________________
PRAYER TO VYASA
Namostu te vyaasa visaalabuddhe phullaaravindaa yatapatranetra, Yena twayaa bhaaratatailapoornah prajwaalito jnaanamayah pradeepah.
Salutations unto thee, O Vyasa, of broad intellect and with eyes large like the petals of a full-blown lotus, by whom the lamp of divine knowledge, filled with the oil of the Mahabharata, has been lighted!
PRAYER TO THE GURU
Gururbrahmaa gururvishnurgururdevo maheshwarah; Guruh saakshaat param brahma tasmai shree gurave namah.
Guru is the creator (Brahma); Guru is the preserver (Vishnu); Guru is the destroyer (Maheshvara); Guru is verily the Supreme Absolute. To that Guru we prostrate.
Dhyaanamoolam gurormoortih poojaamoolam guroh padam; Mantramoolam gurorvaakyam mokshamoolam guroh kripaa.
The Guru's form is the root of meditation; the Guru's feet are the root of worship; the Guru's word is the root of Mantra; the Guru's Grace is the root of liberation.
PRAYER TO LORD KRISHNA
Krishnaaya vaasudevaaya devakeenandanaaya cha; Nandagopakumaaraaya govindaaya namo namah.
I bow again and again to Lord Krishna, son of Vasudeva, the delighter of Devaki, the darling of Nandagopa, the protector of cows.
O Krishna! Thou art my sweet companion now. Thou hast a soft corner for me in Thy heart. Teach me now the mysteries of Thy divine play and the secrets of Vedanta. Thou sayest in the Gita: "I am the author of Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas". Thou art my best teacher. Explain to me the intricate details of Vedanta. Give me easy lessons.
Kindly explain; why did Sukadev, a Brahma Jnani who was always absorbed in Brahman, teach the Bhagavata to King Parikshit? What are the differences in the experiences of a Bhakta who enjoys union with God, of a Yogi who is established in the highest Superconscious State, and of a Jnani firmly established in the state of oneness or Brahman? What is the real difference between
