Close your eyes. Visualize Manidweep. In Manidweep (island of precious gems), there is a golden mountain. On this mountain there is a personal city of Devi, called Sri Pura. Sri means the Goddess and pura is the city. We use the word freely today, personal for trainers, shoppers, assistances. However, this word personal has been applied first to Gods (personal deities) and the city of the Goddess. Continue reading
Thursday is the day of the Guru? I asked myself this question, as must so many of you, “Who was Swami Sivananda’s Guru?” Swami Sivananda received mantra diksha from Parmahamsa Viswananda Saraswati, on the banks of the Ganga on 1st June 1924. Swami Sivananda was in quest of a Guru. Continue reading
The meaning of millennium is a period of great happiness or human perfection. So a millennium father is one who raises children free from fear. I have only taken fear as being free from fear is our oldest prayer as mentioned in the Vedas. Being fearless is the greatest gift our father can gift us. Continue reading
What are tears? There are so many descriptions of tears. Meaning of tears is weeping, sorrowing, lamenting, and crying to name a few.
To mention a few quotes.
John Milton, “Tears such as angels weep.”
St. Bernard, “The tears of those repenting are the wine of angels.” Continue reading
The king cobra coiled around his neck.
We cannot visualize Shiva, without his garland. Shiva is also known as Pashupatinath or the god of the animals. He is also known as Nageshwara. The snake is Vasuki, king of the snakes. Vasuki represents ahamkara (ego). Continue reading
I was in Varanasi with my husband to celebrate our fiftieth wedding anniversary. Varanasi is considered the holiest city on earth for Hindus. It is supposed to be 5000 years old. The place where the supreme light shines, it is believed to be the home of Lord Shiva. When Shiva got married to Uma, the daughter of the Himavat, of Himalaya Mountain, he had to move from his abode in Kailash. Kashi was the most splendid city at that time and Uma was a princess and a goddess. It is believed that the river Ganga pays its respect to Lord Shiva by the direction in which it flows. The ajna chakra is on the banks of the Ganga and the Kashi Visvanath temple is where it is. Annapurna Devi‘s temple is next door. Continue reading
The Yoga described in Pashupata Tantra, is neither hatha yoga nor raja yoga, it is a yoga named by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati as Shiva Yoga.
Shivenasaha yogah: Shiv yogah “The teachings of yoga as associated with Shiva will be called Shiva Yoga.” Shiva Yoga is the most important as it has four parts: hatha yoga, raja yoga, bhakti yoga and karma yoga. Continue reading
Pashupata Tantra is the source of all tantric thoughts and philosophies. The kernel of Pashupata Tantra is that Shiva explains to Parvati that when a being is born through sexual union, it is bound and fettered. Its senses overtake it and it becomes deluded, infatuated and a creature of passions. It is weighed down by the ties of karma. Continue reading
Kalki is the tenth avatara of Vishnu, who will come riding upon a white horse, which is also an avatara in itself. Kalki carries a sword to strike down all evil, and he battles for the cause of righteousness. Kalki will come at the end of Kali yuga to destroy the creation that has sunk into total darkness, after which it will be created anew. Continue reading
Ardhanarishwara is Shiva and Shakti united in one form, representing the creative principle, the state of Yoga and the notion that everything in creation contains the unity of masculine and feminine principles. Continue reading
Shani is looked upon by astrologers as a planet which causes mayhem in one’s life. Saturn is called Shani. Shani is the brother of Yama, the God of Death and is considered the god of justice. He is also considered an incarnation of Vishnu by some disciples. Continue reading
In Kaliyuga, we tend to be abrasive and abusive about life. We condemn and criticize. We think that we are self -sufficient.
I have been contemplating on the subject of man / woman attachments. A male form is incomplete without the existence of a female form. God cannot be incomplete. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva have female counterparts: Sarasvati and Brahma, Vishnu and Lakshmi and Shiva and Shakti. Together these three couples embody the understanding of the ultimate divine. Brahma creates, Vishnu sustains and Shiva destroys. Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Shakti embody knowledge, wealth and power. Continue reading
Shiva is considered the Absolute Lord and his power is represented by Shakti, Durga, Kali and Mother. Durga is identified as the energy aspect of Shiva. Without Durga, Shiva has no expression and without Shiva, Durga has no existence. Shiva is the soul of Durga. Durga and Shiva are identical. Continue reading
The coconut is called the divine fruit, Shri phal. Who does not venerate the coconut? It is used as an object of worship. It is delicious in food, used in medicines and cosmetics. Every part of the tree is utilized.
“The mind has its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of heaven”, Milton. Continue reading
Who does not love the colours of the seasons? There is no misunderstanding and there are no clashes. In the Hindu tradition, we have different colours for different days of the week. There are numerous arguments on the subject. Continue reading