On: - the News Report report about the death of a famous singer, age 27:  

Today’s Metro Plus section of ‘The Hindu’ carries on its front-page the news of the death of Amy Winehouse, brilliant UK artist and Grammy award winner at the young age of 27.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2292982.ece

Presumably, her drug, alcohol and marital problems were responsible for the tragic death. She became one of the most acclaimed young singers of the past decade, selling millions of albums, winning five Grammy Awards and starting a British retro-R&B trend that continues today. Yet, almost from the moment she arrived on the international pop scene in early 2007, she appeared to flirt with self-destruction. Strangely, she seemed to be 'frustrated with success'. In time, the notoriety from Ms. Winehouse’s various drug arrests, public meltdowns and ruined concerts overshadowed her talent as a musician, and her career never recovered. On Saturday, as the news of Ms. Winehouse’s death spread, many musicians wrote with sadness, but no surprise. She seemed unable to deal with her great succes early in her life, affirmng Oscar Wilde's wise observation: "There are only two tragedies in life: One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”

‘The Hindu’ in the article titled ‘Broken Flower’ has stated:

“Winehouse dies at the age of 27, which is the same age when musical legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison passed on. But even as conspiracy theorists welcome another member to ‘Death club 27', one can establish another clear link between all the pioneers. Despite their superior musical dexterity, a strong temptation made them deviate and become careless wrecks. Winehouse too, treaded this path and now leaves behind a legacy of music that thematically delved on everything her life was — painful yet ecstatic, but without regrets.” 

Why would many talented artists find difficulty and frustration in dealing with the fame and success they richly deserved and achieved? Is there a lesson for all of us from these failures to deal with success, which Oscar Wilde noted as being a weakness in human nature? Is there a strategy to counter this?

Perhaps, our sages have the answer in the lessons they have prescribed for practising Karma Yoga — the mental attitude to Work. In this context, there is great relevance in Ramana Maharishi’s advice in his Upadesa Saram slokam:

ईश्वरार्पितं नेच्छया कृतम् । Ishvaraarpitam na ichchayaa krutam

चित्त शोधकं मुक्तिसाधकम् ।। Chittha shodhakam mukti saadhakam

Actions consecrated to the Lord without attachment to the results, purify the mind and point the way to liberation, freedom from the binding mind. Bhagavad Gita too warns us in sloka VI-5 that our mind can be our best friend and also our worst enemy.

Taking credit for success boosts the ignorant ego (mind) and leads to self-destruction.

Self-confidence should mean confidence in the Higher Self, not in the ego-self created by us and uninitiated into true knowledge of the real purpose of this life, hence termed ignorant. The Kathopanishad advises us to hand over the reins of our Indriyas to the wise Self residing within us, instead of the uninstructed ego-mind:

Atmaanam rathinam viddhi shareeram rathameva tu

buddhim tu sarathim viddhi manah pragrahamevaca

indriyani hayanyahur vishayansteshu gocharaan

Atmendriya manoyuktam bhoktetyahur maneeshinah

Consider the body as a chariot with the Spirit (Atman) sitting in it as the passenger, the intellect as the driver who controls the horses (the Indriyas – organs), with the mind as the reins. When the mind (ego) acts in accordance with the instructions of the Atman, true knowledge dawns and harmony prevails in the travel along the life-path (sat-chit-anand). Only the mind liberated in this manner will be able to deal effectively with both success and failure. 

Govinda! Govinda! Govinda!

The holy-chant: Govinda! Govinda! Govinda! is all-pervading in Tirumala Kshetram. While chanting Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, we meet with this holy Nama in

slokams 20 and 58. Readers of this Blog may be interested in the significance and meanings given by commentators on the Govinda Nama. The following extract is from

the Sahasranamam web-page in http://kirtimukha.com/chinnamma/sahasra/index.html 

Govinda-Nama in Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam

Slokam 20:  Govindah

maheshvaaso maheebhartaa srinivasah sataamgatih

aniruddhah suraanando govindo govidaampatih   -20

a) One who is praised by the gods (for His help).

b) One who dug out the Earth from the depths of the Ocean.

c) The protector of cows.

d) One who confers the veda-s

Om govindAya namah.

go in samskRt means "Earth", "cows", "speech", or "veda-s" - gaur-vANI, dharA, dhenurvA. From this we derive gavAm, gAm, etc. vid - lAbhe to get, to find, to feel is the root from which vinda is derived.

a) gavAm vindah govindah - gavAm - praise, vindah - recipient. He is govinda because He is the recipient of praise by the gods for the help He renders as outlined in the previous nAma.

b) Another interpretation is gAm avindat - One who retrieved the Earth from the depths of the Ocean.

