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05:38:00 , ,

Ganesha — the elephant-deity riding a mouse — has become one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. This not only suggests the importance of Ganesha, but also shows how popular and pervasive this deity is in the minds of the masses.
The Lord of Success
The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja.
Significance of the Ganesha Form
Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality.

How Ganesha Got His HeadIn his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties.
The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The laddoo (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. And he is humble enough to ride the lowest of creatures, a mouse.
The story of the birth of this zoomorphic deity, as depicted in the Shiva Purana, goes like this: Once goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy's head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was facing the north. The company found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the body of the boy. Shiva restored its life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name 'Ganapati'. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture.
However, there's another less popular story of his origin, found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana: Shiva asked Parvati to observe the punyaka vrata for a year to appease Vishnu in order to have a son. When a son was born to her, all the gods and goddesses assembled to rejoice on its birth. Lord Shani, the son of Surya (Sun-God), was also present but he refused to look at the infant. Perturbed at this behaviour, Parvati asked him the reason, and Shani replied that his looking at baby would harm the newborn. However, on Parvati's insistence when Shani eyed the baby, the child's head was severed instantly. All the gods started to bemoan, whereupon Vishnu hurried to the bank of river Pushpabhadra and brought back the head of a young elephant, and joined it to the baby's body, thus reviving it.
Ganesha, the Destroyer of Pride
Ganesha is also the destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride. He is the personification of material universe in all its various magnificent manifestations. "All Hindus worship Ganesha regardless of their sectarian belief," says D N Singh in A Study of Hinduism. "He is both the beginning of the religion and the meeting ground for all Hindus."
Ganesh ChaturthiThe devotees of Ganesha are known as 'Ganapatyas', and the festival to celebrate and glorify him is called Ganesh Chaturthi.
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05:32:00 , ,

Have you ever seen anyone praying his or her own portrait? You may think it's preposterous, but what about those few who do not believe in God and instead consider the physical self as the Supreme Reality? Here's a peek into the wild world of Tantrism.

Satifying the Self

There are some ancient Hindu texts, which emphasize the exaltation of the physical self, more than anything else. The concept that arises out of this kind of devotion to self, forms the basis of what is known as tantra, and the followers of this 'crude side' of Hinduism are called tantrics.
These people not only glorify the physical body but also go to any extent to satisfy the self to attain occult powers. Tantrism entails the anti-nomianistic or immoral way of gaining uncanny powers. According to Tantrism, it is through bhoga or satisfying desires that man can gain salvation, and he must do anything that he wishes to do, particularly those that are regarded sinful.

Origin of Tantrism

There are many disputes about its origins as it has been practiced since thousands of years.

Life of a Tantric Sadhaka The reason for establishment of tantra was to help humans quickly resolve their problems. Even today, some tantrics use it for the same purpose. However, it has been misused by some for various other purposes and gaining mystical powers.
Whatever its remote origins, historically it can be dated about the time of the rise of Buddhism. Later on, Buddhists adopted some of the Tantric symbols and Tantric Buddhism grown as a sect. Today, tantra is not practised widely in India, and survives mostly in the far northeast, amid the jungles and foothills of the Himalayas.
A sadhaka, or person performing tantric acts, lives a simple life, practices yoga and meditates in the quiet of the countryside, far away from the madding crowd.
He is distinguished by his saffron robe and begging bowl, or in some cases he might go stark naked! He sells charms, amulets, 'magical' medicines and herbs. He sometimes gathers together with other sadhus or ascetics to form vast processions during religious festivals. So much for the brighter side of a tantric.
The darker half involves taking drugs, inflicting austerities upon himself, or doing certain things that outrage morality.

Tantra Teachings

Tantras, like the Vedas, are collections of verses suggesting elaborate directions for the right way to worship. They are generally esoteric, mystical teachings addressed to the sadhakas. Sex and the various postures of love-making associated with tantra may be a tenet of one of the branch or sub-branch of tantrism. However, this is a recent phenomenon and is debatable if it is actually a part of Tantra. Most branches of tantra were originally formed to help humans solve their problems quick and fast. Some branches of tantra are meant to gain mystical powers. This is what most of the Tantric sadhakas aim for today.

