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      PAGES
      Hinduism & Quantum Physics
      Index Alphabetical <Click
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      Oldest Civilization
      Aryan Language Family
      Hindu Festivals - 2031
      Moon Calendar
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      Cows are Sacred
      From Scriptures
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      Touched by God
      Yuga Dharma
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      Virtue, Wealth & Pleasure
      Tirukkural
      Ashramas
      Sannyasa - Renunciation
      Kamagita
      Wheel of Life
      Maya/Shakti/Prakriti
      Creation
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      Wisdom versus knowledge
      Divine Wealth
      Women
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      Alluring Adornment
      Nataraj
      Nature of Reality
      God
      The Soul & its Destiny
      Death & Life
      Bhishma
      Immortality
      Resurrection
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      Heaven & Hell
      Emancipation
      Empty  Chamber
      Adhyatma - Self - Spiritual Science
      Self-Realisation
      Self - Atma
      Jnani - Self realised
      Who am I?
      Sanat-sujata
      Vidura Niti
      Worship
      Self-Enquiry
      Highest Object of Knowledge
      The Highest Refuge Of All Things
      Sankhya versus Yoga
      Yoga
      Jnana- Yoga
      Raja Yoga
      Bhakti -Surrender
      Bhakti Yoga
      Karma  Yoga
      Japa
      Consciousness-The Three States
      Freedom & Bondage
      Morality
      Overcoming Difficulties
      Forgiveness versus Might-Anger
      Penance
      Renunciation & Abandonment
      Truth
      Truth versus Falsehood
      Happiness
      Self-restraint
      Senses - Self-discipline
      Ignorance
      That Thou Art
      Anahata Nada
      Sanatan Ved Dharma
      What Religion Is
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      Direct Path
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      Riddles
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      Celibacy
      Thought, Speech & Deed
      Gita for children
      Gita
      Pravritti - Nivritti
      Acts versus Knowledge
      Tantra
      Kundalini
      Direct Perception versus Scriptures
      Faith
      Atheist
      Righteousness
      Highest Good
      Mother, Father & Teacher
      Eldest Brother
      Friendship
      Self-interest
      Kingcraft
      Chastisements
      Conduct
      Thanks Giving
      Ethics
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      Malevolent & Wicked
      Nature of Man
      Culture and Civilization
      Kosas - Sheaths
      Good and Pure
      Sattwa, Rajas & Tamas
      East-West-North-South
      Stories - Episodes
      Procrastination
      Gifts
      Fasting (Religious)
      Tirtha
      Sacred Waters - Ganga
      Tilak
      Hinduism & Sri Ramakrishna
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      Rituals
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      Tarpana
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      Flowers - Incense - Lamps
      Prasad
      Sacraments - Samskaras
      Sacred Thread
      Food
      Your Constitution
      Trees have Life
      Prana-Vyana-Samana
      Krishna
      Ganapati - Gopalnanda
      Kali Yuga
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      Temples
      Sun - Surya
      Makar Sankranti
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      Hindu Sects
      Dasnami Sampradayas
      Dharma
      Speech- Science
      Abusive Speech
      Appreciations

       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       TOP             =======UNDERSTANDING HINDUISM======   


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      Welcome to our home page. This web site is dedicated
      to understanding  SANATAN VED DHARMA (Hinduism).
      Please make sure you take a look at the PAGES
      listed on the left  and the TOPICS listed below.

      (For the serious student of Vedanta, by way of introduction, 
      the following eleven pages, from the many, may be recommended.)

      Click on underscored words
      1.   Self-Realisation 
      2.   Who am I?           
      3.   Nature of Reality   
      4.   Consciousness The Three States
      5.   Sattwa, Rajas & Tamas      
      6.   Sanatan Ved Dharma
      7.   Maya                                 
      8.   Direct Path
      9.   Soul and its Destiny
      10. Worship
      11. Hinduism- A Brief Sketch

      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Hindu Festivals 2002 < Click

      Swami Vibekananda wrote about

      Conversion The Hindus, like the Jews, do not convert others    

      Toleration? Toleration means that,  I think that you are wrong 
      and I am just allowing you to live. Is it not a blasphemy to think 
      that you and I are allowing others to live?

