Janhavie

(datacrat.tumblr.com)

[janhavie]

Battle of the sexes

Glass Ceiling/Feminism/Gender Equality - Mother doesn’t understand it cause she didnt have to fight for her voting rights in India. Mother doesn’t understand it cause most Indian subcontinent countries accepted and have had women prime ministers. Mother doesn’t understand it cause every Friday she paid her staff and labour same daily rates irrespective of their gender. Mother doesn’t understand the quote “BEHIND every successful man is a WOMAN”. (The word BEHIND). Mother doesn’t understand the western construct of identity thru colours of Pink and Blue. Mother doesn’t understand romantic fairy tale of the prince RESCUING poor cindrella.  Mother doesnt understand it simply because her unshakeable strong foundation lies in the inspirational stories of invincible goddesses and alpha females from Puranas and Vedas. Her faith in feminine comes from the concept of Equality and divine balance deep rooted in Ida-Pingala, Feminine-Masculine -50% stakeholders each. 

Just a few from the limitless list of Female deities from Vedas in Hinduism with their portfolio.

The goddess of Knowledge – Saraswati. The goddess of Wealth – Lakshmi. The goddess of Death- Mrityu The goddess of Sleep- Nidra The goddess of Food – Annapurna The goddess of Dawn- Usha The goddess of Earth – Bhumi The goddess of Clouds – Sharanyu The goddess of Night – Ratri The goddess of Sorrow – Nirrti

And most importantly the MOTHER of all, SHAKTI – The primordial cosmic energy and her countless manifestations like Kali, Durga, Kamakhya, Sati, Mahamaya, Bhavani etc. There exist number of stories when the Shakti was invoked with powers and weapons from Gods as Special task force to combat and conquer evil. After all the stories of goddesses and demon women with dark characters, very innocently my mother asks -  Struggle for Equality ?  Hmmm. Does it mean somewhere you have accepted being born unequal ? Now, Who in right mind would have a heart to submit to that ? Her question had the answer hidden in it. Totally different kind of mental conditioning and wisdom received in the question.  Later in the conversation, mother didnt probe for an answer though. She just read it on my face. She is happy her legacy would go on. ( My sincere apologies if this post offends any of the feminists on Tumblr that is not the intention in the slightest.)

[janhavie]

Eternal dilemma

Wheels of time turn ceaselessly, yet questions remain same thru the eons.

To be, or not to be: that is the question ? From Hamlet by Shakespeare To fight or not to fight ? From Bhagvad Geeta Arjun (Incarnation of Nar) being counselled by Lord Krishna (Incarnation of Narayan) at Kurushetra (Karmic Battlefield)

[janhavie]

Love thy followers

Yo, thats the new social media commandment.

Tad bored of -

Global decline in originality of content on internet, 

FB newsfeed full of sacrilege by bigots, 

Societies indoctrinated over human rights instead of human duties.

Pet’s anti-depressants and yoga cafes.

Cyber-bullying of innocents and non-believers 

Pseudo-seculars and intellectuals constantly shoving the idea of perfect world down everybody’s throat

Fake-fights of feminists wanting entry into hindu temples during menstruation (This particular cause deserves more media attention and digital space than a deprived child in Syria)

Aah..that hour..that moment,

I decide to arrive on a new island called tumblr.

Its unfamiliar and totally stranger to me. 

So, I can blatantly ignore newsfeed and aint no distractions.

I start to post stuff that interests me. 

I immensely value the privacy in spite of being in public domain. 

and Lo and Behold. Along came followers.Yes. Must have done something right.

Oh No...Hold On...All these fake sexual profiles..ET TU BRUTE 😞 😞 That short-lived joy disappears like a cloud into thin air. Lady ..Find the center..Tale a deep breath.  And then who am I to judge? One more breath -  this time deeper and longer. Aah. Experience the magic and feel the shift.  Respect human needs of carnal pleasure and acts of creation. (I do). 