The following is from Santi parvam in mahAbhAratam -

nashTAm vai dharaNIm purvam avindam vai guhAgatAm

govinda iti tenAham devair-vAgbir-abhishTutah    (Santi - 330.5)

"I first rescued the earth which was carried away and hidden in depths of the Ocean (by an asura); hence I am praised by the appellation Govinda by gods and scriptures". The significance of this is pointed out by the dharma cakram writer: BhagavAn is the One who truly understands the world and all its subjects.

c) gAvo vedavANyo yam vindanti labhante, yatra vA avatisThante sa govindo bhagavAn vishNuh - One who is reached by vedic chanting, or One who is the abode of the veda-s, is govinda or vishNu. In harivamSa we have the following -

gaureshA tu yato vANI tAm ca vindayate bhavAn

govindastu tato deva! munibhih kathyate bhavAn!   (harivamSa 3.88.50)

gau means worlds.
You pervade all worlds giving them power. Sages, therefore, call you govinda.

d) The protector of the cows - again supported from harivamSa -

aham kilendro devAnAm tvam gavAm indratAm gatah

govinda iti lokAstvAm stoshyanti bhuvi SASvatam    (harivamSa 2.19.45)

"I am indra, leader of deva-s. You have attained the leadership of the cows. So in this world men praise you always addressing you as govinda". He is the protector of the cows and played the part ofgopAla in gokulam. SrI satyadevo vAsishTha points out that the leadership of cows also suggests the importance of milk, ghee, etc., in worship, yaj~na etc., and how these also play a key role in thenourishment of the world.

An author by name ananta kRshNa Sastri, who has translated SrI Sankara's vishNu sahasranAma vyAkhyAnam, gives 10 meanings for the combination go+vid - 1) go -svargam - He transcends Heaven.

2) arrows - He knows all the weapons. 3) cattle - He is the leader of cows. 4) Speech - He is to be known by the veda-s. 5) Thunderbolt - He has the vajra marks on His feet. 6) Quarters - He is known in

all quarters. 7) Eyes - He is the seer in every person. 8) The Sun - He is in the orb of the sun. 9) Earth - He recovered the Earth from the Ocean. 10) Waters - His seat is in the waters

Vishnu Sahasra Namam: Sloka-58

mahaavaraaho govindah susheNah kanakangadee

guhyo gabheero ahano guptashchakra gadaadharah  58

 govindah

a) One who is praised by the gods (for His help).

b) One who dug out the Earth from the depths of the Ocean.

c) The protector of cows.

d) One who confers the veda-s

e) He who rescued the Earth.

f) He who is known by vedic sentences.

g) He who is responsible for all things that move.

om govindAya namah.

This nAma occurred earlier in sloka 20; the detailed explanation for (a) to (d) were given under Slokam 20.

SrI BhaTTar gives interpretation for  (e) thus:  a variation of explanation (b) under the current nAma viz. bhagavAn is govindah because He rescued the Earth from the rAkshasa.

SrI Sa'nkara gives the interpretationfor (f) under the current nAma: "gobhih - vANibhih vindate" - He Who is known (vid) through words i.e., vedic sentences. SrI Sa'nkara gives the reference from vishNutilaka -

gobhireva yato vedyo govindah samudAhRtah -

"You are named govinda as you are to be known through scriptual texts".

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha derives his interpretation starting from the root gam - gatau - to go (gacchati iti gauh),and gives the meaning "to possess" to the word vid (vid - lAbhe - toget), and thus derives the interpretation (g) above. His explanation is that anything that moves, including our mind, our indriya-s, the Sun, etc., are His possession, and so He is called govindah. He gives this interpretation for the nAma "govidAm patih" also. He supports his interpretation based on"gacchati iti jagat" - BhagavAn is present everywhere as seen by the movement of everything in this world. The life in all things that live is associated with movement, and He is the One who is behind this movement -govindah.

