Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 2 chapter 6 - ' Brahmam is the cause for the existence of the World ' and ' A visit to 'Big - Bang' theory & ' God-Particle '.

P.Natarajan.

( Source: Velukkudi Sri. Sri. Krishnan Swamy's writings in recent Tamil weekly Tuglak  - This would serve the limited purpose to read this chapter of Sacred Srimad Bhagavatham by those who don't know to read Tamil or don't get access to the related recent issues of the  Tamil weekly magazine 'Tuglak')

Vedas proclaim that meditating upon Brahmam which is the cause for this world will assure a smooth passage for mukti.

Veda Vyasa, son of Parasara had authored a book in the name ' Brahma Sutra ' highlighting various vedic doctrines. He asserts by means of different 'suktas' in Brahma Sutra that  it is Brahmam which is the cause for the existence of this world. We shall now entertain the grey areas, objections that arise from the book in question.

When it comes to an argument, the Pandits  try to convince the topic in two different ways. For instance 'A' says : " Sri Rama is an exponent in archery."  'B' may object:- " I don't concur with this. Sri Rama is not an exponent in that art ". 'A' puts forth in different ways the logic and proves his statement.  Such a debate gets a name in Sanskrit as ' Ayoga Vyavachetam '. The statement carried an implicit doubt whether Sri Rama possessed the skill in archery which 'A' asserted in the affirmative.

The Statement gives scope for interpreting that Sri Rama may be an expert but there were other experts like Arjuna or Karna in the same art.'A' may argue :- " No ...No ..Sri Rama is an expert - Sri Rama alone is the exponent..".  This type of debate is known by the name ' Anyayoga Vyavachetam'. We have seen two ways of arguing:- (1) 'Sri Rama is an exponent' (2) Sri Rama alone is the exponent. Let us now go back to our main topic.

Brahmam or Paramatma is the cause for the World. The statement carries a suspicion inherent in it, whether Brahmam possesses any characteristic element in it or capability to create the world. The objection can be overruled by repeated assertions in favor of Brahmam. There can arise another derivative statement :-  'may be Brahmam is responsible but there could be other agents involved along with Brahmam like 'prakrit, atoms even jeevatma and so on.'  We have to rebut in an assertive manner that Brahmam or Paramatma alone is the cause. Veda Vyasa had argued in similar lines in his book 'Brahma Sutra' to highlight it is Brahmam alone which is the cause for the creation of the World.  Once we become clear about these two types of  debates that are likely to come up but still get convinced that it is Brahmam and Brahmam alone is the cause, we will not divert our belief from Brahmam and  listen to any other version. Great Rishis, Alwars and Acharyas held a strong conviction that It is Brahmam or Paramatma alone who is the cause and never swayed in their faith.

A common man may think that scientists prove their postulates  by conducting experiments in the fields where as religious leaders do not venture in that direction. They make statements, write theses, perform 'Hari-katha ' or 'upanyas' . Are these sufficient?  These doubts may arise in the mind of a common man only whereas a true Scientist would look at the facts and think deeply in line with the actual happenings.

How was man born? How was the world  created? -  We often hear that man is an extension of monkey. 

The Big Bang theory is a cosmological model that explains early development of the Universe. The Universe was once an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. Rapid expansion  also caused the Universe to cool and resulted in the present expanding state. The age of the Universe which is cosmologically homogeneous and isotropic  is reckoned with the happening of big bang theory about 13.75 billion years ago. The universe cooled down sufficiently to allow energy to be converted into various sub atomic particles. For example protons and neutrons combined to form an atomic nuclei. Higgs - Boson, the two scientists further explained the big bang theory that there were countless particles emanated when the universe was created and questioned if they all could be found out? Higgs-Boson Particle is predicted to exist for theoretical reasons and were nick named as 'the God-Particle'. The God Particle is crucial to understand the structure of the matter. There is a book  titled :-  " The God Particle : If the Universe is the answer what is the question?"

Scientists have recently ascertained what particles were unfounded at the time of formation of the Universe. The findings are also released. They say the proof for finding the 'unfounded' particle at the time of formation of Universe is based on logistics and scientific reasoning. Vedanta or Hindu Philosophy never disagrees with what we see or find in nature or demonstrate their existence. Sastras also agree with Scientific findings.The particles which were not found earlier and posed a big question to the scientific community has been named as God-Particle with some esteem. Scientists agree that there are possibilities for God Particles being also responsible for the emergence of the Universe.

pn

Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 2 - Continuation of Chapter 5 " The Wonder of the Creation of the World "

P.Natarajan.