It is such a joy to be followed by the juicily brazen and open ones. Now, I am basking in this glory of EROTIC EUPHORIA (reflected from follower’s profiles). 

Any adjectives for this level of motivation would be an understatement and to make the most of it. Got myself another tumblr, I mean it had to come.  HCM Sutra. Take it.  And that’s probably what digital-gasm is.

[janhavie]

An ode

He gazed deep into her eyes and planted a peck on her cheek. It startled her. Haughty woman threw her head back, arched her brow and whispered sweet nothings to him.  "Leave me alone, you fool. For I reserve my deepest love not for the man in whose company I find myself awe-struck, but for that one in whose company I may feel tenderly drowsy”. INTOXICATED - High on poetry, life and love. Strictly in that order. An ode to Anahat - Desire to hear the unstruck.

[janhavie]

The weapons (Books) of day disruption. So many books, so little time.

[janhavie]

The peacock

In hinduism, this divinely beautiful bird category creature Mayur, the peacock is associated with various deities.

Sarasvati - The goddess of knowledge, wisdom and learning. The peacock symbolises indecisive and changeable behaviour here (Even clouds can influence it’s mood) and that’s why Peacock is not a mount of Goddess, its Swan. The message Sarasvati gives is to overcome these tendencies of mind by seeking true knowledge.  

Kartikeya - The god of war and compassion. Kartikeya’s mount/vehicle is peacock and symbolises the control over worldly desires. The peacock is seen holding a snake in its feet. Vanity side of ego precisely.(Snake is a symbol of ego).

Lord Krishna - Incarnation of Vishnu-Adi Purush, the uber charismatic and the most loved man of hindu pantheon. Krishna and peacock feathers are inseparable. He has peacock feather as his fashion accessory symbolising immortality and pure love.

The symbolism behind peacock’s each association with hindu gods above is so uniquely different and a real treat for the spiritual knowledge seeker.

Some of the stories mommy told me about this celestial bird -

How this beautiful bird is eternally sad about its not-so-beautiful feet.

How It lost peahen and carried human souls to heaven. 

Indra-Ravan conflict and the boon it received from Indra. 

Besides all this, Peacock also enjoys special status in yogic world. Mayurasan, peacock pose is a advanced level pose and one of the 84 asanas recommended.

The preparatory plan for peacock - 

Yogic Benefits of Mayurasan - 

On physical level - Indian yogic texts talk of peacock’s unique ability to digest poisonous insects, snakes it eats with no adverse effects on its body.

The practice of mayurasana strokes the stomach fire (Jatharagni) to invincible level where the harmful toxins are destroyed and eliminated. In terms of human diet - Meat, alcohol, tobacco and excessive intake of pungent spices are considered to produce toxins/poison in body.

In mayurasana the pressure of both elbows seals off prana channels of the two nadis forcing increased blood supply towards head thus nourishing the brain.

On spiritual level - With other animals, peacocks were among the enchanted audience to Krishna’s flute and ras-leela. The peacock’s message is 

 to dance to the tunes of Life. Celebration of life amidst clouds, rains and thunderstorms likewise.

 to surrender (Samarpan) to divinity and rejoice eternal compassion of Krishna. 

After Kurma(Tortoise) = Mayurasana on mind = The next asana goal = The Herculean task.  And then the yoga practice is all about journey from one asana to another and everything in between. 

[janhavie]

The Divide

Is it the lines drawn by the unseen hand

Is it the lines traversed by the planets and stars

Is it the lines drawn by the social norms and taboo

Is it the lines etched upon one’s hands or feet

Is it the lines of one’s prejudice and pride

Lost in this needless intrigue, one lets life go by

Should humans explore the borderless nature of one’s being

Lines have no meaning for a being lost in love By Sadhguru

[janhavie]

sound of inner silence

Tapas of mind - Practice of Mauna, the silence. When I think of Mauna, Its Mahatma Gandhi who comes to the mind. Mahatma practised Mauna Vrat (Ritual) one day in a week for inner peace. It’s a known fact about him that – he took long pauses during and in-between conversations of any nature (Formal and informal). Not many hold silence in such high regards anymore. Silence in outer world is a harbinger of something unpleasant - 

Sign of Incompetency - A few moments pause in professional conversation is either a bad communication skill, or not having handle on the situation/subject.

