Sahasrarjun, also known as Kartavirya Arjuna, is a famous king mentioned in Hindu Puranas and other scriptures. It is believed that Kartavirya Arjuna had thousands hands. There are numerous versions of the story of Kartavirya Arjuna but all stories have one thing in common and that is that he had thousand arms. One of the most popular legends regarding the thousand Hands of Sahasrarjun is that he is an incarnation of the Sudarshana Chakra (Discus) of Hindu God Vishnu. Thus he is a manifestation of Chakradeva on earth to annihilate Adharma. Some scholars suggest that the Sudarshana Chakra has thousand spokes and each hand of Kartavirya represented a spoke in the Sudarshana Chakra. Another legend mentioned in the Ganesh Purana suggests that Sahasrarjun was born without hands. Parents of Sahasrarjun prayed to God Dattatreya for a solution and it is said that Dattatreya blessed the baby with thousand arms. Another popular view is that the thousand hands is a symbol – it...

Origin and Identity: Kharsundi, a revered local deity in Maharashtra, is a manifestation of Lord Shiva, embodying the powerful and protective aspects of the deity. Known primarily as Siddhanath, he serves as a guardian of villages and their wealth, aligning him with the Kshetrapal or protective deities that are integral to the spiritual and cultural fabric of rural India. Kshetrapal deities are believed to ward off evil, safeguard the community, and ensure prosperity. Historical and Cultural Significance: The worship of Kharsundi dates back several centuries and is deeply rooted in the agrarian and pastoral communities of Maharashtra. As a guardian deity, Kharsundi is invoked during critical agricultural activities, festivals, and times of crisis. His worship underscores the ancient belief in the divine protection of natural resources, livestock, and the well-being of the village, reflecting the agrarian lifestyle and the importance of land and wealth preservation in rural societies...

Muneshwara Temple near Shoolagiri in Hosur is famous for driving away evil spirits. There are no huge colorful long rituals here. The priest of the temple merely keeps a coconut on the head of the person possessed with spirits and chants mantras. The New Indian Express reports  Hundreds of devotees who throng the Lord Muneshwara temple near Shoolagiri here have just one thing to ask of their deity: rip out the evil spirits from their bodies.  At the entrance to the temple are 108 idols of Lord Muneshwara, who is believed to ward off evil spirits. There is a large-sized idol of the deity with a machete in hand inside the temple premises.  “I came to know of the temple four years ago from my brother, whose daughter was possessed by an evil spirit. She was cured and recently got married,” said Mahendiran (40), a devotee from Hoskote, Bengaluru.  He also said that in Muneshwara temple, the priest only keeps a coconut on the devotees’ head who stands still a...

People who search for logic and science in everything fail to understand the stories in the Hindu Puranas. Sister Subbulakshmi wrote in the introduction to her Tamil translation of the Bhagavad Gita. Our Puranas have a two-fold significance: the internal and the external; this double approach makes them accessible to all people — people who are in different states of consciousness. If the high truths of Hindu religion were written openly, many people would miss the deep ideas imbedded therein. But when an idea is presented as a story, first it is read and enjoyed, and as one’s mind slowly matures, one begins to seek the truth of the tale. An example from the famous story of Satyavan Savitri: When Satyavan swoons in the forest and Yama appears, Savitri speaks lofty thoughts. There is no trace of fear in her words, nor is Yama described in terms of terror. We recognize the presence of two great souls. This encounter, conveyed in simple, faith-laden words, must have given ...

Shalya was the maternal uncle to the youngest Pandavas, Nakula and Sahadeva. But he was tricked to joining the Kauravas. Shalya, brave and immensely energetic, was like a lion and elephant in valour and only Yudhishthira could kill Shalya in the Kurukshetra war in the Mahabharata. On the eighteenth day of Mahabharata war, Sri Krishna saw that Shalya, the king of Madra, was at the helm of the Kaurava army. He then told Pandavas that Yudhishthira was the best suited to fight Shalya. Why Was Yudhishthira Chosen To Kill Shalya? Within Shalya there lived a demon who fed on bitterness, animosity, hate and violence show to the king. The more aggression the demon was faced with, the more its power increased. The demon fed on the aggression, animosity and anger directed at Shalya. Yudhishthira was not naturally aggressive at all  and when faced by his uncle, he found it difficult to summon up even the small feeling of anger or animosity. Thus even on the battlefield, Yudhis...

