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Showing posts from July, 2009


Putrada Ekadasi Vrat Katha – Story of Putrada Ekadashi

Putrada Ekadasi Fasting is observed during the waxing phase of moon (Shukla Paksha) in Shravan month (July – August) in Maharashtra, Gujarat , Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa. This Ekadasi fasting is observed as Pavitra Ekadasi in North India . Putrada Ekadashi is also observed during the waxing phase of moon in December/January. An interesting story associated with this Ekadasi fasting suggests that it observed for begetting children. Legend has it that a king named Suketumana had no children. He and his wife, Saivya, performed several austerities and religious performances but without any success. The king was worried that he will not have children to perform his last rites and other rituals for forefathers. A sad king left his kingdom and wandered through many lands and finally reached the Manasarovar Lake in the Himalayas . Here he was greeted by saints. He wanted to know what the saints were doing at the Manasarovar Lake . They said that they were here to

Book – Spiritual Handbook India by Stephen Knapp

Spiritual India Handbook – a guide to a guide to festivals and traditions, temples and holy sites – written by Stephen Knapp explores the holy places in India . Stephen Knapp, a writer and philosopher, is noted for his works related to Santana Dharma. Basically, the book is a guide to foreign travelers who intent to visit holy sites in India . It’s not the usual travelers guide but a guide that apart from the basic information, gives details of why the spot is holy and what benefits you get by visiting the place – more of such spiritual notes. For Example this is how Stephen Knapp introduces Mathura As we begin our tour of the holy places of East and Central India, the first major holy place to see is only a short three hour ride by train or bus ride south from Delhi . Now that they have built a nice highway through the area, the road is much faster than it used to be. Vraja, which has a perimeter of 168 miles and is composed of many villages and towns, is considered no

Pavitra Ekadasi Vrat Katha – Pavithra Ekadashi Story

Pavitra Ekadasi is observed on the 11th day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of moon) in the Shravan month as per traditional North Indian Calendar. The corresponding Ekadasi in other regions is known as Putrada Ekadashi . The Pavithra Ekadasi Vrat Katha (Story) narrates how a king was able to beget children after observing the Ekadasi. Legend has it that a king named Mahijit had no children. The sad king one day convened the assembly of all the citizens and wanted to know what sin he had committed for not having children. A group of citizens decided to visit the Ashramas of great saints and find out the reason why King Mahijit was not having children. After traveling for days they finally reached the Ashram of Sage Lomasa. Sage Lomasa had the power to see the past, present and future. Sage Lomasa realized that King Mahijit was a merchant in his last birth and used to travel around selling his goods. Once during his journey he became very thirsty and soon reached a la

Nandafalva Hindu Temple and Community in Hungary

Nandafalva Hindu community in Hungary  was formed in 1979 – several young adherents of Hindu teachings led by Swami B.A. Narayan formed the Nandfalva Hindu Community . Nandafalva is named after the Hindu holy place called Nandagram. After 20 years of activity, the Hindu Temple opened its doors in 2000 AD. The temple practices Vaishnavism. The Hindu Temple at Nandafalva is a brilliant fusion of Hungarian and Hindu architectural styles. The temple is inspired by the Orissan style temple architecture. The 100 kilo bell residing in the temple tower resounds daily in accordance with Hungarian custom. The guests visiting the temple will gain an authentic view into the life of ancient Indian culture. The guests may choose among various interesting programs: a yoga demonstration, the basics of a vegetarian cooking course, pantomime, a presentation of a Hindu religious service, Hindu songs, recitation of Vedic mantras, Odissi dance lecture demonstration, Henna body art,

Go Not To The Temple – A Poem by Rabindranath Tagore

Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God, First fill your own house with the Fragrance of love... Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God, First remove the darkness of sin from your heart... Go not to the temple to bow down your head in prayer, First learn to bow in humility before your fellowmen... Go not to the temple to pray on bended knees, First bend down to lift someone who is down-trodden... Go not to the temple to ask for forgiveness for your sins, First forgive from your heart those who have sinned against you. Rabindranath Tagore You may also like to read Look to this day - A poem by Sage

