DOCSLIB.ORG

Sample Copy. Not for Distribution

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sample Copy. Not for Distribution Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. ABC of Hinduism i Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. Publishing-in-support-of, EDUCREATION PUBLISHING RZ 94, Sector - 6, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110075 Shubham Vihar, Mangla, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh - 495001 Website: www.educreation.in ________________________________________________________________ © Copyright, Authors All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of its writer. ISBN: 978-1-5457-0339-7 Price: ` 565.00 The opinions/ contents expressed in this book are solely of the authors and do not represent the opinions/ standings/ thoughts of Educreation or the Editors . The book is released by using the services of self-publishing house. Printed in India ii Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. ABC of Hinduism Prem P. Bhalla EDUCREATION PUBLISHING (Since 2011) www.educreation.in iii Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. iv Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. Preface It has never been possible to define Hinduism in precise terms. Some call it a religion; others call it a faith. The majority interprets it as a way of life. It is not possible to draw upon the thoughts, words and directions of a founding father of Hinduism, as we can in other religions, because there is none. The foundation of Hinduism rests upon the Vedas, which are not the work of a single person. They are a source of knowledge and wisdom revealed on separate occasions to different people and compiled together later. The Vedas were not accepted blindly as a matter of faith. The conscientious saints and sages put them to test. They were discussed, debated and repeatedly tried. The comments, opinions and findings were recorded. Upanishads emerged from such deliberations. These were further discussed in different forms and on different occasions. Everyone did not accept what was said and discussed. Several schools of thought emerged. Differences of opinion were happily accepted in a spirit of open thought and free existence. The interpretations might have been different and dissensions may have existed, but none challenged the authority of the Vedas because they are based upon the fundamentals of nature and existence. Who could refute the hymns in praise of Agni (fire), Surya (sun - energy), Varun (water), Vayu (air), Prithvi (earth) or Indra (rain and the environment)? Whom would the beauty of Usha not bewilder, the charming golden rays of brilliance rising above the horizon ushering in another day of hope and attainment? Who would not like to thank the forces that make it all happen at the end of another satisfying day at sunset? The hills, mountains, springs, rivers and the sea were always generous in promising better life. Within these were treasures mankind searched for in greed. In return for the benevolence people prayed to them as gods. It is only the gods who give without asking for anything in exchange. People revered the animals, fishes and birds. Gods incarnated through them. They v Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. used them as their vehicles. Gods were as much a part of the animal world as of mankind. Hindus revered the plants, shrubs and trees. They are living beings and part of the vast universe. While many provided food, others provided flowers and the trees provided shelter and comforting shade, abundance of energizing oxygen and of course the fruits that delighted the palate as much as they were beneficial for health. In them, the Hindus saw the abodes of gods. Through them they sought health, happiness and a long life for themselves and for those they loved. Gods would not disappoint them. Human life is short, but knowledge and wisdom are forever. It was not possible to record it for the generations to come because no such facilities existed at that time. Yet knowledge and wisdom was transmitted through word of mouth through sheer repetition of the hymns in praise of the benevolent gods. All men and women are not born equal. Some are born with intellect, the ability to understand, analyse and accept or reject what comes before them. The majority consists of ordinary people with a simple mind and ordinary intellect. The saints and sages reached out to them with nature‟s wisdom in the form of stories and parables that they could understand. It was sugar coating the bitter truth, which may not always be palatable to accept. From the stories and explanations emerged yet another form of religious texts, which are known as Purans. The Purans highlight the activities of different gods. The existence of evil has always been recognised as a part of life. With the human body being pulled towards the pleasures of the senses, and with giving in to them easily leading one to harm, the perpetual battle between the good and bad desires has been illustrated through a variety of stories that enrich Hindu texts. We see storytelling at its best in the great Hindu epic, sage Valmiki‟s Ramayan. Sri Ram is recognised as a god who lived an ideal life of a man fulfilling his responsibilities as a son, a student, a brother, a husband, a friend and as a king. Many versions of the Ramayan have since been written in many languages. Each year one sees the life of Sri Ram re-enacted through Ramlilas all over the world. Innumerable TV serials and films are testimony to Sri Ram‟s popularity amongst both the Hindus and non-Hindus. vi Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. The second Hindu epic, the Mahabharat, is again a remarkable story with shorter stories within the principal story highlighting the forces of good and evil. These are as relevant today as they were when first written. The Bhagwat Gita that forms a part of the epic could be described as the