#Dhyana
There are three paths to liberation which are described in the Chandogya Upanishad. The three paths are of Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga. They can be understood by this simple phrase, त्रयो धर्मस्कन्धा यज्ञोऽध्ययनं दानमिति प्रथमस्तप
एव द्वितीयो ब्रह्मचार्याचार्यकुलवासी
तृतीयोऽत्यन्तमात्मानमाचार्यकुलेऽवसादयन्सर्व
एते पुण्यलोका भवन्ति ब्रह्मसꣳस्थोऽमृतत्वमेति॥ २.२३.१॥
"There are three divisions of rel…
#Saptarishis
According to Vedic philosophy, the universe and all its entities, including stars, galaxies, plants, animals, and humans, are viewed as combinations of energy and matter. The Vedic perspective recognizes different energies manifesting in humans as higher-level energies (purusha) that influence qualities such as wisdom, nobility, and talent, and material energies (prakriti) that influence motivations. The Vedic philosophy also acknowledges both perceptible and imperceptible energies, often referred to as subtle or existing in other d…
#Parliament
Sengol is a golden scepter also called Raja-Danda is made of complete gold, symbolizing power, authority, and justice. It is presented to a newly crowned king whenever there is a transfer of power within the state. Sengol founds an important mention in the Tamil way of living and this scepter is given to the new king by the Rajarishi [Head Priest] during Rajaabhishek or the coronation of a king. The Scepter has many intricate carvings on it, it's almost 5 feet in height and holds the Rishabha bull or Nandi on top which symbolizes po…
#Ramayana, Lakshmana
King Laxmana is the brother of Shri Rama, whose mother is Queen Sumitra, whose father is King Dashratha, and whose twin brother is King Shatrughana. Laxmana was the only divine figure in Epic Ramayana who choose to travel alongside his eldest brother Shri Rama during his exile of 14 years. It is said, Laxmana didn't sleep during the entire period of exile to protect Shri Rama and Maa Sita and it was his wife, Queen Urmila who slept continuously for 14 years also fulfilling her husband's sleep.
We all know that Maa Sita went back …
#Yogic Breathing
Breathing is very important for all living things. When a baby is born, it takes its first breath and when an old man dies, he takes his last. Every living thing needs to breathe to stay alive, from the smallest bug to the biggest animal. Breathing is not only the most important thing we do with our body, but everything else our body does depends on breathing. If we don't breathe properly, we might get sick or not have as much energy. When people lived in nature, they breathed naturally and correctly, just like animals and children.…
#Dhyana/[ध्यान्],Chakras/[चक्र]
Kundalini[कुंडलिनी] literally means "coiled snake" and references the ancient belief that each person carries "divine" energy at the base of the spine. This mediation practice seeks to awaken, release, and harness this energy for the yogi.
Kundalini meditation is not a set of beliefs or religion. Instead, it's a practice for evoking energy inside yourself and developing mind-body awareness.
Energy moves from Mooladhar Chakra[स्वयं भूलिँग] through 6 chakras and 3 nadis in cyclical upward movem…
#Rama Navami
Rama Navami is celebrated as the day the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Shri Rama took birth. Every Chaitra Navaratri in the month of Chaitra[april], Navami falls on the 9th day[nava means 9] of the Shukla Paksha which is the bright half of the month. Shri Rama was a suryavanshi king born to the emperor of the solar dynasty Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya. He was the eldest of 4 brothers born to the emperor and his 3 queens. When Shri Rama took birth, he came with 14 out of 16 divine kalas[qualities] that a soul can achieve.
#Chaitra Navratri/
Sanatana dharma always has a different perspective when it comes to the science of today's time. One such principle is celebrating the new year in March or early April. Today's science is more focused on theoretical evidence and practical application of the concept in practice, whereas the science written in Vedas is more focused on human spiritual design and practices. One such concept is celebrating New Year at the end of March or early April. April brings a multitude of changes, we have new crops which are harvested, and th…
#Tilak
Indian civilization is one of few oldest and surviving civilization. People around world are slowly coming to understand us and our way of life and evolved certain of their conscience after experiencing them.These small spiritual science remedy are also part of that ancient wisdom. Across the subcontinent, tilak is an indispensable part of our outward get-up, the crux of our self-presentation. The face is how we interact with society. The eyes, as the theory goes is truly a window to the soul. Every time someone behelds an Indian cou…
#Nakshatra
In Jyotish Vedic astrology, the 12 signs of the zodiac are further divided into 27 nakshatras or lunar constellations, they are called lunar houses or lunar stations.They are called lunar stations because the Moon spends approximantely one day in each nakshatra. Nakshatras are an important instrument used by Jyotisha shastri to prepare a horoscope of a person. Each lunar constellation covers 13° and 20' minutes of the 360° celestial sphere. Each nakshatra is further divided into 4 parts, which are called padas…
#Samudra Manthan
Samudra Manthan is an important divine event in hindu Philosophy where all devas/[Gods],asuras/[Demons] and primordial lords/[Trimurti] of sanatana dhrama participated for spiritual upliftment of Brahman. This event is narrated in 3 important texts which are Bhagavata Purana, Mahabharata and Vishnu Purana which is a testament of it's importance.
