VSNA Newsletter - Baandhavya March 2015

Baandhavya ಬಾ೦ಧವ್ಯ Veerashaiva Samaja of North America

March 2015

VSNA Officers: President: Channu Kambalyal, IL Vice-President: Mamatha Hirannaiah, GA Secretary: Leena Paul, MD Treasurer: Irappa Arabhavi, NE Board of Directors: Nayanatara Swamy, FL Yuvaraj Patil, CA Neetha Dhananjaya, IL Sajjan Shiva, TN Shivappa Palled, NC Srishail Hadimani, WI Vijay Kumar Goud, NY-Ex-Pres.

Board of Regents: Laxmi Hiremath, CA, Chair Dada Patil, CA Uma Sajjan, GA Rajiv Kumar, IL Shylendra Kumar, NE Rohini Menashinakai, Toronto Local Chapter Presidents: Shivashankar Tumkur, AL Mrutunjay Hiremath, CA-Central Renuka Puttappa, CA-North Manu Swamy, CA-South Kishore Channabasavaiah, IL Suraj Kurtakoti, CT Girish Budibetta, FL Mahesh Rajaghatta, GA Savitha Shivananda, MD Sanjeev Mungaravadi, MI N. B. Patil, NE Shiva Patil, NY Ashwini Koratagere, NC Rashmi Naikar, OH Kevin Gangadhar, PA K. P Channabasappa, TN Anu Benakatti, TX-North Jagadeesh Halyal, TX-South Vijay Aivalli, Toronto Raj Galagali, VA & DC Vivek Neginhal, WV Newsletter Team: Coordinator: Channu Kambalyal, IL Chief Editor: Supriya Antin Kaddargi, IL Sajjan Shiva, TN Yuvaraj Patil, ON Linga Raju, NY Shivakumar Annapur, IL

Linga Yoga “According to Vīraśaiva/Liṅgᾱyata philosophy, The Absolute (Śūnya), when activated by its own power, becomes ‘The Liṅga’ that is to be worshipped, and the ‘Aṅga’ that is the worshipper. After this apparent division, the Aṅga is still within the Liṅga and the Liṅga is as complete/infinite (pūrṇa) as before. Hence, everything is only one and there is no other; this is non-duality or oneness (advaitism). Liṅga is the highest Reality capable of being realized through devotional worship and meditation. Aṅga is a Jīva (soul) devoted to the worship of Liṅga. Any individual soul cannot be an Aṅga; only when Jīva becomes a worshipper of Liṅga, then it becomes an Aṅga. It is said that, Liṅga puts the devotional activity, Bhakti, into Aṅga, so that Aṅga will have the ability to attain oneness with Liṅga (Liṅgᾱṅga sᾱmarasya). Thus, Aṅga is the Individual Self, and Liṅga is the Universal Self. The main aim of the Liṅgᾱyatas/Vīraśaivas is to attain oneness of the Individual Self and the Universal Self. The attainment where Aṅga and Liṅga become one is Liṅgāṅga-sāmarasya. It is also called Śūnya-saṁpādane, the attainment of the Absolute state. This monism philosophy is called Liṅga-advaita (Liṅgᾱdvaita) philosophy of Liṅgᾱyatas….”

For continued reading see: VSNA.ORG-Publications-Linga-Yoga

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The 38th VSNA Convention will be held on Friday, July 3rd – Saturday, July 4th 2015 At Marriot Hanover, Whippany, New Jersey Register by visiting http://www.vsnaconvention.com

Let us come together to celebrate, learn, and imbibe the simplicity and richness of Philosophy of Akkamahadevi, Basaveshwara, Allamaprabhu, Channabasavanna and many more Sharanas...

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Table of Contents Editor’s Note ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 President’s Message ................................................................................................................................................ 5 2015-2016 Central VSNA Leadership Team ........................................................................................................... 6 2015-2016 Board of Directors ................................................................................................................................. 6 2015–2016 Board of Regents .................................................................................................................................. 6 2015–2016 Nominated Board of Directors – Chapter Presidents...........................................................................7 2015–VSNA Newsletter Volunteers ........................................................................................................................ 8 ಕಾಲ ೇ ಕಂಬ, ದ ೇಹವ ೇ ದ ೇಗುಲ, ಶಿರವ ೇ ಹ ೊನ್ನ ಕಳಸವ ೈಯ್ಯ... ............................................................................................... 9 I am, You are, And We Are .................................................................................................................................... 11 Enu Bandiri – The Ego in Us ................................................................................................................................. 12 Iṣṭaliṅga.................................................................................................................................................................. 14 Embarrassing and Insulting Situations!.. .............................................................................................................. 16 The Brave Heart of the Ancient Women! ..............................................................................................................18 Veerashaiva News around the World .................................................................................................................... 21 PM Modi to Unveil Basava Statue in London .................................................................................................... 21 Sharana Sammelana in Australia ....................................................................................................................... 21 Vachana Vijayothasava in Bidar, India ............................................................................................................. 22 Central VSNA Updates.......................................................................................................................................... 23 BOD Updates..................................................................................................................................................... 23 BOR Updates ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 VSNA Local Chapters Updates ............................................................................................................................. 26 VSNA - Texas South Chapter ............................................................................................................................ 26 VSNA - Washington DC & Virginia Chapter ..................................................................................................... 28 VSNA – Ohio Chapter ....................................................................................................................................... 28 VSNA – California North Chapter .................................................................................................................... 30 VSNA – New York-New Jersey Chapter ............................................................................................................ 31 VSNA – Chicago Chapter .................................................................................................................................. 32 VSNA – North Carolina Chapter ....................................................................................................................... 34 VSNA – California – South Chapter ................................................................................................................. 35 Obituary ................................................................................................................................................................ 36 VSNA – Publications............................................................................................................................................. 37

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Editor’s Note

Sharanu Sharanarthi!

Wish you all a very happy Ugadi! As the moon changed its orbit and set in a new year - Yuga (year) and Adi (beginning), we have all accepted good and bad just like the mixture of jaggery and neem.

The path forward must be spiritually rich and that of awareness. This awareness and spreading it cannot be stressed enough in these modern days where technology seems to have conquered us greatly. The following words which are pearls of wisdom from Sri. Sri. Sri. Shivakumara Swamiji who turned 108 on the 1st of April this year, perfectly led the light for spreading spiritual awareness.

Let us adopt this message and contribute through our best capacity for inculcating simple yet profound tenets of the Lingayath dharma.

Team Baandhavya is grateful to the new contributors of this edition and as always, duly encourages everyone else to participate literarily and make a difference to one and all. We could be reached at newsletter@vsna.org for subsequent contributions, feedback or just comments.

Regards, Supriya Antin Kaddargi

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President’s Message

March 31, 2015 Dear VSNA Members & Patrons, Through this 1st VSNA Newsletter of 2015-2016 term, I would like to thank the members of VSNA for giving me this opportunity to lead the organization. VSNA has withstood the test of time for the last 38 years. The organization will forever, remain strong mainly due to its resolute mission to preserve, protect and propagate the universal teachings of Basaveshwara and his contemporizes in the region of North America.

While the mission of VSNA remains strong, we as its members have a long way to get better organized, and my main goal is to lead the organization to get better organized. During this quarter, we are already underway with the planning of the Two-Year Agenda containing 15 major tasks. The Central VSNA Leadership team consisting of Officers, BOD, BOR, Chapter-Presidents and many volunteers have come forward to actively participate and contribute to the implementation of the plan. So far, we held around 20 brain-storming sessions with over 20 leaders actively participating. Among the 15 tasks, most important one was to mobilize the New York Chapter to host the 2015 VSNA Annual Convention, and to begin planning for conventions for the next 5 years!

The New York Chapter will be hosting the 2015 VSNA Annual Convention after 12 years. The last one hosted by the chapter was in 2003. The young and energetic team of New York chapter has been working very hard to make this event a great success. I had the opportunity to meet them all in person during their Shivarathri program, and I could see their energy and the efforts to make this a successful event. However, the success of the event depends on the support from all VSNA members. I personally request all VSNA Members and patrons to register early at the 2015-VSNA-Convention-Site.

The details on the tasks of the Two-Year Agenda is given in the Central VSNA Updates section of this newsletter.

Besides the updates in the newsletter, Central VSNA will be notifying our members directly via email and through Chapter-Presidents, any major news and announcements.

This edition also contains important spiritual thoughts to improve ourselves on our day-to-day behavioral patterns and emotional wellbeing. We hope Baandhavya will make an inspiring and enjoyable reading for our members.

Please send your feedback and contributions to newsletter@vsna.org.

Thanks to all contributors to this edition of Newsletter – Baandhavya.

Regards, Channu Kambalyal President, VSNA

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2015-2016 Central VSNA Leadership Team

President Channu Kambalyal, IL

Vice-President Mamatha Hirannaiah, GA

Secretary Leena Paul, MD

Treasurer Irappa Arabhavi, NE

2015-2016 Board of Directors

Yuvaraj Patil, (Toronto)

Nayanatara Swamy, FL

Neetha Dhananjaya, IL

Sajjan Shiva (TN)

Shivappa Palled (NC)

Srishail Hadimani (WI)

2015–2016 Board of Regents

Laxmi Hiremath, CA-N

Dada Patil, CA-S

Rajeev Kumar, IL

Uma Sajjan, MI

Jayashree Jagadeesh, MD

Rohini Menashinakai, Toronto

Shylendra Kumar, NE

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2015–2016 Nominated Board of Directors – Chapter Presidents

Vijay Kumar VSNA Ex-President

Shivakumar Patil New York-New Jersey

Kishore Channabasavaiah Chicago

N.B. Patil New England

Mrutunjay Hiremath California-Central

Raj Galagali Washington-DC & Virginia

Jagadeesh Halyal Texas-South

Vijay Aivalli Toronto

Sanjeev Mungarwadi Detroit

Vidya Kondajji Texas-North

Ashwini Koratagere North Carolina

Renuka P. Suragihalli, California-North

Shivashankar Tumkur Alabama

Manu Swamy California-South

Girish Budibetta Florida

Rashmi Naikar Ohio

Kevin Gangadhar Pittsburg

Savitha Shivananda Maryland

Mahesh Rajaghatta Georgia

Vivek Neginhal West Virginia

K. P. Channabasappa Tennessee

Suraj Kurtakoti Connecticut

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2015窶天SNA Newsletter Volunteers

Channu Kambalyal, IL Coordinator

Supriya Antin, IL Chief Editor

Shivakumar Annapur, IL Contributor

Linga Raju, NY Contributor

Yuvaraj Patil, Toronto Contributor

Sajjan Shiva, TN Contributor

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ಕಾಲ ೇ ಕಂಬ, ದ ೇಹವ ೇ ದ ೇಗುಲ, ಶಿರವ ೇ ಹ ೊನ್ನ ಕಳಸವ ೈಯ್ಯ...