Dalit Priests in Hindu Temples – a much needed revolutionary change

Sanskrit and Vedic Universities in India have started opening the doors Hindu priesthood to all those who want to practice it. The Vedic school managed by the world famous Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple has started training Dalit priests. The much needed progressive and revolutionary change of breaking the male Brahmin monopoly of Hindu priesthood is surely happening but at a snail’s pace. Tamil Nadu Government has set up a Hindu priest training center and has already started inducting people from all sections of Hindu society as priests in temples run by the government. Famous temples in Bihar have started appointing of Dalit priests . In 2002, the Supreme Court of India had ruled that a person belonging to Hindu community could be appointed as priests in temples so long as they were qualified to conduct the ritual. Times of India reports Is India on the threshold of real change in that most regressive of monopolies, the priesthood? This has alw

What do the Upanishads teach us? – Edmond Holmes

The authors of the Upanishads did not all think alike; but, taking their meditations as a whole, we may say that they are dominated by one paramount conception’ that of the ideal of oneness of the soul of man with the soul of the universe. The Sanskrit word for the soul of man is Atman and the word for the soul of the universe is Brahman. ‘God’s dwelling place’, says Professor Radhakrishnan in this exposition of the philosophy of the Upanishads, ‘is the heart of man. The inner immortal self and the great cosmic power are one and the same.’ Brahman is the Atman, and the Atman is the Brahman. The one supreme power through which all things have been brought into being is one with the inmost self in each man’s heart.’ What is real in each of us is his self or soul. What is real in universe is its self or soul, in virtue of which its All is One, and the name for which in our language is God. In other words of one of the Upanishads: ‘He who is the Bra

Bhagavad Gita for Blind People – Gita in Braille Script

Only limited number of copies of the Bhagavad Gita in Braille Script, meant for the visually impaired people, is published and it is also not easily available. In an attempt to make the Bhagavad Gita in Braille Script available to those who require it, B B Chaudhary, assistant commissioner with Delhi Police, has translated the Bhagavad Gita into Braille script. The small Bhagavad Gita handbook for Blind People is now ready for publication and will soon be distributed around the world. Times of India reports On what made him choose the Gita one of the many Upanishads for translation, Chaudhary says, "It's a part of Mahabharata in which Sanjay describes the war to Dhritrashtra, the Kaurava king. The idea came to my mind because Dhritrashtra was blind.'' Chaudhary juggled between his busy work schedule and book translation to come out with the final draft. Hailing from a village near Sasaram in Bihar, Chaudhary came to Delhi to prepare for civil serv

Quotes from Paramarthasara of Abhinavagupta

A 10 th century spiritual work, Paramarthasara of Abhinavagupta is dedicated to monistic Shaivism. Just as juice, jaggery and sugar are only different states of the same thing, namely sugarcane, so do all beings abide in the supreme Lord in different states or forms. In the kindled light of the Self, stirred up by the wind of contemplation, the imaginations of the aspirant are sacrificed and he becomes one with that light. The Supreme Lord seems still when the various elements are still, glad when they are glad, gloomy when they are gloomy, but truly he is not so. When by virtue of the store of gems of supreme wisdom, collected in the treasure house of the mystic heart, the state of Maheshwara is reached; one realizes ‘I am in all. Hence, what misfortunes can befall, and by whom?’ Paramarthasara of Abhinavagupta

Sindhara Teej In Shravan Month

Sindhara Teej is the first of the three Teej festivals observed in North India . In 2024, the date of Sindhara Teej is August 7. It is also known as Hariyali Teej and is observed three days after the Shravan Amavasya or Hariyali Amavasya. Singhara Teej is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Sindhara Teej is also dedicated to the monsoon rains and new lush green nature. The festival is mainly observed in Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat , Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Special prayers and pujas dedicated to Goddess Parvati are performed on the day. Women wear green colored dresses and green bangles resembling the lush green nature. Women also paint their hands with new Mehandi or henna designs. It is a sort of thanksgiving to Mother Nature. Numerous songs praising Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and those praising Mother Nature are sung on the day.

Jyoti Bheemeshwara Amavasya Vratam In Karnataka - Pathi Sanjeevani Puja Vrat Dedicated Shiva - Parvati

Observed by women, Jyoti Bheemeshwara Amavasya Vratam, or Pathi Sanjeevini Puja takes place on the Ashada Amavasya (No moon day in Ashada). In 2024, Jyothi Bheemeshwara Amavasya Vratam date is August 4. The Vrata is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is observed by women for the long life of male members in the family. Unmarried women also perform it to get good husbands. This Vrata is popularly known as Bheemana Amavasya Vratam. Pathi Sanjeevini Puja is performed for the long life of husbands by married women. The Vratam is observed for nine consecutive years and on the final year a lamp (Deepam) is given to brothers or other male members by women.  Special Thambittu Deepa and two Kalikamba lamps are prepared on the day by women. The two Kalikamba lamps represent Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Therefore the observance is also known as Deepastambha Pooja. Another unique ritual on the day is the preparation of Kadabus or dough balls with coins hidden in it

