1. All living things are made up of cells. Cell is the most elementary or basic unit of Life.

2. Cell is a fundamental unit of structure, function, and organization in all living things including plants and animals.

3. Cells only rise from division of previously existing cells.

4. All cells are similar in composition, form, and function. All cells are basically the same in chemical composition (in spite of variations) in organisms of similar species. For example, all the solid tissues in the human body can be shown to consist largely of similar cells; differing it is true, but that are essentially similar to an Ovum.

5. The cells exhibit functional autonomy. The activity of an organism depends on the total activity of ‘INDEPENDENT’ cells.

6. Energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry) occurs within cells.

7. Cells contain hereditary, biological information (DNA) which is passed from cell to cell during cell division.

The Cell Theory of Spirituality:

The basic or fundamental unit of life in the human organism is derived from the fertilized egg cell that eventually develops into a complete organism. The most significant feature of similarity between the cells of the human body is the presence of a soft, gelatinous, semi-fluid, granular material inside the cell. This substance known as Protoplasm or Cytoplasm, or Cytosol is similar to the ground substance found in the Ovum or the Egg Cell.

The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: Life begins at Conception. Human Ovum Structure – The Cell Theory of Spirituality is based upon the Substance, Structure, Form, Organization, Function, Action and Interactions of this Single Fertilized Egg Cell that eventually develops into a complete human organism.

Protoplasm, the viscous, translucent, colloidal substance is enclosed in a membrane called Cell Membrane, Plasma Membrane or Biological Membrane. A small spherical body called nucleus is embedded in the Protoplasm of the cell. The three essential features of any living cell in the human body are that of the presence of protoplasm, the nucleus, and the cell membrane.

Protoplasm – The Ground Substance of Spiritualism and Spirituality:

The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: The Discovery of the concept of Whole Spirituality, the three dimensional spiritual relationship between the multicellular human organism, food, and the Divine Providence.

I seek the existence of Soul or Spirit in a substance that is basic to life activities, and in a material that is responsible for all living processes. I, therefore, propose that the understanding of the true or real nature of this ground substance of all living matter will help man to discover peace, harmony, and tranquility in all of his internal and external relationships while man exists in a physical environment as a member of a social group, social community, and Society. In this blog post, I would like to pay my respectful tribute to Jan Evangelista Purkinje and Hugo Von Mohl for their great contribution to the scientific understanding of the living substance, living material, and living matter.

The Spiritual Medium for Providing Nourishment to Life: Jan Evangelista Purkyne (Czech name), Jan Evangelista Purkinje (German name)also known as Johannes Evangelist Purkinje, b. December 17, 1787, d. July 28, 1869. The pioneer Czech experimental Physiologist whose investigations in the fields of Histology, Embryology,and Pharmacology helped create a modern understanding of the eye and vision, brain and heart function, mammalian reproduction, and the composition of cells.

Purkinje conducted his research on human vision at the University of Prague and later on, he served there as a Professor of Physiology (1850-69). He went to Germany and was appointed the Chair of Physiology and Pathology (1823-50) at the University of Breslau, Prussia. There Purkinje created the world’s first independent Department of Physiology (1839) and the first Physiological Laboratory (Physiological Institute, 1842). He is best known for his discovery of large nerve cells with many branching extensions found in the cortex of Cerebellum of the brain (Purkinje Cells, 1837). He discovered the fibrous tissue that conducts electrical impulses from the ‘pacemaker’ called Atrioventricular node or A-V node along the inside walls of the ventricles to all parts of the heart to help in Cardiac contractile function (Purkinje Fibers, 1839). In 1835, he invented and introduced the scientific term ‘Protoplasm’ to describe the ground substance found inside young animal embryo cells. He discovered the sweat glands of the skin (1833); he discovered the nine configuration groups of Fingerprints used in biometric identification of man (1823); he described the germinal vesicle or nucleus of the unripe ovum that now bears his name (1825), and he noted the protein digesting power of pancreatic extracts (1836).

**The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: Hugo Von Mohl, b. April 08, 1805, d. April 01, 1872, German Botanist noted for his research on the anatomy and physiology of plant cells.**

Hugo Von Mohl named the granular, colloidal material that made up the main substance of the plant cell as “Protoplasm” in 1846. Purkinje invented the word, but Hugo gave more clarity, understanding, and knowing the nature of this ground substance.

The Spiritual Medium for Providing Nourishment to Life: Protoplasm or Cytoplasm is the clear, soft, gelatinous living substance found inside all living cells. A most striking characteristic of Protoplasm is its vital property of Nutrition. Nutrition is the power which Protoplasm has of attracting to itself the materials that provide energy and are necessary for its growth and maintenance.

Hugo Von Mohl viewed cell as an “elementary organ” and in Physiology he explained Protoplasm as an organ of Motion or Movement, Nutrition, and Reproduction. It is the preliminary material in cellular generation. He was the first to propose that new cells are formed by division of preexisting cells and he had observed this process of Cell Division in the algal cells of Conferva glomerata. His observations are very important to understand the Cell Theory that explains cells as the basic building blocks of Life. He was the first to investigate the phenomenon of the stomatal openings in leaves.

**The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life:** Protoplasm or Cytoplasm is the clear, soft, gelatinous living substance found inside all living cells. A most striking characteristic of Protoplasm is its vital property of Nutrition. Nutrition is the power which Protoplasm has of attracting to itself the materials that provide energy and are necessary for its growth and maintenance.

Protoplasm is a complex, viscous, translucent solution of such materials as salts and simple sugars with other molecules, mostly proteins and fats, in a colloidal state, that is dispersed but not dissolved in one another. Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen constitute more than 90 percent of Protoplasm. It exhibits properties such as Protoplasmic Streaming or Cytoplasmic Streaming or Motion that is called “Amoeboid Movement.” It has the intrinsic power to change its shape and position. It has the power of Nutrition by which it can attract and obtain the materials necessary for its growth and maintenance from surrounding matter/environment. These functions involve acquiring, processing, retaining, and using information to perform tasks in a sequential manner for a predetermined purpose and hence describe Consciousness, Memory, and Intelligence. The terms Soul and Spirit belong to the materialistic realm where the Physical Reality of man’s biological existence is established. I have not yet discovered any good reason to use the terms Soul and Spirit as a metaphysical or transcendental Reality.

The Ground Substance of Spiritualism and Spirituality:

The vital characteristics, the animating principles of Protoplasm could be known by observing Amoeba proteus. The Living Substance works as an organ of Motion or Movement, as an organ of Nutrition, and as an organ of Reproduction to generate new cells which have a life span of their own. In these physiological functions, I describe the characteristics such as Cognition, Consciousness, Memory, and Intelligence as spiritual attributes of Life as they bring functional unity and harmony in the interactions between different parts of the same individual organism while it exists in an environment as a member of a biological community.

The Spirituality of Substance, Function, Organization, Action, and Interactions:

To establish the biological existence of the human organism, I add the concept of Spiritualism and Spirituality to the Cell Theory. The Single Fertilized Egg Cell has ground substance that is of Spiritual nature and the Spiritualism and Spirituality consists of the following functional, and organizational characteristics:

1. The Cell is Conscious of its own existence and knows its internal condition and knows it external environment.

2. The Cell is intelligent and it has the cognitive abilities like perception and memory to acquire information, to retain information, to recall information, and to use information in the performance of its complex tasks in a sequential manner.

3. The Cell has the ability to show characteristics such as mutual cooperation, mutual tolerance, and display functional subordination and subservience while being independent.

4. The Cell grows, divides, and develops into a complete organism while it acquires substances and energy from an external environment. The power of Protoplasm/Cytoplasm to attract matter found in its external environment is called Nutrition. The Cell continuously transforms matter to build matter of its own kind for its own benefit to sustain its existence with its own identity and individuality. The Organism represents a social group or a biological community of Cells. The Spiritual nature of Protoplasm/Cytoplasm brings this functional harmony and unity in the Social Group or Biotic Community of Cells by bringing together its Essence and Existence.

5. The Cell Theory is incomplete for it does not describe the conditioned nature of the Cell’s existence. The Cell represents a Living System that is thermodynamically unstable. It requires a constant supply of matter and energy from its external environment to sustain its living functions. The concept of Whole Spirituality formulates the connection between the Cell and its external source of matter and energy.

Life comes into existence when energy-yielding molecules and energy-demanding molecules come together in a spiritual relationship.

Whole Dude Defines Whole Food as the Spectrum of Seven Colors. A 3-Dimensional View of the Adenosine triphosphate Molecule, the Chemical Energy used in the performance of the cellular functions. There is a creative process involved in the transformation of the radiant Solar Energy into Chemical Energy that living organisms use.

The theoretical claims about Spirit and Soul, the religious and philosophical doctrines of Spiritualism and Spirituality must be verified using the Cell Theory that defines the multicellular human organism. To describe Soul or Spirit as nonmaterial or immaterial Self will not help man to know the real or true man.

In my analysis, the Science of Nutrition reveals the purpose of food as that of a spiritual medium that fosters unity between man’s body, mind, and soul.

**The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: The Discovery of Whole Spirituality in Ann Arbor.**

Whole Food, Whole People, and Whole Planet come together in a Wholesome Relationship as God is the Energy Provider, the Original Source of Matter and Energy for Life.

**The Spiritual Medium to Provide Nourishment to Life: Whole Dude at Whole Foods describes the Spiritual Connection between the Cell and its Energy Provider.**

Whole Food comprises of the nutritional substances that support a man’s Physical, Mental, Social, Moral, and Spiritual well-being. These five components of well-being are important to generate the experience of peace, harmony, and tranquility in human Life and the human existence.

Whole Mother-Whole Goddess – The Navratri Celebration of 2025

The Celebration of all the glorious forms of Divine Mother

**Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. God both Male and Female.**

Excerpt: The Maha Navratri Celebration of September-October 2025 is a significant spiritual event in Indian tradition. It signifies the celebration of the Divine Mother as it explores the dual gender principle in God’s manifestation, male and female. The festival lasts nine nights, each dedicated to different forms of the divine Shakti, signifying aspects of divine power, mercy, grace, and compassion for mankind. In Indian spiritual science, the Feminine aspect, as Mother, is the source of matter, energy, and knowledge fundamental to life. The festival is also a celebration of the balance and harmony within the human existential reality.

DEVI NAVRATRI - NINE-NIGHT CELEBRATION OF DIVINE POWER, LOVE, MERCY, GRACE, AND COMPASSION TO SECURE HEALTH, WEALTH, WISDOM, AND PERFECT WELL-BEING OF MANKIND. — **– NINE-NIGHT CELEBRATION OF DIVINE POWER, LOVE, MERCY, GRACE, AND COMPASSION TO SECURE HEALTH, WEALTH, WISDOM, AND PERFECT WELL-BEING OF MANKIND.**

In Physics, Power/Energy/Force is not associated with gender. But, when living things exist as male and female, the description of Power/Energy/Force may have gender association. In the Indian tradition, ‘Deva’ means God and ‘Devi’ means Goddess. Devi in Indian tradition is the personification of God’s Supreme Power/Force/ Energy or ‘Shakti’. To fully account for the human existence, the man needs two distinct or separate Principles that come together to produce the harmonious singular identity of the man. The issue is not about God’s gender. Father Principle is called the Originating Principle. Mother Principle is called the Source Principle, for Mother is the Source of Matter, Energy, and Knowledge to establish Life of a Living Thing. Father provides Identity to the human form, Mother provides Substance, the structural and functional basis of the human form.

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVARATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. GOD IS THE SUPREME BEING AND DESCRIBED AS OMNIPOTENT. THIS POTENCY OR POWER IS CALLED 'SHAKTI' IN SANSKRIT LANGUAGE. DEVI IS PERSONIFICATION OF 'SHAKTI'. SHE DISPLAYED THIS GREAT POWER IN SLAYING OF A DEMON KING CALLED "MAHISHASURA." — Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. God as Male and Female. GOD IS THE SUPREME BEING AND DESCRIBED AS OMNIPOTENT. THIS POTENCY OR POWER IS CALLED ‘SHAKTI’ IN THE SANSKRIT LANGUAGE. DEVI IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF ‘SHAKTI’. SHE DISPLAYED THIS GREAT POWER IN SLAYING OF A DEMON KING CALLED “MAHISHASURA.”

Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. Shardiya Navratri refers to the Navratri Celebration during the Sharad Ritu or Autumn Season.

During 2025, Indians celebrate Devi Navratri or Sharad Navratri from Monday, September 22, to Thursday, October 02. The term ‘Nav’ or ‘Nava’ means Nine. ‘Ratri’ means Night. This celebration happens in the lunar month called Asvayuja (or Ashwayuja – September – October), the month in which Full Moon Day is associated with the first star (Tithi) called ‘Asvini’ in Indian Astrology. Sharad Navratri commences on the first and ends on the tenth day of the bright half of the 7th Lunar month, Ashwin. The name “Sharadiya” refers to the name of the Season or “Ritu” called Sharad Ritu or Autumn.

