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Showing posts from July 13, 2021


Akalanka Govindacharya – Author Of Sangraha Chudamani

Akalanka Govindacharya is the author of Sangraha Chudamani, a treatise on Carnatic music in Sanskrit. This 19 th century treatise is also named Sangita Shastra Samkshepa by the author himself, but in the colophon it is mentioned as Sangraha Chudamani. The author calls himself Govinda, but later writers refer to him as Govindacharya to avoid confusion with Govinda Dikshitar. It was known for a long time that a certain work called Sangraha Cudamani, written by Govinda, was in the possession of Manambucavadi Venkatasubbayyar, an immediate disciple of Tyagaraja, and copied by Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer and Patnam Subramania Iyer for their personal reference. Sangraha Chudamani was printed by the Adyar Library, Madras, in 1938 in Devanagari script copied from a Telugu manuscript. The work is in perfect accord with the modern music in the Carnatic style. For the first time, we come across the modern nomenclature for the 72 melas, i.e. Kanakangi, Ratnangi. The 22 shrutis have been distributed

Gorakh Bani – Information – History

 Gorakh Bani refers to work in Hindi attributed to Gorakhnath (born sometime between 10th and 13th century CE) who reorganized the sect of Nath Yogis. These works, collectively titled Gorakh Bani, are also known as Jogesaribani. The first edition of Gorakh Bani, edited by Pitambar Dutt Bathwal and published by Hindi Sahitya Sammelan Prayag, appeared in Samvat 1999. Bathwal obtained from various sources manuscripts of forty works ascribed to Gorakhnath. These manuscripts belong to a period later than the 17th – 18th century (Vikram Era). Bathwal admits that since they owe their origin to oral tradition, the original text must have undergone alternations, but he believes that fourteen of these forty manuscripts must have originated in the 11 th century. Thirteen of these – Saabdi, Pada, Sisyadarshana, Pranasankali, Narvaibodha, Atmabodha, Abhayamatrayoga, Pandrahtithi, Saptavara, Machondra Gorakh Bodh, Romavali, Jnana Tilaka and Pancamatra – have been included by him in the first sect

Hindu Law Of Inheritance In Ancient Hinduism – Dayabhaga

Dayabhaga, which means division of wealth, refers, primarily, to the inheritance and division of the wealth of a person after his death. The division of paternal property by the children as per Hindu law in ancient Hinduism is dayabhaga. The concept and law in its religious dimension, has its origin in Vedic ideas about the religious competence and duty of patrilineal descendants to liberate the souls of their ancestors by performing prescribed rites. This follows the belief that their s no salvation without begetting children. Manusmriti states – through a child one conquers the world, through a grandchild one obtains immortality and through a great grandchild one gains the world of sun (IX.137). This statement resonates with the debt theory, i.e. the discharging of the debt due to ancestors, gods, and sages. Debt due to ancestors is connected with ancestor worship, which can be linked with inheritance rights. The two components of the term, Dayabhaga, are controversial. The word

Kanhirangad Vaidyanatha Temple In Kannur – History – Festival

Kanhirangad Vaidyanatha temple is located at Kanhirangad near Taliparamba in Kannur district, Kerala. The main deity worshipped in the temple is Shiva. He is worshipped here as the healer of diseases (Vaidya Nathan) and the temple is famous for the powerful healing abilities. The temple is known as Kanhirangad as a huge Kanjiram maram (tree) in front of the temple. The most important ritual of the temple is Dhara (ceremonial pouring of water on the Shivling). Since this temple is supposed to have the power of Surya Bhagavan (Sun God), Sunday is the most important day of worship in this temple. Most of the devotees of the temple either do not take any food on Sunday (Upavasa) or take only one main meals (Orikkal).  There are several stories of people getting cured of incurable diseases by praying at this temple. Many people facing skin diseases regularly come to this temple and by performing Dhara get cured of their diseases. Kanhirangad Vaidyanatha Temple History It is said that th

Gonarda – Historical Place Near Bhopal Associated With Patanjali

Gonarda is a historical place near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and is associated with Patanjali, the commentator, on grammar of Panini. Situated on a prominent north-south trade route, the earliest reference to Gonarda or Gonardapura is in one of the most ancient Buddhist works, Parayana-vagga, forming part of the Pali text Sutta-nipata. According to an episode, a Brahmin named Bavari had emigrated from the (north) Kosala capital, Sravasti, and settled as a teacher in the country of Assaka (Asmaka) in the proximity of Mulaka (or Alaka) on the banks of the Godavari River. On learning about enlightenment of Buddha, Bavari sent a few of his disciples to meet Buddha at Sravasti. The team passed through Patitthana (Paithan, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra), the city of Mahissati (Mahishmati), Ujjaini (Ujjayini), Gonaddha, Vedisa (Vidisa), Vana-Sahvaya (Tumbavana), Kosambi (Kausambi), Saketa and finally Savatthi. Gonaddha or Gonarda, which was the intermediate step between Ujjaini and Vedisa

Ahimsa – Non-Violence In Vedas

A question is often asked as to the stand taken by the Vedas on the subject of ahimsa (non-violence), since they are the first, foremost, and final authority on Hinduism. There is a whole range of scholars, including some of the great orthodox acharyas, who argue that many Vedic yajnas could not be performed without animal sacrifice. To support this view, several mantras are quoted by them. It is even suggested that bali (sacrificial offering) of animals was an integral part of Vedic yajnas and consequently the term bali has come to mean animal or even human sacrifice in ritual settings. There is another school of thought which strongly refutes this view. Swami Ramakrishnananda (Shashi Maharaj) says, ‘Sometimes in the past the sacrificial priests and performers of Yajnas fell victims to sense-indulgence. The responsibility of carrying on the Yajnas being in their hands, they invented, in order to surfeit their stomachs and indulge their senses, various violent sacrifices marked by

One Who Is A Guru Should Give Up Lust And Greed

Before promoting oneself as an acharya and taking disciples, a guru should give up lust and greed. Sri Ramakrishna explores the duties of both Guru and disciple. These words of Sri Ramakrishna on Guru is from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Maya is nothing but the egotism of the embodied soul. This maya, that is to say, the ego, is like a cloud. The sun cannot be seen on account of a thin patch of cloud; when that disappears one sees the sun. If by the grace of the guru one's ego vanishes, then one sees God. All the knots of ignorance come undone in the twinkling of an eye, through the guru's grace. Do you know what it is like? Suppose a room has been kept dark a thousand years. The moment a man brings a light into it, the darkness vanishes. Not little by little. One needs faith – faith in the words of the guru, childlike faith. One understands the scriptures better by hearing them from the lips of the guru or of a holy man. Then one doesn't have to think about t

20 July 2021 Tithi – Panchang – Hindu Calendar – Good Time – Nakshatra – Rashi

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Tuesday, 20 July 2021 – It is Shukla Paksha Ekadashi tithi or the eleventh day during the waxing or light phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Shukla Paksha Ekadashi tithi or the eleventh day during the waxing or light phase of moon till 4:28 PM on July 20. Then onward it is Shukla Paksha Dwadashi tithi or the twelfth day during the waxing or light phase of moon till 2:01 PM on July 21. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on July 20, 2021 as per Hindu Calendar – Good and auspicious time till 8:40 AM.  Nakshatra  – Anuradha or Anusham or Anizham Nakshatra till 6:51 PM on July 20. Then onward it is Jyeshta or Kettai or Triketta Nakshatra till 5:14 PM on July 21. (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Karnataka and south Rajasthan),