Deepastambha Pooja 2024 date - Deepasthambham Amavasya Pooja In Karnataka

Deepastambha Puja, also known as Deepasthambham Amavasya Pooja, is an important observance undertaken by women in Karnataka in India. Deepastambha Pooja 2024 date is August 4. It is observed on the no moon day (Amavas) in the Kannada month of Ashada (July – August) and is a unique Kannadiga ritual. On the day women pray for the well being of male members in the family – husbands and brothers. The ritual is also known as Bheemana Amavasya Vrata. Deepastambha Puja is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Married women perform it for the long life of husbands and brothers. Unmarried women for getting a good husband. A pair of lamps made by women on the day using mud known as Kalikamba represents Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on the day. Special pujas are done on the auspicious day to appease them. Thambittu Deepa or Thambittu lamp made from flour is made on the occasion and lit to cool all bad emotions like anger, frustration etc. It is these lamps that give the ritual th

Dos and Don’ts of watching Solar Eclipse – Precautions while viewing Surya Grahan

The most important precaution to be taken during Solar Eclipse is not to watch the eclipse with naked eye. Watching the Eclipse with naked eye might cause permanent damage to the eye or blindness. The safest method of viewing a Total Solar Eclipse is by projection, in which a small opening is used to cast the image of the Sun on a screen beyond the opening. Don’ts During Solar Eclipse Never watch the eclipse with a naked eye. Don’t use Binoculars to view the eclipse. Don’t use Telescope to view the eclipse. Don’t use any cheap or easily available filters in Telescope or Binoculars to view the sun. Only specifically designed filters should be used with Telescope and Binoculars. Don’t watch the eclipse using color film. Don’t watch the eclipse with non-silver black and white film. Don’t watch the eclipse with medical x-ray films with images on them. Don’t use smoked glass to view the sun. All developed films lack a silver emulsion and therefore it should not be used to view the

Book: Samarpanam – English Commentary of the Vishnu Sahasranamam

The book titled, Samarpanam, which contains word-by-word translation and interpretation of the Vishnu Sahasranamam, is the result of four years of research and dedication by Uthradom Tirunal Marthanda Varma, the present head of the royal family of erstwhile Travancore ( South Kerala ). The book is published by Konark Publishers, Delhi . ‘Vishnu Sahasranama,’ chanted by Bheeshma after the 18-day Kurukshetra battle, consists of the thousands of Lord Vishnu and it has symbolic meanings. The Hindu reports “The Vishnu Sahasranamam was recited by Bheeshma Pitamah at the end of the Mahabharata war as he approached his hour of attaining peace, in response to the six questions asked by Yudhishtira. The concept of attempting an English commentary of Vishnu Sahasranamam came some years back at a programme in Salem where I quoted a few lines and followed it up with an explanation. Hearing this, [the then] Chief Justice of India K. Subba Rao, who was sharing the dais, asked me to p

Book: The Hidden Oracle of India: The Mystery of Naadi Palm Leaf Readers

In the book titled ‘The Hidden Oracle of India: The Mystery of India’s Naadi Palm Leaf Readers,’ the authors, Andrew and Angela Donovan, narrates their first time encounter and experience with the Naadi palm leaf readers of Tamil Nadu. Naadi palm leaf readers is said to accurately read the details of the lives of people which has been written down on palm leaves thousands of years ago. It is also referred as the Naadi Astrology. The popular belief is that the Naadi palm leaf containing past, present and future of living beings were compiled by Sages like Agastya, Bhrugu, Vasishta, Shukra and other saints. What is interesting in this form of astrology is that a compilation contains future of all human beings born or yet to be born. Some are of the view that the palm leaf were compiled by Lord Shiva and passed on to the Sapta Rishis. Naadi is a collective name given to the supposed palm-leaf manuscripts written by ancient sages. These Naadi Granthas are in the custody of s

Are Hindus Obsessed with fair skin even when praying to a Dusky Lord Krishna?

