At the end of their rule, Pandavas decided to retire. It was time for them to bid goodbye to civilization. Bhima died during the final journey of Pandavas and it is mentioned in the Mahaprasthanika Parva. Bhima followed his wife, Draupadi , and brothers to the great snow-clad mountains in the Himalayas. Draupadi slipped and fell as they started climbing the Himalayas. Sahadeva fell next and died. Third to fall was Nakula. Arjuna fell next. And it was Bhima who fell next. Bhima soon realized that he was about die. He asked to Yudhisthira as to why he had fallen as he had never performed any evil. Yudhisthira told Bhima that he had reaped the fruits of his actions. Gluttony was his sin. He always ate without thinking about others. He never served others before eating. Yudhisthira who had decided to give up all the ties climbed the mountain leaving Bhima behind. Bhima died soon.

The concept of Ganpati as a leader of the Ganas is found in the Vedic literature. Even today some of the Vedic hymns, such as ‘Gananam twa ganapatim havamahe’ of Rig Veda are included in ritual worship of Ganesha. Some scholars trace the origin of Ganesha to Vedic Brahmanaspati or Brihaspati , god of knowledge. In a collection of Vedic Mantras in Taittiriya Aranyaka there is a mystic prayer addressed to God Dantin. The mantra is - tatpurushaya vidmahe vakratundaya dhimahi tan no Dantih Prachodayat – x.1.5. (Alice Getty in her book Ganesha). Danta (he of the tusk) seems to refer to the elephant-faced god, the mantra comes in the suite of mantras addressed to two deities, Kartikeya and Nandi. N.P.Joshi in his Bhartiya Murti Shastra states that Ganesha as a god is very clearly mentioned in the Ganesha Gayatri in Maitrayani Samhita or in Ganpati Atharvashirsha. This means Ganapati was known to literature and scripture before the advent of modern calendar era. In

Butter is an important offering to Hanuman. In some temples, the murti (idol) of Hanuman is completely covered in butter from top to bottom. So why is butter offered to Hanuman? Hanuman carried Sri Ram on his shoulders during the Ram Ravana war in the Ramayana. When Ravana was not able to defeat or injure Sri Ram, he directed his arrows and other weapons against Hanuman. Hanuman was injured because of the attack by Ravan. When the war was over for the day, Bhagavan Sri Ram used to nurse his beloved Bhakta Hanuman. Bhagavan used to apply butter on the body of Hanuman to cool and heal the wounds caused by weapons hurled by Ravana . This is the reason why we see murtis of Hanuman covered in butter. Related Why Hanuman murtis (idols) are painted red?

Mountains are an important part of Hinduism and many Hindu temples are atop mountains. There is deep symbolism in this. So if you ever wondered why many Hindu temples are on mountains blow is the answer. The reason why several Hindu temples are on mountaintops is because a devotee has to undertake penance and undergo the purification process before reaching God. Hindu temples are centers of self-realization. Shiva resides atop the Kailash Mountain. Goddess Durga resides on mountain. Vaishno Devi gives darshan atop a mountain. Some of the most important sacred places in Hinduism are in the Himalayas. Many of the temples in South India are on top of mountains including the world famous Tirupati Balaji temple. The temples of Ayyappa and Murugan in South India are on mountain tops. Climbing the mountain symbolically represents shedding all negativity and lower level of thoughts. Desires, ego, hatred, violence, lust… have to be dropped one by one before we reach the temple. As we

A tapasvi is a holy person who attains spiritual powers by leading a life of austerity and tapas (penance). Kuta Tapasvi is a person who pretends to be a tapasvi but in reality is very far from it. In the field of Yoga we sometimes come across rogues who cheat others, with false promises or tall claims. Such deceptive gurus are described as Kuta Tapasvi. Daksha Smriti (VII 37-38) describes fake yogis in this way: “They go on discussing how they extract money from men in power like government officers and administrators, how they earn favors from the rulers under various pretexts. Among those who come into their contact, they spread envy and conflict. They encourage disciples to flock round them for their own selfish motives.” A Kuta Tapasvi is however the exception rather than the rule. It is because of this, that genuine yogis and spiritual discipline has been cherished for centuries. About such true yogi Daksha Smriti states: The place where a true yogi resides become

