Thai Poosam on January 29/ January 30, 2010

Thai Poosam is a festival dedicated in Honour of Lord Skanda - the Son of Lord Shiva. It is believed that Lord Skanda put an end to the atrocities of the demon Taarakaasura on this day with the Blessings of His Divine Parents - Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti.

Float-festival is observed in Madurai Meenaakshi -SundarEshwarar temple on this day; all major Muruga temples celebrate this festival in a grand manner.

Recital of mantras like Kanda Shashti kavacham, Kandar Anubhooti, Kandar Kali Vennbaa, Tirumurugaarruppadai, etc. will be very auspicious on this day. Even if you do not know any of these (these are all powerful Tamil Hymns and obviously persons who don't have Tamil as Mother Tongue may not be comfortable with these), you can recite "Om Skanda GuravE namah" "Om kumaaraaya namah" "Om DhandapaanayE namah" "Om satrusamhaaraaya namah" "Om shakti hastaaya namah" etc. that are His powerful names.

If you have inimical activity in your life and are feeling anxious and insecure, you may try worshipping Lord Skanda (lord Muruga) today. Even Saatwik persons may pray for overcoming enemies.....afterall, our greatest enemies are within ourselves - Fear, Pride, Arrogance, Lust, Illusion, etc.

Thai poosam is celebrated on January 30, 2010 in all countries, except for those living in the American continents (North and South America, carribeans, etc.). Those living in the United states should celebrate it on January 29, 2010 itself.

May our members utilize these spiritually significant days for Divine Contemplation and become recipients of Divine Grace which is our Real Wealth and which will NEVER suffer recessionary trends!

Blessed be.

Pandit R.DAKSHINAMOORTHI
Astrological and Remedial consultant
www.liveperson.com/pandit-dakshinamoorthi

dakshinastrologer@yahoo.co.in

Jaya Ekaadasi/ Bheeshma Ekaadasi on January 26, 2010

Dear Members:

The ekaadasi that falls in the bright half of the lunar month Maagha is called Jaya ekaadashi.

This auspicious fast falls on January 26, 2010 for all places on the earth except for those living in New Zealand and Fiji Islands. The fast is broken on January 27, 2010. Those living in New Zealand and Fiji Islands should fast on January 27, 2010, and break it on January 28, 2010.

Once in the celestial kingdom of Lord Indra, Maalyavaan the son of Lord Indra's Chief Musician - was enarmoured by the beauty of another celestial damsel Pushpavati, and in their infatuation for each other, they could not give their best while performing in His court. Lord Indra divined the reason and cursed both of them to wander as Pisachas for a long time in the Himalayan snows. They lost all their celestial powers and even basic discrimination of sense, touch, smell, and taste that is applicable to beings like us, and wandered without sleep, and food, in those fierce altitudes suffering indescribably from cold and fatigue. As luck would have it, they happened to pass a night in a cave sleeplessly on the Holy day of Jaya Ekaadashi. In their misery, they had ignored consuming even the little fruits/ vegetation available in those snowy heights and had thus inadvertently observed the Jaya Ekaadashi. When dawn broke, they were restored back to the Kingdom of Amaravati (of Lord Indra) who was astonished that they had overcome the effect of his powerful curse so soon! They explained that it was the power of Jaya Ekaadashi which they had observed inadvertently by the Grace of Lord Kesava in His Mercy that has restored them their former glory and celestial status.

Such is the glory of this Jaya Ekaadashi. This Jaya Ekaadashi helps us to overcome all "Paapa vaasanaas " (latent psychological complexes in our sub conscious which have taken root deep inside us due to the karma of evils we have done previously in our lives). These vaasanaas / psychological complexes are responsible for tempting us and leading us to further sins; those who can win over these paapa vaasanaas will be redeemed from the clutch of those complexes. Those complexes are at the root of all our sufferings, anxiety, and restlessness (we see evidence of much anxiety in the society now-a-days mainly because collectively we have more of persons with negative complexes, or paapa vaasanaas in the world today; there is much negative reinforcement - the negative complexes leading us to sin which further creates more "advanced" negative complexes. The Grace of Our Merciful Lord is the ONLY succour for our troubled souls suffering from the effects of kali. If we are free from the influence of our negative complexes (ghostly they are!), we are sure to lead happy and contented lives - no matter what events actually transpire in our mundane lives.

This Jaya Ekaadasi observance is the first step in overcoming those paapa vaasanaas!

