Panchatantra is one of the oldest collections of stories for children in the world and is also believed to be the first anthology of animal stories. The story of the origin of Panchatantra is as interesting as the stories in the five books originally written in Sanskrit. Legend has it that thousands of years ago, there lived a king in India . He had three foolish sons. The king was worried about their future. One day he asked his ministers to suggest a way to make his sons wise and fit for the world. One minister asked the king to take the help of an old teacher named Vishnu Sharma. Eighty-year-old Vishnu Sharma was invited to the palace and king explained about the nature of his sons to the old teacher. Vishnu Sharma immediately agreed to make the princes wise and intelligent. He took permission from the king to take the three sons for six months with him. The three princes lived in the ashram of Vishnu Sharma for next six months. Daily, the old teacher to...

Yama, god of death in Hinduism, appeared as Vidura on earth and was the uncle of Kauravas and Pandavas in Mahabharata. The birth of Yama on earth as Vidura was a result of curse by Sage Mandavya. Legend has it that once Sage Mandavya was in deep meditation in his ashram. A group of thieves who were being chased by soldiers ran into the ashram and hid inside it. Sage Mandavya was immersed in his meditation and was unaware of what was happening around him. The soldiers caught the thieves from the ashram and accused the sage of assisting the thieves. The soldiers in a fit of rage thrust a spear into the sage which resulted in his death. When Sage Mandavya wanted to know from Yama why he had suffered such a fate; Yama explained that as a child the sage used to catch butterflies and enter sharp twigs through them for fun. Sage Mandavya felt that the actions of children, which are done in innocence, should be forgiven and should not be part of Yama’s book – the book which ...

Below is the procedure for Udyapan for Ahoi Ashtami Vrat. Ujaman is performed after Ahoi Ashtami fasting. Woman can perform this Udyapan of Ahoi Ashtami Vrat after marriage to wish god to bless them for healthy children. Women who does not have children or those women whose children are not getting married should necessarily do Udyapan of this fast. 1)    Place a set of four pooris at each seven spots in a big plate 2)    Put lumps of halwa on each set of pooris 3)    Place above in a big plate. 4)    Cover it with folded pair of a yellow coloured sari and blouse topped with some money as per your financial statues. It is offered to the mother in law. It is called Bayana, the women doing Udyapan should give this Bayana to their mother in law respectably and should touch their feet to take blessing. 5)    Then apply some roli and rice on the edges of the plate 6)...

The original Ramayana was written by Sage Valmiki. There are numerous other versions of the Valmiki Ramayana in India and around the world, especially in Southeast Asia . Most of the different versions around the world stick to the main theme but have unique characteristics and a regional flare. Tibetan translation of the Ramayana was made in the 8th or 9th century and this is one of the earliest translations of the Ramayana made in the ancient Tibetan script of Tubo. Chinese Buddhist sutras also contain fragments of the Ramayana. In Indonesia , the Ramayana epic was written in the Old Javanese language around the 8th or 9th century and entitled Ramayana Kakawin. In Laos , the two popular versions of Ramayana are Phra Lak Phra Lam and Gvay Dvorahbi. In Thailand , the popular Thai version of the epic is known as Ramakien which dates back to the 13th century. In Cambodia , the story of Lord Ram is The Reamkher . In Persia , it is the D...

Niyamas are 10 observances in Hinduism for a meaningful and happy life. Some scholars define the term Niyams as self restraint codes. The ten niyamas are mentioned in the Patanjali Yoga. The shloka that defines the ten Niyams is – Siddhanta – Sravanam danam matirisvara pujanam, Santoshah tapah astikyam hrih japasca tatha vratam. The 10 niyamas as mentioned by the Shloka are – Siddhanta – reading, listening and contemplating to discourses of spiritual scriptures Daan or Dhanam – charity Mati – the ability to differentiate between good and evil. The courage to say NO and move only in the path of dharma. Puja – worship of God Santosha – contentment Tapa – Penance and austerities to stay in the path to Moksha or liberation Astikyam – Belief in the Supreme Truth Hri – Modesty Japa – Repetition of Mantra Vratam – Sacrifice of desires, ego, and sensual pleasures. The Niyamas are primarily meant to discipline the thought and actions of an individual.  ...