Singheshwar Mahadev is worshiped in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the 84 forms of Shiva worshiped in Ujjain. It is believed that worshipping Simheshwar Form of Shiva will help in redemption of sins. Those people who committed mistakes in anger will get relief after offering prayers here. The temple dedicated to Singheshwar Mahadev is located near Chintaman Ganesh Temple complex. This form of Shiva is associated with Goddess Parvati and a lion. Simheshwar Mahadev is counted among the 84 Shiva Temples in Ujjain and it is the 55th temple visited during the parikrama of Shivalayas here. Story of Singheshwar Mahadev Legend has it that once Goddess Parvati performed meditation and intense austerities. This happened after Shiva referred to her as Kali or black. There was intense heat in the three worlds because of this intense austerity. All the living beings were suffering. Brahma then appeared before Goddess Parva...

Kaal Sarp Yog is a very bad Yog in a person’s horoscope as per Hindu astrology. People who believe in astrology perform Kaal Sarp Puja to overcome the problems. It is highly beneficial to perform Kaal Sarp Dosh Puja at Trimbakeshwar Temple as Shiva can remove all that is inauspicious and usher in peace and prosperity. After performing the puja one should take the blessing of Shiva at the shrine. Please note that the Kaal Sarp Puja is not performed in the Trimbakeshwar Temple. It is performed by various pandits in their residence or at a place suggested by them. Or at a place that you suggest. Kaal Sarp Yog happens when all navagrahas or planets or majority of navagrahas are located between Rahu and Ketu. When all the planets are located between moon's north node and the moon's south node Kaal Sarp Yog is formed. Complete Kaal Sarp Yog is formed only when half of the chart is unoccupied by planets. The cost of the puja increases yearly. It will cost around 5000 rupe...

Chandi Sthan at Munger in Bihar is believed to be one of the 52 Shakti Peethas in India . It is believed that when the body of Goddess Sati got decimated, the left eye of her fell at Munger and the place is since then a place of worship of Chandi. The temple is famous for eye cure. The main temple is located inside a small cave, it is said that the cave was built after inverting a big vessel or karahi. Legend also suggests that Ma Chandi Sthan is also known as Vikrama Chandi. It is said King Vikrama, an ardent devotee of Ma Chandi, got his wish of being associated with Her fulfilled and thus the deity came to be known as Vikrama Chandi. The most famous festival observed here is the Navratri (September / October) festival. Puja and rituals are offered to the eye of Goddess Sati. There are also murtis of various forms of Goddess Shakti here. Devotees who have various eye ailments find relief after visiting the Munger Chandi Sthan.

Sri Aurobindo writes in the ‘Author’s Note’ to his Savitri that the tale is one of the symbolic myths found in the Vedic cycle: The tale of Satyavan and Savitri is recited in the Mahabharata as a story of conjugal love conquering death. But this legend is, as shown by many features of the human tale, one of the many symbolic myths of the Vedic cycle. Satyavan is the soul carrying the divine truth of being within itself but descended into the grip of death and ignorance;  Savitri is the Divine Word, daughter of the Sun goddess of the supreme Truth who comes down and is born to save;  Ashwapati, the Lord of the Horse, her human father, is the Lord of Tapasya, the concentrated energy of spiritual endeavour that helps us to rise from the mortal to the immortal planes;  Dyumatsena, Lord of the Shining Hosts, father of Satyavan, is the Divine Mind here fallen blind, losing its celestial kingdom of vision, and through that loss its kingdom of glory.  Still t...