Dr. Sree Sree Sree Shivakumara Swamiji Siddaganga Mutt, Tumkur Humble salutations and greetings to Padmabhushana Karnataka Ratna, Dr. Sree Sree Sree Shivakumara Swamiji on His 108th birthday!

‘Walking God’ as He is justly referred to, Swamiji is the senior most Lingayath pontiff today who has set unprecedented standards of dharma and dasoha through His kayaka. Unparalleled and reflective of spiritual strength, just as Lord Basaveshwara described,

‘ಎನ್ನ ಕಾಲ ೇ ಕಂಬ, ದ ೇಹವ ೇ ದ ೇಗುಲ, ಶಿರವ ೇ ಹ ೊನ್ನ ಕಳಸವ ೈಯ್ಯ...’

Swamiji himself represents the resolute pillars of a supremely divine temple with a crowning kalasha that adorns the spiritual excellence He has achieved.

Siddaganga Mutt stands out today for being a humble yet strong humanitarian establishment that provides free education, lodging and boarding for over 10,000 children from all walks of life. It is through Swamiji’s vision and dedication, many generations today and in the past have been educated and looked after with the firm foundation of Basava tatvas of equality, social welfare and spirituality. The lives and families thereby transformed are countless and the difference enduring.

All along, Swamiji the sage behind this force has been the same unwavering and courteously respectful master for over 80 years, living with his pupils, blessing and inspiring one and all to progress in life. Just a glimpse into Swamiji’s life prominently indicates how age is only figurative and doesn’t deter Him from continuing the impeccable service to society. Even to this day, Swamiji maintains a highly disciplined schedule waking up at 2 am embracing every morning with Linga Pooja in the wee hours which is followed by developmental and administrative activities of the Mutt, spending time with children and their prayers, supervising their studies and food and, pursuing philosophical reading.

Mankind is truly fortunate to have this opportunity and get blessed by a saint like Swamiji. A trip to India definitely calls for a visit to the Siddaganga Mutt to experience the level of dasoha Swamiji has put in practice through his kayaka. The air in Siddaganga Mutt resonates ‘Soham ennade Dasoham endenisayya’ (Talk Service and not Self) and it is for us to perceive it best through Swamiji.

It will always be the most earnest and humble prayer with the Almighty to seek Swamiji’s best health and blessings. Long live Swamiji and His legacy!

Following are some special pictures of Swamiji:

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About the author: Smt. Supriya Antin Kaddargi is banking professional and an active VSNA member from Chicago chapter. She has authored the book 'Spiritual Transcendence', a biography of Sri. Jadeya Shantalingeshwara Swamiji.

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I am, You are, And We Are

By – Yuvaraj Patil, Toronto ಶಿಲ ಯೊಳಗಣ ಪಾವಕನ್ಂತ

Our god, how does he exist?

ಉದಕದ ೊಳಗಣ ಪ್ರತಿಬಂಬದಂತ God exists as fire in stone, as image in water, as a tree in the seed, as silence in sound. God exists.

ಬೇಜದ ೊಳಗಣ ವೃಕ್ಷದಂತ ಶಬದದ ೊಳಗಣ ನಿಶಯಬದದಂತ ಗುಹ ೇಶವರ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಶರಣಸಂಬಂಧ. ಆದಿಯಾಧಾರವಿಲಲದಂದು

When it all started?

ಹಮ್ುಮ ಬಮ್ುಮಗಳಿಲಲದಂದು Even before reference for time existed, even before anything visible and invisible existed, even before anything came into existence god was there.

ಸುರಾಳನಿರಾಳವಿಲಲದಂದು ಸಚರಾಚರವ ಲಲ ರಚನ ಗ ಬಾರದಂದು ಗುಹ ೇಶವರ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಶರಣನ್ುದಯಿಸಿದನ್ಂದು ಎತ ೆತ್ೆ ನ ೊೇಡಿದಡತ್ೆತ್ೆ ನಿೇನ ೇ ದ ೇವ!

Where god does exists?

ಸಕಲ ವಿಸ್ಾೆರದ ರೊಹು ನಿೇನ ೇ ದ ೇವ.

Anywhere and everywhere, completely occupies outer space, whole universe.

ವಿಶವತ್ಶಚಕ್ಷು ನಿೇನ ೇ ದ ೇವ, ವಿಶವತ ೊೇಮ್ುಖ ನಿೇನ ೇ ದ ೇವ. ವಿಶವತ ೊೇಬಾಹು ನಿೇನ ೇ ದ ೇವ. ವಿಶವತ ೊೇಪಾದ ನಿೇನ ೇ ದ ೇವ. ಕೊಡಲಸಂಗಮ್ದ ೇವ ತ್ಂದ ನಿೇನ್ು, ತಾಯಿ ನಿೇನ್ು;

Where do I start seeing?

ಬಂಧು ನಿೇನ್ು ಬಳಗ ನಿೇನ್ು; Start with your parents, your relatives, your friends, your teachers and soon you will start seeing him in everyone. I am, you are and we are creation and small symbol of creator.

ನಿೇನ್ಲಲದ ಮ್ತಾೆರು ಇಲಲವಯ್ಯ! ಕೊಡಲಸಂಗಮ್ದ ೇವ, ಹಾಲಲದುದ ನಿೇರಲದುದ.

Source: Vachanas from Allama Prabhu, Basavanna

About the author: Yuvaraj Patil is a BOD Members of Central VSNA. Earlier Yuvaraj served as Toronto Chapter President and 2000 VSNA Convention Chair. Yuvaraj is an Information Technology professional currently based in California.

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Enu Bandiri – The Ego in Us [With permission from: Vachana A Week Blog Post]

This simple vachana says a lot about how to let go our ego in order to create a positive environment within one-self and others.

Vachana in Kannada:

Explanation:

"ಏನ್ು ಬಂದಿರಿ, ಹದುಳವಿದಿ​ಿರ ?" ಎಂದರ

This vachana advocates the importance of developing positive environments for all our interactions. This can only be done by taking the initiative to greet the other party, enquiring about their well-being, offering them any support needed to make them comfortable. Even though there is not much to offer, or an inclination to yield to the other party during the ensuing interactions, the gracious gesture is a must.

ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮೈಸಿರಿ ಹಾರಿಹ ೊೇಹುದ ೇ? ಕುಳ್ಳಿರ ಂದರ ನ ಲ ಕುಳ್ಳಹ ೊೇಹುದ ೇ? ಒಡನ ನ್ುಡಿದರ ಶಿರ-ಹ ೊಟ್ ೆ ಒಡ ವುದ ? ಕ ೊಡಲಿಲಲದಿದಿರ ೊಂದು ಗುಣವಿಲಲದಿದಿರ ಕ ಡಹಿ ಮ್ೊಗ ಕ ೊಯ್ಯದ ಮಾಣಬನ ಕೊಡಲಸಂಗಮ್ ದ ೇವನ್ು?

Transliteration:

"Enu baMdiri, haduLaviddire?" eMdare nimma maisiri hArihOhudE ? kuLLireMdare nela kuLihOhudE ? oDane nuDidare Sira-hoTTe oDevude ? koDalilladiddaroMdu guNavilladiddare keDahi mUga koyyade mANbane kUDalasaMgama dEvanu ?

Click to hear it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fIIFCTuH3w

English:

If you greet others at the first sight with "Please come in, How do you do?”

Does your physical beauty disappear? (Do you turn ugly?)

If you say "Please sit down", Does your floor cave in?

If you are the first one to greet (without waiting for the other to be the first), Does your head or belly burst?

You may not have anything to give. But, if you do not have the grace to greet, The Lord (Kudala Sangama) will pull you down and chop your nose!

We often tend to ignore other’s presence because of our state of mind at that time, or preoccupation with other tasks, or out of willful negligence. These scenarios are more apt to occur in the multitasking world of today. Reflecting on what might have contributed to similar scenarios in fairly simple lives of twelfth century when this vachana was written; it is easy to see that the ego of the individual is the main contributing factor. Our ego stops us from greeting people properly and respecting every individual as equal. By saying that we should develop the grace to greet, the vachana is advocating the containment of ego and development of respect for all. The last line mentions that the Lord will pull you down and chop the nose. Chopping the nose is considered the harshest punishment on an individual. The Lord being referred to in this line is the Lord within us. He does not physically chop our nose. But, our egotistic behavior will eventually pull us down, punishing us to the level equivalent to chopping the nose.

Very often we see that our friends, colleagues and family members seem bored, distant or even alienated. We often react by mirroring their behavior. It is essential thus, to get people to react more positively to us throughout the day whether in the office, at home or on the street. We can establish a pleasant environment by being first to greet with a smile, enquiring about the well-being of the individuals and their families, and making them comfortable by offering a seat, or a drink, etc. if needed. Such welcome clears the air even if one has arrived to discuss an unpleasant matter. This vachana urges us to be the first to take such an initiative. Even if we do not have anything to offer (give), we should develop the grace to greet to start off a positive interpersonal relationship and environment.