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. DEVI OR SHAKTI IS OFTEN CALLED 'DURGA' FOR SHE IS EMBODIMENT OF GREAT STRENGTH. SHE IS ALSO CALLED BHADRAKALI, JAGADAMBA, ANNAPURNA, SARVAMANGALA, BHAIRAVI, CHANDIKA, LALITA, BHAVANI, AND MOOKAMBIKA. — Bharat Darshan: The earthly manifestation of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025 – God as Male and Female. Devi or Shakti is often called ‘Durga’ for she is embodiment of great strength. SHE IS ALSO CALLED BHADRAKALI, JAGADAMBA, ANNAPURNA, SARVA MANGALA, BHAIRAVI, CHANDIKA, LALITA, BHAVANI, AND MOOKAMBIKA.

Devi or Shakti is often called ‘Durga’ for She is the embodiment of great strength. She is also called Bhadrakali, Jagadamba, Annapurna, Sarva Mangala, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Bhavani, and Mookambika. During the 9-Night or Navratri festival, Indians worship nine different forms of Goddess Durga with 1,000 names. She is simply adored as Divine Mother and often addressed as Mother (“Mata” or “Maa”) whatever may be the name or form She assumed on different occasions.

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - SHARAD NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. NINE DIFFERENT FORMS OF MOTHER DURGA OR SHAKTI ARE REMEMBERED WITH DEVOTION AND ADORATION. — Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. DEVI NAVRATRI – SHARAD NAVRATRI – GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. NINE DIFFERENT FORMS OF MOTHER DURGA OR SHAKTI ARE REMEMBERED WITH DEVOTION AND ADORATION.

Goddess Shakti has three Supreme Forms called Durga, Sarasvati, and Lakshmi. In India, the traditions vary from region to region. First 3 – days of Navratri are dedicated to Goddess Durga, following 3-days are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and concluding 3-days are dedicated to Goddess Sarasvati or Goddess of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Speech.

Devi Navratri Celebration – September 22 to October 02, 2025 Calendar:

Monday, September 22, Day 1 – Pratipada, Ghatasthapana, Shailputri Puja

Tuesday, September 23, Day 2 – Dwitiya, Chandra Darshana, Brahmacharini Puja

Wednesday, September 24, Day 3 – Tritiya, Sindoor Tritiya, Chandraghanta Puja

Thursday, September 25, Day 4 – Tritiya, Maa Chandraghanta Puja

Friday, September 26, Day 5 – Chaturthi, Kushmanda Puja, Upang Lalita Vrat

Saturday, September 27, Day 6 – Panchami, Skandamata Puja.

Sunday, September 28, Day 7 – Shashthi, Sarasvati Avahan, Katyayani Puja

Monday, September 29, Day 8 – Saptami, Sarasvati Puja, Kalaratri Puja.

Tuesday, September 30, Day 9 – Ashtami, Durga Ashtami, Mahagauri Puja

Wednesday, October 01, Day 10 – Navami, Ayudha Puja, Navami Homa, Siddhidatri Puja

Thursday, October 02, Day 11 – Dashami, Navratri Parana, Durga Visarjan, Vijaya Dashami

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE - FIRST DAY OF NAVRATRI IS CALLED PRATIPADA. DEDICATED TO GODDESS SHAILAPUTRI, DAUGHTER OF RULER OF MOUNTAINS. SHE IS ALSO KNOWN AS PARVATI, HEMAVATI, SATI BHAVANI AND OTHERS. — **FIRST NIGHT OF NAVRATRI IS CALLED PRATIPADA. DEDICATED TO GODDESS SHAILAPUTRI, DAUGHTER OF RULER OF MOUNTAINS. SHE IS ALSO KNOWN AS PARVATI, HEMAVATI, SATI BHAVANI AND OTHERS.**

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. FIRST DAY OF NINE-NIGHT CELEBRATION. — **Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. God both Male and Female.**

DEVI NAVRATRI - CELEBRATION OF DIVINE POWER. NAVRATRI, ON DAY-2, OR DWITIYA, DEDICATED TO GODDESS BRAHMACHARINI. — **CELEBRATION OF DIVINE POWER. NAVRATRI, Second Night, OR DVITIYA, DEDICATED TO GODDESS BRAHMACHARINI.**

**Third Night, Tritiya, DEDICATED TO GODDESS CHANDRAGHANTA.**

Bharat Darshan-Devi Nava Ratri-Kushmanda — **THE FOURTH NIGHT IS CALLED CHATURTHI. GODDESS KUSHMANDA REPRESENTS CREATIVE POWER, AND SHE EXPRESSES A SENSE OF JOY FOR HER OWN CREATION.**

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE . GODDESS OF FOURTH DAY OR CHATURTHI IS KNOWN AS KUSHMANDA. — **GODDESS OF FOURTH NIGHT OR CHATURTHI IS KNOWN AS KUSHMANDA.**

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. GODDESS OF FIFTH DAY OR PANCHAMI IS KNOWN AS SKANDAMATA, MOTHER OF SKANDA OR KARTIKEYA. — **GODDESS OF FIFTH NIGHT OR PANCHAMI IS KNOWN AS SKANDAMATA, MOTHER OF SKANDA OR KARTIKEYA.**

Bharat Darshan-Devi Navratri-Devi-Katyayani — **GODDESS OF SIXTH NIGHT IS KNOWN AS KATYAYANI.**

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. GODDESS OF SEVENTH DAY OR SAPTAMI IS KNOWN AS KALRATRI(BLACK OR DARK NIGHT), AND SUBHANKARI FOR SHE GIVES PROTECTION FROM TROUBLE. — **GODDESS OF SEVENTH-NIGHT OR SAPTAMI IS KNOWN AS KALRATRI (BLACK OR DARK NIGHT), AND SUBHANKARI FOR SHE GIVES PROTECTION FROM TROUBLE.**

**GODDESS SARASVATI PUJA OR WORSHIP ON THE EIGHTH NIGHT, ASHTAMI.**

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. GODDESS OF EIGHTH DAY OR ASHTAMI IS KNOWN AS MAHA GAURI. — **GODDESS OF EIGHTH NIGHT OR ASHTAMI IS KNOWN AS MAHA GAURI.**

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. GODDESS OF NINTH DAY OR MAHARNAVAMI IS KNOWN AS SIDDHIDATRI FOR SHE BESTOWS ASHTA SIDDHIS. — **GODDESS OF NINTH NIGHT OR MAHARNAVAMI IS KNOWN AS SIDDHIDATRI FOR SHE BESTOWS ASHTA SIDDHIS.**

**Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22, to Thursday, October 02, 2025. The Ninth Night is dedicated to Goddess Siddhidatri.**

**DEVI OR GODDESS HAS THREE SUPREME FORMS CALLED SARASVATI, LAKSHMI, AND PARVATI. THESE NAMES DESCRIBE DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES OF GOD’S OMNIPOTENCE.**

Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from September 22 to October 02, 2025. GOD BOTH MALE AND FEMALE. GODDESS DURGA IS PERSONIFICATION OF GOD’S OMNIPOTENCE.

Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22, following the New Moon Day on Sunday, September 21. and concludes on Thursday, October 02, 2025. The 11th Day, Wednesday, October 02 is also a great day of festivity and is known as Vijaya Dashami.

**Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. HINDU CALENDAR OR PANCHANGA.**

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - PHASES OF MOON ASSOCIATED WITH FORMS OF GODDESS SHAKTI. — Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. DEVI NAVRATRI – PHASES OF MOON ASSOCIATED WITH FORMS OF GODDESS SHAKTI.

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. NINE DIFFERENT FORMS OF WORSHIP CALLED TARA - TARINI SHAKTI. — Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. NINE DIFFERENT FORMS OF WORSHIP CALLED TARA – TARINI SHAKTI.

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. NAVA DURGA, NINE-FORMS OF ADORATION. — **Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. God both Male and Female.**

BHARAT DARSHAN - DEVI NAVRATRI - GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. NINE REASONS TO CELEBRATE GODDESS DURGA. — **Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Thursday, October 03 to Friday, October 11, 2024. GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. NINE REASONS TO CELEBRATE GODDESS DURGA.**

Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. GOD AS MALE AND FEMALE. A HYMN IN PRAISE AND WORSHIP OF GODDESS DURGA DEVI.

DEVI NAVRATRI, NINE-NIGHT CELEBRATION, DAY - 9, MAHA NAVAMI, AYUDHA PUJA, WORSHIP OF ALL WEAPONS, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT USED BY MAN TO ACCOMPLISH ACTION. — Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. NINE-NIGHT CELEBRATION, DAY – 9, MAHA NAVAMI, AYUDHA PUJA, WORSHIP OF ALL WEAPONS, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT USED BY MAN TO ACCOMPLISH ACTION.

DEVI NAVRATRI - NINE-NIGHT WORSHIP OF DIVINE POWER, LOVE, GRACE, AND COMPASSION TO ACCOMPLISH VICTORY OF GOOD OVER EVIL FORCES. 10th DAY, DASAMI IS KNOWN AS VIJAYA DASAMI OR DUSSEHRA. — Bharat Darshan: The celebration of the Divine Mother. Maha Navratri Celebration from Monday, September 22 to Thursday, October 02, 2025. NINE-NIGHT WORSHIP OF DIVINE POWER, LOVE, GRACE, AND COMPASSION TO ACCOMPLISH VICTORY OF GOOD OVER EVIL FORCES. 10th DAY, DASAMI IS KNOWN AS VIJAYA DASAMI OR DUSSEHRA.

**Bharat Darshan: The Maha Navratri Celebration of 2025.**

**Bharat Darshan: The Maha Navratri Celebration of 2025. Goddess Laxmi – The Mother Principle that is the Origin of Life and its material well-being.**

Bharat Darshan: The Maha Navratri Celebration of 2025. Goddess Shakti, a Protector, a Defender, and a Personification of all Material Energies present in Nature or Prakriti. Man exists as an Energy Seeker, a heterotroph and human existence is possible because of an Energy Provider. Mother is the Source of Energy for man’s physical and mental work.

Goddess Sarasvati is the Divine Mother of Knowledge. Indian Tradition recognizes Mind, and Intellect as aspects of Material Energies. Life functions with Knowledge implanted into Living Organisms which display the characteristics of awareness, responsiveness, alertness, and consciousness.

Whole Burden – Whole Compassion – The Celebration of Radha Ashtami

The celebration of the birth anniversary of Goddess Radha, the Goddess of Love, Mercy, Grace, and Compassion

Radha Ashtami is a well-known Hindu festival to commemorate the birth anniversary of Goddess Radha, Shri Radha Rani, the consort of Lord Krishna. It falls on Ashtami Tithi, the eighth day. Of the Waxing Phase of the Moon, during Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month.

According to the Hindu beliefs, Goddess Radha is the incarnation or avatar of Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu, the Lord God Protector of the Hindu Trinity.

The occasion of Radha Ashtami falls 15 days after the festival of Janmashtami, or Krishna Ashtami, the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. It usually takes place in the month of August or September according to the Gregorian calendar.

Devotees keep fast on Radha Ashtami day. Goddess Radha is worshipped during Madhyahna Kala which is noon time according to Hindu division of the day.

Radha Ashtami is also known as Radhashtami and Radha Jayanti. In the Indian tradition, the Lord God Creator is the Controller of Power/Force/Energy that operates all interactions of the natural world, and the universe. The Lord God Creator separates Himself from the Power/Force/Energy that He Controls, Regulates, Sustains, and Operates. In the Indian tradition, the Power/Force/Energy or Shakti is personified as the consort of Lord God Creator. As the manifestations of Power/Force/Energy are varied, each attribute acquires a personality of its own and the man easily recognizes the nature of the blessings he receives from his benefactor. In the Indian tradition, Goddess Radha is the personification of Love that symbolizes the Spiritual Unity between the Original Source of Love and the physical manifestation of the Force called Love.

Living the Long Journey of Life with a heavy burden to serve the God of Compassion

**Learn human anatomy to live the long journey of life with a heavy burden**

So what is the Identity of this Human person or Human subject who experiences his life using the Sensory Experience such as taste? How does the living Human organism maintain its Identity and Individuality? Apart from the Cultural Traditions of India, several Schools of Religious Thought claim that the Human Individuality and true or real Identity is represented by Human Soul. Where does this soul exist in the human body? What is the location if the soul is present in the living person? Does man have a soul? How does the human organism acquires Knowledge about its own structures and the functions they perform? To know the burdens of Life, I ask my readers to know the reality of man and the nature of his existence.

