Let us live for others

Just back home after attending a blessed Gho pooja at one of the Ghosalas am associated with. I was not even sure if I could go for the pooja -  my husband was not keeping too well and was not sure if he could drive. On top of it, we had a flat tyre en-route. I had to buy several things for the pooja, and was worried if I’d be late – but we were just on time to participate in the pooja and receive the blessings of the Gomata, with HIS blessings.

This Ghoshala is managed by a retired gentleman who always amazes me with his energy, love and passion for cows, farming and dedication to educating and upliftment of the not so privileged children , especially in villages. I wanted to discuss something with him and called him on a festival day a few days ago – Hanuman Jayanthi I think, and said I will call him back once he finishes his pooja. Pat came his reply - எதுவானாலும் இப்பவே சொல்லுங்கோ. பசுமாட்டில் தான் முப்பது முக்கோடி தேவர்கள் இருக்கிறார்களே. எனக்கு பசு தான் எல்லாம். தெய்வ ஆராதனை எல்லாம் அதற்கு அப்புறம் தான்".  This one strong statement was enough to show his commitment to welfare of our desi cows. Even today after the pooja, he insisted I distribute prasadam to the children there first and then to the others! 

Hats off to a few of such wonderful people in our midst today. Most of us only donate money for such causes. But you need to be there on the ground to understand the kind of difficulties they have to face in taking care of these animals. Most of them are dry cows, and there is no income from milk either. What a sacrifice!

Nurturing Ghosals is one of the dharmic activities which Sri Maha Periva insisted us to follow. Let each one us take a sincere effort to support the welfare of the cows and set aside an amount for the cause each month. Believe me, it will give you immense peace and joy and you will find HIS blessings in many unbelievable ways!

As devotees of the Mahaswami, our lives will be meaningful only if we put His teachings to practice.

Pongal is a time of get together of family. But we have to look at this “family” not only as our blood relatives, but include all like-minded people around us as well. This is one of my takeaways from this wonderful gentleman running this Ghosala. Let us strive to live for others. Most importantly, we must never showcase our charity. As Periva has said, if we have helped someone, we must think that “God has given us this wealth to help others”, and not have any ego. We must not think poorly of the person who is receiving the favour from us – that is a big sin!

As we keep saying, all this, even being devoted to God is possible only if HE wills. So, let us all just surrender to him completely and ask HIM to refine us, make us kind and pure, ask his help to remove impurities from our mind like hatred, vengeance, anger and ask HIM for a pure heart to forgive people around us and live our life for others!

Before I close, a picture showcasing Sir Maha Periva’s image in the Brindavan during Aarti is doing its rounds on the internet – am sure most of you have seen it already. I have just one thing to say – our Mahaswami is omnipotent and omnipresent. HE does not require any proof or publicity to show that HE continues to bless us from HIS Brindavan. We must show our bhakthi and love towards our Guru through our kind words and actions. Just make a sincere effort to follow HIS teachings and surrender to HIM. HE will take care of the rest.

Wish you all a Very Happy Kaanum Pongal! 

Cheers!

Gho Samrakshanam (Cow Protection) - Ebook on Sri Maha Periva's Teachings

Today, 16-Jan 2015  is a special Pooja day for Cows – popular in South India as “Maattu Pongal” , when all farmers worship the Cow.

Today also happens to be the Holy Anusham Day, the birth star of our Guru, Sri Kanchi Maha Periva.

What a great day to remember HIM and Gomaata!

On this special occasion, here is an Ebook on "Gho Samrakshanam" (Cow Protection) launched by Kanchi Periva Forum (www.periva.proboards.com). This Ebook contains Sri Maha Periva's Upadesam on Cow Protection. 

drive.google.com/file/d/0BwuDCferB6sJSUVfUmJZM3VZQ1E/view?usp=sharing

As you will read from the book, Sri Maha Periva has divinely addressed every argument that one can think about on why this holy animal must be protected and why cruelty to the cow is a great sin.  

Sri Maha Periva in His discourses stresses the need for all sections of the society to come together to prevent the slaughtering of cows. This book is really an eye opener, and I request you to share this compilation with your friends and relatives, in order to bring more awareness.  

This Ebook also includes a list of Goshalas in Tamilnadu which are very deserving and are in need of support. Please try to support these Goshalas in any way you can.

May the Mahaswami's benevolent grace protect and guide us all.

Cheers!

 

Mission 2015 - Gho Samrakshanam (Protect and Save Cows)

Friends, am back!

Very happy to touch base at the dawn of the New Year - hoping and praying that 2015 would bring in lots of luck and good fortune to all of us.

As for me, am happy to continue my spiritual journey holding on tightly to the lotus feet of His Holiness Sri Kanchi Maha Periva. I pray to HIM to give me the strength to continue spreading HIS light far and wide through the Forums/ Groups I manage along with some like minded friends and devotees.