The earliest archeological evidence of Mother Goddess worship in India is found in the Indus Valley Civilization. Goddesses are also mentioned in Vedic hymns and Samhitas. The maximum number of Goddesses is found in the Atharva Veda. Then there are numerous goddesses of folk origin whose antiquity and origin are unknown. Many of them continue to be worshipped even today. Aditi, Apo-devi, Ushas, Prithvi, Vak, Ratri, Sri, Nishthigri, Urvasi, Saraswati, Sandhya, Sinivali, Sraddha, Gayatri, Savitri, Indrani, Godha, Ghosha, Juhu, Dakshina, Medha, Yami, Sarama, Sarva-rajni, Lokshya, Romasa, Visva-vara and Durga are goddesses mentioned in the Vedas. Most of the Goddesses represent the different aspects of nature. Some are protectors and some personifications of diseases. Some represent fertility and nourishment. Then there are humans who have attained the status of Goddesses. Some folk goddesses have special powers to cure small pox, snake poison etc. Some goddesses are ‘gr...

Lakshmi Chalisa consists of forty verses dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. The Chalisa is believed to have been composed by Sundardasa. Each verse is dedicated to praising the Goddess and the devotee wants to know when the when the goddess will remove his/her misfortunes and why is there a delay in removing the misfortunes. Sab sukh bharani Lakshmi Amba, Dinan par kahan karati vilamba. Tu tribhuvan tam-nasani hari Ho jag janni Vishnu ki pyari.  O mother Lakshmi, you grant all happiness; what makes you delay being merciful to the helpless? O primordial source of the world, beloved consort of Vishnu, you are the dispeller of the gloom covering the three spheres! In some verses, the goddess is compared with precious stones and other invaluable things in the world and in some her beauty is praised. Mukut bich shishu chand virajat, Tisar nayan bhal bich sajat. Jhumat jhumak manin laran ki, Sohat choli harit varan ki,...

This Ramanujacharya Quotes are from English Translation of Sri Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary by Dr. S Sankaranarayan. The commentary is for Chapter 2 Verse 18 of Bhagavad Gita. The root 'dih' means 'to grow.' Hence these bodies (Dehas) are characterized by complexity. They have an end – their nature is perishability. Self is eternal, for (1) It is not a complex being of a single form; (2) It is the knowing subject; and (3) It pervades all. On the contrary, the body is perishable, because (1) it is complex; (2) it serves the purpose of experiencing the fruits of Karma by the embodied self; (3) it has a plurality of parts and (4) it can be pervaded. Therefore, as the body is by nature perishable and the self by nature is eternal, both are not objects fit for grief. .................. Teachings of Sri Ramanuja Devotion and absolute self-surrender are the happiest and best means to reach God. A seeker must acquire a true knowle...

In Hindu religion and philosophy, Karma is of great importance. It is the law of the divine – according to Karma philosophy the future of an individual’s mode of existence depends on the good or bad actions he/she has performed. The actions that you have performed in the past and the present will follow you and it will play an important role in your future life. The law of karma also states that the actions performed in previous births play a crucial role in the future births. In simple terms, every action has a fruit. Depending on the nature of the action the fruit can be sweet or sour. Sometimes the fruit is delivered immediately, sometimes in future.  The strength of the sweetness or sourness depends on the action that produced the fruit. The primary aim of the doctrine of Karma is to teach an individual the importance of good actions and through which one can attain moksha or bliss on earth. Derived from the Sanskrit word karman, meaning ‘t...

