Devotion

Devotion is the commitment to any person, cause or thing. A person devoted to

something always remains in the thought of that thing, does all his actions toward that
thing & always remains committed to that thing. Similarly Devotees of God also do live
in the thought of God, do all their actions toward Him only & always remain committed
to God. In this way they always live in a mood of ecstasy and self-surrender to God. Such
devotees always channel their emotional energies toward God only. Stories of such
devotees abound in Hindu scriptures. Here below is a story "God's Devoted Crow" about
that only :

"In the "Treta Yuga" Lord Vishnu descended on earth as "Prince Rama". He was looked
upon as God embodied on earth. Not only were human beings devoted to Him, but also
were there many from the animal kingdom. One of those was a crow.

One day Lord Rama and his younger brother Lakshmana were walking beside the Lake
Pampa. Lakshmana saw on the other side of the lake a large crow, behaving very
strangely. Crow would run up to the water, look at it, bend its head, and then run back
into the forest without drinking the water. Lakshmana saw the crow doing the same thing
many times. So Lakshmana (who had great respect for his brother's opinions) asked
Rama what he could make out of such a behavior of the crow. Why should a bird act like
that?

Lord Rama gave one look at that crow and said, "Oh Lakshmana, I can tell you about it:
this crow is very devoted to me -- so much so that he is chanting my name constantly
upon his tongue. Just now he is thirsty, quite thirsty. But to drink the water he would have
to interrupt his repeating of my name, and he just cannot bear to do that." So such was
the devotion of that crow towards Lord Rama that it would always chant & repeat Lord
Rama's name."

Among humans Arjuna was a true devotee of Lord Krishna & knew that He was the God
of the universe. He knew about all the powers of Lord Krishna & also knew that God in
the form of Krishna shall save him & lead him to victory. He was having much faith in
Lord Krishna than His army. Due to his faith in Lord Krishna only, ultimately he won the
Kurukshetra war while Kauravas (his enemies) lost the war. In the Bhagwat Gita,
teachings given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battle field of Kurukshetra, Lord is
saying:

"samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu

na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu chapy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 29)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal
to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I
am also a friend to him."
"man-mna bhav mad-bhakto
madhyaji maam namaskuru
maam-evaishyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter IX verse 34)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to me, worship Me &
offer obeisance's to Me. In this way, linking to Me, you shall surely come to Me."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender
unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

"patram puspam phalam toyam

yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 26)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: If any one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a
flower, fruit or even water, I readily accept that offering of that devotee."

So let's have devotion towards the God. Let's remember God for some time in our daily
life so that we can too generate some "Spiritual Emotion" toward the God. Once that is
developed, we shall always find God near us & our life shall be filled with joy, love &
ecstasy. So the Devotion to God is the supreme. It removes all the sins of a devotee &
removes all the ignorance from one's life.

God is One

There are said to be 330,000,000 or 330 Million (33 Crore) Gods & Goddesses in
Hinduism. To me the only explanation for such a huge numbers may be like that all the
residents of some "Godly Planet" are called Gods or Goddesses. In other words 330
Million (33 Crore) is the population of that "Godly Planet" on which all these Godly
people live. Anyway, on this our own earth, people follow different religions & have
different faiths in regard to God. Different religions of the world depict God in different
forms. In Hinduism God is depicted as Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Durga,
Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati etc. while in some sects of Hinduism, God is depicted as
formless God too. In Christianity God is depicted as Jesus Christ who is said to be the
Son of God. Sikhism & Muslim sects mostly believe in a formless God. So different
minded people of the world see the God in different forms or formless God too.

In reality "God is One" who but appears in different forms. All these Gods & Goddesses
are manifestation of one Supreme God only. It can be understood very easily like this:
"There is a potter who makes different forms of Gods & Goddesses from clay of the
ground. Clay is basically the same in all the forms but out of same clay different Gods &
Goddesses appear to us. In the same way there is only One God but it appears in
different forms. Similarly if you see that Gold for making different ornaments is same but
with this gold various types, shapes of ornaments are made & are given different names.
Similarly God is One but He is worshipped in different cultures, countries in different
ways, forms & with different names. There are different paths in this world to reach that
same One God."

In Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten, Lord Krishna is himself saying that He is the source of all
beings & gods. Not even that, as per Lord Krishna, all these universes & creations spring
from but a spark of His splendor only. As per Him, He is seated in the hearts of all living
entities. He Himself is Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva & Lord Brahma. He Himself is Sun,
Moon, Wind & Fire. He Himself is Rama God too. He Himself is Lord of wealth -
Kubera. He Himself is Spiritual word Om. He Himself is river Ganges. Among women
He Himself is manifested as Goddess of fortune (Lakshmi), Goddess of wisdom
(Saraswati) & other Goddesses of fame, memory, intelligence, steadfastness and patience.
As per Lord Krishna His opulence is limitless.

Hindus likewise believe in only one God. They glorify and praise His thousands of
qualities. For example when God is love, He is symbolically represented by Lord
Krishna, God as virtue is represented by lord Rama, God as power is represented by Lord
Hanuman, God as wisdom is represented by Goddess Saraswati etc. etc. So these
different aspects of Gods represent spirituality, purity, power etc. of the Ultimate One
who is endless truth and bliss.

If there are many "Pots filled with water" & if these pots are put under the Sun then
Reflection of the Sun can be seen in all these pots. It appears that individual Sun is
appearing in each pot. Not only that, water of each pot gets heated equally when Sun is
reflected in the water pots. Now just as the Sun may be reflected in numerous pots of
water, so the same one God is reflected in everything. Similarly there is one True
Universal Self or One God who is appearing in different forms.