essence of the teachings of Hinduism. It has found its way into every Hindu home. Like the earlier epic, Mahabharat has been televised and made into films that have attracted the viewership of millions of people around the world. While Hinduism accepts the existence of different schools of thought within it, it equally accepts the growth of distinct allied religions like Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism from within it. These religions have their own distinct forms and following. Since they have emerged from Hinduism and have much in common, they continue to share many similarities mutually accepted by everyone. People following these faiths continue to live in harmony in communities everywhere. Hindu rites, rituals, customs and traditions are followed by millions of people around the world. Many follow them because others are doing it. A large majority has lost touch with many of these simply because the current system of education initiated by the British has totally ignored the purpose and utility of these activities. The common man, lost in the struggle for economic competency, has had no time to understand that the Hindu traditions provide a complete plan of a good life from childhood to death. With a religion that is thousands of years old, has many schools of thought, with the religious texts written in Sanskrit and a variety of other languages that were popular at that time, and with a variety of rituals still accepted and followed, though without sufficient understanding of their significance, the common man stands lost in search for relevant information on several aspects of Hinduism that interest him. His call is loud and clear, “Where can I instantly find relevant information that would be useful to me?” Hinduism can be proud of having the world‟s oldest religious texts. There is no dearth of religious literature of all descriptions. The original literature is in Sanskrit or other languages. Effort has been made to translate important texts. There are limitations of finding exact words that could describe not only the meaning but vii Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. also the feelings and emotions of the original texts. Indian and foreign scholars have produced works of great merit. Libraries are full of books on almost every subject. Most of them are of interest to scholars. The common man is in a hurry to seek information he or she requires. Besides libraries, information on almost everything is available on the Internet. The big question is, “How much of this information is authentic, valid and useful?” A few years ago I was inspired to put together a book: Hindu Rites, Rituals, Customs and Traditions that covered the basics of Hindu life from childhood to death. I followed this with Hindu Gods and Goddesses to explain why Hindus have many gods and goddesses. Still later, to get across the ideal of Sri Ram‟s life to the common man, I wrote The Story of Sri Ram. Much could be learnt from Sri Ram‟s life. I made an effort of putting together Gems from the Ramcharitmanas. Continuing my effort to bring the intricacies of Hinduism and practical knowledge within the reach of the common man I wrote Seven Steps to Self-realisation. I am overwhelmed by the acceptance of these works by Hindus in India and around the world. Compelled by the need for information that would de-mystify the many names that appear in Hindu religious texts, Sanskrit or Hindi terms and texts that are an integral part of the thought processes, which some of us living in orthodox Hindu families are acquainted with, but the vast majority find it hard to understand, I have tried to put together information on religious texts, their concepts and development, the men and women who were a part of this development, from the ancient times to the modern era where we have saints and gurus speaking fluently in English, as they would in Sanskrit, Hindi or other regional languages.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Significance of Fire Offering in Hindu Society
    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ISSN : 2277-7881; IMPACT FACTOR - 2.735; IC VALUE:5.16 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7(3), JULY 2014 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FIRE OFFERING IN HINDU THE SIGNIFICANCESOCIETY OF FIRE OFFERING IN HINDU SOCIETY S. Sushrutha H. R. Nagendra Swami Vivekananda Yoga Swami Vivekananda Yoga University University Bangalore, India Bangalore, India R. G. Bhat Swami Vivekananda Yoga University Bangalore, India Introduction Vedas demonstrate three domains of living for betterment of process and they include karma (action), dhyana (meditation) and jnana (knowledge). As long as individuality continues as human being, actions will follow and it will eventually lead to knowledge. According to the Dhatupatha the word yajna derives from yaj* in Sanskrit language that broadly means, [a] worship of GODs (natural forces), [b] synchronisation between various domains of creation and [c] charity.1 The concept of God differs from religion to religion. The ancient Hindu scriptures conceptualises Natural forces as GOD or Devatas (deva that which enlightens [div = light]). Commonly in all ancient civilizations the worship of Natural forces as GODs was prevalent. Therefore any form of manifested (Sun, fire and so on) and or unmanifested (Prana, Manas and so on) form of energy is considered as GOD even in Hindu tradition. Worship conceives the idea of requite to the sources of energy forms from where the energy is drawn for the use of all 260 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ISSN : 2277-7881; IMPACT FACTOR - 2.735; IC VALUE:5.16 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7(3), JULY 2014 life forms. Worshiping the Gods (Upasana) can be in the form of worship of manifest forms, prostration, collection of ingredients or devotees for worship, invocation, study and discourse and meditation.
