Divine Mantra for Success - यत्र योगेश्वर: कृष्णो...

The whole essence of Shrimadbhagwad Gita has been summarized in the Verse 78 (the last verse) of Chapter 18, Sanyas Yoga where Sanjay, the minister and charioteer of the blind King Dhritarashtra, who had been gifted by Vyasa with the power of divine sight by which he could see from afar the battlefield of Kurukshetra and report the events taking place to the king. In this verse, Sanjay says to the King Dhritarashtra; 

यत्र योगेश्वर: कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धर: |
तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम || 78||

yatra yogeśhvaraḥ kṛiṣhṇo yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ
tatra śhrīr vijayo bhūtir dhruvā nītir matir mama

Meaning in Hindi,

हे राजन! जहाँ योगेश्वर भगवान श्रीकृष्ण हैं और जहाँ गाण्डीव-धनुषधारी अर्जुन है, वहीं पर श्री, विजय, विभूति और अचल नीति है- ऐसा मेरा मत है॥78॥

Meaning in English,

Wherever there is Kṛishṇa, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality.

Arjuna with Lord Krishna

The Bhagwad Gita began with the inner sense driven curiosity and enquiry of the blind king Dritarashtra who asked his minister and charioteer, Sanjay, who was blessed with the divine vision to look beyond infinite distances and realize the activities and event taking place, about the war taking place at the battlefield of Kurukshetra between his sons, Kauravas and his his brother Pandu’s sons, Pandavas. Dhritarashtra was hopeful of victory of his sons who were assisted by mighty warriors like Bhishma Pitamah, Karna, Dronacharya and many friendly kings lead by his son, Durydhana. However, powered with great intuitive capabilities, Sanjay said to Dhritarashtra that though he was thinking of victory, but he had a different opinion. Sanjay said that the side which has Lord Krishna Himself as a guide and charioteer to the great archer Arjuna is bound to have brillient fortune and certain victory in the battle, the “dharma yuddh”.

The essence of the Gita in this verse is summarized by Sanjay through his divine vision that wherever there is a devotee like Arjuna who though initially displays his weaker side and oscillating, is still ready to free himself by renunciation and by slaying his would be captors, the sense pleasures, with the bow of self control and who is able to unite his soul with the omnipresent Spirit, as manifested in Lord Krishna, the master of Yoga; that such a devotee is bound to find the everlasting riches and victory over all matter. As long as the devotee is guided and assisted by all powerful Lord himself, there will always be unending spiritual attainment, miraculous powers, beauty, eternal joy, liberation, great morality and victory over the evil forces within or outside.

This is an eternal truth. The devotee in all ages should arm himself/herself with the intuitive guide and charioteer within, the Lord Krishna, the soul’s discriminative faculties whenever he sets out to embark on a battle against the evil and blind sense soldiers. No force on the earth can stop him/her to achieve the victory, extraordinary power, and morality in the righteous battle when the Lord himself is his guide and charioteer.

From the modern day view point, we can view the last verse as a message to humanity that howsoever you may be doing hard work, howsoever be sincere your journey for achieving your desired objective, you can never achieve victory if you are not on the right side of the path. You may achieve temporary success, temporary pleasure and temporary powers to dominate the world but your success, your pleasures and your powers will be transitory and would be sooner or later eclipsed, if they are not based on the strong foundation of greatest inner faith in the righteous actions, dharma (dutiful actions) and the guidance & grace of Supreme spirit, the Lord of Lords.  

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज - The Last Refuge!

I quote here the Verse 66 of Chapter 18, Sanyas Yoga (Yoga of Renunciation) from Bhagwad Gita which shows the mankind a divide path for liberation from worldly conflicts, sorrow and grief to realize eternal peace and joy.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।

अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुच: ।।66।।

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja 

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ II66II

सम्पूर्ण धर्मों को अर्थात् सम्पूर्ण कर्तव्य कर्मों को मुझमें त्याग कर तू केवल एक मुझ सर्वशक्तिमान, सर्वाधार परमेश्वर की ही शरण में आ जा। मैं तुझे सम्पूर्ण पापों से मुक्त कर दूँगा, तू शोक मत कर ।।

Resigning all your duties to Me, the all-powerful and all-supporting Lord, take refuge' in Me alone. I shall absolve you of all sins, worry not.