Pukhraj Ratan Puja should be performed on Thursday. Here is a brief description on pukhraj ratan dharan vidhi. There is also a secret effective method to get early benefit from pukhraj. Secret Effective Way To Get Early Benefit From Pukhraj Before wearing pukhraj ring place it on a male sponge gourd flower. Apply some chandan and chant the below given mantra 108 times. Take the male sponge gourd flower and put the pollen of it on a live female sponge gourd flower. Om  Brim Brihaspataye Namah (ॐ  ब्रिम बृहस्पतये नमः ) You can wear this ring and it will give you 100% results. Sponge gourd is known as Ghia Torai, Palo, Neyangnattakolu, Bhatkakrel, Aibhi, Thuppada Heere. When to do Pukhraj Ratan Dharan Puja? The puja should be performed on Thursday between 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM or 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. It is performed on Thursday because Pukhraj is associated with Shukra or Venus. In Hinduism, Thursday or Guruvar is dedicated to Brihaspati. Items needed while doin

Sri Krishna Dwadashi (also known as Vasudeva Dwadasi) is an auspicious date dedicated to Hindu God Krishna and is observed in the Ashada month in  North India . Sri Krishna Dwadashi 2023 date is June 30. It is falls on the 12th day, or Dwadasi day, during the Shukla Paksha, or waxing phase of moon, in Ashada month. It is believed that observing this ritual will result in childbirth in the family. Importance of Vasudeva Dwadashi is found in the Varaha Purana. Deva Rishi Narad mentioned about this vrat to Vasudeva and Devaki (father and mother of Sri Krishna). This Dwadashi is highly meritorious and is observed by different names throughout  India . It marks the beginning of the Chaturmas Vrat. The previous day is known as Dev Sayana Ekadasi. The day is dedicated to Bhagavan Sri Krishna - the Vasudeva form of Krishna is worshipped on the day. Visiting Krishna temple and chanting the names of Sri Krishna or reading the Srimad Bhagavata Purana chapters dedicated to Krishn

Looking at the alarming rate of deforestation, I feel our forefathers should have made all the trees and plants sacred. This is because people are scared to cut sacred trees. “One needs to take permission from the tree before cutting it. Also the permission of the birds that have made their nest on the tree.” This is no joke but our forefathers did pujas before cutting a tree. There are also several stories related to the ‘tree spirit.’ The whole life of these trees are spent in service. With their leaves, fruits, flowers, branches, roots, fragrance, sap, bark, wood, and finally even their ashes as coal, they exist purely for others. (Srimad Bhagavatam) Kamala Vasudevan writes in Deccan Herald: The sacred dimension of the tree is often represented by the tree growing on the top of the holy mountain, placed at the centre of the universe. Holy waters flow from the mountains nourishing the earth and all living beings, both physically and spiritually. With

From The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2013), 1.336–37. - We Need To Realize Our Inherent Divinity  Many years ago, I visited a great sage, a very holy man. We talked of our revealed book, the Vedas… and of revealed books in general. At the close of our talk, this good man asked me to go to the table and take up a book; it was a book which, among other things, contained a forecast of the rainfall during the year. The sage said, ‘Read that.’ And I read out the quantity of rain that was to fall. He said, ‘Now take the book and squeeze it.’ I did so and he said, ‘Why, my boy, not a drop of water comes out. Until the water comes out, it is all book, book. So until your religion makes you realize God, it is useless. He who only studies book for religion reminds one of the fable of the ass which carried a heavy load of sugar on its back, but did not know the sweetness of it.’ Shall we advise men to kneel down and cry, ‘O miserable sinners that we a

Chaturmas Vrat, or Chatur Masam or Chaturmasya or Chatur Maas Vrat, is observed for a period of four months and it begins from the day after  Deva Sayana Ekadasi in Ashada month and ends on Utthana Ekadasi in Kartik Month. Chaturmas 2023 dates are from June 30 and ends on November 23. It is of great importance to many Hindu communities. The months are dedicated to prayers, rituals and worships and therefore marriages, griha pravesh and other similar functions are not observed. Chaturmas is ignored in Kerala and to a certain extent in Tamil Nadu. Chaturmas begins on the Ekadasi day in Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashada and ends on the Ekadasi in the Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik. The Four Holy Hindu Months of Chaturmas The four months are: Shravan  Bhadrapada Ashwin  Karthik  It is believed that celestial beings and saints do not move around in the universe. They stay stationed at one place and perform Tapas and intense austerities. There is popular belief th

