Proclaimed the greatest player of all time by TENNIS magazine on its
September 2009 cover, Roger Federer claimed the all-time record for
Grand Slam singles titles by winning Wimbledon, his 15th major victory,
in 2009. The Swiss stylist opened 2010 by beating Andy Murray to win his
record-extending 16th Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open.
Federer won Wimbledon five consecutive times from 2003 to 2007 and lost
in the 2008 final to rival Rafael Nadal in what is considered by many to
be the best match ever played. The lost was Federer’s first on grass
since 2002 and ended a record 65-match winning streak on that surface.
He won his sixth Wimbledon title in 2009 by outdueling Andy Roddick,
5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 in the final. Federer has also won the
U.S. Open five times and the Australian Open four times. He completed
the career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in 2009 after having
lost to Nadal in the final each of the previous three years. In 2006,
Federer became the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to make all four
Grand Slam finals in a calendar year, winning three of them; he repeated
that feat in 2007. He also made all four finals in 2009, winning two.
Federer has reached at least the semifinals of the past 22 Grand Slam
events, a record. Federer held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 237
consecutive weeks from Feb. 2, 2004 until Aug. 18, 2008. He regained the
No. 1 ranking on July 6, 2009. Federer won five titles in nine finals
in 2010, stretching his streak of winning at least three titles in a
season to nine consecutive years. Robin Soderling upset Federer in the
French Open quarterfinals, snapping the Swiss' streak of 23 straight
Grand Slam semifinals that stretched back to the 2004 Wimbledon. On June
7, 2010, Nadal surpassed him to take over the top spot. Federer spent
285 weeks as World No. 1, one week short of tying Pete Sampras' all-time
record. Federer failed to convert two match points in falling to
Djokovic in a 3 hour, 44-minute U.S. Open semifinal. Federer closed the
year beating Nadal to win his fifth season-ending ATP World Tour Finals
title. In 2011, Federer defeated Djokovic in the Roland Garros
semifinals, snapping the Serbian's 41-match winning streak in 2011; he
lost to Nadal in the final. For the second straight year, the Swiss
squandered two match points in a U.S. Open semifinal setback to
Djokovic. Federer snapped a 10-month title drought winning his hometown
tournament in Basel for the fifth time. He collected his 18th Masters
Series shield beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win the Paris Masters
championship for the first time. Federer won a record sixth ATP World
Tour Finals title in London, claiming his 70th career championship in
his 100th final and surpassing Murray for the No. 3 spot in the
rankings. Federer earned his 807th career victory, sixth on the all-time
list. In Februay, 2012, Federer swept Juan Martin del Potro to collect
his 71st title in Rotterdam. He collected his fifth career Dubai title
in March, sweeping Andy Murray in the final. The third-seeded Swiss
swept arch rival Rafael Nadal, 6-3, 6-4, in the semifinals before
defeating John Isner, 7-6 (7), 6-3, in the Indian Wells final to collect
his record-equaling 19th Masters 1000 title, including his fourth
Indian Wells crown. Federer fended off Tomas Berdych, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, to
capture his third career Madrid championship and become the first
three-time winner in the event's 11-year history. It was his 74th career
title and with the win he regained the No. 2 ranking from Nadal.
Federer is the son of a South African mother and a Swiss father. He
married former pro player Mirka Vavrinec in April 2009. Mirka gave birth
to identical twin girls, Myla and Charlene, in July 2009.
A Courtesy of www.tennis.com
Yes Yes Yes !!!!! Roggy You did it !!! :D Your FEDEX Has Just crushed Every Barrier of Hurdle's & You win the Wimbledon for 7th Time & Sharing the Same No. of Record Title With Pete Sampras Respectively. My Hero , My Love , Mmmmmuuuuuaaaahhh :O, Go on Baby Go on , Grab the title for 8th Time & Create Your Own Unbeatable History ! Long Live Roger <3 <3 <3 :D , THE KING OF THE COURT Just Keep on that Cute Smile !! :)
Hindus attach paramount importance to spiritual gurus. Gurus are often equated with God and always regarded as a link between the individual and the Immortal. Just as the moon shines by reflecting the light of the sun, and glorifies it, all disciples can dazzle like the moon by gaining from their Gurus.
What is Guru Purnima? The full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashad (July-August) is observed as the auspicious day of Guru Purnima, a day sacred to the memory of the great sage Vyasa. All Hindus are indebted to this ancient saint who edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. Vyasa even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Guru of Gurus.
