Harita Samhita is an Ayurvedic text composed by Harita, one of the six disciples of Atreya. Harita’s work dates around 1000 BC. The printed edition of the samhita (treatise) consists of seven sthanas (divisions) and eighty chapters in all. The last division is an appendix dealing with earlier medical literature. The first division, which has twelve chapters, is introductory, giving information about food, drink, health, hygiene, tastes and seasonal variations, and medical education. The second division has seven chapters dealing with prognostic details of diseases. The third division has fifty seven chapters. It prescribes treatments for various diseases like dysentery, abdominal tumors, indigestion, loss of appetite, colic pain, anemia, epilepsy, piles, hemorrhage, dropsy, leprosy and insanity. There are also accounts of toxicology, pediatrics, treatment of burns, troubles in pregnancy and puerperal diseases and bone-setting. There is a chapter on virilization also. ...

Narayan Dham near Mahidpur in Ujjain a unique shrine of Bhagavan Sri Krishna dedicated to his eternal friendship with Sudama, also known as Kuchela. The popular belief is that the Sandeepani Ashram in which Krishna studied was located near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Story of  Narayan Dham  Sri Krishna met Sudama for the first time at the ashram of Guru Sandeepani. He was a very poor boy. Soon Krishna and he became thick friends. The education life in Ashram in ancient Hinduism included helping in the household activities of the Guru. As per Srimad Bhagavad Purana, wife of Sandeepani Rishi one day asked Sudama and Sri Krishna to collect firewood. They went into the forest and collected wood. While returning they faced torrential rain. Krishna and Sudama took refuge in a nearby place. It is believed that Narayan Dham near Ujjain is located at the spot. Trees From The Time of Krishna There are some lush greens in the temple complex. Devotees believe that th...

  How to Worship Goddess Bhargavi in Hinduism – A Comprehensive Guide Goddess Bhargavi, often associated with Goddess Lakshmi, is revered as the embodiment of grace, prosperity, and auspiciousness in Hinduism. Worshipping her is believed to bring blessings of wealth, happiness, and spiritual well-being. Here’s a detailed guide on how to worship her in a traditional, eco-friendly manner. 1. Benefits of Worshipping Goddess Bhargavi Wealth and Prosperity : Being the consort of Lord Vishnu, Bhargavi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Her worship is said to bring financial stability. Peace and Harmony : She is also known for bringing peace and harmony into family life. Spiritual Growth : Goddess Bhargavi blesses her devotees with wisdom, spiritual insight, and a calm mind. Health and Protection : Many devotees seek her protection for health, and she is often worshipped for overall well-being and a peaceful mind. 2. Cleanliness and Preparation for Worship Clean the Puja Area : Ensu...

There is a deep connection between Tulsi and Pandharpur Vitthal Devotees. All varkaris wear a tulsi mala and they also carry a tulsi plant to Pandharpur, Aland, Dehu and other holy places associated with Vitthal and Varkari Saints. Wearing a rosary of tulsi beads is of utmost importance to the Varkaris. Vitthala is the child (balasvarupa) Krishna. The tulsi plant is dear to Krishna. So a Varikara must wear a rosary containing a 108 tulsi beads as a pious observance. If the thread of the rosary happens to snap, the staunch Varikara would not have food until the rosary is repaired. There is a touching story about tulsi among the Kunbis (an agricultural community) in Maharashtra. It goes like this: Tulsi was the daughter of a poor brahmana. She had a dark complexion and a brahmana husband was not in her fate. Due to poverty, her hapless father deserted her. The gavali (cowherd) Vithoba offered refuge to orphaned Tulsi. But Rukmini was not happy with Vitthala's overture...

You think of mukti as liberation, but in the spiritual path mukti means not liberation but merger. Just as the water of the river merges in the sea, the Atman (self) within the sadhaka merges in the ocean that is the Atman (Self). The sadhaka attains mukti by losing himself in the ocean of the Atman. (Swami Adbhutananda, the famous unlettered disciple of Sri Ramakrishna) One who makes no distinction of self and other with regard to [one’s] person and possessions, who regards all beings with an even eye and is tranquil of mind, is indeed the best of the godly. (Bhagavata, 11.2.52) According to Vedanta, our predicament is universally like that of the absent-minded person searching frantically for the necklace she/he is wearing. Our real Self is the one thing that we do not know, even though we are largely self-centered beings. Success in the world requires violence, cruelty, falsehood, perjury and treachery. What people do not realize is that such success has a very very sho...