Below are some verses from Bhagwat Gita which explain about the Oneness of Supreme
God:

"yac chapi sarva-bhutanam

bijam tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vina yat syan
maya bhutam characharam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 39)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no
being—moving or nonmoving—that can exist without Me."

"aham atma gudakesha

sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis cha madhyam cha
bhutanam anta eva cha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: I am the Super Soul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living
entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings."

"yad yad vibhutimat sattvam

srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-’msa-sambhavam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 41)

"Sri Krishna said: Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring
from but a spark of My splendor."

So let's see one God in all different forms. Let people not fight on the basis of religion.
There is only one God & He is called by different names by his lovers, devotees in
affection. Sri Ram, Sri Krishn, Gobind, Waheguru, Allah, Jesus are all the same. So let's
all have wisdom to respect each others faith & let's all realize that One God in all the
different forms.

Does God Exist?

There is a saying that "Seeing Is Believing". That means we believe in those things that
we see. Now do you know the things which exist but yet we cannot see these with our
eyes. Just see the subtle radio or micro waves that travel to your mobile phones, to your
Laptops while accessing the internet through Wi-Fi technology, all those FM channels
that you get in radio, seeing the television through dish technology etc. All these are
examples of those invisible rays that actually travel through this invisible space &
reaches to your various instruments like, mobiles, radio, TV etc. & get these working due
to these invisible rays. Such subtle rays do exist but we cannot see these with our eyes,
yet we can see the effects of such invisible rays.

Similarly as we do not see God so many of us do not believe in Him. But just like
invisible rays travelling to your mobile, FM radio, TV etc. God too exist in the Invisible
form & is sitting silently within this infinite space watching all of our actions. Now if you
have faith in this then you shall believe in God, otherwise not. As a matter of fact, God
exists if you have Faith in Him, otherwise not. 'Faith" in God is prime to know about His
existence.

Now if you do not have faith in God, then shall God cease to exist? God is truth & truth
is always having existence. God was there when we all were not, God is there when we
are having our present existence & God shall be there even when we shall not be there.
He is the ultimate truth & truth exists always. In the night you see many stars in the sky
but when the sun rises in the morning you do not see these stars at all. Now can you say
that there is no existence of stars, as these shall be again visible, once the night comes &
whole sky shall again lit with stars proving their existence. Similarly when our mind
wanders in ignorance, during that time we do not believe in His existence but when our
mind is lit with the light of knowledge, we are able to see the existence of God. Then we
do not say that there is no existence of God.

God is the faith of human beings that a Supernatural Power exists in this universe which
has created us & this all other universal forms. He is having supernatural powers, who is
omniscient (knows everything), who is omnipresent (who is present everywhere),
omnipotent (who is having all the powers & is all powerful), who is imperishable &
indestructible. Faith of humans in such a big & great entity having all the powers is
known as God.

God gives meaning to Everything?

Faith in God can change one's thinking & perspective to view this world. Everyone
views this world differently as per their experiences & understanding of this world. There
are two type of people in this world. First one are atheists & these people do not believe
in any supernatural force called God as they have no faith in the super powers of any
force called God. Second one are devotees of God who have full faith in supernatural
powers of God. For them faith in some higher power makes them understand this world
better. Below is simple arithmetic which shall make this difference clear between the
thinking of an atheist & a devotee.

If you have "one," and you go on adding zeros in front of it, like this: 0 + 0 + 0 + 0001,
does it become more than one? Does it add value to it? It does not. But if you put the
"one" first and then add zeros after it: 1 + 0 + 0 + 0, the number goes on expanding to
infinity. In the same way, the atheist lives in a world on his own & for him world is like
the first "0 + 0 + 0001" ; there is something there, and he keeps on adding "things", but
he doesn't get much. For him the world revolves around him only, for him his body, his
social circle, his money, relatives etc. are prime but these things & people go away from
him at the time of death. As his thinking is limited & he is not having faith in God so he
is left alone. He is also not protected by God in this life & after life.

On the other hand, for a devotee God is like the second "1 + 0 + 0 + 0" & he puts God
first in life before anything and in this way his thinking goes on expanding to infinity. By
having such devotion, he is able to understand the mystery of this universe & God better.
As everything in this world has originated from that single source called God so to keep
Him prime & then adding things to it makes everything valuable.

God is actually the "Formless Brahman" (God in un-manifest aspect) & is all alone
before creation. Then out of His will He creates this universe & things go on adding to
Him just like 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 & infinite universe is born out of Him. When God did this
creation out of His un-manifest aspect, then this manifest infinite universe came into
being. God in his manifest aspect is called 'Ananta' or Infinity. Initially God was one & to
multiply himself into many he created this universe; that is why it only takes 'Zeroes' to
be added to '1' to get it manifested in hundreds of thousands forms.
Do you believe in Luck?

That day a poor person won 'Many millions worth of Lottery' & people said, "Wow, what
a Lucky guy!". Recently an old lady in her last will, gave everything to her caretaker
(servant) of 30 years, all her property, money worth millions & people said "Wow, what a
Lucky person!". In this way, many people find themselves Lucky suddenly. Similarly,
people do get sudden losses in business, have sudden misfortunes in life & people say,
"What a bad Luck!". Sudden gain or sudden loss in life is said to be due to one's Luck.
Now what is this Luck? Do you believe in this Luck? Here below is described what is
Luck & what is it's relation with the Human Karmas.

Luck is generally said to be blessings of God. It is also similar to Bhagya, Kismet, Fate
etc. but differs from these in a way that it is sudden, by chance that something good or
bad happens in one's life. Now the question is, "Why suddenly Luck shines on a
particular person & that person wins a lottery?" To understand this we need to understand
the Hindu theory of Karmas.

