A Giant’s Dilemma
A long time ago, in the dense forest of Vindhyas, there lived giant who was gifted with a special power to assume any form at his will. As fancy as it may sound, the giant was apparently disgusted with his life. He desired to put an end to it. However, there was a problem.
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The Three Crucial Questions
This story is a part of RISHI TALES (Volume 1) by U. Mahesh Prabhu with Foreword by Dr David Frawley. The book is available on Amazon.com for $9.99 and Amazon.in for INR 200.00 Bhoja Raja, also known as Raja Bhoj, was one of the greatest kings hailed by ancient Indian …
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When a Rishi drank wine
Long ago, in a city called Avantika, there lived a Rishi. He was held in high esteem not only by the common people but also by the king of the land. Whenever the king felt disturbed in mind, he would approach the Rishi. The Rishi’s wisdom-enriched advice would restore peace …
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The king who relinquished his throne to teach a deserving student
An aging Brahmin was overwhelmed by his poverty. Without any wealth, he was respected neither by his relatives, nor his children nor his wife. All that he wanted was to find a way to earn enough wealth to win back his dignity and respect in the society and family. He …
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A Rishi, a Dimwit and the Distortion of the Vedic Teachings
This ancient Vedic Sanskrit tale, translated and retold by U Mahesh Prabhu, explains how downright materialistic and heathen practices wrongly came to be known as "Vedic."
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The Story of Rishi Ashtavakra
“O King, Knowledge is that which instils humility. In the absence of humility, knowledge destructs and wisdom become elusive. The collapse of great empires and destruction of finest people has happened not due to external factors but owing to internal circumstances – all emanating from departure from humility. Varuna is still a great scholar and I’ll be happy to learn from him. It is his lack of humility and my ability to hold on to my humility which caused his defeat and my victory.” Rishi Ashtavakra
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Trivial Actions. Severe Consequences.
A Rishi wandered from village to village, and from town to town, followed by a lone disciple. The disciple, a restless young man, was in the habit of talking rashly and doing things which were not necessary. “My child, you must try to exercise some control over your speech and your actions,” the Rishi often reminded the disciple.
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Bhartrihari: The King who became a Rishi
As wise Rishis have justly declared, ‘To die is a passing pain but to be poor is an eternal anguish.’ Besides, I am also in agreement with the Rishis’ declaration, ‘It is better to die loved in youth and not hated in old age.’ If you would be generous to offer me a sizeable material reward for my family to live comfortably – that would be more desirous to me than the youth and romantic escapades the fruit can offer.”
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Rishi Tales 2: Foreword by Dr David Frawley
Mahesh Prabhu presents these wisdom stories in their core essence, relaying and focusing their deeper meaning, not interfering with it or reducing it to alien and superficial concepts. His stories are short, poignant, and diverse, with multiple levels of meaning, like parables, conundrums, paradoxes and axioms (sutras). He has drawn these stories from many traditional sources in Sanskrit literature and reworked them in a concise and invocative manner. They feature the names and stories of famous sages, kings, places and the peoples of old India. Such exalted figures as King Bhartrihari or the Vedantic sage Ashtavakra visit these pages and come to life again through them.
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Dr David Frawley’s Foreword to RISHI TALES 1
The Vedic Rishis occupy the highest level of respect in Vedic thought. The Rishis were the great seers of the cryptic Vedic mantras, who created the foundation for the profound systems of Yoga, Vedanta, Ayurveda and the many different Vedic sciences. Yet the Rishis also provided practical wisdom about how we live, extending from our personal lives to governing a nation. Later the term Rishi became generic for a sage or person of profound insight and the many flowerings of the Rishi heritage.
Read MoreLatest Bestseller by U.Mahesh Prabhu
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A Giant’s Dilemma
November 28,2020 / Rishi Tales / 1 CommentsA long time ago, in the dense forest of Vindhyas, there lived giant who was gifted with a special power to assume any form at his will. As fancy as it may sound, the giant was apparently disgusted with his life. He desired to put an end to it. However, there was a problem.
UPCOMING WEBINAR: How Relevant is The Vedic Approach to Management for Sustainable Leadership?
November 25,2020 / Vedic Webinar / 0 CommentsThe pandemic is far from over. Great many uncertainties continue to loom large while causing severe economic down impacting profits and incurring job losses. Organizations, be they big, medium, or small, continue to struggle. This is making a great many people to wonder if Capitalism is even the...
Yoga Practitioners as Counsellors for Emotional Wellbeing
November 19,2020 / Articles / 0 CommentsBy embracing deeper yet much needed Vedic knowledge disciplines, Yoga practitioners can, not just create a whole new avenue for sustainable revenue but also enable greater value creation. And since the Vedic counselling approach is about the balancing the mind through understanding and...
