tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post997687208793079629..comments2023-06-13T17:10:56.336+05:30Comments on LAHARI CULTURAL LEARNING: The Greatness of Vishnu SahasranamaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151543594628172733noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-25601238289173728902014-05-12T17:28:00.947+05:302014-05-12T17:28:00.947+05:30SIR ,
SHREE SATYANARAYAN POOJA SHOULD BE DESCRIBED...SIR ,<br />SHREE SATYANARAYAN POOJA SHOULD BE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL SO THAT WE CAN PERFORM THE SAMEAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03527040918464401093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-8458117899401479392013-05-08T11:38:25.068+05:302013-05-08T11:38:25.068+05:30Well written Kiran. Thanks a lot for sharing. Nice...Well written Kiran. Thanks a lot for sharing. Nice stories. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05151543594628172733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-86391961249944282082013-05-08T11:02:49.181+05:302013-05-08T11:02:49.181+05:30Please excuse , as I had to upload it in pieces - ...Please excuse , as I had to upload it in pieces - as this blog page had a certain file size limit.kiranshashihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17048953431463354086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-45105778135084087932013-05-08T11:01:39.198+05:302013-05-08T11:01:39.198+05:30Chapter 5
Maharishi Soota continued, "Once th...Chapter 5<br />Maharishi Soota continued, "Once there was a king called<br />Tungadhwaja who underwent a lot of misery because he refused<br />the Satyanarayana prasad.<br /><br />One day after hunting, he was resting under a tree. Cowherds<br />were happily performing Satyanarayana Puja nearby. The king in<br />vanity, refused the prasad they offered. When he reached his<br />palace, he found that his kingdom, all his sons, his wealth and<br />everything had disappeared. Then it occurred to him that Lord<br />Satyanarayana was probably angry with him. He went back to the<br />cowherds, prostrated himself before Lord Satyanarayana, and per-<br />formed the puja with great devotion. The Lord showered his<br />blessings, and the king regained everything he had lost earlier. He<br />lived happily, and reached Vaikunta after his death."<br />Maharishi Soota said, "Oh holy men. I have narrated to you<br />the Satyanaraya Katha which was originally told by Lord<br />Vishnu to Narada Muni. By observing this Vratha, mankind can<br />attain salvation. In this Kaliyuga, observance of the Vratha can<br />lead to gratification of one's wishes."<br />Thus ended the narration of Maharishi Soota, after which<br />Shaunaka and other rishis returned to their respective places.kiranshashihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17048953431463354086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-12619447927470308672013-05-08T11:00:23.576+05:302013-05-08T11:00:23.576+05:30Chapter 4
Sadhu and his son-in-law loaded their bo...Chapter 4<br />Sadhu and his son-in-law loaded their boat with the riches<br />given to them by the king, and sailed homewards. Lord Satya-<br />narayana wanted to test Sadhu further. He took the form of an <br />ascetic with a trident, appeared before Sadhu, and asked him what<br />he was carrying in his boat. Without realizing that the ascetic was<br />indeed Lord Satyanarayana in disguise, Sadhu laughed mockingly,<br />and said, 'You brahmin, were you thinking of stealing my things?<br />We do not have any valuables in the boat except leaves and<br />creeper plants.' Whereupon Lord Satyanatayana replied, 'Oh<br />Sadhu, so be it.' The God then departed in great haste , and stood<br />by the seashore.<br />When Sadhu went into his boat, he discovered to his horror<br />that the boat was filled with leaves and creeper plants just as he<br />had falsely told the ascetic. Sadhu swooned at the sight, but was<br />revived by his son-in-law who spoke, 'This must be the curse of<br />the ascetic. He must be a mystic. Let us go to him, and ask for<br />his forgiveness.' The two merchants went to the seashore where<br />the ascetic was meditating. They fell at his feet, and repeatedly<br />begged for his forgiveness.