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Showing posts from January 29, 2019


Kathasaritasagara in Hindu Religion – A Collection Of Stories Of Ancient Hindu World

Kathasaritasagara means the ocean of rivers of stories and it is a collection of stories of ancient Hindu world. It was written by Somadeva in the 11th century AD who hailed from Kashmir. It is a collection of poetry and literature which has Sanskrit narrative poetry and also miscellaneous folklorist works. It also give insights into important aspects of Hindu religion of the period. Kathasaritasagara is a storehouse of popular ideas and folklore which developed in oral tradition over the centuries in ancient India. Kathasaritasagara has nearly 350 tales in 21,000 shlokas reflect the problems of common people of society and their problems. Kathasaritasagara Inspired By Brihatkatha Of Gunadhya Somadeva was only a redactor of an earlier collection of stories from folk sources, known as Brihatkatha, which is attributed to the little-known author Gunadhya. This collection, composed in Prakrit, is known as Paisachi and survives partly in Somadeva’s collection. Legendary

Symbolism – Story of Hanuman Sitting on Arrow of Bharata to Reach Lanka in the Ramayana

Hanuman Sitting on Bharata’s Arrow to Reach Lanka in the Ramayana should not be seen as a figment of imagination. There is deep symbolism attached to it. Hanuman who was carrying the mountain with medicinal herbs was misunderstood by the residents of Ayodhya as a flying monster. They informed Bharata, their king, who shot an arrow and forced Hanuman to descend to the ground. When Bharata realized his mistake, he wanted to help Bhagavan Sri Ram. Hanuman told Bharata that he could of great help, if he could make him reach his destination fast, so that he can save the life of Lakshmana. Bharata then meditated on Rama and mounted an arrow on his bow. He asked Hanuman to sit on the arrowhead. He then shot the arrow, which soon attained the speed of sound, and Hanuman reached his destination – feet of Bhagavan Sri Ram. Symbolically, this incident narrates the greatness of Bhakti. Bharata was the greatest Bhakta of Bhagavan Sri Ram. His Bhakti was unfathomable. There is no

Do Not Buy Or Do These Things On Tuesday As Per Hindu Beliefs

Call it superstition but these beliefs are strong among Hindu communities and it cannot be changed overnight. There is a popular belief among certain Hindu communities that doing or buying certain things on Tuesday will usher in bad luck and it will cause problems in life and home. Do Not Buy These Things On Tuesday Cosmetics are not to be brought on Tuesday. This is because Tuesday is governed by Mangal grah and this fiery planet does not like it. Products made of thickened milk like rabdi or rabri, barfi, kalakand, chena etc should be brought or made in the home. Those food items that are donated should not be eaten by the person donating them. One should not buy black color dress on Tuesday and one should not wear black color dress. Materials made using iron should not be brought on Tuesday. Nail cutter, knife, scissors and sharp objects should not be brought on Mangalwar or Tuesday. Steel should not be brought on the day. Havan should not be performed

Head Of Airavata And Ganesha - Reason For White Head Of Ganesha

There is a story especially in eastern parts of India, which indicates that Ganesha got the head of Airavata, the divine white elephant of Indra, the king of Devas. As per this story, Shiva’s attendant Nandi went in search of a head to fix on Ganesha who was beheaded by Shiva. Nandi roamed around the universe. He went to all the worlds that had the presence of living beings. However, he was not able to get a suitable head for Maa Parvati’s son. Finally, Nandi happened to see Indra's elephant, Airavata, lying down with his head towards north. Nandi attempted to behead Airavata. A fight ensued between the two and soon Indra came to the rescue of his Vahana or mount. Nandi defeated Indra. He then overpowered Airavata and chopped off the head of the white elephant. The head was fixed on Maa Parvati’s son and he became Ganesha. As Ganesha is associated with Airavata, he is also associated with rain, fertility, and prosperity. As Airavata was white in color, Ganesha i

The Death of Queen Satyavati – How Satyavati Died in the Mahabharata?

Satyavati was the wife of King Shantanu and the Queen of Hastinapura. She was the great matriarch of a great dynasty. The death of Queen Satyavati is mentioned in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata. She wanted her children to be the rulers of Hastinapura. So she got Bhishma to relinquish his rightful claim to the throne of Hastinapura. She also made him promise that he will be a celibate. However, she gave birth to two sons who could not take over the kingdom. Chitrangada died in a duel and Vichitravirya was a weakling. He even could not find a wife. Bhishma had to abduct the three princesses of Kashi – Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika – for him to get married. However, he died before fathering her children. With no heir, the kingdom of Hastinapur was on the verge of disintegrating. Bhishma was not ready to break his vow of celibacy. She then took the help of her firstborn son, Sage Vyasa, who fathered Dhritarashtra in Ambika and Pandu in Ambalika. Again, her ambition of having a

The Secret of Success - From the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Chinmayananda talks about the secret of success based on the Bhagavad Gita. A verse from the Bhagavad Gita discloses the secret by which success can be assured for spiritual seekers. ‘To those who worship ME alone, thinking of me alone, thinking of no other, ever self-controlled, I secure that which is not already possessed (yoga) by them, preserve for them what they already possess (kshema)’ (IX:22). If we consider this as a tip for the people who are sweating and toiling in the world, the verse yields a code of instructions by which they can assure for themselves complete success in their life. If a person is capable of maintaining self-willed thought (sankalpa) consistently and with singleness of purpose, he is sure to succeed in any undertaking. But unfortunately, the ordinary person is not capable of channelizing his thoughts. Therefore, his goal seems to be ever receding. Since his goal seems to be ever changing, his determination to achieve a parti