A Force of Compassion to lift the heavy burden of life’s long journey

**Krupa (Krupa) – A force to preserve the human existence. Alpha Orionis, Betelgeuse, a massive Red Supergiant Star is evaporating.**

Alpha Orionis, or Betelgeuse is the largest and brightest Star visible to the naked eye near the Constellation of Orion. This mammoth star is slowly evaporating. This massive star is shedding weight and is near end of its life. This red Supergiant star is about 430 light years distant. If this star is now placed at the center of our Solar system, its plume would extend past the orbit of planet Jupiter. Sun towards the end of its life would also evaporate and its expanding plume would totally wipeout all living entities on planet Earth. When we speak about human existence, we need to understand man as a biological species. Like all other living creatures of this planet Earth, man is a mortal being. Whosoever had arrived on this planet, must also depart. Extinction is not merely a past geological event. The reign of Dinosaurs upon Earth ended 65 million years ago and it is marked as Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction Event or K-T Event.

The Phenomenon of Extinction:

**Krupa (Krupa) – a force to preserve the human existence. The dimming of Betelgeuse, Orion Constellation.**

Apart from Cosmic Radiation, and Massive Collision events involving asteroids, comets, or other heavenly bodies, there are biological factors involved in the phenomenon of Extinction. Man’s existence depends upon an orderly functioning of the universe. The existence of the Individual (microcosm) is linked to the existence of Cosmos (macrocosm).

Is Man Born Free?

**Krupa (Kripa) – a force to preserve the human existence.**

In the Sanskrit literature, the word ‘Daivam’ describes ‘Fate’. It conveys the sense of belief in God as the ‘Prime Cause’. If God is in control, man is not free to act as he pleases even in his own defense. We may not be able to conduct experiments and scientifically establish the fact that God is in control. What we clearly understand is that the man cannot govern or rule the cells that constitute his body and define his physical existence.

**Krupa (Kripa) – a force for preservation of the human existence. Man cannot directly rule or govern or regulate the cellular functions of his own body.**

Man is not an independent living entity. Man’s dependence upon external sources of energy, and the biological phenomenon of ‘cellular autonomy’ would not permit man to act as he pleases. Man is not in control of his existence. Man’s capacity to defend his own existence is limited and he continuously faces challenges to his existence from several different directions. If man is truly free, the Universe, the World, and the Society can place no constraints on him. Man is tied down, he is born in shackles without Freedom.

Yes Indeed, Life is Complicated. The complexity of Life involves the conditioned or the dependent nature of the human existence. The man has no existence if he is not connected to an external source of energy. The external source of energy which supports the existence of Life is often described as the Divine Providence, the original source of Love, Mercy, Grace, and Compassion.

Whole Humility – Whole Obedience – Whole Success – Whole Prayer to Lord Ganesha

The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi on Tuesday, August 26, 2025

**Bharat Darshan: Tuesday, August 26, 2025, The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi. A Prayer to Lord Ganesha for Success through Obedience and Humility.**

The annual festival of Ganesha Chaturthi marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It involves 10 days of celebration and takes place in the Bhadrapada month (August-September), Shukla Paksha (the Waxing Phase of Moon), the fourth day or Chaturthi as per the Hindu calendar.

**Bharat Darshan. Tuesday, August 26, 2025. The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi on the fourth day of the Waxing Phase (Shukla Paksha) of Moon of the Month Bhadrapada (August-September)**

The auspicious festival begins on Tuesday, August 26. The festival inaugurates with people bringing or making clay idols (murtis) of the Lord, and concludes on the day of Anant Chaturdashi (Saturday, September 06), when the idol is submerged in the nearest body of water, called Ganesha visarjan.

A Prayer to Lord Ganesha for Success through Obedience and Humility

Lord Ganesha is one of the most worshiped deities among Indian Hindus. Also known as Vinayaka or Ganapati, the elephant God is revered as the God of beginnings and the remover of obstacles.

**Whole Dude – Whole Humility: A Prayer to Lord Ganesha for Success with Humility.**

Indian Cultural Traditions offer tools for Success in all dimensions of Life including health, education, employment, social status and social relationships. The formula for success is simple; perform all tasks making an estimate to take care of negative consequences or outcomes, and plan for roadblocks or obstacles in the planning stage of executing any action. Indians initiate actions seeking Blessings of Lord Ganesha for their desire for Success in Life should not be directed by intellectual pride or arrogant use of physical or material power.

PRAYER TO LORD GANESHA - SUCCESS THROUGH OBEDIENCE AND HUMILITY. — **Bharat Darshan: Tuesday, August 26, 2025, The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi. A Prayer to Lord Ganesha for Success through Obedience and Humility.**

Whole Worship – Whole Puja – The Tradition of Guru Worship

The Celebration of Guru Purnima:

The Sanskrit word ‘guru’ translates to ‘dispeller of darkness’. Guru Purnima, marks the appearance day of Srila Vyasadeva.

Guru Purnima falls every year on the day of Ashadha Shukla Purnima. It is also known as Vyasa Purnima because Veda Vyasa, the sage who wrote the Mahabharata and assembled the Vedas, celebrates his birthday on this day.

Bharat Darshan – Bhagavan Ved Vyas – Author of Geetopanishad

In the Indian tradition, Ved Vyas is the legendary author of epic poem Mahabharat, Bhagavata Purana, and several other Puranas , son of Sage Parashara, and Satyavati. He is father of Sage Shuka, King Pandu, and Minister Vidura. He is great-grandson of Maharishi Vasishta, and grandson of Sage Shakti. Ved Vyas is a historical person, a contemporary of another legendary person known as Lord Krishna whom Indians worship. As per Indian tradition, Lord Krishna belongs to a time period or “Yug” called ‘Dwapar Yug.” Apart from being a great poet, Ved Vyas is recognized as a great teacher, a spiritual guide, and a divine personality with exceptional creative writing abilities. He is often recognized as author of ‘Geetopanishad’ for the divine song, ‘Bhagavad Gita’ distills the essence of Vedic Wisdom and presents it as useful guide to live daily life experiencing peace, harmony, and tranquility.

In India, there was a suggestion or speculation about some unknown author, who may have inserted into epic poem Mahabharat, his/her poetical work (700 verses) that most Indians recognize as “Bhagavad Gita” and may have given credit to Ved Vyas, original author of Mahabharat. It raises issues about identity of author and the methods that people use to know the identity of any given person. In both Biology, and Medical Science, identification of individuals or individual entities is very important. Forensic Medicine deals with the identification of unknown dead bodies. In common practice, man is recognized by his occupation or actions. A poet is identified by his/her poetical composition, the literary contents of work published.

I took time to study the concepts shared in Bhagavad Gita, and Bhagavata Purana and I could easily identify the similarities of views. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Sri Krishna spoke to Prince Arjuna. In Bhagavata Purana, in a story popularly known as ‘Prahalad Charitra’ Demon King Hiranyakashipu spoke to grieving family members following death of his brother. Both of them use the same words and share the same Vedic knowledge about life and death.

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGAVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD, BHAGAVATA PURANA, OTHER PURANAS, AND EPIC POEM MAHABHARAT. — **The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025**

The poet who composed Bhagavad Gita knows concepts shared by Vedas and Upanishads. For example, we can compare ‘Parable of the Chariot’ or “Ratha Kalpana” of Katha Upanishad, Part III, verses 3 to 11 with Bhagavad Gita, Chapter III, verses 39 to 43. The author of Bhagavad Gita reconstructed Ratha Kalpana and presented his own version and there is subtle difference between those two concepts. I recognize Veda Vyas as author of Bhagavad Gita through literary analysis and by comparing views and concepts that appear in different works in different contexts. We can easily know the identity of the author by examining his work.

Comparison of Amrita Bindu Upanishad (Krishna Yajur Veda) and Bhagavad Gita:

“Eka eva hi bhutatma bhute bhute vyavasthitah
ekadha bahudha caiva drsyate jala Chandravat.” (Verse # 12)

Being the One, the universal Soul is present in all beings, present in each individual living entity, and this One entity is viewed as several, different entities, just like reflection of (same) Moon seen in several pots of water.

“Sarva-bhutesu yenaikam bhavam avyayam iksate,
avibhaktam vibhaktesu taj jnanam viddhi sattvikam.”(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XVIII, Verse #20)

The knowledge of one who sees in every living entity, though divided into innumerable forms, one undivided spiritual nature, that knowledge is to be understood as being in the mode of Goodness. Just like the verse from Amrita Bindu Upanishad, this verse speaks about one single reality pervading all existence.

Comparison of Katha Upanishad (Ratha Kalpana) and Bhagavad Gita:

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGAVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD. PARABLE OF CHARIOT, RATHA KALPANA OF KATHA UPANISHAD. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY, ORGANS OF SENSE PERCEPTION, MIND, SEAT OF INTELLECT OR DISCERNMENT, AND SOUL. — The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Parable of Chariot, Ratha Kalpana of Katha Upanishad. The relationship between body, organs of sense perception, mind, seat of intellect or discernment and soul.

“atmanam rathinam viddhi,
sariram ratham eva tu,
buddhim tu Saradhim viddhi
manah pragraham eva ca;
indriyani hayan ahur
visayams tesu gocaran
atmendriya-mano-yuktam
bhoktety ahur manisinah.” (Katha Upanishad, Part III, Sadhana, Verses 3 &4)

Know the Atman (Self) as the Master or Lord of the chariot, and the body as the chariot, know also the intellect to be the driver and mind as reins. The senses are called the horses, the sense objects are the roads; when the Atman is united with body, senses and mind, then the Wise call Him the Enjoyer.

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD. BODY-MIND-SOUL ARE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER, WITH SOUL HAVING A CENTRAL CONTROLLING POWER OVER SOME ASPECTS OF FUNCTIONS OF OTHER PARTS OR UNITS TO PROMOTE UNITY AND HARMONY. — The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Body, Mind, and Soul are connected to each other, with Soul having a central controlling power over some aspects of functions of other parts or units to promote unity and harmony.

These describe hierarchy, various levels of functional control in a complex system that has different parts like body, organs of sense perception, mind, intellect, and a Master who enjoys because of functional Unity and Harmony of organizational units. In a chariot driven by horses, reins are used as a means of guiding, controlling, checking, or restraining horses. The driver uses reins to control horses to slow them down or stop or to allow them to run at full speed without restraint if required.

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGAVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD. THE PROBLEM CALLED DESIRE. THERE ARE SIX KINDS OF DESIRES; 1. KAMA(LUST), 2. KRODHA(ANGER), 3. LOBHA(MISERLINESS), 4.MOHA(INFATUATION), 5. MADA(ARROGANCE), AND 6. MATSARYA(JEALOUSY). — The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. The problem called Desire. There are Six kinds of Desires; 1. Kama (Lust), 2. Krodha (Anger), 3. LOBHA (Miserliness), 4. Moha (Infatuation), 5. Mada (Arrogance), and 6. Matsarya (Jealousy).

“Indriyani mano buddhir asyadhisthanam ucyate
etair vimohayaty esa jnanam avrtya dehinam.” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter III, Verse 40)

The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. The problem called Desire. There are Six kinds of Desires; 1. Kama (Lust), 2. Krodha (Anger), 3. LOBHA (Miserliness), 4. Moha (Infatuation), 5. Mada (Arrogance), and 6. Matsarya (Jealousy).

It is declared that the senses, the mind, and the intelligence are the stronghold of this sensual desire (‘Kama’), covering one’s discrimination this enemy called sensual desire deludes the living entities.

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGAVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD. PRINCE ARJUNA IS THE MASTER(SOUL), LORD KRISHNA, CHARIOTEER(BUDDHI/INTELLECT), REINS(MIND), HORSES(SENSE ORGANS), CHARIOT(BODY), AND THE ROAD REPRESENTS PURSUIT TO REACH GOAL. — The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Body, Mind, and Soul are connected to each other, with Soul having a central controlling power over some aspects of functions of other parts or units to promote unity and harmony. Prince Arjuna is the Master (Soul), the Charioteer (Lord Krishna) symbolizes Buddhi (Intellect), the Reins symbolize Mind and Horses symbolize the Sense Organs, the Chariot symbolizes the human Body, and the Road represents the Pursuit to reach goal.

“tasmat tvam indriyany adau niyama bharatarsabha
papmanam prajahi hy enam jnana-vijnana nasanam.”(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter III, Verse 41)

Therefore O’ Arjuna, first you must bring the senses under control and directly destroy this sensual desire(‘Kama’), which is embodiment of sin and the destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGAVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD. TO FIGHT WITH AN EXTERNAL ENEMY IS EASY. MAN HAS TO BE MINDFUL OF INTERNAL ENEMY CALLED 'DESIRE' WHICH HAS SIX DIMENSIONS. — The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. To fight with an external enemy is easy. Man has to be mindful of an internal enemy called Desire which has Six Dimensions.

“indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah,
manasas tu para buddhir yo buddheh paratas tu sah.”(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter III, Verse#42)

The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. To fight with an external enemy is easy. Man has to be mindful of an internal enemy called Desire which has Six Dimensions.

It is declared, the senses are superior (than insensible matter) but more than the senses, the mind is superior, but more than the mind the intelligence is superior, and more than the intelligence that which is superior is the individual consciousness (Atma).