<br /><br />Pleased by Sadhu's devotion, the Lord said, 'Sadhu, do not<br />weep. You suffer because you have broken your promise time and<br />again.' On hearing this, Sadhu prayed to God, 'Oh Lord, even<br />Brahma and other Devas, drowned in your Maya, cannot<br />comprehend your various forms completely. How can I, with my<br />limited ability, comprehend your various forms? I pray according<br />to my limited knowledge Please show me your true form, and<br />bless me.'<br /><br />Upon hearing this, God was pleased- and granted his wishes<br />restoring his merchandise in the boat and disappeared. The two<br />merchants then joyfully sailed homewards. On reaching their<br />hometown they sent a messenger to their wives to inform them of<br />their safe arrival. At that time, Leelavati and Kalavati were<br />performing Satyanarayana Puja. Leelavati quickly finished the<br />puja, and asked her daughter to do so. She then hurried to the<br />seashore to meet her husband. Kalavati, in her eagerness to meet<br />her husband, forgot to eat the prasad, and rushed to the seashore.<br />This action of her angered Lord Satyan arayana. He caused the<br />boat and her husband to drown in the sea.<br />Not finding her husband, Kalavati started weeping. All were<br />wonderstruck and frightened. Sadhu was at a loss to know what<br />to do. Thinking that it was Lord Satyanarayana's Maya, he<br />announced to everybody that he would perform Satyanarayana<br />Puj, and prayed to Lord Satyanarayana again and again. At this,<br />Lord Satyanarayana, the savior of the sinners, was very pleased,<br />and said, 'Oh Sadhu, your daughter did not eat the prasad in her<br />haste to see her husband, and so I made him and the boat<br />disappear. Let her go home, and take the prasad, and return.' On<br />hearing this , Kalavati rushed home, and ate the prasad. When she<br />returned to the seashore, she found, to her joy, her husband and<br />the boat. Then Sadhu returned home happily with his relatives,<br />performed Satyanarayana Puja on every full moon day. With<br />God's grace, he enjoyed all the comforts in this world, and finally<br />attained salvation."kiranshashihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17048953431463354086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-11450858803733718092013-05-08T10:57:16.807+05:302013-05-08T10:57:16.807+05:30Chapter 3 ( remainder - attached )
Lord Satyanaray...Chapter 3 ( remainder - attached )<br />Lord Satyanarayana was pleased with Leelavati's prayers. He<br />appeared before king Chandraketu in his dreams, and told him to<br />release the two merchants from prison as they were not the real<br />thieves. If the king failed to do So, Lord Satyanarayana warned<br />that his kingdom, wealth and children would all disappear.<br />Next morning, the king told his counsellors about his dream,<br />and ordered Sadhu and his son-in-law to be released, and brought<br />before him. The latter were frightened, and stood before the king<br />with bowed heads. The king talked to them gently and said, 'You<br />two have suffered greatly because of your fate, but now there is<br />nothing to fear.' The king returned their merchandise, gave them<br />new clothes, and gifts, and bade them goodbye.<br />kiranshashihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17048953431463354086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-61262474232504214152013-05-08T10:56:35.947+05:302013-05-08T10:56:35.947+05:30Chapter 3
Maharishi Soota continued, "Oh best...Chapter 3<br />Maharishi Soota continued, "Oh best of ascetics, I will now<br />tell you the story further. In the olden days there lived a wise<br />king by the name Ulmamukha. He had mastered all his senses, and<br />always spoke the truth. He used to go to the temple everyday, and<br />offer gifts to the brahmins. His lotus-faced wife was a pure and<br />pious woman. One day, the royal couple was performing Satya-<br />narayana Puja at the banks of the river Bhadrasheela. At that<br />time, a merchant called Sadhu sailed by. Seeing the king perform<br />some puja,Sadhu stopped his boat, got off, and addressed the<br />king humbly, 'Oh King, would you kindly tell me what you are<br />doing with such devotion and concentration?' The king replied,<br />'Oh Sadhu, I have no children. In order that I may be blessed<br />with children, I am worshipping the Lord Almighty Satya-<br />narayana.'<br /><br />On hearing this, Sadhu spoke humbly,'Oh king, please tell me<br />how to perform the puja. I would like to observe the Vratha,<br />as I too have no children.' The king told him all the details.