Kati Hasta: The Language of Repose in Hindu Sculpture - Kati Avalambita Hasta: Poise, Power and Stillness in Divine Form In the vast vocabulary of Hindu sculptural art, every gesture of the hand carries meaning far beyond decoration. Among these gestures, kati hasta, also called kati avalambita hasta, stands out as one of the most quietly powerful. The term comes from kati, meaning waist or hip, and avalambita, meaning resting or hanging upon. Together they describe a hand placed gently at the hip, an image so simple that it is easy to overlook, yet so deliberate that it defines the entire emotional register of a standing figure. The Posture and Its Execution In classical iconometric treatises followed by sculptors and craftsmen, the standing image, particularly in tribhanga or samabhanga postures, was never composed arbitrarily. The kati hasta typically employs the left hand, bent at the elbow, coming to rest on or just above the hip. The fingers are neither clenched nor stiff...

Puranas as Living Parables: How Ancient Stories Encode the Mahavakyas To a casual reader, the Puranas can appear as a colourful gallery of celestial beings, cosmic wars, serpents with a thousand hoods, and gods who cross unimaginable spans of time. It is tempting to treat them the way one treats a modern comic universe – entertaining, fantastic, and disconnected from serious philosophy. This is a narrow and mistaken reading. The Puranas are not fantasy; they are a teaching method. Sanatana Dharma has always held that the highest truth is too subtle to be grasped directly by an ordinary mind, so the Rishis wrapped that truth in narrative, symbol, and imagery that the heart could hold even when the intellect could not. The Foundation: The Mahavakyas and Om The entire edifice of Vedic knowledge rests on a handful of the Mahavakyas, the "Great Sayings" of the Upanishads: Tat Tvam Asi – "That Thou Art" (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7) Aham Brahmasmi – ...

The Divine Paradox: Why God Needs Nothing Yet We Need Everything - Prayer as Self-Discovery In Hinduism The fundamental truth of Hindu philosophy challenges our conventional understanding of prayer and worship. The Supreme Reality, known as Brahman, is complete, infinite, and entirely self-sufficient. The Bhagavad Gita (9.22) declares, "To those who are constantly devoted and who worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me." This verse reveals a profound truth: God does not require our devotion for His sustenance, but rather offers guidance to those who seek Him. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states, "Purnamadah purnamidam purnat purnamudachyate, purnasya purnamadaya purnamevavashishyate" (5.1.1) – "That is complete, this is complete, from the complete comes the complete. When the complete is taken from the complete, what remains is still complete." This ancient wisdom establishes that the Divine is absolute perfection, lac...

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Monday, October 26 2026 – It is Purnima tithi or the full moon day in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Purnima tithi or the full moon day till 9 :57 AM on October 26. Then onward it is Krishna Paksha Pratipada tithi or the first day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 8 :27 AM on October 27. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.)  Good – Auspicious time on October 26, 2026 as per Hindu Calendar – There is no good and auspicious time on the entire day.  Nakshatra  – Ashwini or Aswathy nakshatra till 7:16 PM on October 26. Then onward it is Bharani nakshatra till 6:18 PM on October 27. (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Karnataka and south Rajasthan), Ashwini or Aswathy nakshatra till 5:41 PM on October 26. Then onward it is Bharani nakshatra...

Dakini and Varnini: The Sacred Energy Channels in Kali Puja In the profound tradition of Kali Puja, the worship of Goddess Kali extends beyond her primary form to include her divine attendants, Dakini and Varnini. These two goddesses are not merely peripheral figures but represent fundamental aspects of the subtle energy system that governs spiritual awakening. Their presence in Kali worship reflects the deep understanding of yogic physiology within Hindu tantric traditions, where external ritual worship (bahya puja) corresponds to internal spiritual transformation (antara puja). Dakini and Varnini are revered as the personifications of the two primary energy channels that flow through the human subtle body. Their worship during Kali Puja signifies the acknowledgment of these vital forces that must be harmonized and transcended for spiritual liberation. The Symbolism of Ida and Pingala Dakini represents the Ida nadi, the lunar channel that flows along the left side of the spine. Th...