Two important questions comes in the mind of the seeker, What are the oceans which are being churned and why are they being churned?
The oceans which are being chur…
#Ashtalakshmi
Shri lakshmi is known as the hindu goddess of wealth and devotionally prayed on the holy festival of Deepawali. She is the consort of shri vishnu and symbolizes wealth, prosperity and success. Each and every symbol of shri lakshmi is associated with a separate form of lakshmi and together they form the Asthalaksmi.
Lakshmi is derived from the root sounda "laksh" which means "To Understand or to know". Shri lakshmi bestows us with wealth in order to achieve our ambitions and goals.
Ashtalaksh…
#Jyotirlingas
12 Jyotirlingas in India are the epitome of divine shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. There divinity and immense devotion of people towards them make them the most visited shrines in India. It is said, seekers who pray to Shiva upon pleasing him get to visit these jyotirlingas.
Among the hindus, visiting all 12 jyotirlingas in one's lifetime is considered as clearing one's soul of all bad karmas accumulated over past lifes and the seeker is relieved of the cycle of life and death.There are 12 jyotirlingas across 7 state…
#Navagraha Mantras
Each and every navagraha has one diety associated with that planet, these gods literally represents all the qualities of that planet.Human being over different life cycles acquire blessings or lessons from these god s on the basis of their individual karmas.
These karmas which are recorded by natural forces and their gods[Eg: Lord Vayu is everywhere] are then judged by dieties and our good karmas and bad karmas both manifest as our current life journeys. Good karmas which is carried over in our current life manifest as blessi…
#Navagraha
Long before keepler's laws, galileian theories and huygens principles shaped the understanding of 19-21th century astronomers, sanatana dharma came forward with exquisite theories many centuries ago. One such theories is of Navagraha which is loosely translated as "9 Planets".
In dharmic cosmology, Navagraha [where Nava means 9 and Graha[ग्रह] means Taking Something, this root word form the basis of words like ग्राहक, ग्रहण ] is one of the most fundamental theories to understand the Vedic view of the cosmos…
#Soundarya Lahari
Soundarya Lahari is a beautiful compostion of 100 shlokas composed by Bhagwan Adi Shankaracharya, it's literary brilliance is a testament of the depth and crystal clear understanding of Shiva and Shakti tattva of the Brahman which he holds.
Soundarya and Lahari are both sanskrit words which means "Beauty" and "Waves" respectively.So, the literal meaning of Soundarya Lahari is "Waves Of Beauty". Soundarya Lahari consists of 2 parts, one is Ananda Lahari and other is Soundarya Lahari itself.
#Vedic Clock
Vedic clock is a uniquely designed clock which represents vedic concepts of creation with varying number of time number it represents. The world first Vedic clock will be installed in Ujjain at the Mahakal Loka. This unique clock will be used to calculate timing of hindu festivities.
It calculates time on the basis of sunrise, it can also be used in the calculation of Muhurtas (Brahma Muhurta, Rahu Kaal, Grahans etc.) and other work related to time. The Vedic Clock will be connected to the internet and GPS, due to which it ca…
#33 Koti Devatas
Sanatana Dharma is as old as time and even beyond. Each and every yagya practiced is offered as obeciances to a particular deity, so we can honor the symbolism behind it. We perform yagya to invoke[Avahan] the gods and goddesses so they can share their power and strength with us, and then we can use that strength to perform our karmayoga.
Vedic literature was extensively studied and translated by many scholars of the past in their respective languages. Scholars from far off lands of middle east, europe and west translated the…
#Temples/[मन्दिर]
The human body is the temple for the Indwelling Spirit of God (Antaryāmin). So the temple as the body of God on earth is a similar to that of human body.