As per Bhagwat Gita, individual soul is immortal & is capable of taking rebirth in
different bodies after it leaves one body at death. As per the Hindu Philosophy, 'Actions
or Karmas' of previous birth become the basis of this birth & Karmas of this birth become
the basis of next birth & so on. Every Karma has a consequential Fruit related to it. A
person has to enjoy the good or bad fruits of "Karmas", in his/her next births. Karmas
done by a person, remains with that person, unless he/she has enjoyed the consequential
Fruits arisen out of doing that Karma.

At the death of a person, individual soul takes with it all the accumulated Karmas, which
contain Karmas done in this birth & also the Karmas from the previous births for which
its fruits are yet to be enjoyed . Now when a person gets something by chance, it is the
outcome or fruits of previous births Karmas which are bearing fruit now. So when a
person suddenly wins a lottery, then at that time some very good deeds or Karmas of
previous births suddenly bear good fruits. Similarly when a person gets sudden loss in
life & have a bad Luck, then also some bad deeds or Karmas of previous births suddenly
bear bad fruits.

So this explains all such events as per the Hindu Philosophy. It is also due to good & bad
Karmas done by an individual in earlier births only that a person is born in a rich or poor
family. All inheritances too can be explained like that only. So let's all do Good deeds or
Good Karmas only so that our this & next lives can be good.
May God Bless You?
If we have faith in God then we always want that Blessings of God be showered on us.
God is all merciful. His Divine grace or Blessings shower on all the creatures. When
mercy of God happens on any person then God gives that person, whatever, that person is
lacking in life & also protects that person's life & belongings.
But to have such a mercy of God, you also need to have your mind turned toward Him in
prayer. Your thinking should be toward the God, you need to become His devotee, you
need to offer obeisance's to God and worship Him always. When you shall become
absorbed in God in such a way then you shall become eligible for the God's mercy & He
shall always Bless you.

Worshipping the God, becoming His devotee, doing service to God & making Him your
only savior shall take you toward Him. Once you are eligible for such a mercy of God
then He shall shower all His blessings on you. Below verses of Bhagwat Gita explain that
only :

"samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu

na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu chapy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 29)

"Sri Krishna said: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all
beings. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is very dear to Me, and I
am also very dear to him."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion or Setting aside all
meritorious deeds, just surrender unto Me. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not
fear."

"ananyas cintayanto mam

ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion,
meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I
preserve what they have."

So from the above verses of Bhagwat Gita it is very clear that when God shall shower His
blessings on you then He shall provide you everything in life & shall always protect you.
The only thing is that you should become eligible for such a mercy of God by becoming
His devotee. So let God's grace and mercy always shine upon your lives. May God
Always Bless You.

How to get Motivated in Life.

Human mind is the most mysterious one to understand. It is our mind only which gets
depressed, dejected but yet it is the mind only which get's happy, joyful & elated. Happy
moments are always welcome in our life but moments of Depression, Dejection, De-
motivation, Desolation all these D-words are the one's which are not welcome in our life.
We would never like to be sad in life but truth is that sadness is as much a part of our life
as happiness is in our life. We may be physically fit with blood gushing in our nerves, but
if we are not well with our MIND then we are certainly not going to perform to our full
potential. Mental health is where the key to success lies. If we are mentally supercharged
then we can achieve any milestone in spite of having any physical inadequacy.

Now, How to get Motivated in Life? How to get out of negative thoughts in life? How to
get out of Depression, De-motivation in life? Here is where the great teachings of
"Bhagwat Gita" come into play. For those who do not know about "Bhagwat Gita" a brief
is here below:

"Bhagwat Gita" is an ancient religious book of the "Hindus" & in this book are great
philosophies of Hinduism. These philosophies teach us all about, how we should do our
duty, how we should lead our life etc. This "Bhagwat Gita" teachings were given by
"Lord Sri Krishna", God Himself, to his disciple "Arjuna" on the battle field of
Kurukshetra in Haryana state of India in ancient times. "Arjuna" was involved in a war
against his enemies (some of them his own relatives too) but he refused to do his duty of
fighting a righteous battle as he got infatuated & started thinking of his enemies as his
own near & dear ones. He told his master "Lord Sri Krishna" that he is going away from
the war & do not want to fight on the battle field. Arjuna's mental health became weak &
he got deeply depressed. To overcome his disciple Arjuna's depression & to motivate him
to fight a righteous war, "Lord Sri Krishna" gave the great teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" to
his disciple "Arjuna". After listening to all these great teachings, Arjuna's mental health
became well & he became motivated & energetic to fight the war.

At times we too find ourselves in the same state of mind, as that of "Arjuna". We feel de-
motivated, depressed in our life. But our state of mind can be changed to a motivated &
energetic one by these teachings of "Bhagwat Gita". Through these teachings, mental
equilibrium of any depressed person can be overcome & he can come out of any crisis
situation. The teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" can simply transform a person. Now here
below is, how it can be done:

Bhagwat Gita teaches us about the "Mind Control". Mind is the one that makes the
personality of a person. De-motivated mind makes a person depressed one & a motivated
one makes a person cheerful. If one's mind is in one's control & if one can concentrate
deeply on one's work, then that person can do wonders in life & at work. Mind is very
powerful one & to control it, to keep it in one's control is very difficult. It just wanders
like wind here & there. It takes enough of self discipline & practice of meditation to
control it, to get it concentrated on any job or activity.