( Source: Velukkudi Sri. Sri. Krishnan Swamy's writings in recent Tamil weekly Tuglak  - This would serve the limited purpose to read this chapter of Sacred Srimad Bhagavatham by those who don't know to read Tamil or don't get access to the related recent issues of the  Tamil weekly magazine 'Tuglak')

The Nature or the Prakriti gets subjected  to transformations to emerge as a philosophy called 'Mahat' which also in turn undergoes changes and finally comes out as another philosophy known as ' Ahankara'. Ahankara gets separated into three parts namely Tamas, Rajo and Sat. The Sat Ahankara is called as 'Vaikarikam'. Tamasa Ahankara is known as ' Bhudadi '. The act  of creation further progresses. Eleven senses are generated from Sat Ahankara which include five jnanendrias, five karmendrias and one mind.The five Karmendrias are Vak, Pani, Pada. Payu, Upasthas The five jnanendrias refer to eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin. Finally the mind, the inner conscience which controls all the senses is created. The Tamas Ahankara is responsible to generate five bhutas (natural elements) which are Pruthvi (land), Appu (water), Thejas (fire), Vayu (air) and Akash (sky) and  five Sensations which are the Sound, Touch,  Light,  Taste and Smell - thus 24 entities are created. An act known as ' Pancheekaranam'  is taken up by Bhagavan thereafter. In other words, though the five bhutas namely pruthvi, appu, thejas, vayu and akash are created; they themselves do not form as the raw material for the formation of the world. They need to be mixed in  right proportions. 

Bhagavan splits the bhutas into two. Akash is split into two parts. One part is kept aside in its original form and the other is further divided into four parts and mixed with the other four bhootas. The Vayu (air) is split into two. One part of Vayu is kept aside as Vayu and the other is split into four only to mix them with the four bootas. Thus the five bootas get mixed up with each other. This is the principle behind the creation of the fourteen worlds which is known as 'Brahmanda'. This part of Bhagavan's Srishti gets the name as 'Samasta Srishti' signifying that these operations are executed by Bhagavan independently. the other name for samasta srishti is 'atvaraha srishti' -  Atvaraha denotes no third person is involved.

As an ensuing act, Bhagavan examines the piles of jeevatma that are clinging in his body to select which atma is fit to occupy the post of Brahma. The atma gets selected on the basis of cumulative superior 'good acts' than the others. Brahma is born from the ' nabhi' of  Narayana. Brahma becomes the leader of all pervading worlds. The act of creation is then undertaken by Brahma under the orders and grace of Bhagavan . 

The creation work by Brahma takes place thereafter in the following order:- (1) Four types of skilled Professionals  (2)   People belonging to four states of livelihoods (3) Devas (4) Asuras (5) Rakshasas (6) Gandharvas (7) Humanbeings (8) Nagas (9) Immovables (Plants) (10) Movables (living items) (11) Eight Directions. Brahma can not create all these by himself .Bhagavan Narayana who stands behind him in an invisible state propels him and energizes the act of creation
Since this process happens in a series by separating the item from each other to create crores of identities, the srishti is called as 'Vyashti Srishti. Samasta Srishti begins from the Prakrit and gets completed till  human beings are created after the act of 'Panchikaranam'. Starting from the creation of Brahma till human beings, it is known as 'Vyashti Srishti', the other name for the same is Satvaraha Srishti' as Bhagavan Narayana motivates Brahma in this process.

To summarize upto now :- (1) Bhagavan  performs the sankalpa to begin the act of creation (2) He brings transformations in the Prakrit clinging to his body (3) He creates the Pancha bhootas (4) The pancha bhootas are mixed together in defined proportions to create the brahmanda (5) He creates Brahma from his 'nabhi' - that is he first selects the most deserving atma, produces him and assigns the post of Brahma (6) he makes Brahma instrumental to create the rest of the entities. This is the order of creation of the prapancha or the world.

Brahma has no share in the activities of Bhagavan who is soul responsible for the cration of brahmanda before the arrival of Brahma. Brahma also is a jeevatma like all other Devas. Brahma came out after 1000s of years after Brahmanda was created. Brahma did penance for long, learnt Vedas from Bhagavan and then attained the position to begin creation activity with the grace of Bhagavan. We now live in the world already created. This world would exist now as well as after the deluge also.  Paramatma will remain as Brahmam during Pralaya as he remained during Srishti.

World was the cause for pralaya and the same world is the means to end. Chit and Achit which were clinging to the body of Bhagavan were the cause for the pralaya and they become means to end in an expanded manner for the world to exist. In this state also they stand clinged to the body of Bhagavan. In other words, the cause is Brahmam and means to end is also Brahmam. The state where the chit and achit cling invisibly to Brahmam is known as Causal state and the state where chit and achit cling in visible form with the same Brahmam is the Resultant  State.

The chit and achit had no difference either in the name or physical state at the time of pralaya. But when srishti begins, the chit which are living organisms and achit which have no senses, undergo changes in the names as well as in  physical forms. The former is in invisible state and the later is in visible state which is the same as the existing form of 'prapancha'. The cause is Brahmam and the means to end is also Brahmam.

