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Showing posts from December 18, 2014


Krittivasa Shiva – Why Shiva is known as Krittivasa?

Krittivasa is one among the numerous names of Shiva. Shiva is known as Krittivasa because he wears animal hides as clothes. Shiva usually wears a tiger skin. As per some scriptures he also wears elephant skin. Symbolically, the tiger skin suggests that Shiva is the controller of all powers in the world. A story is mentioned in the Shiva Purana, which explains why Shiva wears tiger skin. You can read it here . When Shiva wears elephant skin, he is also known as Gajantaka. You can read the story and symbolism of Gajantaka here . Another reason for Shiva using animal skins as clothes is that he is the lord of all creatures – Pashupati. He is the divine herdsman.

Sri Ram Sings in Italian and Sita performs Odissi in this Ramayana Opera

Ramlila was recently performed as opera. In this Ramayana Opera, Sri Ram narrated his emotions in Italian and Mata Sita conveyed her emotions through Odissi dance movements.  The Day After writes  Lord Rama sang his feelings when he fell in love with Sita at first sight and attired in traditional dhoti-kurta, he narrated his emotions in Italian. Rama's wife, Sita, however does not explain her emotions through words but through expressive eyes and graceful postures in her Odishi dance. "I find Ramlila an evergreen subject. We never get bored of this subject but we wanted to present it in different way. Ramayana has never been done in opera. So I thought why not? Since I love Ramayana; I love challenges; I love innovation, so I thought of blending it," Bijoylaxmi Hota, who scripted the opera said.  The fusion could be seen from the costumes and musicians' performances. The conductor of the opera was an Italian and his team of musicians included Italians, India

Selfishness prompts us to paint everything with ourselves – Swami Vivekananda

When the dry branch of a coconut palm drops to the ground, it leaves only a mark on the trunk indicating that once there was a branch at that place. In the like manner, he who has attained God keeps only an appearance of ego; there remains in him only a semblance of anger and lust. He becomes like a child. We color everything with our own selves. We have a brush—a thing comes and we do not like it and we brush a little then look at it. Selfishness prompts us to paint everything with ourselves. The body comes and goes and is limited. . . The body is not the Real Man; neither is the mind, for the mind waxes and wanes. It is the spirit beyond, which alone can live forever. The body and mind are continually changing, and are, in fact, only names of series of changeful phenomena, like rivers whose waters are in a constant state of flux, yet presenting the appearance of unbroken streams. . . the self-contained Purusha (Self) within is your real nature. The adjunct of mind is Hi