It is natural to think “why do I have to set the tone?” We have to take the initiative because most people have already defined their life patterns and are not likely to change them. If we want our interaction with them to be upbeat, we have to create an environment where we can get the reaction we want. We must use positive words and tone, even when we have to give instructions or express dislike for someone’s behavior. Let us remember “we get back what we give out”. ಶಿವಶರಣರ ಜೇವನ್ ದೃಷ್ಟೆ ಅದು​ುತವಾದದುಿ. ಅವರು ’ಈ ಜಗತು​ು ಮಿಥ್ಯ’ ಎಂದು ಹ ೇಳದ “ಇಲಿಲ ಸಲುಲವವರು ಅಲಿಲಯ್ೊ ಸಲುಲವರು” ಎಂದು ಹ ೇಳ್ಳರುವರು. ಈ ಸಮಾಜದಲಿಲ ನಾವು ಯೇಗಯರಾಗಿ ಬಾಳಬ ೇಕು. ಜನ್ರ ೊಂದಿಗಿನ್ ಒಳ್ ಿಯ್ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಎಲಲರಿಗೊ ನ ಮ್ಮದಿ ಕ ೊಡುವಂತಹದು. ಆದರ ಅಹಮಿಮನ್ ನ್ಡತ ಯಂದ ಎಲಲರ ನ ಮ್ಮದಿಯ್ೊ ಕ ಡುತುದ . ಒಳ್ ಿಯ್ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಬ ಳ್ ಸುವಲಿಲ ಕನಿಷ್ಠ ಪಕ್ಷ ಪ್ರೇತಿಯ್ ಮಾತು ಮ್ುಖ್ಯವಾದದುಿ. ಅದಕ ೆ ಅಡಿ​ಿಯಾಗಿ ಬರುವುದು ಅಹಂಕಾರ. ಈ ವಚನ್ದಲಿಲ ಬಸವಣಣನ್ವರು ಮ್ನ ಗ ಬಂದವರ ೊಂದಿಗ ವತಿ​ಿಸುವ ಬಗ ಯ್ನ್ುನ ಹ ೇಳುತಿುದಾಿರ . ಮ್ನ ಗ ಬಂದವರ ೊಂದಿಗ ಪ್ರೇತಿಯಂದ ಮಾತನಾಡದವರನ್ುನ ಕುರಿತು, ಅವರು ಹಾಗ ಮಾಡಲು, ಸಂಭವಿಸಲಾರದ ಪರಮಾವಧಿಯ್ (extreme) ಕಾರಣಗಳನ್ುನ ತಾವ ೇ ಕ ೊಡುತು “ತಾವು ಕುಶಲವ ೇ?

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ಯಾವ ಕ ಲಸದ ನಿಮಿತು ತಾವು ಬಂದಿರುವಿರಿ? ಎಂದು ವಿಚಾರಿಸಿದರ

ನಿಮ್ಮ ದ ೇಹದ ಸಿರಿಗ

ಕುಂದುಂಟ್ಾಗುವುದ ೇ? ಕುಳ್ಳತುಕ ೊಳ್ಳಿರಿ ಎಂದರ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮ್ನ ಯ್ ನ ಲದಲಿಲ ಕುಳ್ಳಯ್ುಂಟ್ಾಗುವುದ ೇ? ಬಂದವರನ್ುನ ಕಾಯಸದ

ಬಂದಕೊಡಲ

ಮಾತನಾಡಿಸಿದರ

ನಿಮ್ಮ ತಲ

ಹ ೊಟ್ ೆಗಳು ಒಡ ದು

ಹ ೊೇಗುವವ ೇ?” ಎಂದು ಪರಶಿನಸುತಾುರ . ಖ್ಂಡಿತವಾಗಿಯ್ೊ ಮೇಲ ಹ ೇಳ್ಳದಂತ ಆಗುವುದಿಲಲ. ಹಿೇಗ ಪರಶಿನಸುವುದರ ಮ್ೊಲಕ, ಇದಾವುದೊ ಆಗುವುದಿಲಲ ಎಂಬುದನ್ುನ ಮ್ನ್ದಟ್ುೆ ಮಾಡಿಕ ೊಡುತಾುರ . ಇದಾವುದನ್ೊನ ಯೇಚಿಸದ ನಾವು ಮ್ನ ಗ ಬಂದವರನ್ುನ ನಿಲಿಕ್ಷಿಸುತ ುೇವ . ಅಥ್ವಾ ಬಂದವರಿಗ ತಮ್ಮದ ೇನ್ನ ೊನೇ ಕ ೊಡಬ ೇಕಾಗುತುದ ಎಂಬ ಭಯ್ದಿಂದ, ಇಲಲವ ಯಾವುದ ೊೇ ಕಾಲಪನಿಕ ಪರತಿಷ್ ಠಗ ಒಳಗಾಗಿ ಪ್ರೇತಿಯ್ ಮಾತನಾಡುವುದಿಲಲ, ಬಂದವರನ್ುನ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ವಿಚಾರಿಸಿಕ ೊಳುಿವುದಿಲಲ. ಇದರಿಂದ ಮ್ನ ಗ ಬಂದವರಿಗ ಅವಮಾನ್ ಉಂಟ್ಾಗಿ ಅವರ ನ ಮ್ಮದಿ ಹಾಳ್ಾಗುತುದ , ಅದರ ಪರಿಣಾಮ್ವಾಗಿ ದ ವೇಷ್ ಅಸೊಯೆಗಳು ಹುಟ್ೆಬಹುದು, ಅವರ ಮ್ನ್ ನ ೊೇಯ್ಬಹುದು. ಇವ ಲಲ ಇನ್ೊನ ಹ ಚಿ​ಿನ್ ನ್ಕಾರಾತಮಕವಾದ ಭಾವನ ಗಳ್ಳಗ ಡ ಮಾಡಿಕ ೊಟ್ುೆ ಜೇವನ್ವನ್ುನ ನ್ರಕಮ್ಯ್ವಾಗಬಹುದು. ಈ ಎಲಲದರ ಕಾರಣ ವಯಕ್ತುಯ್ ಒಣ ಪರತಿಷ್ ಠ ಮ್ತು​ು ಅಹಂಕಾರ. ಇನ ೊನಬಬರಿಗ

ಕ ೈಯೆತಿು ಕ ೊಡುವ ಸದುಬದಿ​ಿಯಲಲದಿದಿರೊ ಪ್ರೇತಿಯಂದ

ಮಾತಾಡುವ ಗುಣವಿರಬ ೇಕು. ಅದೊಕೊಡ ಇಲಲದ, ಅಹಂಕಾರದ ವಯಕ್ತುಯ್ನ್ುನ ಕೊಡಲಸಂಗಮ್ನ್ು ಕ ಳಗ ಬೇಳ್ಳಸಿ ಆತನ್ ಮ್ೊಗು ಕ ೊಯ್ುಯತಾುನ ಎಂದು ಹ ೇಳುತಾುರ ಬಸವಣಣನ್ವರು. ಎಂದರ ವಯಕ್ತುಯ್ ಅಂತಸು​ು, ಪರತಿಷ್ ಠಗಳು ಶಾಶವತವಲಲ. ಒಂದಿಲಲ ಒಂದು ದಿನ್ ಅವು ಮ್ಣುಣಗೊಡುತುವ . ಆಗ ಅವನ್ು ಕ ಳಗ ಬದಿಂತ ಯೆೇ, ಅವನ್ ಮ್ೊಗು ಕ ೊಯ್ಿಂತ ಯೆೇ, ಅಂದರ ಅವನ್ ಅವಮಾನ್ವಾದಂತ ಯೆೇ ಸರಿ. ವಿನ್ಯ್ ಮ್ತು​ು ಪ್ರೇತಿ ಎಲಲರಿಗೊ, ವಿಶ ೇಷ್ವಾಗಿ ಆತ ೊೋನ್ನತಿಯ್ ದಾರಿಯ್ಲಿಲರುವವರಿಗಂತೊ ಬಹು ಮ್ುಖ್ಯ. ಈ ದಾರಿಯ್ಲಿಲ ಅಹಂಕಾರವು ಒಂದು ಬೃಹತ್ ಅಡಚಣ ಯಾಗುತುದ .

About the authors: Dr. Sajjan Shiva is Professor and Chairman of the Computer Science Department at the University of Memphis, Tennessee, Fellow of IEEE, teacher, researcher and consultant since 1975. He is an author of 100+ articles in software engineering, cyber security and computer architecture, authored four books used by 120+ universities. Through his weekly blog http://vachanaaweek.blogspot.com he has translated and written commentaries on 200+ Vachanas so far. He has served as the chairman of the VSNA BOR and has been a life member since 1990.

Mrs. Leela Garady is the co-author on http://vachanaaweek.blogspot.com. Leela Garady has an M.A. in Hindi from Bangalore University. She has developed new ways of teaching language to children. She has written and directed plays in Kannada and Hindi for the students at CFL.

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Iṣṭaliṅga Linga Raju, M. D., Plainview, New York Iṣṭaliṅga is the physical form of Liṅga that is worn on the body by Vīraśaivas. It is bestowed to the disciple by a Guru. Simple meaning of ‘Iṣṭa’ is ‘adored’ or ‘desired’. Worshipping is a form of adoration. The term ‘Iṣṭa’ has been used in the Ĉhᾱndōgya Upaniṣad VIII.5.1 to mean ‘longing for the attainment of’, in the context of attaining oneness with the Ᾱtman (Self) (1).

Therefore, it can be said that Iṣṭaliṅga is the symbolic Liṅga used for worshipping and longing for the attainment of the true Liṅga.

Liṅgadhᾱraṇasthala, the fifth sthala in the one-hundred-one sthala Sanskrit Vīraśaiva Doctrine Siddhᾱnta Śikhᾱmaṇi (2) says that the Guru should take up a Liṅga which is made out of the stone of a great mountain like Śrīśaila, and infuse the luster of Liṅga as the one in Ōṁ form into that Liṅga, and then the Guru should create harmony between the Liṅga and the vital airs of the disciple, and place the Liṅga on the palm of the disciple. That Liṅga is the Iṣṭaliṅga that is to be worn on the body, and after the death of the body, to be buried in the ground with the body. Śūnya Saṁpᾱdane, the main scripture of the Vīraśaivas (3) states that the Vīraśaivas consider Liṅga to have taken tripleform in the body, life and mind as Iṣṭaliṅga, Prᾱṇaliṅga and Bhᾱvaliṅga respectively. Thus, Iṣṭaliṅga represents the body, and it is one of the three divisions of Liṅga. It is to be noted that Iṣṭaliṅga is not an idol or an image of the true Liṅga, it is the Liṅga itself as one of its three divisions. Vīraśaiva sadbhakti requires not only the liberation of the soul but also the liberation of the body, life and mind. And what is more important is that all these three are to be made into the nature of the Divine, and be united with the Divine. It is through the realization of these three Liṅga divisions that one has to advance and attain to the Absolute (3).