The above explanations are found in Vedanta. Brahma also explained this to Narada. As already brought out the subject is difficult both to explain as well as to understand . However it needs great attention to study when scope will expand for improvement and for a greater realization.

pn

Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 2 Chapter 5 “ The Wonder of Creation of this World '

P.Natarajan.

( Source: Velukkudi Sri. Sri. Krishnan Swamy's writings in recent Tamil weekly Tuglak  - This would serve the limited purpose to read this chapter of Sacred Srimad Bhagavatham by those who don't know to read Tamil or don't get access to the related recent issues of the  Tamil weekly magazine 'Tuglak')

" Karanam tu  Dhyeyah “ -  means that the Vedas pronounce that all of us should necessarily come to know about the Creator of this World. We should meditate upon him who has created us and this world. This is one way to obtain mukti. He is the cause - when we pray him who stands as the cause for this world , we get blessed not to have a rebirth. We have to be aware of the first and foremost cause - viz. - who created this world? how does he perform the act of creation? How does he become the cause of the cause?

It is requested that the subject taken up need to be studied with careful attention as it is difficult to explain. This should be borne in mind adequately. Vedas do explain in detail. But we are not familiar with Vedas or Vedanta. We study Physics, Maths, Chemistry and so on for 15 years. Long years of studying these subjects do not guarantee mastery over them. Neither are we assured of a good vocation. We can boast that we have a Bachelor's or Master's Degree. Scientists also agree that there are many more things to learn in their respective area of specialization. More the number of years we learn, more we can comprehend. This theory is not uncommon and applies to the study of divine philosophy also.

Parikshit asked about this to Sukacharya who immediately briefed Parikshit the dialogue between Narada and his father Brahma on the same subject. We shall now follow the same. Narada asks Brahma - " You are the creator of the world. How were you created first? How did I come into existence?  How do you create this world where scope thrives for good?. Who taught you all these? In what matter do you rely for the act of srishti?  Under whom are you working?  Are you a self-starter or draw the knowledge from someone else? Can I say there is some one supreme over and above you.

A spider builds the network of its cobweb and manifests its creation with least resistance. Is it in a similar way the world is created by someone else? I find you meditate upon some one always. If you happen to be the creator, all others should meditate upon you. This creates a doubt in me. I, therefore, seek to know who is the cause for the world to exist?. It would become our duty to devote our obeisance to him for obtaining mukti".

Brahma replies :- "  Narada, What a marvel creation is !  As a matter of fact I don't stand as the creator of this world. Someone else has  created me. The absolute credit goes to Bhagavan  Narayana, though he makes the world to believe that I am the creator. He can only spin such a belief by his play which is referred as 'Maya' or illusion. Please understand that the fire burns by a spark shed from his body. So is the cause for the Sun to shine, Moon to cast its cool light or Stars to twinkle from a great distance. He is the foremost God known as Narayana, also called  Vasudeva who is fully responsible for all the things which are happening. He is 'Sarveswara' as well as 'Jagat Guru' - none can surpass his ' Maya' ( Leela ) . He is the source for the five elements ('pancha booothas'), for our activities (karma), Time dimensions (kala pramanam), for our Nature, 'Prakrit', for the existence of human beings who are absorbed in thoughts of 'It is 'I' , 'me' and 'mine'. No element or its parts can move without his grace or 'sankalpa'.

Narayana para veda deva Narayanangajah:
Narayana para loka narayana para makah: !                       
Narayana para yogo narayana param tapah:
Narayana para jnanam narayana para gatih: !!
( Sri Bhagavatam  :  2-5-15, 16 )
The verse above signifies the means for realization of Narayana.The Vedic literatures are made by and are meant for the Supreme Lord, the demigods are also meant for serving the Lord as parts of His body, the different planets are also meant for the sake of the Lord, and different sacrifices are performed just to please Him. All different types of meditation are means for realizing Narayana. All austerities are aimed at achieving Narayana. The prevailing culture and knowledge are for getting a glimpse of Narayana, and ultimately the endeavour is to obtain mukti by his grace. Words become inadequate to describe the Supremacy of Bhagavan Narayana. He creates the world by his sheer ' sankalpa '. I was born out of his first made sankalpa. I began the activity of creation as per his command. I know well that I can do nothing without his grace. Bhagavan is completely free from gunas like Sat,Rajo and Tamas. He who is a personification of goodness and truth supports always living organisms (chit) and the world (achit). Let me now explain about the creation of the 'prapancha' ( the world ). Pl.listen"
" As the world is being created, two types of 'Srishti' happens, one being "Samashti Srishti" and the other "Vyashti Srishti. In other words Bhagavan Narayana begins himself the act of creation. The World is filled with chit and achit. Jeevatmas are all chits who have the senses or animate.  The achits are inanimate who have no senses. At the time of deluge (pralaya), these two entities cling to Brahmam in an invincible manner. Bhagavan who is also Paramatma takes a 'brahma-sankalpa' at an appropriate moment for beginning the act of 'Srishti" : -