As per "Bhagwat Gita" Chapter Six verse 34, 35, 36: "Human mind is restless, turbulent,
obstinate and very strong and to subdue it, to control it, is more difficult than controlling
the wind but it is possible by suitable practices of meditation and by detachment to
control it. For those people whose mind is unbridled, uncontrolled & wandering, peace of
mind cannot be attained but those people whose mind is controlled and who strive by
appropriate means is assured of success in every walk of life."

In the Bhagwat Gita, "Lord Sri Krishna" first of all asks every person to do his DUTY. If
a person does his/her duty then half of the problems of that person are solved. Not doing
one's duty is very harmful as it produces negative results only in one's life, like
frustration, depression, de-motivation etc. If one does at least his/her duty, then such
negative factors affect that person to a lesser degree or do not affect at all. As per "Lord
Sri Krishna", doing one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily is better to have a better
Mental Health.

"sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah

para-dharmat sv-anusthitat
sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah
para-dharmo bhayavahah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 35)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even
though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of
performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow
another’s path is dangerous."

Another teaching of "Bhagwat Gita" is to do one's work for the sake of work only without
caring for the fruit arising out of that work. That simply means to get deeply involved in
one's work or to just think single mindedly about performing the best in one's job without
thinking about the results arising out of those actions performed while doing one's work
or duty. Just concentrate on your work, that's it. Below verse of "Bhagwat Gita" explains
this.

"karmany evadhikaras te
ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango ’stv akarmani" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you
are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the
results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."

Another below verse of "Bhagwat Gita" explains that one should do one's duty equi-
poised or to have the equanimity of mind, without caring & renouncing all attachment to
success or failure. If one does one's duty efficiently & with single minded devotion,
without any fear of success or failure in his/her Endeavour, then certainly that person
shall succeed in his/her work, as he/she is doing that work without any fear of success or
failure. His/her mind shall be at peace & ease while doing such work without any fear of
success or failure. Any person whose mind is at peace, certainly works effectively.

"yoga-sthah kuru karmani

sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva
samatvam yoga ucyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 48)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: Perform your duty equi-poised, O Arjuna, abandoning all
attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga."

So if a person is dedicated to his work & works for the sake of work only without any
fear of success or failure, then that person is going to be certainly successful in his/her
carrier. By doing meditation & other yoga techniques, one can control one's mind & a
disciplined mind can be made to concentrate on one's job better, producing better results.
So by following the teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" one is certainly to excel in his/her job &
in life.

Other than the above said teachings of Bhagwat Gita if we are able to enjoy a harmonious
life at home & in society then it is a great motivating factor in life. Let enthusiasm,
vigour be there in your life & let you stay motivated in the face of challenges of life.
Such an attitude shall keep away the negativity in your life. Do not have regrets in life &
move on in all the situations, as with such an attitude you shall quickly go ahead in your
career. Always feel good about yourself & never have negative thoughts in life. Positive
thoughts in life shall increase your self-esteem & that shall keep you motivated. A
motivated life shall let you accomplish much more & have greater success in life.

"Is God Tangible or Intangible?"

What is your say on this question, "Is God Tangible or Intangible?" or "Is God having a
Form or Formless?". Below is a Story by Indian saint Sri Ramakrishna which answers to
this question.

"In India there are many temples where God is worshipped as Mother. In West Bengal
state of India, in one of these temples, She is present there & is represented by a large
stone image. The sculptor has carved in stone his idea of the Mother of the Universe, and
many pious people, finding it attractive and inspiring, go there to pay their respects or
make offerings to the Mother.
One day an aged monk who used a cane came into the temple. Approaching the altar he
said, speaking aloud to God, "Mother, you are said to be God; tell me the truth: are you
solid like stone -- this image? Or are you formless, indescribable and impossible to
touch?"

"Take your cane," the monk heard a soft voice saying, "and strike my body on the left
side." Monk did the same, and the cane hit the stone with a clack. "Now strike me from
the other side," She said. When the cane reached the sculpture it passed right through it
as if it were air. Then the monk understood that God can be both -- tangible and
intangible i.e. God can be both, with a Form & Formless too -- at the same time."

In Hindu temples, people worship the God with a form while there are many sects in
Hinduism where people do worship the Formless God too. Muslims too in a way worship
the Formless God (Allah). In fact Hindu scriptures are full of volumes which describe
God as having a Form & also as a Formless God. In other words, Manifest God is God
having a Form while the Unmanifest God is the Formless God.

Bhagwat Gita is too full of verses which describe the God having a Form & also as a
Formless God. Below are few verses, where God Himself is describing about the Form &
Formless God & which is the easy one for worship by individuals.

"arjuna uvacha
evam satata-yukta ye
bhaktas tvam paryupasate
ye chapy aksharam avyaktam
tesham ke yoga-vittamah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 1)

"Arjuna asked: Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always
properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal
Brahman, the unmanifested God?"

"sri-bhagavan uvacha
mayy avesya mano ye mam
nitya-yukta upasate
shraddhaya parayopetas
te me yuktatama matah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 2)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Those who fix their minds on My personal form and
are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are
considered by Me to be most perfect."

"ye tv aksharam anirdesyam

avyaktam paryupasate
sarvatra-gam acintyam cha
kuta-stham achalam dhruvam"
"sanniyamyendriya-gramam
sarvatra sama-buddhayah
te prapnuvanti mam eva
sarva-bhuta-hite ratah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 3-4)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that
which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable,
unchanging, fixed and immovable—the impersonal conception of the Absolute
Truth—by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone,
such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me."

"kleso ’dhikataras tesam

avyaktasakta-cetasam
avyakta hi gatir duhkham
dehavadbhir avapyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 5)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, For those whose minds are attached to the
unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme God, advancement is very
troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are
embodied in human form."