In spiritual life, the aspirant is hampered by dogmatic rites, egoism, attachment to the world, etc. Unless one has rid oneself of these, one cannot make any progress in spiritual attainment. The concept of discipline or spiritual practice is important. But the real worship is not with material things, it is with pure devotion and knowledge. To an ordinary devotee, the details of the physical acts of Iṣṭaliṅga worship are necessary only to strengthen the will. First there is worship in the gross form as worship of the physical Iṣṭaliṅga. Then the worship shifts to the internal worship of the formless internal Liṅga. Bhakti is the root of worship whether the worship is external or internal.

If one claims that the mere wearing of an Iṣṭaliṅga, and ritualistic worship of Iṣṭaliṅga guarantee liberation from the cycle of births and deaths, that person is mistaken. Undue preoccupation with traditional or customary rites and rituals associated with the Iṣṭaliṅga worship are condemned by Prabhudēva (3). He says something like this: If one ties a packet of food to the belly, would the hunger go away?

If one hangs fast an Iṣṭaliṅga to one’s trunk, would one become a bhakta?

If one fixes a stone on a bush, is that stone a Liṅga?

Will that bush become a bhakta? And is the one who put it there a Guru?

When I see such a one, O Guhēśvara, I blush for shame.

I blush to see those who pluck the outer Iṣṭaliṅga and worship the outer…

But if I see a wink-less Liṅga within and worship it within the flower of my mind, the shame ebbs, and I am all free from doubt.

The external Iṣṭaliṅga will be of any value only if it stimulates the spiritual growth of the soul. If the seeker is to gain strength in this pursuit, the seeker cannot have it by blind belief or perverse argument. Firm faith, coupled with thought and practice, is necessary for spiritual advancement. Each individual is responsible for working out his or her own relation to Liṅga and to Liṅga’s grace. Śaraṇa Ghaṭṭivāḷayya (3) declares: ‘Śivalṅga is the one that is worshipped in a Static form (in the temples) on earth.

Iṣṭaliṅga is the one that is worshipped (externally) in the Dynamic form on earth. But that, abiding within, eternally upon the point of Consciousness, and gets worshipped internally, is the Vīraśaivaliṅga’.

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References: 1. CHĀNDOGYA UPANIṢAD by Swāmī Swāhānanda. Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai (Madras) 600 004, India. 2007 2. Śrī Śivayogi Śivācārya’s Śrī Siddhāntaśikhāmaṇi with Śrī Maritoṇṭadārya’s Tattvapradīpika. Dr. M. Sivakumara Swamy. Shaiva Bharati Shodha Pratisthan, Jangamwadi Math, Varanasi-221 001, India. 2007 3. ŚŪNYASAṀPĀDANE. Volumes I through V. Published by Karnatak University, Dharwar, India.

About the author: Dr. Linga Raju, M.D. is VSNA life member, native of Davaṇagere, India. Dr. Raju is a prominent Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases physician. He has written spiritual publications - “A Journey through Hindu and Vīraśaiva Concepts’, and ‘SIDDHĀNTA ŚIKHĀMAṆ; The one hundred one sthala doctrine A concise composition’.

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Embarrassing and Insulting Situations!..

Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Dr Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji, Sirigere [Translated from Kannada by - Dr. Annapur Shivakumar, Libertyville, IL] The mental torture resulting from unintentionally carried out actions that differ somewhat from the customary manners and practices are referred to as Embarrassments. Although these do not involve moral issues as such, they do cause considerable damage to one’s ego and personality. A boy riding a bicycle to School falls down due to imbalance. His peers laugh at him even as he falls. The fallen boy feels ashamed. If he pretends that nothing happened to him, he is ridiculed more. Psychologists say that the solution for that is for you yourself to join with those who are laughing at you, instead of showing your displeasure. As you do that, it becomes harder for others to continue laughing and the ridiculing stops. They recommend you to be aware of the incidence and take care not to create a similar situation again. It is natural for everyone to face a few embarrassing situations in their lives. The severity of embarrassment becomes proportionately greater to the number of people who notice such incidents. The more you try to cover them up, the more you are prone to be ridiculed. It is better just to ignore it or laugh it off. People soon forget it. They opine that to cry, to react, or to get angry is useless in such situations.

In some instances, even if an embarrassing situation is created by one individual’s behavior, it becomes an embarrassment to a second person who hasn’t done any such thing. There was an English teacher named C.P.B., for short, in one of the schools run by our Math. He is still highly regarded by many as an affectionate teacher loved by most students. He used to meet us often during our leisurely evening walks from the Math to the School campus and would dutifully bend down to touch our feet and pay his respects. Because his home was on our walking path, these meetings were fairly frequent. He had stayed on at Sirigere since his retirement and due to his advancing age his eyesight was getting weaker. Highly dedicated person that he was towards the Math and the Guruji, once he thought he had seen us from a distance and assumed that we were on our walk. As we were passing by his home he had bent down and touched the feet as usual. But the one who came that way on that day was not me. It was a Muslim lady wearing a red saree! ‘O! Master, it’s me, Fatima”, shrieked that Moslem lady and fell at the teacher’s feet and begged his pardon. The lady was clearly more embarrassed than the teacher!

You need not be surprised if I tell you that sometimes people with no fault get embarrassed instead of the one who was responsible for creating that situation. Remember your childhood. Everyone born in this world has grown up into adulthood embarrassing their mothers in one way or the other. A mother does not need an explanation for the phrase, ‘An undisciplined child embarrasses his mother’. Oftentimes, a person is not aware of his fault in the beginning, but begins to feel extremely embarrassed after being told what he has done. A mother had gone on a pilgrimage to Tirupati with his son. While signing in to a hotel, the hotel owner noticing her son asked her in Telugu who was the accompanying boy. Not versed well in Telugu language, the mother thought that a simple addition of the prefix “...du’ to any word, like Ramudu, Bheemudu, would suffice, and replied, “magadu” (‘maga’ means ‘son’ in kannada). But she did not know that in telugu, ‘mogadu’ means ‘husband’!

It is not always easy for a person subjected to embarrassment to laugh it off and forget the incidence. For example, consider the following incidence. A few years ago, Prince Charles of Britain came to visit the ‘Panna Tiger Reserve’, the National Park primarily maintained for protection of tigers near Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. With all due respects befitting the Royalty, the Prince was driven towards the preserve. The light was fading as the day was turning to dusk. All along the way women were sitting for their toilet chores. As the lights from the approaching car struck them, they would stand up instantly. The Prince, noticing this, asked why they were all standing up like that. With the fast reflexes typical of an administrative officer, the district collector replied, “Sir, they were all waiting for your arrival and now they got up to greet you”! Dr. Manu Kulkarni is saddened by this incidence and has aptly commented in his recent book, “Managing Human Development”, that our country’s bureaucracy is more concerned about safeguarding the false image of the country than to address the honor issues of our unfortunate women. In this regard, I really liked the “Purification of Karnataka Plan” projected by the Government of Karnataka several years ago. Under this plan, we had selected from our Math, hundreds of villages in Davangere and Chitradurga districts and built toilet facilities. The villagers were immensely happy. A very old woman had approached me on one occasion and bending down to touch my feet, had remarked, ‘Swamiji, you have upheld the dignity of our women folk’ reflecting the utter negligence that is accorded to our women folk.

The Christian belief is that shyness that is inherent in man started with ‘Adam and Eve’. The legend says that Adam and Eve, believed to be the first father and mother of this human race, were walking naked everywhere in the garden of ‘Eden’ without any embarrassment whatsoever. The God had instructed them that they could eat any fruit in that garden except the fruit from an apple tree. Accordingly, they obeyed that command for a long time. However, prompted by Satan mischievously, once Eve plucked an apple and shared it with Adam. Christians believe that eating the forbidden apple made them conscious of their nudity and they tried to cover their nakedness. Complete blame is directed towards ‘Eve’ for all the

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sadness and grief that has befallen mankind as she disobeyed Adam’s advice not to touch the forbidden apple. As NonChristians, we cannot accept their logic that Adam had no part in this action and the fault lies with only Eve. He had a desire to taste the forbidden fruit too. Eve just happened to be a medium to satisfy his desire. In Adam, actually we can trace man’s inherent habit of switching the blame on others. It can be argued that even if Eve did pluck the apple, she was not selfish as she did not hide it from Adam and eat it all by herself. Whether it is a man or a woman, a part of Satan resides in everyone.

The main goal of any religion is to suppress and destroy the resident Satan in everyone. As said in Katopanishath, “shreyashcha preyashcha manushyamethah”, the shreyas (the good) and preyas (the bad) seek every human being. We need to understand that the decision to choose one of them is ours.

Even if the pain is unbearable for a person who has been embarrassed, it does not last long. Embarrassments happen without notice and in due course, they are forgotten. No one has any ulterior motives behind those instances. But it is not the same with Insults. They do not happen by themselves. Behind them is a person creating them. The mental torture that an insulted person undergoes knowing that it was premeditated by another human being is unimaginable. Let us look at some instances.

Duryodhana after having won over Dharamaraya in the game of dice, mainly through the treachery of Shakuni, sends a messenger to bring Draupadi to the royal court. Draupadi refuses to go to the court when the messenger brings the royal order. She sends the message, ‘was it proper for Dharmaraya (what right did he have?) to wager me after having wagered and lost himself and his brothers. Let the elders in the royal court discuss and decide on this before I can enter the royal court”. Hearing this message from the messenger, Duryodhana gets very angry and orders his brother Dushyasana to go and drag Draupadi to the royal court. Listen to the dialogue between Draupadi and Dushyasana as narrated by Kumara Vyasa: You are the King’s brother and My brother-in-law as well, what is wrong here Dharmaraya may have lost, but let me get the response to my question Brother, listen to me, it is the day of my period now Entrance to the royal court Improper is it not, go tell the king – hearing this he gets enraged || From where is the query and from where is the response?