Significance of Guru Purnima On this day, all spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Vyasa in honor of his divine personage and all disciples perform a 'puja' of their respective spiritual preceptor or 'Gurudevs'.
This day is of deep significance to the farmers, for it heralds the setting in of the much-needed rains, as the advent of cool showers usher in fresh life in the fields. It is a good time to begin your spiritual lessons. Traditionally, spiritual seekers commence to intensify their spiritual 'sadhana' from this day.
The period 'Chaturmas' ("four months") begins from this day. In the past, wandering spiritual masters and their disciples used to settle down at a place to study and discourse on the Brahma Sutras composed by Vyasa, and engage themselves in Vedantic discussions.
The Vyas purnima, popularly called Guru Purnima, is actually the birthday of Guru Ved Vyas, who edited the four Vedas, wrote 18 Puranas, Mahabharat and Srimad Bhagavata.
This full moon day in the month of Ashaad is also one of the first among the slew of festivals during the chaturmaas period.
Ved Vyas is worshipped by all students of Vedas today. Vedas are considered to be the fountainhead of all knowledge, and grateful students of the scriptures perform pujas and aarti of the great saint. Explaining the significance of Guru Purnima, Sanskrit scholar and a teacher of Yajur Veda at the Bhosala Ved Pathshaala in Mahal says, "Vyaso chishtam jagat sarvam, is a popular saying in Sanskrit. It means that all knowledge that comes from the Vedas is very superior. The students of Vedas thus express their gratitude to the great sage."
However, Pathak says that everybody should observe this day. "Guru Purnima is observed by those who are under the guidance of a guru. But those who are not, can pay their respects to their parents. Scriptures say that the mother is the first teacher followed by the father."
Sufi Saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Gharib Nawaz was born in Seistan, Iran in 1138 in a well-respected Syed family. His lineage goes to Amirul Momineen Hazrat Imam Ali ibn abi Talib through Imam Hasan Askari, the eleventh.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's family was rich and he led his childhood in comfort. However, when first his father and then his mother died in his teen, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's economic condition deteriorated. For a while Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti subsisted on the income from the orchard he received in inheritance.
One day when Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was working in his orchard, a pious dervish Ebrahim Qandoozi, came and took his seat under the shade of a tree. When Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Gharib Nawaz saw him, he brought a bunch of grapes and presented it to the dervish. The visitor ate the grapes and was delighted. He then took something out of his bag, chewed it, and then offered it to his young host. Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti ate it without any hesitation, and at once, the light of wisdom and knowledge dawned upon him. Immediately he disposed of all of his worldly belongings and distributed the money amongst the poor. Having thus broken all the ties with worldly affairs, he set off for Samarkand and Bukhara, then the great centers of learning for religious education and knowledge.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti then went in search of a Murshid (Spiritual Master) to various places. Finally, he went to a town Haroon of Nishapur, Iran, where he met a Sufi Saint Khwaja Uthman Harooni, who admitted him as his disciple. He was initiated at the age of 18 and for the next 22 years served merely as the water-boy for his convent. During that period, he was not allowed to attend the exclusive circle of his murshid. Eventually when he reached the age of 40, one day Khwaja Uthman Harooni called for him to his court, showed him his two fingers, and asked him what he was seeing in between those two fingers. Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti relied, "I am beholding 18 thousand Galaxies."
After performing Hajj, he visited the Masjid-ul-Nabawi (Holy tomb of the Prophet) in Medina. There he meditated at the tomb for several days. During meditation, he met the Prophet Muhammad, who commanded him in these words:
"O, Moinuddin! Thou art the helper of the Faith. We hath granted thee the land of India. Go there and stay, at Ajmer. Thy stay shall remove the faithlessness and glorify the Truth."
This pleased him greatly but it worried him as well since he did not know where Ajmer was in India, and he asked the Prophet Muhammad about that. He was shown the world and the mountain near Ajmer. He was then given the title of the Chief of the Sahykhs (Qutub-ul-Masha'ikh).
Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti left Medina for India. He continued his journey, passing through Isfahan, Bokhara, Herat and Lahore. In Lahore, he stayed at the tomb of Ali Hajveri Data Ganj Bukhsh, and meditated there for two weeks, and when he finished his meditation, he said a couplet in Farsi:
Ganj Buksh Faiz-e-Alam Mazhar-e-Noor-e-Khuda
Naqisa-ra Pir-e-Kamil, Kamila-ra Rahnuma
Trans.: Ganj Buskh (Bestower of Spiritual Treasures) is a grace to the world; a manifestation of Divine Light. For beginners a perfect spiritual teacher; for perfected, a leader.
On his arrival in India, the country was in a state of turmoil. On state's northwestern border the kingdom of the Ghaznavids was spreading havoc. Foreign invasions had weakened India and the social condition in India was deteriorating. Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, arrived in Ajmer in 1165CE on his divine mission. At that time, Ajmer was ruled by Raja Rai Pithora of the Chohan dynasty. In his court, he had a large number of powerful magicians with Ajai Pal as their leader. Khwaja Moinuddin stayed on a hill close to Ana Sagar Lake now known as the Chillah Khwaja Sahib. At the arrival of Khwaja Moinuddin, there was not even a single Muslim in the state.
The Raja was not happy with his stay in Ajmer and started harassing him one way or the other. When nothing worked, he put the magicians after him. Jiapal, the Chief Pundit (priest) of the temple, came to face him along with his disciples. Khwaja Moinuddin gave him some water to drink. As soon as he drank it, his condition changed, and fell on the feet of Khwaja Moinuddin. Many in the royal court became disciples of Hazrat Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Raja's daughter was one of them. These events made the Raja really upset and he ordered him to leave Ajmer. In reply to the threats Khwaja Moinuddin said," We took one out and entrusted the other".
Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's words proved true. Shortly after Afghan ruler Shahabuddin Ghouri invaded India and became the new ruler of the state by defeating the Raja.
From the land of idol worship i.e. Ajmer, Khwaja Moinuddin started the spiritual movement of the propagation of the Truth. His efforts bore fruit and within a short period of sixteen years, the condition of Ajmer was changed. It became the nerve center of moral and spiritual leadership in India, leveled the way for a grand religious and social revolution, and provided opportunity to countless people to lead a life of equality and brotherhood.
Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was kind and forgiving. Once a man came to him with the intention of murder. He read his intention spiritually, and treated him very kindly, and asked him, to do what he had intended. The man was ashamed and requested to be punished. Khwaja Moinudin replied, "The mendicant's habit is, whoever does evil to them, they treat him well." He forgave the man who later became his devotee.
In spite of his renunciation of worldly things, his monastery was famous for his generosity and magnanimity. So much food was cooked in his kitchen that a poor, a beggar, or needy never went hungry from his gate. He is also known as Gharib Nawaz (patron of the poor). A large Kitchen even today serves the hungry and the poor of all faiths from the campus of his monastery. His tomb is one of the holiest places in India where pilgrims, Muslims as well as Hindus come from every corner of South Asia to pay their homage.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Gharib Nawaz went into his chamber after night prayers and closed the door. He did not permit anyone to enter. All night long, the people outside heard a mystical sound coming from inside of his room. At the approach of dawn, the sounds stopped. Sensing that there was something unusual because the door remained closed at the time of morning prayers, his devotees opened the door and found him dead. The year was 1229CE
Quotes of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
A friend of God must have affection like the Sun. Because when it rises, it is beneficial to all irrespective of whether they are Muslim, Christian, or Hindu.
A friend of God must be generous like a river. We all get water from the river to quench our thirst. It does not discriminate whether we are good or bad or whether we are a relation or a stranger.
A friend of God must display the hospitality like the earth. It raises and cradles us in its lap, and yet it is always under our feet.
The story & esoteric significance of Rath Yatra By Dr. Subrato Ghosh
The story of the origin of Rath Yatra given by the Goswamis is practically unknown. As the gopis think and cry for Krishna, so He too was always immersed in their thought and would feel acute pangs of separation. HISTORY OF RATHA-YATRA
Once Krishna was deeply thinking of Srimati Radharani. Feeling intolerable separation from Her, He fainted. Soon Narada Rishi and Uddhava came there and saw Krishna lying unconscious. Since both Narada and Uddhava are very intimate devotees of the Lord, they could immediately understand that this condition came about because of intense pangs of separation from Radha. Anxiously, they both debated how to get the Lord back to consciousness. Just then Balaram arrived there and the three of them deliberated what to do. Finally, it was agreed that if Narada Muni were to gently sing the glories of Vrajabhumi, then Krishna would regain consciousness. Narada agreed, and said, "But I am worried about one thing. As soon as Hari wakes up don't you know what He will do? In His mad condition, He will simply run to Vrindavan. So a chariot should be prepared to take Him there immediately."
