Sunda and Upasunda were two demon brothers. They were very powerful and ruled over the world. But sexual infatuation caused their downfall. Legend has it that Sunda and Upasunda got the boon that they will never be defeated by Devas, Demons or humans or animals as long as they fought together. The prosperity of their clan and family depended on the unity among the two brothers. Together they drove out Devas from heaven. They defeated Indra and ruled the three worlds. They made Amaravati, the capital of Devas, as their new home. Devas realized that it was impossible to defeat Sunda and Upasunda through force. So they resorted to trickery. Tilottama, one of the most beautiful Apsaras in heaven, was deputed for the job. She seduced the two brothers. The moment the brothers saw Tilottama, they lost their senses and wanted to make her their wife. Tilottama agreed to become the wife of the strongest among Sunda and Upasunda. Soon argument ensued among the two brot...

Sri Yantra is one of the most popular Yantras and it symbolically represents Mother Goddess Shakti. The story of the greatness of Sri Yantra is associated with Adi Shankaracharya and Shiva. As per Hindu scriptures, once Adi Shankaracharya did penance on the Kailash. He performed various austerities and this pleased Shiva. Shiva then appeared before Adi Shankara and granted him a boon. The holy saint did not wish anything for himself. Instead he asked for a permanent solution for finding peace and prosperity in the world. Shiva then narrated about the greatness of Sri Yantra. He said that Mother Goddess resides in the Sri Yantra and therefore proper worship of it helps in attaining peace, prosperity and liberation.

Uddhava Gita is part of the Srimad Bhagavatam. It consists of the advices given by Lord Krishna to Uddhava. This is a collection of teachings from the Uddhava Gita. With a pure mind one observe in all begins as well as in oneself only Me (Lord Krishna), the atman, who am both inside and out, and unobstructed like the sky. O great soul, he who, taking his stand on pure knowledge, thus regards and honors all beings as Myself, who has the same attitude towards a Chandala as well as a Brahmana, a thief as well as a patron of the Brahmanas, a spark of fire as well as the sun, and a ruffian as well as a kind man is considered a sage. Ideas of rivalry, jealousy, pity and egoism quickly depart from a man who always thinks of Me ( Krishna ) in all men. (Uddhava Gita Chapter XXIV, verses 12 to 15) From the earth I learned to remain undisturbed Even while being oppressed By those under the sway of their own destiny The earth taught me not to deviate From the cou...

The story of Sukanya and Sage Chyavana is mentioned in the Devi Bhagavata Purana. Legend has it that King Sharyati, his queens and only daughter Sukanya once went on a hunting expedition. They put their tent near a pond in the forest. Nearby there was a big anthill. Sukanya saw two shining points in ant hill. Out of curiosity, she took a stick and drove them inside the shining spots. Suddenly blood started to ooze from the two spots. The soldiers opened up the anthill and found Sage Chyavana who was meditating. The two shining spots were the eyes of the Sage. Sage Chyavana had been meditating for several years and his entire body was covered up by anthill. Blinded and unbearable pain made Sage Chyavana angry and he was about to curse the princess, when her father intervened and asked for pardon. Sage agreed to not to curse, if the king agreed to marry his daughter to him. The sage argued that a blind man constantly needs to help of loyal and devoted person. Princ...

In majority of Hindu traditions, Hindu God Ganesh is considered to be a bachelor. There are some traditions that believe He is married to Siddhi and Riddhi. An interesting story explains why many Hindu traditions consider Ganesha as unmarried. Once Ganesha reached Kailash and noticed a big scratch on the face of Goddess Parvati. Ganesh wanted to know how Mother Goddess got hurt. Goddess Parvati then said that Ganesha was responsible for the painful scratch. Ganapati never did it so he was baffled. Then Mother Goddess asked Ganesha whether he had hurt anyone on the day. Ganesha could not remember any incident. Then Mother Goddess asked what had happened in the morning when He was drinking milk. Ganesha then told that a cat was disturbing Him while He was drinking the milk and so He took a stick and hit it on the face. Mother Goddess then told Ganesha that she got that beating. She explained to Him that She is present in all living and nonliving a...