<br />Sadhu returned home, and with great joy, told his wife that they<br />should perform Satyanarayana Puja which will fulfill their desire<br />to have children. He then resolved to perform the puja after the<br />child was born. By the divine grace, Sadhu's wife Leelavati soon<br />conceived, and in due course , gaye birth to a beautiful girl who<br />was named Kalavati.<br />One duy, Leelavati reminded her husband of his promise to<br />perform Satyanarayana Puja. Sadhu told his wife that he would<br />do the puja at the time of his daughter's wedding, and got busy<br />with his work.<br />In the meantime , Kalvati grew up, and blossomed into a<br />lovely girl. Sadhu sent out messengers to find a suitable bride-<br />groom for his daughter.<br />One of his messengers found a good-natured and handsome<br />boy in a vaishya family from KanchanNagar. Sadhu found the<br />boy to be a suitable match for his daughter, and celebrated her<br />marri age with great pomp and show. But Sadhu completely forgot<br />about the Satyanarayana Puja, and the Lord placed a curse on<br />Sadhu.<br />Then, one day Sadhu went on a business trip with his son-in-<br />law. He stopped to trade at Ratnapur which was ruled by king<br />Chandraketu. During the time he was in Ratnapur, some thieves<br />robbed the king's treasury, and were running away. The king's<br />soldiers followed them in hot pursuit. The frightened thieves<br />threrv all the things they had robbed near Sadhu and his son-in-<br />law, and escaped. Finding the things of king's treasures near<br />Sadhu and his son-in-law, the king's soldiers thought that they<br />were the thieves, arrested them, and brought them before the<br />king. The king ordered them to be chained, and thrown into<br />prison. Because of Lord's Maya, nobody even listened to what<br />Sadhu had to say in his defense. King Chandraketu also confis-<br />cated all their merchandise.<br />Lord Satvanarayana's curse did not spare even Sadhu's wife.<br />Some robbers broke into her house., and Leelavati lost everything.<br />One day Kalavati was very hungry, and went out of the<br />house. She wandered here and there, and stopped at a house<br />where Satyanarayana Puj a was being performed. She stayed at<br />that place until the puja was finished, and ate the prasad that was<br />offered. When she reached home, it was very late in the night.<br />Leelavati asked her where she had been. Kalavati told her mother<br />that she was listening to Satyanarayana Katha in somebody's<br />house. Leelavati at once remembered her husband's promise to<br />perform the puja, and resolved to observe the Satyanarayana<br />Vratha herself. She collected all her relatives and friends, prayed<br />to Lord Satyanarayana to forgive their sins.<br /><br />( to be continued )kiranshashihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17048953431463354086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-57377048256505533272013-05-08T10:54:11.965+05:302013-05-08T10:54:11.965+05:30Chapter 2
Maharishi Soota continued addressing the...Chapter 2<br />Maharishi Soota continued addressing the assembled rishis,<br />"Oh rishis. I will now tell you who have all observed the Satya-<br />narayana vratha in the past.<br />Once, there lived a very poor brahmin in the beautiful city<br />of Kashi. Plagued by acute hunger, he used to wander about in<br />search of food. Lord Vishnu took the form of an old man,<br />appeared before the poor brahmin, and asked, 'Friend, why are<br />you wandering aimlessly?' The brahmin replied, 'Sir, I am a very<br />poor man. Unable to bear the pangs of hunger, I beg for alms.<br />Sir, if you know a way out of this misery, please tell me.' Lord<br /><br />Vishnu, who was in the guise of an old man, replied, 'Oh<br />brahmin, Lord Satyanarayana grants the wishes of all his devotees,<br />and removes their sorrows. So, you should perform His puja, and<br />reap its benefits.' Lord Vishnu then explained the details of the<br />Satyanarayana Vratha to the brahmin, and disappeared.<br />The poor brahmin resolved to perform the puja. After a<br />sleepless night, he got up early in the morning and went to beg<br />for alms, his mind fixed on only one thing, namely - the puja.<br />That day he got a lot of money with which he bought fruits,<br />milk, curd and honey, and performed the puja with his friends<br />and relatives. With Lord Satyanarayana's grace he shed his<br />poverty, and lived a contented life. Every month on the full moon<br />duy, he performed the puja, and finally attained Moksha (salva-<br />tion)."