Arjuna surrenders to Lord Krishna

The above verse in Shrimadbhagavad Gita has a special place in today's chaotic world where one is bewildered in the struggle for winning the daily race for survival against all odds and against fellow travelers running the same race on this planet earth. The polity of the nations also faces the same dilemma and run through the similar race for one upmanship. In order to survive in this jungle, everybody and every nation are fighting their own battles and in the process, are totally disconnected with and are unconcerned about the fellow citizens of the world. Many times, these battles are given religious cover ups and those who oppose, are severely punished. Even mass murders and catastrophic destruction of lives and property are justified in the name of such false notions. These battles are not "Dharma Yuddh", the Holy Wars but are madness of the corrupt minds. No religion can claim to be a true religion if it justifies heinous crime against humanity, whatever may be the cause. The true religion can be one and only one that is Manav Dharma (Religion of human beings) which allows other opinions and faiths to co-exist and grow. A rational mind will accept that there cannot be separate Gods for different sects and race. The concept of God is that it is all powerful, the supreme creator and sustainer of the universe, you, me and everyone. There cannot be multiple powerful Gods, creating and sustaining different set of people, geographical regions, religious sects and different races of the world. Even the animals, plants, rivers and mountains are the creation of the same one God. Indian dogs, birds or lions and American dogs, birds or lions do not have their own dog Gods, bird Gods or lion Gods depending on their regional identities or class. A dog is dog, a bird is bird, a lion is a lion; they are not Hindu lions or Muslim Lions or Christian lions. We, the human beings have given different names to our Gods based on our own religious beliefs, upbringing and cultural identities. However, as a matter of facts; you can give any name to the God, which is in essence, shall still remain nameless, colorless and classless. Behind the philosophy of different Gods in different religions, there has to be unity of all faiths, different concepts of Gods and religion as the entire humanity is a world family. People of different faiths may accept this truth of oneness of all Gods and religions but still they fight the vain battle for their own selfish motives. While fighting these mindless battles, no one remembers that he or she is not a permanent resident of this planet and neither is going to take his/her  worldly possessions, powers, positions and properties along with him/her while departing into nothingness. Even nobody is aware when the ego possessed and self loved life can be snatched at the hands of destiny at any moment, which can be the very next one. What is remedy left under such chaotic situations? The above verse 66 of the Gita offers the only solution to silent the chaos of mindlessness and settles the confusion prevalent everywhere. 

In the war of Mahabharata, Arjuna after seeing the array of opposite forces lined up, lead by Duryodhan, Bhishm Pitamah, Guru Dronacharya and numerous kinsmen, relatives and kings against whom he has to fight the war, was deeply saddened by the very thought that in order to win the war, he has to kill all these his own people. He surrenders his arms and tells his Guru, friend and Charioteer Lord Krishna that he is not interested in any kingdom for which he has to kill his own relatives. Krishna leads Arjuna to fight the holy battle, dharma yuddh which is the duty of a warrior and the divine dialogue takes palce between Krishna and Arjuna at the battlefield leading to the creation of epic Shrimadbhagavad Gita, an immortal spiritual guide to mankind to fall back, whenever confusion and chaos set in the minds. The esoteric message of Gita is that God is everything. The Gita dialogues celebrate the discovery of the Absolute, Spirit beyond creation as well as a hidden Essence of manifestation. Bhagwan Krishna reveals the divine spiritual truth to Arjuna to perform his selfless duties well and leave the fruits to the God as a true renunciate, sanyasi. Lord Krishna even favors Arjuna to reveal his Vishwa Rupa, the immortal all encompassing universal form to convince him that the Lord Krishna, Himself is the creator, sustainer and dissolver of the infinite universe. Arjuna filled with great awe and wonder, surrenders to the Lord and requests Him to come back to His human form again. After removing all doubts in the mind of Arjuna, Bhagwan Krishna concludes as a final advise to Arjuna to forsake all other duties (dharma) and take eternal shelter in Him, the Lord of Lords. The Lord promises Arjuna that by doing so, he will be liberated from all the grief and worries. Bhagwan Krishna further says that no duties can be performed without the powers borrowed from Him for He is the creator and sustainer of all lives. More important than one's worldly duties is the engagement with the God; because at any time the God can recall human beings from this earth, cancelling all other duties and actions.