    [Show full text]
  • 9789004400139 Webready Con
    Vedic Cosmology and Ethics Gonda Indological Studies Published Under the Auspices of the J. Gonda Foundation Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Edited by Peter C. Bisschop (Leiden) Editorial Board Hans T. Bakker (Groningen) Dominic D.S. Goodall (Paris/Pondicherry) Hans Harder (Heidelberg) Stephanie Jamison (Los Angeles) Ellen M. Raven (Leiden) Jonathan A. Silk (Leiden) volume 19 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/gis Vedic Cosmology and Ethics Selected Studies By Henk Bodewitz Edited by Dory Heilijgers Jan Houben Karel van Kooij LEIDEN | BOSTON This is an open access title distributed under the terms of the CC-BY-NC 4.0 License, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Bodewitz, H. W., author. | Heilijgers-Seelen, Dorothea Maria, 1949- editor. Title: Vedic cosmology and ethics : selected studies / by Henk Bodewitz ; edited by Dory Heilijgers, Jan Houben, Karel van Kooij. Description: Boston : Brill, 2019. | Series: Gonda indological studies, ISSN 1382-3442 ; 19 | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2019013194 (print) | LCCN 2019021868 (ebook) | ISBN 9789004400139 (ebook) | ISBN 9789004398641 (hardback : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Hindu cosmology. | Hinduism–Doctrines. | Hindu ethics. Classification: LCC B132.C67 (ebook) | LCC B132.C67 B63 2019 (print) | DDC 294.5/2–dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019013194 Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/brill‑typeface. ISSN 1382-3442 ISBN 978-90-04-39864-1 (hardback) ISBN 978-90-04-40013-9 (e-book) Copyright 2019 by Henk Bodewitz.
    [Show full text]
  • Agnihotra:- a Vedic Touch to Modern Agriculture Y
    Vol.1 Issue-8, APRIL 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223) Agnihotra:- A Vedic Touch to Modern Agriculture Y. B. Vala1* Department of Agronomy, C. P. College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat ARTICLE ID: 001 Abstract The intensive chemical agriculture that has been followed after successful green revolution in our country is causing heavy pollution of our soil, food, drinking water and air. The harmful chemicals are ingested into the body when we eat food grown under these conditions. The answer to our problems lies in Agnihotra Organic Farming. Agni means „fire‟ Hotra means „healing‟. It‟s written in the Vedas that “HEAL THE ATMOSPHERE AND IT WILL HEAL YOU”. The most significant aspect of Agnihotra is that it combines the energies of five elements sun, space, air, water and earth to produce subtle changes in the living organisms and helps to restore the bio-rhythm. Agnihotra is the basic HOMA for all HOMA fire practices given in the ancient Vedic sciences of bioenergy, psychotherapy, medicine, agriculture, biogenetics, climate engineering and interplanetary communication. Agnihotra can be referred as a non-convectional approach as it reduces microbial count and toxic gases in air and improve atmospheric quality. It increases plant growth, yield and quality parameter. Application of Agnihotra ash and biosol improve soil quality by increasing beneficial soil microorganism. It lowers the incidence of pest and diseases as well as heals the atmosphere by preventing it from minimizing the use of chemical fertilizer which are toxic for human, plant and livestock health. Agnihotra ash also work to purify water and make it suitable for agricultural use.