Kundalini: Serpent Power

Another way to acquire siddhi or occult powers, is by practising Kundalini or 'serpent power'. According to the tantric texts, a serpent lies in our crotch, extending to the rectum. To awaken it, one must perform certain yoga, which will gradually arouse it. Practising Kundalini uncoils the serpent and releases vast energy, which proceeds up our spine like hot liquid. The skin burns, we sweat and experience a stinging sensation. The siddhi attained through this method can be so powerful that it may destroy the person if not controlled. Kundalini rises and when it reaches its limit, there is complete bliss. And once the sadhaka reaches this goal he becomes a sadhu or sage.
Some Tantrics of recent times are wild people with ingenuous tastes, possessing an intense love of freedom of the will. They can be hailed as the predecessors of the hippie movement in America in the sixties, for they have much in common. It is particularly interesting to note that, in the 17th century British-India, when tantrism was extant, the English were horrified to discover such a barbaric practice and tabooed it as a kind of obscene voodoo.

Sex for Nirvana

Some sects of Tantism uphold the view that the best way of being God-like is to have intense sex with a woman. Having sex to the point of utter exhaustion can attain nirvana. However, realsadhakas and yogis do not believe that nirvana or moksha can be attained this way unlike some people who may be using Tantraism for their own benefits.

The Real Meaning of Ardha Nareeshwara Swarup

A representation of Lord Shiva, at the Elephanta Caves, show the right side of the deity as masculine and the left as feminine. Known as ‘Ardha Nareeshwara Swarup,’ this depicts the belief that the Goddess Shakti is one with Lord Shiva and no different. Shiva and Shakti are one and the same supreme power. The formless god is called Para Shiva. The god creates the world and act for the benefits of pashus (souls), who are attached by pasha (bondage). The power of creation comes from Shiva and Shakti or Parvati. It depicts Shakti or power cannot be separated from Shiva. Ardha Nareeshwara is the form of their togetherness.

Keeping the Trantric Legacy Alive…

The orthodox Hindus shun and fear a tantric. He is detested and persecuted by the police, who considered him a charlatan, and an antisocial. Large tantric gatherings are banned. So, very little of it is left in actual practice. Nevertheless, its legacy cannot be ignored. Still today, some tantrics dedicate their devotion or sadhna in remote jungles and cremation grounds. Their goal is to gain mystical powers and it has its own dangers associated with it. So, finding a proper tantric guru in this time and age is a difficult but absolutely essential imperative. Such people have kept the dying art of tantrism alive and many of them today use their ‘supernatural’ powers for human welfare.
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05:26:00 , ,

"The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which men desire when they lead the life of continence … is Om. This syllable Om is indeed Brahman. Whosoever knows this syllable obtains all that he desires. This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahma."
~ Katha Upanishad I
Om or Aum is of paramount importance in Hinduism. This symbol (as seen in the image on the right) is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism — omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable. Om, therefore, represents both the unmanifest (nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects of God. That is why it is called pranava, to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath.
The Hindus begin their day or any work or a journey by uttering Om. The sacred symbol is often found at the head of letters, at the beginning of examination papers and so on. Many Hindus, as an expression of spiritual perfection, wear the sign of Om as a pendant. This symbol is enshrined in every Hindu temple premise or in some form or another on family shrines.
It is interesting to note that a newly born child is ushered into the world with this holy sign. After birth, the child is ritually cleansed and the sacred syllable Om is written on its tongue with honey. Thus right at the time of birth the syllable Om is initiated into the life of a Hindu and ever remains with him as the symbol of piety. Om is also a popular symbol used in contemporary body art and tattoos.

The Eternal Syllable

According to the Mandukya Upanishad, "Om is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it".

The Music of Om

Om is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om. It is believed to be the basic sound of the world and to contain all other sounds. It is a mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or soul.
There is harmony, peace and bliss in this simple but deeply philosophical sound. By vibrating the sacred syllable Om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Ultimate Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the highest state of "stateless" eternity, states the Bhagavad Gita.

The Vision of Om

Om provides a dualistic viewpoint. On one hand, it projects the mind beyond the immediate to what is abstract and inexpressible. On the other hand, it makes the absolute more tangible and comprehensive. It encompasses all potentialities and possibilities; it is everything that was, is, or can yet be. It is omnipotent and likewise remains undefined.

The Power of Om

During meditation, when we chant Om, we create within ourselves a vibration that attunes sympathy with the cosmic vibration and we start thinking universally. The momentary silence between each chant becomes palpable. Mind moves between the opposites of sound and silence until, at last, it ceases the sound. In the silence, the single thought—Om—is quenched; there is no thought. This is the state of trance, where the mind and the intellect are transcended as the individual self merges with the Infinite Self in the pious moment of realization. It is a moment when the petty worldly affairs are lost in the desire for the universal. Such is the immeasurable power of Om.
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05:22:00 , , ,
The self-controlled person, moving among objects, with his senses free from attachment and malevolence and brought under his own control, attains tranquility.
~ Bhagavad Gita II.64
The law of cause and effect forms an integral part of Hindu philosophy. This law is termed as 'karma', which means to 'act'.The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English defines it as the "sum of person's actions in one of his successive states of existence, viewed as deciding his fate for the next". In Sanskrit karma means "volitional action that is undertaken deliberately or knowingly". This also dovetails self-determination and a strong will power to abstain from inactivity. Karma is the differentia that characterizes human beings and distinguishes him from other creatures of the world.