This is most important and supreme spiritual message to confused and bewildered minds of the today's mankind and nations to follow the concluding message of Gita's 66^th verse in chapter 18, Sanyas Yoga to perform all duties, keeping the mind singularly focused on the Supreme God, the creator & sustainer of the universe. Do not inflict any injury or kill fellow occupant of this planet earth for any selfish motives as the very act of violence against a fellow occupant will be the violence against the creator Himself. The eternal and principle message of the Gita to the humanities at all times is to stop any madness of mass killings and heinous acts of terror and destruction in the name of any false notions as such acts are against the God and won't go unpunished for long. Nobody can deny the fact that the divine principle of cause and effect is continuously in operation behind every act, good or bad and is going to produce its fruits at a the time of reckoning.

And let us not forget, we, the people on this globe are “ONE WORLD FAMILY – VASUDHEVA KUTUMBAKAM.”

Happy New Year, Vikram Samvat 2074

Gudi Padwa celebraion in Maharashtra

Today is the Hindu New Year Day of Vikram Samvat 2074 in India and is celebrated as a New Years bt Hindu communities across the globe in various forms. I wish the readers a very Happy New Year and pray to the supreme Lord to bless you all and the world community with peace, harmony, love and joy.

India celebrates different New Year dates pertaining to different communities in Hindu religion. The most important among them is the Vikram Samvat which is officially the Hindu New Year. It is celebrated in different way in different Hindu communities, like Maharashtrians celebrate it as Gudi Padwa, by Sindhis as Cheti Chand, Kashmiris as Navreh and Ugadi in the state of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

The Hindu New Year falls on the first day after the new moon day in the first month of the lunar calendar, Chaitra. The New Year is celebrated widely in North India and East India and the religious rituals are observed in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, New Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkand, Himachal Pradesh, etc. Vikram Samvat Nav Varsh is celebrated as Bikram Sambat (Hindu New Year) in Nepal also.

According to Bramha Purana, Lord Brahma created the universe on this day and it is considered the most auspicious day. Gudi means Brahma’s flag and Padwa means the first day after new moon day, Amavashya. Gudi is worshipped 5-10 minutes after the sunrise which is supposed to bring the new universal consciousness and peace among the worshipers.  

The Hindu Calender is named after King Vikramaditya of Ujjain. The day is marked as a victory day of King Vikramaditya over Sakas who invaded Ujjain. The Hindu calendar is an amalgam of Solar and Lunar reckonings and is conceived as Luni-Solar calendar as followed by Hindus.

Wish you a very Happy New Year once again.

Soham ( सोहम् )...I Am That.... I and the Father are one

In verse 62, Chaper 18, Sanyas Yoga,  of Shrimadbhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to seek shelter in the the God to attain eternal peace , while in verse 65 of the same chapter of Gita, Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to surrender the self to the Lord Himself. This  conveys a deeper meaning that the "Self" should absorb in the God within the "Self" to attain the eternal peace & jeevan mukti (liberation). These verses are;

तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत |
तत्प्रसादात्परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम् || 62||

Meaning - O' Descendents of Bharat, Surrender exclusively unto him with your whole being. By his grace, you will attain perfect peace and the eternal abode.

मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु |
मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे || 65||

Meaning - Always think of me, absorb in me, become my  devotee; worship me, and offer obeisance to me. Doing so, you will certainly come to me. This is my pledge to you, for you are very dear to me.

The word "me" has two meanings here; one is the "Supreme Lord, Bhagwan Krishna Himself" and the other is the "Self' within every seeker.

These verses appear to be conveying different messages, first to surrender the self to the God and later to surrender to the Self. However, the two messages have no contradiction but both the messages convey  unity leading to emancipation of the self by realizing the Lord within the self.

The deeper metaphysical meaning of the verse 65 is entwined with the spiritual interpretation of verse 62 wherein Lord Krishna asks Arjuna to take shelter in God remembering Him. In verse 62, Arjuna is advised to concentrate on God as cosmic spirit while in verse 65 he is exhorted to concentrate on God as "Myself" or the "Self".