All of us are aware that Sri Maha Periva's discourses captured in the seven volumes of Deivathin Kural/ Voice of God is also known as the common man’s Veda. Our Mahaswami has given us a wealth of information through these books, and every single page is a pokisham (treasure) for us to cherish and relish. In Volume Seven of Deivathin Kural, an entire chapter is devoted to Gho Samrakshanam (Protection of Cows).

Periva has addressed every argument that one can think of on why the holy animal must be protected and why cruelty to the cow is a great sin.  Here is an extract/ some key points from Periva's extensive narration.

The cow is God. Although she is an animal, she is Gomatha who gives milk like a mother and is the form of Srimatha. As Kamadenu, she is the divine mother who gives all that is desired. Kamadenu manifested from the Ocean of Milk (Kshirabdhi). If we enjoy the milk from the cow as long as it gives milk and then send it away for slaughter once it stops yielding milk, it is like killing the mother who has become old and cannot do any work. The meat of a cow is the same as the meat of a mother.

Only some people can do puja to the cow treating it as divine. But there is a duty that is to be performed by everyone – giving fodder to the cow. Every day we have to give atleast a handful of grass to the cow. Sasthras refer to this as ‘gograsam’. ‘Grasam’ means a mouthful of food. It is from ‘gograsam’ that the English word ‘grass’ has been derived. In his Thirumandhiram, Thirumular has mentioned the duty of giving ‘gograsam’ in between the duty of offering a leaf (bilva) to Iswara and giving alms.

On the one hand, we worship the cow as a deity. On the other hand, we are making available for slaughter cows which have stopped yielding milk or we starve them. This hypocrisy is a great blemish on us. Till such time we do not protect the cows well until its natural death, we are unfit to call ourselves Hindus.

My wish is that in addition to we Hindus coming together as a family in the service of the cow, we have to carry this message with love to people of other religions also, involve them so that the entire society comes together as a family for doing the service. Religious affinity may take different forms for different people but since compassion to animals is common to all, all religions in our country should come together on this basis. That is my wish.

To nurture the cow and protect it is punya which will give all benefits. To neglect it is a great sin which will invite curse and there is proof for this. The welfare of the cow will ensure the welfare of the country. If it is protected, sins will come down on their own. If it is subjected to cruelties, there will be trouble for the whole world. According to Sasthras, Dharma Devatha is of the form of a bull (Rishabham) with four legs namely, thapas, purity, compassion and sathyam. In Bhagavatham (1.17) it is said ‘Gomatha’ is in association with that bull, that mother cow yields dharma as milk and because the Kali Purusha subjected the pair to cruelty, this age of Kali (Kaliyugam) is in a state of such deterioration. Therefore, for remedying the Kali dosham and dharma to come up, cow protection is an important measure.

There is no great punya that the gift of a cow. It is the greatest remedy for sins. The gift (dhanam) has to be made after making sure that the person who receives it is capable of protecting it. That country where cows have no fear of any cruelty being inflicted on them and live peacefully in gokula, all sins will go and will shine.  May Lord Krishna bestow His grace so that our Bharath becomes such a country and all of us develop the attitude and ability to make it such."

No doubt that there are several noble people protecting cows in Ghosalas. It is also enlightening to know that several youngsters are coming forward to support this cause.

I am happy to endorse one such organization called www.myorganicbazaar.com in Chennai, focused on supplying farm fresh Organic Milk, Organic fruits, vegetables, greens and pure organic pulses.

My interest in this organization is two fold - one is that their products are directly sourced from organic farmers, which will help the farmers get better margin for their products and thus encourage them to continue agriculture which is currently dwindling And second, and most important outcome of this initiative is the protection of cows and cattle, including dry cows which are invaluable to the organic farming practices.

Those of you who are interested in supporting this noble cause can visit their website www.myorganicbazaar.com to buy their products online, and have them delivered at your home in Chennai.  They can be reached via email on myorganicbazaar@gmail.com or phone @ +91-99529-22522

As someone who has grown amongst cows since my childhood, protection of cows is something very close to my heart. Sometime down the years, I want to take up this initiative in a big way, and am waiting for HIS call. In the meantime, am supporting a couple of Gho Salas in and around Chennai which are in dire need of financial assistance - the least I can do at the moment to prevent these animals from going to the slaughter house.

If anyone is interested in "Gho Samrakshanam", please write to me. There is so much we can do to give back to the society through Cow Protection.

This New Year, let each one of us pledge to do whatever we can to protect the divine animal, and also help the farmer who is dependent on the Cows for organic farming. 

Wish you all a Very Happy, Prosperous and Blessed New Year 2015!!

Cheers!