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGAVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD. INTERNAL ENEMY CALLED 'DESIRE' CAN RUIN AND DESTROY MAN'S LIFE ,DEFEAT MAN AND PREVENT HIM FROM REACHING HIS GOAL OR DESTINATION. — The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. To fight with an external enemy is easy. Man has to be mindful of an internal enemy called Desire which has Six Dimensions.

“evam buddheh param buddhva samstabhyatmanam atmana
jahi satrum maha-baho kama-rupam durasadam.”(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter III, Verse#43)

Thus knowing the individual consciousness (Atman) to be superior to the intelligence, O’ mighty armed one, steady the mind by self-realization and conquer this insatiable enemy which presents in the form of sensual desire (Kama).

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGAVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD. BHAGAVAD GITA IS A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO LIVE DAILY LIFE. — The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. To fight with an external enemy is easy. Man has to be mindful of an internal enemy called Desire which has Six Dimensions.

Bhagavad Gita distills wisdom of Upanishads and conveys knowledge that is of practical value and can be used as daily living guide. While Bhagavad Gita avoids analogy of chariot, the author uses the same concept to guide readers to learn The Art of Self-Discipline, a training that develops self-restraint, self-control to shape character and personal conduct that promote orderliness and efficiency in any given field of human activity or work performance.

If I have the intellectual capacity to compose 700 poems and insert them into work done by another person, I will not stop writing. I will be driven by the same creative zeal to compose more poems and keep publishing my works using my name or another name. Bhagavad Gita exposes identity of a literary genius at work, and very few people have such creative writing ability. If any of my readers have doubts about identity of Ved Vyas; you may have to support your view citing literary works of comparable merit and make claim that a different author made insertion of his/her work giving credit to Ved Vyas.

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGAVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD. VED VYAS IS A HISTORICAL PERSON, INDIAN TRADITION NAMES TIME PERIODS OR YUG. VED VYAS BELONGS TO 'DWAPARA YUGA'. — The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. To fight with an external enemy is easy. Man has to be mindful of an internal enemy called Desire which has Six Dimensions. Ved Vyas is a historical person. Indian tradition names Time Periods as Yug and Ved Vyas belongs to Dwapara Yuga.

Bhagavad Gita refers to Kurukshetra battlefield as “Dharma Kshetra” and the concern of its author is about values, the battle between good and evil. Secondly, the conversation on the battlefield begins with Prince Duryodhana speaking to his guru Dronacharya. Here, the author is carefully suggesting that battle is not decided by relative strengths of parties engaged in war. Prince Duryodhana made an estimate of strength of Pandava Camp and was impressed by strength of Kaurava Camp. But, the author’s concern is about ‘Dharma’ or right actions and the ultimate success of right over might. Sanjaya was a disciple of author Veda Vyas and the author used his poetic imagination and freedom to confer a special ability to his student to know his thoughts as reflected in battlefield dialogue.

Hymns in praise of Maharishi Ved Vyas:

BHARAT DARSHAN - BHAGAVAN VED VYAS - AUTHOR OF GEETOPANISHAD. VED VYAS IS A DIVINE BEING FOR HE SHARED DIVINE KNOWLEDGE THAT BRINGS JOY, BLISS, HAPPINESS, AND ANANDA. — The celebration of Guru Purnima and Vyasa Purnima on Thursday, July 10, 2025. To fight with an external enemy is easy. Man has to be mindful of an internal enemy called Desire which has Six Dimensions. Ved Vyas is a Divine Being for he shared Divine Knowledge that brings Joy, Bliss, Happiness, and Ananda.

Krishna Dwaipayanam Vyasam, sarva loka hite ratam,
Vedabja Bhaskaram Vande Shamdadi nilayam munim.

Vyasaya Vishnu rupaya, Vyasa rupaya Vishnave
Namo vai Brahmanidhaye, Vasishtaya Namo NamaH.

Vyasam Vasishta naptaram, ShakteH poutra makalmasham
Parasaratmajam, Vande Shuka taponidhim.

Whole Yoga – Whole Unity – Whole Humanity

Spirituality Science – The concept of Whole Yoga

**Bharat Darshan describes the concept of Whole Yoga.**

Yoga explores the principle of man’s Unity with God or Supreme Being. Indian tradition suggests that God is present in entire creation and yet God remains detached, unattached, aloof, distant, or separate from creation. Human Existence is evidence for Unity of man with Divine Principle and yet Human Existence is burdensome, worrisome, and troublesome as God chooses to remain separate from entire creation.

**Bharat Drashan describes the concept of Whole Yoga**

International Yoga Day – The Celebration of Man – Woman – God Unity called Humanity

The term ‘Yoga’ is related to ‘Yug’ which pertains to time, and Yoking which means pairing, joining, coming together, harnessed to work together, bonding, and union.

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY - THE CONCEPT OF YOGA IS RELATED TO YOKING, PAIRING, WORKING TOGETHER TO EASE BURDEN. — **International Yoga Day – The Celebration of Man – Woman – God Unity called Humanity** The term ‘Yoga’ is related to ‘Yug’ which pertains to time, and Yoking which means pairing, joining, coming together, harnessed to work together, bonding, and union. The harnessing of farm animals makes the burden of Yoke easy.

The term ‘Yoking’ is also attached to Holy Union of Man and Woman in Matrimony, a coming together if mankind has to survive.

International Yoga Day - Celebration of Man-Woman-God Unity called Humanity. Yoga relates to Yoking, a term used to describe Yoke of Marriage. — **International Yoga Day – Celebration of Man-Woman-God Unity called Humanity. Yoga relates to Yoking, a term used to describe the Yoke of Marriage.**

International Yoga Day is observed on June 21 and it emphasizes importance of seeking harmony, and physical well-being through actions that bring body, mind, and soul to work together.

International Yoga Day - Celebration of Man-Woman-God Unity called Humanity. — **International Yoga Day – The Celebration of Man – Woman – God Unity called Humanity** The term ‘Yoga’ is related to ‘Yug’ which pertains to time, and Yoking which means pairing, joining, coming together, harnessed to work together, bonding, and union. The harnessing of farm animals makes the burden of Yoke easy.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE - WHOLE YOGA : THE DECLARATION OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA SHOWS THE POPULARITY OF THE PHYSICAL PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE THEORY OF YOGA. — **International Yoga Day – The Celebration of Man – Woman – God Unity called Humanity** The term ‘Yoga’ is related to ‘Yug’ which pertains to time, and Yoking which means pairing, joining, coming together, harnessed to work together, bonding, and union. The harnessing of farm animals makes the burden of Yoke easy. The Declaration of International Day of Yoga shows the popularity of the physical practices associated with the Theory of Yoga.

The UN General Assembly declared June 21 as International Yoga Day. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his maiden address to the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014, asked the world leaders to adopt June 21 as Yoga Day. He stated that Yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being; a holistic way of life that brings harmony between man and nature and promotes simpler lifestyles. Prime Minister Modi has expressed the hope that by changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, Yoga can help us deal with Climate Change.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE - WHOLE YOGA : INDIA'S PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI PRACTICES YOGA AND FINDS IT USEFUL IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE AND WELL-BEING. WHAT IS YOGA ??? — **International Yoga Day – The Celebration of Man – Woman – God Unity called Humanity** The term ‘Yoga’ is related to ‘Yug’ which pertains to time, and Yoking which means pairing, joining, coming together, harnessed to work together, bonding, and union. The harnessing of farm animals makes the burden of Yoke easy. The Declaration of International Day of Yoga shows the popularity of the physical practices associated with the Theory of Yoga. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi practices Yoga and finds it useful in his personal life and well-being.

The phenomenon called ‘Humanity’ is the evidence of Divine Providence sustaining Life on Earth as individual human beings arrive and depart experiencing Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in their living condition.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is a general term for spiritual practices, and spiritual discipline followed for centuries by devotees of both Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism to attain “Higher Consciousness,” liberation from ignorance, release from suffering, and Freedom from Rebirth. It is also one of the six orthodox systems of Indian Philosophy. Patanjali (2nd Century B.C.,) expounded the Theory and the Practice of Yoga called “Raja Yoga” (Royal Yoga). He stated Yoga Sutras or aphorisms and divided the practice of Yoga into eight stages.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE - WHOLE YOGA : THE SCHOOL OF INDIAN THOUGHT CALLED YOGA WAS EXPOUNDED BY PATANJALI WHO DESCRIBED THE YOGA SUTRAS AND THE EIGHTFOLD PATH TO "SAMADHI" OR IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS WITH THE GODHEAD. — The School of Indian Thought called Yoga was expounded by Patanjali who described the Yoga Sutras and the Eightfold Path to “Samadhi” or identification of Individual Consciousness with the Godhead.

Patanjali considered “Samadhi” as the highest stage of Yoga practice in which the Yogi, the practitioner of Yoga finds identification of the individual “Consciousness” with the Ultimate Godhead, or the Absolute Reality (often called Brahman). Hindu tradition recognizes three main types of Yoga; Jnana Yoga, the path of wisdom and discrimination, Bhakti Yoga, the path of Love and Devotion to a personal, or impersonal God, or both, and Karma Yoga, the path of selfless or unattached action. Hatha Yoga emphasizes physical control, holding body in systematized postures, and the practice of controlled breathing. In Jainism and Buddhism, the emphasis may involve withdrawing from the world, mental concentration without allowing the mind to get distracted by extraneous things. In Indian traditions, the highest meditative state is called “Nirvikalpa Samadhi,” content less trance that constitutes Liberation or “Nirvana.”

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE - WHOLE YOGA : IN BUDDHISM, THE YOGA IS A TOOL TO ATTAIN PERFECT WISDOM, OVERCOMING IGNORANCE BY EMPTYING THE CONTENTS OF THE MIND THAT PERMITS REACHING THE STATE OF PURE CONSCIOUSNESS IN WHICH MAN HAS NO DESIRES. — **In Buddhism, Yoga is a tool to attain perfect wisdom, overcoming ignorance by emptying the contents of the mind that permits reaching the State of Pure Consciousness in which Man has no desires.**

While Yoga may explain the highest aim or purpose in “Life” for most Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, certain physical practices have found their acceptance in the West without any concern for the religious doctrine or the philosophical basis. Even in the Indian tradition, the practice called “Japa Yoga” which involves the repetition of certain sounds with mystic power or “Mantras” is concerned about providing relief to man while coping with “Stress”, the physical, and mental challenges posed by day-to-day existence in a world where threats to existence come from several known and unknown directions.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE - WHOLE YOGA : IN INDIAN TRADITION, THE REPETITION OF CERTAIN SOUNDS, WORDS WITH MYSTIC POWERS CALLED "MANTRAS" IS CALLED "JAPA YOGA." FOR EXAMPLE, THIS "HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTRA" IS COMPOSED OF SIXTEEN WORDS AND THE MERE CHANTING OF THESE WORDS MAY DESTROY THE EVIL OR POLLUTING EFFECTS OF THE PRESENT TIME CYCLE CALLED "KALI YUGA" WHICH IS ASSOCIATED OR JOINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF "STRESS." — The Indian Tradition of Japa Yoga involves the repetition of certain sounds, words with mystic powers called Mantras. For example, the above Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is composed of Sixteen Words and the mere chanting of these Words may destroy the evil or polluting effects of the present Time Cycle called “Kali Yuga” which is associated or joined with the experience of Stress.

The word ‘Yoga’ is related to the Sanskrit word ‘Yuga’ which symbolizes union, or association of entities or events. It may be noted that the problem of human existence is always connected to the Time and the Place of man’s existence. In the Indian tradition, the events in one’s life are conditioned by the Cyclical Flow of Time, and the Time Cycles have designated names called “Yuga.” The term ‘Yoga’ is variously used in Indian tradition to describe the ‘Yoke’ which is often seen as a mark or symbol of bondage. ‘Yoke’ is commonly used all over the ancient world where the agricultural practices are similar.

What is Yoga? Yoga is related to the Sanskrit Word “Yuga” and it describes the nature of human condition which is influenced by the powerful effects of Time and the need for easing the burden of existence. This principle is often applied in the agricultural fields where the practice of Yoking involves bringing together a pair of Oxen to work together to reduce the burden of their work

Yoke (Hebrew. motah, an oxbow, a yoke, tsemedh, yoke of oxen; Greek. zeugos, a team and Zygos, yoke) in the literal sense, is a bar of wood so constructed as to unite two animals, usually oxen, enabling them to work in the fields, drawing loads and pulling the plow. For these two chief functions yoke was commonly used all over the ancient world.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE - WHOLE YOGA : WHAT IS YOGA ???? THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOGA AND YOKE MUST BE PRPERLY INTERPRETED. YOKING IS ABOUT PAIRING, SOMETHING THAT BINDS, UNITES, OR CONNECTS, OR JOINED TOGETHER APART FROM A PAIR OF ANIMALS HARNESSED TOGETHER TO PERFORM PHYSICAL TASKS THAT IMPOSE A HEAVY BURDEN IF PERFORMED WITHOUT THE PAIRING. — What is Yoga? The connection between Yoga and Yoke must be properly interpreted. Yoking is about pairing, something that binds, unites, or connects, or joins together. Apart from a pair of animals harnessed together to perform physical tasks that impose a heavy burden (if the work is performed without the pairing); Yoking is about sharing the Burdens of Life. The Yoke of Matrimony helps the pair, the Man and the Woman who are united to share the burden of raising their own children.

