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By Sri Vyasa Muni | Published 11/4/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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The Brahmin said, 'O son! Describe in detail about hell.' Sumati said, 'O father! Yamadutas carry and lynch those people who eat inedible things, who deceive and dishonour their friends, who indulge in illicit relationships, who desert their wife, and who destroy public properties like gardens, water sources, etc. Yamadutas tie the hands and legs of such people and throw them into the fire. On their way to hell, such people are bitten by crows, storks, wolves, vultures, etc.
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Printer VersionBy Atmatattva Das | Published 10/30/2009
Category: Saints and Gurus
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Category: Saints and Gurus
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Recently I visited the Jeeva Samadhi temple of Sadhu Chidambaram Swami, who is also known as "Valla Naattaar". A Jeeva Samadhi is when a saint or siddha is burried in samadhi while still living. Such locations are spiritually very powerful, as the saint continues to interact with devotees through his samadhi. I would like to narrate a few stories of this little known saint of South India, who entered Jeeva Samadhi in recent times.
By The Editor | Published 10/17/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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President Obama greets the Hindu community on the auspicious occassion of Diwali.
By Sri Vyasa Muni | Published 10/17/2009
Category: Hindu Scriptures
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Category: Hindu Scriptures
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Second among the eighteen Puranas, Padma Purana is comprised of five parts: Srishtikhand, Bhumikhand, Swargkhand, Patalkhand and Uttarkhand.Srishtikhand contains an explanation of metaphysical knowledge in a dialogue between Bheeshma and the sage Pulastya. It contains a description of Pushkar Tirth, and recommends against the worship of the planets (grahas).
By Subhash Kak | Published 10/15/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Scholars generally agree that before the advent of Zarathushtra, the religion of the devas was current in Iran. For want of a better term, some have called the pre-Zoroastrian religion Persian paganism. But here we argue that to do so is to obscure its connections with the Vedic religion.
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The Festival of Jagannath Mishra is an observance of the Jata karma samskara for baby Nimai (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu). Following the fast for Gaura Purnima, which is broken upon the rising of the moon, the next day is held for feasting. On Jagannath Mishra festival day, the devotees meditate upon the Jata karman ceremony. The festival is also known as Anandotsava amongst the Gaudiya Matha devotees.
By Padmanabha Mahapatra | Published 11/4/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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The ten incarnations of the Adi Sakti or the divine primeval force are known as Dasa Mahavidya. Tara Mahavidya is placed second in the order. The Daksa-yajna legend conceived in the Mahabharata is of major importance in regard to the origin of Dasa-Mahavidya. According to the versions of Matsya and Padma Purana, Sati, one of the daughters of Daksa, happened to be the spouse of Lord Sadasiva.
By Frank Reynolds | Published 11/4/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Airavata is the white elephant who carries Lord Indra. According to the Ramayana, Airavata's mother was Iravati, the daughter of Kadru and granddaughter of Kasyapa. According to the Matangalila, Airavata was born when Lord Brahma sang sacred hymns over the halves of the egg shell from which Garuda hatched. He was followed at birth by seven more male and eight female elephants.
Tracing a symbolic furrow at the end of the annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony (Preah Nongkoal), Prince Norodom Yuvaneath (King Norodom Sihanouk's son), dressed in the traditional robes of the royal court, commemorated an auspicious beginning of the new rice planting season based on an ancient Brahman custom around a procession of three royal oxen, who walk around the ‘Royal Rice Fields’ three times.
By Sankaran Nair | Published 10/17/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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The king's coronation, mundane ceremony, royal wedding, first ploughing ceremony etc. were among the important events at which the Thai Brahman priests officiated. The Ploughing Ceremony, the first of the traditional agrarian festivals, is basically of Brahman origin. The Royal Brahman astrologers set the auspicious day and time for the Ploughing Ceremony held in the sixth lunar month, usually mid-May.
By Satyabrata Das | Published 10/17/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Our ancient literature was essentially pan-Indian in character. As such, all Indian languages descend from only two sources: the Indo-Aryan and the Dravidian. Obviously, both Oriya and Assamese share their common origin from the Indo-Aryan stream. Further, as Dr. Grierson argues, Oriya, Bengali and Assamese are the three languages that have emerged from one common source: the Magadhan element, called Magadhi Apabhramsa. As Grierson asserts:
By Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi | Published 10/17/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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I worship Lord Hari, whose feet are endowed with the 19 great opulences of, on the left foot, the halfmoon, water-pot, triangle, bow, sky, cow's hoofprint, fish, conch, and on the right foot, the eight-pointed star, svastika, wheel, parasol, barleycorn, elephant-goad, flag, thunderbolt, jambu fruit, urdhva-rekha, and lotus.
By Rahul Acharya | Published 10/17/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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The expression "Mahari" is a derivative of two Oriya words, 'Mahan' and 'Nari', meaning 'divine damsels'. They were a professional group, a class of sevayats of Lord Jagannath. The Mahari's consisted of different categories of sevikas, being assigned different sevas as follows:
By Author Unknown | Published 10/15/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Describing how a brahmin should earn his livelihood, Lord Brahma said to Narad: "Alms, which a brahmin gets without making any demand for it is called Vritta. 'Unchhavritti' is even better than Vritti, and it means collecting food grains which are scattered in places like fields, granaries, the market-place, etc.
By Author Unknown | Published 10/15/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Hamsa (or hansa) is the Sanskrit term for a transcendentally situated swan or goose. Considered by scholars to be either the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) or the Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus), the Hamsa is best known and loved as the vahana (sacred carrier) of Lord Brahma and the Goddess Saraswati.
By Harish Hebbar | Published 10/15/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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There are a number of other Brahmins in current day Tulu nadu, distinguished by their own different spoken languages and forms of worship. They migrated in later centuries by land and sea. These include Chitpavana, Karadi, Konkanastha and Sarasvatha Brahmins. Marathi Brahmins, Chitpavana and Karadi Brahmins, who are Advaita followers, migrated to Tulu nadu from Ratnagiri and Karad in Maharashtra.
Let us now go into an historical introspection of the Patuas and their creations. The oldest information regarding Patuas dates back to 200 B.C., when Patanjali had mentioned the Chitrakara tribe in his writing. We get more detailed information in the Jataka stories of the Buddhist religion and Kalpasutra, the holy book of the Jains.
Folk art is an indivisible part of folk culture. The study of folk culture in the subcontinents of India dates back to the 19th century. Some eminent personalities or connoisseurs began to study folk culture absolutely to quench their personal interest.
By Sampradaya Sun | Published 10/15/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Category: Articles on Hinduism
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Prithvi is one of several Sanskrit names for the Earth Mother, more commonly known as Mother Bhumi Devi. Prithvi is the personification of the Earth, and is therefore also known as Prithivi Tattwa, the essence of the element earth. Prithvi is also called Dhra, Dharti, or Dhrithri, meaning 'that which holds everything'.
By Harish Hebbar | Published 10/15/2009
Category: Articles on Hinduism
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The ancient Tulu nadu extended from Gokarna in the north, all along coastal Karnataka down to Kasargod in the south. This included both coastal Uttara Kannada district as well as all of Dakshina Kannada district. Over many centuries, the principal language of Tulu nadu was Tulu, which today is spoken only south of the River Kalyanpur in Udupi and in the Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka. This is the heartland of Tulu nadu today.