"ye tu sarvani karmani

mayi sannyasya mat-parah
ananyenaiva yogena
mam dhyayanta upasate"

"tesam aham samuddharta

mrityu-samsara-sagarat
bhavami na cirat partha
mayy avesita-cetasam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 6-7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, But those who worship Me, giving up all their
activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional
service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of
Pritha—for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death."

"mayy eva mana adhatsva

mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Just fix your mind upon Me and engage all your
intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt."

So from the above, it is clear that God is both having a Form & is also Formless. In
whatever way a person worships the God, He blesses the people equally. So the main
thing is that you should have Faith in God, the grace of God shall follow automatically.
So if you have Faith in God, whether that God is with a Form or a Formless God, He
shall always listen to your prayers, shall always be with you & shall always bless you.

Mysterious Soul
Soul has some meaning for you if you believe in something which is within this body &
something which can exist without this body also. In movies we have seen ghosts etc.
which are also Souls which have left this physical body at death but are yet to enter
another body or are yet to reincarnate in a body. When soul lives in this physical body
then it enjoys the different sensory objects through this body but when soul after death
lives without this physical body then it is generally called ghost. As we are not able to see
this Soul due to it's subtle nature so it looks mysterious to us.

Now let's understand about the Soul through the Bhagwat Gita. As per Bhagwat Gita both
God (Super soul) and the Individual Souls do exist & It also believes in the incarnation of
the individual souls, their delusion and bondage to the cycle of births and deaths because
of desire ridden actions. As per this, Soul at death gets released from this body, rises to
the higher worlds (heaven etc.) or to the lower wombs (animals, birds etc.) & reincarnates
or return to the earth to continue its cycle of births and deaths.

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is indestructible and eternal (Chapter
2.18).

"antavanta ime deha

nityasyoktah saririnah
anasino ’prameyasya
tasmad yudhyasva bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: All these bodies pertaining to the indestructible, immeasurable
and eternal living entity / soul are spoken of as perishable; therefore, fight, Arjuna."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, neither slays not can it be slain
(Chapter 2.19).

"ya enam vetti hantaram

yas chainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 19)

"Sri Krishna said: They are both ignorant, he who knows the soul to be capable of
killing and he who takes it as killed; for verily the soul neither kills, nor is killed."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is never born, never dies and after
coming into existence never ceases to be. It is nitya (always), shasvatah (permanent) and
purana (very ancient) (Chapter 2.20).
"na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: The soul is never born nor dies at any time. Soul has not come
into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. Soul is unborn,
eternal, ever-existing and primeval. Soul is not slain when the body is slain."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, does not suffer & cannot be tainted. At
the time of death it does not die, but leaves the body and enters into a new one (Chapter
2.22).

"vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya

navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: As a human being puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the
soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman has the properties that Weapons cannot
pierce it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot moisten it and wind cannot dry it (Chapter
2.23).

"nainam chindanti shastrani

nainam dahati pavakah
na chainam kledayanty apo
na sosayati marutah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 23)

"Sri Krishna said: The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned
by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is impenetrable, incombustible, all

pervading, stable and immobile (Chapter 2.24).

"acchedyo ’yam adahyo ’yam

akledyo ’sosya eva cha
nityah sarva-gatah sthanur
achalo ’yam sanatanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 24)

"Sri Krishna said: This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be
neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable,
immovable and eternally the same."
According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is invisible, imperceptible and
immutable (Chapter 2.25).

"avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam

avikaryo ’yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 25)

"Sri Krishna said: It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable.
Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."

Lord Krishna knew the limitations of human consciousness to gauge the true nature of
the inner soul. So in the Bhagwat Gita it concurs that no one can exactly know what a
soul is. Someone looks at It with great surprise, another speaks about It with great
surprise, some another hears about It with incredulity and yet another after hearing about
It knows it not (Chapter 2.29).

"ascharya-vat pasyati kascid enam

ascharya-vad vadati tathaiva chanyah
ascharya-vac chainam anyah srnoti
srutvapy enam veda na chaiva kascit" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 29)

"Sri Krishna said: Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as
amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about
him, cannot understand him at all."

So in this way Soul is a Mysterious thing & can be understood if you have faith in God &
in religious scriptures.

How to be God Minded?

We generally have things of the world on our mind. These are our daily affairs, our
family etc. which are on our mind most of the times. To have God on our mind or to be
God minded, we need to develop love for God & need to understand that our own self is
a spark of the almighty consciousness. We need to understand that we all are a reflection
of the Divine Light.

So just have faith & belief that you are a Soul, and that you live in this physical body.
Your Soul is part & parcel of God, the light of the Lord. God, Your Savior, is guiding you
into all the truth through your Soul. You are a child of the God, born of the Spirit of God.
Having such thoughts you shall always delve in God.

As per Bhagwat Gita, think yourself to be that Soul which is beyond this body, which is
unthinkable, imperishable, ineffable, eternal, all pervading, immobile, un-manifest &
immutable. In fact your nature is also that only which is also called Brahmn. Also see the
same Soul present in other beings as God is seated in everyone's heart. When you shall
see God present in all the people around you then you shall always have God on your
mind.

"aham atma gudakesha

sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis cha madhyam cha
bhutanam anta eva cha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: I am the Super Soul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living
entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings."

Other than this just have devotion in God as through devotion towards God, He shall
always be on your mind. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14

"ananya-cetah satatam
yo mam smarati nityasah
tasyaham sulabhah partha
nitya-yuktasya yoginah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14)

"Lord Sri Krishna says: Whosoever, always & constantly remembers Me with
undivided mind; by that person, I am easy to obtain, O Arjuna, because of his
constant engagement in the devotional service to Me."