" Bhahusyam Prajayeyeti " ( Anandavalli - 6 of Taitreeya Upanishad )  -  I shall henceforth occupy the many steps. I shall remain as the main tool or cause to transform myself as this 'prapancha' or world. The activities connected with creation gets started immediately. The chit and achit clinging to the limbs of Bhagavan get expanded now. The entity 'achit' which remains one with the Bhagavan's body becomes the basic material. Bhagavan mixes different sections of this raw material in different ratios for creating this world. After the incarnation of the first Purusha, the maha-tatva or the principle of the material creation takes place and the time is manifested and in course of time the three qualities appear. Nature (Prakrit)  means the appearance of the  three qualities.They transform into activities. Material activities are caused by mahatatva's being agitated.

pn

Ganesa

P.Natarajan.

Srimad Bhagavatam   Skanda 2   Chapter 4  -  " Parikshit questions about Srishti or Creation "

(Source: Velukkudi Sri. Sri. Krishnan Swamy's writings in recent Tamil weekly Tuglak  - This would serve the limited purpose to read this chapter of Sacred Srimad Bhagavatham by those who don't know to read Tamil or don't get access to the related recent issues of the  Tamil weekly magazine 'Tuglak')

Parikshit's belief that Krishna was Paramatma remained very strong.  His train of thoughts ran like this:-  " The more I inquire about Bhagavan , I can orient my thoughts in Him, I will get inspired in devotion, I can get rid of the sins committed and find ways and means to obtain mukti". He who was immersed in such thoughts, raised a series of related queries :- " Bhagavan Narayana is the only God to the entire world. He is the 'Paramatma'. His creation is what this world is. He is the father of this Universe. How does he perform the act of creation ? How does he protect and finally bring the whole world under his fold ?  Please expound how Bhagavan   performs the three acts namely ' Creation, Protection and Destruction ". Parikshit probed further :-

bhuva eva vivitsami
bhagavan atma-mayaya
yathedam sriate visvam
durvibhavam adhisvaraith

Bhagavan advocates many Sastras by his avatars.  (Picture below depicts the ten avatars).

He creates illusions or Maya. He is behind all the Devas and directs them to perform the assigned duties. What tool does he use? What is the raw material for Srishti? From where does he perform the acts? What are the motives? The three qualities (Gunas) namely 'Sat, Tamas, Rajo' remain as an integral part of the Nature. Do all the three 'Gunas' remain with Bhagavan also? I wish to know all these."

 Suta says, " Sukacharya becomes overwhelmed by Parikshi'ts inquiries and begins to narrate the details regarding Hrishikesa, the Bhagavan".

Sukacharya narrates:- " I bow to the Lord who assumes the three states namely " Sankrushna, Pradhyumna, Aniruddha "  and performs destruction, protection and creation respectively. I will not be able  to explain the acts without His grace. The Rishis who have virtually abandoned 'raga, dvesha' and become 'Paramahamsa' are still searching for Bhagavan. He is near you when you are near, When your thoughts drift, he is away.  I offer my obeisances at his feet. Bhagavan  is to be worshiped in mind, in acts, in words, in puja, and in penance. He is capable of rescuing us from the age old sins commited  and granting mukti. My prayers to him who grants emancipation from the 'samsara'. All good deeds performed should be assigned at his feet, lest they turn useless. I pray to him who is the custodian of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. His consort is known by the name 'SRI'. He is Prajapati as well as Sriapati. I pray to him to give me strength to speak. No thoughts would arise without his grace. His blessings are first needed to think, then to put the thoughts into words and then make the listeners to understand them."

Sukacharya continues:- " Bhagavan first thought to create Brahma. So he made a 'sankalpa' within himself and created Brahma. Brahma was to spread "Vedas" to the whole world, hence he created Goddess Saraswathi as Brahma's consort. I pray for their blessings also to enable me to narrate Srimad Bhagavatam to you".

 Sukacharya recites the Sloka:-
"Namas tasmai bhagavate
vasudevaya  vedhase
papur  jnanam ayam saumya
yan-mukhamburuhasavam   

" He who spreads wisdom through Vedas or more aptly referred as he who is an incarnation of Vedas, advocates 'dharma-sastras' from his lotus mouth. Let his grace remain in my heart. I shall utter the same in the right order as told by our elders."

 Suka continues-- "Sri Maha Vishnu spoke to Brahma first, Brahma apprised Narada in turn.  Narada then preached Vyasa. In the traditions that are already in vogue, let me narrate the Puranas to you, Parikshit Maharaja. I seek his blessings to start with, which remains always as a prescription to be adhered to by everyone. We can only make the effort. But success follows only when we have his grace. It will be an illusion if we remain quiet in the belief his grace is available. Never the less, we have to make our efforts sincerely. Try, try and try again till we succeed. He would certainly listen to the sincere efforts we make."

