The Nedungadi Clan-Ancestry & Origin

The Nedungadi Clan is an ancient clan from Kerala tracing their ancestry back to Kashyapa Muni. Kashyapa Muni fathered 7 clans of Nagas, or Divine Serpents. The Nedungadis are descended from Ananta Shesha, who is also called Nagaraja, or the King of all the serpent clans. He is an expansion of the Original Adi Ananta Shesha, on whom Lord Vishnu rests. Adi Ananta Shesha is the first expansion of Mahavishnu, the preserver of the worlds. When Vishnu exhales, countless worlds are created and when He inhales, they are absorbed into Him. Ananta Shesha supports all of creation on His 1000 bejewelled heads.
The Nagavangshis (descendants of the Naga Clans) are said to be wise, spiritually elevated beings on par with demi-gods.
Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras is an Incarnation of Ananta Shesha. So is the great Vaishnava Acharya Ramanujacharya. The mantra Ramanujacharya revealed is the same mantra that Ananta Shesha constantly sings with His 1000 mouths : OM NAMO NARAYANAYA. This mantra is in praise of Lord Mahavishnu, and remembering and reciting it with devotion comprises the spiritual duty of all the members of the Nedungadi Clan. In this lies their supreme spiritual and material welfare and ultimate emancipation.

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Vampires: Myth and Reality

Vampires – Myth and Reality

Human society has seen a dramatic increase in the interest in Vampires and Vampirism lately. The Vampire is no longer that pathetic ugly blood-thirsty Nosferatu of east-European folk-lore, but an enigmatic symbol of beauty, power, sensuality and immortality.
What is the social psychology behind this modern day phenomenon? It is Individual Empowerment. We live in an age when larger numbers of people are facing identity crises, as a result of centuries of indoctrination and merciless lessons in social conformity. There are those among us who are depleted of our dignity and sense of Self as a result of this systematic annihilation of the individual. We seek to be free, to revel in our own glory and to experience the world as never before. We want to grow in sensitivity so that our experience of the world may be enhanced. The modern Vampire persona is the perfect outlet for this desire of ours. Though Stephanie Meyer has brought Vampires into the living rooms of most modern day families across the globe, Anne Rice must be credited with really resurrecting the Vampire in all its glory in her "Vampire Chronicles". The Vampire Lestat is "the" Vampire, representing the ultimate struggle to be all one can be, to be oozing, as it were, with "being". Vampirism is therefore, ironically, a celebration of life.
The idea of Vampirism has its origin in ancient Indian mythology, in the persona of the Great Goddess Kali. She has been revered, feared, misunderstood, and associated with all manner of superstitious belief over the centuries. And why not? She is after all not so simply understood or appreciated. Dark, naked, with wild hair like that of a Maenad, clothed in the limbs of her enemies, with extended canines, her long tongue lolling out, dripping with the blood she has consumed – to put it across in modest terms, Kali is simply overwhelming.
The legend of Kali is thus: The world, according to its cyclic movement, had once again moved from an age of light to one of dense darkness and ignorance. Demonic forces plagued the Gods and Humans alike, who were powerless against the mighty Mahisasura, a powerful Demon who through his intense asceticism and yoga had obtained the boon that he could be slain by no male entity, whether man or god. The Gods gathered in council and decided to manifest from their collective energies the great Goddess Durga, who would be an emanation from Lord Shiva's spouse Parvati, possessed of all the collective might of the Gods. She would bring an end to the atrocious rule of Mahisasura.
When the Goddess Durga confronted the mighty Mahisasura, she was aided by her manifold Shaktis or powers. In Mahisasura's demonic army, was a most diabolical demon by the name of Rakta-Bija. Durga destroyed all the forces of evil that were under Mahisasura's command, all except Raktabija, who possessed a unique ability. Every time a single drop of his blood was shed, a hundred more Raktabijas sprang forth from it. He was an inexhaustible source of evil. How could Durga slay him and prevent him regenerating from his own blood? She manifested from her infinite power the great and terrifying Goddess Kali, who drank the vile blood of Raktabija, even as she ripped him apart and consumed him. Inebriated with the blood of the demons and consumed by blood-lust, Kali went on a senseless rampage, slaughtering all in her way, even after the demonic army had conceded defeat. To stop her, the lord of yogis, Shiva, lay down in her path of destruction. It was only when she stepped on the supine Shiva that she came back to her senses, and ceased her relentless attack. Then onwards, she has been worshipped by all seeking to overcome evil forces.
This story is deeply symbolic. To understand the symbolism is to grasp the truth behind the legend. Man, as he is possessed of choice, has recourse to both good and evil. The Divine and Demonic forces thus exist within man. The word "rakta" means blood, and "bija" means seed. In other words, the demon Raktabeeja is actually symbolic of genetic or inherited negative traits present in each individual. Kali, is the force of yoga or inner purification, which consumes inherited evil and prevents it from increasing or multiplying.
This legend was carried out of India by wandering Gypsy tribes. The legend was slowly distorted, and these distortions, along with the inherent fear present in man, and man's tendency to exploit fear, led to the creation of the East-European vampire Nosferatu, the undead. Nosferatu, in turn gave birth to Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Dracula spawned the hordes of vampires, the tales of which have found new meaning in today's world.
In a certain sense, the original idea of the Vampire has come full-circle. From Kali, who drinks evil blood and purifies, to the modern-day vampire, who has a conscience, and a moral responsibility to control his own blood-thirst and to seek great beauty in existence.