Madhusudana is one among the numerous names of Vishnu. He got this name after he annihilated the demon named Madhusudana. Legend has it that Madhu and Kaitabha came of Narayana’s ear. This happened at the beginning of a cycle of creation. The story if mainly found in the Srimad Bhagavata Purana and other Puranas. Narayana lies on the milky ocean and from the navel in his lotus appeared Brahma. Similarly, Madhu and Kaitabha appeared from the ears of Narayana. They both then attempted to kill Brahma. Brahma then prays to Goddess Mahamaya to wake up Lord Vishnu. Brahma appeals to Mother Goddess who is in the form of sleep to come forth from Vishnu so that he will awaken and slay the two demons.. Narayana then annihilated the demons and got the name Madhusudana. As per Shakti Tradition, Vishnu is able to annihilate the demons because he gets boons and blessing from Mother Goddess. She confuses and creates illusion which makes the demons less powerful. When the story ...

Ahoi Ashtami Vrat is an important fasting (upvas) observed in North India by mothers for the well being of their children. The fasting is based on popular legend known as Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Katha, which is listened to before breaking the fast. Usually, the katha is listened by women when an elderly woman narrates it. Today, people also the story using various audio sources. Once there lived a woman along with her seven sons in a village, which was located near a dense forest. Diwali was fast approaching and she decided to decorate her house. For this she decided to go to the forest and gather soil. While digging for soil near a den, she accidentally killed a lion cub. She felt remorse and sad. But as she could not do anything she took the soil and returned home. But in a year’s time all her seven sons disappeared and they were considered dead by the villagers. People thought they might have been carried away by wild animals from the jungle. The mother ...

Toe rings are worn by many Hindu women. It is an essential ornament for many communities in Hindu Religion. But why is toe ring worn by Hindu women? Because it is associated with conceiving and menstrual cycle. Toe rings are worn on the second toe or the second finger of the leg. The finger after the big toe or leg thumb. It is worn on both legs by some communities. Some communities wear it only on one leg preferably on the left leg. Some communities wear it on the second and third toe of both the legs. It is believed in Hindu tradition, especially in Ayurveda, that the nerve on the second toe is connected to the uterus, heart and brain. It helps in keeping the menstrual cycle in control. It is also associated with conception. Some texts also suggest that it helps in keeping the blood pressure level intact.

This is a famous story in Hinduism in which the answer to where is god and why I don't see him is answered. The example used is that of milk and butter. Once there lived a virtuous and learned man who was summoned by a local king. The king was unable to find answers to his questions and he wanted the man to find answers.  The questions – Where is God? Why don’t I see Him? The king warned that if the questions were not answered correctly the man would be executed. The man knew that it was impossible to answer these questions. So he was imprisoned. Next day, the man’s son appeared and asked the king if he would release his father if he answered the questions. The king agreed. The boy asked the king for a pot of milk. He then asked the milk to be churned to butter. It was also done. The boy then said that the two questions were now answered. The king wanted to know how? The boy asked the king: Where was the butter before it was churned? ...

Panchayudha of Lord Vishnu are the five divine weapons used by Vishnu. There is also a famous Panchayudha Stotram which is chanted for all kinds of protection. It is highly beneficial to people suffering from phobias. Panchayudha Sudarshana Chakra - Discus Panchajanya Shankh - Conch Kaumodaki Gada - Mace Nandaka Khadga - Sword   Saranga Dhanush - Bow Sudarshana Chakra – It is held in the upper right hand. It has 1000 vents and shines like a million suns. When it is held vertically by a deity in temple it is known as Prayoga Chakra. Panchajanya Shankh – It is held in the upper left hand. It is believed that it has the splendor a million moons. Kaumodaki Gada – It is held in the lower right hand. It is the personification of Meru Mountain. It is held to keep out all kinds of evil. Nandaka Khadga – The sharp sword cuts off internal and external enemies. Saranga Dhanush – It is an ornament for devotees and a weapon for the evil people....