Assi Ghat is located at the southern end of Varanasi at the confluence of Asi River and Ganga River. Thousands of devotees take holy dip here and then offer prayers to a beautiful Shivling consecrated under a peepal tree. Another Shivling that is worshipped here is that of Assi-Sangameshwar – Shiva as the lord of confluence. As per Puranas, Goddess Durga threw her sword here after killing Demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. Another legend has it that during the fight with demons, the sword of Durga struck here and the Assi river sprang forth from the spot. The Ghat is mentioned in Matsya Purana, Agni Purana, Kurma Purana, Padma Purana and Kashi Khanda of Skanda Purana. Tulsidas wrote the Ramcharitmanas here. Thousands of devotee arrive at the ghat to take holy bath in the month of Magh (January - February) and Chaitra (March - April). Makar Sankranti (Jan 14/15) is of importance here. Another important date here is the Hari Prabodhini Ekadasi in November. Apart from this tho...

At the end of their rule, Pandavas decided to retire. It was time for them to bid good bye to civilization. Arjuna died during the final journey of Pandavas and it is mentioned in the Mahaprasthanika Parva. Arjuna 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. Bhima soon realized that Arjuna had fallen and was about die. He asked to Yudhisthira as to why Arjuna had fallen as he had never performed any evil. Yudhisthira told Bhima that Arjuna had reaped the fruits of his actions. He had thought himself to be the best archer in the world. But he was envious of all other archers in the world. His insecurity was his sin. The brothers who had decided to give up all ties climbed the mountain leaving Arjuna behind. Arjuna died soon.

Kripacharya is the first teacher of Kauravas and Pandavas in the Mahabharata. In the Kurukshetra war, he fought on the side of the Kauravas. He was one of the few warriors who returned alive from the war. He is also one of the Chiranjeevi – one of the seven long living people in Hindu Scriptures. He was an honorable member of the royal court of Hastinapura. Note - Kripacharya did not die in the Kurukshetra war. There wa no vadh of Kripacharya or no one killed him. He is immortal as he is Chiranjeevi. He is still alive. Kripa and Kripi, the brother-sister twins of Brahmin parentage had been left in the forest. They were later looked after by Shantanu, king of Hastinapura. Kripacharya was loyal to Duryodhana and functioned as one of the eleven commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army. He entered the war on all days and confronted all great warriors. At the end of the war, on the night of the 18th day, Kripacharya stood as guard as Ashwatthama slaughtered sleeping wa...

Goddess Lakshmi puja on Amavasya (or no moon day) is performed to attain success and profit in business (shops, establishment, company etc). Below is a simple Lakshmi Puja procedure for Amavasya with mantra. Amavasya Lakshmi Puja Mantra ॐ श्रीं हीं क्लीं महालक्षम्यौ नम : Om shreem hreem kleem Mahalakshmayo Namah Amavasya Lakshmi Puja Procedure The puja is to be performed at midnight after 11:30 PM On the Amavasya day wake up at sunrise take bath and offer prayers to Ganesha. Eat simple vegetarian food on the day. Offer green grass to cow. At midnight sit facing the northeast corner of the house or business establishment. Keep an image of Goddess Lakshmi. Light lamp using pure cow ghee. Offer yellow flowers. Offer sandalwood paste. Light natural agarbatti of yellow flowers or sandalwood. Offer yellow color fruit. After this cut a lemon into four pieces, take some mustard seeds and yellow flowers, 29 pepper corns (kali mirchi), and 7 clove. Put them all together in...

We make our life miserable by thinking about losing wealth, house, property, love, reputation, money, dear ones or being overtaken or defeated by others in future. There is no creature that is completely free from fear. Traumatic previous experiences are stored in the memory and under similar circumstances they warn one of the impending danger. There is nothing in this universe that is not fraught with fear. According to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, ‘all fear springs forth from the idea of duality’. What is the way out of fear, then? Detachment is the only force that drives away this fear. Detachment naturally follows from a clear understanding of the transient, impermanent world. One may fear that such practice will make it impossible to carry out worldly duties.  That it is not so is clearly demonstrated by the life and work of Sri Krishna and also a host of kings, householders, and people from all walks of life who attained to the lofty peak of humanity through their ...