The God as the spirit is the origin and end of all beings which is indeed the ultimate knowledge. However, the knowledge of God is possible only when the devotee realises first the "Self", wherein and outside, the same spirit is present. By meditating deeply on the Lord, leaving the ego consciousness, the devotee realises the Lord within the self. The same truth is pronounced by the word "Soham" (I am He, I am That) in the vedic scripture which says that the I, the soul is the same as that the all powerful, omnipotent, omniscient Spirit. The same truth was also voiced by Jesus when he said; "... Believe me that I am the Father, and the Father in me." Jesus further said that "I and the Father are one"; meaning the same Lord is present within me.

The essence of Gita, the vedic scripture "Soham" and that of Bible are thus conveying unity and are unifying the eternal truth that all existence in the universe and the self within each one of us is the Supreme Spirit, the Lord.

And thus for liberation of the Soul, one has to put the God first always in life to receive His liberating grace and eternal bliss.

Om Tat Sat

मरता हुआ देश का अन्नदाता

तमिलनाडु के किसान दिल्ली में अपनी पीड़ा व्यक्त कर रहे है। अधिक कुछ लिखने या कहने की जरूरत नही है। इनके गले में लटके ये नरमुंड स्वयं अपनी कहानी बयां करते है।

यह हाल जमीनी जल स्तर की कमी से हुआ है। यह समस्या केवल तमिलनाडु की ही नही है बल्कि भारत के कई हिस्सों में आम है।समय की मांग रेन वाटर हारवेस्टिंग की योजनाएं बड़े पैमाने पर कार्यान्वित करने की है। बारीस के पानी को व्यर्थ बरबाद होने से बचाकर ग्राउंड वाटर रिचार्जिंग करना अनिवार्य हो गया है।

 इन किसनों की पीड़ा समझने वाला कोई नही है। पूर्व प्रधान मंत्री लाल बहादुर शास्त्री द्वारा दिया हुआ नारा "जय जवान जय किसान" आज बेमानी हो गया है।

चित्रों में दिख रहे ये नर मुंड इन किसानों के दिवगंत किसान साथियों के है जिन्होंने गरीबी के कारण आत्महत्या की है।

मानवता को शर्मिंदा करने वाली ये तस्वीर बहुत कुछ प्रश्न उठा रही है। किसानों के लिए न ही कोई मंहगाई भत्ता बढ़ता है, न ही कोई पे कमीशन बैठता है और न ही कोई पेंशन होती है । स्वयं अपना पेट भरने के प्रयत्न करते रहते है और अनायास ही देश के लिए अन्नदाता बन जाते है। देश का पेट भरने वाले फिर भी भूखे रहते है, आत्म हत्या करते है और हम जैसों के लिए कोई चिन्ता और शर्मींदगी के कोई विषय नही होते।

मानवता की ये कितनी कठोर परीक्षा है?

Chhatrapati Shivaji, a True Secular Leader

Chhatrapati Shivaji

Who does not know the legendary Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji who had successfully established his kingdom in western India when the country was under the reeling under Mughal invasion in seventeenth century? Shivaji was a true son of India who untiringly fought against the Mughal invaders to establish self rule. His patriotism, heroic adventures, warfare tactics and leadership qualities can be gauged from the following three quotes of the great Hindu monk, philosopher, yogi and spiritual leader, Swami Vivekananda who said; 

1. “He was a great king, reflecting true loyalty to India. He gave shape to future generations of Indians. He had a dream of uniting the kingdoms of India into Akhanda Bharat ”

2. “Shivaji was the greatest Hindu king that India had produced within the last thousand years; one who was the very incarnation of lord Siva, about whom prophecies were given out long before he was born; and his advent was eagerly expected by all the great souls and saints of Maharashtra as the deliverer of the Hindus from the hands of the Mlecchas, and as one who succeeded in the reestablishment of Dharma which had been trampled underfoot by the depredations of the devastating hordes of the Moghals”.

3. “Shivaji was one of the greatest national saviors who emancipated our society and our Dharma when they were faced with the threat of total destruction. He was a peerless hero, a pious and God-fearing king and verily a manifestation of all the virtues of a born leader of men described in our ancient scriptures. He also embodied the deathless spirit of our land and stood as the light of hope for our future”.