The images of popular Hindu Gods like Lord Krishna, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali are dark or blue or dusky in appearance. Some of the prayers and bhajans dedicated to Gods and Goddesses extol their dark color. But even while praying to these dusky skin gods and chanting these mantras, a large section of Hindus have an obsession for whiteness or fair skin complexion. There are numerous other Gods that are blue or dusky colored. Lord Ram is blue colored. Popular characters in the Mahabharata have dusky skin tone. Arjuna is said to have had dark skin tone and it is mentioned in numerous regional versions of the Mahabharat. Draupadi, for whom all the kings and princess of that era vied for in the Swayavara, was dark. Some were even ready to go into war for the dark-colored Draupadi, who had captivated and enamored all the men her era. But followers a great tradition that worships dark color is obsessed with fair skin. Perhaps we Hindus yearn for fair skin be

Aadi Masam – Tamil Month Aadi

Aadi Masam is the fourth month in Tamil Calendar and some people consider the month as inauspicious or bad as Dakshinayana Punyakalam, the night time of Gods, begins in the Aadi month. But numerous unique Tamil rituals and festivals are also observed during Aadi month so some people consider it as auspicious. In some regions newly married couples stay separate during Aadi month. This is because in earlier days it was considered that if a woman conceives (get pregnant) in Aadi month, she will deliver in March or April the hottest months. This would put the life of mother and child in danger. But this custom is not followed by many people today. Dakshinayana Punyakalam, the night of Devas, begins on the first day of the month Aadi. The sun changes its direction during this period and next six months is the night time of the gods and ends with Uttarayan in January. Due to this reason, no auspicious events are held in the month. Numerous rituals are held in Aadi mon

Hari Tritiya

Hari Tritiya is observed three days after no moon day or Amavasya in the Shravan month as per the traditional Hindu calendar in North India . In 2024, the date of Hari Tritiya is August 7. The day is dedicated to women. Girls and women indulge in swinging, singing and dancing on the day. The festival is also known as Hariyali Teej in many regions. Hari Tritiya festival is a festival dedicated to the lush green nature after the first monsoon showers. It is essential a celebration of the green nature. Women make merry on the day and special gifts are given by elders to all the women members in the family. The festival is of great importance in the Braj region in Uttar Pradesh. People also prepare various different types of sweets and food items in their homes. This is first offered to the important deity in the region and later distributed as Prasad.

Book: Puntanam and Melpattur: Two measures of Bhakti – English Translations of Jnanapaana and Narayaniyam

The book ‘Puntanam and Melpattur: Two measures of Bhakti’ contains the English translations of the Malayalam Jnanapaana poem by Puntanam and Sanskrit Narayaniyam of Melpattur. The book also contains a small poem by Mahakavi Vallathol. The verse translation in English of the poems is done by Vijay Nambisan. The book is published by Penguin Books India and is part of the Penguim Classics. Jnana Paana by Puntanam and Narayaniyam of Melpattur is considered to be gems of medieval Indian literature. Narayaniyam is a Sanskrit classic and is dedicated Lord Guruvayoorappan (Lord Krishna). It is a condensation of the Bhagavad Purana in 1036 shlokas (stanzas). Jnanapaana is a Malayalam classic and is an important literary work in the Bhakti tradition. Apart from the translations, the book also contains a detailed introduction on these literary gems. The flyer of the book says For four centuries, Jnana-paana and Narayaniyam have been touchstones of faith in Kerala. Pu

Hindu Priests in Gaya say No to Online Pinda Daan

The Bihar State Government in India recently announced a decision to introduce a videoconferencing facility for Hindus abroad to offer Pinda Daan at Gaya in 2009 during the Pitrapaksh fortnight in Ashwin month. Pinda Daan is a Hindu religious ritual dedicated to the dead ancestors and it seeks Moksha of the dead from the cycle of rebirth. The Hindu Priests at Gaya who perform the Pinda Daan are known as Pandas and they are saying a firm No to the idea of online Pinda Daan. They say that the physical presence of the person performing the Pinda Daan rite is a must. There is a popular belief that Lord Ram and Sita performed the Pinda Daan ritual at Gaya for King Dasharath (Lord Ram’s father). Thousands of Hindus from across India and abroad arrive in Gaya during the Pitru Paksha fortnight to perform the ritual on the banks of the Falgu river. Express Buzz reports "We fail to understand the motive to introduce online pinda daan. It is not possib