You may have your periods now So will you become fertile in the Kaurava Lord’s court Five of them are all lost What is proper or improper?

Show it there – so saying he starts dragging her by her hair || When Draupadi very politely says, “You are my brother-in-law, Dharamaraya may have lost. But let me get the proper response to my query. I have my periods now and it is not proper for me to enter the royal court in my condition. Please go and tell the king”, Dushyasana ignores her words and arrogantly responds while dragging her by her hair, “You have your periods here; you will also become fertile there in the court of Duryodhana. His lewd behavior towards his sister-in-law considered motherly in stature, appears unbearable. Such caustic words often leave an imprint for revenge in the minds of the insulted person. The result of such lewd words brings the worst of Bheema to the fore making him appear as a ‘bloodhound’ as he utters these ominous words of vow, “The undone hair of Draupadi will get sprinkled and showered with blood from Dushyasana’s heart”.

Dear readers! Like our women folk from villages sing, ‘Gone are the grains of our corn, but the rhymes of our song still remain’, so does our woeful tales of women not finished as yet. Please digest the lines from above until next week. When you look at the atrocities committed on modern women in our contemporary society, does it not make you feel that Mahabharata is still very much alive?

About the Author: Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru - Dr Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji, Sirigere is an eminent Sanskrit scholar with Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University. His Holiness is also the President of the Education Society. Treading the path of his predecessor, the Swamiji has been relentlessly striving for the betterment of the rural poor and the downtrodden. He has been contributing to the society in many ways and accessible to common man by writing weekly column (Every Thursday) in well-known Kannada daily under the caption "BISILU BELADINGALU". The collection of these articles are also available in serious of books published by "Taralabalu Prakashana" as well as in Mutt's official website i.e., www.taralabalu.org.

About the Translator Author: Dr. Shivakumar Annapur is the VSNA Life Member and one of the senior members of Chicago Chapter. Dr. Shivakumar is also the former-President of Vidyaranya Kannada Koota (VKK) and editor of Sangama of VKK.

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The Brave Heart of the Ancient Women!

Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Dr Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji, Sirigere [Translated from Kannada by: Dr. Annapur Shivakumar, Libertyville, IL] In the earlier article, you saw how the incidence of lewd behavior and disrobing of Draupadi by Dushyasana and Duryodhana transformed an insultful situation into hatred culminating in the great battle of Mahabharata. If the words and actions of an individual are filled with good intentions, the results will certainly be good. In this regard, it is worthwhile to recall Sarvagna’s three line stanza (tripadi) –

Speech elicits laughter, Speech creates friction Speech begets all fortunes to this world Speech is the crowning jewel, says Sarvagna I Basavanna’s statement, “To say Sir (ayya) is heaven, to say –hey you (elavo’) - means hell” or in other words, “To be humble in your speech is heaven, to be arrogant in your speech is hell”, also exemplifies the varied power of the speech.

Just as it is stated that the pen is mightier than the sword, it could also be said that the speech is sharper than the sword.

The spoken words could be deadlier than a snake’s venom. A snake’s venom kills a person in minutes. But the venom from the spoken words is not the same. It does not kill the person instantly. It keeps on killing bit by bit, not just one person, but many! It is the evil nature of some people to be sarcastic in every word coming out of their mouths and to cause mental anguish in others. Such mean minded people derive sadistic pleasure in hurting other people with their barbed words.

To cite an instance, two relatives who had been fighting over some issue were consoled and brought to compromise with each other, by some village elders. As a sign of goodwill, a party was arranged in one of their houses where both the parties happily sat together for dinner. Everyone’s plates were served with delicious dishes. Traditionally a camphor is lit and salutations are offered by saying, ‘sharanu, sharanaarthi’ (I am at your service, please protect us!) after the food is served on the plates. But in this case, there was a remnant of that old bad feeling in the hostess who was serving at the table. After the formal lighting of the camphor she sarcastically let out the words, “my dear brother-in-law, at least now, did your moustache hit the dirt? Sharanu, Sharanaarthi!” Those sarcastic words enraged the people from the other party. Insult hit them hard and got them hysterical. The camphor lighted to illumine as a goodwill sign transformed itself into a raging fire and got both parties into a physical fight!

In some embarrassing and insulting situations, the embarrassed person has very smartly turned the table on the insulting person. (A few such incidents that I experienced as a student at Kashi Hindu University have been written in these columns long time ago). Take for instance, the episode pertaining to Anusuyadevi, the great pious spouse of the sage Atri. The Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara were on the lookout for a time when sage Atri was away and make an entrance acting as monks into the monastery. When Anusuyadevi was told their wish for her to be naked when she served food to them, she was taken aback for a moment, but recovered to show great reflexes and intelligence in that situation. She sprinkles the water collected from her husband’s feet cleaning (padodaka) on them and transforms all three of them into babies. She then feeds them milk from her breasts. This portrays how a man can walk the righteous path if they choose to, without getting perturbed in any critical situation. Some might ridicule such stories as baseless mumblings. But it is important to remember that all the characters, whether they are Gods, Angels or Sages, who are depicted in our scriptures, are a mere reflection of human virtues and vices. It is proper to review these stories from a psychological point of view rather than from a philosophical point of view. Only then we will be able to logically relate our minds of today to the minds of the past.

In everyday life we use words like, guilty consciousness, shame, embarrassment, and insult, without making any distinction among them. According to psychologists, these terms are not the same but are actually related to different states of the mind. Guilty consciousness arises when an individual behaves in a way that is different from the ideals he has set for himself. Knowing fully well that he should not have done that, he keeps doing it time and again due to mental frigidity. As he keeps doing that, his guilty consciousness keeps fighting him. At some stage, more than likely his inner consciousness takes control of the situation and transforms him into a new person. Such situations form the life’s turning points.

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While the guilty consciousness might turn a man around, feelings of shame rarely do that. They manifest negative feelings like, “I am not a good person, I am bad, there is no one more unfit than me in this universe, no one can correct me”, and make you look down on yourself. By undergoing this self-degradation path, the person is disgusted with himself, develops an inferiority complex and becomes a stranger to himself. This type of disgust, elaborating only the negative thoughts, could often endanger him towards ending his own life.

Compared to all other feelings, embarrassment is not that significant as it does not last long and does not cause any acute effect on the individual. One can bear it from within such accidental mishaps. But he cannot tolerate insults inflicted upon him intentionally. He cannot bear to hear accusing words from the people he does not like. Repeated episodes of such insults will break his patience and he will react. The words, “How long can I tolerate” get transformed into action. In our present day society we often find this among young women who suffer mental and physical abuse in their husband’s houses.

This reactive pattern is nothing new. We can see this kind of situation in Shakuntalopakyana of the original Vyasa’s Mahabharata. A drama, ‘Abhignana Shakuntala’ by Mahakavi Kalidasa based on the original Mahabharata got the commendation, “kavyeshu natakam ramyam tatrapi cha shakuntala’ (Drama is the best in poetry, and Shakuntala is best among those dramas). But in order make a super hero out of Dushyantha, Kalidasa’s imagination has gone haywire. There are people who lend support to him saying that it is actually not his fault entirely as he based his drama on ‘Padmapurana.’

The Dushyantha-Shakuntala pair of Vyasa Mahabharata are projected vastly different in both Padmapurana and Kalidasa’s drama.

In the Shakuntala drama, when the great sage Kanva’s fully pregnant pet daughter arrives at Dushyantha’s palace, Dushyantha fails to recognize her. Kalidasa’s imagination attributes that lapse of memory to sage Durvasa’s curse. Durvasa had gotten angry when Shakuntala, pre-occupied with Dushyantha’s thoughts, had not offered rituals proper for a distinguished guest. When Shakuntala attempts to refresh the memory of her wedding to Dushyantha by showing him the wedding ring, to her dismay she realizes that the ring was missing from her finger. The ring that was given by Dushyantha during the celestial marriage (gandharva vivaha) at Kanva’s monastery had inadvertently slipped out of her finger while bathing in the river. Kalidasa has portrayed Dushyantha as blemishless in this case and justifies his action by stating that he could have done nothing as it was all fate. But the Vyasa Mahabharata had not portrayed him as innocent. In fact, he had recognized her alright, but was reluctant to admit it in front of people fearing that he would lose their respect if he accepted her. Shakuntala tries very hard to convince him about the romantic times they had together and his promise to crown their son as the prince. But Dushyantha was steadfast in his conviction and refuses to accept her argument. He calls her an evil witch from the forest and accuses her of scheming to snatch his kingdom away from him. Shakuntala knows that he is putting up an act that he does not know her. She is enraged and asks him to touch his heart and say that he does not remember her. ‘yadi me yaachamaanaayaa vachanam na karishtasihi

Dushyantha shathadhaa moordhaa thathasthetadhya pathishtathi ’ Draupadi curses Dushyantha with these words: “Even after revealing the truth in such good words, if you do not accept me as your wife, let your head be split into tiny pieces.” ‘andaani bibhrathi swani ba bhindhanthi pipeelikaaha Na barethaaha katham nu thvam dharmagnaha san swamaathmajam’ ‘Even ordinary ants do not break the eggs they lay. But a so called gentleman like you are saying that you cannot protect your family’s infant child. Shame on you!’ says Shakuntala. What a brave heart this Shakuntala from the Vyasa Mahabharat portrays!

People have not spared bad mouthing even that great saint, Akkamahadevi, who stood far above the worldly feelings of embarrassment. While at the palace when King Kaushika, blinded by lust, makes advances on her she retorts, ‘My concern is for myself, your concern is for lust, Let go of my piece of cloth you idiot. My worry is whether my Lord Chennemallikarjuna accepts me or not.’ This bold emphatic response has no parallel in the annals of religion anywhere. As she leaves the palace and gets on the street, the insults and innuendos that people hurled at her is hard to imagine. The bold way she handled these incidents and the following words that she threw at them hardly needs a commentary.