Chhatrapati Shivaji was born on 19th February, 1630 at Shivneri, near Junnar, Pune in a Maratha family. His father’s name was Shahaji Bhonsle and mother was Jijabai. His mother was a pious lady who made a great impact on his life. He was brought up in a religious atmosphere at home. His mother taught him stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata and religious teachings of Indian saints. In childhood he was taught lessons in warfare, archery and horse riding by his grandfather, an able administrator Dadoji Kondeo. Shivaji was married to Saibai Nikalkar on 14th May1640 at Pune's Lal Mahal.

Shivaji was a practical man and was well aware of prevalent social consciousness and religious & cultural fabric of the society. He was a great protector of Hindu dharma and was against cow slaughters.  As a protector of Hindu dharma, he constantly fought against Mughal sultans as he was well aware of the atrocities and crimes being committed by Mughal against native Hindus. Shivaji never wanted to be subjugated by Mughal Kings though at sometimes strategically, he halted his moves against them and waited for opportunities to come, to rise again. Shivaji was successful in establishing his rule in many states like Javli, Kinnar, Konkan, Kalyani etc. After capturing the states of Pratapgarh and Raigarhdurg, he declared Raigarh as the capital of his Maratha Kingdom.

Shivaji was greatly influenced by Saint Ramdas and Saint Tukaram. Saint Ramdas was his spiritual guru who inculcated in him deep sense of patriotism and liberation of his country from Mughal  invaders. The incidences of Shivaji's encounter with the General of Bijapur sultanate, Afzal Khan where Afzal Khan was paid in his own coin & got killed, his conquest of Bijapur sultanate and his adventurous escape from the captivity of Aurangzeb from Agra fort in a fruit basket are well known facts in the history. Shivaji was a successful strategist, planner, excellent leader and executor. He never allowed his enemies to unite and challenge him.

Now let us come to a hypothetical question about Shivaji. What if a person like Chhatrapati Shivaji lived today? Would he be a successful leader against the pseudo secular forces operating within the country? The question is very intriguing as in today's time, if one talks of Hindu unity, protection of cows, and protection of Hindu dharma, he is branded as a communal. In today’s time, majority of the leaders, including those from the grand old Congress party portrays themselves as the champions of minority communities, especially the Muslims and seek their votes during elections. They divide society in the  caste and community based sects and segments in the name of falsehood of secular politics. Even some senior leaders say that the first right on Indian assets is of that of Muslims. But on similar lines, no one can talk about simple welfare measures of Hindu community as such people would be immediately branded as communal. The constant provocation by these pseudo secular political parties to seek minority votes just to win elections and remain in power in post independence India has given rise to Hindu reactionary forces who also tries to polarize the society on communal lines. Shivaji would have never allowed it. Though he fought politically against Mughal invaders but per se, he was never against Muslim community. Shivaji, despite being a devoted Hindu, he showed great respect to all religions, including Islam and Christianity, and was unbiased towards other castes and communities. He believed in peaceful co-existence of all communities and faiths in his kingdom. Shivaji also believed in the merit and qualification of his people and promoted common men accordingly. Though majority of key positions in the governance were assigned to Hindus, but they included number of Muslims too. His policies promoted welfare of common people irrespective of his religion and caste. In Shivaji’s time, Indian education and Sanskrit language were well promoted. Shivaji also allowed his subjects full freedom of religion and he opposed any forceful religious conversion. After a conquest, Shivaji would see that the Muslim mosques and tombs were protected and taken care. Shivaji had his few most trusted generals in Haider Ali Kohari, Ibrahim Khan, Siddi Ibrahim and Daulat Khan.

Thus Shivaji, a true secular leader, who could see all religions and people of all faiths with the same eye, could have been certainly a successful leader in today’s time too. He would have successfully shown the pseudo secular politicians their due place in politics and would have never allowed the politics of India to be ruined on communal lines.

