Tag: lord-krishna

Jagadodharana by Purandaradasa | Lyrics, Meaning and Sooryagayathri’s Rendition

Krishna and Saraswati are two popular forms of the divine who hold musical instruments in their hands instead of weapons. Krishna was a complete man, involved in both materialistic and spiritual aspects of life. He played the flute, enjoyed with gopis, defeated demons, and imparted profound spiritual teachings to Arjuna. He acted as a simple charioteer to Arjuna but also revealed his magnificent Vishwaroopam. He taught us how to embrace life and live it fully.

While the world venerates him as a divine incarnation, to his mother Yashoda, he was just a child. Even the Vedas cannot fully encapsulate Krishna’s essence. He is ananta, immeasurable, and yet smaller than the atom simultaneously. But Yashoda played with him as any mother would play with her son.

Krishna is regarded as Parama Purusha, the best among men. However, Yashoda was unaware of his divine identity; to her, Krishna was merely a child.

This concept is beautifully conveyed in the song ‘Jagadodharana Adisidale Yasode’ composed by Purandaradasa(c. 1484 – c. 1564). His original name was Srinivasa Nayaka. He was a composer, singer, and Haridasa philosopher hailing from present-day Karnataka, India. He adhered to Madhvacharya’s Dvaita philosophy and played a significant role in the development of Carnatic music. Revered for his significant contributions, he is honored as the Pitamaha, or “grandsire,” of Carnatic music.

 ‘Jagadodharana’ is one of the best and most popular songs composed by Purandaradasa and it is written in Kannada language. This song probably inspired Papanasam Sivan to compose ‘’enna thavam seithanai Yashoda’ as both songs share the same theme.

Watch Sooryagayathri‘s rendition of this wonderful song in her wonderful voice in the following video. This song is also one of the favourite songs of Sooryagayathri. 

Lyrics:

jagadOddhAraNa ADisidaLe yashOde

(jagadO)

jagadOddhAraNa maganendu tiLiyuta suguNAnta ranganA AdisidaLe yashOde

(jagadO)

nigamakE silukada agaNita mahimana magugaLa mANikyana ADisidaLa yashOde

(jagadO)

aNOraNIyana mahatO mahImana apramEyana ADisidaLa yashOde

(jagadO)

parama puruSana paravAsudEvana purandara vittalana ADisidaLu yashOde

(jagadO)

Translation:

Yashoda engaged in play with the Savior of the world, unaware of his divine identity.

Believing the Savior of the world to be her son, Yashoda delighted in playing with the embodiment of all great qualities.

Yashoda joyfully interacted with the gem among children, whose greatness transcends measure and infinite boundaries.

Yashoda’s play extended to the one who encompasses both the smallest atom and the vastness of infinity.

Yashoda’s playful interactions extended to the supreme being, the son of Vasudeva, the Vitthala of Purandara.

From Bhagavad Gita to Bodybuilding: A Spiritual and Physical Journey

Arjuna possessed a well-developed physique and considerable strength, inheriting the warrior genes. He likely underwent various ancient methods of crossfit training, strength training, archery, martial arts, and other disciplines. His societal duty was evident: in times requiring the safeguarding of the clan, land, and kingdom, individuals of his caliber were expected to step forward and contribute to warfare if it became the sole recourse.

The entire Bhagavad Gita is a conversation that transpired between Arjuna and Krishna on a battlefield. Arjuna, reluctant to participate in the war, hesitated to fight against his own family members and gurus. Consequently, he dropped his bow and arrow, expressing his unwillingness to engage in combat. Krishna, in response, reminded him of the circumstances, and the dialogue swiftly evolved into a spiritual discourse, giving birth to the Gita.

I grasped the significance of the Gita only after my personal encounter with non-duality, which permanently altered the way I navigate the world. In my quest for scientific explanations for these experiences, I have already authored a book bridging science and spirituality. The Gita stands out as the first scripture discouraging people from abandoning society and embracing sannyas; it was the pioneer in revealing that spiritual enlightenment, self-realization, or jivanmukti is attainable without renouncing the world. In the Gita, Arjuna contemplates renouncing the world, but Krishna reminds him of his duties and encourages him to participate in the war. Meanwhile, Krishna imparts to Arjuna the profound secrets of spirituality.

I brought up this topic because sometimes people misunderstand spirituality. It is not about reducing your participation in the world and society and seeking solitude forever. Advaita Vedanta differentiates between paramarthika satya or Absolute reality and vyavahaarika satya or Relative and practical reality. The reason this is defined is to prevent people from sticking to one extreme in their spiritual journey.

In general, identification with one’s body is considered a barrier in the spiritual journey. But that doesn’t mean that one should ignore the body and not take care of it. In fact, it is a person’s duty to take care of the body because it is a gift of nature. It has to be handled with a lot of responsibility. If you are a fitness enthusiast, practicing karma yoga is easy. And that is where the connection between the Gita and bodybuilding comes.

This blog is about well-being in life; it is about discovering the ultimate potential of human life. I document the truths that I come across in my journey to discover things through experience, and these truths are related to both physical and mental well-being. 

I am going to focus more on physical well-being in the upcoming days because physical well-being also contributes to mental well-being. Additionally, we can bring mindfulness into your fitness journey. I will soon discuss mindful eating and mindful workouts, where your fitness-related activities can be transformed into meditation or spiritual sadhana.

There is much more to share, so stay tuned and await my next blog post. If you wish to support me financially, it will empower me to do even more. Consider making a donation if you want to be a part of this journey and lend me a hand:  https://shanmugamp.org/donate/