    [Show full text]
  • Daan and Other Giving Traditions in India-Final.Qxd
    Daan and Other Giving Traditions in India THE FORGOTTEN POT OF GOLD SANJAY AGARWAL Daan and Other Giving Traditions in India THE FORGOTTEN POT OF GOLD SANJAY AGARWAL Dedicated to Sh. Shekhar Agarwal, my brother, Guru, guardian, and friend, who first showed me the path of daan Published by AccountAidTM India 55-B, Pocket C, Siddharth Extension, New Delhi - 110014, India Phone No.: +91-11-2634 3852, +91-11-2634 3128 [email protected] www.accountaid.net First Edition: Delhi, 2010 Copyright © Sanjay Agarwal Price: `500 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book. While the greatest care has been taken in writing this book, no responsibility can be accepted by the publisher for the accuracy of the information presented. Daan and Other Giving Traditions in India ISBN 978-81-910854-0-2 Design and Layout: Moushumi De Illustrations: Mridula Sharma Printed at: PRINTWORKS, F-25, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi Contents at a Glance Foreword 09 Preface 14 I. Introduction 18 II. Daan and Utsarg (Hindu) 21 III. Sadaqa and Zakaat (Islam) 63 IV. Charity and Tithe (Christian) 71 V. Sewa and Daswandh (Sikh) 78 VI. Daan (Bauddh) 80 VII. Daan (Jain) 97 VIII. Other Traditions 102 IX. Leveraging Traditional Giving 106 Appendices 111 Works Cited 168 Notes 177 Index 229 Detailed Contents Foreword by Priya Viswanath 09 Foreword by Mark Sidel 12 Preface 14 Acknowledgements 16 I.
    [Show full text]
  • Agnihotra-Rituals-FINAL Copy
    Agnihotra Rituals in Nepal The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Witzel, Michael. 2015. "Agnihotra Rituals in Nepal." In Homa Variations: The Study of Ritual Change Across the Longue Durée, eds. Richard K. Payne and Michael Witzel, 371. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199351572.003.0014 Published Version doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199351572.003.0014 Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:34391774 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Open Access Policy Articles, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#OAP Michael Witzel AGNIHOTRA RITUALS IN NEPAL Five* groups of Brahmins reside in the Kathmandu Valley of today:1 the Newari speaking Rājopādhyāya, the Nepali speaking Pūrbe, who immigrated in the last centuries before and the Gorkha conquest (1768/9 CE), the Kumaĩ, the Newari and Maithili speaking Maithila, and the Bhaṭṭas from South India, who serve at the Paśupatināth temple. Except for the Bhaṭṭas, all are followers of the White Yajurveda in its Mādhyandina recension. It could therefore be expected that all these groups, with the exception of the Bhaṭṭas, would show deviations from each other in language and certain customs brought from their respective homelands, but that they would agree in their (Vedic) ritual. However, this is far from being the case. On the contrary, the Brahmins of the Kathmandu Valley, who have immigrated over the last fifteen hundred years in several waves,2 constitute a perfect example of individual regional developments in this border area of medieval Indian culture, as well as of the successive, if fluctuating, influence of the ‘great tradition’ of Northern India.