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ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति ।
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारुढानि मायया ॥

भगवान कृष्ण गीता श्लोक 61, अध्याय 18, सन्यास योग में कहते , हे अर्जुन ! ईश्वर और उसकी अनन्त शक्तियाँ सभी प्राणियों के ह्रदय में समान रूप में विराजमान है । शरीररुप यंत्र पर आरुढ हुए सब प्राणियों को, अपनी माया के ज़रीये, हरेक के कर्मों के मुताबिक, वह घूमाता रहता है  और उसी के द्वारा उसे मुक्ति पभी प्रदान करता है।

उक्त कथन हर युग, हर धर्म में शाश्वत है और सभी धर्मो का सार भी है। फिर हम हम मानव रुपी यंत्र किसी दुसरे मानव रूपी यंत्र को अपना स्वार्थ सिद्ध करने के लिए कैसे नुकसान पहुंचा सकते है? क्या ऐसा करना स्वयं ईश्वर को नुकसान पहुंचाना नही है? यह शाश्वत सत्य मानव को कब समझ में आएगा? कौन सा धर्म ऐसी अनुमति देता है? यदि कोई धर्म ऐसा कहता है तो वह एक सच्चा धर्म नही हो सकता। धर्म वही है जो हर समय और युग की कसौटी पर खरा उतरे। फिर भी उन्माद से भरे कुछ लोग जघन्य आतंक और हत्याएं करने से नही चुकते। विश्व में घटित कई क्रूर आतंकी  हमले इस बात की पुष्टि करते है। कुछ उदाहरण नीचे दिए जा रहे है जो अपने आप में विभत्स और घिनौने मस्तिष्क के द्योतक है। कल लंदन की संसद पर जो हमला हुआ वह निंदनीय है और दिखाता है कि आतंकवाद की श्रंखला रुकने का नाम नही ले रही है।

ब्रितानी संसद में एक संदिग्ध हमलावर ने पुलिसवाले पर चाकू से हमला किया जिसमें पुलिस वाले की मौत हो गई। वेस्टमिंस्टर ब्रिज पर एक कार ने कई लोगों को टक्कर मारी जिसमें एक महिला की मौत।

13 दिसंबर 2001 को पांच आतंकवादियों ने भारतीय संसद पर हमला किया। आठ सिपाही शहीद हुए।

9 सितंबर 2001 के दिन न्यूयॉर्क की नाक कही जाने वाली इमारत वर्ल्ड ट्रेड सेंटर पर आतंकी हमला।करीब 3000 लोग मारे गए।

26 नवंबर 2008 की शाम को मुंबई में आतंकी हमला। 166 लोग मारे गए।
.........ऐसे अनगिनत उदाहरण है.

आतंक के इस घिनौने चेहरे को विश्व पटल से पूर्ण रूप से हटाने के लिए संपूर्ण विश्व को एक होने की जरूरत है। विश्व के समस्त राजनेता और जनता को आपसी मतभेद भूलाकर मानवता की रक्षा के लिए एक श्वर में आवाज उठाने की जरूरत है।

पुनः मानव धर्म स्पापित करने की जरूरत है। समय चक्र के इस निम्नतर स्तर से मुक्ति पाने की जरूरत है।

God is not found in Temples

Sudhir Phadke

The Marathi devotional song "Deva devhar‍yata nahi, deva nahi devalayi" which poetically illustrates the presence of the supreme Lord within, not in the temples and pilgrimages, is beautifully rendered  by Sudhir Phadke, an accomplished Marathi singer and composer. This song was eloquently penned by Gajanan Digambar Madgulkar, a poet, lyricist, writer and actor (popularly known as Ga Di Ma in Maharashtra). Ga Di Ma also has the credit for re-writing the Indian epic Ramayana in a poetic form called " Geet Ramayana"  to which again Sudhir Phadke had given his immortal voice.