Sukacharya was at his best in his introductory speech to Parikshit Maharaja. Let us further hear what he says.

pn

Sep 4 - 8 US Diary Documented with Pictures

P.Natarajan.

September 4, 2012 saw us busy right before the sun rise, as Ajay, Ritu, Neel baby and we both had to  board the South West Airlines in the forenoon at Denver. Aparna dropped us in the Airport situated at a distance of 40 miles from her new home located at Southern Suburban near Willow Creek Park. We reached San Jose Airport  in less than three hours where a car on hire was waiting in the parking lot, as Ajay had booked it before departure from Detroit to Denver. We kept the car for our use from 4th to 8th September. Ajay drove the car through-out. 

We stayed with Viswanathan ( Vichu), my brother-in-law at San Jose.They have moved in to a new house recently . The neighborhood is really beautiful with well kept gardens & colorful flowers of roses , hibiscus etc;, as big as huge loud speakers. We went for a short walk and could see the mountain range behind their house. ( San Jose, California is home to a total of 41 mountain summits and peaks) They have a dog named Mingo which is very docile. We all petted him to show that we loved him.  Neel did not show any fear rather the  little one  was singing ," I like Mingo very much". 

September 5, 2012.

We left San Jose by 9.30a.m. and reached San Francisco (SFO) Bay area before noon. Luckily we carried jackets from San Jose as the temperature was as low as 60 degree F. We stopped at Cliff House where we had a sight of the sprawling Pacific Ocean in the front.

 .

We looked at the ruins of  the famous Sutro Baths. It was once upon a time the world's largest  indoor swimming pool and filled a small beach inlet. During high tide, water would pour in directly from the ocean. A visitor had the choice of six salt water baths and one fresh water bath. It had a museum displaying artifacts-collection by the owner. It was a hidden structure below the Cliff House and was once serviced by rail lines. The Sutro Baths were burned to the ground in 1966 and has become a tourists' attraction today.

                              

                                                  ( Ruins of Sutro Baths  with a small beach inlet )                                           

We visited the Cliff House next. It had five incarnations. The modern Cliff House was completed in 2004, features two restaurants , the casual dining and the Bistro Restaurant and the more formal Sutro's.  Additionally the terrace room serves a Sunday brunch buffet. There is a gift shop in the building. The historic Camera Obscura is on a dock overlooking the ocean. ( Camera Obscura was the fore runner for the discovery of photography and Camera). A museum of penny arcade games(coin operated device was moved from Sutro Baths to the basement of Cliff House, during renovation.

                                               

                                                   ( Cliff House overlooking the Pacific Ocean )

                                                                                                    

Once more than 30 ships were pounded to pieces on the shore of Golden Gate below the Cliff House. The area immediately around Cliff House is part of the setting of Jack London's novel 'The Scarlet Plague' (1912). After the renovation, Cliff House is now a part of the Golden Gate Recreation Area.

We saw the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in the cloud. The Bridge is declared as one of the modern wonders by the American Civil Society. The Golden Gate Bridge spans the entrance to San Francisco Bay, is 4200' long and second largest suspension bridge in US. The final graceful design was championed by New York Manhattan Bridge Designer Leon Moisseiff , the project was completed in 1937 at a cost  of US$ 1.30 million.

                                                         

California's popular name 'Golden State' refers to the discovery of nuggets of Gold by a workman in a saw mill which triggered the California Gold Rush in 1839. Today the term can be taken to mean the ' Land of Golden Opportunity '. It includes the famous district of Hollywood. Amazing natural beauty surrounds the State. A popular quote " The coldest winter I spent was a summer in San Francisco" would give an idea about the smog climate there. Three fourths of San Francisco was damaged by earthquake and fire in 1906. "Not in history a modern imperial city been so completely destroyed. San Francisco is gone" - Jack London. However the city was rebuilt and today it is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. The California Gold Rush increased the population from 1000 to 25000 in one year itself.

We parked the car in Union Station Parking Area and went by walk for shopping in Macy's Mall.  After a good round at Macy's Mall, we realized it was time for lunch. We chose ' Chipotle Restaurant ', where Tourists go for a world famous Mexican Cuisine. We relished a burrito with  fresh cooked vegetable toppings which Chipotle calls as a Mexican Grill in their menu.

We then had fairly a long ride in Powell-Mason cable car. We held our hold tightly when the Cable Car was traversing at 80 degree angle as the roads in SFO are Topsy-turvy. The Cable Car became functional to relieve the horses from the difficult job of dragging street cars up the city's steep hills. 