How to be Happy in Life?

Happiness is a state of mind. It is a choice that we make in our life. If we choose our
state of mind to be happy, then we feel happy, otherwise we feel sad.

In our life we have always options to choose & feel happy in all of the circumstances in
our life. So always make a choice about happiness & not otherwise in your life.

We cannot be happy all of the time, but we certainly can be more fulfilled than others if
we are having a positive attitude towards life & we handle all of the situations in life with
rational & positive attitude. Happiness is not much to do with material goods or high
achievements in life, rather it is all about our outlook on life.

Here below are few points which needs to be considered for happiness in one's life:

1) Believe in yourself. Your inner strength is your Soul strength, Mental strength which
comes into action in your hard times, which defeats all of your negative symptoms of
sadness, depression etc. in your life. In hard times your self confidence builds your low
esteem. When you are passing through bad times, you have a feeling of self dejection & a
feeling that you have lost all in life. In all such times, your Soul strength comes into play
& if you believe in that inner Soul strength then you can easily over come all of your
negative traits & can feel happy. Bhagwat Gita teaches us that we are a Soul which is
indestructible & is having infinite powers in it. Problems in life, how big these may seem
are too small in front of the infinite powers of your Soul. So believe in that Soul & it's
inherent infinite powers. As our Soul is a spark of the Infinite, all powerful, all pervasive
Universal Soul, so it's powers are also limit less. This soul present inside our human
body, in fact gives strength to our mind to carry out all difficult tasks. Believing in
oneself is nothing but believing in one's inner Soul. All fountains of knowledge &
strength come out of this inner Soul only.

"You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, "I'm
proud of what I am and who I am, and I'm just going to be myself." Mariah Carey

2) Appreciate what you have: We generally do not appreciate the positive aspects in our
lives. Our nature is to ponder on the negatives & what we don't have in life. To us others
grass always seem greener. In fact we should appreciate what we already have. That shall
give you a strength that at least you have been able to achieve that much. Do not compare
yourself with someone very rich & with much more facilities & resources than you. Just
see how good you are from those who lay a life along roadside without even having a
roof over there head. We should be grateful to God for whatever we have in life. If you
are able to thank God for, whatever, He has given you in life, then also you shall
appreciate what you have in life. We should always focus on the positives in life. So let's
start appreciating what we have. Appreciate what you have achieved in life till now.
Appreciate your own looks & body. Appreciate the house you live in. Appreciate that you
& your family are having good food while there are many who are not just having that
also. Appreciate your loved ones, your children. Appreciation of yourself shall bring
confidence in you, it shall also bring peace & happiness in your family life.

3) Have positives in your life: Just have positive traits in your life & you shall feel
happy. Having a nature of Forgiveness shall remove unnecessary tensions in your life.
Showing Gratitude towards others is also a positive aspect in life as it makes you humble
& creates an environment of peace & harmony in your life. Have smile on your face &
laugh a little in your life as it makes your mind cheerful. Don't be dormant in life & be
physically active as active people are the one's who feel happiness in life.

4) Be peaceful in mind: To be peaceful at mind, the first & foremost thing is to be

satisfied with what you have at present in life & try to make harmonious relations with
the people all around you. Once you are able to do that then you shall find that you are
better off & much peaceful. Other than this do little prayer daily to God & if you are able
to find time then do little meditation daily, as meditation makes one's mind peaceful. Here
below is a verse of Bhagwat Gita & as per that let's control our desires & let's not hanker
after these desires. One who is able to control his/her desires finds peace in life & with
peace comes happiness in life.

“aapurya-manam achala-prathistham
samudram apah pravishanti yadvat
tadvat-kama yam pravishanti sarve
sa shantim-apnoti na kama-kaami” (Gita: Chapter II verse 70)
"As the waters (of different rivers) enters the Great Ocean, which though full on all
sides remains undisturbed, like wise a person who is not disturbed by the incessant
flow of desires - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who runs after these
desires & strives to satisfy such desires."

God Helps those who Depends on Him

It is said in Puranic stories that God rushes to His devotees, whenever, he/she calls on
Him with sincere prayers & devotion. Lord Krishna came rushing to save Draupadi,
when she called on Him when kauravas (Duryodhan, Dushashan etc.) tried to disgrace
her. Similarly God came rushing to Gajaraj (an elephant) when he was caught by a
crocodile, when he went to drink water in the river. At that time Gajaraj called on God &
God came rushing to save the Gajaraj.

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to always have faith in Him only as,
whosoever, keeps faith in Lord Krishna, He always protects that devotee. But here below
is a story of a holy man of India who due to his ignorant acts could not get favors of God.
Here below is the story.

In some Indian villages people generally wash their clothes by the river side. Over there
washermen generally take the clothes down to the river bank, where they can wade and
wash these clothes. The clothes are soaked and whacked against big flat stones & are
then spread out in the sun to dry these clothes on the green grass.

During one sunny day, a Holy man, a lover of God, came that way who was praying hard
and was walking with his eyes almost closed. Accidentally he stepped on some of the
clean clothes spread on the grass and the washermen saw it. Angry, they came to give
him a beating.

Now this holy man became very frightened. He earnestly and loudly called on the God to
come to his rescue and save him from the washermen's anger. When God heard the Holy
man crying, He came rushing to intervene. But just then the man himself picked up some
bricks & stones to throw at the washermen; seeing this God just returned to his heavenly
abode. So the Moral of the story is, "God helps those who depend on Him only".