All the various parts of the temple structure correspond to various parts of the human body. The temple is the physical body which houses the presence of God. So the actual building of the temple itself is a symbol of the presence of God in the world.
The temple consists of Kalasha,Vimana/Shikaram,Amalaka,Gopuram, Antarala, Ratha,Mandapam and Garbhagriha. A te…
#Solar&Lunar Eclipse /[ग्रहण]
Chandra Grahan (Lunar Eclipse) and Surya Grahana (Solar Eclipse) are widely mentioned in the Sacred lore of Sanatana Dharma.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon. Whereas,a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, casting a much smaller shadow on the Earth surface.
In a year, at least 2 solar eclipses happens and never more than 5.There are maximum of 3 lunar eclipses which can happen in a year ,this total to 5 - 8 eclipses i…
#Deepavali
Winter marks a period filled with festivals of lights and Deepavali ushers in this season of lights. Deepavali is by far the most popular festival, celebrated all across India.
Deepavali can be broken down into 2 words Deepa which means lamp and Avali meaning a series, row or array. Deepavali as the name itself suggests, is the festival of lights or an array of lights.
Deepavali is celebrated in the month of Karthika, around October-November in the Lunar calendar and November - December in the Solar Calendar. T…
#Guru/गुरु
Since vedic times, teachers,acharyas and gurus were given utmost respect and admiration in society. There contributions and sacrifices for preparing a shishya[student] to serve thier family, dharma and nation were revered across ages.
Vedic literature differentiated teachers on the basis of their knowledge,experience and expertise in a particular subject and they were segemented into 6 unique categories.
1. A teacher who gives you Information is called Adyapaka/ अध्यापक्.
2. A teacher who imparts k…
#Philosophy/[दर्शन्]
Philosophy which means 'Love for Knowledge' is termed as Darshana in Indian Literature. Darshana means 'Vision of Truth'.Indian philosophy is not a mere metaphysical speculation but a practical guide to human life.
The teaching and insights were direct experience of the sags and seers who articulated this knowledge.Indian philosophy holds a holistic apporach and differs from western philosophy by a margin. It integrates several disciplines like Metaphysics, Logic, epistemology, Sociology , psycology etc.
…
#Lord Vishnu/[श्री विष्णु]
Lord Vishnu has 108 names as virtues which are chanted during Yagyas in order to honor of his leela[Divine Play], these names represent different roles he played in maintainng balance as being "The Operator" of all Universe. These names hold siginificant meaning in itself and over one's consciousness. It is said to give strength,courage, fearlessness and other human virtues which can help us perform our karma comfortably.
Conscious chanting of these names in a set of multiple of 9 or 108 times during troubling t…
#Dhyana/[ध्यान्]
Japamala is used as a tool for deeper meditations and chanting across various faiths. Sages, yogis and monks across Hinduism, Buddhism,Theravada Buddhism, Taoism, Sinto all use Japamala as an aid for continous meditative chanting.
There are many perspectives in which the number of beads can be divided for further significance and understanding the meaning of Japamala.
Some of those perspective are:
1. First is dividing the Japamala into 2 group of 54 beads each. Here, 54 beads represents the Shiv…
#Dhyana/[ध्यान्]Prana/[प्राण्]
The air we breathe divides itself into 2 sets of 5 prana according to the movement and direction. These sets are called MahaPrana and LaghuPrana.
Each of these prana is separate subject in ayurveda and serves as a bridge between ayurveda and yogic thought. These represents 10 types of energy that we possess and through which the human body functions and ultimately the universe.
The 5 MahaPrana are Udana, Prana, Apana, Vyana, Samana. Vyana control the entire vayu flow of the body that is from Head to toe, Udana from Hea…
#NavDurga/[नव दुर्गा]
Navratri literally meaning '9 nights' is a Hindu festival celebrated in September or October[Ashwini or Kartika Masa ] Month after Ganesh Chaturthi. The 9 days of celebration honors 9 incarnation [Nav means 9] of Maa Parvati in the forms of Maa Durga.
Each days sees a different theme of prayer,celebrations and spiritual significance where people come together and celebrate it dancing in different styles known as Garba[Dancing with Clapping] and Dandiya [Dancing with hitting sticks] while moving in concentric circles.<…
#Lord Shiva/[भगवान् शिवः]
Lord Shiva often fondly remembered by names like Mahadeva,Rudra,Mahakal is one of the principal diety of Sanatana Dharma. Lord Shiva is one of the Trimurti's of hinduism and his role is that of a Destroyer in the Universe. Mahadeva is said to destroy a universe when it has reached its time by performing the ever auspicious and fierce dance form Shiva Tandava.