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Read also:   http://www.tirumala.org/ptv_tm_varaha.htm about the traditinal custom of offering worship to Adi Varaha swamy first and proceeding to Sri Venkatshwara temple only there-after:

Sri Varahaswami Temple in Tirumala is to the north of the Sri Venkateswara Temple, on the banks of Swami Pushkarini.  According to legend, Tirumala was originally Adi Varaha Kshetra (the home of Sri Adi Varaha Swami), and it was with his permission that Lord Sri Venkateswara took up residence here.

According to the Brahma Purana, pilgrims should first offer naivedyam to Sri Adi Varaha Swami, before visiting the Sri Venkateswara Temple. According to Atri Samhita (Samurtarchanadhikara), the Varaha avatara is worshipped in three forms: 

·                     Adi Varaha

·                     Pralaya Varaha

·                     Yajna Varaha 

The idol of Sri Varahaswami in Tirumala is that of Adi Varaha, as it resembles the description of the Adi Varaha murti in Vaikhanasa Agama texts.

The genesis of Sri Varahaswamy Avatarm is given in Canto 3 Chapters 16 - 19 of Srimad Bhagavatam.

_____________________________________

Rajaji's song "kurai onrum illai govinda", sung by MS, chants the glory of Govinda who is present as Archa Murti on the Tirumala hills: ( http://kirtimukha.com/KuraiOnrumIllai.htm )

Kunrin mel kallāki nirkinra varadā

kurai onrum illai, Maraimūrthi kanna!

Manivannā! Malaiyappā! Gōvinda!

Gōvinda! Govinda!Govinda!

_____________________________

Kurai Onrum Illai Kanna

"Kurai Onrum Illai marai murti Kanna" sung by Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi is broadcast many times by the TTD on their SVBC TV Channel. The song composed by (late) Chakravarti Rajagopalachari is rich in philosophical content which his grandson Gopal Gandhi has lucidly explained in his article reproduced by Wikipedia at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurai_Onrum_Illai; pl also view the article at my web-site where  I have reproduced the Wiki article and also embedded YouYube links to the soulful music by MS.,

Rajaji has used the words 'kuRai onRum Illai' which have been translated by Gopal Gandhi as 'I have no regret'.  kuRai in Tanil means a lack that is felt by us, generally leading to a desire and action to remove the lack. But such a situation does not arise since all the needs of the devotee are fulfilled by Kannan/Govinda, as stated by Rajaji in the next verse:

Vendiyadhai thandhida Venkatesan enrirukka,
Vendiyadhu ver illai maraimūrthi kanna-

When Venkatesa is there to fulfil our needs
there is nothing else that we need, O Kanna

A heart filled with devotion (bhakti-bhaava) to Govindaa has no kuRai what soever; the devotee sings His praise soulfully and declares: kuRai onrum illai kaNNa, Govinda.

The Loving Bond

The kite-flier's attitude is a good illustration of loving-caring for the child. The loving bond that does not bind is the thread; pulling and leaving, we succeed in sending it higher in the free atmosphere. We still hold one end of the thread and keep communicating with the kite, feeling the tightness/heaviness as the air keeps pushing the kite up. We don't hold the kite restricted yet the kite flies free -
-- an ideal relationship described by Khalil Gibran thus in his book Prophet:

Your children are not your children.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and
He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Who am I? Where am I?