Sign of loss of Interest - Silence in personal conversation is disharmony/discomfort/boredom/lack of love and not wanting to communicate etc.

Sign of Betrayal - “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”. Martin Luther King’s sharp words.

Silence is interpreted in several ways but most often in negative sense in an incessantly talking world. We – our minds, our gadgets and everything around us is continuously buzzing/humming, talking. The noise outside has mercilessly turned us into deaf to the noise inside. But hey, let us leave the shallow interpretations of outer physical and material world behind. In inner spiritual world the silence is the language of divine. And divinity do not judge.

Lord Krishna is Bhagavad Gita talks of Mauna as tapas (Penance) of the mind. Mouna is an ancient well-known practice of meditation and spiritual cleansing in India. Yogis or sadhus who practised it for many years were recognised as Munis/Mounis. There exist different types of mauna -

On the level of speech.

On the level of thoughts.

On the level of mind, complete annihilation-  the highest level. 

Non-stop speech is an indicator of restless mind according to sages. Mouna is the best technique for speech control and cleansing, especially for reactive people who regret their words as an emotional outburst of an anger. It helps channel the energy( which otherwise would be lost in aggressive emotions) into calm and positive energy. Energy saved is energy conserved. Benefits of Mouna (Speech)–   1. The practice develops will power to control speech and anger. 2. It controls tendencies of reactive and impulsive speech. 2. It establishes total control over emotions. This in itself is TRIUMPH. To develop Silence of Speech practice is easy and you choose your way. Start small would be my only advice.(Anywhere between 30 mins to an hour). 1. Sit in silence. Turn your gadgets and organ of speech off. (in cases of urgency you are allowed to write or email but avoid. thats still a mind distraction).  2. Observe the tendencies of thoughts. Recognise and acknowledge them all yet do not resist or fight any,good or bad ones. (Trust me on this).

The point being made is – Flow with the flow of the thoughts. Resistance is tremendously tiring. Eventually mind gives up to your WHITE FLAG of surrender. 

3. Acceptance - Like any other meditation, this is strong spiritual cleanser. If you planning it in regular doses, be mindful of cleansing effect.

Tiredness – Admit you been in battlefield with your mind, Rest well.

Sense of gloom followed by tears. Whatever comes up, let it. Discard the old and make space for new. Tears in meditation are a sign of spiritual cleansing.

May the light within guide you on your mouna path. 

[janhavie]

Where The Mind Is Without Fear by Ravindranath Tagore

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is free Where the world has not been broken up into fragments By narrow domestic walls Where words come out from the depth of truth Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit Where the mind is led forward by thee Into ever-widening thought and action Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.. Now The Digital Revolution Version -  Where the cyberspace is without fear and the head is held high,  Where knowledge is free without any subscription fee,  Where the sites are never been blocked,  By narrow domestic firewalls,  Where google search results come out of the depth of truth,  Where aimless browsing stretches its arms towards perfection,  Where the new emails has not lost its way,  Into the dreary desert sand of spam, Where eCommerce is led forward by thee,  Into ever-widening buying and selling,  Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my netizens awake.

[janhavie]

Silence

Speech needs company, silence needs solitude. Speech wants to conquer others, silence helps conquer oneself.

Speech makes friends or foes, silence befriends all. Speech demands respect, silence commands it.

Speech is earth-bound, silence is heaven-bound. Speech educates, silence exalts. Speech is subjective, silence objective.