Ellora, ancient Elapura, is a village located about 18 kilometer west of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. There are thirty-four rock-cut cave temples which belong to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Hindu Group of Caves in Ellora Rameshwar Cave - Cave 21 Cave 21 is a very important cave in Ellora and from a point of view of Hinduism. It contains exquisite sculptures in the Gupta tradition; and can be dated to the latter half of the 6th century AD. This is the oldest cave in Ellora. The cave is known as Rameshwar cave and it consists of a square sanctum sanctorum with a Shivalinga and a space to go around the Shivling. The walls of the sanctum sanctorum have gigantic doorkeepers flanking the entrance. The right back wall of sanctum has Shiva Parvati playing game of caushar (game of dice) and on the left panel has Ravana shaking Kailasa. The main shrine has a richly carved door frame. The cave has sculpted panels. There is a high pedestal with a white bull N...

Gada mudra is the body markings worn by Lord Vishnu devotees. The body markings are applied with gopichandana or a ball of yellow clay. The clay is rubbed on the palm of the left hand with water to form a watery paste and then applied. The paste is applied curved or straight lines moving upwards (rarely downwards). Gada mudra is worn one on the left side of the stomach, one on the left side of the chest, one on the left shoulder, one on the left side of the neck, one on the forehead. In total five mudras are associated with Gada mudra. The benefit of wearing it is that it enables a person to destroy ignorance. Adopting mudra is not mere convention. These markings ward off sins and make a the devotee pure for subsequent rituals and meditations. The religious significance of mudras are explained in Krishnamrita Maharnava, Sadachara Smriti and Tantrasara (samagraha) of Madhvacharya. Some mudras are only followed by the Madhwa school – followers of Madhvacharya.

Trimurti is the worship of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva together. Trimurti worship is found in many Shiva temples. Trimurti represents the form of three great powers acting jointly – creation, preservation and destruction. Amasumadhdagama and Uttara Karanagama give elaborate descriptions of the forms of Trimurti. The ekapada Trimurti representing a pacific aspect, should be samabhanga (standing erect) with only one leg upon a padma peetha. The color of the deity is crystal clear, and he has three eyes and four arms. The ears may be adorned with kundala (earrings) set with pearls and the head, with matted locks (jata mukuta). From the right and left of this erect figure of Shiva should be seen emerging those of Brahma and Vishnu respectively. In sculpture they ought to be shown above the waist. Brahma should have four faces and four arms. Similarly, Vishnu should have four arms, with the front two folded. The whole composite piece should have a prabha mandala (halo). Another...

Shanta or quietude is one of the nine sentiments described in the texts of classical Indian dance and rhetoric. This sentiment has Shanta (tranquility) as its sthayi bhava. It brings about moksha (liberation). Shanta arises from vibhavas such as knowledge of the truth, renunciation, purity of mind etc. It is represented on the stage through anubhava such as yama (self control), niyama (austerity), adhyatma dhyana (meditation on the self), dharana (concentration), upasana (worship), kindness towards all creatures, wearing suitable attire and so on. Patanjali’s ashtanga yoga (eight-limbed yoga) depicts all the accessories of Shanta rasa. Ashtanga Yoga consists of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dhyana, dharana and Samadhi. All these parts constitute the characteristics of a sage or a saint. The saint-composer of the Carnatic music tradition, Tyagaraja, emphasized the need for Shanta (calmness) in his song opening with ‘Shantamuleka Saukhyamu ledu’ – there can ...

Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal once told a gathering that the true meaning of Jagadguru is one who sees all creation as Guru. During the visit of Kashi in 1933, Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal happened to attend a gathering. Swamigal was then 51 years old. Some people in crowd thought the Swamigal was too young to be called as Jagadguru. As the crowd settled those who were envious of Swamigal put forth the question   - Who is a Jagadguru? Swamigal said I am a Jagadguru. So the egoistic person asked you are the Guru of Jagad (teacher of the world). Swamigal corrected him by this shloka – ‘jagadaam guru na, jagathi bandhyamanaa sarve mama guru.’ No guru of the world, I claim. On the other hand all creatures present in this creation (jagad) are my gurus and hence I am Jagadguru. The translation of the word depends on the person. Jagadguru can be Guru of world or for whom the whole world is a Guru. Swa...