The Yoke imposes a burden of its own and can be seen as a sign of bondage and servitude. At the same time, the Yoke provides some relief to the entities that are paired or joined together while they are subject to bondage and servitude for there is sharing of the burden. Man’s existence in the world imposes a burden for man has to constantly find an external source of energy to support his living functions. This burden of ‘Life’ is eased for man is paired with Providence, the term that describes God’s Compassion, Mercy, and Grace. Man is never alone in the toils of his ‘Life.’ I use the term “Spiritual” to describe the nature of a relationship, a partnership, a pairing, “Yoking”, an association, a connection, or bonding between two, or more living entities to find Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in their living experience. For man’s existence is conditioned and is constantly threatened by both internal, and external challenges from known and unknown directions, man has to find comfort and solace by pairing with the Divine Providence.

Spirituality is about finding Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in the Living, Human Condition challenged by burdens, worry, anxiety, hopelessness, and misery. The spiritual practice called Yoga will give Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility if Man is Yoked with the Son of Man for His Yoke is Easy and the Burden is Light.

If spirituality is about finding Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in the living, human condition, the spiritual practice called ‘Yoga’ demands the “Yoking” of man with Son of Man. In The New Testament Book, The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 28 to 30 describe the ‘Yoga’ prescribed by Jesus Christ: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 28 to 30 describe the ‘Yoga’ prescribed by Jesus Christ: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

If spirituality is about finding Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in the living, human condition, the spiritual practice called ‘Yoga’ demands the “YOKING” of man with “The Good Shepherd.” In The New Testament Book of Bible, The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 28 to 30 describe the ‘YOGA’ prescribed by Jesus Christ: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Millions stretch and bend as Indian PM Modi leads International Yoga Day exercises

21st June 2016 | AFP

In this photograph released by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) on June 21, 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes part in a yoga demonstration at the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh. AFP PHOTO / PIB - — In this photograph released by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) on June 21, 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes part in a yoga demonstration at the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh. AFP PHOTO / PIB –

CHANDIGARGH: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called yoga a “people’s mass movement” as he took to the mat Tuesday along with millions of others worldwide to celebrate the ancient practice.

Across India, sailors, soldiers, school children and bureaucrats bent and twisted their bodies from early morning at mass outdoor sessions to mark the second International Yoga Day.

Sessions were also held around the world including at the Sydney Opera House where colorful mats were spread outside the Australian landmark, while Afghans and foreigners gathered at the Indian embassy in Kabul.

Yoga-loving Modi, dressed in a white track suit, led more than 30,000 people in the northern city of Chandigarh for a mass session where they performed poses and breathing exercises at the outdoor Capitol Complex.

“Do not wait, make yoga a part of your life,” Modi urged in a brief speech to mark the event, an idea he successfully asked the United Nations to adopt.
“This is a day linked with good health and now it has become a people’s mass movement,” the 65-year-old premier said.

Modi took a short break to inspect the poses of his fellow yogis, who included students and soldiers, before returning to his spot.

His ministers were also dispatched to cities around India to stretch and bend along school children, while the navy tweeted photos of sailors on mats spread atop an aircraft carrier.

Modi, who credits yoga for his ability to work long hours on little sleep, has been spearheading an initiative to reclaim the practice as a historic part of Indian culture after his Hindu nationalist government came to power in 2014.

Indian scholars believe yoga dates back 5,000 years, based on archaeological evidence of poses found inscribed on stones and references to Yogic teachings in the ancient Hindu scriptures of the Vedas.

Modi, who has established a government ministry charged with promoting yoga, last year led around 35,000 people in New Delhi in an outdoor session to mark the first World Yoga Day.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh, center in middle row, performs yoga with others at an event to celebrate International Yoga Day in Lucknow, India, Tuesday, June 21, 2016. Millions of yoga enthusiasts are bending their bodies in complex postures across India as they take part in a mass yoga program to mark the second International Yoga Day. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Yoga guru Vachanaananda (2R) conducts a laughter session with Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah (R), Union Minister for Fertilizer Ananth Kumar (2L), and Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu (C) at a yoga session to mark International Yoga Day in Bangalore on June 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Manjunath Kiran

This photo taken on June 20, 2016 shows Chinese enthusiasts practicing yoga at a glass sightseeing platform in Shilinxia scenic area in Beijing. June 21 marks the International Yoga Day. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

Sydneysiders enagage in a yoga event in front of the Australia's iconic landmark Opera House in Sydney on June 21, 2016. Hundreds of Yoga lovers gathered at Opera House to mark the International Yoga Day. / AFP PHOTO / Wendell Teodoro — Sydneysiders engage in a yoga event in front of the Australia’s iconic landmark Opera House in Sydney on June 21, 2016. Hundreds of Yoga lovers gathered at Opera House to mark the International Yoga Day. / AFP PHOTO / Wendell Teodoro

Indian Yoga practicioners pose in front of a floral arrangement after taking part in a morning yoga session to mark International Yoga Day in Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi on June 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT — Indian Yoga practitioners pose in front of a floral arrangement after taking part in a morning yoga session to mark International Yoga Day in Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi on June 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT

Kashmiri students perform yoga at an event to celebrate International Yoga Day in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, June 21, 2016. Millions of yoga enthusiasts are bending their bodies in complex postures across India as they take part in a mass yoga program to mark the second International Yoga Day. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

**Nepali yoga practitioners take part in a yoga session to mark International Yoga Day in Kathmandu on June 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / PRAKASH MATHEMA**

In this photograph released by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) on June 21, 2016, Indian Armed Forces personnel take part in a yoga sesssion to mark International Yoga Day on the Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Viraat in Mumbai. — In this photograph released by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) on June 21, 2016, Indian Armed Forces personnel take part in a yoga session to mark International Yoga Day on the Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Viraat in Mumbai.

International Yoga Day-Man-Woman-God-Unity-8 — Indian army personnel take part in a yoga session on International Yoga Day at Khasa on the outskirts of Amritsar on June 21, 2016. Yoga, which means union in Sanskrit, is a family of ancient spiritual practices and also a school of spiritual thought from the South East Asian continent, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means of enlightenment. / AFP PHOTO / NARINDER NANU

Indian Yoga practitioner Goverdhan, sits in front of a monument as he practices yoga in Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi on June 21, 2016, on International Yoga Day. A large group of yoga practicioners gathered at the park to mark International Yoga Day but Goverdhan sat away from the group and completed the same morning ritual he has done for the past 14 years since moving to a colony near the park. / AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT — Indian Yoga practitioner Goverdhan, sits in front of a monument as he practices yoga in Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi on June 21, 2016, on International Yoga Day. A large group of yoga practitioners gathered at the park to mark International Yoga Day but Goverdhan sat away from the group and completed the same morning ritual he has done for the past 14 years since moving to a colony near the park. / AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT

Indian yoga practitioneers take part in a session during heavy rains on International Yoga Day in Jammu on June 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / - — **Indian yoga practitioners take part in a session during heavy rains on International Yoga Day in Jammu on June 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO /**

In this photograph released by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) on June 21, 2016, Indian Armed Forces personnel take part in a yoga session to mark International Yoga Day on the Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Viraat in Mumbai.

Indian army personnel take part in a yoga session on International Yoga Day at Khasa on the outskirts of Amritsar on June 21, 2016. Yoga, which means union in Sanskrit, is a family of ancient spiritual practices and also a school of spiritual thought from the South East Asian continent, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means of enlightenment. / AFP PHOTO / NARINDER NANU — Indian army personnel take part in a yoga session on International Yoga Day at Khasa on the outskirts of Amritsar on June 21, 2016. Yoga, which means union in Sanskrit, is a family of ancient spiritual practices and a school of spiritual thought from the South East Asian continent, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means of enlightenment. / AFP PHOTO / NARINDER NANU

**Indian yoga practitioners participate in a mass yoga session to mark the International Yoga Day at Capitol complex in Chandigarh on June 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / PRAKASH SINGH**

**Participants perform yoga during World Yoga Day in Srinagar June 21, 2016. REUTERS/Danish Ismail**

**A student performs yoga during World Yoga Day in Srinagar, India June 21, 2016. REUTERS/Danish Ismail**

**Participants perform yoga during World Yoga Day in Ahmedabad, India, June 21, 2016. REUTERS/Amit Dave**

**A participant performs yoga during World Yoga Day on a seafront promenade in Mumbai, India, June 21, 2016. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade**

**Participants perform yoga during World Yoga Day on a seafront promenade in Mumbai, India, June 21, 2016. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade**

**Indian Yoga practitioners participate in a morning yoga session in Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi on June 21, 2016, on International Yoga Day. / AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT**

Indian Army soldiers participate in a yoga demonstration on International Yoga Day in Chennai on June 21, 2016Yoga, which means union in Sanskrit, is a family of ancient spiritual practices and also a school of spiritual thought from the South East Asian continent, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means of enlightenment. / AFP PHOTO / ARUN SANKAR — Indian Army soldiers participate in a yoga demonstration on International Yoga Day in Chennai on June 21, 2016. Yoga, which means union in Sanskrit, is a family of ancient spiritual practices and a school of spiritual thought from the South East Asian continent, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means of enlightenment. / AFP PHOTO / ARUN SANKAR

An Indian Yoga practitioner sits away from others as she participates in a morning yoga session to mark International Yoga Day in Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi on June 21, 2016 / AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT

**An Indian Yoga instructor takes photographs as others participate in a morning yoga session to mark International Yoga Day in Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi on June 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT**

Whole Existence – A review of Shankara’s doctrine of True or Real Self

Whole Foods-Whole Inspiration-Whole Language

**Friday, May 02, 2025, Shankaracharya Jayanti. What is Man? What is Soul?**

Adi Shankaracharya Jayanti is observed on Panchami Tithi during Shukla Paksha (the Waxing phase of Moon) of Vaishakha month (the second month of Hindu calendar) and it falls between April and May.

**In his short life of 32 years, Adi Shankara walked across India – twice. May 2, 2025 is Adi Shankara Jayanti.**

**Friday, May 02, 2025, Shankaracharya Jayanti. What is Man? What is Soul? Man is Constituted as a Spiritual Being.**

On Friday, May 02, 2025, I pay my respectful tribute to Adi Guru Shankaracharya and share my thoughts on the realities of my human existence.

**Friday, May 02, 2025, Shankaracharya Jayanti. What is Man? What is Soul? The Man is Constituted as a Spiritual Being.**

What it is to be a Substance? and What it is to Exist? We need to establish knowledge about the man on a firm basis and the information it provides must be tested for its accuracy and consistency with an external reality. We have to make the fundamental distinction between the living and the non-living matter. The scientific advances of the 19th and 20th centuries reinforced the materialistic position concerning the basic similarity of organic living and inorganic physical matter. The man is viewed as a product of natural evolution and is thought to be subject to the same laws of Physics and Chemistry or mechanistic principles.

We need a methodology to study philosophy and to understand philosophical statements. Logical Positivism, also known as Scientific Empiricism aims to clarify concepts in both everyday and scientific language. It describes analysis of language as the function of philosophy. This analysis of language and of concepts is important to understand questions of belief and ideology which affect what we think we ought to do individually and socially. I would use this method of ‘Applied Philosophy’ to analyze the philosophical doctrine of ‘Advaita’ and to study the views and philosophy of Adi Shankara and his efforts to interpret the true or real identity of man and the world.

The Material Basis of Spirituality Science. The Truth about Soul or Spirit. Adi Shankara (c. 788 A.D. – c. 820 A.D.), the founder of the Non-Dualist or Advaita School of Indian Philosophy has shared his ideas about human soul or spirit which is called Atma or Atman in the Indian Sanskrit language. What is the Truth about Soul or Spirit?

Truth is the quality of being in accordance with experience, and verified facts. Truth or Reality can be established by using a reasoning process called verification and validation. To verify or refute a theoretical claim, we need to clarify statements by demonstrating relation between the theoretical claim and the observational evidence. Such a reasoning process could be applied in two manners; 1. The Coherence Theory of Truth, and 2. The Correspondence Theory of Truth.

Friday, May 02, 2025, Shankaracharya Jayanti. What is Man? What is Soul? Nietzsche correctly claims that people don’t want to hear the ‘Truth’. As a human being, Nietzsche is not an exception to that Rule. The Truth is, man needs an Illusion if he has to exist on the surface of fast spinning object called planet Earth.

