About Harendra

Harendra Kottyam, author of the book Sayings Of Lord Siva Published by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai, India. This book was first published in 1992 and then reprinted in 1995. Since then it is out of print and therefore the author Harendra Kottyam has put it on this website to reach a wider audience.

Harendra Kottyam is the son of the late Shri Shri P. L. Kottyam and his mother is Mercy Kottyam. Shri P. L. Kottyam was a direct disciple of Bhagawan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri.Harendra Kottyam has met the four Jagadat gurus of India. Harendra Kottyam age 51 is now a widower he was married to the late Karen J. Mihalik.

Harendra Kottyam does not consider himself a Guru but only put up this website in order to help the devotees.

Here are some words from Harendra Kottyam, which he hopes will be of use for the devotees:

• Even if you help a person a 1000 times, and if by chance you inadvertently do something that displeases him, he will only recall that one time you displeased him.
• Presently our youth don’t have many good examples to follow, as they are mostly influenced by the examples of the film/ media celebrities.
• Women when visiting the temple should be careful that they are dressed modestly conforming to standards of propriety and morality.
• The husband’s duty to his wife continues even after her death.
• After a person has visited the temple and said his prayers, he should remember his behavior in the world is equally important. There is no point of praying in the temple, and then behaving like a beast in the world outside.
• The education today lacks humanity. Once in a public bus, it was full, so I was standing along with several passengers, I noticed there was a blind man standing, I asked a schoolboy who was sitting, to vacate his seat for the blind man, the schoolboy was reluctant to do so, but did so grudgingly. His mother who was sitting next to him, spoke with anger to me, saying that I had no right to tell her son to get up for the blind man. This is the unfortunate situation on what is taught to the youngsters today, where the only message is the materialistic success at all costs.
• Unintentional bad Karma can be reduced by devotion to Lord Siva. This really depends on the level of devotion on has attained to the Lord.
• During devotion to the Lord, one must be wary of pride cropping up due to this, and one begins to feel a false sense of superiority to others. This is vanity, which will disappear once the devotee is placed in a situation, which is beyond his control, he then realizes that he is nothing and his pride was only a delusion.
• The BIBLE says: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:10
• The love from the parents is the greatest love one can receive. The blessings received from one’s parents are the most powerful.
• Every person goes through a time of great depression; those who are devoted to Lord Siva will rise, because of the Lord’s grace.
• Observe the holy days of Lord Siva and be grateful for what he had given you.
• Those who are in distress and need immediate relief should pray to Lord Bhairava who is pleased quickly and works quickly to remove the distress of his devotees.
• I would have given up my life a thousand times in a thousand births to save the life of my beloved wife Karen even once.
• Giving money to beggars only causes more beggars; personal involvement in charitable work is the best option.
• Duty comes before love, an example would be in the Mahābhārata War, a reluctant, ashamed and tearful Arjuna killed Bhishma in battle.
• Duty should be tempered with compassion.
• While preaching or following one’s religion one should take care that other religions are not insulted in any way.
• Religion with humanity is the correct balance as humanity without religion could be the misdirection of one’s resources and efforts.

I am eternally grateful to Lord Siva who has always rescued me in times of my distress.

“I love you. More than all you know. I love you more than children. More than fields I’ve planted with my hands. I love you more than morning prayers or peace or food to eat. I love you more than sunlight, more than flesh or joy, or one more day. I love you… more than God.”

(This quote is from the film Robin and Marian (1976) it expresses my feelings for my late wife Karen, and so I have included it here)

Eternally mourned by her husband Harendra Kottyam.

Karen J., Mihalik age 48 of Garfield, NJ, USA died on December 16, 2009. Born in Passaic, she was raised in Garfield, living in Newark for 12 years, settling back in Garfield in 2009. She graduated from the University of Scranton with a BS in Chemistry, doing her graduate work at NYU. She was a parishioner of St. Mary’s Assumption Slovak Church, Passaic. She married Harendra Kottyam on November 27, 2006, in Mumbai, India.

Karen loved all animals and could not tolerate any cruelty towards animals or birds as felt these were all Gods creatures. She never wasted any food, and if there were any leftovers left after eating out, she would get the food packed and give the same to any old persons or women or children on the street. She loved her parents.

Karen was buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Saddle Brook, NJ, USA, on December 19th, 2009.

Some words about Karen by her husband Harendra Kottyam

Karen visited me in Mumbai in September 2006. We fell in love and got married in November 27, 2006, in Mumbai, India. Karen used to talk to me for several hours every day since September 2006. She used to visit me in Mumbai. I spent about four months with her in Mumbai and the rest of the time we used to talk on the phone. She last visited me in Mumbai in November 2009. Her death has left me shattered, and no words can express the pain and grief I feel 24 hours a day.

I am grateful to the Lord that Karen came into my life; the days spent with her were the happiest in my life.