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The average life span of a human being is negligible when compared to other ages. In other ages the life span of people used to be more and they used to get more time for devoting themselves on the paths of love and duty. During the mythological ages the life span used to extend from Satyug to Dwaparyug. Atri, Anusuya, Agast and Bhardwaj met Lord Shri Rama in the Treta age. Similarly lord Hanuman of Treta age met Bhima in the Dwarpar age. ...

Chapter Two of Kena Upanishad

yadi manyase suvedeti dabhram evapi nunam tvam vettha brahmano rupam/ yadasya ...

Religion has three bases. Out of these, yagya, study and charity are the first basis.

Yagya: A religious follower should adopt yagya in his life. All the works of charity and help come under yagya. Nowadays, it is used only for havan (sacrificial fire). However, yagya has a broad meaning. Acquiring knowledge of the five great elements (panch mahabhutas) created by God and taking help from them is yagya. As havan is beneficial only for the mankind, it purifies the environment, cures diseases and makes the atmosphere fragrant. The objectives worship of God, having the company of good people (satsang) and charitable deeds are fulfilled through yagya.
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Query: Is this asceticism? The answer is - No, there is a stage beyond this as well.


Word meaning: tat - that; pararn - different asceticism, which; pusrushkhyte - when meets with the person; gunavetrushnam - the thirst is quenched.

Summary: It is the highest stage of asceticism, which is relieved from satva, raj and tama qualities when the soul meets with its self.
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Happiness cannot be attained by snatching others happiness. It does not mean to be dependent and take the support of anybody. Happiness vibrates the soul; ordinary happiness can be attained with fulfillment of subjects related to the sensory organs. Those who are engrossed in resolutions and alternatives they do not get rid of sensory and mental subjects. Hence they do not have the feeling of happiness. Happiness cannot be attained unless the conditions of the mind focus to the inner self.
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pragnaye vacamiraya vrishabhaya kshitinam sa nah parshadati dvishah
- Rig Veda 10.187.1

Rishi: Vatsa Agneya; Deva: Agni; Meter: Nichrudagayatri

Word meaning: Kshitinam = lord showering blessings on the people; Agneya= in the form of Agni, used for lord of fire; vacham=our speech, pra eraya = inspired by insensitive; Vah Naha= us; Dvisha= beyond hatred; parshart= give us relief from.
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The actions or deeds, which are done after the birth of the child, are known as birth (Jatkarma) ceremonies. It is called ceremony because it involves some ceremonies which are performed after the birth of the child other than the actions. The main objective of these actions is to inculcate some values in the child even while he is ignorant about there importance.
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When any person criticizes a dear one the person who notices this feels jealous and hates it. The dear ones say that one should reply to this criticism. This means that you should respond to the person who is talking against you. Is this necessary? Because you are not same as the other person is describing you. So why should you respond. If a person speaks the truth then let him say and if somebody wants to prove that false is true then let him go ahead, how does it make a difference. Because false has no entity in this world.
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The fifth ceremony after Jatkarma ceremony is called naming ceremony. In this ceremony the child is given a name. All the activities in the world are carried on the basis of name. Every parent has the duty to give a nice name to the child, which reminds the child of some goal or objective in the life. It is very important to select a nice name for the child; the name should be meaningful which fulfills all the desires of the child. Whenever the child hears the name he will remember the meaning and purpose hidden in it and will be inspired by its meaning.
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May our lives be full of yagyas...

maa pra gaama patho vayam maa yajnaadindra sominah |
maantah sthurno araatayah ||

(Rig Veda 10.57.1, Atharva Veda 13.1.59)
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Many devotees are very inquisitive about the appearance of Sri Ekadasi and about her special characteristics. Therefore I am presenting this description from the fourteenth chapter of the Padma Purana, from the section entitled "Kriya-sagara-sara":

Once the great sage Jaimini Rishi said to his spiritual master Srila Vyasadeva, "Oh Gurudeva! Previously, by your mercy, you described to me the history of the glories of the Ganga river, the benefits of worshipping Vishnu, the giving of grains in charity, the giving of water in charity, and the magnanimity of drinking the water that has washed the feet of the brahmanas. O best of the sages, Sri Gurudeva, now, with great enthusiasm, I desire to hear the benefits of fasting on Ekadasi and the appearance of Ekadasi."
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Vedas, on one hand describe the spirituality, philosophy, nature, devotion and results of actions; on the other hand they also talk about discipline, policies, education, physics, social structure, nation and nationality. Actually Vedas have an impact on every aspect of human life.
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Karma means not only action, but also the result of an action. The consequence of an action is really not a separate thing. It is a part of the action, and cannot be divided from it. Breathing, thinking, talking, seeing, hearing, eating, etc., are Karmas. Thinking is mental Karma. Karma is the sum total of our acts both in the present life and in the preceding births.
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Sutaji once reached Naimisharanya in the course of his pilgrimage. There he found numerous sages engaged in austerities and penance. All of them were delighted to find Sutaji in their midst and considered it a God-sent opportunity to get their doubts related to various religious topics cleared. The Sage Shaunak was also present there, and he asked Sutaji --"O revered sage! Who is the creator of this world? Who nurtures it and who annihilates it in the end? How can one realize the supreme Almighty? How many incarnations has the Almighty taken till now? Please enlighten us on all these things, which are shrouded in mystery."
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Manuscript writing is a very old tradition of Assam. From Bana`s Harshacharita, belonging to the 7th century it is known that the gift from Bhaskarbarma, the king of ancient Assam, to Harsha included, inter alia, "volumes of fine writing with leaves made from aloe bark and of the hue of ripe pink cucumber". It is also known from Bana`s account that in Assam there was a tradition of painting miniature pictures. But there is no clear indication about illustrated manuscript in his account. Most of the scholars on Indian art believe that it is only from the 16th century that the Hindus started illustrating their manuscripts, long after the Buddhists and Jains. But it is known from recent investigation that there was a Hindu tradition of manuscript illustration in Nepal as early as 12th century AD. So the existence of such a Hindu tradition in Assam in an earlier date cannot be ruled out.
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In Bhagavad-gita 9.25, Lord Krsna instructs:

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Dasharatha narrated the whole story of how he had killed Shravan Kumar by mistake. After the death of their son, Shravan Kumar's parents had been writhing in anguish before they died and they had cursed him that just like them, he too would die of the sorrows caused by his son's separation.
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Vishnupur is a city in Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, India, famous for its terracotta temples and long history of association with Gaudiya Vaisnavas. During the reign of Aurangzeb (1658-1707), many of Lord Krsna's temples in Vrindavan dhama were forced to shut their doors, and the Deities and devotees were spirited off to safer quarters. Vishnupur was one of many such safe havens, and the parishad associates of Lord Caitanya are known to have had many pastimes there.
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Once in Satya Yuga, the Vindhya mountain had become too arrogant and began blocking the path of the sun and the moon. It began to grow higher and higher. Then the sage Agastya came and told him, "I am going south, give me way." Vindhya split itself and made a slender path for him, known as Agastya's Gateway. Reaching the other side of the mountain, observing Vindhya from top to toe, Agastya said, "Vindhya my child, what is this? You are growing crookedly, the plumb line is not correct! Some day you will topple over. On my return, I will teach you how to grow straight. Till then, stop growing." Vindhya said, "As you command." After that, a long time passed, but Agastya did not return. Then Vindhya, in fury, cursed that those who enter this Agastya's Gateway and meet face-to-face would lose their common sense. Hearing of the curse from a disciple, Agastya said, "Do not fear. After a while intelligence will return."
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