http://bhagavan-ramana.org/ramana_maharshi/books/letters/letter073.html

....... an Andhra gentleman questioned Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi:
“You say the important thing to do is to enquire and find out who I am,
but how is one to find it out? Are we to do japam saying, ‘Who am I? Who am I?’
or should we repeat, ‘Neti’ (not this)? I want to know the exact method, Swami.”
After waiting for a while Bhagavan said,
“What is there to find out? Who is to find out?
There must be some one to find out, mustn’t there?
Who is that someone? Where has that someone come from?
This is the thing to find out first.”
The questioner said, again, “Should there not be some sadhana to find out who one’s self is? Which sadhana will be useful?”
“Yes, it is that that has to be found out. If you ask where to see,
we should say, look within, what is its shape, how was it born, and where was it born;
that is what you have to see or enquire,” said Bhagavan.
The questioner asked again,
“If we ask where this ‘I’ is born, the ancients say, it is in the heart.
How could we see that?”
“Yes, we have to see the heart itself. If you want to see it; the mind must get submerged completely. It is no use doing japam with the words, ‘Who am I? Who am I?’
nor by repeating the words ‘Neti, Neti’,” said Bhagavan.
When the questioner said, that was exactly what he was unable to do,
Bhagavan replied, “Yes, that is so. That is the difficulty.
We always exist and are in all places.
This body and all other attendant things are gathered around us by ourselves only.
There is no difficulty in gathering them. The real difficulty is in throwing them out. We find it difficult to see what is inhering in us and what is foreign to us.
See, what a great tragedy it is,” said Bhagavan.
Some time ago, when a Bengali youth asked similar questions, Bhagavan explained to him at great length. His doubts not being cleared, that youth asked, “You say that the Self is present at all times and at all places. Where exactly is that ‘I’?”
Bhagavan replied with a smile, “When I say you are present at all times and at all places and you ask where is that ‘I’, it is something like asking, when you are in Tiruvannamalai, ‘Where is Tiruvannamalai?’
When you are everywhere, where are you to search? The real delusion is the feeling that you are the body. When you get rid of that delusion, what remains is your Self. You should search for a thing which is not with you but where is the need to search for a thing which is always with you? All sadhanas are for getting rid of the delusion that you are the body. The knowledge that ‘I am’ is always there: call it Atma, or Paramatma or whatever you like. One should get rid of the idea that ‘I am the body’. There is no need to search for that ‘I’ that is the self. That Self is all-pervading.”
*******************
As an illustration of this, I give hereunder the words of Bhagavan in “Unnadhi Nalupadhi”:
Without the Self where is time and where is space?
If we are the body, we have to be bound by time and space. Are we the body?
We are one and identical now, then and always; here, there and everywhere.
So, we are existent, without time and space.” (Reality in Forty Verses, verse 16 )
==========
What are the marks of the Guru’s grace?
It is beyond words or thoughts.
If that is so, how is it that it is said that the disciple realises his true state by the Guru’s grace?
It is like the elephant which wakes up on seeing a lion in its dream.
Even as the elephant wakes up at the mere sight of the lion, so too is it certain that the disciple wakes up from the sleep of ignorance into the wakefulness of true knowledge through the Guru’s benevolent look of grace.
How can there be a connection between the Self which is
pure knowledge and the triple factors which are relative knowledge?
This is, in a way, like the working of a cinema.
The Cinema:
1) The lamp inside (the apparatus) = The Self.
2) The lens in front of the lamp = The pure (sattvic) mind close to the Self
3) The film which is a long series of separate photos = The stream of latent tendencies consisting of subtle thoughts.
4) The lens, the light passing through it and the lamp, which together form the focused light = The mind, the illumination of it and the Self, which together form the seer or the jjva.
5) The light passing through the lens and falling on the screen = The light of the Self emerging from the mind through the senses, and falling on the world
6) The various kinds of pictures appearing in the light of the screen = The various forms and names appearing as the objects perceived in the light of the world
7) The mechanism which sets the film in motion = The divine law manifesting the latent tendencies of the mind.
***

Just as the pictures appear on the screen as long as the film throws the shadows through the lens, so the phenomenal world will continue to appear to the individual in the waking and dream states as long as there are latent mental impressions. Just as the lens magnifies the tiny specks on the film to a huge size and as a number of pictures are shown in a second, so the mind enlarges the sprout-like tendencies into treelike thoughts and shows, in a second, innumerable worlds. Again, just as there is only the light of the lamp visible when there is no film, so the Self alone shines without the triple factors when the mental concepts in the form of tendencies are absent in the states of deep sleep, swoon and samadhi. Just as the lamp illumines the lens, etc. while remaining unaffected, the Self illumines the ego (Chidabhasa) etc., while Itself remaining unaffected.