Anuradha Sridharan

 As part of MSc Yoga programme, I'm learning some of the Shanti Mantras from the Upanishads. When I went to the University for in-person classes early this January, I struggled during the Vedic chanting class and found it hard to chant the Mantras in the right meter and pronunciation. For the first 2 classes, our faculty asked us to listen and repeat after him (without any visual aid), similar to how learning was imparted in the Gurukul way of education (karna parampara). This was even more challenging for me, as I'm attuned to the visual way of learning.  Once we received our books, it felt a little more manageable to look at the words and chant, but I wasn't confident. After multiple rounds of practice at home, I'm finally able to memorize and chant them. It is in no way close to a perfect recitation. But the reason why I wanted to share it here is the effect these Shanti Mantras have on our body and mind. Shanti Mantras, as the name implies, are peace chants where we...

 I read " Value of Values " by Swami Dayananda Saraswati sometime last year. He articulates his thoughts so beautifully and conveys the wisdom of Shastras to the present-day audience in a relatable way. I picked up the book " Ishvara in One's Life " from Blossoms. It's a 90-page booklet (with the perfect font size) where Swamiji explains how one can relate to Ishvara (the Divine). He elaborates on certain qualities that make one an adult - the ability to be dispassionate and objective, detaching oneself from the various roles one plays in life and one's relationship to the total.  He then discusses the qualities of the Divine - to be able  to intelligently put together to serve a purpose , the maker of all, the all-knowledge conscious being.  There were  amazing  insights in these chapters  and  I was nodding  my head while reading a couple of  chapters.  As I study more about the anatomy & physiology of the human body, I can't ...

Can we change our opinions? Can we change our beliefs? Of course, we can. And we should. We review  them  periodically and change  them  based on new information and understanding.  Swami Dayananda Saraswati says, " A belief can  be defined  as a judgment before knowledge. A belief, being a judgment before knowing, is subject to correction on knowing, on verification ". Many of my opinions and perspectives have undergone revisions and changes. To share a couple of examples, (1) I used to think that following news was a waste of time and a drain on mental energy. I used to shut off from all news sources and be  in total ignorance  (haven't we heard the statement - ignorance is bliss?). But in the last year, I have changed this opinion of mine.  What's happening around us - business/politics/administration/global events/policies, they all  have an impact on  us as individuals and  on  our families.  Many new "-isms...

  During a casual visit to Sapna Book Store a few months back , I stumbled upon this book .   When I looked through the Contents,  the chapter " Seven-year cycles of life " caught my attention.  As I read through a few pages, it resonated with me deeply, and so were a few other topics. But the tiny font size was a blocker. I added the title to my Amazon Wishlist, merely for reference.  I spotted a second-hand pristine copy of this title for Rs.180 during a recent trip to Blossoms. I decided to buy it, overlooking the tiny font size. What are reading glasses for? :-)  According to the author,  Maturity  is accepting the responsibility of being oneself. He focuses on  the topic of   Maturity  and the aspects that contribute to this growth. He repeatedly states that it is not the same as growing old, and he substantiates it by beautifully bringing up the differences between growing old and growing up in the first chapter. Every se...

In an earlier post, I shared about Aasuri Sampath from Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita. In the first three shlokas in the same chapter, Bhagavan Krishna outlines the qualities of Daivi Sampat - qualities that lead one toward the wealth of spiritual development. Here's the list of those 26 qualities in the same order as mentioned in the shlokas: Fearlessness Purity of mind Being established in the pursuit of jnana (knowledge) and yoga (practical realization) Ability to share one's wealth with others Discipline of sensory energies Sacrifice by worship and other practices Self-study, understanding of knowledge Concentration of the energies of the mind Straightforwardness Non-violence Truth Absence of anger Spirit of detachment and renunciation Peacefulness Absence of ill-feeling towards others Compassion toward all beings Uncovetousness - not having the feeling "someone has something, I must also have it." Gentleness Modesty Absence of fickleness, a state where the mind...