Do your duty or dharma without fear or selfishness irrespective of the environment, or situation is an important teaching in Hinduism. This aspect is explained beautifully through the below story. A saint was taking a bath in a river. His disciple was sitting on the bank of the river watching the saint and taking care of his belongings. The saint’s belongings were a mala (prayer beads) and a bowl for drinking water and begging. A scorpion came floating by, struggling for survival. The saint put his hand under it so that it could sit and be safe. He started moving toward the riverbank to release it. After a minute the scorpion had dried up a little from the warmth of the hand and it felt alive again. It lifted its tail and stung the hand of the saint. Although it was painful, the saint did not throw the animal off. He kept it in his hand and continued walking. Even when the scorpion stung again the saint did not throw it off. He waited until he reached the riverb

Dates of important upcoming festivals and fasting associated with Hinduism in July 2020 – based on major Hindu calendars and Panchang used in India. The festivals, Vrats and ritual days are based on Indian Standard Time (IST). July 1 – Ekadasi Fasting – Devshayani Ekadasi July 1 – Ashadi Ekadasi July 1 – Gauri Vrat begins in Gujarat July 2 – Chaturmas Begins July 2 – Pradosh - Vaman Dwadashi - Sri Krishna Dwadashi July 3 – Jaya Parvati vrat begins in Gujarat July 4 – Kokila Vrat July 4 – Purnima fasting July 5 – Gauri Vrat ends in Gujarat July 5 – Guru Purnima - Vyasa Puja July 5 – Shirdi Sai Baba utsav in Shirdi July 6 – Shravan month begins in North India July 6 – Shravan Somvar Vrat in North India July 6 – Ashunya Shayan Vrat July 6 – Hindola begins in Gujarat July 7 – Mangala Gauri Vrat in North India July 7 – Jaya Parvati Vrat Jagran July 8 – Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat - moonrise 9:32 PM July 10 - Manasa Devi Puja in Bengal July 12 – Bhanu Sap

Symbolically, the kapala or skull in the hands of Shiva represents   all the world which remains in his hands. There is a story that explains this symbolism. The story of creation from thigh of Shiva is found in the Kathasaritasagara. Once at the end of Kalpa (a cycle of creation) a great deluge happened and the earth was covered with water. Now it was time for next cycle of creation to begin. Shiva then cut open his thigh and dropped a drop of blood in the water and it turned into an egg. Breaking it open a male emerged from it. Seeing him Shiva created Prakriti, the female principle. Both created prajapatis, the progenitors. They gave rise to Praja, living beings.  Being ancient among them all the creation the very first man became known in the world as Pitamaha, supreme father. His mind was filled with pride for his act of creation of the world As per Kathasaritasagara, this account was given by Shiva in the cremation ground in Ujjain. Related Chandi

Purandaradasa (1484 AD – 1565 AD) was a Vaishnava poet, saint, social reformer and a renowned composer of Carnatic music. His life story is the journey of a miserly wealthy merchant to renowned saint poet. As per history, Purandaradasa was in the beginning a wealthy and miserly merchant. His was known then as Srinivasa Nayak. Srinivasa Nayak had attained the title of Navakoti Narayana as his wealth was worth 90 million (9 crores). One day, a poor Brahmin approached Srinivasa Nayak and requested him financial help to conduct the sacred thread ceremony of his son. Srinivasa Nayak refused to help the poor man, despite his several pleas. In despair, the poor man approached Saraswati, wife of Srinivas Nayak. She was a pious and devout wife. She helped the poor man by giving him her nose stud. The poor man took the nose stud to the ornament shop of Srinivasa Nayak to sell it to raise the money required for thread ceremony. Srinivasa Nayak recognized the nose stud and

There was an assembly of saints who used to ask questions, and one man used to play the wise guy and answer the questions. When he was asked under which circumstances it is okay to tell a lie, he told the following story. There was a man who followed dharma by following honesty and truthfulness. All his life he lived in a hut near the village practicing dharma. He spend his time meditating, reading or helping others. He never spoke a lie and never did anything wrong. One day he saw a cow running. She passed his hut and disappeared into the jungle. After a few minutes some people came with swords in their hands. They were searching for the cow and wanted to slaughter it. They knew the honest man never spoke a lie and asked him if he had seen a cow passing by. He said he had, but when they asked him which direction it had gone, he pointed in two opposite directions. The butchers could not understand him and they left. A little later one of them came back and asked w

The story of origin of Nalayira Divya Prabandham is associated with the Mudal Azhwars. It is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses (Nalayiram in Tamil means 'four thousand') composed by the 12 Azhwars. Mudal Azhwars are divine beings as they were not born in a womb. Once, Poigai Azhwar was going on a pilgrimage to Tirukkovalur. It was night time and it started raining profusely. He took shelter at the Ashram of Mrigandu Maharishi. The shelter he found was very small. A couple of hours later the second of the Mudal Azhwars, Bhutatt Azhwar also arrived there seeking shelter from heavy rain. Soon the third Alwar, Peyazhwar also came and stood with the other two Alwars. The small space could only hardly accommodate the three of them. Suddenly they felt the presence of someone else. In order to see the fourth invisible person, Poigai Azhwar lit a light by singing his divine song (prabandham) starting with ‘Vaiyam Thagalia’. The second Azhwar lit second light