Kootaneeti: The Forgotten Art and Science of Covert Politics
November 19,2020 / The Kautilya Project / 4 CommentsShakti or Power is the essence of Rajyam or Leadership. There are those who consider themselves to be either “unlucky” or “undeserving” of power as they cannot comprehend the dynamics of attaining or retaining it. Those who consider themselves to be “deserving” of power are often the...
LATEST BOOK: The VEDIC approach to MANAGEMENT for sustainable LEADERSHIP
November 16,2020 / Vedic Management / 0 CommentsManagement is crucial - not just for individuals in leadership positions, but for anyone with responsibilities. Managing is about utilizing limited available resources to create value, generate wealth and achieve viable prosperity. While there is no shortage of appealing and entertaining...
The Wisdom of Kootaneeti for a Polarized World
November 16,2020 / Vedic Management / 0 CommentsEducation is supposed to help us to define and understand the difference between the good and the bad. But what is good? And what is bad? Is that which is good - today, good - tomorrow? Is that which was bad yesterday, bad today as well? Such intellectually daunting questions are not even...
RECORDING: Being Calm amid the Storm
November 10,2020 / Vedic OnDemand Webinar Vedic Webinar / 0 CommentsAn interactive webinar by U. Mahesh Prabhu presenting the forgotten but practical teachings of the Vedic Rishis and Rishikas like Aditi, Gautami, Yami, Anamika, Avadhoota Dattatreya, Ashtavakra, Bhartrihari, Bharadwaja, and Parashara to understand the dynamics of mind and resulting stress, anxiety,...
Mana: The Mind
November 05,2020 / Vedic Management / 4 CommentsAs per Ayurveda – which has its essence and inspiration from Vedic knowledge and wisdom – says “Healthy mind leads to a healthy body”. Amrita Bindu Upanishad suggests “Mind is the cause for both; problems as well as solution.” The mind is the tool which enables us to understand and...
How to Calm a Disturbed Mind?
November 04,2020 / Vedic Management / 4 CommentsMind that is driven by scientific temper seeks analysis and planning whereas the mind without the scientific temper seeks higher powers. Both type of minds often suffers – for there is no way to predict the future with precision. Expectation and desires of the mind are the reason for our pain....
Bhakti versus Bhranti: Understanding the crucial difference between Devotion and Delusion
November 02,2020 / Vedic Management / 0 CommentsBhakti seeks unconditional acceptance of everyone, without any conditions. Bhranti seeks conditional submission. Bhakti gives love; Bhranti often confuses one’s lust for love. Bhakti helps in sustenance – within and without; Bhranti destroys within. Bhakti stems from within in the absence of...
Why Meditating is not the same as Praying?
October 30,2020 / Vedic Management / 0 CommentsDhyana or Meditation and Prarthana or Prayer are never the same. Prarthana is a concept in which you declare yourself to be weak as well as helpless and, therefore, you seek help from someone else - earthlings or God(s). Dhyana or Meditation is where you accept that for all the pains in life you...
RECORDING: The Tale of Two Sanskrit
October 28,2020 / Uncategorized / 0 Comments Sanskrit is the language of the Vedic texts; the ancient and timeless works on knowledge and wisdom. Even though written millennia ago these Vedic texts continue to benefit humanity to this day. Zero, a Vedic invention, is the foundation of modern digital technology. Ayurveda pioneered...
Hitashatru: That mortal enemy we mistake for a dear friend
October 03,2020 / Vedic Management / 1 CommentsJealousy of people is among the many things that come along with success and wealth. And it is by far the most potent threat as it could turn even a dear friend into a deadly enemy. And when that enemy continues to pose as a friend, enjoying proximity to you, (s)he becomes a Hitashatru.
Vedic Leadership Lectures
September 30,2020 / Vedic Management / 0 Comments
The Vedic Perspective on Criticism
September 30,2020 / Vedic Leadership Counselling Vedic Management / 0 CommentsVedic Sanskrit word for criticism was निन्दा (Ninda.) The criticizer is निन्दक (Nindaka.) Whereas विनिन्दा (Vininda) & विनिन्दक (Vinindaka) stand for Unjust Criticism & Unjust Criticizer. Interestingly, in the languages that followed Vedic...
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Lakshmi: The Vedic Science of Wealth
October 23,2019 / Vedic Management / 9 CommentsVedic philosophy has a unique understanding of “wealth” which it refers to as Lakshmi. Lakshmi is not simply the “Goddess” depicted in temples across the country. Although this science certainly inspired the image of the Goddess, Lakshmi in the real sense is the Vedic science of wealth...