The song "Deva devhar‍yata nahi, deva nahi devalayi" beautifully conveys the universal divine message that the God is everywhere and eminent in everything. The song in Marathi with its English translation is given below;

देव देव्हार्यात नाही, देव नाही देवालयी
देव देव्हार्यात नाही, देव नाही देवालयी
देव चोरुन नेईल, अशी कोणाची पुण्याई
देव देव्हार्यात नाही, देव नाही देवालयी

देव अंतरात नांदे, देव दाही दिशी कोंदे
देव आभाळी सागरी, देव आहे चराचरी
देव शोधूनिया पाही, देव सर्वाभूतां ठायी
देव देव्हार्यात नाही, देव नाही देवालयी

देव मूर्तीत ना मावे, तीथर्क्षेत्रात ना दावे
देव आपणात आहे, शीर झुकवोनिया पाहे
तुझ्या माझ्या जड देही देव भरुनिया राही
देव देव्हार्यात नाही, देव नाही देवालयी

देव स्वये जगन्नाथ, देव अगाध अनंत
देव सगुण, निर्गुण, देव विश्वाचे कारण
काळ येई, काळ जाई, देव आहे तैसा राही
देव देव्हार्यात नाही, देव नाही देवालयी

Transliteration

deva devhar‍yata nahi, deva nahi devalayi
deva devhar‍yata nahi, deva nahi devalayi
deva choruna neila asi konaci punyai
deva devhar‍yata nahi, deva nahi devalayi

deva antarata nande, deva dahi disi konde
deva abhali sagari, deva ahe charachari
deva sodhuniya pahi, deva sarvabhutam thayi
deva devhar‍yata nahi, deva nahi devalayi

deva murtita na mave, tirthaksetrata na dave
deva apanata ahe, sira jhukavoniya pahe
tujhyamajhya jada dehi deva bharuniya rahi
deva devhar‍yata nahi, deva nahi devalayi

deva svaye jagan‍natha, deva agadha ananta
deva saguna, nirguna, deva visvache karana
kala yei,  kala jaai, deva ahe taisa rahi
deva devhar‍yata nahi, deva nahi devalayi

Translation

The God doesn't reside in a place of worship neither He does in a temple
The God doesn't reside in a place of worship neither He does in a temple
Who can steal the God, who has such saintliness to
The God doesn't reside in a place of worship neither He does in a temple

God resides inside us, God is spread in all the ten directions
God is in the sky, God is in the sea
When I search God, God is present everywhere in the universe.
The God doesn't reside in a place of worship neither He does in a temple

The God doesn't fit in the idol, neither He is seen in the places of pilgrimages
God is inside us, lower the head and see Him
Yours and mine physical bodies are pervaded with God
The God doesn't reside in a place of worship neither He does in a temple

The God is Supreme Lord, the God is limitless & infinite
God is manifested and un-manifested, is the cause of the universe
Time comes & goes, God is a traveler like it.
The God doesn't reside in a place of worship neither He does in a temple

The reason for choosing this song here is its grand and divine message to the mankind in very simple form that "Everything is God and nothing can exist without God". The whole philosophy of God is summed up in few lines by Ga Di Ma. In Bhagwad Gita, Bhagwan Krishna says that I am the cause of everything, manifested or un-manifested, in this universe. The God is the universal force that is basis for all creation. The God is limitless, infinite, all pervading, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, the essence of all the wondrous physical and spiritual existence. He is within you, within me and is pervading in the whole prakrati, the nature. The same truth about the presence of God in all human is also beautifully captured in Chandogya Upanishad by the words "Tat Team Asi' (Thou are That), the self in each person is not different from the Godhead. The pervasive nature of the supreme Lord implies unity of all existence. In the Shloka (verse) 8 under Chapter 10 of Bhagwad Gita, Bhagwan Krishna also says; 

अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्त: सर्वं प्रवर्तते |

इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां बुधा भावसमन्विता: || 8||

Meaning - I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds.  Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.

The song conveys the central message of Gita that God is in everything. He can be found present equally within us, He pervades all the directions, universe, the sky, the seas and everything, and can be realised if we explore and attempt to reach Him. The God is not found by worshiping an idol; neither He roams in the places of pilgrimages. But if one looks for Him with full sincerity, honesty and devotion, He can be found within the self. He is present within your and mine physical bodies. The song further leads to the truth that the God is the Supreme, almighty, limitless, infinite. The God is both "Sagun and Nirguna" - the manifested and un-manifested and is the real cause of the universe. He is always there in the time cycle. The God, the Timeless comes and goes like the time on the time cycle. Therefore, one must always put his/her supreme trust on the all supreme Lord and pray to him, not in the temples but the temple within.

Music lovers can listen to the beautiful song in the attached video.

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