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Showing posts from August 17, 2020


Kunti in Mahabharata – Mother of Karna and Pandavas

In the Mahabharata, Kunti is the mother of Karna and Yudhishtira, Bhim and Arjuna among the Pandavas. Kunti was also the sister of Vasudeva, father of Sri Krishna. Kunti was the daughter of King Shurasena and her original name was Pritha. But she was adopted by King Kuntibhoja, cousin of Shurasena. Thus she got the name Kunti. Legend has it that she had once taken care of Sage Durvasa. Impressed by her devotion and service, the sage had given her a secret mantra with which she could invoke any of the Devas. Young Kunti was impatient and wanted to test the mantra. So before her marriage she invoked Surya, the sun god, and Karna was born. Fearing shame and social ostracisation, she floated the baby in a basket on the river. Later, she married Pandu, the King of Hastinapura. Due to a curse, Pandu could not have children of his own and therefore she used the mantra to give birth to Yudhishtira (through Dharma or Yama), Bhim (through Vayu) and Arjuna (through Indra). She

Iru Vinai Oppu – Concept In Shaiva Philosophy

The term iru vinai oppu means equalization of a two-fold deed, for oppu means equilibrium and iru vinai means two fold. It is an important concept in Shaiva philosophy. According to Shaiva Siddhanta, iru vinai oppu means experiencing both pleasure, caused by good deeds, and pain, caused by bad deeds, without any mental fluctuation. The aspirant must maintain equilibrium during both prosperity and adversity. Regarding both joy and pain as alike is the essence of iruvinai oppu. This view has been illustrated – periyapuranam – by devotees of Shiva, who are affected neither by poverty nor affluence. This concept should not be construed as someone doing good and bad deeds and maintaining a balance between them. Also, it is not possible to maintain a state where a good act and a bad act become equal. Again, the concept also means that a great deed and the worst deed yield fruit at the same time. This state, too, is impossible because in such a state each will annul the other, both wi

Symbolism – Sita Taken Away By Ravana And The Spiritual Journey

Kidnapping Mata Sita by Ravana is the most important incident in the Ramayana. For a spiritual aspirant, there is deep symbolism in Ravana taking away Mata Sita as it is similar to a spiritual journey. Mata Sita transgresses the Lakshmana Reka due to ignorance and also due to attachment to social values. Thus she is taken away from Rama – the supreme truth. But Mata Sita soon takes control of herself and engages in the spiritual path until she is united with Bhagavan Sri Rama – the Absolute Reality. This is the goal of every spiritual journey. Every spiritual aspirant makes mistakes during the spiritual journey. But instead of brooding over the mistakes and repeating them, we need to take control of our spiritual journey. In Ashoka Vana in Lanka, she is in the midst of temptations, fear, confusion and non-belief. All these happen to a spiritual devotee too. Temptations will rise until senses are in control. Fear is the product of ignorance that there is a second. Confusion is crea

Overcome Horoscope Problems By Chanting Seven Shiva Names On Monday

There are some hidden secret mantras, and tips in Hindu scriptures, which are highly beneficial. If you are facing problems related to marriage, career or legal due to the bad positioning of grahas in horoscope or janam kundli. Chant these 7 names of Shiva on Mondays. Seven Names of Shiva श्री शिवाय नम : ।। श्री शंकराय नम : ।। श्री महेशवराय नम : ।। श्री सांबसदाशिवाय नम : ।। श्री रुद्राय नम : ।। ॐ पार्वतीपतये नमः ।। ॐ नमो नीलकण्ठाय ।। How to chant the 7 names of Shiva? The names should be chanted early in the morning or during pradosh period. Pradosh period starts 1.5 hours before sunset. Take bath and wear white color clothes. Offer prayers to Ganesha in mind. Light a lamp using cow ghee. Imagine the murti of Shiva or shivling in mind. Offer water to Shivling or murti. Offer white color flowers in mind to Shiva. Offer Bhasma to Shiva in mind. Offer camphor in mind. Offer white kheer to Shiva in mind. Except for lighting the lamp, rest al

Asakti In Hindu Philosophy – Attachment – Inclination Towards Person Or Object

Asakti in Hindu philosophy is the attachment or inclination towards a person or object. Asakti is essential and beneficial in some matters and in some others undesirable and harmful. All noble, sane and good traits of human behavior are useful and conducive to knowledge, meditation, devotion, duty, and attachment to such traits is commendable. But attachment to vices is injurious under all circumstances and in all walks of life. Vices make a person vile and vicious in all respects. Excessive attachment to noble virtues is also however, denounced by the ancient Hindu philosophers. Anasakti or non-attachment is the golden key to a successful life in the world. One can make a bold statement that attachment is human, non-attachment is divine. Non-attachment to noble as well as ignoble causes, especially for the fruit thereof, virtues and vices, even one’s own family members and relations, wealth, name and fame and even to one’s own perishable body, is to be preferred t

Samarth Ramdas Teachings

A small collection of teachings of Samarth Ramdas. Real knowledge is Self Knowledge – Vision of the Self by the Self. Real knowledge consists in knowing God, in recognizing His eternal form, in distinguishing the real from the unreal. Real Knowledge goes beyond the mind, beyond the intellect, beyond all argumentation. It goes even beyond the Beyond, and beyond the highest stage of speech. It is good to give advice to others that they should meditate on the supreme sentence, “That art thou”; but this does not mean that they should take a rosary in their hands and count the sentence in their minds. What is wanted is meditation on the substance of that great Sentence… Difficult indeed is that knowledge by which one attains to one’s Self, to one’s original Form, which is self born and eternal. That indeed is the Form from which all this comes out. That is indeed the Form, by knowing which all ignorance comes to an end. Samarth Ramdas