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Showing posts from August 12, 2021


Dhanna Bhagat – Saint Poet Of 15th Century

Dhanna Bhagat, believed to be born in 1415 CE, and a contemporary of the saint-poet Kabir, is considered as one of the twelve disciples of Guru Ramananda. He was a devotee of Vishnu. In one of his compositions included in Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, Dhanna mentions Namadeva, Kabir, Raidasa and Sen, acknowledging his debt to them for inspiring him to take to the path of bhakti. Dhanna Bhagat appears to be one of the later disciples of Ramananda. Mira’s reference to Dhanna in her compositions suggests that he was alive in the early 16th century CE. Dhanna lived in the Tok region of Rajasthan. An ordinary farmer, he lived a life of piety and devotion to God. Many miraculous incidents have been attributed to him. Once while on way to his field to sow seeds, some holy men (sadhus) persuaded him to part with the seeds. Later, however, he found that the land had yielded a good crop. The following words from Guru Granth Sahib are quoted in support of this incident: “Pr

Jiva In Dvaita Viewpoint – Living Beings As Per Dvaita Philosophy

According to Dvaita Vedanta philosophy of Madhvacharya, the difference between Brahman and the rest of the world, created from prakriti, is rooted not in the level of reality but only in the respective degree of independence. There are three real and eternal entities – Ishwara, jiva (living beings or selves) and jada (inanimate objects); Brahman is independent, while jiva and jada are dependent on Brahman. In the opinion of Madhvacharya, all jivas are pinpoint bearers of cognition (or consciousness), organized in a hierarchy of cognizant subjects. The relationship between the jivas and Brahman is determined by the doctrine of Bimba pratibimba vada but in contrast to Advaita, jiva is regarded as a mere reflection of Brahman not because of some temporary limiting adjuncts not by its very nature. In the words of Madhvacharya, just as a rainbow is not only a reflection but also a refraction of sun rays, different jivas are differently colored by the light of Brahman penetrating their n

Desire To Know – Jijnasa In Hinduism

Jijnasa literally means an earnest desire to know and is an important concept in Hinduism. Jijnasa occurs in the first stura of Brahmasutra, otherwise known as Sariraka Sutra, written by Badarayana, and deals with the eligibility of a person who aspires to seek self knowledge. Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanuja and many other Vedantic interpreters have provided commentaries explicating the intriguing nuances of this “desire to know” or “jijnasa”. The very usage of the term jna (to know) prompts Adi Shankaracharya to believe that knowledge is the chief means to liberation, since the author of Sutras has mentioned such a state of knowledge in the first sutra itself. The other Vedantic preceptors have their own reservations for accepting Adi Shankara’s position. For them, knowledge which is implied by the first sutra has a place, but it is not final – bhakti (devotion) being the direct means to liberation. Hence, the term jijnasa does provide a hermeneutic need to pursue the knowledge which

Mannur Shiva Temple At Kadalundi In Kozhikode Kerala

Mannur Shiva temple is located at Kadalundi in Kozhikode district, Kerala. This is one among the 108 Shiva temples in Kerala. The main deity worshipped in Manoor temple is a Shivling, which faces east, inside a gaja prishta sreekovil – sanctum sanctorum in the shape of backside of an elephant. The most important festival in the temple is the Maha Shivratri in Kumbha Masam (February - March). In southeast corner of the large temple area there is a separate shrine for Goddess Parvati. This temple is believed to be one among the 108 Durga temples in Kerala. Based on the location of Goddess Parvati temple, there is a Vishnu temple on the north side. The Upa Devatas for the main temple of Shiva are Goddess Parvati, Ganapathy and Dakshinamurti. The Upa Devatas in the Vishnu temple are Ganapathy and Ayyappan. Special ezhunellippu is held during Shivratri. The roof of the Mandapam has beautiful and intricate wood carvings and wooden sculptures. The 16 pillars and base of the Mandapam a

Nitidvishashtika Quotes – Moral Maxims From Sanskrit Text

A collection of quotes from Nitidvishashtika - Moral maxims from sanskrit text Nitidvishashtika Avoid even the sight of foolish men. If one does see them, then avoid their company. If one does fall into the company of foolish men, then let him keep silent. And if one does have to speak amongst them, and then let him too speak like them. If one is censured for a genuine fault of his, then he should endure that rebuke. And if he is censured for no fault of his, he should forgive the other person thinking that the censure did not occur at all. If a dog bites a man, he does not bite the dog back. Therefore, if a wicked man humiliates a virtuous one, the latter should not seek revenge. Following are the characteristics of a bad friend – making fun of their friend in public, showing friendship only as long as some benefit is obtained from the relationship, and not forgetting the bad deeds of his friend towards him. One should retain formal courtesy only as long as friendship has not been ach

19 August 2021 Tithi – Panchang – Hindu Calendar – Good Time – Nakshatra – Rashi

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Thursday, 19 August 2021 – It is Shukla Paksha Dwadashi tithi or the twelfth day during the waxing or light phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Shukla Paksha Dwadashi tithi or the twelfth day during the waxing or light phase of moon till 9:35 PM on August 19. Then onward it is Shukla Paksha Trayodashi tithi or the thirteenth day during the waxing or light phase of moon till 7:42 PM on August 20. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on August 19, 2021 as per Hindu Calendar – There is no good and auspicious time on the entire day.  Nakshatra  – Purvashada or Pooradam nakshatra till 10:36 PM on August 19 . Then onward it is Uttarashada or Uthradam nakshatra till 9:30 PM on August 20 . (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Karnataka a