Durga Puja Starts Very Early for Mitra Sammelani Club in Siliguri

Durga Puja at Siliguri organized by Mitra Sammelani Club began on the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra day. The original Durga Puja is 90 days way. The Mitra Sammelani committee founded in 1909 organizes the puja at the Chandimandap at Sisir Bhaduri Sarani in Khudirampally in Silguri and follows the rituals of their Puja strictly. Durga Puja here begins with Katham puja (worship of the frame) on the Rathyatra day every year. The idol-maker carries the priest to the chandimandap and performs the ritual, which marks the beginning of Durga Puja. “Ours is a traditional Puja and we follow the “Shastras” in letter and spirit,” said Mr Uday Dubey, general secretary, Mitra Sammelani, the 100-year-old club, which has been organising the Puja, without interruption, since 1927. The stress is on simplicity, with even the celebratory light and decorations missing. The idol is in ‘ekchala’ form and decorated in ‘daker saaj'. The Puja is the oldest community puja in Siliguri and the only

Karka Sankranti

Kark Sankranti is the summer solstice of Sun and it marks the beginning of the Dakshinayana Period in traditional Hindu Solar calendars. The term Sankranti in a Solar Calendar generally refers to the means the first day of each month – when the sun passes from one constellation to another. In 2024, the date of Karka Sankranti is July 16. Time is 10:43 PM on July 16. Kark Sankranti is the southern transit of the Sun and it ends with the Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti in mid-January. The nights are longer during Karka Sankranti Period. Kark Sankranti marks the beginning of the night of Devas for some Hindu communities. There is also a popular belief that Lord Vishnu goes to sleep during this period and the Ekadasi just before Karka Sankranti is referred as Dev Sayani Ekadashi . In Tamil Nadu, the month Aadi marks the beginning of Karka Sankranti. It must be noted that Kark Sankranti or Dakshinayana is calculated differently in North Indian Hindu calendars and ot

About Hindu Funeral Operators in Varanasi – Yes, they are like Tour Operators

If you don’t have the energy or time to make for the funeral arrangements of a dead relative, just call one of the Hindu Funeral Operators in Varanasi . Every rites and rituals associated with Hindu funerals including transporting the corpse to a Ghat on the banks of Ganga and performing the Shraddh ceremony a few days later. It’s not free. Operators don’t work for free. The price currently ranges from Rupees 5,000 to 100,000. Yes, the funeral operators have budget class, economic class and premium class. As the price goes up the quality of the materials used in cremation also goes up. Once the price is paid, the relatives only need to arrive at the appointed time. (Even if this is not possible may be the tour operators will capture the funeral ceremony in video and courier it to the relative in DVD format) Hindustan Times reports about this new funeral business which is thriving “The idea is to provide a single-window solution,” says Pandit Jagdish Tripathi, a pa

Is a Guru essential? – A Discussion between Swami Vivekananda and Sri Ramakrishna

When Swami Vivekananda first visited Ramakrishna Paramahamsa he asked: ‘I have read the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures several times, I lecture and give discourses on the Gita and Ramayana. Do I still need the help of a saint; do I still need a guru?’ Sri Ramakrishna didn't reply to Vivekananda's question. After a few days Ramakrishna called upon Vivekananda and handed him a parcel to be delivered at a village a few hours away by the sea route. Early morning the boat and sailor would be ready and all he needed to do was to go to the village and deliver the parcel to the designated person. Vivekananda agreed and decided to start early. He found the boat and the sailor ready to put out to sea. Suddenly, upon sitting in the boat, Vivekananda realized that he didn't know the road to the village. He inquired of the sailor who had no clue, either. Vivekananda decided to go back to his guru to ask him the shortest way to the village. Upon this Ramakrishna said, ‘Narendr

Dnyaneshwari and Other Ancient Marathi Hand Written Manuscripts Now Available Online

Around 2,200 ancient Marathi hand-written manuscripts including rare copies of Dnyaneshwari will be available online at the website of South Asian Studies Centre of the Deccan College , established by the Chicago University . The old and rare Marathi manuscripts range from 14th century to 19th century. V L Manjul, a former librarian of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), is responsible for making these rare manuscripts available for people all over the world. Times of India reports The manuscripts range from the writings of different saints, biographies, purana granthas and translations from Sanskrit to Marathi by prominent writers like Vaman Pandit and Mukteshwar. It took almost six years for Manjul to locate these manuscripts, a collection which also includes about 100 copies of the Dnyaneshwari,' the oldest being a copy made in 1630. The descriptive catalogue will also be published in four parts soon under the title Union Catalogue of Mara

Sukham Ayu – a Cook Book with Ayurvedic Recipes and Traditional Kitchen Wisdom

Sukham Ayu – Cooking at Home with Ayurvedic Insights explores the close link between Ayurveda and ancient Indian cooking. The book invites the readers to take a peep into the world of traditional Indian cooking and provides useful tips and insights along with a simple interpretation of the basic tenets of Ayurveda. Written by Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain, Sukham Ayu is researched at Pune Based KARE - Kerala Ayurvedic Research & Rejuvenation Establishment. The Ayurvedic recipes that are part of the book are not of those rare kind but simple everyday recipes that are part of daily Indian cooking. The book goes into details of the ingredients used in traditional Indian home cooking and connects it with Ayurveda. The writers say …what you need to eat is not elaborate menus with unavailable and exotic ingredients, but simple home cooked food using regional and seasonal availables that suit your constitution. This is the quintessence of an Ayurvedic diet in a nutshell.