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Brothers, you came to feast upon the bare breasts, And the adolescent luster!

Brothers, a woman I am not Brothers, a prostitute I am not Brothers, why then you look and look Who do you think I am that you can approach me?

The face of any man other than Chennamallikarjuna does not appeal to me, my brothers!

O brothers! Why talk to this woman, With loose hair, withered face, crumbling body Why torture, O fathers!

I, with no will power, detached from this world Turned into a devotee Casting off caste and in fusion with my Lord Chennamallikarjuna!

About the Author: Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru - Dr Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji, Sirigere is an eminent Sanskrit scholar with Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University. His Holiness is also the President of the Education Society. Treading the path of his predecessor, the Swamiji has been relentlessly striving for the betterment of the rural poor and the downtrodden. He has been contributing to the society in many ways and accessible to common man by writing weekly column (Every Thursday) in well-known Kannada daily under the caption "BISILU BELADINGALU". The collection of these articles are also available in serious of books published by "Taralabalu Prakashana" as well as in Mutt's official website i.e., www.taralabalu.org.

About the Translator Author: Dr. Shivakumar Annapur is the VSNA Life Member and one of the senior members of Chicago Chapter. Dr. Shivakumar is also the former-President of Vidyaranya Kannada Koota (VKK) and editor of Sangama of VKK.

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Veerashaiva News around the World PM Modi to Unveil Basava Statue in London

Dr. Neeraj Patil, former mayor of the London borough of Lambeth, the brain behind the statue met PM Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday and extended an invitation to him to inaugurate the statue during his visit to the UK, expected sometime in June-July this year. For more details, please visit the following news online:    

NDTV News Economic Times News Outlook India News Kannada One India News

Sharana Sammelana in Australia

Basava Samithi of Australasia – Perth, Australia conducted a very successful Sharana Sammelana in December 2014.

For video recording of the event, please see: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B92Xi9AJzbBzNXFhVWp4R2J2ZGM/edit.

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Vachana Vijayothasava in Bidar, India

Vachana Vijayothsava was held in Bidar, Karnataka, India on 1, 2 & 3 February 2015 and was broadcasted in Doordarshan – Chanadana. For more details, please see:  

2015-Vachana Vijayothsava – Part I 2015-Vachana Vijayothsava – Part II

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Central VSNA Updates BOD Updates By - Channu Kambalyal, President VSNA The Central VSNA Board of Directors consisting of 10 elected members, and 21 local chapter presidents and 1 ex-officio member (past President) have started the work of rejuvenating Central VSNA via their Two-Year Agenda identifying 15 major tasks.

One of the important change we have brought about is in the way approach the meetings and discussions using the concepts of Modern Meeting Standards, where we have brain-storming sessions to understand each other’s views and once an agreement is reached, we bring it to BOD meetings to decision making. This approach enables us to avoid conflicts and work unitedly. During that last 3 months, the members and about 20 highly motivated volunteers in various committees spent over 20 hours in various brain-storming sessions on one or more of these tasks. Following is the summary of progress in each of these tasks: 1. Official Communication: Keeping in view the importance of direct communication with its members, the Central VSNA officers – President and Secretary have on multiple occasions initiated direct communication. These included periodical greets, convention announcements and breaking-news aligned to the mission of the organization. We have about 1300 email subscribers. Steps are being taken to mobilize additions subscribers. Communication via chapter-presidents, the ground soldiers representing Central VSNA continues.

2. Annual Convention Advisory : The Central VSNA Advisory worked very hard to ensure the annual conventions continue to be held keeping with the aspirations of its members who look forward to convention every year. It took a while, but we managed to mobilize the vast potential that existed in the New York chapter. New York chapter will be hosting the convention in New Jersey after a gap of 12 years. The last time they hosted was in 2003. The convention team is working very hard to make this event a great success. We expect attendance of over 800 registrants. All are requested to register early at the 2015-VSNA Convention Site. The convention team is supported by a highly motivated central BOD and BOR members and volunteers, which meets periodically to advise and guide the convention team.

3. Ten Year - Annual Conventions Readiness: The task group had a very inspiring discussion on this topic to streamline the local chapter preparedness for the convention for the next 10 years. The plan is to motivate and get the local chapters started with the convention thought process early on. On this note, for 2016, VSNA Maryland chapter is all set for hosting the 2016 convention. Georgia chapter is working towards 2017 convention. Detroit, Chicago and Toronto chapters have been invited to host conventions for years – 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. The task group will have follow-up meetings with all chapters to ensure our readiness.

4. Web-Site and Social Media: VSNA now has 3 main web sites – VSNA Main Site, Matrimony and Convention sites. It was planned to merge all 3 sites. However due to criticality of convention, we host content on 2 sites with Matrimony site as the sub domain of the main site. Plans are underway to create a online membership registration using tools such as Wild Apricot.

5. Newsletter – Baandhavya & Spiritual Communication: Attempts are being made to improve the content of Baandhavya.

We welcome anyone who wants contribute in any manner towards this newsletter. Please contact newsletter@vsna.org.

All past newsletters can be viewed online. See VSNA-Resources-Newsletters.

6. Rejuvenate Local Chapters: The task group had a brain-storming session. Various ideas have been gathered. Details are online – VSNA-Resources-How To Rejuvenate Local Chapters. This document will be updated periodically with new ideas and for use by all local chapters to incorporate.

7. Youth Participation: The task group met on several occasions. Plan is to form youth executive team and formalize via VSNA Bylaws, so that members get elected to official positions.

8. Accounting & Investment Management: The task group meets to ensure the accounts are audited and assets invested to ensure growth.

9. Election Committee: The election committee is now created and will perform for two years. The committee carried out their task of filling 3 vacant BOD seats.

10. Bylaw Committee: The bylaw committee consisting of 3 former Central VSNA Presidents are working on reviewing recommendations of the earlier task group that submitted their report and also to include provision on how VSNA can play positive role when members initiate organizations that are aligned with mission of VSNA and extend the mission

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to fulfil local interests. We expect the revised articles to be ready in the next few months so that BOD can approve and send to General Body for final approval.

Life-Membership Drive & Dasoha: The task group met briefly to brain-storm on how to motivate local chapter members to become life-members of Central VSNA. The felt it was not about membership fees but the lack of motivation and the spread of message of VSNA. The group has few ideas to experiment at convention. The work on increasing membership will continue.

Scholarship Fundraising: The task group has initiated to increase scholarship amounts for essays competitions and to seek donors for scholarship funds.

Welcome Kit, Brochures and Guidelines Documents: The plan is to prepare printed documents and brochures so that the package can be distributed to new life-members and also mail certain gifts or souvenirs to life-members at least once a year. The task group plans to meet during second quarter.

Awards Committee: The task group for the next two years has been formed. They will carry out the tasks of inviting nominations for various VSNA awards and assessing the award winners.

For latest updates on VSNA – BOD Meeting Minutes please visit VSNA.ORG->Events->BOD Meetings.

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BOR Updates By - Laxmi Hiremath, Board of Regents, Chair I am truly humbled and honored to serve as your Chairman of the Board of Regents. Thank you again for re-electing me for yet another two year term 2015-16 as your BOR Chair. One of the best VSNA rewards to me is becoming the Chairman of the Board of Regents. It has been very satisfying and fulfilling.

Welcome New Team!

I have worked to bring innovative approaches in the last few years. I will do so in my new term and continue the notable work that we have been doing. I welcome my new BOR team members, Rohini Mensinkai, Shylendra Kumar, Jayashree Jagadeesh, Uma Sajjan, Dada Patil, and Rajeev Kumar. I am privileged to lead an outstanding team.

The Board of Regents, although an independent body in itself, works closely with the Board of Directors for enriching the VSNA community. We will identify and implement short and long term projects as we have done before, bring them to fruition, turn over to BOD to make them operational and run effectively. I am excited and look forward to working closely with the entire team!

Former BOR Team Endeavors!

Last two years have been an amazing journey. My teammates support and dedication has been crucial every step of the way. BOR team, year 2013-14 consisted of Dr. Nagabhushan, Dada Patil, Mamatha Hirannaiah, Uma Sajjan and Rajeev Kumar. I am very proud to say, my teammates were very enthusiastic and steadfast. We all worked as a team.

Let's look back on our record of accomplishments, from the historic Matrimonial Service, VSNA Directory, Youth Scholarship, Youth Executive Board, and Religious Committee. We hit the social media as well, I have launched a VSNA Women’s Club and a closed Youth Group on Facebook.

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Matrimonial Service project was headed by Uma Sajjan two years ago. I must add, she has very dutifully dedicated her efforts to this project. There was no avenue for Veerashaiva boys and girls born and raised in the US to meet other than in the local chapter or at conventions. The purpose was to provide an online forum for the youths to start a conversation and perhaps find their future spouses. I am happy to announce the website was launched last year. I would like to convey special thanks to Mruthyunjay Hiremath from Central CA chapter in coordinating and providing a website designer in India and making it cost effective. Uma Sajjan took the opportunity to launch the site at the Dallas Convention with honorable Tumkur Hiremath Swamiji. The site was only in the initial stages. Swamiji mentioned to us, the home page looked like an ad for Indian jewelry. I looked at several other matrimonial sites and suggested to my team a more modern theme for our youths than the traditional coconuts and jewelry. Mruthyunjay Hiremath provided several images for selection, we voted amongst our team members and made the choice. Rajeev Kumar came up with numerous title names, we voted yet again to select ‘Soul Mates’. Mamatha and Uma provided their expertise in functionality and worked on the backend of the site. Dada Patil and Dr. Nagabhushan provided their valuable input along the way. Today, I am proud to see many registrations and profiles, thanks to all my team for making this a reality.

We worked on the monumental task of putting together the VSNA Directory list. Dada Patil along with BOD members Yuvaraj Patil and Basavaraj Mudenur coordinated with the chapter presidents for updated address list. Our tech expert Mamatha Hirannaiah created the excel format for 1200 names.