<br />Maharishi Soota continued, "One day when this brahmin<br />from Kashi was observing Satyanarayana Vratha. A woodcutter<br />entered his house and asked for water. Seeing the brahmin<br />perform the puja, the woodcutter inquired about the puja.The<br />brahmin, who had been bestowed with Lord Vishnu's grace,<br />spoke, This is called Satyanarayana Vratha. One who observes<br />the Vratha will be blessed by the Lord. I myself have been<br />bestowed with wealth.' The woodcutter was delighted to hear this.<br />He learned the proper way to perform the puj a, ate the prasad<br />that was offered, and went his way.<br />With Lord Satyanarayana in his mind, the woodcutter<br />resolved that he would observe the Vratha with whatever he was<br />going to earn by selling firewood that day. He went to that part<br />of the city where rich people lived, sold the firewood, and made<br />twice the normal profit. Pleased with his luck, the woodcutter<br />bought bananas, sugar, ghee, milk, curd, honey and wheat flour,<br />and performed the Satyanarayana puja with his friends and<br />relatives. By Lord Satyanarayana's grace he too acquired enough<br />wealth, lived comfortably, and finally attained Moksha."<br />kiranshashihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17048953431463354086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-38085059323522739902013-05-08T10:52:31.022+05:302013-05-08T10:52:31.022+05:30SRI SATYANARAYANA STORY
Chapter I
Shaunaka and eig...SRI SATYANARAYANA STORY<br />Chapter I<br />Shaunaka and eighty eight thousand other rishis assembled at<br />the forest of Naimisharanya and asked Maharishi Soota, the<br />narrator of the Purana, "Oh Maharishi, please tell us how<br />mankind can attain salvation." Maharishi Soota answered, "Even<br />Narada Muni had asked Lord Vishnu, the consort of Lakshmi, the<br />same question! Let me repeat what Lord Vishnu told Narada.<br />Please listen carefully.<br />Narada, during one of his regular journeys to various worlds,<br />came to the earth. There he saw people suffering as a result of<br />their past deeds. To remove their suffering and offer salvation,<br />Narada traveled to Vishnu Loka and found Lord Vishnu adorned<br />with conch, chakra, gadha and lotus in his four hands, and a<br />garland around his neck. Narada spoke humbly,'Oh Supreme<br />Lord, the savior of the destitute and the troubled, I surrender at<br />thy feet.' Lord Vishnu greeted him and asked, 'tell me what you<br />want, and I will fulfill your wishes'. Narada replied, 'Oh Bhaga-<br />wan, people on earth are suffering in many ways as a result of<br />their past sinful deeds. Please bestow thy grace and reveal to me<br />as to how they can be helped.'Lord Vishnu replied,'Mankind<br />can rid itself of all its sorrows by performing a puja called Satya-<br />nararana Puja. This puja, when performed according to religious<br />rites, will bring happiness, peace of mind and wealth in this life,<br />and salvation beyond.' On hearing this, Narada was filled with<br />joy, and addressed Lord Vishnu, 'Oh Lord, in your infinite grace,<br />please tell me the details of the puja that you have just mentioned,<br />how and when to perform it and who has performed it before.'<br />Lord Vishnu answered- 'This puja can be performed on a<br />full moon day. One must invite his friends and relatives, and<br />perform the puja with devotion offering fruits, ghee, milk, curd,<br />butter, wheat flour. sugar and honey to God. After the puja is<br />completed he must read the story of Lord Satyanarayana, and<br />then distribute prasadam to everyone. The puja thus performed,<br />will bring fulfillment of one's wishes. Particularly, in the<br />Kaliyuga, this puja can bring contentment.'"<br />kiranshashihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17048953431463354086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386502109037940059.post-66147284526264263832013-05-07T08:55:07.594+05:302013-05-07T08:55:07.594+05:30How do I attach a file here ?
I have a neat 5 page...How do I attach a file here ?<br />I have a neat 5 page Satyanarayana story - that I got when I was in Pittsburgh US temple. I'd like to share it.<br />Shashi ( White House resident )kiranshashihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17048953431463354086noreply@blogger.com