Jaiminiya Srauta Sutra belonging to Sama Veda describes soma rituals in twenty six sections. Srauta means pertaining to Sruti (Veda). Among the books of Kalpa Vedanga (one of the six auxiliary disciplines connected with Veda), Srauta Sutra gives a systematic description of Vedic fire rituals (Srajuta Yagnas). Unlike Shodhasa samskara (in house rituals) described in Grihyasutras, Srauta rituals are performed outside the house in tretagni (three fires0 – Garhapatya, dakshina, and ahavaniya. The seven soma rituals are agnistoma, atyagnistoma, uktha, sodasi, vajapeya, atiratra and aptoryama. The most important among these rites is agnistoma (jyotistoma), which is the prakriti (archetype) containing all details relating to the rituals. Agnistoma is a protracted devotional rite extending over several days. Performed in spring, it forms an essential part of jyotistoma. Hence the text describes this topic in detail first. The details related to the bringing of soma plant and its...

A monolithic sandstone Shivling has been discovered in Vietnam’s Cham Temple Complex which is part of the My Son sanctuary in the Quang Nam province. The Shivling dates back to the 9th century and its excavation is a result of conservation efforts by the Archaeological Survey of India. The fully intact Shivling is part of a complex of Hindu temples which were constructed by the mighty Champa Empire between 4th century AD and 13th century AD in Vietnam. During the 4th to 13th centuries there was a unique culture on the coast of contemporary Vietnam, owing its spiritual origins to the Hinduism. The Hindu temples were constructed over ten centuries of continuous development in what was the heart of the ancestral homeland of the ruling Dua Clan which unified the Cham clans and established the kingdom of Champapura (Sanskrit for City of the Cham people) in 192 AD During the 4th to 13th centuries CE this unique culture, on the coast of contemporary Vietnam, owed its spir...

Kushmanda Devi is one among the nine goddess worshipped during Navratri. She is worshipped on the fourth day of Navratri. Maa Kushmanda is worshipped for achieving success in job related matters. She also helps in achieving desire fulfillment (Kama). Below is Goddess Kushmanda Devi Puja vidhi or procedure along with mantra. This is a simple guide on how to perform Maa Kushmanda Devi Puja and is ideal for performing it at home. Goddess Kushmanda Mantra ॐ कूष्माण्डायै देव्यै : नमः Om Kushmandaye Daivaye Namah When to Perform Goddess Kushmanda Devi Puja? The ideal day to perform the puja: Fourth day of Navratri – Chaturthi Tithi Chaturthi Tithi – the fourth day after Amavasya in a Hindu lunar month. She has control over Surya Navgraha. Worship of her will help in overcoming Surya Navgraha related problems in horoscope. Benefits of Performing Kushmanda Puja She has the power to solve all problems arising in the fifth and ninth house of a person’s horoscope – ...

Ramappa Temple in Warangal district in Telangana is famous for its intricate carvings and sculptures. The Ramappa Temple completed in 1213 AD has a beautiful sculpture of a lady using High Heels Sandal. High heels became popular in Europe only in the early 17 th century. The high heels used were defective and caused severe problems to leg bones and muscles. The raised shoe worn by the woman in Ramappa Temple should be seen as an indication to the development Hindus had attained during the 12 th century AD. The sculpture is outstanding as it shows the movement of leg perfectly. Not to mention the intricate carving, this is beyond any modern day machine cutting technology. Some Other Facts Of Ramappa Temple The temple is known after its sculpture Ramappa. Dancing girls in the temple carved out of black basalt stone is simply amazing. It took forty years to construct the temple and was completed in 1213 AD Shivling made from black basalt is worshipped i...

The Kannada version of Jaimini Bharata was written by Lakshmisha, a devotee of Lakshmikanta of Devanur in Kadur Taluk. Scholars are of the opinion that the poet lived in the 16 th century AD and followed the Smarta Bhagavata tradition. Composed in vardhaka satpadi meter, Jaimini Bharata contains thirty four sandhis and 1,907 verses. The story of Ashwamedha Yagna performed by Yudhisthira is narrated beautifully. The poet makes some changes and adds a few new ideas and stories. Certain stories in Kannada Lakshmisha Jaimini Bharata like those of Yavanasva, Sudhanva, Mayurdhwaj, Viravarma and Chandrahasa are not found in the Sanskrit Jaimini Bharata. King Yudhishthira, unhappy over the deaths of his brother, friends and relatives in the Kurukshetra war, was advised by Veda Vyasa to perform Ashwamedha Yajna (horse ritual). The ritual horse (yajnasava) went from place to place and the army under the leadership of Arjuna followed the horse. There was battle with each of the kin...