So Daruka, the Lord's charioteer was told to keep the chariot ready and waiting. Then the wise Uddhava said, "All this is fine. But just think. If the Lord goes to Vrindavan now, where the condition of the Vrajavasis is so pitiful - He will not be able to return. There will be no hope at all to bring Him back to Dwarka." Then Narada said to Uddhava, "O best among the wise, you are Krishna's most trusted envoy and very dear to Him. So I think you should first go to Vrajbhumi and inform all of them Krishna is coming. Then they will prepare themselves to welcome Him."
Hearing this, Uddhava became morose. He said, "You all know that Krishna already sent me once before to Vrajabhumi from Mathura. I went there as His messenger to give some consolation to Nanda Baba, Yashoda mata, the gopis and Radharani. I tried to comfort them and repeatedly told them that Krishna will return to Vrajabhumi soon. I gave them my word, but until now He has not gone. Now after so many years if I go again to Vrindavan, they will never believe me. Rather they will say 'Here is that great liar who promised to bring Krishna back to Vraja' and they will call me a cheater. So I don't think I should go first".
Then Lord Balaram, said feeling deep sorrow, "Narada, I would go at once to Vrajabhumi, but again like Uddhava, I too will not be believed. You know that I too went to Vrindavan and I have seen the condition of the Vrajavasis. I stayed there for two months and tried to tell them, 'Please have faith. Don't feel so much distress. Krishna will be coming soon.' And still Krishna has not gone to them. Krishna always carries out whatever request I make. But He has not carried out this request. He only says, 'Yes, I will go' but He has not gone until now. So you tell me Narada, how can I go there and tell Yashoda mata again that Krishna is just coming. She will never believe me." Thinking about the condition of the Vrajavasis, Balaram felt great pain in His heart. He fell silent and began to cry.
At that time, Subhadra came there and heard the whole problem. "Alright" she said "I will go first to Vrajabhumi and sit on the lap of Yashoda mata and tell her 'O maiya, Krishna is coming just now. The three of us started from Dwark1a at the same time, but along the road many people had gathered to meet Him. So He is coming just after me. I have come in advance to give you the good news.' I am a woman so when they hear from me that He is coming, they will put faith in my words." Uddhava, Narada and Balaram agreed unanimously. Subhadra's chariot was prepared for the journey.
One chariot had already been prepared for Krishna and now another chariot was got ready for Subhadra. When Baladev saw that both Krishna and Subhadra were going to go to Vrindavan He also wanted to join them. So he said, "How can I not go when my dear brother and sister are going to Vrajabhumi. I will also go with Subhadra."
Uddhava agreed, "Alright, both of you go first. We will arouse Krishna by singing Vraja lila katha and when He regains His consciousness, we will send Him along immediately."
Balaram and Subhadra got onto their chariots and started for Vrajabhumi. First Balaram and then Subhadra proceeded. During the Rath Yatra, Balaram's chariot starts first followed by Subhadra's. Krishna's rath goes last.
As soon as the two chariots started, Narada muni began to sing sweet Vraja lila katha while playing on his vina. When the transcendental vibration entered Krishna's ears, His eyes opened and immediately He stood up in his enchanting tribhanga form. The three-fold vamshi-dhar posture is only to be seen in Vrindavan. It is not manifest in Dwarka.
But since He was in Vraja consciousness, He immediately asked, "Where is my flute? Who has taken my murli? Oh, this must be the work of those gopis." Saying this He started to run to find His flute. Just then He saw Uddhava and Narada standing there. "Hey Uddhava! What are you doing in Vraja? O Narada, you have also come here?" Then He looked around came to His senses. "Oh… is this not Vrajabhumi?"
Both Uddhava and Narada gently explained to Krishna what had happened, "Hey Prabhu, we knew you would run straight to Vrindavan, therefore we have already prepared your chariot. Please get into your chariot and go to Vraja."
Then Krishna, who is always thinking of Radharani became intoxicated like a drunkard. The sweet mellow of Srimati Radharani is like intoxicating liquor. He was immersed in the thought of Radha's madhurya rasa and swayed unsteadily. With much difficulty, Narada and Uddhava caught hold of Him and put Him on the chariot. So when Lord
Jagannath comes to the chariot during the Rath Yatra festival, He is in that same intoxicated condition, swaying and shaking this way and that.