According to the Coherence Theory of Truth, the standard of Truth is the logical consistency of a proposition with a large system of propositions. According to the Correspondence Theory of Truth, Truth is viewed as a relation between an idea or proposition and its object. To verify Truth or Reality, the Subject and Object of an idea or proposition must have a relationship. Truth when applied to statements or ideas is related to the validity of what we mean and hence it requires correspondence between thought and external reality. It is true that a man has the biological ability and capacity called ‘imagination’, but the man may not have the ability and capacity to translate the power of imagination into an actuality, an external experience that could be observed by others. In my imagination, I can seek the existence of an all blissful entity called ‘Shiva’ while in actuality, I exist in the physical world as a fragile, mortal being. Religion, Philosophy, and Science may represent three distinct fields of learning about Truth and Reality. Scientific knowledge not only provides the knowledge that something is true, but it also provides the reason as to why it is true. Religion, and Philosophy could use different methods to study Truth and Reality, but the ideas they share require verification, corroboration, and validation. In the study of a man, the know-er and the known are one. The man is the observer and the observed fact is that of the man’s nature. If a man has to know the truth about his true or real self, the man has to understand the truth and reliability of his own cognitive powers. If the Subject called man is identified as an Object called Soul, or Spirit, the Truth or Reality of Soul, or Spirit involves a structural/functional relationship between the Subject and its Object.

Adi Shankara’s Nirvana Shatakam or Atma Shatakam:

Friday, May 02, 2025, Shankaracharya Jayanti. What is Man? What is Soul? To know man, the Self, Soul, Spirit, or Atman as the Knower of Body is the first step in man’s inquiry about Self. The Knowledge will help and guide man to reach his destination using his body like a chariot.

Adi Shankara (c. 788 – c. 820 A.D.), the founder of the Non-Dualist or the Advaita School of Indian Philosophy called ‘Vedanta’ shared his ideas about human Soul, or Spirit or ‘Atma’ or ‘Atman’ in the Indian Sanskrit language. In six short poems popularly known as ‘Nirvana Shatakam’, or ‘Atma Shatakam’, he presents his mental concepts about human Soul, or Spirit which he calls “Aham” (Subject ‘A’). Adi Shankara’s primary concern is about establishing the perfect Identity between this Subject ‘A’ and its Object called “Chidananda Shivam” (Object ‘C’). However, Adi Shankara makes no attempt in his propositions to establish the basis for this Identity between the Subject A and its Object C. Adi Shankara is proposing that the Subject A or Aham has no structural, functional, mental, moral, social, and spiritual relationship with its human body or ‘B’. In his view, the human soul or spirit is not involved, and is not concerned with the existence of human body in which the soul or spirit is thought to be residing. In an effort to establish the school of thought called “Advaita” or Non-Dualism, he systematically separates the human body from its human soul. Adi Shankara further extends this proposition to claim that the Subject A is the same as the Object C and the reason he has given is that of a lack of relationship between Subject A and the human body B. Since, A is not the same as B, A is not equal to B. And, therefore, Adi Shankara claims that A is the same as C or A is equal to C. He is neither describing nor illustrating that there is or there could be a structural, functional, mental, moral, social, and spiritual relationship between A and C. If such relationship exists between A and C, Adi Shankara has not presented any observational evidence in support of his claim that states A = C.

Let us briefly review the six verses. Kindly note that the verses are composed in the Indian Sanskrit language and there are several minor variations in the words that are attributed to Adi Shankara. The word ‘Nirvana’ means ‘Mukti’ or Release (the release of the conditioned human soul), death, Sunset, and conclusion of an event (such as the end of Life).

I must clarify that ‘death’ may not be viewed as a static, or final event. Death is a dynamic event like Life which is characterized by changes like growth and development and various stages like infancy, youth, adult, and old age. Just like Sunset which is followed by Sunrise, the event called death is followed by regeneration, renewal, and rebirth. Living organisms arrive with a plan for their own dissolution and such organic decay and decomposition is influenced by the cyclical flow of Time.

Man is a Physical, Mortal Being, a Created Being with a Living Soul:

**The Material Basis of Spirituality Science. The Truth about Soul or Spirit. Nirvana Shatkam, first verse.**

Mano buddhi ahankara chittani naham
Na cha shrotravjihve na cha ghraana netre
Na cha vyoma bhumir na tejo na vayuhu
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham

In the first verse of Nirvana Shatkam, Adi Shankara excludes the four mental functions known as Ma-nah ( the seat of thoughts and imagination, the chief sense organ called Mind), Buddhi (the seat of intellect and knowledge), Chitta (the seat of emotions such as compassion, affection, and devotion), and Ahankara (the seat of ego, self-pride, the sense of pride that is associated with the recognition of ‘Self’ or ‘I’ as the existing or living entity) as the basis of his true Identity or Essence (What you are). These four aspects of mental activities are described in the Indian tradition as “Antah Karanam” or “Mano Chatushtaya.” The human nature which has features such as “Chitta” or “Hrudaya,” “Karuna,” or “Daya” and “Bhakti,” is characterized as Compassion, Kindness, and Devotion; the mental qualities that are needed for formulating Spiritual relationships both within the Individual and between Individuals. Adi Shankara gives no reason for this separation of human nature from its human Soul. Similarly, he excludes the five organs of Sense Perception (often described as “Jnana Indriyas,” the organs that provide sensory information and sensory experience such as ears, tongue, nose, eyes, and skin and the Five Primordial Elements described in the Indian tradition as ‘Pancha Mahabhutas’ such as Sky, Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water. He thinks that they are not fundamentally related to his True Identity and Essence. He is specifically excluding all known material substances, material structures and forces that operate in the natural world in the description of his True Identity. In my view, I consider that man comes into existence as a newly created object, one of its own kind, original, and distinctive who could always be identified as a specific individual.

I claim that man is a created being and man has no choice other than that of existing as an Individual with Individuality. The physical form, the morphological appearance of man always makes him unique and it has to be explained and accounted for. I suggest that the human Soul is the internal reality; and Soul is the basis for human Individuality and the Soul is the unchanging principle that allows a man to exist with changing external forms with specific physical attributes. The man is constituted by Chemical Elements and hence exists as a Physical Being.

Man is defined by his Structure, Functions, and Behavior:

**The Material Basis of Spirituality Science. The Truth about Soul or Spirit. Nirvana Shatkam, second verse.**

Na cha prana sangyo na vai pancha vayu hu
Na va sapta dhatur na va pancha kosha
Na vak pani padam na chopastha payu
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham

In the second verse of Nirvana Shatkam, Adi Shankara gives a very detailed description of various tissues of the human body and describes all the vital functions and states that the Subject A or Aham has no structural or functional relationship with the man described by Human Anatomy and Human Physiology. The term Prana refers to the vital life-energy and is generally used to describe the chief characteristic to make the fundamental distinction between living and non-living; the important sign of life is the act of breathing or respiration.The term “Pancha Vayu” refers to, 1. Vyana – the air that is spread in the entire extent of the human body; 2. Samana – the air that is in the navel region; it could be the air that is swallowed during acts of eating and drinking and may refer to the intestinal gas; 3. Udana – the air that is in the throat/neck region; this narrow airway is vital for the respiratory function; 4. Apana – the air that travels downwards and outwards; it could mean the air expelled from the body as flatus or exhaled air from the lungs; and 5. Prana – the inspired air; air that is in the heart, the chief organ of Cardiovascular System that circulates Oxygen throughout human body. The term “Sapta Dhatu” refers to the seven material essences such as the skin, muscle/tendons/nerves, blood, bones, bone marrow, brain (neural tissue), and “Rasa” which describes fluids like semen and lymph. The term “Pancha Kosha” refers to the traditional view about the structure of the Soul. It is believed that the Soul has five coverings or envelopes and each layer establishes human existence and these are called as the five stages of Self-Realization; 1. Anna moya (related to Nutrition), 2. Prana moya (related to vital functions like Respiration), 3. Jnana moya (relates to implantation of Innate Knowledge and Consciousness), 4. Vijnana moya (relates to the ability to make a distinction between human body or the physical Self and Soul as the real or true Self), and 5. Ananda moya (relates to the experience of Bliss, the experience of Peace, Harmony, Tranquility, and Equilibrium as a Living Experience) ; these are the five aspects of Self-Realization and refer to the complete fulfillment or development of a man. I have discussed these five aspects in my blog post:

http://Bhavanajagat.com/2012/03/18/Spiritualism-Spiritual-Being-And-Self-Realization/

Adi Shankara also refers to the five organs of action that are described in the Indian tradition as “Karma Indriyas” which are the five instruments of function such as Speech (Vak), Hand-Grip and Manipulation (Pani), Locomotion (Pada), Procreation (Upastha) and Excretion (Payu). Adi Shankara has not bothered to state as to how these different organs and organ systems could function together to support the existence of the human person who lives because of those varied living functions. Life is nothing but to function and in my view, the human Soul is the central organizational structure providing the structural and functional coordination that is required for the human existence.

Man is a Mental Being, an Emotional Being and a Moral Being:

The Material Basis of Spirituality Science. The Truth about Soul or Spirit. Adi Shankaracharya (c.788 – c.820), Exponent of ‘Advaita’ or Non-Dualism. The man exists on earth under the powerful influence called Maya or Grand Illusion.

Na me dvesha ragau na me lobha mohau
Na me vai mado naiva matsarya bhavaha
Na dharmo na chartho na kamo na mokshaha
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham.

In the third verse of Nirvana Shatkam, Adi Shankara correctly claims that the human Soul may not contribute to human feelings, and thoughts associated with hatred, sexual passion, greed, arrogance, and envy or jealousy. At the same time, he rejects the traditional Indian view about man’s purpose in Life; the purpose of Right Action or “Dharma”, the purpose called earning money or material wealth to support Life or “Artha”, the purpose of Procreation or “Kama”, and the purpose called God-Realization, Liberation, or “Moksha.” In other words, Adi Shankara is suggesting that human life and human existence may have no underlying purpose. He is also not giving any coping mechanism to deal with the problems associated with human emotional experiences like passionate desires. The Indian tradition consistently recommends that a man can exercise self-control as the human Soul is superior to human mind, human intellect, and human sense organs. If the human body has no structural or functional affiliation with its human Soul, it will not be likely that man can exercise self-restraint and self-control. In my view, man, the Mental Being can establish himself as a Moral Being using the innate discerning ability to make the distinction between right and wrong, and distinguish good from evil by knowing the existence of the Knowing-Self or the Soul.

Man is a Spiritual Being:

The Material Basis of Spirituality Science. The Truth about Soul or Spirit. In my analysis, man is not saved by acquired Knowledge. Man cannot directly rule or govern his own body for the building blocks of the body called cells are independent and enjoy functional autonomy.

Na punyam na papam na saukhyam na duhkham
Na mantro na tirtham na vedah na yajnah
Aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham

In the fourth verse of Nirvana Shatkam, Adi Shankara claims that he has no sense of attachment to the consequences of his actions either good (“Punya”) or bad (“Paapa”). He is recommending that man need not perform temple worship, and there is no need to observe religious rituals, sacrifice, and perform acts of pilgrimage. He is rejecting the desire to seek pleasure and comfort (“Saukhyam”) and he may not be able to totally avoid the pain, misery, and the experience of suffering (“Dukham”). He specifically undermines the role of food and its five functions in support of the human existence.

The problem is that of the nature of human existence. In my view, the man at any given age, in any given condition, under all given circumstances including good health or ill-health depends upon the Power/Energy/Force called Mercy/Grace/Compassion, often called Divine Providence. The man is not in control of his own existence. The man needs a guiding, and controlling force called the Divine Providence. In my opinion, the human Soul operates as the Connection between man and the Divine Providence that supports, sustains, and preserves human existence irrespective of man’s experience of pain or pleasure. The man has no choice other than that of seeking Mercy, Grace, and Compassion that is called “Krupa” in the Sanskrit language.

Man is a Social Being:

**The Material Basis of Spirituality Science. The Truth about Soul or Spirit. Nirvana Shatkam, fifth verse.**

Na me mrityu shanka na mejati bhedha
Pita naiva me naiva mata na janmaha
Na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva shisyaha
Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham

In the fifth verse of Nirvana Shatkam, Adi Shankara very boldly asserts that he is without a trace of doubt (“Shanka”) and further adds that the Soul that he calls “Aham” has no Father, or Mother. The Indian tradition describes Father (“Pita”) as the originating principle, and Mother (“Mata”) as the sustaining principle. In my view, the human Soul comes into existence (“Janma”) because of the Supreme Will or the Supreme Soul which is the Prime Cause, the Cause of all types of things and all kinds of Existence. The human Soul is conditioned and is not totally independent and hence, the human soul still needs a Divine Mother Principle to maintain its Spiritual Condition and Spiritual Existence and a Father Principle that can account for its origination or the fact of its existence.

