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Showing posts from August 5, 2020


Story Of Goddess Ira in Hinduism – Mother Of All Plants

As per Matsya Purana, Goddess Ira is the mother of all trees, shrubs and creepers. She is thus the mother of all plants in Hinduism.   Ira, a daughter of Daksha Prajapati, was the mother of three daughters. Her daughters were Lata (creeper), Valli (creeping plants) and Virudha. They became in turn mothers of trees, plants and shrubs. Ira means water and since the vegetable kingdom cannot subsist without water. Ira thus became the mother of all vegetation. Lata created creepers, flowerless plants growing in sandy regions, as well as trees with flowers and fruits. Valli created bushes and grasses of all kinds. It must be noted here that as per Devi Mahatmya (Markandeya Purana 91. 48-49), Goddess Shakambhari is the mother of all plants. She appeared after a severe drought and blessed the earth with vegetation. The same Markandeya Purana (48. 3-26) also suggests that plants and tress appeared from the hair in the body of Brahma. From time immemorial Hindus was h

What Is True Charity As Per Hinduism? – Story Of Golden Mongoose From Mahabharata?

The story of golden mongoose from Mahabharata explains what is true charity in Hinduism. After winning the great war of Kurukshetra in Mahabharata, Yudhishtira performed a splendid ashwamedha yagna (horse sacrifice) at which he feasted innumerable learned men and women and gave them many valuable gifts. Proud and happy, he was sitting on his throne with Sri Krishna near him, when he saw a strange sight. The water with which he had washed the feet of the learned men and women had collected into a big pool. Plunging into it repeatedly was an extraordinary mongoose. It was partly golden and partly grey. People who saw this strange sight wanted to know why the creature was washing itself repeatedly in the pool. The mongoose said: "Now that you ask me, I shall speak the truth, though it may not please you. Listen, there was a man, named Sakritprastha, a man of great austerities. He was living with his wife and son and the son's wife, eking out his livelihood by collecting th

Symbolism Of Gods In Vedas

In the Vedas the rituals are symbolic and so is the language. Sometimes the symbolism is explained in the Vedic literature itself; at other times we have to infer it. All the gods and goddesses in Hinduism represent one divine Power in different aspects; they are different forms of one Reality. As the Rig Veda (I. 164.46) says, the one Sat is described variously by the different sages as Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Yama and so on. The Rig Veda makes it clear (1.164.39) that one who does not know that Sat (Reality) gains nothing by studying the Riks. Agni The Sukla Yajur-Veda (XXXII. 1) declares: That is Agni, That is Aditya, That is Vayu, That is Chandra, That is Sukra, That is Brahman, That is Prajapati. Agni, Indra, Varuna and the other gods, with their various names and forms and functions, represent different aspects of the one Being, the one Principle or Power of Existence. Agni is power appearing as light and heat ; it is also the light of knowledge destroyin

Comparing Human Mind To Honeybee In Hinduism

Comparing human mind to honeybee in Hinduism is very common. Here is look at this teaching. Hovering over trees, shrubs and plants, sniffing and sampling the flowers to check how much of nectar is available there, it lives — the honeybee. Making honey is its mission of life. Its life is a life of constant chase for flowers. This is what takes it to gardens, jungles, shrubs and groves. It keeps buzzing over the flowers and once it settles down on a flower, it is absorbed in sipping the honey. It becomes quiet. No more sound, no more movement, no more anxiety. Sri Ramakrishna, one may recall, used to compare the human mind to a honeybee. As long as the mind is doubtful and undecided, it makes sound. It hops from one object to another, sampling and sniffing various ideas and lines of thinking. Not only that. After ‘gathering’ some ideas, it wants to tell that it has done so. Hence, it keeps shouting its ideas, weighing them, criticizing or praising them— discarding some, retain