In Jagannath Puri one can see how He is carried to the chariot in this condition. Then Narada ordered Daruka to drive the chariot to Vraja and the chariot drove off swiftly.
In the meantime, Baladeva and Subhadra's chariots had reached Vrajabhumi. Arriving in Vrindavan, Baladeva saw that all the inhabitants were almost on the verge of death, steeped in acute misery, in separation from Krishna.
Looking at the state of His beloved Vrajavasis, the eight-fold symptoms of mahabhava manifested on Balaram's body, shedding tears, perspiration, goose-pimples, trembling, etc. That is the form of Prabhu Balabhadra in Puri - mahabhava prakash.
The same transformation took place in Subhadra also. So she could not go to Yashoda mata because she was overcome by ecstatic rapture.
In the meantime, Srimati Radharani's condition was gradually worsening. She was in a highly advanced state of spiritual ecstacy known as adhirudha mahabhava. She was unconscious and in a dying condition, but not able to die. Her sakhis constantly checked to see whether She actually breathed or not. The whole of Vraja was in extreme anxiety over Radha's condition. "She cannot survive any longer. She will give up Her body" they said.
She was lying with Her head resting in the hands of Lalita in Nidhuvan. All her sakhis and manjaris were around her shedding tears. They could not understand what to do. Just at that moment, Krishna's chariot reached Vrajabhumi. By Yogamaya's arrangement, Krishna appeared there in Nidhuvan where Srimati Radharani was laying as if dead. Krishna ran to Her crying, "Radhey, Radhey, please give me your lotus feet. I want to put my head at your lotus feet!" Completely overtaken by ecstatic bhava, He gazed with large dilated eyes at the form of Radharani. His arms and legs contracted and He fainted. This is the form of Lord Jagannatha - He is like a log of wood floating in the ocean of radha-bhava. When the breeze blowing over the transcendental body of Krishna touched the body of Radharani, it acted like magic. Radharani's life was saved. Lalita devi whispered in Her ears in a sweet voice, "Madhav has come". When She heard this, Radharani slowly opened Her lotus-like eyes to see Her beloved Shyamasundara.
This was the medicine She needed to regain Her life and She sat up. Seeing Krishna lying unconscious in a tortoise-like form, eyes wide open, Srimati Radhika told Her dear friend Vishakha devi, "Please help Nagar". And Vishakha devi knows very well what medicine to give. In a sweet low voice, she started to chant the name, "Radhey, Radhey" in Krishna's ears. Hearing this, Krishna regained His consciousness and opened His eyes. Krishna looked at Radharani and Radharani looked at Shyamasundara. Through their eyes they united with each other in heart and soul.
SIGNIFICANCE AND BENEFITS OF RATHA-YATRA
500 years ago, the festival became the center of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, who is Krishna Himself playing the role of a great devotee. Each year Lord Caitanya danced and chanted in the Ratha-Yatra festival along with His associates. Baba used to say that the mere darshan of the Lord's chariot is supremely auspicious and can destroy the negative karmic reactions of many lifetimes. By engaging in the act of pulling the Lord's Rath, His devotees in the mood of Radha-dasyam, perform the act of taking Krishna back to Vrindavan - back to Srimati Radharani. The special benefits one can derive in participating in this festival are immeasurable: " By seeing the most merciful form of Lord Jagannatha, mainly recognizable by His two large round lotus eyes, one will make rapid spiritual progress and gain instant purification
" if anyone just sees the Ratha Yatra chariot passing and stands up to receive the Lord, he can purge all sinful results from his body. " if anyone follows the Rath when the Deities pass in front or from behind, even if he is born of a lowly family, he can achieve opulence equal to that of Lord Vishnu. " By engaging in dancing and chanting during the Ratha Yatra parade, one can uplift one's soul beyond all meditations. " By performing any activities to help making this festival a success, one is granted the full blessings of the Lord. " By donating one's time, effort or money - One's home, family and friends will be fully blessed forever.
Sri Jagannatha jiu is jai !! Sri Balabhadra jiu ki jai !! Sri Subhadra devi ki jai !!
A Courtesy of www.newstoday.com
Wishing All of You, A Very Happy Rath Yatra Enjoy !!!! :)