Man is a Conditioned Soul:

**The Material Basis of Spirituality Science. The Truth about Soul or Spirit. Nirvana Shatkam, sixth verse.**

Aham nirvikalpo nirakara rupo
Vibhut vatcha sarvatra sarvendriyanam
Na cha sangatham na muktir na meyaha
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham
Chidananda rupah Shivoham Shivoham

In this final or sixth verse of Nirvana Shatkam, Adi Shankara tries to eliminate the classical dualism that is called the dualism of Universal vs Particular. He claims that his human Soul or “Aham” is the universal entity that is limitless, formless (“Nirakara”) and is without any attributes or attachments (“Bandha”). In his view, the human Soul is essentially free; it is everything, everywhere, every time and is always in a state of equilibrium. He states this view without a trace of doubt (Nirvikalpa”).

Friday, May 02, 2025, Shankaracharya Jayanti. What is Man? What is Soul? Animate vs Inanimate Dualism. Man, Body, and Soul are united by LORD God or ‘Prabhu’ who still remains aloof, disinterested, or separate from both Animate and Inanimate Matter. GOD is a separate order distinct from Animate and Inanimate Matter.

I suggest some caution and ask my readers to recognize the importance of separation between the human soul and the Supreme Soul or the Ultimate Reality. I can understand that there is no disunity between man and his Creator.

I ask my readers to know the philosophical system of thought called ‘Nominalism’ that does not grant universality to mental concepts outside the mind. Universality could be applied only to words or “nomina”, mental habits, or concepts. Nominalism only maintains the objective existence of the concrete, individual thing. It denies all objectivity whether actual or potential to universals. The human soul is attached to the human being and the human being has his existence on planet Earth and hence is not an universal entity. Since the human condition demands existence only on planet Earth and not the rest of the universe, the human Soul cannot escape from its conditioned status while it exists as a human Soul. The Universal Soul as proposed by Adi Shankara is just a mental concept and it can only exist in the mind of the man and it may have no correspondence with the facts of external world and the Universe.

What is Truth, What is illusion?

The Material Basis of Spirituality Science. What is Truth and what is illusion?
Adi Shankara claims: “Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithya, Jivo Brahmaiva Na paraH.”
Brahma is the Only Truth, the World is Illusion, and there is ultimately no difference between Brahman and the Individual True Self. My question is: “Where does this True-Self exists? Without Existence, there is no Essence. If and only if a Thing exists, it can define its Essence.

Sri Shankaracharya sums up the entire message of Vedanta in three crisp aphorisms. These are:

(a) Brahma Satyam, (b) Jagat Mithya, and (c) Jivo Brahmaiva naparah.

Adi Shankara is fully convinced in his belief that A (Soul or Spirit or Atman) and the human body B are not connected or related. It must be noted that, A or “Aham” refers to a singular person called ‘I’ and that singular person ‘I’ is in a state called ‘Being’, one who lives, or exists. If A is stated to be existing as an entity called I am, I would like to ask the following questions:

1. Who is Existing?

2. What is Existing?

3. When it is Existing?

4. Where it is Existing?

5. Why it is Existing?

If the Subject A, or Aham (I am), has no size, no shape, and no form, how could we establish the fact that A is existing? Adi Shankara fails to categorically state the place or site where A could be existing. If A is existing, we may like to know the purpose of this existence. If there is a purpose for the existence of A, the question would be, What is that purpose? How is the nature of A or the nature of C is related to its purpose? The Truth and Reality about human Soul, or Spirit can be verified, can be corroborated, and can be validated by knowing the structural, functional, mental, moral, social, and spiritual relationship, partnership, connection, association, or bonding between A, B, and C. Indian tradition suggests that the human body has three aspects; “Tri-ani-pada”, or three-in-one; and the three aspects of human body are, 1. Causal, 2. Spiritual, and 3. Material. There is a material connection between A, B, and C, if the human body has a ‘causal, and a ‘spiritual’ dimension. It would be very interesting to note that Adi Shankara specifically avoids to describe the connection or relationship between the human Soul and the human Consciousness. In the Sanskrit language, Consciousness is called “Chetana” or “Chaitanya” and this term is not used in any of the six verses. Indian tradition believes that consciousness is the evidence for the presence of the human Soul and there is a structural and functional relationship between Soul and the Living Entity that is Conscious. We need to explain the concepts of Subject-Object, Appearance-Reality, Perceptual-Categorical, Immanent-Transcendent, Regulative-Constitutive, Conditioned-Unconditioned Dualism in respect of man’s existence and man’s status in Nature.

Simon Cyrene

Friday, May 02, 2025, Shankaracharya Jayanti. What is Man? What is Soul? What is Matter? and What is Spirit? I ask my readers to learn about the Material Basis of Life and Death. The Laws of Conservation are applicable to both the living, and the non-living matter. Hence, I claim that “Life can neither be created nor destroyed.”

Friday, May 02, 2025, Shankaracharya Jayanti. What is Man? What is Soul? The reality of the Human Existence on the Surface of Earth is Conditioned by the Great Grand Illusion which will not allow the Man the Direct Sensory Perception of the Realities of Earth’s Motion, around the Sun, and the Spinning on its own axis.

Whole Bliss – The celebration of Akshaya Tritiya

The Discovery of Whole Joy, Whole Bliss, and Whole Satisfaction

**The Discovery of Bliss on Akshaya Tritiya**

The festival of Akshaya Tritiya is celebrated by Hindus and Jains around the world. Also known as Akti or Akha Teej, this day is believed to be one of the most auspicious occasions. This year, it falls on Wednesday, April 30.

According to the Hindu calendar, Akshaya Tritiya falls on the third tithi called Tadiya (lunar day) of Shukla Paksha of the Vaisakha month. Going by the Gregorian calendar, it falls somewhere around April and May.

**The Discovery of Bliss on Akshaya Tritiya. Wednesday, April 30, 2025 is the third day of the Waxing Crescent phase of the Moon in the Second Month of Vaisaka of Hindu Calendar.**

One of the most important rituals includes worshipping Lord Vishnu on this day. For Hindus, the Sanskrit meaning of Akshaya Tritiya, the two words, holds a lot of importance. “Akshaya” means “never diminishing” and the term “Tritiya” signifies the third day of the illuminated half of Vaisakha month.

History and significance

People celebrate Akshaya Tritiya to bring good luck to their lives. As per common belief, buying gold and properties on this day brings prosperity and wealth in the future.

Going by mythology, it is believed that a number of events took place on Akshaya Tritiya, making it an auspicious day.

As per one legend, on Akshaya Tritiya, Treta Yuga, the second of the four yugas, started and the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Parshuram, was born.

Also, it is considered that Maharishi Ved Vyasa, the author of Mahabharata, started narrating the epic to Lord Ganesh on this day.

It was on this occasion that Lord Krishna met his childhood friend Sudama.

As per Hindu tradition, the river Ganga descended on Earth from heaven on Akshaya Tritiya.

THE STORY OF AKSHAYA PATRA:

**Akshaya Patra. Discover Bliss From an Empty Pot.**

DHARMA RAJA, THE ELDEST OF PANDAVA PRINCES RECEIVING “AKSHAYA PATRA” FROM ‘SURYA BHAGAWAN’

The word ‘Akshaya Patra’ in Sanskrit language means an inexhaustible vessel. This pot could supply delicious meals in an endless manner. This story is found in the Indian Epic poem of Mahabharata. Akshaya Patra was a divine gift given to Dharmaraj by the Sun god, Surya. The pot was given to help the princely family of Pandavas to tide over their difficulties while they spent twelve years in the forest. They had to spend time in exile after losing their kingdom in a game of dice. Akshaya Patra would provide meals so that the Pandava family could keep up with the Indian traditions of hospitality.Also keeping in line with the tradition, each day Akshaya Patra would serve the final and last meal to the hostess. The hostess, Draupadi was very mindful of her traditional role and each day she would feed all the guests, all the dependents, all the family members and would then take the last meal.

THE DISCOVERY OF BLISS FROM AN EMPTY POT:

**Akshaya Patra. Discover the Bliss From an Empty Pot.**

As per the story from Mahabharata, one evening, Princess Draupadi finds herself in a troubled situation. A Hindu sage by the name of Durvasa with a large entourage of his disciples arrives at the forest abode of Pandava princes after hostess Draupadi took the last meal from Akshaya Patra. Since the pot cannot serve any more food, she prays to Lord Krishna seeking help to feed her guests. Lord Krishna appears before her and asks her to feed Him from Akshaya Patra. Draupadi regretfully answers that the pot is empty. He directs her to take a closer look. Princess Draupadi carefully reexamines the pot and discovers a single grain of rice that remained stuck in the pot. As instructed, she feeds the last grain from the pot to Lord Krishna and now the pot gets truly empty. However, Lord Krishna derived His satiation, complete satisfaction when the last grain from the pot got removed. Along with Lord Krishna’s experience of full satisfaction from eating a morsel of food, the entire party of guests experience full satiation and inform Princess Draupadi that she need not serve them any meal. Thus Princess Draupadi escapes from the duty of the hospitality tradition of actually feeding them that evening.

**Discovery of Bliss on Akshaya Tritiya.**

I am speaking of this story about Akshaya Patra to understand the concept about emptying the mind to discover pure consciousness. In Indian literature and idiom, the mind is often compared to a vessel or a pot. When all thoughts (or desires) are taken out of the mind, what would remain in the mind is like that single grain of rice that Draupadi discovered in the otherwise empty Akshaya Patra. In my analysis, this last grain of food represents the desire or attachment to life. When the desire or attachment to life is surrendered, the man attains the state of pure consciousness which discovers its unity with the Divine consciousness to provide the experience of Pure Bliss and Joy. Lord Krishna could have easily provided a hearty meal to the entire party of guests. He did not choose to provide happiness through gratification of the physical needs of the body. The pot, if seen as the representation of the mind, the mind gets truly emptied when the last grain or desire, or craving, or attachment is removed from it. Lord Krishna demonstrates that there is no need to fill-up the pot to feed our desires. He delivered Joy, Bliss, and the experience of perfect satisfaction after emptying the pot. Just like the empty Akshaya Patra that provided Bliss, when the last grain of desire or attachment is removed from the mind and given in offering to the Lord, the Lord would provide all that you may need without the physical gratification of the senses. Man at any given age, under all given circumstances, in good health, or ill-health exists in this physical world because of ‘God-Connection’, the Connection between man, the energy seeker, and God, the energy provider. When the God-Connection is recognized, the man experiences a sense of satisfaction, mental satiation, and he would have no desires to be gratified.

**Bharat Darshan Discovers Bliss on Akshaya Tritiya.**

Whole Learning – The Creative Writing Class at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School

The Art of Learning and Creative Writing

Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Students started a new School Year on September 08. My children in the past had attended this School. In the past ten years, I had visited this building countless number of times particularly after the School is closed at the end of the day.

East and West – What sets us apart in Learning and Creative Writing?

Besides food, in the East, particularly in India, we tend to use visual images and use imaginary personalities with individualistic characteristics to engage in all kinds of human effort and activity. In the field of Education, we use the images and the characteristics associated with the following personalities:

**The Art of Learning and Creative Writing: Lord Shiva-The God of Learning: Om, NamaH Shivaya, Siddham NamaH.**

Lord Shiva, the God of Learning insists that we should seek the ability to think for ourselves. Learning commences after the student respectfully submits to Him and states that he is ready and prepared for Learning.

The Art of Learning and Creative Writing: Om, Namah Sivaya – The Five Letter Mantra – Traditional Indian Greeting-Namaskar

In Sanskrit language the student makes his submission to Lord Shiva: ” Om, Namah Shivaya; Siddham NamaHa.” An attitude of humility, and a willingness to accept personal responsibility and being mentally prepared before any Learning instruction is imparted are the first steps for Learning to begin. In my view, Lord Shiva presides over the frontal area (Prefrontal Cortex) of the human brain which is the seat of intellectual thoughts.

Sarasvati - The Goddess of Wisdom and Perfect Knowledge, the Goddess of Speech or Vaak presides over the Broca's Area, the Speech Center of the Brain. — **The Art of Learning and Creative Writing: Sarasvati – The Goddess of Wisdom and Perfect Knowledge, the Goddess of Speech or Vaak presides over the Broca’s Area, the Speech Center of the Brain.**

Sarasvati is the Goddess of Wisdom and Perfect Knowledge. Learning is not about the mere exposure of a student to new information. Learning involves the process of assimilation of new information and an ability to analyze that information, and to formulate an opinion based upon that information. The student should be able to express that information in his speech and prove that he had imbibed the information in a critical manner. Sarasvati is also the Goddess of Speech or “Vaak” and controls the Speech Center or Area of the brain known as Broca’s Area. She banishes mental lethargy, mental laziness which impedes the ability to learn new information. She removes the mental barriers, the mental fences that we erect which disrupt ‘mental fluidity’, the fluid dynamics required for smooth flow of mental impulses between different areas of the brain involved in Learning and Speech.

Lord Ganesha - The Mentor of Learning, the Remover of Obstacles. — **The Art of Learning and Creative Writing: Lord Ganesha – The Mentor of Learning, the Remover of Obstacles.**

Lord Ganesha is the Mentor of Learning. Learning is a complicated process. At individual level, it needs neuro-muscular coordination and at an external level it needs the removal of all distractions that interfere with the process of Learning. Ganesha removes all obstacles that could prevent the student from his pursuit of Learning.

