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Showing posts from August 31, 2020


Euthanasia in Hinduism – Ancient Hindus Had Practiced It

Oxford dictionary gives the meaning of Euthanasia as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. Ancient Hindus had practiced euthanasia and even today, many realized Hindus perform it without making a fuss about it. You will find Hindus who have retired to the Himalayas and dense forest for the purpose but they do not advertise it. Euthanasia in Hinduism should be interpreted on two levels. Four Stages of Life in Hinduism Brahmacharya Grihastha Vanaprastha Sanyasa When Does a Hindu Willingly Give Away Life In Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), when a healthy person feels that the person has done with the purpose of life in society, they walk into a forest or secluded area to let go of the body. This is known as Vanaprastha. Vanaprastha was practiced by the Pandavas, Dhritarashtra, Kunti, Gandhari and Vidura in the Mahabharata. Bhagavan Sri Ram and Lakshman had performed Jal Samadhi (death through water)

Utpaladeva – Teacher of Kashmir Shaivism

Utpaladeva, also known as Utapalacharya, is associated with Kashmir Shaivism as an exponent of what is known as recognitive school of Kashmir Shaivism. He was the teacher of Abhinavagupta’s instructor, Lakshman Gupta, and a true disciple of Somananda. According to the tradition, Utpaladeva lived near Vicharnaga, to the north of Srinagar, and belonged to the end of the 9 th and first half of the 10 th century CE. He has written a number of treatises, but, unfortunately many of his works are lost; those surviving include Ajadapramatrsiddhi, Ishwarasiddhi, Sambandhasiddhi and the commentaries on the later two works. His commentary on Shivadrishti is available (1 to 4 ahnika) only in part. This commentary was written at the request of his own son Vibhramakara and a brahmchari named Padmananda. Shivastotravali of Utpaladeva is a collection of devotional verses composed by him at different periods, in various conditions, and discovered by his admirers. These verses were composed by

Ardhanarishvara Linga - Very Rare Half Red Half White Shivling

Ardhanarishvara Linga is a very rare form of Shivling. Ardhanarishvara Linga is half white and half red – some also have marks of trishul (trident) and Damaru (glass drum). The description about the linga is only found in a text credited to Hemadri, a 13 th century who wrote books related to murtis, temple architecture and construction. In the Ardhanarishvara Linga, the white portion represents Shiva and the red portion represents Shakti. Ardhanarishvara Linga is part of the Bana Lingas and is naturally formed. There are carved Ardhanarishvara Linga – not naturally formed but creations of sculptors. The most famous carved Ardhanarishvara Linga is found in the Elephanta Caves near Mumbai, Maharashtra . Naturally occurring Ardhanarishvara Linga are found in the Narmada River . There are also some sacred spots in India with Ardhanarishvara Linga carved on a single stone.

Hunter – Hunting In Hindu Religion – Akhetaka

Akhetaka is a term used for a hunter in Hindu scriptures. Akhetaka, in Hindu religion, is the agent of an operation in which the animal is frightened by people from all around and moved out of the encircled area at a certain point where the main agent of the operation, i.e. hunter, lies in wait for it. In the sense of the agent of the operation of hunting, the word is used in the masculine gender. When, however, it is used in the neuter gender, it denotes the operation hunting itself. In ancient India, hunting was taken up by the professional hunter as a means of livelihood. Princes, nobles and kings used hunting as a pastime and recreation. In contrast to both these types, sages, saints and tapasvins were opposed to all such operations, particularly if undertaken within the precincts of their Ashrams. This is evident from the Krauncha bird episode from the Ramayana and the fact that the disciples of Sage Kanva in Kalidasa’s Shakuntalam request king Dushyanta not to kill the d

Quotes on Life – Beauty – Love – Truth

A collection of quotes and thoughts on beauty, life, love and truth. The earth is beautiful because it teems with life. The universe looks beautiful because it is perceived by humans. Beauty is the nature of life, and whatever is devoid of it becomes ugly and loathsome. Beauty is one of life’s higher dimensions. If we are alive to this dimension, life with all its myriad manifestations will become beautiful. Alas, we run after skin-deep beauty because our conception of life is skin deep. Those who can understand this law of life are lifted from sordidness and loneliness and become capable of connecting to beauty all around.  Even what is labelled, according to contemporary ideas, as disagreeable and nasty will, due to its fact of being alive, become beautiful. And this happens due to the underlying sublime order. When life becomes narrow and selfish the world correspondingly transforms into a nauseating place. Such a life becomes a long-drawn trial. Above beauty there is stil