  " There is good in every  bad " - We  might have heard of this phrase in the context of positive thinking and looking for a good thing that turned up due to a  bad  incident/situation. For eg, let's  say,  you  are stuck  in a terrible traffic jam. You are tired and getting frustrated with the wait. You turn on your Spotify playlist  and  the Smart Shuffle feature belts out songs that you really love but haven't listened to in a long time. It makes you feel nostalgic and cheerful. The wait didn't seem so bad, after all. Let me turn the tables - " There is bad in every good ".  Yes, you read that right! And this isn't negative thinking.  This  is a principle to  be kept  in mind  in these times of kali  yuga  when adharmic activities are prevalent  and   most  importantly, in those cases that don't seem that way when looked at from a surface-level view. Let's  say,  y...

  I recently learned Chapter 16 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. This chapter outlines the characteristics of Daivi Sampath and Aasuri Sampath. While listening to a lecture by Prof Mahadevan on this chapter, some of the insights were hard-hitting and eye-opening. I'm now more and more aligned with the belief that if we have questions regarding values, life choices, conflicts, relationships, self-improvement, goals, and the purpose of our existence, it is best to look at our scriptures for answers.  This  will take time and effort, but the clarity that emerges during this process is rewarding. Both groups (people with qualities of Daivi Sampath and Aasuri Sampath) have greatness, but only people with Daivi Sampath have goodness in them. In the lecture, Professor  talks about  how Aasuri Sampath unfolds as a 6-step process.  Aasuras develop enormous strength through Tapas (one-pointed, concentrated effort). During this process, they also  develop   enormo...

  K asked me to write about my reading process.  If you are a reader, I'm sure you would follow a  process that's unique to you depending  on your values, preferences, and  idiosyncrasies . Your reading process tells a lot about your personality. Let me share a few specifics of my process. When I pick up a book, I read from the first page to the  very  last - yes, the preface, prologue, forward, epilogue, and acknowledgment pages as well !! I feel compelled to finish the book cover to cover. The same holds for movies  too . I don't advocate this practice, as I have wasted quite a bit of time watching boring  movies ,  just because of this need for "completion"! But for books, I don't consider it a waste of time, as sometimes a boring chapter could be a temporary barrier to  be crossed ,  post  which there could be relevant insights in the latter chapters.  If my interest in a book wanes off after a few chapters, I add...

   "Knowledge isn't given.  Knowledge is to  be taken .  It  is taken  through a process of deep  questioning . The intent of  Questioning  is not to prove someone right/wrong, but driven by the need of  a real  quest." I came across this perspective recently  and  it made so much sense.  As I pondered over the " quest " being referred to in this context, it is THAT insatiable thirst to quench one's curiosity and  gain a better understanding of  the world - both the external and the internal. But somewhere down the road, many of us have either lost the connection with our inherent curiosity lost the will to pursue where our curiosity might take us started to look for easy, quick-fix solutions started to rely on a single person or a resource that would hand over all the knowledge that we needed on a platter decided to wait for the  right   knowledge  to come knocking at our doorsteps settl...

  An impulse purchase sometimes turns out to be the book with the right insights you need to hear. During my recent trip to Mussoorie, I stopped by the famous Cambridge bookstore to check out Ruskin Bond's books. Amidst the shelves with limited walking space, I spotted Swami Rama as the author of this book . The title sounded interesting  and  of course, the print quality and font size were perfect! As you age, font size becomes  an important  criterion for buying a book🙂  This  book   written  by Swami Rama and Swami  Ajaya   brings out  the  interesting  contrast between Western and Eastern psychology.  Though the title emphasizes "Emotions ",  it is NOT the core theme of this book , I must admit . The authors  start with explaining  the need for expanding our consciousness , the misconceptions surrounding this idea  and  the changes one  starts  to experience when one moves ...