    [Show full text]
  • 3.Hindu Websites Sorted Country Wise
    Hindu Websites sorted Country wise Sl. Reference Country Broad catergory Website Address Description No. 1 Afghanistan Dynasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindushahi Hindu Shahi Dynasty Afghanistan, Pakistan 2 Afghanistan Dynasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayapala King Jayapala -Hindu Shahi Dynasty Afghanistan, Pakistan 3 Afghanistan Dynasty http://www.afghanhindu.com/history.asp The Hindu Shahi Dynasty (870 C.E. - 1015 C.E.) 4 Afghanistan History http://hindutemples- Hindu Roots of Afghanistan whthappendtothem.blogspot.com/ (Gandhar pradesh) 5 Afghanistan History http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/mode Hindu Kush rn/hindu_kush.html 6 Afghanistan Information http://afghanhindu.wordpress.com/ Afghan Hindus 7 Afghanistan Information http://afghanhindusandsikhs.yuku.com/ Hindus of Afaganistan 8 Afghanistan Information http://www.afghanhindu.com/vedic.asp Afghanistan and It's Vedic Culture 9 Afghanistan Information http://www.afghanhindu.de.vu/ Hindus of Afaganistan 10 Afghanistan Organisation http://www.afghanhindu.info/ Afghan Hindus 11 Afghanistan Organisation http://www.asamai.com/ Afghan Hindu Asociation 12 Afghanistan Temple http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_Temples_ Hindu Temples of Kabul of_Kabul 13 Afghanistan Temples Database http://www.athithy.com/index.php?module=p Hindu Temples of Afaganistan luspoints&id=851&action=pluspoint&title=H indu%20Temples%20in%20Afghanistan%20. html 14 Argentina Ayurveda http://www.augurhostel.com/ Augur Hostel Yoga & Ayurveda 15 Argentina Festival http://www.indembarg.org.ar/en/ Festival of
    [Show full text]
  • Reinterpreting Yajña As Vedic Sacrifice
    REINTERPRETING YAJÑA AS VEDIC SACRIFICE “An American scholar of India can hardly escape being a translator – not merely of words, but of the outlooks and ideas that shape all the manifestations of the culture, including its language.” – Philip Lutgendorf (1991: 231) Vedic rituals, yajñas, were one of the most important socio-religious activities in Vedic India. In this article, I endeavor to problematize the term “sacrifice,” which is often used to translate the word yajña in Indological writings. Although Monier-Williams (MW) dictionary defines yajñas as - “worship, devotion, prayer, praise; act of worship or devotion, offering, oblation, sacrifice (the former meanings prevailing in Veda, the latter in post-Vedic literature)”, some of the primary meanings of the word yajña seem to have been sidelined with the scholarly emphasis on “sacrifice” as the chief interpretation. Several Vedicists have already expressed their disapprovals with equating yajña with sacrifice. For instance, according to Timothy Lubin (from his April 5, 2007 message on a scholarly discussion group RISA-L): “yajña and yāga are synonyms = 'worship' in the specifically Vedic sense of a worship service of offerings placed in Agni, the sacred fire. The common translation 'sacrifice' is a bit misleading, since it implies a theory of sacrifice based on Judaic and Greco-Roman practices and ideas. Moreover, the verb yaj is used with an accusative of the god worshiped and the particular offering/ rite expressed by the instrumental of means: agni.s.tomena devān yajati = He worships the gods with the Agni.s.toma rite. Homa designates a libation in the fire, i.e., the pouring or strewing of an offering material, usually ājya (ghee) but also milk, rice or barley, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Rain-Making Yajnya at Tapovan
    VOL. 31 SATSANG NO. 6 RAIN-MAKING YAJNYA AT TAPOVAN NEW ERA 61 MARCH & APRIL 2004 Perform Agnihotra Heal The Atmosphere NEW ERA 61 MARCH & APRIL 2004 VOL. 31 NO. 6 CONTENTS Parjana Yag in Tapovan--Tapovan Celebrates Completion of Three Years Continuous Om Tryambakam Yajnya with Rain-Making Yajnya .......................... 3 Letter to Satsang .................................................................................................. 7 Eco-Tourism at Tapovan ....................................................................................... 8 Healing with Homa Therapy .............................................................................. 10 Homa Farming Report......................................................................................... 11 From Vasant’s Talks ............................................................................................ 15 Editor: Lisa Powers Publisher: Fivefold Path Inc. Parama Dham (House of Almighty Father) 278 N. White Oak Dr., Madison, VA 22727 USA Published seven times yearly. Please direct all Satsang correspondence to the Editor. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of Satsang. Reproduction by permission only. ISSN 0735-1321 Satsang is available on the Internet at: http://www.agnihotra.org/satlist.htm Hard copy of Satsang is also available from Fivefold Path Inc. at the above address. We request a dona- tion of $16.00 for a one-year subscription to ad- dresses in the U.S. and Canada. 2 Parjana Yag in Tapovan-- Tapovan Celebrates Completion of Three Years Continuous Om Tryambakam Yajnya with Rain-Making Yajnya Bruce Johnson Rain-Making Yajnya On 25th March, 2004 in Tapovan we passed here in our area for last two years we de- the three-year milestone in our 24-hour cided to accept Shri Kale’s offer to perform round-the-clock Om Tryambakam Yajnya. By this Yajnya as a fitting occasion to mark the Divine Grace we have been able to maintain beginning of our fourth year of continuous this unique healing fire.