Sri Rama is one of the 63 salakapurushas (great personalities) in Jainism. The various Jaina Ramayanas or other works about the life story and deeds of Lord Ram are interesting and differ here and there only in minor details from Valmiki Ramayana. Rama is called Padma (lotus flower) in Jaina Texts. The various Jaina Puranas and poetic works deal with Rama’s story or make references to it. Among the famous Jaina works about Rama are the Padma Purana in Sanskrit by Ravisena (677 AD), Paum Cariyu by Vimal Suri in Prakrit (1 st century AD), Paum Cariyu in Apabhramsa by Swayambhu, Rama Purana in Sanskrit (16 th century AD), Rama Charitra in Sanskrit (14 th century AD), Rama Purana in Kannada by Padmanabha (1580 AD), the Ramayana in Kannada by Kumudendu (1257 AD). Jainism depicts Dharma of Lord Rama as dharma in Jaina Dharma. King Dasharatha and King Rama are at various place shown as being initiated or are willing to be initiated as Jaina ascetics. Though Ravana is al

Kuresha who lived during the 11 th century AD was a Vaishnava poet. He hailed from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. His parents were Ramamisra and Perundevi. His first name was Srivatsanka Mishra. Kuresha was one of the earliest disciples of Sri Ramanujacharya. He accompanied Sri Ramanuja to Kashmir, when his teacher wished to secure from the Saradapith, center of learning associated with Adi Shankara, the manuscript of a theistic interpretation of Brahmasutra (aphorism on Brahman Reality). The authorities of Saradapith did not allow the book to be taken away. However, Kuresha memorized its contents and reproduced them, when Ramanuja was writing his commentary on Sutras. Blinded By Ignorant King During a period of religious intolerance, Kuresha was asked to acknowledge that there is none greater than Shiva. Attempting to highlight the folly of trying to limit the limitless God, Kuresha replied, “Drona is bigger than Shiva” – punning on the fact that drone and siva are also m

Mother Goddess Shakti, who is Devi And Sarvamaya, she never abandons her good children. Below is a powerful Sarva Karya Siddhi Mantra dedicated to Devi – the Mother Goddess. Sarva Karya Siddhi Mantra ॐ  ऐं सर्वकार्यसिद्धि कुरु   कुरु स्वाहा Om Aim Sarvakaryasiddhi Kuru Kuru Swaha How To Chant The Mantra? The mantra is to be chanted on Tuesday and Friday. It should be then chanted for 41 Tuesday and Friday – on Tuesday and Friday for six weeks. Wake up before sunrise and after taking bath offer prayers to Ganesha and Surya. Light a lamp in the northeast corner of the house. Meditate of Goddess for few minutes. Chant the mantra 108 times. Put off the lamp. Donate food for animals on any Tuesday or Friday of the week.

Again, O mighty armed, listen to My supreme word, which, wishing your welfare, I declare to you, who are rejoiced (to hear Me). (Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10 Verse 1) Sri Krishna’s words are nothing but the unsurpassed Truth. And Truth can never be heard too often. So, although the same Truth has been revealed by Sri Krishna again and again, once more, in His great compassion and love for Arjuna and for all humanity, He repeats it in a different way. It is because the Lord is ever watchful over His devotees and loves them so dearly that He never tires of teaching them. And to Arjuna, especially, the Lord is constantly giving advice because Arjuna received His words with such great joy. It is for that reason, says Sri Krishna, that He is teaching him. No teacher can give the best in Him unless He has disciples to appreciate and understand Him. When the disciples drink in the words of the guru as immortal nectar, then Truth flows from the teacher as from a perennial spring. The re

The abhishekam of the main deity in the Tirupati Balaji Temple is performed using the water from the Akasha Ganga in Tirumala. There is story which explains the origin of Akasha Ganga and it also explains the importance of unwavering devotion as Tirumala Nambi had darshan of Lord Venkateshwara. Srisaila Purna, the main priest of Tirupati Temple, used to get sacred water to perform daily Abhishekam of Lord Venkateswara Swamy with utmost devotion from Papanasana Theertham as per the Instructions of Yamunacharya. The Papanasana Theertham was quite far away and Srisaila Purna found it difficult to carry the holy water.  One day when Srisaila Purna was returning with water for Abhishekam, a thirsty tribal person belonging to Boya (hunter) clan met him. The thirsty hunter requested for water but Srisaila Purna was not ready to give water meant for Abhishekam of Balaji. The hunter kept on requesting for water and Srisaila Purna kept denying as he had no energy to go ba