The January 2020 edition of National Geographic Magazine says that the ancient practice of Yoga is not only a fitness regimen, but science shows it is also an antidote to modern stress. Many countries in the world, which are not blinded by faith and religion, see Yoga as a way to reduce stress and enhance health. Yoga is getting increasingly popular and there are over a million videos dedicated to Yoga Youtube. You can read the entire article here on the National Geographic Magazine  2020 Issue. Some excerpts More than 25 years ago, Derke discovered yoga. She was suffering from the searing abdominal pain of Crohn’s disease. Her doctor recommended surgery. Hoping to avoid it, she went to see a cousin who was a yoga master. He taught her the upside-down poses known as inversions. They are said to clear the body of toxins, though there’s no scientific evidence to support the claim. Derke’s symptoms quickly subsided. “Yoga saved my life.  She sees yoga as a way ...

Dialogue is healthy because there is heart to heart connect. However, debate and argument are unhealthy, there is ego, arrogance, misinformation, agitation of the mind and the people involved in debate suffer. We see this daily on our worthless and valueless news channels. Those involved in argument develop blood pressure and heart problems. In a debate, there is the barking of egos. But in dialogue, there is peace, positivity, creativity, and no one gets defeated in a dialogue. It leads to progress. Truth is revealed. Sanatana Dharma promotes dialogue, this is seen in the Upanishads, Yoga Vasistha, the Bhagavad Gita and many other Hindu scriptures. Bhagavan sits with the devotee and has a healthy dialogue. Both bow, sit and discuss. …. To hear the language of love we need to drop a mind that is full of logic. A mind addicted to scholarliness can never hear the language of love. Logic and scholarliness is the product of ego. It gives an aura of superiority – that I am differen...

The love that we see around today is identification and attachment with body and mind. In this kind of love, one constantly strives to own and overpower just like one does when one acquires a property or an object. All the time and effort of an individual is spent on protecting the love or the person and in ensuring that this love is not snatched by some other person. Just like one guards one’s wealth, people guard their love or people they love and ensure they are bound by their love. To call this behaviour love is to make a mockery and insult it. The love we see around is governed by fear, attachment and possessiveness. It is not true love. True love needs sacrifice. It requires us to go beyond our limited notions of ourselves as body and mind. What is commonly seen as love today is just another method of asserting authority. True love is not about difference. It is about oneness. It is not about wanting to possess. It is liberating. Only that person who does not have a fixed...

The annual festival at the Pandalam Mahadevar Temple is observed in Dhanu Masam. It is a ten-day festival. Another important festival is observed on the Thiruvathira nakshatra day in Kumbham month. Mahashivratri is another important festival in the temple. The annual festival begins nine days before the Thiruvathira festival in Dhanu Masam. The festival ends on the Thiruvathira nakshatra day in the month. The festival begins with kodiyettam (flag hoisting). The festivals, pujas and important rituals are held with the help of 12 villages in the region. Kumbha Thiruvathira Observed on the Thiruvathira nakshatra day in Kumbham month, the one-day festival is famous for Thalappoli. Apart from pujas and rituals, the festival is famous for Kettukazhcha. The utsava murti of Mahadeva arrives atop a caparisoned elephant to have darshan of the various Kettukazhcha presented by the 12 villages. Pandalam Mahadevar Temple Important Facts It is one of the oldest Shiva te...