In "Bhagwat Gita", Lord Krishna Says that if a person is devoted to God only then God
rescues that person from all the miseries of life. Lord says:

'Those people, who worship Me by surrendering all their activities unto Me, are
always devoted to Me, always meditate upon Me, Having always fixing their minds
upon Me, O Parth - to them, I swiftly rescue from the ocean of birth and death i.e
always protect that devotee.'

"ananyas cintayanto mam

ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 22)

" Lord Sri Krishna says: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion,
meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I
preserve what they have."

"ananya-cetah satatam
yo mam smarati nityasah
tasyaham sulabhah partha
nitya-yuktasya yoginah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14)

"Lord Sri Krishna says: Whosoever, always & constantly remembers Me with
undivided mind; by that person, I am easy to obtain, O Arjuna, because of his
constant engagement in the devotional service to Me."

So If a person has the above said assurance of the God, then one should make a resolve
that one shall not let God slip out of his/her mind till he/she lives on this earth. Do not let
anything else take control of your mind & let God be always on your mind. By doing so
God shall always be with you in all of your circumstances & shall protect you always
from all troubles of life. Then God shall be your Savior always.

Prayers can Heal Sick?

Prayer is an act of addressing the God with devotion. Prayer can be done during the
worship or can be done just silently in our mind. Through prayer we have a personal
experience & an intimate connection with our loving God. If we pray to God with
sincerity then He shall answer to our prayers immediately.

Recently as per one news item "Prayers really can heal the sick":

"Prayers can heal the sick, especially if the well-wisher is standing near the person he or
she is praying for, says a team of researchers from Indiana University in the US.
Researchers say the vision and hearing of patients in their tests improved after healing
practitioners prayed for them.

One elderly woman who could not see a person’s hand when they held two fingers up in
front of her face from a foot away, is said to have been cured after a healer placed their
hands over her eyes and prayed for less than one minute, reports the Daily Mail.

Researchers found that some subjects with impaired hearing could hear better after
prayers and other subjects had their tested vision improved."

So Let's pray to God with our heart & God shall have mercy on us. A simple prayer is
enough for the God to become Happy with us. Below verse of Bhagwat Gita ensures that
only:

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Always think of Me, become My devotee,
worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail.
I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

Below is a beautiful quote about the Prayer:

God looks not at the oratory of your prayers, how elegant they may be; nor at the
geometry of your prayers, how long they may be; nor at the arithmetic of your prayers,
how many they may; not at logic of your prayers, how methodical they may be; but the
sincerity of them He looks at. -T. Brooks

Have faith in God?

For an individual being God exists just because of that person's "Faith". If you have
"Faith" in God then God has some meaning in your life, otherwise not. If you have Faith
in God, then only you can know more of Him, otherwise your journey towards God just
stops there. Faith in God elevates an individual's thinking process & it purifies the heart,
emotions & soul and leads one to the vision of God.

Faith is the soul of every religion. It creates new hopes and awakens in one the presence
of God. Faith is the eye that sees the Lord and the hand that clings to Him. Faith is power.
Faith is strength. Faith is abundant energy. He who has faith in God is strong. He who
doubts about God is weak. Strong faith in God precedes great actions. Faith illumines the
spiritual path, builds a bridge across the gulf of death, and takes one to the other shore of
fearlessness and deathlessness.

Below is an Upnishdic story regarding the Faith:

In ancient times, a severe draught occurred in one region of India. One of the village in
in that region was severely affected with this draught. Without rains, the villagers faced a
bleak future, as their all livelihood depended on agricultural produce only. All of the
rivers and the lakes got dried up due to the extreme heat of the sun. Not even a single
drop of water was left in the wells. Whole of village people were really desperate for the
water.

Villagers approached the village priest (pundit) and asked him to organize a prayer to
the rain God & asked him to organize a meeting for the same in the temple. All of the
villagers came to attend this prayer meeting. In the last one man arrived at the temple
and all of the villagers started looking at this one man with curiosity. Among all the
villagers this man was the only one who was carrying an umbrella to this prayer meeting.
No villager was ever seen carrying an umbrella outside of the rainy seasons. To the
villagers it seemed unconventional to carry an umbrella when there was not one rain
cloud in the sky.

The prayer meeting commenced and at the end of all the rituals and ceremonies, when
people were about to leave the temple, they could not hold back their curiosity about the
man and his umbrella.

‘Why was he carrying the umbrella?’ villagers asked him.

The man with the umbrella replied: "I have "Faith" in God & the God will provide. He
only gives and He only takes away. God will surely answer our prayers for the rain and I
will need the umbrella for the rains".

The villagers laughed at him. Not one of the villagers could appreciate the absolute and
sincere "Faith" of the man with the umbrella. The scorching heat of the sun outside the
temple was still fresh in their minds.

Lo……..Behold, a miracle took place. As the people were going out of the temple door
and putting on their shoes, rain clouds appeared in the sky, the gentle breeze gave way to
stormy winds, suddenly the sky darkened and thunder and lightning heralded the coming
of the rains. A sudden rainfall opened the eyes of the villagers. Their ridicule of the man
with the umbrella changed to their amazement, disbelief, and they now understood the
intense "Faith" of this man. Now the villagers got convinced that it was the sincere
"Faith" & prayer of this man and devotion to the God that He has answered to his
prayers.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita on Faith:

asraddadhanah purusha
dharmasyasya parantapa
aprapya mam nivartante
mrityu-samsara-vartmani (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 3)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Those who are not Faithful in this devotional service,
cannot attain Me, O Arjuna. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in
this material world."