    [Show full text]
  • Sandhyopaasan:The Hindu Ritual As a Foundation of Vedic Education
    53| Rajendra Raj Timilsina Sandhyopaasan:The Hindu Ritual as a Foundation of Vedic Education Rajendra Raj Timilsina Abstract Yoga, meditation and Hasta Mudra Chikitsa (medication through the exercise or gesture of hands) known as spiritual activities in the past have been emerged as bases to maintain one’s health, peace and tranquility. Some people follow yoga, some focus on meditation and others apply “Hasta Chikitsa” or “Mudra”. They are separate traditional exercises. They require to spend 10 to 30 minutes once or twice a day for their optional exercise/s. It is proved that such practice has productive effect in different health treatments. This paper has applied the methods of observation, interview and literature review as qualitative paradigm in exploring their original roots of Vedic Sandhyopaasan. Twice born castes (Brahman, Chhetri and Baishya) of Nepali Hindu society has been found practicing all components of the exercises as a unified ritual of Sandhyopaasan. Upanayan (Bratabandha) ritual teaches Sandhyopaasan procedures for self control and self healing of the performers. Brahman is not eligible as Brahman without doing the ritual daily. However, this study has found that some Dalits have also been practicing Sandhyopaasan daily and feeling relaxed. Findings of this study show that Sandhyopaasan is a compact package of yoga, meditations and Hasta Chikitsa. Students and gurus of Vedas have been regularly following the compact package for inner peace and self control. Root of yoga, meditation and “Mudra” is Sandhyopaasan and this is the base of Hindu education system. The paper analyzes the ritual through Hindu educational perspective. Keywords: Sandhyopaasan, ritual, peace of mind, health, Nepali Hinduism 54| Rajendra Raj Timilsina 1.
    [Show full text]
  • 1.Hindu Websites Sorted Alphabetically
    Hindu Websites sorted Alphabetically Sl. No. Website Address Description Broad catergory Reference Country 1 http://18shaktipeetasofdevi.blogspot.com/ 18 Shakti Peethas Goddess India 2 http://18shaktipeetasofdevi.blogspot.in/ 18 Shakti Peethas Goddess India 3 http://199.59.148.11/Gurudev_English Swami Ramakrishnanada Leader- Spiritual India 4 http://330milliongods.blogspot.in/ A Bouquet of Rose Flowers to My Lord India Lord Ganesh Ji 5 http://41.212.34.21/ The Hindu Council of Kenya (HCK) Organisation Kenya 6 http://63nayanar.blogspot.in/ 63 Nayanar Lord India 7 http://75.126.84.8/ayurveda/ Jiva Institute Ayurveda India 8 http://8000drumsoftheprophecy.org/ ISKCON Payers Bhajan Brazil 9 http://aalayam.co.nz/ Ayalam NZ Hindu Temple Society Organisation New Zealand 10 http://aalayamkanden.blogspot.com/2010/11/s Sri Lakshmi Kubera Temple, Temple India ri-lakshmi-kubera-temple.html Rathinamangalam 11 http://aalayamkanden.blogspot.in/ Journey of lesser known temples in Temples Database India India 12 http://aalayamkanden.blogspot.in/2010/10/bra Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Temple India hmapureeswarar-temple-tirupattur.html Tirupattur 13 http://accidentalhindu.blogspot.in/ Hinduism Information Information Trinidad & Tobago 14 http://acharya.iitm.ac.in/sanskrit/tutor.php Acharya Learn Sanskrit through self Sanskrit Education India study 15 http://acharyakishorekunal.blogspot.in/ Acharya Kishore Kunal, Bihar Information India Mahavir Mandir Trust (BMMT) 16 http://acm.org.sg/resource_docs/214_Ramayan An international Conference on Conference Singapore
    [Show full text]
  • Effect of Agnihotra on the Germination of Rice Seeds
    Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 3(3), July 2004, pp. 231-239 Effect of Agnihotra on the germination of rice seeds Heisnam Jina Devi, N V C Swamy* and H R Nagendra Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore 560 019 Received 1 January 2004; revised 15 March 2004 Vedic ritualistic sacrifices have been in vogue in India since time immemorial. Recently they have become very popular around the globe because of their therapeutic values. An impor- tant component of these sacrifices are the mantras, which are sound forms reputed to contain mystic energy. The most common sacrifice still being practiced in India is the Agnihotra, which involves ritual offerings to the fire at sunrise and sunset to the accompaniment of specific man- tras. This practice was revived in Akkalkot, Maharashtra, and is being popularized throughout the country. In the current investigation, rice seeds were germinated in four rooms in petridishes for a period of 15 days. One room was used as the control with germination under normal condi- tions. A fire was lit in a second room for a specified period at sunrise and sunset. In a third room, Agnihotra mantras were chanted at the same time of the day, but no fire was lit. The last room was the experimental room, in which the full Agnihotra ritual, with fire and mantra, was conducted at sunrise and sunset. Three sets of data were collected for three seasons, autumn, winter and summer for a pe- riod of 15 days each. Four parameters, viz. Root length, shoot length, fresh weight and dry weight were measured.
    [Show full text]
  • Agnihotra Yajna: a Prototype of South Asian Traditional Medical Knowledge Rahul Raveendran Nair
    + MODEL J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2016;--(-):--e-- Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies journal homepage: www.jams-kpi.com PERSPECTIVE Agnihotra Yajna: A Prototype of South Asian Traditional Medical Knowledge Rahul Raveendran Nair Administrative Office, Aushmath Biosciences, Door No: 2/1, Devaraj Corner, Vadavalli Post, Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu 641 041, India Available online --- Received: Sep 21, 2016 Abstract Revised: Oct 29, 2016 This study conceptualizes the principle of agnihotra yajna. The perusal of ancient and Accepted: Nov 3, 2016 modern literature reveals that the functioning of the human body is impossible without maintaining an energetic continuum driven by sunlight. The seven major chakras existing KEYWORDS over the spinal cord help to maintain this energetic continuum. Agnihotra yajna is pro- agnihotra; posed to balance the chakra system as a whole by minimizing entropy. Offerings of nat- energy; ural elements to fire lit in a copper pyramid during agnihotra liberate various volatile entropy; compounds having potent pharmacological actions. Attempts were made to enhance meridians; the efficacy of fumes by incorporating two to three pieces of coconut endosperm and “na- health vadhanya” (nine grains) to the conventional fire oblations. This investigation clearly dem- onstrates that the purpose behind the practice of agnihotra yajna is “letting incessant flow of energy (LIFE)” through our meridian lines and acupuncture points. The volatile organic compounds in smoke were analyzed using the gas chromatographyemass spec- trometry method, and the results are discussed. 1. Introduction internal and external stimuli. As the functional aspects of human body systems revolve around three scientific terms, The human body is a resonating crystal [1] that can receive energy, entropy, and electron flow, nature is always and emit varying levels of frequencies in response to meticulous in maintaining the homeostasis of the energetic components of the earth.
    [Show full text]