Below are 25 teachings from the Kathamrita of Sri Ramakrishna The goal of human life is to realize God. Lust and greed are maya. Practising truthfulness is the austerity in this Kali Yuga. The scripture, the devotee, and God – are all one. All troubles will cease when the ‘I’ dies. I am the instrument and you are the operator. Not I, not I, but thou, thou. As many faiths, so many paths. Tie nondual knowledge in the corner of your cloth and then do whatever you like. Be a devotee, but don’t be foolish. God is the wish-fulfilling tree. Brahman and its power are identical. The essence of Vedanta is: Brahman is real and the world is impermanent. The essence of the Gita is this: Renounce, renounce. The attached mind is like a box of wet matches. God without form and with form – a both are true. As is a person’s feeling of love, so is one’s gain. Meditate in your mind, in the forest, or in the corner of your room. Dive deep. Satchidananda alone is the guru. Please ...

Going beyond body - Hinduism teachings Our body is our first address. That is where we live, that is what we constantly associate our personality with. Our every action, speech, and thought is centered around our body. When one stands in front of the mirror, it is one’s own body that a person thinks of as one’s personality. Integral to our very existence in this ephemeral world, our body is the ladder to achieving anything, temporal or spiritual. Through this body, we have to toil and achieve our dreams of this mundane world. And it is through this body that we have to attempt to comprehend, contemplate, and realise the beyond. While we seem to have no problem adjusting ourselves to the fact that this body is a tool for achieving things temporal, it is beyond us, to most of us, how this body can be a stepping stone to things spiritual. The first step in understanding that this body can help us comprehend our true nature, our spiritual personality, is to understand that it is a...

When you attempt to forcibly give up the world, you are bound to fail. Get closer to the divine and the world will naturally drop off. All physical and mental efforts to drop of the materialistic world have met with failure. We run away to mountain and forest to lead a secluded life but our mind is ever more wandering in the world. Never attempt to cut off from life at any level. Remain in the current position and attempt to sow the seed of self-realization. You will soon be able to build the hermitage in the current position. There is no far of off place where everything is peaceful for example like a spiritual retreat. Such a place is sold by fake godmen and spiritual marketers. It is just like the tourism advertisement. You go stay and soon you will feel homesick. Your mind will become even more restless. Such places do the job a recreational drug like alcohol, tobacco, caffeine or other similar chemicals. They never provide permanent solution. Life takes us to several...

The procedure of taking sannyasa (renunciation) in Hinduism is found the upanishads like Katha Rudra and Paramahamsa Parivrajaka. The procedures are: Study of Vedas as a celibate student   (brahmacharin) Performance of duties as per knowledge texts like Vedas Marriage, begetting children and providing them with suitable means Permission of elders and members of family for taking sannyasa Resorting to the forest and performing the Agnihotra Yajna for twelve nights Gifts to be offered to a teacher Abandonment of all external symbols like tuft, sacred thread etc and receiving Kashaya vastra (ochre clothes) and a staff from teacher. According to Paramahamsa Parivrajaka Upanishad, these steps are not necessary for a person who is already detached from the worldly life and whose mind is engrossed in Brahman – the supreme truth. Such a person may become a sannyasin at any stage in life and need not perform any ritual for taking to sannyasa.

Right understanding is wisdom, self-realization, and peace. Intellect and cleverness are associated with cunningness and dissatisfaction. The world is today being exploited by clever and intelligent people. They spread the seeds of dissatisfaction. Dissatisfied people are ripened to be exploited, and bend in any way required. The graph of cheating, exploitation, dishonesty, and hypocrisy is moving fast upward because the world is no longer dominated by people with wisdom and true knowledge. It is filled with ruthless educated people who are only interested in hoarding. There is no sharing and caring. Modern education was created not to let man stray into the path of the savage. But in reality, we have become worse than savages and the current education system continues to convert simple and innocent people into experts in exploiting all living beings and nature. Cleverness, intellect and modern education are associated with outward search. It is concerned only with efficiency in ...

Shanmukhi mudra is one of the techniques of hatha yoga, meant for causing the prana (vital air) to reach the brahmarandhra (topmost portion of the skull), to make the mind completely steady and to give rise to nada (subtle sounds), the hearing of which is described as nadanusandhana. Here is a look at the benefits and importance of Shanmukhi Mudra. As mentioned in Darshana Upanishad (VI 32-36), one sits in the swastika posture, inhales deeply, and holds the breath inside (kumbhaka), accompanied by the mula bandha. While doing kumbhaka, the Shanmukhi mudra is employed by covering the openings of the ears by the two thumbs, the eyes by the index fingers, and the nostrils by the remaining fingers. This is said to make the prana reach the brahmarandhra, giving rise to nada, comprising various sounds like that of the sea, the clouds, drums etc. In Hatha Yoga Pradipika (IV 67 – 68), this mudra is called paranagmukhi mudra by the commentator Brahmananda. One is advised to hear the...

