Kausalya was the first wife of Dasaratha, king of Ayodhya and father of Sri Ram. She was the daughter of the King of Uttara Kosala. A daughter named Santa was born to Dasaratha by Kausalya. After this, no sons or daughters were born to Dasaratha for a long time. Kausalya was also the chief wife of Dasaratha. The king had two other wives named Kaikeyi and Sumithra. When no children were born to the king, he performed putrakameshti yajna. Thus, Sri Ram was born to Kausalya. She rejoiced at the decision to make Shriram crown prince but plunges into grief when she hears that Sri Ram will not become crown prince but will go on exile for fourteen years. She offers to go with Sri Ram but he does not agree to it. One of the noble characters in the Ramayana, she breaks down and accuses the king of destroying his kingdom, when she hears the report of Rama’s journey into forest from his charioteer, Sumantra. Soon she gathers her composure and forgives the king when he se

 As per Taittiriya Upanishad, the truth is to be one with Brahman. In order to discover and realize Brahman, one has to do dhyana or meditation. A person seeking the eternal truth must practice self control and discipline in food habits and in his conduct in life. If a person leads this kind of life, then the ultimate truth will be revealed to him through the power of tapas or intense meditation. Taittiriya Upanishad in its analysis of man says that the self has different sheaths. The first is the physical sheath of the body, which is made up of the essence of food. Hence it is called annamaya or that which is composed of food. The second sheath is subtler and is made up of the prana or the life principle. This sheath is known as pranamaya as it constitutes the prana or the life energy. The third sheath is known as manomaya, which is made up of the manas or mind. The fourth sheath is called vijnanamaya, which is made up of intelligence. The fifth sheath, called anandamaya, is the she

Mahaperiyava, the Sage of Kanchi, explains the greatness and importance of the Rishis who discovered the Vedic mantras in Hinduism. There is a state in which the macrocosm and the microcosm are perceived as one. Great men there who have reached such a state and are capable of transforming what is subtle in the one into what is gross in the other. I am speaking here to those who believe in such a possibility. When we look at this universe and their complex manner in which it functions, we realise that there must be a Great Wisdom that has created it and sustains it. It is from this Great Wisdom, that is the Paramatman, that all that we see are born and it is from It that all the sounds that we hear have emanated. First came the universe of sound and then the universe that we observe. Most of the former still exists in space. The space that exists outside us exists also in our heart. The yogins have experience of this hrdayakasa, this heart-sky or this heart-space, when they are in samad

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Friday, 24 December 2021 – It is Krishna Paksha Panchami tithi or the fifth day during the waning or dark phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Krishna Paksha Panchami tithi or the fifth day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 4:01 PM on December 24. Then onward it is Krishna Paksha Sashti tithi or the sixth day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 4:02 PM on December 25. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on December 24, 2021 as per Hindu Calendar – There is no good and auspicious time on the entire day.  Nakshatra  –Ashlesha or Ayilyam nakshatra till 12:15 AM on December 24. Then onward it is Magha or Makam nakshatra till 1:09 AM on December 25. (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Karnataka and south Rajasthan), Ash