Ahimsa: A Vedic Perspective
May 20,2020 / Vedic Management / 8 CommentsDharma is not doing to others what you don't like being done by someone else to you. Dharma is that which sustains the order in self (mind), family, society, nation and the world at large. Dharma is sustained by doing things where the strong don’t thrive by suppressing the weak and the weak are...
Effective Decision Making: Why understanding Mana and Aatmana is crucial
October 14,2017 / Vedic Management / 8 CommentsDecision making is a crucial element at individual as well as institutional level. What we are today is owing to our decisions of the past and what we are to be tomorrow will be determined by the decisions we take today. Our decisions are based on situation(s) and suggestion(s) – all which is...
Sannyasa: The True Meaning
March 20,2019 / Vedic Management / 6 CommentsBrahmacharya, or abstention from sex is a very important part of Sannyasa. Most “modern thinkers” look down upon celibacy. Because they cannot live without sex – they assume no one can! Many modern gurus have come to downplay or ridicule celibacy, calling it “optional”. They usually...
Ekaanth: The Power of Solitude
August 24,2020 / Vedic Management / 6 CommentsSince time immemorial people have often feared isolation. Nobody likes to live isolated and, therefore, seeks the constant company of people. Solitude is synonymous to loneliness – a lack of feeling that something is missing, a pain, a depression, a need, an incompleteness, an absence. They...
The Kautilya's Perspective on Wealth: Artha, Vyartha and Anartha
June 15,2020 / The Kautilya Project / 6 CommentsKautilya advises, “Wealth has only three ends – it’s either spent on deserving people or things, misspent on undeserving people and things or just rots away and falls into the hands of others (deserving or undeserving).” Stagnant wealth is of no utility.
Atman: The Ultimate Power Within
April 19,2019 / Vedic Management / 5 CommentsVedic teachings emphasize understanding and realizing the Atman also called Purusha. While “Soul” could also be a translation of this word, as it is “the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal,” a much better word to understand Atman is...
Yogi, Bhogi & Rogi
December 11,2016 / Vedic Management / 5 CommentsExclusive to Vedic Management Centre by U. Mahesh Prabhu As per Yogic teachings, there are mostly three types of people: Yogi (One who’s involved in a persistent effort to better oneself to better the world), Bhogi (One who’s hugely involved in satisfying his/her carnal pleasure) and Rogi (One...
Sukham & Duhkham: The Vedic Philosophy on Happiness and Sorrow
May 11,2020 / Vedic Management / 5 CommentsWe are all born into this body without possessing anything. All that we gain is after the birth of this body. We are also sure to die, after which all that we have accumulated and achieved must be left behind. So, we are neither born nor do we die possessing anything. More like a computer game....
Essential leadership wisdom from Shukracharya
April 10,2019 / Sanskrit Translations / 5 CommentsNiti Shastra, a collection of quotes from various rishis, is believed to have been compiled in an abridged form, originally, by Shukracharya - a great Rishi (sage). It is an ancient India classic on leadership, teaching primary ethics and principles of right behavior which remains relevant even...
Kautilya's Perspective on Justice & Revenge
May 04,2020 / The Kautilya Project / 4 CommentsIn the absence of justice, error and evil thrive. Truly, evil only gets worse when those who are righteous resort to revenge and do not insist upon justice. The Ahimsa of Kautilya was based on the idea of Dharma. Ahimsa doesn’t mean you will never hurt anyone – it means you won’t hurt anyone...
The Abuse of Yoga
May 01,2020 / Vedic Management / 4 CommentsBhogi is the antithesis of Yogi. While Yogi maintains detachment (not to be confused as being bereft of love) and is at eternal peace with a perpetually happy mind; Bhogi is one who is addicted to worldly pleasures and in every way manifests the Arishadvargas. Bhogi thinks about the loss of his...
Arishadvargas: The Six Detriments for Success
May 19,2019 / The Kautilya Project Vedic Management / 4 Commentsअरिशड्वर्ग (Arishadvargas) are six these six-detrimental-qualities a person must overcome to gain and retain material power and influence. Even one of the Arishadvargas is enough to cause a person's destruction. Similarly, the person who has overcome all Arishadvargas has the...
Purusharthas: Giving life a meaning
March 16,2019 / Vedic Management / 4 Commentsआहार Ahaara (food), निद्रा Nidra (sleep), भयं Bhaya (fear) and मैथुनं Maithuna (sex) are the four significant cravings of मन: Mana – mind – which transcends species, space and time. To sustain one’s body a living being needs food, to heal and...
Stress and Crisis management: The Vedic Approach
May 08,2020 / Vedic Management / 4 CommentsHope and fear are nothing but figments of human imagination. When we fear, we affect our mind in a negative way; when we hope, we seek for viable alternatives. The Vedic thought, however, professes a golden middle path – a state of perfect equilibrium where you are neither worried nor fearful....