Ananta Shesha Holds the Earth: Boon, Duty and Dharma - Mahabharata In the Mahabharata, the story of Shesha is told in the Adi Parva, in the section known as the Astika Parva Chapter 32. Shesha was one of the sons of Kadru and the brother of the many Nagas. But his mother and brothers were wicked, and they were always doing deceit and harming others. Shesha did not like this way of living. So he left his mother and his brothers and went away to do hard tapasya. His tapasya was very severe. He controlled his senses, lived on little food, and kept his mind fixed on one thing only. After a long time, Brahma became pleased with him and appeared before him. Brahma asked him to take any boon he wanted. The Boon Shesha Asked For Here we can see the real character of Shesha. Brahma was ready to give him anything, like power, a kingdom, long life or victory over his enemies. But Shesha did not ask for any of these. He only asked that his mind should always find joy in dharma, in peace of mind, a...

 Eyes on the Fish: The Marriage of Krishna and Lakshmana Among the eight chief queens of Krishna, known as the Ashtabharya, Lakshmana holds a distinctive place for the sheer difficulty of the trial that won her hand. Her father, King Brihatsena of Madra (named specifically in the Padma Purana, while the Bhagavata Purana refers to him simply as the ruler of Madra), announced a swayamvara, a self-choice marriage ceremony in which suitors compete for a princess's hand. The task set before the assembled kings and warriors was formidable: they had to pierce the eye of a fish mounted on a revolving wheel suspended from the ceiling, aiming not by looking at the fish directly but only at its reflection in a vessel of oil placed on the ground, all while balancing on the pans of a weighing scale. Krishna's Feat Where celebrated archers, including Duryodhana and Jarasandha, failed to strike the target, Krishna alone succeeded. Standing steady upon the scale, he lifted his bow, bowed h...

Jaya and Vijaya: The Divine Sentinels of Goddess Durga and the Eternal Symbol of Duality and Protection The Divine Companions of the Mother In the sacred celebration of Durga Puja in Bengal, the majestic image of Goddess Durga is often flanked by two female attendants— Jaya and Vijaya . They stand beside the ten-armed Mother, holding her weapons and assisting her in the eternal battle between dharma and adharma. While the Goddess herself embodies supreme power and compassion, Jaya and Vijaya represent the divine forces that protect, preserve, and execute her will in the cosmic order. Though their names echo those of the gatekeepers of Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha, in the context of Goddess Durga, Jaya and Vijaya are revered as her shaktis , or personified energies. They are her extensions—symbols of courage, vigilance, and victory that help maintain balance and righteousness. The Story and Origins According to the Devi Mahatmya , part of the Markandeya Purana , when the gods were defe...

The Ashtabharya: Krishna's Eight Queens and the Eight Forms of Lakshmi In the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana, Krishna's principal consorts are known collectively as the Ashtabharya, meaning "the eight wives." These were Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Nagnajiti (also called Satya), Bhadra, and Lakshmana. Each union is described not as a mere royal custom but as an event carrying deep spiritual meaning, binding the young kingdom of Dwaraka to neighbouring realms and, in doing so, spreading peace, trade and cultural exchange across the region. Alliances that Built a Kingdom Krishna was not a crowned king of Dwaraka, yet he came to be revered as Dwarakadhish, the protector and sovereign guide of the city. Through marriage, he formed bonds with powerful royal houses — the Vidarbha kingdom through Rukmini, the Satrajit lineage through Satyabhama, and others through Kalindi, Mitravinda, Nagnajiti and Bhadra. These alliances strengthened Dwar...

Non-Duality Through Devotion: The Message of Adi Shankaracharya Adi Shankaracharya is known as the greatest teacher of Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of non-duality. He said Brahman alone is real and the individual self is not different from it. Then people get a doubt. If everything is one, why did he write beautiful hymns on Ganesha, Murugan, Shiva, Vishnu and Devi? Why did he promote murti worship and Srividya upasana? The answer is simple. Advaita is the final truth, but a person cannot jump into it in one day and declare "I have reached." Actually there is nothing to reach, because we are already That. But the mind is very difficult to control. Every day it creates a storm and throws a person here and there. For crossing this storm, a good boat is needed. Devotion to a deity is that boat. What the Scriptures Say The Rig Veda says "Ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti" (Rig Veda 1.164.46). Truth is one, the wise call it by many names. So Murugan, Ganesha, Shiv...