Observance of this ekaadashi is believed to give merits equivalent to performance of Agnishtoma yagna, and a bath in all Holy Teerthas! [There are times when prashna charts indicate that performance of Agnishtoma will be good for a person's life; not all can perform AgnishtOma these days; but if such a person observes this Holy Jaya Ekaadashi fast with full faith in Lord Krishna's words as expounded to Yudhishtra where He has declared this merit, they will gain the punya equivalent to performance of AgnishtOmaa! Please remember that it is the mind that is the processor of punya and paapa; Faith creates miracles that are hard to prove! Those who have Faith are Blessed! Those who observe this Ekaadashi, please note....if someone asks you whether you have done AgnishtOmaa, say boldly "YES WE HAVE DONE IT!" You have the Blessed Lord Himself as your guarantor for this!]

This ekaadashi is also known as Bheeshma Ekaadasi in Honour of the Grand Sire of the Kuru Dynasty - Shri Bhiishmaachaarya who shed his mortal coil on Bheeshmaashtami day, and as this ekaadasi falls in the same paksha (fortnight) of His shedding the Mortal Coil by Iccha Mrityu (voluntary shedding of human body with full intent - a rare feat that is possible for Mahaa Yogis), this ekaadasi has been named on Him after the Mahaabharata period. There are some who erraneously think that the Grand Sire actually died on this day - which is wrong. Mahabharata clearly mentions that He voluntary gave up His physical body on Bheeshmaashtami day - i.e. 3 lunar phases earlier!

Another interesting observance in this connection is Varaaha Dwaadasi - observed on the day after this Ekaadasi - the day of appearance of Our Lord in His Form of Wild Boar (Varaaha) to rescue the Earth from the clutches of the demon Hiranyaaksha who had Earth submerged in the Cosmic Ocean. It is for this reason that this ekaadasi is also known as Bhoumi ekaadasi.

So, it will be a good idea to meditate on Lord Varaaha when we fast on this ekaadasi day. Worship of Lord Varaaha gives good luck in land transactions - and also for unmarried persons, it can remove the obstacles to settlement of marriage. Visit to Nithya Kalyaana Perumaal at Tiruvidanthai - near Mahabalipuram on East Coast Road could be a good austerity that can be done either on this Ekaadasi or the next day of Varaaha Dwaadasi, for those who wish to offer special prayers to ensure speedy settlement of marriage with a suitable spouse.

May our members observe this fast to the best of their abilities and become recipients of Divine Grace.

Blessed be.

Pandit R.DAKSHINAMOORTHI

www.live-person.com/pandit-dakshinamoorthi

Astrological and Remedial consultant
dakshinastrologer@yahoo.co.in

Vasanta Panchami on January 20, 2010

Dear Members:

The auspicious Vasant Panchami festival falls on January 20, 2010 this year (it is to be observed on the same date throughout the globe except by those living in New Zealand; they have to observe this on January 21, 2010).

This is considered to be the birthday of Goddess Saraswathy - the Goddess of Learning. So, special poojas are offered in Honour of Goddess Saraswathy on this day, and this is one of the most auspicious dates to begin new courses of study, for initiation into musical arts, and for launching new books/ literary works.

Recital of Saraswathy Sahasranaamam, Saraswathi kavacham, etc. are auspicious on this day. Those who cannot recite these can merely chant "Om Aim saraswathyai sarva shaastra swaroopinyai namO namah" as many times as possible.

It is traditional to offer yellow coloured food items (like laddus or rice flavoured with saffron to make it yellow or lemon rice) to the Goddess on this day.

Those who are appearing for exams also traditionally keep the pens or other writing materials they are likely to use for those exams in pooja today to invoke the Grace of the Goddess of Learning.

It is a sad commentary of our times that all inventions that have been made to make our lives easier have actually been abused by humans to an extent that the whole environmental balance is threatened - misuse of internet facilities by teens that spoils their mindset, indiscriminate use of plastics that is suffocating the flora and fauna of nature (almost all nature-trekking spots bear the brunt of indiscriminate plastic litters - spoiling the beauty of the places and worse - threatening the very ecological balance of those virgin bounties of nature). Such abuse is basically due to ignorance and lack of appreciation of the extent of damage we are all using. In fact, any person who selfishly abuses nature does so out of ignorance - without realizing that by abusing nature we are abusing our own future and are threatening the healthy existence of our future generations.

The willingness to endure minor inconveniences for the sake of a better living condition for everyone can come only through Intrinsic Intelligence and unsullied Wisdom. Real wise people will ensure that their own lives will be comfortable without imposing severe costs on others!

May the Goddess of Learning kindle our intellect and may the Light of Wisdom dispel the dark forces of ignorance all round the world and pave the way for a better life for everyone.

Blessed be.
Pandit R. DAKSHINAMOORTHI.