The Natural Law

The theory of karma harps on the Newtonian principle that every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. Every time we think or do something, we create a cause, which in time will bear its corresponding effects. 

Your Karma Is Your Own Doing And this cyclical cause and effect generates the concepts of samsara (or the world) and birth and reincarnation. It is the personality of a human being or the jivatman- with its positive and negative actions - that causes karma.
Karma could be both the activities of the body or the mind, irrespective of the consideration whether the performance brings fruition immediately or at a later stage. However, the involuntary or the reflex actions of the body cannot be called karma.
Every person is responsible for his or her acts and thoughts, so each person's karma is entirely his or her own. Occidentals see the operation of karma as fatalistic. But that is far from true since it is in the hands of an individual to shape his own future by schooling his present.
Hindu philosophy, which believes in life after death, holds the doctrine that if the karma of an individual is good enough, the next birth will be rewarding, and if not, the person may actually devolve and degenerate into a lower life form. In order to achieve good karma it is important to live life according to dharma or what is right.

Three Kinds of Karma

According to the ways of life chosen by a person, his karma can be classified into three kinds. Thesatvik karma, which is without attachment, selfless and for the benefit of others; the rajasik karma, which is selfish where the focus is on gains for oneself; and the tamasik karma, which is undertaken without heed to consequences, and is supremely selfish and savage.
In this context Dr. D N Singh in his A Study of Hinduism, quotes Mahatma Gandhi's lucid differentiation between the three. According to Gandhi, the tamasik works in a mechanic fashion, the rajasik drives too many horses, is restless and always doing something or other, and the satvikworks with peace in mind.
Swami Sivananda, of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh classifies karma into three kinds on the basis of action and reaction: Prarabdha (so much of past actions as has given rise to the present birth), Sanchita (the balance of past actions that will give rise to future births - the storehouse of accumulated actions), Agami or Kriyamana (acts being done in the present life).

The Discipline of Unattached Action

According to the scriptures, the discipline of unattached action (Nishkâma Karma) can lead to salvation of the soul. So they recommend that one should remain detached while carrying out his duties in life. As Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita: "To the man thinking about the objects (of the senses) arises attachment towards them; from attachment, arises longing; and from longing arises anger. From anger comes delusion; and from delusion loss of memory; from loss of memory, the ruin of discrimination; and on the ruin of discrimination, he perishes".
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08:14:00 , , ,
Nag Panchami (Devanagari: नाग पंचमी) is a traditional worship of snakes or serpents observed by Hindus throughout India ,Nepal and other countries where Hindu adherents live. The worship is offered on the fifth day of bright half of Lunar month of Shravan (July/August), according to the Hindu calendar.
Lord Vishnu 


Human beings soon after stabilizing from nomadic venture started the ritual of worshipping the nature and everything that was helpful to them in one or another way. It helped them construct a system that was derived from the beliefs in social organizations, local cults and deities. Humans thus started exploring nature and started sorting a culture to abide by. Things like sun, river, mountain and snake have been thought of as important element of simultaneous existence since then. Snake worship has also been a part of the culture of India ever since then. Naag Panchami is one of the most important festivals in India celebrated to commemorate the existence of the snake god.

Celebrated on the fifth day of the moonlit-fortnight in the month of Shravan according to the Hindu calendar, this festival falls in the month of July /August according to the Gregorian calendar. It is celebrated in various parts of the country among the community where it has been prevalent for long. The grandest celebrations can be seen in the southern India and in the states of Bengal and Maharashtra. The festival has religious significance too. It is believed that Snakes have been the savior of human race from the wrath of demons and also, that the earth is balanced on the head of on Shesh Naag. There are also several legends and stories associated with the festival, one of the most important one is given below.