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                (  Fear & Joy when we rode in the Cable Car in steep climbs  )                                                                     

Fisherman's Wharf ( See Picture below ) was the next attraction in the neighborhood for us. It is a water front area from the famous Ghirardelli square up to Pier 39. The F Market street car runs through this area. F line is operated as a heritage street car service.

                                                          

From Fisherman's Wharf we walked up to Ghiradelli Chocolate shop and bought a few varieties of dark chocolates & had yummy ice creams. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was incorporated in 1852 and is the second oldest Chocolate Company after Baker's Chocolate. It is named after its Italian Chocolatier and founder.

                                                                        

                    

From Ghiradelli Square we took a cab to go back to Union Station where we  had parked our car. On our way back we passed through the Crookedest Street. One of the best things about San Francisco is its passion for the unique. So it’s not surprising how much the City loves Lombard Street, one of the most crooked, extraordinary roads in the United States. The short stretch of red-bricked road between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, which has eight sharp switchbacks,( like the hair-pin bends) has made Lombard famous. The road has a 27-degree slope. Only a trained driver can drive through such a narrow and winding street. For most part of the drive through the crookedest street we were all holding on to our seats tightly. After taking the car which we had hired from San Jose from the parking,  Ajay still had to do more acrobatics in driving through the ascending & descending streets of SFO.

At about 5pm we reached Pier 39.  We went round Pier 39 which is mainly a shopping circle - a popular attraction built on a pier in San Francisco. There are shops, a video arcade, restaurants and aquarium of the Bay and views of California Sea- Lions hauled out on the docks on Pier39's marina. Pier 39 is located near fisherman's wharf. China Town and Embarcadero (Spanish Wharf) which is the eastern water front and road way of San Francisco are located close to Pier39. We bought some gift articles (  'T" shirts exhibiting in its cener  the city's name of 'San Francisco CA' ) from the shops around.

                  ( Pier 39 in view)

From the Pier, we saw the Angel Island, Alcatraz and also  the Golden Gate Bridge.  Alcatraz Island, popularly referred as 'THE ROCK' is a land mark in SFO has facility for a light house and military fortification. It is a home to the site of oldest light house in the West Coast and for an abandoned prison. There is a half a day tour which takes one inside the prison area. Though there were many escape attempts from the erstwhile prison none succeeded in escaping as it was guarded well fortified by the rough bay.   

   

                                                    

                                                         (view of Alcatraz Island)

It was very late in the evening by the time we got back to the city proper. We had one more visit to make, that is to visit our nephew Shankar, his wife Raji & daughter Pia. We had hot hot idlies, buttermilk and jack fruit ice cream etc;. for dinner. Neel & Pia  had a good time playing together. We immediately left after dinner for San Jose and reached  home ten minutes past 11p.m.

We felt  we needed at least 2 days to go round SFO, especially to walk down the  side steps of the crookedest street  and also to go under the Golden Gate Bridge in a ferry. Due to lack of time & cold weather we could not attempt either. SFO the city which spans only 7 by 7 sq. miles is one of the must see places in the US. 

6th of September, the next day we had a tough agenda. We had break fast early  and left San Jose for the King's Canyon National Park & Sequoia National Park.  The former is located east of Fresno, CA., established in 1940 and covers 461900 acres. It incorporated General Grant National Park to protect the General grant Grove of Giant Sequoias. The park's giant Sequoia Forest is accessible via paved high way. Kings Rivers which run through the forest have extensive glaciers. Kings Canyon located here gives the entire park its name. It has depth of 8200'- is one of the deepest canyon in US.

After traveling for about 4 hours, we reached the famous sight seeing spot - viz- "THE GENERAL GRANT TREE" - it is famous because it is the second largest tree in the world;  was named as 'Nations Christmas Tree' by President Calvin Coolidge in 1926; President Eisenhower declared in 1956 the tree as 'National Shrine', a memorial to those who died in the war. It is only living object (1650 years old) to be so declared.

The tree got the name as 'General Grant Tree' after the 18th US President Ulysses Grant in 1867. Its height : 267'; dia: 29'; circumference: 108' & bole volume (bole refers to the stem or trunk of the tree) about 46600 cu.ft.There were thousands of tall trees living for hundreds of years. Cool climate, plenty of rain water and  the nature of the seeds  to grow quickly nourished by the plant's natural protection mechanism are the causes for its density and growth in great heights.

It was past 2p.m when we went around the General Grant Tree. Luckily we had lunch @ Los Banos in a Chinese Restaurant and a Sub Way next to it by way of salad and cooked rice with lot of  vegetables before taking the diversion to the National park. In side the forest we were warned not to carry any eatables as the bears could attack us for the food. So we discarded all open packets & containers as soon as we entered the reception area.

From Grant Tree Parking location, we drove for 1 more hour (40miles) to the location of  Sherman Tree. Ajay was on the wheels and drove carefully as the road way had lots of hair pin bends , narrow at places besides maintenance work was under way.