Speech has regrets, silence none. Speech has limitations, silence is boundless. Speech needs effort, silence a lot more. Speech is human, Silence is Divine. While speaking you are heard by creatures, in silence you hear the creator. Silence leads to a stillness of the mind, then to introspection, then to self-cleansing, finally to liberation. By Smt. Dr. Prema Pandurang

[janhavie]

Tortoise Power

Kurma in Sanskrit means turtle/ tortoise. This amazing creature enjoys a special status in Hinduism for reasons below -

Lord Vishnu (The preserver deity) incarnated on earth as tortoise to save the drink of Immortality (Amrit) from falling into the hands of demons(Asuras) and restored the divine balance in universe. The event is churning of ocean and the story is called Sagar Manthan. 

In Bhagavat Gita, chapter 2, V-58 Shloka, Lord Krishna says -  “Whenever it encounters danger, the turtle protects itself by drawing its limbs and head inside its shell. After the danger passes, the turtle again extracts its limbs and head and continues on its way. The enlightened soul possesses similar control over the mind and senses and can retract and extract them according to the needs of the situation”.

Tortoise is yogic symbol of pratyahara and spiritual symbol of being antarmukhi (Inward bound with deeper sense of self).

Tortoise is placed in hindu temples. They appear at the entrance as a reminder to devotees and visitors to go inwards(symbolic).

Tortoise is capable of withstanding extreme danger / disturbances, and is  slow(To the level of annoyance), cautious, and focused. They protect themselves by withdrawing / pulling in. It’s practically impossible to knock the tortoise off centre.

Ancient yogis have aptly named asanas after the shapes and the qualities they observed in other lives and nature. Kurmasan/Tortoise pose in any variation is an opportunity to withdraw senses from external distractions, and attain the equilibrium physically, mentally and emotionally by going deep within.  The foundation to the practice of yoga is control of 5 senses(Sight, sound, taste, touch and smell).  Kurmasana is considered base to pratyahara practice, the place of contentment/surrender/acceptance. Pratyahara becomes our very own impenetrable tortoise shell. It brings forward more opportunities to tune into the guru within and take a journey into self discovery. Self-doubt evaporates as it restores divine balance and inner stability within. It helps to master both the body and the mind. By withdrawing senses, the intuitive mind awakens. Like a tortoise (Kurma) - 

Be patient, face the chaos yet be wise to know when to withdraw in order to survive. Find centre , bring balance into life regardless of external drama and circumstances.  Be with true Self, stay in eternal peace. Unperturbed. When required go slow - Nature does not hurry, it follows its own clock.

Ashtang yoga founder Pattabhi Jois says  Body is not stiff, mind is stiff. It took me relentless practice of nearly 2 years to fall comfortably into Kurmasana and now a firm believer in the quote that body follows the mind. 

Words of caution - 

The pose demands high level of flexibility of hips, shoulders and spine. Be gentle. Go slow. Lot of samskaras get wiped off on the way(Heavy heavy detox). Be mindful. Surrender.

Slow, steady tortoise wins the race. 

[janhavie]

They - the untamed

There exist places on the planet where the RIGHT OF WAY is to these quadruped beauties. (Freedom of movement) Somewhere in Mysore India, Long Ago. 

[janhavie]

Belly of the mind

When mommy tells a story - You listen. Simple.  Once upon a time a man went to The God in a very charged and angered mood to complain. A man -  Dear god, I am here to talk about your Injustice to mankind. The god – Injustice? How? (I am all ears – No, the god didn’t actually say this, but I wish HE did) 

A man – Injustice in comparison to goat. Look there (pointing to ruminating goat)

That goat enjoys eating food whole day and is all happy. The size of the stomach is much bigger than mine. Ma reiterates the size of the stomach part to inform audience of its central role in man’s complaint.

The god – What do you wish? (Notice the god speaks in short and crisp sentences, He is a man of few words) A man – I want to have the same size stomach as Goat’s?  He uses his hand to show the stomach diff to the god.