Maa Chinnamasta is the sixth among the Dasa Mahavidyas – the 10 Mother Goddess concept in Hinduism and Tantrism. Goddess Chinnamasta is an unusual aspect of Mother Goddess as She cuts off her own head. Chinnamasta Beej Mantra is chanted for sin redemption. Some adepts chant this mantra for victory over all kinds of evil. Chinnamasta Beej Mantra Text in Hindi and English Om Shrim Hreem Hreem Aim Vajra Vairochaniye Shrim Hreem Hreem Phat Svaha ॐ श्रीम ह्रीं ह्रीं ऐं वज्रा  वरिचानिये श्रीम ह्रीं ह्रीं फट स्वाहा  Benefits of Chanting Chinnamasta Beej Mantra She is the vanquisher of all kinds of evil. Those that follow Dharma can invoke her to defeat all kinds of evil around them. She removes the stains of all kinds of sin. It is said she removes the wrongdoings of seven births. She provides refuge those suffering due to the bad activities of other human beings. She provides a clean slate for the devotee to restart life anew. She is the provider of opp...

Here is difference between a true saint and true devotee. The word ‘true’ is purposefully used because the world is filled with duplicate saints and duplicate devotees. Duplicate swamis and devotees not only tarnish the reputation of a religion but also end up hurting the innocent devotee both financially and emotionally. A True Saint A true saint is characterized by detachment. Is convinced that the Lord is within oneself. The Lord has no name or form, nirguna. Liberation is seeing God in one’s heart and everywhere else. Prays for steadfastness of devotion, unwavering mind, release from maya and samsara. Sets an example for others to follow, though oneself has transcended the stage of rituals and prayers. Renounces the world including one’s baggage from previous lives. A True Devotee A true devotee develops attachment to one’s chosen deity. Looks upon the Lord as a separate entity. The Lord has many names and forms, saguna. We may call the Lord by any name. Li...

Queen Madalasa taught the supreme truth of Atman and Brahman to her babies. She told them in her lullabies that they were pure, immortal, and not the body and the mind. She did not shy from using the very words of the Upanishads just because they would not be intelligible to her babies. And what happened? All that wisdom was absorbed by her babies, and when they turned adults, they started a spiritual journey, bereft of worldly attachments, to realise their true nature that was told to them by their mother when they could not even speak. Imagine what would happen if every parent spoke only sensible words to their babies but in parentese, in a manner that their babies would understand! All babies would learn language abilities at a much faster pace and they would learn everything right the very first time. The possibilities are endless. All that the parent wants as basic values that the baby should adopt, could be taught from the beginning. One could say: ‘Speeaak the tr...

The annual temple festival at Kaloor Pavakkulam Sri Mahadeva Temple near Ernakulam is observed in the Dhanu month as per traditional Malayalam calendar followed in Kerala. The annual festival at Kaloor Pavakkulam Sri Mahadeva temple begins ten days before the Thiruvathira nakshatra in Dhanu month. The festival ends on Thiruvathira nakshatra. The annual festival is noted for special pujas, rituals, taking the utsava murti of the main deity outside the temple and presentation of various temple art forms of Kerala. Special Utsava Bali to get the blessings of Upa Devathas and Parivaraprathishtas are conducted on the eighth day. The most important event during the ten day festival is the pakalpooram, which is observed on the ninth day. The procession starts from the Cherathrikkovil Sree Krishna Swamy temple. Every year a Sunday during the festival is dedicated to remembering famous Music Director Sri Raveendran Mash. His songs and compositions are rendered throughout the...