Sequoia National Park in the Southern Sierra Nevada in US was established in 1890. The Park spans 404063 acres.Its elevation is at the highest point at 14500' above sea level. Park's attraction includes :-

hiking, camping, fishing, back packing, Sherman Tree Trail and GENERAL SHERMAN TREE. (see below)

Sherman Tree Trail  walk is about 1 mile round trip from the vehicle parking to the base of the  General Sherman Tree that meanders through a grove of giant Sequoias.

A tunnel was cut through a giant sequoia tree in North Park, the tree 275' tall, 21' in diam., fell across a Park road in 1937 due to natural causes. The tunnel was cut through the trunk, making the road passable. (see picture below)

 In 1879, the tree was named after General Sherman who was the General of American Civil War. It is a giant sequoia tree in National Park, in Tulare County CA. IT IS THE LARGEST KNOWN LIVING SINGLE STEM TREE ON EARTH.   IT IS AMONG THE TALLEST, WIDEST AND LONGEST-LIVED OF ALL TREES ON THE PLANET.  height:- 275'; circumference:-103; dia:-37'; bole volume;- about 52500 cu.ft. Sequoia is a genus of Red Wood Tree that grow large in size and live long years. it was named after SEQUOYAH, a CHEROKEE Scholar. (Cherokee is a name for Native American people historically settled in Georgia ).

We saw warning signs, as already written above, in the Sequoia national park about bears losing fear of human beings when they find access to food or open bottles. They break open the car windows if the food happens to be visible. The Tourists are cautioned to take precaution to keep the containers of food and water tightly closed and not visible by any choice.

We said 'bye' to Sherman Tree and Sequoia National Park and started driving towards Fresno. The watch showed the time as past 5.30p.m. We motored down the heights to ground level and the high way had been constructed going round and round, thus lowering the height in well relaxed gradients. It was 8.30p.m when we reached my brother Rams' residence at Fresno.  Dr.Ram is a physician practicing in Fresno well over 38 years. He and his wife Shyamala were waiting for us from 7.30p.m on wards - little anxious as we were driving through the National Forest, scaling down the heights in the night. We were very much relaxed when we located Ram's home. A fabulous dinner was awaiting our arrival and  as we were famished we really enjoyed the variety of dishes, dessert of large scoops of ice cream, no need to mention about the hospitality. We stayed  with Rams that night.

The return journey started from Fresno on 7th September. Ajay enjoyed swimming in the pool at Rams' Residence for an hour or so. We all had breakfast and  left Rams' home by 10.30a.m. for San Jose. On the way, we shopped for fresh fruits like cherry, straw berry, plum and dry fruits. We reached "Komala Vilas" Restaurant at Sunnyvale by 2.15p.m. and enjoyed a thorough South Indian Meals. Pretty dolls were on show at Komala Vilas and as Navarathri is round the corner, we bought good-looking dolls, of course for a price which looked high when you convert the dollar into rupees.

We reached San Jose by 4pm after shopping at the big Indian store, bigger than what we have seen in Detroit or Denver. The dinner was prepared by Soumya & Ritu -roties, shahi paneer & mixed vegetable sabji & curd rice with pickles. We all dined with Vichu who had returned from Houston only that evening. Varshaya sang a few Carnatic songs . And we also watched her singing western music in You tube. Vishak was also there as he had come from San Diego to do some project work at San Jose. More the merrier. We chatted till late in the night when we retired to bed calling it 'a Long & Good day'.

The next day, ie on Sep 8, 2012  we took the flight at 1p.m from San Jose to Denver. The car on hire was returned at San Jose airport. Ajays took a connecting FLT. to Detroit. They reached their home at Canton by mid night.

We are now in Denver with Aparna, Sekhar, and grandsons Vignesh and Karthik. Their new home is very large with four bed rooms. The uniqueness of the house is its Sunroom by the side of the kitchen. The Sunroom is also well furnished and leads to the patio. In fact we arrived Denver from Canton well before the date they had scheduled the house warming ceremony. Ajay and family also arrived from Canton a day before the function. The house warming was well performed with the help of a priest who hails from Thirupati. A sumptuous lunch was hosted to the invitees who all showed much interest in going round the house in appreciation.

Our tour of San Jose, San Francisco and Fresno may appear short by number of days but certainly big as we were able to see beautiful places, visited dear ones belonging to the same family, stayed with them to share the kindred feelings, appreciated their life styles in tune with the time. We were over joyed to look at sequoia trees standing alive over thousands of years which only confirms my belief that a 'FAMILY TREE', no doubt, is one of Nature's Masterpiece !

pn

Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 2 Chapter 3 " Keerthanam Narayana Namameva "

P.Natarajan.