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Psychosomatic Illness: What it is, and how to heal it.

What is Psychosomatic Illness?
The word 'psychosomatic' has its origins in the words psycho=pertaining to the mind/psyche, and somatic=pertaining to the physical body. Thus the term 'psychosomatic' means physical illness that originates in the mind. Some people have the wrong notion that psychosomatic conditions are entirely in the mind. This is not so. These conditions are actual physical ailments that have their origin in the human mind.

How do Psychosomatic diseases originate?
The human mind is a wonderfully complex entity. It is constantly at work recording, interpreting and co-relating countless sensory inputs that are picked up by the brain. The mind has the capacity to see 'what is' with clarity or the ability to distort 'what is' by comparing/contrasting and relating it the many ideas/impressions already present. This over-activity of the mind leads to confusion and confused states of perception. Moreover, the mind keeps dividing itself into many different fragments, each of which harbours and protects ideas that are contradictory in nature. Though the mind compartmentalises ideas and thoughts to maintain each one's space and to avoid conflict, what inevitably and ironically happens is that the mind ends up fragmenting itself into many smaller entities, within the single individual. This in turn leads to a fragmented personality, or multiple personalities within one individual, which due to their peculiarities, are constantly at odds with each other. The consistent conflict between the different parts of the fragmented personality strains the nervous system, which gradually weakens and may even break down. The malfunctioning of the nervous system in turn affects the various organs in the body, thereby giving way to undesirable and unhealthy conditions or diseases. These diseases are often incurable by medicine. Tranquillizers often alleviate psychosomatic conditions, but fail to cure them.

How to cure/heal Psychosomatic diseases?
The way to cure psychosomatic diseases is a two-pronged approach. The bodily condition must be addressed by appropriate change of life style, adequate exercise and rest and a nutritious diet. However, this takes care of only the immediate discomfort. The real problem that needs to be addressed is the fragmentation within the individual personality. The only way to dissolve the various factions within the mind, that are at war with each other, is to bring the mind into a state of (almost) absolute silence/stillness. The various fragments, being parts of the same mind, are like waves in the ocean. Without wind, there are no waves. Similarly, without conflicting thoughts, which are like wild winds blowing in conflicting directions, there is no fragmentation in the mind. The way to still the mind is meditation. Meditation stills the mind, thereby restoring 'whole-ness' of being. The fragments are dissolved into the whole. the personality undergoes a process of letting go, which releases the attachment to the boundaries it has created. This leads to re-integration of the personality. It is this that leads to whole-ness and healing of the individual. To successfully cure/heal psychosomatic diseases, meditative practices should be made a regular and important part of one's everyday life. The unified awareness/consciousness that follows meditation must be carried forward into one's life, thereby altering the quality of one's existence.

Where can I learn meditation?
Depending on your inclination, there are numerous meditative traditions that you may approach. If you are interested in learning Hamsa Kriya Meditation, which is an ancient Indian system of psychic purification through breathing techniques, you may contact the author of this blog at:

Email: pathways.peace@gmail.com
Phone: +919748791486

Warm regards,
Sanjay Balachandran.
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Stress Management Through Hamsa Kriya.

Stress is a part and parcel of our lives. Nobody wants it, yet none is exempt from it. To a certain extent, stress is good, as it provides the challenge that is vital to growth and development. However, stress is unhealthy when the level of stress is consistent. Life is a play of stress and relaxation. In the absence of relaxation, stress becomes debilitating. The nervous system, consistently subjected to stress, works overtime and naturally gets worn out. Thus, its stress threshold gradually diminishes, till it is incapable of handling even minimal degrees of stress.

Hamsa Kriya is an ancient system of meditation that uses breath regulation to soothe and revitalise the nervous system. The techniques of Hamsa Kriya are simple and require no special modification of lifestyle. The change in quality of lifestyle becomes evident within a few weeks of practicing Hamsa Kriya.

Some of the benefits of Hamsa Kriya are:

1- Better quality of sleep

2- Increased vitality

3- Sharper memory and increased attention

4- Enhanced concentration, and ability to retain alertness and attentiveness for longer periods

5- Heightened sense of general well being

6- Improved digestion

7- Clarity in thinking

8- Self Knowledge

9- Empathy for others

This kriya is the discovery of the Yogis of India, who perfected the science of Yoga through rigorous practice and enquiry.

I was inspired by Bhagwan Ramana Maharshi to learn this kriya, and have been teaching it since 2007. My first experience of teaching this Kriya in 2007 was overwhelming. It was at a training program for 400 members of the Hindustan Unilever Network. The response was very positive. Since then, I have taught many people from various segments of society, and continue to do so. 

If you are interested in learning the Kriya individually, or wish to organise a program for your family, community or organization, you may contact me by mailing me at pathways.peace@gmail.com or call me at +919748791486.

With warm regards,

Sanjay Balachandran