Pancha Tara in Hinduism is the last five birth stars. As per Hindu astrology, the last five nakshatras or birth stars are Dhanishta (Avittam), Satabhisha (Chathayam or Sadayam), Purvabhadrapada (Pooruruttathi), Uttara Bhadrapada (Uthrattathi) and Revati. The widespread belief is that any action performed or activity happening during the period of the pancha tara has its five invariable repetitions. It is believed by some communities that if death happens in family during Pancha Tara, then there will be five more deaths. With the appearance of Dhanishta, the process of panchaka or malefic times is marked in Hindu calendars. Some communities perform certain rituals to overcome the bad effects of Pancha Tara. When death occurs during the five birth stars, before cremation four dolls are made and burnt with the dead body to avoid four more deaths in the family. When a house is damage or destroyed, replicas of four houses are destroyed to avoid further damage i...

One of the important offerings to Lord Hanuman is coconut. The offering is made by devotees for fulfillment of wishes and to overcome troubles in life. Below is a brief description on how to offer coconut to Hanuman. Items needed while offering coconut to Hanuman Coconut  Thread red or yellow color Sindhoor Uncooked rice How the offering is made? The offering can be made in a temple or at home The coconut should be smeared with sindoor.  The thread should be kept on top of the coconut.  Rice should be sprinkled on the coconut. You should say your prayers and then offer it to Hanuman Ji. After making the offering one chant the Hanuman Chalisa. Benefits All troubles will be removed. Job security Financial improvement.

Often we read in Puranas descriptions of fighting between Devas and Asuras. Sometimes the Devas get the better, sometimes the Asuras. There is a symbolic meaning in the never ending fight between gods and demons in Hinduism.  They Devas and Asuras should be taken to be the representatives of two opposite forces — spiritual and material. Since time immemorial fight has been going on between these two opposite forces in different planes of Nature. But this struggle is most marked in the human plane. In man sometimes spiritual forces rise supreme and sometimes the material. The first conquest of the spiritual over the material has always been the beginning of religion. A moment comes in the life of individuals when Nature with her infinite charms loses all attraction, when life with its various enjoyments seems quite dull. Man gets disgusted with the ordinary routine of work and asks himself, ‘Am I born to be Nature’s bond-slave, to be tossed hither and thither by h...

Panchamrutha abhishekam is an important offering of five items to Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Offering of panchamrutha in Hinduism helps a devotee earn merits which leads to desire fulfillment. The five items are milk, yogurt, clarified butter, honey and sugar or sugarcane juice. They are known as five nectars – pancha means five and amrita means nectar. They are poured on the murti (idol) of the deity. Panchamrutha abhishekam of Shiva is mentioned in the Ajita Agama and it helps in quick desire fulfillment. How To Perform Panchamrutha Offering to Hindu Gods and Goddesses The five items of Panchamrita are to be placed in different vessels in front of the deity.  Measurement of Five Items The five items are to be of equal quantity. The quantity prescribed in scriptures is 1 Prastha (768 grams). The quantity should never be less than 1/4th of a prastha – not less than 192 grams. The five items should always be offered after chanting the important mantra dedicated t...

This is a collection of teachings from the Yoga Vasistha - a dialogue between Bhagavan Sri Ram and Sage Vasishta.  The Yoga Vasistha stands as one of the most profound philosophical masterpieces within the Indian tradition, structured as an intimate dialogue between the wise sage Vasistha and the young Prince Rama. The narrative begins upon Rama’s return from a sacred pilgrimage, which left him deeply disillusioned and troubled by the inherent suffering, fleeting nature, and apparent meaninglessness of worldly existence. Observing the prince’s profound detachment and overwhelming melancholy, Sage Vasistha was called upon to guide him. The subsequent discourse was specifically delivered to dispel Rama’s existential confusion, ultimately steering him toward deep spiritual wisdom and lasting inner peace. At its core, the text masterfully weaves together the principles of Vedanta, Yoga, and spiritual psychology, offering a unique perspective on reality. It asserts that the physical ...