Youth Scholarship was led by Dada Patil. We received several applications. As always, the judging was done by the youths.

We have a Youth Executive Board in place, thanks to Rajeev Kumar for his efforts in bringing the youngsters together via the Facebook.

A new project was started by Dr. Nagabhushan which is helpful to the community at large. He aspires to set up a religious committee and appoint few members at every chapter level to train them to perform birth, marriage and funeral as per the Veerashaiva rites. We will pursue this project moving forward.

Board of Regents is a team. We stick together, we respect one another, and we listen to each other. That's what has helped us accomplish the big things.

Plan for Future We held our first meeting in January with the new team and broached some ideas. We are going to ‘work out of the box!’ I want my team to help me identify where they see opportunities to make critical progress for the organization and direct BOR's work this year and ahead and what lines in the sand they want to draw! We have new ideas to confront let's build on it in the year ahead, and we must do it together. I hope you will join me on this new journey.

My goal is also to encourage more women and youths at all levels including the top, to change the dynamics and reshape the VSNA Organization with fresh ideas.

I would like to work closely with the BOD to connect with our community members and make them feel as a family in America.

As your BOR Chairman, I look forward to serving you in the coming years. We have younger, smarter, talented people let’s involve everyone to make VSNA a stronger, vibrant organization.

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VSNA Local Chapters Updates VSNA - Texas South Chapter The Texas – South VSNA Chapter aka Houston Chapter conducts monthly programs called Mahamane. Following are few highlights of Mahamane for the past three months: March 2015 Mahamane: This month, we performed Guru Basaveshwara Pooja and Shoonya Sampadane Day remembering the teachings of Sharana Allama Prabhu. Our VSNA kids – Khushal, Khushi, Aditya, Shreyas, Shailesh, recited vachanas. Some briefs of discussions: Allama Prabhu by Annu: Allama Prabhu was a drummer during his early stage, and one day he saw a light beaming out of a cave, in curiosity he reached the cave and saw a Muni Animisayya meditating by concentrating at Linga in his palm, this light which Allama Prabhu saw was beaming out through this Linga. Allama Prabhu went in search of the divine Guru who provided this linga and finally reached Guru Basavanna. Thereafter his journey started Anubhava Mantapa and was the first sharana to achieve Sunya Sampadane.

Allama Prabhu Vachana walkthrough by Jagadish Biradar: ಛಲ ಬ ೇಕು ಶರಣಂಗ ಪರಧನ್ವನ ೊಲ ಲನ ಂಬ ಛಲ ಬ ೇಕು ಶರಣಂಗ ಪರಸತಿಯ್ನ ೊಲ ಲನ ಂಬ ಛಲ ಬ ೇಕು ಶರಣಂಗ ಪರದ ೈವವನ ೊಲ ಲನ ಂಬ ಛಲ ಬ ೇಕು ಶರಣಂಗ ಲಿಂಗ ಜಂಗಮ್ ಒಂದ ೇ ಎಂಬ ಛಲ ಬ ೇಕು ಶರಣಂಗ ಪರಸಾದ ದಿಟ್ವ ಂಬ ಛಲವಿಲಲದವರ ಮಚಿ ನ್ಮ್ಮ ಕೊಡಲ ಸಂಗಮ್ ದ ೇವ TRANSLATION Persistence is needed for the devotee to cause to say ‘I don’t want other’s wealth’.

Persistence is needed for the devotee to cause to say ‘I don’t want other’s wife’.

Persistence is needed for the devotee to cause to say ‘I don’t want other God’.

Persistence is needed for the devotee to cause to say ‘Linga, the God and Jangama are one’.

Persistence is needed for the devotee to cause to say ‘the truth is that everything is Prasada’.

Our God Koodalasangamadeva will not admire those who don’t have persistence!

VSNA Houston Chapter made its first appearance at the Houston Food Bank on March 28, 2015. It was a very satisfying and fulfilling activity which the kids and adults thoroughly enjoyed participating in. The energy, the atmosphere that exists there is very infectious and within no time we had completed our activity!

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February 2015 Mahamane: This month we celebrated Maha Shivarathri by performing Ishta Linga Pooja. Our VSNA kids– Puneet, Aditya and Anu recited vachanas.

We discussed - why all sharanas respected Basavanna and followed him with such a faith…It was because of Basavanna, that sharanas were able to seek the divine path and this information is written in one of the vachanas.

Tit Bits - Awesome food, very tasty! Next Mahamane to be hosted by Harish and Kavya family. Tentative date – March 21st.

January 2015 Mahamane: This month we celebrated Siddarameshwar Jayanthi. VSNA kids – Shailesh, Shreyas, Puneet, Aditya, Khushi, Jay and Anu recited vachanas. Hats off to our kids. You do a wonderful job on vachana recital. Because of you we are learning.

Anushree gave a talk on Siddarameshwar. We also discussed - Why we need to pray daily and why praying is important.

Following are our chapter office-bearers for 2015 - Jagadeesh Halyal President; Arun Sajjan - Vice-President, Akshay Basavaraju – Treasurer; Mukta Satewar - Executive Member, Siddarameshwar Bagali - Executive Member.

Mrs. Mukta discussed the topic of Dasoha activity and confirmed the date as March 28th. We also celebrated 27th Anniversary of Harish and Kavya Hiremath by cutting awesome tasty strawberry Cake! We wish you a Happy Anniversary!

Dec 2015 Mahamane: Mahamane was started off with Ishta Linga pooja along with Guru Pooja and Vachana Recitals by Kids. Mrs. Jagadish Biradar shared know-how about Basavanna and Linga described in vachana by Channabasavanna: Vachana in Kannada

English Translation:

Aadi Basavanna, anaadi Lingavedembaru Husi, husi E nudiaya kelalagadu Aadi Linga, anadi Basavannanu Lingavu Basavannana udardalli huttitu Jangamau Basavannana udaradalli huttitu Prasadavu Basavannananu anukarisalayittu Inti trividhakke Basavannane karanavendaridenayya Koodalachenna Sangamadeva

There is a saying Basaveshwara is beginner (Aadi), Linga existing from eternity (Anadi), Lie, lie this cannot be heard, Linga is beginner (Aadi), Basavanna is senior to Linga (Anadi), Linga is born in the stomach of Basavanna, Jangama is born in the stomach of Basavanna, Prasada is born in the stomach of Basavanna, I came to notice, Basavanna is the only cause for this threefold ethics, O Lord Koodalachennasangamadeva.

For more details of VSNA – Houston Chapter, please see our VSNA-Houston Chapter Facebook pages.

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VSNA - Washington DC & Virginia Chapter VSNA VA-DC chapter held the Maha Shivaratri Event on Saturday, March 7th at the community Lutheran Church, Sterling, VA. Around 55 families (~ 100 members) attended. Saroja Ullagaddi led linga puja. Members sang Bhajans and devotional songs. Kids and adults recited vachanas. Adults discussed the concepts of Veerashaivism. The event was concluded with variety of snacks keeping with Shivaratri tradition.

VSNA – Ohio Chapter The VSNA Ohio chapter is undergoing an exciting transformation to revitalize the group! As part of this transformation, the members were surveyed to collaboratively define the Ohio Chapter Mission Statement and the Values in layman terms.

Additionally, this survey gave us insights into improvement opportunities such as Youth Engagement, Volunteering and Membership Drive.

Sankranthi & Shiva Rathri festivals were celebrated with the Linga Puja, devotional songs and kids narrating the significance of each festival. Kids were alerted beforehand about the “surprise quiz” which led to some exciting suspense! We saw them scrambling to google and furiously taking notes before the 2 events. At this rate these kids will know more about the festivals and the history than us!

A surprise element! Nishkala Mantapa’s Swami Nijagunda’s riveting speech was played during Shiva Rathri festival celebration. Truly inspirational and an eye opener! We will be opening the doors to all religions provided they embrace our mission statement/values and the spirit of Veerashaivism!

Instilling Veerashaivism values for many of us becomes an afterthought in our busy lives or set aside for the cultural gettogether where vachanas are read and translated. But how about real life application of it? We at VSNA Ohio think that the best expression of Veerashaivism is through volunteering. It’s through such elementary human interaction and dignity of labor that the younger generation are finding their role models, a sense of gratitude and stay grounded. And establish their value system along the way.

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We hand-picked top volunteering causes based on member surveys using “Survey-Monkey”, a free online tool that helped in decision making. To establish our commitment we defined the volunteering calendar/participation for the rest of the year 2015. Volunteering is now a monthly activity and a way of life for us. VSNA Ohio provides the supporting structure/avenue to express yourself with the cause you feel most passionate about! Some examples:  In January, we served lunch Chipotle style at YWCA, an organization that provides food/shelter as well as career enablement for temporary displaced citizens.  In February, kids baked cookies at Ronald McDonald Home that provides housing/food for families with severely sick children in the hospital.  In March, the group attended an orientation session for Meals on Wheels, a program that hand delivers meals to senior citizens. They are also scheduled to deliver meals later this month (Ever wonder if your kids will be around to take care of you when old? The kids here tag along and observe the elderly being taken care of by us. We hope they will be emulating us in time.

Before we close out, we wanted to share a genius idea the group came up with! How do you get everyone to think like one big family and instill a sense of purpose? Through personalized VSNA Ohio T-shirts, of course! They are now being worn during each of the volunteering activities as well as picnics! Talk about upping the cool factor for the kids/teenagers. We are very proud of VSNA Ohio's community engagement in the last quarter and looking to keep the momentum going!

Sankranthi Photo

Shivarathri Photo

Dasoha at Ron McDonald House

Dasoha at YWCA

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VSNA – California North Chapter By – Renuka P. Suragihalli, President VSNA California North Chapter Shivarathri was celebrated by the VSNA North California chapter in the auditorium of Ever Green High School in San Jose, CA, on the evening of March 6, 2015. The event was attended by the members from as far as San Ramon and Modesto, CA. There was a lot of excitement among the members to see each other, talk and exchange pleasantries. Members were greeted at the gate by the committee members and a registration desk. Snacks, Tea and Coffee was served to all the members and each family were given a Welcome kit that contained a Calendar, Vibhuti, a book on Basavanna and a metal "Om". Members were very happy to have received the kit. This was the first time in the history of VSNA North California to be giving a Welcome kit. A lot of members renewed their memberships along with quite a few new members join the organization.