"shraddhaval labhate jnanam

tat-parah samyatendriyah
jnanam labdhva param shantim
acirenadhigacchati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 39)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental

knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and
having achieved it he quickly attains the God & spiritual peace."

"yoginam api sarvesam

mad-gatenantar-atmana
shraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 47)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: And of all yogis, the one with great Faith who always
abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service
to Me—he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.
That is My opinion."

"ye tu dharmamritam idam

yathoktam paryupasate
sraddadhana mat-parama
bhaktas te ’tiva me priyah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: O Arjuna, Those who follow this imperishable path of
devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the
supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me."

So just have Faith in the words of the God. It's the Faith in God which makes our
perceptions & beliefs. If you have Faith in God & words of the Lord Krishna, then you
shall be able to turn toward the God. It's Faith in God only which determines how you
can mould your life. So just have Faith in the words of Lord Krishna & His teaching in
Bhagwat Gita.

Devotion to Krishna Removes All Sins?

In our life, we knowingly or unknowingly, sometimes commit the sin. In scriptures there
are many ways such as penance, charity etc. are told, through which atonement to such
sins can be attained. But there is no way more swift, fast for atonement to sins than
Devotional service to Lord Krishna. In this regard Bhagwat Puran & Bhagwat Gita, both
explain about this assurance in detail that Devotion to Lord Krishna is the supreme
purifier for all the sins that a person commits in life time. Below are few verses from
Bhagwat Puran regarding this:

"Some manage, in relying on nothing but an unalloyed devotion towards Lord Krishna, to
destroy all their badness beyond revival, like the sun does with fog."

"A man full of sin, o King is for certain not as much purified by penance, as the devotee
who has surrendered his life to Lord Krishna in dedicated service unto the original
person of God."
"In this world there is this path that is really appropriate & the one that is followed by
the well-behaved, fearless and auspicious, saintly people; that is in surrendering oneself
to Lord Krishna.

"Most of the atonement, well performed by a nondevotee will not purify, o King, like all
the rivers can't purify a liquor jar with their regular washing of it."

"Once the mind is of full of surrender to the two lotus feet of Lord Krishna & the mind is
full of hankering after Lord's qualities, then that person shall never encounter Yamarâja
(Lord of death) and his superintendents, or even in one's dreams meet his servants
carrying the ropes to bind, because doing such devotional service to Lord Krishna is the
right atonement for all sins."

In Bhagwat Gita also God himself is giving that assurance:

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender
unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

So let's always pray to Lord Krishna & let's always engage our mind in devotional service
of Him. Let's read religious texts, scriptures & literature regarding the Lord Krishna. Let's
always sing His glories so that He can always be merciful on us. If we shall do such
devotional service to God then we shall get special mercy of Lord Krishna & we shall be
purified of all the sins in our life.

Hide & Seek Game of God?

Have you played "Hide and Seek" game in your childhood? I think there shall be very
few people who have not played this game in their childhood. Here below is a "parable"
named "Hide and Seek" of Sri Ramakrishna, saint of Bengal, which illustrates about the
true nature of God. Through this we can understand how God is present near us while He
is hiding from us & how we are not able to see Him.

"Hide and Seek" game has many versions & people of different countries play it
in many different ways. In one form which is played in some countries, the one
who hides is called "Granny" & all others are seeker of her. This "Granny"
blindfolds the eyes of other persons and then hides herself. These blindfolded
persons are to seek that hidden "Granny" one by one. Whosoever can find and
touch the "Granny" has the blindfold removed from his/her eyes and is "free". So
the game goes like that. In the philosophical sense same is the case with us. God is
similarly nearby us (like Granny) & has covered our eyes with ignorance and
hidden Himself here. If you are able to find Him, touch Him, then you are freed of
Maya (the blindfold, the illusion, the duality).
Actually "Maya" is the energy of God which creates illusion about God & blindfolds our
inner eyes (our knowledge) of God. When we are under the influence of "Maya" energy
then we are not able to see God or know our true Soul nature. Here below are verses from
"Bhagwat Gita" which describe about the nature of this "Maya", how this illusive energy
of God deludes the human beings & puts a veil of ignorance on human mind. This veil of
ignorance just disappears from the human mind once he/she starts having faith in God &
have devotion in that Almighty. God himself in below verses is declaring that one who is
engaged in pure devotional service goes beyond this illusion of "Maya" easily & attains
to the God in no time.

Below verses explain the nature of "Maya" & how it binds the free Soul to it's
qualities:

"sattvam rajas tama iti

gunah prakriti-sambhavah
nibadhnanti maha-baho
dehe dehinam avyayam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 5)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The three Material nature born qualities (goodness,
passion and ignorance born of Maya) bind the imperishable Soul to this body, when
this Soul comes in contact with these three modes (qualities) of nature."

"dhumenavriyate vahnir
yathadarso malena cha
yatholbenavrto garbhas
tatha tenedam avrtam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 38)

"Sri Krishna said: As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as

the embryo is covered by the womb, so is the living entity (Individual Soul) is
covered by different degrees of this Ignorance."

"daivi hy esa guna-mayi

mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of
material nature (Maya), is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered
unto Me can easily cross over it."

Below verses explain how one can be free of the influence of "Maya" by having
devotion towards the God:
"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me
and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise
you this because you are My very dear friend."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender
unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions (shall be freed of Maya). Do not
fear."

So let's devote our heart, mind & Soul to God as by doing so we shall be free of the
power & influence of the illusory nature of Maya. Once we are able to find God, touch
Him with our heart then we shall be a Free Soul & shall be eligible to live in His Divine
Abode ultimately. So let's be the ultimate winner in "Hide and Seek" game of the God.