Stories & Legends Of Nag Panchami
It is said that long before Aryans arrived in India, a clan named Nagaas lived in India. It was a highly developed clan. It is said that the snake-worship amongst the Nagas, was extremely popular and it can be proved according to the evidences derived from the Indus Valley civilization of 3000 B.C. After the Naga culture gradually got incorporated into Hinduism, the Indo-Aryans also gradually accepted many of the snake deities as their God too. The prominent Cobra snakes mentioned in the Puranas that are to be worshipped are Anant, Vasuki, Shesh, Padma, Kanwal, Karkotak, Kalia, Aswatar, Takshak, Sankhpal, Dhritarashtra and Pingal. However, some of the historians claim that they were not snakes but Naaga Kings of various kingdoms which were worshipped as Gods.

It is also a popular belief amongst people in Hindu religion that thousand-headed Shesh Nag who symbolizes Eternity holds the entire spherical earth on it head. Also, that it is the resting couch of Lord Vishnu, one of three most important gods of Hindu religion. In Jainism and Buddhism snake is regarded as sacred creature with divine qualities. It is because some ancient texts say that a Cobra snake saved the life of Buddha and the Jain Muni Parshwanath. 

Stories of snakes association with Hindu gods also enhance the stature of these reptiles in Hindu culture. A popular legend says that the elder brother of Lord Krishna, Balram was the incarnation of Seshnag on earth. Snake is also given due importance because it is considered to be the ornament of Lord Shiva around his neck. The celebration of Nag Panchami in the month of Shrawan (considered as the month of Lord Shiva in Hindu religion) also explains the deep association of Shiva and commemoration of snake as his companion.

It is believed that even the ancient architecture exhibit the evidence of the importance of snakes in the Indian culture. On the caves of Ajanta, the images of the rituals of snake worship have been found. Even Indian literature is full of stories of the virtue of snake. The famous author Kautilya, in his "Arthashastra" has given detailed description of the cobra snakes. It is said that it was also the wide belief of people in ancient India that if they worship snake, they won't cause harm to them and their family. So, there is no one specific legend to why the Naga Panchami started in India, it is being for too long due to the religious significance and social importance of this unique reptile.
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07:31:00 ,
Changes inside the mother’s womb during Pregnancy.


Garuda purana is one of the eighteen Purana, composed in 1st millennium CE. Most of the text deals with death, sin, description of hell and spine-chilling Vaitarni river, torture of sinful human. But the way development of embryo and fetus is described is incredible.
Translations for few verses of Garuda Purana
Viṣṇu said: I will tell you how the mortal is born when the male and female elements are bound together by the union of man and woman.
In the middle of the menstruation period, in the three days on which Indra incurs the sin of Brāmicide, the body of the sinful begins to form.
The creature, in obtaining a body, according to karma, the divine eye, enters the womb of a woman, which is the receptacle of a man's seed.
In one night it becomes a lump; by the fifth night round; by the tenth day like the fruit of the jujube tree, and after that an egg of flesh.
By the first month the head, by the second the arms and other parts of the body are formed; by the third occurs the formation of nails, hair, bones, skin, genitalia and other cavities;
By the fourth the seven bodily fluids; by the fifth hunger and thirst arise; by the sixth, enveloped by the chorion, it moves to the left of the womb.
The bodily substances are formed of the foods and liquids of the mother, and the creature at the time of birth lies in the disgusting hollow of the loins, amid feaces and urine.
All its limbs bitten constantly by hungry worms, it swoons away repeatedly through excessive pain, as they are very tender.
From the beginning of the seventh month, though he gains consciousness, he who is in the womb trembles and moves about because of the parturition winds, like a uterine worm
Now, in modern science, embryology is very vast . but in short it amazingly correlate whatever is written about child birth in Garuda purana.
  • 1st night it become lump - correlation =2 cells stage
  • 5th night become round - correlation =Blastocyst
  • 10th day Jujube fruit - Probably alot smaller than jujube fruit
  • 1st month head is formed - correlation =The various processes from which face develops can be identified at the end of 4th week
  • 2nd months arms and other part of body - correlation =by the 50th day the elbows and knees are esablished, and the finger and toes are free,
  • By 3rd month , formation of nail, hair, bone, skin, genitalia and other body cavities -correlation =the first hair to be produced by the fetal hair follicles, and it usually appears around 16 weeks of gestation, primary centers of ossification of long bone is seen around 8 weeks. Prostate begins to develop at the end of 3 month and vagina is canalized by 5 months.
  • By 5th month hunger - correlation =Does my unborn child feel hunger?
  • 7th month , fetus gain consciousness - correlation =the brain structures necessary for conscious experience of pain do not develop until 29-30 weeks, while the conscious processing of sounds is only made possible after the 26th week.
Sources-
Human embryology by Inderbir Singh
Human embryology and Development Biology by Beuce M Carlson
Internet Sources.
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