Haribhakti Sara of Kanakadasa contains 101 stanzas of Bhaminisapadi (six-lined verse). This work extols the greatness of devotion, self surrender and dedication to the supreme God Vishnu. Haribhakti sara means the crux of Krishna devotion. Haribhaktisara advocates the value of bhakti and vairagya – devotion and renunciation – in the spiritual path of a devotee. The poem contains splendid figures of speech, evoking spiritual thoughts and eternal values. Kanakadasa belonged to the tradition of Haridasa (servant of God) literary movement in Karnataka. Written in simple and spoken Kannada, the composition had universal appeal. In one of his poems in Haribhakti Sara, Kanakadasa prays: “I am a humble non-entity and you are the donor of the entire world. I am without   any wisdom and you are the all influential Lord, granting mukti (salvation) to the devotee.” In another poem in Haribhakti Sara Kanakadasa says, “just as the learned ones bring up a young parrot, teach it and ple...

Sadgati Vratam is performed on the eighth day during the waxing phase (Shukla Paksha) in a Hindu lunar month and is dedicated to Lord Brahma. The Vrata is broken at night. People perform this Sadgati Vrata for a year is believed to attain material progress similar to Indra – the king of Devas. When Sadgati Vratam is observed on the eight day during the waxing phase of moon in the Poush Month (December – January), it is known as Maha Rudra Vratam. If Maha Rudra Vratam falls on a Wednesday it is considered even more auspicious. Other deities that are worshipped on the day include Budha or Mercury. A devotee observing the Sadgati Vratam usually eats only a little cooked rice on the day of fasting. The story associated with Sadgati Vratam is listened to or read on the day.

When an external factor affects our peace, we must disassociate from those factors. But we do not do it because secretly we enjoy them. We want to be part of it, even after clearly know that it is doing no good to our life. For few minutes of pleasure or fame, we tolerate this external factor. When we are not ready to disassociate, we lose the right to complain. We want the crown to be on the head and then we also want to complain about its weight. Develop courage, fortitude and determination to throw out all those people, relations, thoughts, ideas and beliefs doing only harm to us. Be wedded to stimulating and inspiring things that takes us more towards peace and prosperity. Happiness and misery are our creations. Do not blame God for our bad decisions and thoughts. We all need someone to blame. And the best suited one for the job is God. We start business, job or relationship after doing prayers and puja etc. The decision is ours but we believe God is implementing it for us a...

Hamsa Yoga is an important planetary combination in predictive astrology. Hamsa yoga occurs when planet Guru (Jupiter) occupies a Kendra (quadrant) house from lagna, the ascendant or the first house in the natal chart, which must be in its own or mulatrikona or exalted sign. Since Jupiter owns two sings, Sagittarius and Pisces, it attains mulatrikona in Sagittarius but exaltation in Cancer; and its presence in these signs must be in a Kendra. First, fourth, seventh or tenth house in the natal chart from the lagna constitutes the celebrated Hamsa yoga. The classical text states that a person having Hamsa yoga will be virtuous, wealthy, happy, honored by king, devoted to gods, preceptors, teachers and learned people. He will have sweet voice, will be handsome and will live a long life. Besides he will be liberal and famous. He will also be of refined taste and noble temperament. But he would suffer from excess of kapha humor. In short, this yoga accrues when Jupiter is in Sagi...