There is a huge difference between a diety having many names and avatar, one should be cautious while studying the difference. A different name is given to a diety w…
#Lord Vishnu/[भगवान् विष्णु]
Lord Vishnu often fondly remebered by names like Narayan,Keshava is another pricipal diety of Sanatana Dharma.Lord Vishnu is second Trimurti of Hinduism and his role is that of a Operator in the Universe. Vishnu is said to operate a universe while residing on Sheeshnaga in milky ocean where a lotus is bloomed from his Navel in the form of Lord Brahma. It is said in Vishnu Puran, when lord vishnu exhales, infinite universes are formed with many Brahma generating life in each of it and when he inhales, all universe gets dissolved ba…
#Dhyana/[ध्यान्],Lokas/[लोका]
In the Hindu faith, there are 14 lokas or levels of Consciousness in which the entire Brahman is divided, similar concept is used in the human body as well for easier understanding.
These 14 lokas are divided into 2 group of 7 each where 7 plane are of Higher consciousness which align with Higher or positive human virtues. The rest 7 are lower lokas which align with Lower or Negative human virtues.
The 14 lokas points to 14 different location in the human body according to the virtues it signifies. Dividing the human b…
#Dhyana/[ध्यान्],Koshas/[कोषः]
The Sanskrit Term [कोष] KOSHAs means SHEATH. Philosophy terms Koshas as ATMAN or SELF. The 5 koshas in the body are similar to layers of an onion.
As you move from the outer layers to the inner layers during dhyana, you get deeper into the core of human self being. You eventually discover that your body is made up of subtle degrees of energies: from the physical body, to the energetic body, to the mental body, to the wisdom body, and finally, to the bliss body.
The five sheaths can be summarised with the term P…
#Shastras/[शास्त्र]
Rishi's and Sages in Bharat had long ago mastered many educational discipline we have barely scratched the surface today. In Bharat, practically all disciplines like science, mathematics, philosophy, language, economics, architecture were given great importance in society. Study and practical application of these disciplines were considered necessary for growth of society and human intelligence.
Many rishis and sages in bharat are credited with 'Being a Father of the discipline', We often credit Aryabhatta with fo…
#Dhyana/[ध्यान्], Nadis/[नाडी]
While meditating, we have often felt some tingling sensations around different places on Spinal column or pelvis area. Some western meditators confuse this with enlightenment, which is wrong. A yogi doesn't achieve enlightenment until his/her Kundalini Energy or Serpent energy reaches Sahasrara Chakra. But, this is just the tip of the iceberg and the actual human sadhana begins.
Have you ever questioned how these chakras and petals work?How are chakras able to hold pools of energy in them which can be channelised?
…
#Swastika/[स्वास्तिका]
Swastika is one of the most auspicious symbols in Asian way of living like Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Swastika is a symbol of peace and is derived from the sanskrit roots 'Su [Good]' , 'Asti [to prevail]' and Ka [For Doer or Karta ].
Swastika can be symbolized in two ways according to vedic texts and both representation have different meaning.
The right-facing symbol [卐] [Understood clockwise] is called swastika, symbolizing Lord Surya , prosperity and good luck, while the left-facing symbo…
#Gurukul /[गुरुकुल]
Gurukul can be bifurcated into two words [Guru and Kul-Family], so gurukul literally means Guru's Family.All student admitted in gurukul were considered part of guru's family and were subjected to holistic learning. Before the darkeness of british colonialism clouded indian minds, hindus studied in a different system called the Gurukul system.
In this Vedic system, the guru who was living in the ashram admitted students and they lived in the Ashram. Most Gurukuls taught all 4 Vedas, Upanishads, and ancient Philosophy,…
#Vedas/[वेद्]
Vedas are apaurusheya which means 'it has no author'. Vedas consists of hymns and chant which where contributed by various Sages and Seers over an extended period of time. RigVeda is considered as the Oldest lore in the world. It's the first and most important out of the 4 Vedas or Sacred Lore. Entire Literature or texts of Sanatana Dharma is divided in 2 portions. 1 is Shruti and another is Smriti.
Shruti means "Eternal Knowledge" which signifies that the knowledge which it represents is eternal[contino…
Sign In