The word ‘jnana’ is derived from the root jna, which means to know, to have knowledge, to become acquainted with, to perceive, to apprehend, to understand, to ascertain, to investigate, to recognise, to regard, or to consider. When the suffix ‘ana’ is added, the resultant word ‘jnana’ means knowledge, knowing, perception, apprehension, understanding, ascertainment, investigation, recognition, or consideration. ‘Jnana’ can refer to both the process and corpus of knowledge. Consciousness can also be referred to by the word ‘jnana’. When taken to mean knowledge, jnana can be broadly categorized into two types: paroksha, mediate and aparoksha, immediate. Paroksha Jnana Any jnana or knowledge that is acquired through some medium like the sense organs or the mind is called paroksha jnana. The perception of any object by the eyes is a paroksha jnana and so is the study of any text or any branch of knowledge. In short, anything that has to be known with the help of the mind is known...

The annual temple festival at Kandiyoor Mahadeva Temple near Mavelikara (Alleppey District), Kerala, is observed in the Dhanu month as per traditional Malayalam calendar followed in Kerala. Kandiyoor Mahadeva Temple Festival 2024 - 2025 date is January 4 to January 13, 2025. The annual festival begins ten days before the Thiruvathira nakshatra in Dhanu month. The festival ends on Thiruvathira nakshatra. The annual festival begins with Kodiyettam or the flag hoisting ceremony. The shrine is traditionally decorated with plantain, coconut leaves, flowers, traditional lamps and lights. Special poojas and offerings are made during the festival period and Annadanam is also organized. Pallivetta is a significant event of the festival and it attracts hundreds of devotees. Traditional performing arts like Kathakali and other events, music and dance are staged during the period. Caparisoned elephants, melam, fireworks and sheeveli are part of the festival. Th...

Shalakya Tantra is a special branch of Ayurveda dealing with the diseases of the parts of the body above the root of the neck. Salakya tantram is called so because there is a general use of shalaka, i.e., rod, stick or probe, in the method of treatment. The diseases dealt under this method are netra rogas (eye diseases), karna rogas (ear diseases), mukha rogas (mouth diseases) ad sira rogas (head diseases). Sushruta mentions 76 types of eye diseases. Lepana (applications of paste), aseyotana (drops), seka (wash), anjana (collyrium), tarpana (saturation), etc., are some methods of treating eye diseases. Karna sula (earache), karna nada (tinnitus), karna srava (otorrhea), karna paka (otitis), badhiriman (deafness), etc., are common ear diseases, and these are treated by fermentation, cleaning, washing, ear drops, and fumigations. Diseases of the nose are pinasa (chronic coryza), purinasya (fetid smell in the nose0, nasa prasosa (dry rhitinis), dipta (acute rhitinis), nasa...

The oldest scripture in the world, Vedas, spread the teachings of equality. Vedas did not spread forced equality but by making each being realize the divine in all animate and inanimate. It is important to note that the people of the Vedic age, in contrary to other later ages, didn’t reject life in fact, They enjoyed life immensely. The Upanishads does advocate human philosophy where there is no renunciation. The spiritual sense of equality was equally important to achieve the goal of universal brotherhood. It is noteworthy that most of the vedic prayer was for collective happiness and goodness. The Yajur Veda says that the entire universe is like a nest. (yathra viswam bhavatheyka needam). So, one should realize the feeling of equality among different persons. It further says that a man should protect the other man from all sides (puman pumaag sam paripaathu viswathaha). To avoid disunity caused by difference of opinions, the Vedas give emphasis to the collective t...

 Worshiping Goddess Kanyaka Parameswari, also known as Vasavi Devi or Kanyaka Amma, is a deeply spiritual practice in Hinduism, especially among the Arya Vysya community. She symbolizes purity, self-sacrifice, courage, and is revered as a protector of dharma and prosperity. Performing her puja (worship) with devotion and environmental mindfulness can bring blessings of peace, prosperity, and protection from harm. Below is a comprehensive guide to worshipping Goddess Kanyaka Parameswari, including benefits, necessary items, and a step-by-step procedure. 1. Benefits of Worshiping Goddess Kanyaka Parameswari Spiritual Upliftment : Helps cultivate inner peace, spiritual growth, and a sense of dharma (righteousness). Protection and Guidance : Invoking the goddess is believed to protect devotees from harm and negative influences. Prosperity and Abundance : She bestows wealth, happiness, and success in endeavors. Emotional Strength : Worshiping her brings courage, stability, and helps in ...