Paryayaratnamala or Ratnamala by Madhavakara is a famous ancient Ayurveda dictionary. This medical lexicon in ancient India incorporates numerous words of common parlance about medical plants and drugs. It has also appended to itself a section on homonyms as well as another on ‘mana’ measures, including definition of certain technical terms of frequent occurrence. The author Madhavakara was the son of Indu Kasa, the celebrated author of Raghviniscaya, popularly known as Nidana. Ganganatha is of the opinion that since Nidana was translated into Persian at the time of Harun-al-Rashid in the 8 th century AD, Madhava must have flourished during the 7 th century AD or earlier. Joley conservatively places the time period of Madhavakara in the 9 th or 8 th century AD. In Paryaya Ratnamala synonyms are presented in shlokas, ardh ashlokas, padas and padardhas. The homonyms are presented in three ways: Words having a single additional meaning each, indicated by the partic...

Prayag in Uttar Pradesh is one of the holiest places in Hinduism. Religious importance of Prayagraj stems from the fact that it is the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati Rivers – Triveni Sangam. In Hindu religion, there  are numerous other spiritual importance to the place. Prayag means ‘place of sacrifice’. Legend has it that Brahma performed Ashwamedha Yajna here to celebrate the recovery of Vedas from Demon Hayagriva by Lord Vishnu. Prayagraj is also said to be the navel of earth. After the Samudra Manthan, or churning of ocean, when the Amrit, or elixir of life, was carried around the earth, few drops fell at Prayag and there for Kumbha Mela is organized here once in twelve years. As per Hindu scriptures, Prayag will be the only place to survive after the Mahapralaya, the great deluge, which will end one cycle of creation. Due to these and several other reasons, Prayag is known as Tirtha Raja or the King among Tirthas.

The Ramayana narrates a highly educative story in its last canto on the dangers of vanity of power and position. Once, a dog came to the palace of Sri Ramachandra (Lord Ram) seeking justice. The dog sustained severe injury of a blow on the head. On enquiry he told that a brahmana of high birth had hit him in an angry mood. The man was summoned, and he confessed his sin. An ideal king that Sri Ramachandra was, he sought the plaintiff ’s opinion on the verdict of punishment. The dog humbly implored that the brahmana be made the chief administrator of a certain monastery named Kalanjara. All the courtiers of the palace were struck with wonder at the liberality of the dog and could not check the temptation of asking the reason thereof. The latter explained that he himself adorned that post in his last birth. He was an honest person, pious, and possessed of many qualities of the head and heart. Yet unfortunately he fell prey to delusion and went the wrong way. As an ...

Kashi, or Varanasi or Banaras, is of great importance in Hinduism as it is one of the holiest cities. It is believed that God Shiva founded that Varanasi city. As per Skanda Purana, Kashi rests on the point of his trident. It is His permanent earthly abode and He is always present here. The spiritual importance of Kashi is found in the Kashi Khanda of Skanda Purana. In the chapter, Shiva tells his son Skanda, or Kartik, that the three worlds form one city of mine and Kashi is my royal place in the city. When there is an end to one cycle of creation through pralaya or great deluge, Kashi is the place from where the next cycle of creation begins. The most important temple dedicated to Shiva, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, is located on the banks of Ganga in Kashi. Did you know? The fourth khanda in the Skanda Purana is the Kashi Khanda, which has 11,000 verses in praise of Kashi, the nagari of Shiva. Shiva told Lord Vishnu that Kashi perpetually remains in Satya Yuga....

As per Hinduism, Brahmaputra River is a unique river as it is one of the rare holy rivers in India that is worshipped as a God and has a male name. Majority of the holy rivers in Hindu Religion are worshipped as Goddesses and has a female name like Ganga , Yamuna, Saraswati, Kaveri etc.  Brahmaputra is called the son of Brahma and has its source near the Lake Manasarovar in Mount Kailash . The legend associated with Brahmaputra is found in the Hindu Holy Scripture, Kalika Purana. Story Of Brahmaputra River In Hinduism Legend has it that Brahmaputra was the result of Lord Brahma’s desire to give birth to a son who will help humanity. For this he chose Amogha a pious woman. After the child was born he was placed near Kailash Mountain . Suddenly the child transformed into a huge body of water for the benefit of humans, saints and Devas (Demigods). A river that started to flow from the large water body was named as Brahmaputra . Updated Information on Brahmaputra i...