Gita-God-Hinduism

Key days in 2024 Monday - Jan 15, 2024 - Makarsankranti / Pongal Friday - Mar 8, 2024 - Mahashivarathri  Monday - Mar 25, 2024 - Holi Tuesday - Apr 09, 2024 - Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Telugu New Year Wednesday - Apr 17, 2024 - Ramanavami Tuesday - Apr 23, 2024 - Hanuman Jayanti Tuesday - May 21 2024 - Narasimha Jayanti  Sunday - Jul 21, 2024 - Guru Purnima Monday - Aug 26, 2024 - Krishna Janmashtami Saturday -   Sep 06, 2024 - Ganesh Chaturthi Thursday - Oct 03, 2024 - Navaratri begins Thursday, Oct 10, 2024 - Saraswati Puja Thursday, Oct 10, 2024 - Durga Puja Saturday, Oct 12, 2024 - Vijayashtami  Friday - Oct 11, 2024 - Navaratri ends / Maha Navami Saturday - Oct 12, 2024 - Dusshera Friday - Nov 01, 2024 - Diwali Wednesday - Dec 11, 2024 - Geeta Jayanti Poornima days:  Friday, 23rd February 2024 - Magha Purnima Sunday, 24th March 2024 - Phalguna Purnima  Tuesday, 23rd April 2024 - Chaithra Purnima  Thursday, 23rd May 2024 - Vaisha...

Valmiki Ramayana - Ayodhya Kanda - Sarga 1 स हि रूपोपपन्नश्च वीर्यवाननसूयकः | भूमावनुपमः सूनुर्गुणैर्दशरथोपमः || २-१-९ Rama was beautiful in form, a hero of valor and without envy. By virtues, he was like Dasaratha. In this way, he was an incomparable son on earth. स च नित्यं प्रशान्तात्मा मृदुपूर्वं तु भाषते | उच्यमानोऽपि परुषं नोत्तरं प्रतिपद्यते || २-१-१० That Rama was always peaceful in mind and spoke softly. He did not react even to the hard words spoken by others. कथञ्चिदुपकारेण कृतेनैकेन तुष्यति | न स्मरत्यपकाराणां शतमप्यात्मवत्तया || २-१-११ That Rama, because of his good bent of mind, feels glad even by whatever way a good thing is done to him. He does not remember any number of bad things done to him शीलवृद्धैर्ज्ञानवृद्धैर्वयोवृद्धैश्च सज्जनैः | कथयन्नास्त वै नित्यमस्त्रयोग्यान्तरेष्वपि || २-१-१२ Whenever he finds some time even while practising archery, Rama used to converse with elderly people, elder by way of conduct or wisdom or age or with good- natured people. बुद्धिमान...

What is shodasha upachAra?  To understand the purpose of shodasha upachaara, it is important to understand the meaning of the word itself.  shOdasha means 16 or "consisting of 16" or "having 16"! upachAra means "Treating someone", "honoring", "solicitate", "performing a ceremony", "offering reverence", "service" etc.   A special guest to one's home is offered a special treatment. Most festivals would have these 16 steps as a way to greet, meet and treat the Lord through ceremonial solicitation. These steps are symbolic  in nature to express gratitude and reverence by subjecting the deity through the purification process through bathing, offering clothes, scents, flowers, food etc. These steps are concluded by a complete prostration to seek His blessings.   Here are the 16 upachArAs:  prathama upachAra - dhyana - aavahana  – meditation offered as reverence to the Lord. This is usually an invocation praye...

Introduction:  Soundarya Lahari  saundrya = beauty, elegance, noble conduct, generosity etc . lahari - a large wave (that can sweep you from below your feet, that can clean you of your past, that can take you away to a different world)! It comes in two parts aananda lahari - the waves of happiness that has 41 stanzaas. The second part is soundarya lahari. aananda lahari was taught by his Guru Gaudapada, and Sri Adi Sankara added the rest of the 59 stanzas and made it to 100 stanzaas. ಶಿವಃ ಶಕ್ತ್ಯಾ ಯುಕ್ತೋ ಯದಿ ಭವತಿ ಶಕ್ತಃ ಪ್ರಭವಿತುಂ ನ ಚೇದೇವಂ ದೇವೋ ನ ಖಲು ಕುಶಲಃ ಸ್ಪಂದಿತುಮಪಿ  ಅತಸ್ತ್ವಾಮಾರಾಧ್ಯಾಂ ಹರಿಹರವಿರಿಂಚಾದಿಭಿರಪಿ ಪ್ರಣಂತುಂ ಸ್ತೋತುಂ ವಾ ಕಥಮಕೃತಪುಣ್ಯಃ ಪ್ರಭವತಿ || ೧ || shivaH = Lord Shiva; shaktyA - with shakti or dEvi; yuktaH - along with or one with; yadi bhavati - if union happens then; prabhavitum shaktaH - is able to create; na ceth Evam - if he is NOT with shakti; dEvaH - then that shiva; spanditum api - even to cause a minor movement; kushalaha na khalu - has no capacity, right? ata...