After the snacks, entertainment programs began with a prayer song followed by Shiva linga puja performed by a group of ladies on the stage. This was followed by a series of dances and dramas by the kids who were very enthusiastic about performing on the stage and are very talented. Dinner was served at 8 PM in a big dining hall that was in another building in the campus. All the members were served food by volunteers. The food was very good and you could see that in the members' eyes while they were eating. Three of the past presidents sponsored Ice cream for all the members. This was a great gesture from the past presidents. Kids and adults together ate Ice cream.

This was followed by some more entertainment programs performed by the Adults. A couple of ladies' teams danced. A drama followed the dances. The drama was a comical one and was liked by all. A group of men danced for the song "Jogaiyya" and it was very much appreciated. The event ended at 11 PM with the national anthems of India and America.

Apart from the membership kit being a highlight of the event, membership for this year is the highest so far in the VSNA NC history, Over 400 people attended the event. The event was very well organized and executed. A lot of praise goes to all the volunteers who helped the committee members in carrying out the event.

Highlights:  Record membership for VSNA North California - 146 members;  Record new Members registration;  Welcome kit was given to each of the Members;  Approximately 400 - people attended the event; Proactive youth committee.

Links to additional photos:  VSNA-Califirnia-Shivarathri-2015 Photos

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VSNA – New York-New Jersey Chapter As you all know, the VSNA Chapter of New York New Jersey is extremely busy in preparation for the 2015 VSNA Convention, along with our regular local programs, we have been observing the energy and enthusiasm among the local members increasing. Thanks to founders of VSNY and VSNA in establishing the organization on its firm footing. This is obviously due the steadfast vision of Basaveshwara, and we, the followers who have adopted this philosophy as our mission.

Our Shivarathri program showed high enthusiasm and attendance. Over 250 local members attended the Shivarathri program. The main events of the program were Linga Puja, Understanding the concept of Dasoha and distribution of Scholarship awards to our youth. The 2015 VSNA Convention committee also presented their preparedness and solicited active participation from all in the region. Thanks to Central VSNA President, Channu Kambalyal, who was present at the program and addressed the local members and motivated them to participate in Convention that occurs once in almost more than 10 years and to leverage this opportunity to grow the local memberships in the region.

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VSNA – Chicago Chapter The VSNA Chicago Chapter had a great start with new set of officers – Kishore Channabasavaiah, Chapter President, Deepa Murugesh Patil, Vice-President and Rajesh Hattarki, Secretary and Treasurer, leading the organization. The first program of our seven programs, was the Makara Sankaramana program conducted at Mario Parente Theatre, Oak Brook Terrace on January 17, 2015. The program was sponsored by Bharathi & Eshwar Pastapur, Rekha & Kiran Tavane, and Shridevi & Shashidhar Shivayogimath. The highlights of the program were Linga Puje led by Shrishail Hadimani. VSNA youth – Tejas Hullur, Yash Vaggar and Roshan Betkerur were the Masters of Ceremony for the program. Our local chapter president Kishore Channabasavaiah introduced to all, our own Channu Kambalyal who is now leading the organization at the central level as its President, and also BOR Member – Rajiv Kumar and BOD Member – Neetha Dhananjaya.

For additional photos of Sankranthi Program, please see: VSNA-Chicago-2015-Sankranthi Photos.

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Our second program was Shivarathri conducted on March 7, 2015 at Park Central Banquet Hall, Rolling Meadows. The program was sponsored by Uma & Sachidananda Murthy. The program was started off with Linga Puja with our spiritual leader – Shrishail Hadimani for all kids and adults. VSNA youth - Tejas Hullur and Meghana Basavaraju were the Masters of Ceremony for the program. Some of the photos of the program are:

For additional photos of Sankranthi Program, please see: VSNA-Chicago-2015-Shivarathri Photos

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VSNA – North Carolina Chapter Updates By Pooja Korategere and Sanjana Tharuvesanchi (Youth Leaders) Maha Shivarathri 2015: A new year means a new start and a new board for VSNA NC 2015. Our first meeting of the New Year was to celebrate Shivaratri, or the night dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. Shivaratri literally means “The Great Night of Shiva” and is believed that Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvathi. The function started with the introduction of the new board; Ashwini Korategere, Shalu Lalsangi, Reshma Tharuvesanchi, and Archana Prabhushankar. The board also introduced the new idea of youth volunteers where four kids, over the age of eleven, will help out with the event. The youth volunteers are assigned with tasks and to help at each meeting. As a volunteer I had many jobs to complete. I helped lead the abhisheka to the Shiva linga. Afterwards I helped lead the group in vachana chanting. After the vachana chanting, kids sang several songs devoted to Shiva.

The board also started a new segment in which two guest speakers will talk about a topic related to the Celebrations. We listened to two lectures on fasting. One was a more spiritual approach spoken by Dr. Shankar Bale, and the second from a more medical approach spoken by Dr. Anil Tumbapura. Later, we ate a delicious, traditional South Indian dinner made by our wonderful members. Typical foods eaten on Shivarathri were served; including, uppittu, usuli, laddu, and kesaribath. The Board then discussed matters such as volunteering and community service opportunities, Financial and Membership updates, Central VSNA updates and upcoming programs.

Overall, this function was very enjoyable and a great learning experiences as well. I am looking forward to many fun, informative, well planned events throughout the next two years. Since it was the first event of the new VSNC term, many new members were able to socialize and meet older VSNA members. “Maha Shivarathri” was a great way to kick off the new term and hopefully it leads to a good year!

Wishing the new board good luck on their endeavors!!

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VSNA – California – South Chapter

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Obituary

Dr. Jagadish Kothegal

VSNA Community is deeply saddened to inform that Dr. Jagadish Kothegal attained Lingaikya on Feb 1st, 2015. He is survived by his beloved wife Madhu, his two children Anubhav & Trupti. Dr. Jagadish will be truly missed by each and every one of us.

Funeral Services were held on Saturday, Feb 7th from 11am - 1pm at the funeral home mentioned below, followed by a procession to White Chapel Cemetery, Troy, MI. The family was joined by friends and relatives for the “Punnya Thithi� ceremony at their house. Central VSNA was represented by Mr. Sanjeev Mungaravadi, VSNA Detroit Chapter.

The BOD Members performed a One Minute Silence during their February 2015 BOD Meeting in honor of Dr. Kothegal.

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VSNA – Publications Note: For latest updates please visit: http://www.vsna.org 1.

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Veerashaivism and Bhakti, Dr. Somashekhar Munavalli (Ed). Bel Air, Maryland, 1988 Veerashaiva Religion - An Introduction, Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1989 Veerashaivism - A Collection of Essays, Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1990 Veerashaivism - History and Fundamental Concepts, Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1991 Veerashaiva Religion - Questions and Answers, Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1991 Veerashaivism - Comparative Study of Allamaprabhu, Basava Sunya Sampadane and Vachana Literature, Sri Kumara Swamiji and Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1993 7. Lingadharana, Smt. Vimala Channabasappa, 1993 8. Veerashaiva Sharaneyaru, Dr. S. Munavalli and Siddayya Puranik, 1994 9. In Seach of Shiva, Dr. Saroja Ullagaddi, Clifton, Virginia, 1995 10. VSNA Brochure - Questions and Answers, Dr. Saroja Ullagaddi, et.al., 1996 11. Life, Legacy and Lyrics of Devara Dasimayya, Prof. C. S. Bennur (Translator) Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1998 12. Commemorative Volume - First World Veerashaiva Conference, VSNA Toronto Chapter, Dr. S. Munavalli (Rd), 2000 13. The Veerashaiva Religion, Its Practices and Principles, Dr. S. Munavalli, Sponsored by JSS, 2002 14. Cardinal Principles of Veerashaiva Religion, Dr. S. Munavalli 15. A Study of VSNA History, 2007 16. The Lingayat Dharma, Dr. S. Munavalli, 2007 17. ABC of Lingayath Dharma, Dr. S. Munavalli, 2007 18. Veerashaivism Made Simple, Sateesh Kavi, Farmington Hills, Michigan, 2007 19. Veerashaiva Religion for Preschoolers, Dr. S. Munavalli, 2007 20. 30th VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA Detroit Chapter, 2007 21. 31st VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA California Chapters, 2008 22. ARIVU - 32nd VSNA Convention Souvenir - Main, VSNA Chicago Chapter, 2009 23. ARIVU - 32nd VSNA Convention Souvenir - Supplement, VSNA Chicago Chapter, 2009 24. 33rd VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA Toronto Chapter, 2010 25. 34th VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA New England Chapter, 2011 26. The Maker's Mint, A Biographical Novel on Basavanna, Sadanand Kanavalli, VSNA & Basava Peetha Karnataka University, 2011 27. 35th VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA California Chapters, 2012 28. 36th VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA Florida Chapter, 2013 29. Siddanta Sikhamani, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 30. A Journey Through Sacred Hindu Scriptures, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 31. Origin of The People of India and The Vedic Culture, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 32. Philosophy and Practice of Vīraṡaivas, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 33. A Journey Through Hindu and Vīraśaiva Concepts, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 34. Bhagavad-Gita, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 35. Sunya Sampadane, 2nd Edition, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 36. Evolution of Veerashaiva Concepts, Part-I, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 37. Evolution of Veerashaiva Concepts, Part-II, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 38. Evolution of Veerashaiva Concepts, Part-III, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 39. Lingayoga, Dr.Linga Raju, 2014 40. Commentary-on-"History and Philosophy of Liṅgᾱyat Religion" by Prof. Sakhare, Dr. Langa Raju, 2014 41. Jangama, Dr. Linga Raju, 2015

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WITH BEST WISHES TO ALL VSNA MEMBERS

FROM VSNA Newsletter – Committee

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