**The Art of Learning and Creative Writing: Lord Rama is the source of inspiration to writers, musicians, dancers, and other artists and craftsmen.**

Apart from the three personalities, the student can choose an image of his choice to specifically draw inspiration while he travels on the path of Learning. The personality of Lord Rama alone inspires thousands of Indians to express their devotion to Him in creative and distinctive ways. In the Indian Tradition, the Guru or the teacher has a very unique position and is elevated to the status of the Divine Trinity represented by Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Protector), and Shiva (the Restorer).

The Creative Writing Class at Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan:

Jeff Kass is a teacher of Creative Writing at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor and he also teaches at the Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He teaches four sections of Creative Writing per day and over 110 students attend his classes to learn Creative Writing at Pioneer High School.

George Bernard Shaw - July 26, 1856 to November 2, 1950 - Author of more than 60 plays, distinguished essayist, music critic, the only person who won a Nobel Prize for Literature and also an Academy Award. — George Bernard Shaw – July 26, 1856 to November 2, 1950 – Author of more than 60 plays, distinguished essayist, music critic, the only person who won a Nobel Prize for Literature and also an Academy Award.

George Bernard Shaw apart from being a great playwright, was an influential music and drama critic, a superb essayist, and a penetrating analyst of virtually every important aspect of Western culture. The adjective ‘Shavian’ describes anything resembling his distinctive ideas or personality. Shaw rejected orthodoxy to become an atheist and a Darwinist, and moved through radical anarchism, Marxism to Socialism. He had finally arrived at Creative Evolution which viewed life as a whole and over an infinite time span. I could use his image to inspire myself while I indulge in expressing my thoughts, but I cannot draw any inspiration from his distinctive ideas and use them as a basis for my writing.

Jeff Kass includes a quotation from the playwright George Bernard Shaw in the hand-out for his class and designates the quotation as the Mission Statement, the Journey in Learning and Creative Writing that his students will diligently pursue throughout the semester. The Bernard Shaw quote is as follows: ” I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live.” Jeff Kass further instructs his students: “I want you to be thoroughly used up. I want you to feel like you gave this class everything you possibly could and you have nothing left.” He drew the analogy of a boating crew, the athletes who compete in boating races. These athletes at the end of the race are very physically exhausted, they manage to hobble across the dock without an ounce of energy left in their bodies. Jeff Kass states that his Creative Writing Class students may experience a figurative death at the end of their semester as they are thoroughly used up.

**The Art of Learning and Creative Writing: Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the Stream; Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a Dream.**

Creative Writing and Mental Fluidity:

Creative Writing should not demand any kind of strenuous effort and particularly should not result in mental strain. Firstly, writing needs neuromuscular coordination but it is not viewed as a physical effort. What makes an individual ‘creative’ is his ability to think for himself. An individual may need the necessary language skills to express his thoughts; he needs information about the subject of his thoughts, and his mind actually experiences a sense of profound relief when the thoughts find an outlet in the form of written expression.

Creative Writing is like the sense of relief a pregnant woman experiences after delivering the baby she had conceived before. A mind, full of thoughts is often compared to the state of pregnancy. The act of delivery is the ultimate Joy and the painful contractions of delivery are instantly forgotten and the face of the mother reflects a glow of happiness.

I expect to see a Glow of Happiness when the students leave the Creative Writing Class. Creative Writing should not be like that of a boat rowing race and it should rather represent the act of gently rowing the boat down the stream and the act of rowing should give a sense of Joy as expressed in the following popular nursery rhyme:

Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Life is but a Dream.

A Creative Writer never dies as he always lives through the thoughts that he had expressed in his Writing.

Individualism and Creativity:

**The Art of Learning and Creative Writing: What is Creativity?**

We come into existence as individuals. We are created as persons with qualities and characteristics that set us apart from others. Our personal identity relates to the condition of being an individual or different from others. The students of the Creative Writing class should be able to describe their ‘Individuality’. For Creative Writing, the individual must express his original, distinctive ideas, the ideas that set him apart from the ideas expressed by other individuals. The Individuality is not related to the individual’s skin color, hair color, or the glasses the individual may wear. The Individuality exists in the thoughts and which when expressed in words speak about the Creativity of the individual. The students of the Creative writing class should seek to exist as individuals, capable of thinking for themselves, form their own opinions, and express their own distinctive ideas. The Class should provide tools to students to express their Individualism.

Creative Writing: Individualistic Rhythm vs Group Dance:

Raas Leela - Lord Krishna in Vrindavan dancing with Gopis. Lord Krishna is simultaneously ONE and also DIFFERENT. He is the manifestation of Creative Energy.This Group Dance is an example of 'Individualistic Rhythm'. — The Art of Learning and Creative Writing: Raas Leela – Lord Krishna in Vrindavan dancing with Gopis. Lord Krishna is simultaneously One and also Different. He is the manifestation of Creative Energy.This Group Dance is an example of ‘Individualistic Rhythm’.

Jeff Kass encourages his students to perform a ‘Group Dance’ to encourage them to share their thoughts with the ‘Group’ and getting connected to them.The individual always exists in an environment. For Creative Writing, the individual needs to get connected to his ‘Inner- Self’, set himself apart from the social group to which he may belong. His concern should not be about the ‘Group’. His concern should be to focus on his own thoughts about everything else. What he thinks about the ‘Group’ is more relevant than being part of the ‘Group’. Creative Writing is not like the ‘Group Dance’ and in fact, it describes the ‘Individualistic Rhythm’. Lord Krishna in the above illustration is seen dancing with a Group of maidens known as Gopis. He appears before each of His dancing partner as a Different individual. He uses His Creative Energy to perform His Individualistic Rhythm. Creativity gives us the ability to express individualistic variation and define our Identity in thought and action.

“Reflections” – Creative Writing Class at Pioneer High School:

The Art of Learning and Creative Writing: I expect to see a Glow of Happiness when the students leave the Creative Writing Class. Creative Writing should not be like that of a boat rowing race and it should rather represent the act of gently rowing the boat down the stream and the act of rowing should give a sense of Joy as expressed in the following popular nursery rhyme:

The Creative Writing Class at Pioneer High begins with an incomplete quote from playwright George Bernard Shaw. The quote should read as follows: “I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.” This is the view of George Bernard Shaw about the purpose of his human life and existence and hence the quote cannot be used to inspire students learning the Art of Creative Writing. For Creative Writing, the individual must first recognize his individuality, define his identity and purpose, and get connected to his ‘inner-self’ before paying attention to the social community or “Group”. This flawed ‘Mission Statement’ is now getting expressed in the ‘Reflections’ of the students. Two of the students of this Class use a homophobic word in written assignments submitted to the teacher. Sexuality describes our attitude about human sexual relationships. A Creative Writer should first learn to express his/her ideas about his/her own gender. The same applies to issues such as race, religion, or ethnicity. The Creative Writer must be given the tools to express ideas and thoughts that explain his/her gender, race, ethnicity, physical or anthropometric identity, and purpose in life before venturing to express opinions about relationships with others. The student should first recognize the difference between an ‘idea’ and an ‘opinion’. The Class should aim at expressing ‘ideas’ and not upon voicing ‘opinions’. By including the ‘opinion’ of GBS in the ‘Mission Statement’, the students are given the wrong impression that their purpose is that of expressing ‘opinions’. If I am a male, my own personal awareness of my gender is more important than expressing that gender identity in the context of homophobia. A Creative Writer needs to express unique, and distinctive ideas and such ideas would arise only if he/she understands his/her own self.

A Teachable Moment to the Teachers: Creative Writing at Pioneer High School:

In the last three weeks, Jeff Kass at Pioneer High School publicly disclosed verbal or written statements of his Creative Writing Class students without giving them a prior warning. It would be appropriate to disclose to the students that their statements would be publicly disclosed and would be openly debated by the rest of the Community. A physician who may have seen or diagnosed the pregnancy of the teen in the Creative Writing Class would not have divulged that information to others. A priest who may hear confessional statements of his parishioners would not disclose them to the rest of the congregation. I wonder if there is a confidentiality clause in the teacher-pupil relationship. At a minimum, the students should be aware of the blog postings of their teacher and the public discussion. It is relevant as the teacher has not set boundaries to the freedom of speech in the context of his lesson plans. The homophobic word or expression in the written assignments rendered by two students should be evaluated for its academic merit. It appears that the students who used the words have not yet acquired narrative skills. The word ‘idea’ in the context of Creative Writing could be defined as something one thinks, a thought, mental conception, or image. Students should be encouraged to visualize their ideas and then describe their mental pictures or images. The ‘reflective’ statements with the homophobic word lack this quality; a clear description of a mental image or picture and from an academic point of view, a creative idea is neither described nor stated. The word ‘opinion’ is defined as a mental conviction, a belief, an evaluation, impression, estimation, or judgment of the quality or worth of a person or thing; a conclusion affected by one’s personal manner of looking at things. The homophobic word qualifies as an ‘opinion’ and if it is used as an ‘idea’, the mental concept or image is poorly narrated. Creative Writing demands that the writer should project his mental concepts in a vivid manner and a reader should be able to visualize that ‘idea’ described by the author. It is a teachable moment to the teachers as the incident reveals the pitfalls of inadequate instruction.

Related Blog Post:

Set your Mind Free – Let Sarasvati Flow

Whole Unity – Whole Spirituality – The Celebration of Chaitra Navratri 2025

Bharat Darshan – Chaitra Navratri 2025 – The Coming Together of Man, Nature, and God. Knowing God through the worship of the Divine Mother. Nine-Night Celebration of Divine Power, Love, Mercy, Grace, and Compassion to secure health, wealth, wisdom, and perfect well-being of mankind.

In Physics, Power/Energy/Force is not associated with gender. But, when living things exist as male and female, the description of Power/Energy/Force can get gender association. In the Indian tradition, ‘Deva’ means God and ‘Devi’ means Goddess. Devi in the Indian tradition is the personification of God’s Supreme Power/Force/ Energy or Shakti.

To fully account for human existence, two distinct or separate Principles must come together to produce the harmonious singular identity called man. The issue is not about God’s gender. It is the concern of the man to account for his own earthly existence as male and female. The Father Principle is called the Originating Principle. The Mother Principle is called the Source Principle, for Mother is the Source of Matter, Energy, and Knowledge to establish Life. Father originates the creation of the human form, and Mother provides Substance, the structural and functional basis of the human form.

**Chaitra or Vasant Navratri refers to the Navratri Celebration during the Spring Season or Vasant Ritu which begins with the New Year Day called Ugadi of the First Month called Chaitra.**

During 2025, Indians celebrate Devi Navratri or Chaitra Navratri that begins on Sunday, March 30, and ends on the ninth day, Monday, April 07. The term ‘Nav’ or ‘Nava’ means Nine and the condition called New. ‘Ratri’ means night. This celebration happens in the first lunar month called Chaitra (March-April), during Shukla Paksha or the Waxing Phase of Moon following the New Moon Day or Amavasya on Saturday, March 29.

Goddess Shakti has three Supreme Forms called Durga, Sarasvati, and Lakshmi. In India, traditions vary from region to region. First 3 – days of Navratri are dedicated to Goddess Durga, following 3-days are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and concluding 3-days are dedicated to Goddess Sarasvati or Goddess of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Speech.

Devi or Shakti is often called Durga for She is the embodiment of great strength. She is also called Bhadra Kali, Jagadamba, Annapurna, Sarva Mangala, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Bhavani, and Mookambika. During the 9-Night or Navratri festival, Indians worship nine different forms of Goddess Durga with 1,000 names. She is simply adored as Divine Mother and often addressed as Mother, Mata, or Maa whatever may be the name or form She assumes on different occasions.

Nine Days of Chaitra Navratri 2025

Day 1, Sunday, March 30, 2025 (Pratipada)- Ghatasthapana, Chandra Darshana, Shailputri Puja

Day 2, Monday, March 31, 2025 (Dwitiya)- Brahmacharini Puja

Day 3, Tuesday, April 01, 2025 (Tritiya)- Gauri Puja, Saubhagya Teej, Chandraghanta Puja

Day 4, Wednesday, April 02, 2025 (Chaturthi)- Kushmanda Puja, Vinayaka Chaturthi

Day 5, Thursday, April 03, 2025 (Panchami)- Naag Puja, Lakshmi Panchami, Skandamata Puja

Day 6, Friday, April 04, 2025 (Shasthi)- Skanda Sashti, Yamuna Chhath, Katyayani Puja

Day 7, Saturday, April 05, 2025 (Saptami)- Maha Saptami, Kalaratri Puja

Day 8, Sunday, April 06, 2025 (Ashtami)- Durga Ashtami, Mahagauri Puja, Annapurna Ashtami, Sandhi Puja

Day 9, Monday, April 07, 2025 (Navami)- Siddhidatri Puja, Rama Navami