Temples have domes so that the resonance of one’s prayers can rebound on one. The dome is just a small, semicircular prototype of the sky. It has the same shape as the sky touching the earth on all four sides. Whatever prayers are conducted under its canopy, the words do not get lost as they would under the vast sky. The dome throws back the chants at the devotee. The rounder the dome, the easier it is for the sound to travel back, and its echo increases in the same proportion. Continue reading
“Agadham Bam Bagadham Baje Damru” is a bhajan which focuses on capturing the rhythmic, mystical energy (Tandava) of the song.
Agadham, Bagadham and Bam are onomatoepic (reverberating and repetitive) sounds representing the beat of Shiva’s Damru (power drum). Continue reading
The Rudram Chamakam is a prayer for blessings, where the devotee asks for a series of material and spiritual boons. Continue reading
Om Mata Om Kali Durga Devi Namo Namaha,
Om Mata Om Kali Durga Devi Namo Namaha,
Shakti Kundalini Jagadambe Mata
Shakti Kundalini Jagadambe Mata. Continue reading
Surya Devata shines brilliantly. His rays pervade all the ten directions. He has seven horses, and he is called Saptasaptih. The seven horses draw the chariot with one wheel. The wheel has three hubs. Nothing can destroy this immortal wheel. All life in this world exists because of the horses and this wheel. The wheel is the cycle of time. The three hubs are the past, present and future. The seven horses are the seven rays of the spectrum of light and each horse represents a chakra. Continue reading
The Happiness that I seek
What is the happiness I seek?
Not to win the race,
But to understand the face of failure,
For through it I have learned to run
And not to fear the doubts of my mind.
It is that they have shown me
Where the road lies narrow and hardest to pass
Through the forces of the world around me,
Even when I feel tired and oppressed,
I shall find the way to increase my own strength
And stand in awe of the pattern of the universe. – Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
In the context of Samkhya philosophy, Prakriti is the dynamic feminine principle of nature and creation, the source of the universe. Prakriti is the feminine aspect and is understood as the fundamental nature of the universe. Animals are seen as expressions of Prakriti. They embody the natural laws and tendencies that govern the universe. In this context let us look at the animal world.
I will share three narratives. Continue reading
The lake with no life?
It is a complex story and we have to start at the very beginning. How did Brahma become the creator of the universe? Continue reading
Who are they?
Adi Shesh is the thousand headed being, and Vishnu rests under his hoods.
Vasuki swallowed part of the toxic poison, which emerged when he was used for churning of the ocean. Shiva wears him round his neck. He is associated with eternal life.
Kaliya represents our five vices and Krishna killed him. Continue reading
Why chant three times? We chant because we are seeking peace in our body, mind and spirit. It also makes our past, present and future tranquil. We chant Aum at the beginning of our sadhana, at the end and then Shanti. Continue reading
Loka Samasthah Sukhino Bhavantu—may all beings everywhere be happy, healthy and free. It is an invocation for personal and collective peace. Continue reading
Dear ones, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, I came across these eight, Greek words for love. Some will make your heart light and joyous. Continue reading
As Hindus, we give tremendous importance to astrology. It is interesting to observe how in the modern world, many are believing in influence of the stars and planets. Other than India, there were also many ancient civilizations which relied on the stars. Continue reading
Shattering the bounds of space
Came the rain;
The hills are rent
And the waters burst and leap and sweep in a mad race.
The wind beats like a fiend of pain;
The world reels and is bent
Lightning leaps in a clap,
And the sea
Dashes its main against Heaven’s dome;
The clouds break and rumble
The wind tears at the sky as a trap
And the sky beats a tattoo and laughs in a mad spree
The corners of space crumble
Oh, the mighty rain
The universe quivers and shakes
And lo the snake
That bears the earth, hoods uplifter, springs again
Space hills leap
And in the sky, tumult of the Devas breaks
Into a mad sports where live flames crash awake
Behold time and the elements dance in a sweep
Oh, the rain, the wondrous rain. Continue reading
Ananthasayana is the lord of the creative energy. One glance from him grants material energy, the prana to give birth to all organic and inorganic matter. He is Vishnu, the sustainer and he is often portrayed as sleeping on the cosmic serpent that coils itself into a bed, positioning its many heads as a canopy. The Sesa Naga is identical to Vishnu, who is also known as Naga Sayana. Continue reading