Kuvalayavali was the queen of King Aditya Prabha and through ferocious rituals she became a Dakini – female ghoul. This story is found in the Shashta Taranga of Tritiya Lambaka of Kathasaritsagara. Queen Kuvalayavali became a Dakini by learning Dakini Vidya and by performing certain terrible rituals. Dakini rituals imparted to her by her teacher Kalaratri refer Bhairava worship. One day king Adityaprabha, returning from his hunting expedition in the forest, entered his living quarters. There he found his queen Kuvalayavali performing certain ritual. The stark naked queen was sitting in a magic circle (mahamandala) strewed with various colored powders, her hair standing on end and lips trembling in muttering charms. She was offering the oblation of blood, liquor and human flesh. She told the king that she was performing this ritual only for his welfare. She explained to him how, when she was a virgin, she saw her friends flying in the air. One being asked they told he

The dried long pepper or pipli is widely used in Ayurveda and is known to have numerous benefits. Long pepper is known as   ‘Theekshna thandulu’, ‘Vushana’ and ‘Kana’ in Sanskrit because they are pungent, create heat in the body, and looks like small slate pencil respectively. This belongs to ‘papiliyonesi’ tree segment and its biological name is ‘piper lamgam’. Indian Long Pepper Benefits Sneezing One gram of the long pepper powder mixed in 100 ml of lukewarm water should be taken every day early in the morning to increase body resistance, thus reducing the allergic symptoms of the body. This will reduce sneezing. Worms in children Depending on the age of the child, mix a small quantity of long pepper powder in honey and serve it once or twice a day to provide good health to them. The small intestinal worms, white germs in the stomach will be killed by this treatment and digestion in children improves. Long term fever Make a powder of 50 grams of long pepper powder

In Kali Yuga, people give prime importance to money and property. Majority of problems revolve around wealth. Here is a rare Shiva Kuber Mantra to solve money related problems. Rare Shiva Kuber Mantra ॐ  श्रीं श्री ययै शिव कुबेराय श्रीं   ॐ   नम : Om Shreem Shri yayai Shiva Kuberaya Shreem Om Namah How To Chant The Mantra? The mantra should be chanted for 41 consecutive days. The mantra can be chanted by men and women on all days. One should begin chanting mantra from a Monday. Take bath in the morning and offer prayers to Ganesha and Surya. Light a single lamp on the east side of the house or shop. Chant the mantra 108 times. The diya should be put off after completing the mantra. A tree or plant should be planted on all Mondays during the 41 days. Feeding animals should be done on all Saturdays. You might like to read about Uses of Swastik In Hindu Religion

Life is happy or miserable it depends on our attitude. To an optimist there is opportunity even in the toughest of the toughest situations. To a pessimist there is a problem even in the happiest of the happiest situation. Life is hard during financial problems, ill health and death. If we are prepared to live a simple and healthy life then we can keep out financial problems and ill health to an extent. Death of friends and family members cannot be avoided. For this, we need to have a proper spiritual understanding of life. When we have bad things in life instead of brooding and comparing our life with that of others we need to see positive things. Stop comparing our life with that of others. When we are down financially or with ill health instead of making matters worse with a negative spin, evaluate the situation in a positive way and search for methods to get out of it. We need to understand that life is not always about excitement, achievement and enjoyment. There w

Elephanta Caves represents Hindu religion related sculptural art at its best. What Artistically and stylistically, the sculptures and the caves can be ascribed to the Kalachuri Kings (600 AD), who were staunch devotees of Hindu God Shiva. This small group of seven Puranic caves is of great importance to Hinduism for its sculptures of exceptional grandeur. The caves are home to Trimurti Shiva – three headed bust of Shiva. The pain, the effort and the struggle Hindu sculptors undertook to give form to the formless is simply awesome. No words are enough to define the beauty and craftsmanship of the sculptures in the caves. Shiva as Mahayogi In Elephanta Caves Elephanta caves, locally known as Gharapuri (city of forts), is a small island, nine kilometers west of city of Mumbai. The caves are reached by boat in about an hour from the world famous Gateway of India. How Elephanta Caves Got Its Name? When the Portuguese captured Mumbai from the king of Gujarat, they named i