One of the striking features of Bheeshma’s life was that he had the benediction to choose his time of death. One might feel that this was a blessing, which in fact it was. But the other side of it also meant that unlike others who have to wait for death irrespective of what happens in … Read more
Note Extracts from my reading of Vedanta-Sara by Adi Sankaracharya: Vedāntasāra is one of the best known epitomes (Prakaraṇa Granthas) of the philosophy of the Upaniṣads as taught by Śaṅkarācārya, whose followers are said to number the largest in India. Māyā and Avidyā are generally used synonymously, though Māyā is sometimes said to be the … Read more
Here are my notes (part 4) from Life’s Amazing Secrets: How to Find Balance and Purpose in Your Life by Gaur Gopal Das. WHEEL 4: SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION You can be completely selfish, completely selfless or any of the combinations in between. Life is a journey from being selfish to becoming selfless. ‘Act without expectation.’ There … Read more
At the Rajasooya Yagna of Yudhishthira, there was a ritual to provide arghya to start the sacrifice. What that meant was that someone deserving had to be chosen, whose feet the king would wash, among other things, as a mark of obeisance and respect. Bheeshma along with Sahadeva suggested that Krishna be that person, as … Read more
Notes Extracts from my reading of Drig-Drishya-Viveka by Sankaracharya The importance of Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka as an aid to the study of Vedānta has been well pointed out by the learned Swāmī Nikhilānanda in his introduction to this translation. The central theme of the work is that Brahman is realized through mystic or Yogic samādhi (concentration). After … Read more
Here are my notes (part 3) from Life’s Amazing Secrets: How to Find Balance and Purpose in Your Life by Gaur Gopal Das. WHEEL 3: WORK LIFE At work we tend to compare and compete with others, instead of comparing and competing with ourselves. ‘Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. … Read more
The fact of the matter was that with the three children still in their infancy, Bheeshma ruled the kingdom for all of those years by proxy. In the process, he expanded it beyond measure, so that when the sons of Vichitravirya came of age, they had a ready kingdom to rule over. The ruler by … Read more
Note Extracts from my reading of Aparokshanubhuti by Adi Sankaracharya: Such treatises as aim at serving as introductions to a more advanced study of a system of philosophy are generally known as ‘Prakarana Granthas’. Besides giving an outline of the system, each of them emphasizes some one or other of the main features. Aparokṣānubhūti is … Read more
Now if one were to think that things were fantastic in heaven so far, one may be forgiven to think that they get even more fantastic on earth. One would think all the effort that Bheeshma went through to get the three princesses for Vichitravirya and in the process, preordain his own death through the … Read more