The God -  Agreed (the God indeed is a generous man), 

I promise to give you the same size stomach (to feed yourself more) as Goat’s on one condition. (Aha, the catch - the God is crafty too)

God’s condition – Feed the present size stomach first, come back in your time to let me know you managed it successfully and happily for yourself and your family. Tell me YOU ARE CONTENT and HAPPY. Your wish will be granted.

The story unfold the truth to a man - His Quest - being stuck in the cycle of Samsara, the kaalchakra (The wheel of life and death/dharma). The World is eternally HUNGRY and UNHAPPY. The belly of the mind is never full.  Not enough for the stomach(Food) or the mind(Entertainment).  And a man awaits his return to tell the God - His stomach is full. Story ends here. 

This short story has profound wisdom for those with understanding of Hinduism’s Samsara and Human bondage. The story is pivotal to the belief system of Warkari Sampraday in Maharastra, India. According to UN Food Programme - 815 million people, one in nine still go to bed on an empty stomach each night.  Not so important but necessary - 

The story uses the ancient unit of measurement Hands - For human stomach – Palm – Fingers stretched, Thumb nail to little finger nail, distance is between 12 -14 inches.The approx size of adult human stomach. For goat stomach – Hand – From Elbow to end of middle finger, upto 40 inches, apparently Goat stomach is 4 small combined into one big.

[janhavie]

Vedic Wisdom

Mahavakya = The Great saying / wisdom from the Upanishad. From Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - 

[janhavie]

The Nectar of Mystical Experience

"Two lutes: one note. Two flowers: one fragrance. Two lamps: one light. Two lips: one word. Two eyes: one sight. These two: one universe. In unity there is little to behold; So She, the mother of abundance, Brought forth the world as play. He takes the role of witness Out of love of watching her. But when her appearance is withdrawn, The role of witness is abandoned as well. Through her, He assumes the form of the universe; Without her, He is left naked." By Sant Jnanadev (12th century mystic) Full poem here

[janhavie]

Dial Ajna for master

The very famous old Indian saying in Hindi language - Guru ke bina gati nahi translates into one cannot progress without the master.   The Sanskrit word Gati has several meanings to it - Success, speed, happiness, movement, knowledge (gyan), liberation (moksha) - so the saying implies we can not attain much of this (gati) without the Guru. We have digressed very far from our OWN self, and being completely oblivious to the fact that every human being is born with the master. Lets us take this opportunity to remind ourselves of a super hero within us - an INVINCIBLE one ❤️.

It is for a reason when we are in pain/ distressed/ helplessly lost or in a state of confusion - The subconscious mind takes over and, we end up with hands on forehead, rubbing or stimulating our pineal gland/third eye. ( Dont we all do that ). We are dialling desperately to seek the guidance, help, direction. Our call to establish the connection with THE GURU within – Ajna Chakra. Ajna Chakra = Guru Tattva = Third Eye = Pineal Gland = Intuition = The Master

Ajna chakra is the chakra of the mind - Its Indigo coloured, located in brain directly behind the brow center and is associated with the element of light. It is our Guru Tattva - the divine principle in form of Intuition to lead us from darkness to light. Our capability to see from mind’s eye or visualise comes from here. Our two eyes see the physical world and balanced ajna chakra has the ability to see psychically (Divya Drishti)   Spiritually, Agna chakra reveals us the ultimate truth that the self and universe are one. It destroys negativity (Mind you – God doesnt like negativity 😊). Ardhanarishvara - The hindu deity is associated with ajna chakra and symbolises masculine(Shiva) and feminine(Shakti) unity.In physical body, it is  Ida and Pingala nadi’s union with sushumna nadi at ajna chakra. Pranayama and meditation can help balancing Ajna Chakra. The beej mantra is aum, chanting of this mantra help practitioner with the powers of intuition.

[janhavie]

Sore to the Core

Journey of a lifetime #Transformation began with an humble #Inversions ( 180° shift - Literally and figuratively).  Udana Rising.- Upward movement of prana ( Fire from Solar Plexus to Air of Heart).  Anahata Explosion.