Hindu Reaction to Legalizing Consensual Gay Sex in India

The Delhi High Court on Thursday, July 2, 2009 delivered a historic judgment legalizing private consensual sex between adults of the same sex. So How did Hindus react to the historic judgment? The reaction of some of the Hindu priests was on expected lines and they condemned it. But several articles written by Hindu leaders and scholars welcomed the decriminalization of private consensual gay sex as they thought Hinduism had always accepted Gay relationships. There is no central authority in Hinduism that reacts to incidents like the legalization of consensual Gay sex. Therefore opinions of Hindus vary. Some welcome, some accept, some ignore, some oppose it democratically and some react to it violently. The comments section of popular newspapers and news websites in India were filled with all these type of reactions. Like it or not homosexuality is a reality and it is accepted by Hindu scriptures. Puranas and Epics have not condemned it and asks to learn to accept Gays and

Quotes from Gitanjali of Rabindranath Tagore

Life of my life, I shall ever try to keep my body pure, knowing that thy living touch is upon all my limbs. I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts, knowing that thou art that truth which has kindled the light of reason in my mind. I shall ever try to drive all evils away from my heart and keep my love in flower, knowing that thou hast thy seat in the inmost shrine of my heart. And it shall be my endeavor to reveal thee in my actions, knowing it is thy power gives me strength to act. Rabindranath Tagore

Website Dedicated to Sant Tukaram – Abhangas and Biography in Indian and Foreign Languages

The 17th century saint-poet Sant Tukaram Maharaj is one of the greatest poets in Marathi language and one of the greatest saints of the Bhakti Cult in Maharashtra . The multilingual website currently has poems of Tukaram Maharaj and articles related to Tukaram Maharaj in 13 Indian languages and nine foreign languages. The website (Tukaram.com) has biography and poems of Tukaram Maharaj in Marathi, English, Hindi, Bengali, Sindhi, Gujarati, Konkani, Sanskrit, Odiya, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil. And the foreign languages include French, German, Russian, Spanish, Esperanto, Dutch, Lithuanian and Argentina . You can find more details about the website here .

Book: Tantraloka by Abinavagupta – English Translation Project

Tantraloka of Abhinavagupta is a 10th century AD spiritual and literary work presenting the philosophy, religion and yogic sadhana of the non-dual Saiva Agama traditions. A great spiritual literary work in the ‘Shaiva Agamas’ tradition, Tantraloka is composed by Shaiva Acharya Abhinavagupta. Shaiva Agamas are spiritual texts dedicated to Lord Shiva and it identifies Lord Shiva as the supreme. There are 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas and is the basis of Kashmir Shaivism and the Shiva tradition in South India . Tantraloka has thirty seven chapters which is sort of an encyclopedia of Oriental tradition. Veer Shaiva of Basava has the famous ritual ‘Lingodhar Diksha’ derived from this book. Similarly, Shaiva Siddhanta of Tamil saints has the philosophical basis, many of them are expounded in this book. Presently there is no English Translation of the Tantraloka available claims Virendra Qazi, Chairman of Lalleshwari International Trust. Only an elaborate translation of Tantraloka

A story by Swami Vivekananda

There are numerous stories narrated by Swami Vivekananda to illustrate Universal truths. Here is one such story by Swami Vivekananda There was once a minister to a great king. He fell into disgrace. The king, as a punishment, ordered him to be shut up in the top of a very high tower. This was done, and the minister was left there to perish. Minister had a faithful wife, however, who came to the tower at night and called to her husband at the top to know what she could do to help him. He told her to return to the tower the following night and bring with her a long rope, some stout twine, pack thread, silken thread, a beetle, and a little honey. The good wife obeyed her husband, and brought him the desired articles. The husband directed her to attach the silken thread firmly to the beetle, then to smear its horns with a drop of honey, and to set it free on the wall of the tower, with its head pointing upwards. She obeyed all these instructions, and the