A revolutionary 17 th Century Odia Poet, Salabega was a great devotee of Jagannatha and is a household name in Odisha. Though he was born a Muslim, he displayed great devotion to Jagannatha. It is said Krishna cured the wound of Salabega and Jagannatha waited for his arrival during the famous Ratha Yatra. His life was filled with miracles associated with Lord Krishna. Story Of Salabega Salabega was a highly skilled warrior during his young age and this helped him in joining the Mughal army. He became famous for his exemplary skills with weaponry. Once he was wounded in a war, the doctors expressed their inability to cure him. Unable to endure the physical pain, he broke into tears before his mother, who prompted him to surrender to Lord Jagannatha. Salabega was initially reluctant to follow the Hindu path, but his mother convinced him that if he prayed with sincerity and dedication, he would surely be cured on the 12 th day of his dedicated prayer. And on the 12 th d...

We all know that Bilva leaves are the most important offering to Lord Shiva. But offering Bilva leaves to Goddess Lakshmi and Vishnu is also considered highly auspicious and meritorious. It is said that Indra, the king of demigods, once lost to the Asuras (demons) and to get back his position he worshipped Goddess Lakshmi with Bilva leaves. Pleased with the worship, Goddess Lakshmi helped Indra in restoring his glory and position. Goddess Lakshmi then told the Devas that those who worship me with the auspicious bilva leaves, they will be conferred their lost place along with immense wealth by my grace. In Tirupati Balaji Temple, especially in Dhanur Masa, Lord Balaji is worshipped with Bilva leaves as he holds Goddess Lakshmi in his right bosom. Vaikhanasa Bhrigu Samhita mentions the use of eight types of auspicious flowers for worshipped Lord Vishnu. They are: Nandivardhanam ( Jasmine), Padmam (Lotus), Tulasi (Basil), Vishnu parnika (Orania), Ganneru (ole...

The story ‘show me where god is not’ was told by Dada J P Vaswani. Little Mohan was returning home from the Sadhu Vaswani Gurukul classes. As her turned into the tree-lined quiet lane where his home was, he was singing aloud the song he had learnt at the Gurukul that day. He stopped to pick up a stone and examined it closely; he plucked a leaf to lift the caterpillar that was crawling on the pavement, and put it on the grass verge; he peered into a fluffy winged seed before blowing it away into the air. He climbed a little tree in the neighbor’s garden to peer into a nest and ensure that the younglings of the sparrow were safe inside – and all this, as he was still singing the song aloud. His neighbor called him: ‘Where have you been, Mohan? And what’s all singing about?’ ‘I have been to my Sunday Gurukul classes’ replied Mohan cheerfully, and the song is about God, don’t you know?’ “And what did they teach you in the Gurukul?” “That God is with us, He is wat...

Shri Ganesh tantrik mantra is chanted primarily for achieving desire fulfillment. Day To Chant Ganesh Tantrik Mantra – Wednesday. This mantra is popular in North India. How To Chant Ganesh Tantrik Mantra? The mantra should be chanted before sunrise or after sunset. The mantra should be chanted facing northeast. Place a murti of Ganesha in the northeast. The person chanting mantra should wear saffron color clothes after taking bath. The lamp should be lit using cow ghee, offer modak, light agarbatti, durva grass and lal chandan (red sandalwood paste). The lamp should be kept burning while chanting the mantra. The mantra should be chanted 21 times for 21 Wednesdays. Make a donation related to education to children like books, pen, pencil etc. Ganesh Tantrik Mantra ॐ गणपति यहाँ पठाऊ तहां जावो दस कोस आगे जा ढाई कोस पीछे जा दस कोस सज्जे दस कोस खब्बे मैया गुफ्फा की आज्ञा मन रिद्धि सिद्धि देवी आन अगर सगर जो न आवे तो माता पारवती की ...