(Source: Velukkudi Sri. Sri. Krishnan Swamy's writings in recent Tamil weekly Tuglak  - This would serve the limited purpose to read this chapter of Sacred Srimad Bhagavatham by those who don't know to read Tamil or don't get access to the related recent issues of the  Tamil weekly magazine 'Tuglak')

Arogyam Bhaskarat Icheth Sriyam Ichet Hudasanat

Sankarat Jnanam Ichet Moksham Ichet Janardanat

Sastras proclaim in the above sloka which demigod favors which wish. For instance, Sun God favors good health, Agni renders wealth, Rudra gives wisdom and Janardana bestows Mukti. In the case of Parikshit, as he was cursed to die, he wished to know what a wise and thoughtful person should do when the time to die was approaching.

Sukacharya answers:- " Parikshit Maharaja, one who seeks the sacred knowledge of Vedas should worship Brahma or Brahaspathi who is the preceptor of gods. One who desires to have keenness of senses should worship Indra. One who longs for prosperity should worship Maya. One who seeks progeny should worship Prajapathi. One who wants to be brilliant should propitiate Agni. One who seeks wealth should worship the eight gods known as Vasus. One who desires for ample food should pray Aditi, the mother of Gods. One who wishes to possess Kingdom should worship Vishvadevas.One who wishes to live long should pray Aswini Devas, the physician of Gods. One who wishes to acquire Kingdom should worship Manu, presiding deity of eras'. One who desires to dominate over all others should propitiate Vishnu. Lastly one who desires to possess a strong will or 'vairagya' should worship Lord Narayana". " Of course the benefit of worship will depend upon the intensity and faith one has. No doubt it would be great if a person finds his place in the company of Sadhus as there is always a climate of bhakti which would in turn remove the indices of 'love-hate' and transform a person to become

impassioned. Once the mind gets pure, Bhagavan finds that place as his abode.  

When a person involves himself to be in the presence of sadhus, there is an alchemy effect or a magical power of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great

value.”

Sukacharya continues:- 'Parikshit, you are now in the midst of Rishis and Sadhus. As desired by you we are now narrating Bhagavatha Puranas.' At this moment, Sounaka Rishi praises Suka for his poetic recitation of the talks between Suka and Parikshit. Sounaka points out that what we consider as great is not really so.

Parikshit was devoted to Krishna from his childhood. He used to imitate Krishna and kept the dolls of the deity to play. Parikshit's devotion to Krishna was similar to Lakshmana's for Rama, Nammalwars for Govinda and that of Andal's for Krishna. Unfortunately, as he was bound by the theory of karma, he was cursed by a Rishi Kumara. However he realized his mistake and sought forgiveness. This attitude of Parikshit exhibits the devotion in him for Krishna.

Sounaka Rishi speaks further:- " Those who don't hear Krishna-Katha' simply waste their life. They are alive only as a tree lives. They breathe as do the bellows. They eat as beasts. These people glorify people who are not worthy of praise. They have ear holes as do snakes and tongues as frogs. A head that is adorned with a silk turban or a crown but never bows to Lord Mukunda is nothing but a heavy burden. In a similar way , the hands that are adorned with gold bangles are like those of dead body if they never worship Sri Hari. A mortal who has not touched the dust from the feet of devotees is like a corpse, although still alive. One who has not inhaled the fragrance of Tulasi leaves offered at the feet of Lord Vishnu, is like a breathing corpse. A heart that is not moved by the utterances of many names of Sri Hari is as hard as a granite. When heart melts in Bhakti, tears fill the eyes and the hair in the body bristles with excessive joy.

Thirumangaialwar sings in 'Periya Thirumozhi' that those ears are gifted if they hear Thiru Vikrama's illustrious stories and exploitations. Kulasekara Perumal sings in his 'Mukunda Mala' -

jihve kirtaya kesavam mura-ripum ceto bhaja sridharam
pani-dvandva samarcayacyuta-kathah srotra-dvaya tvam srinu

krishnam lokaya locana-dvaya harer gacchanghri-yugmalayam
jighra ghrana mukunda-pada-tulasim murdhan namadhokshajam

The sloka above directs the different parts of the body to perform devotional service. We should sing in praise of Kesava; use the hands to perform archana to Achutha; hear the stories of Madhava; Look at\ Sri Krishna with your eyes vividly; Walk up to the sanctum sanctorum to have dharsan of Narayana; smell the fragrance of Tulasi leaves adorning the feet of the Lord; Bow your head down in reverence to Bhagavan Athokshajam. Thus one need to realize that the sensory organs of our physical body should serve devotional services. Parikshit becomes fully aware of the fundamentals of devotional service and with an objective to abide by this philosophy requests Sukacharya to repeat all Krishna-Katha as he had herd from his forefathers. Sukacharya was delighted to hear this request from the King. He took Parikshit as his disciple.

Sukacharya's mind explores a flood of  ' bhagavathapuranas ' at the fervent request of King Parikshit.

pn