Sri Karunamayi is popularly known as Amma Karunamayi and is renowned for her teachings based on the Sanatana Dharma. This is a collection of teachings and quotes of Sri Karunamayi. It is selfishness which perpetuates mortality and sensual life which leads to hell. Wisdom, divya prema, divine love and forgiveness all lead to immortality. He who has intense desire for God, who has the inner vision, only he understands the universe. Your heart must be pure. When you have inner vision, you can rightly understand the universe and know what life is. This is the goal of life and to achieve that state of absolute consciousness, that poorna pragna, the seeker seeks. Body, mind and spirituality--these are three cages. A spiritual seeker will go beyond all these cages. In his natural state, samadhi, the entire universe is nothing but his Self.  Whatever he enjoys in this world is nothing but Self; time is Self only; wisdom is Self only. He realizes he is not thi...

Ganesha is Vighnahara and also Vighneshwara – the one who removes obstacles and also one who creates obstacles. Ganesh is believed to have appeared as Sri Vigneshwara at Ojhar. There is a popular story which narrates how Ganesha came to be known as Vighneshwara. Legend has it that Maharaja Abhinandana, King Hemavati, performed a great sacrifice (yajna) which had the power to overthrow Indra. Kala was deputed by Indra to destroy the yajna. Kala appeared as Vighnasura and stopped the sacrifice of the king of Hemavati but also started disrupting all other sacrifices. This led to rise of Adharma and all kinds of unimaginable atrocities on earth. To vanquish Kala, saints and people approached Ganapati. To defeat Vighnasura, Ganpati was born as the son Parsva and Dipavatsala. When Vighnasura came to know about the birth of Ganesha, he knew he could not defeat Ganesh. So he surrendered unconditionally before Ganapati. Vighnasura asked Ganesha to take his name as his ...

The story involving Bhima, Python and Yudhisthira is mentioned in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata. The story has it that a python caught Bhima in its coils; despite his immense strength, Bhima was unable to free himself. Yudhisthira then comes in search of Bhima and is puzzled how the strong Bhima is in the coil of a python. The python then explains to Yudhishtira that Bhima will only escape if someone answers his questions correctly. The question and answer session begins and Yudhisthira correctly answers all questions. Yudhisthira who was amazed by the knowledge of python and himself asks it several questions. When the question and answer session was over, the python releases Bhima and suddenly turns into a human being. The man then narrates his story. His was King Nahusha and was from the same lineage of the Pandavas. He was cursed by Sage Agastya due to his pride and arrogance. The sage had then predicted that he will get back the human form when a man answers c...

Shiva is depicted having blue skin color. Why is he not shown in normal human skin color? Hinduism is full of symbolisms and the blue colour skin of Shiva is also a symbol. Blue is the color of the infinite. All Hindu gods are an attempt by the human mind to give form to the formless Brahman (The Supreme Truth or God in Hindu Religion). The color blue symbolizes immeasurable and all pervading reality – formless Brahman. The blue color thus teaches us that what appears as Shiva is the all pervading reality. Brahman (the Supreme Reality) takes a particular form to satisfy the human mind. The blue color also indicates like the sky that what we have so far understood about the Supreme Truth is only one aspect. The Supreme Truth has 'n' number of forms. Shiva is also shown in red, ash and black color. All these colors are associated with infinity. Blue Throat of Shiva Shiva is also known as Neelakanda – one with blue throat. This is because when the...

A symbolic story mentioned in the Padma Purana extols the merits of reading Srimad Bhagavad Purana. The story is associated with Bhakti Devi and her sons. Legend has it that Bhakti Devi and her sons who were residing in South India , decided to walk up to Gokula. The two sons of Bhakti Devi were named Jnana and Vairagya - they remained aloof from the society. During the long walk the mother and two sons became aged. But as soon as they entered Gokula, Bhakti Devi became young again. But her two sons remained old. Bhakti Devi asked Sage Narada who was at the time in Gokula to turn her sons young again. Sage Narada took the help of Sanakadi Rishis. The Rishis asked Sage Narada to read out the Srimad Bhagavata Purana to the two sons. When Narada narrated the Bhagavad Purana the sons of Bhakti Devi became young again. This story symbolically suggests that gaining jnana and practicing vairagya should not make a person aloof from society. He should not put on the garbs...