      NEW ENTRIES: [ New Pages ] 
      Click on underscored words to open page
      Oldest Civilization  (Sunken cities - around ten thousand years old)
      How to fix the date of the Mahabharata
      A practical suggestion


      Touched by God  (By Swami Chetanananda)
      Narendra first visited Dakshineshwar sometime in the early part of 1882. 
      He entered the Master’s room by the western door that faces the Ganges. 
      Indifferent to his external appearance, Narendra’s clothes were 
      disheveled; his impressive eyes were partly indrawn. Ramakrishna 
      marvelled: "How is it possible that such a great spiritual aspirant can 
      live in Calcutta, the home of the worldly-minded?" 
      When they returned to the Master’s room, Narendra’s mind was agitated by 
      the strange words and conduct of Ramakrishna. However, he asked the 
      Master: "Sir, have you seen God?"
      Without a moment’s hesitation Ramakrishna replied: "Yes, I have seen God. 
      I see Him as I see you here, only more clearly. God can be seen. One can 
      talk to Him. But who cares for God? People shed torrents of tears for 
      their wives, children, wealth, and property, but who weeps for the vision 
      of God? If one cries sincerely for God, one can surely see Him."
      "That impressed me at once," said Narendra later. "For the first time I 
      found a man who dared to say that he had seen God, that religion was a 
      reality to be felt, to be sensed in an infinitely more intense way than we 
      can sense the world."
      Narendra felt that Ramakrishna’s words were uttered from the depths of his 
      inner experience. Still, he could not comprehend the Master’s words and 
      conduct. Bewildered, he bowed down to the Master and returned to Calcutta.
      A month later Narendra returned to Dakshineshwar and found the Master 
      alone in his room. Ramakrishna was glad to see Narendra and asked him to 
      sit on the corner of his bed. After a few minutes the Master drew near him 
      in an ecstatic mood, muttered some words, fixed his eyes on him, and 
      placed his right foot on Narendra’s body. At his touch Narendra saw, with 
      open eyes, the whole world vanishing – the walls, the room, the temple 
      garden, and even himself were disappearing into the void. He felt sure 
      that he was facing death. He cried out loudly: "Ah, what are you doing to 
      me? Don’t you know that I have parents at home?" 
      Listening to this the Master laughed and then touching Narendra’s chest, 
      said: "All right, let it stop now. It will happen in its own good time." 
      With this Narendra became normal again.
      Culture and Civilization  Swami Smaranananda (Belur Math)
      'Civilization' means the betterment of ways of living, making Nature bend 
      to fulfil the needs of humankind. It includes also organizing societies 
      into politically well-defined groups working collectively for improved 
      conditions of life in matters of food, dress, communication, and so on. 
      Thus a group considers itself as civilized, while others were looked down 
      upon as barbarians. This has led to wars and holocausts, resulting in mass 
      destruction of human beings. Therefore civilization by itself cannot be 
      the goal of life. 
      On the other hand 'culture' refers to the inner man, a refinement of head 
      and heart. One who may be poor and wearing cheap apparel may be considered 
      'uncivilized', but still he or she may be the most cultured person. For 
      'culture' concerns itself with the inner refinement of a person. 
      What Religion Is By Swami Ramakrishnananda (Belur Math)
      Science is the struggle of man in the outer world. Religion is the 
      struggle of man in the inner world. Science makes man struggle 
      for Truth in the outside universe, and religion makes him struggle 
      for Truth in the inner universe.

      Sun - Surya  (From The Mahabharata)
      Aryan Language Family
      Indo-European Language Family
      Aryan, Armenian, Albanian, Balto-Slavic, 
      Keltic, Italic, Hellenic, Teutonic, Tokharian.

      Sinner By Swami Chetananada
      Surendra seemed to be a typical young man of his day – open minded, 
      carefree, and indifferent to religion. He was handsome and well built. As 
      a commercial agent of the Dost company, a large British firm in Calcutta, 
      he had a well paying job. He was married but had no children. Most of his 
      friends were of the bohemian type, and like them, he often got drunk and 
      was promiscuous.

      Although Surendra was quite affluent, his licentious conduct was ruining 
      his mental peace. He even thought of killing himself with poison. One day 
      during this period, a Bhairavi (a Tantric nun) of imposing appearance 
      accosted him in passing, saying, ‘My son, God alone is true and everything 
      else is false’. These words touched Surendra’s heart and gave him strength 
      to rouse himself from his hell of mental agony.
      Surendra was born probably in 1850 and met Sri Ramakrishna when he was 
      thirty. 
      Nature Uses Maths

      Nature Uses Maths   (1)
      Anahata  Nada -Uncreated Sound
      1. Natural Number Series Defined
      2. Chakras of the head
      3. The thirteen Chakras
      4. Determination of the pitches for each Chakra note
      5. Colours
      6. Smell, taste and sensation
      7. Brain functions
      8.Practical aplications

      Nature Uses Maths   (2)
      The Fibonacci Rectangles and Shell Spirals
      Pine cones
      Vegetables and Fruit
      Seed heads
      Fibonacci fingers
      Arrangements of the leaves
      Planetary orbits in our solar system
      Stock exchange price cycles
      Who was Fibonacci?
      Introducing the Decimal number system into Europe

      The Highest Refuge of All Things (From The Mahabharata)

      Vyasa said: That fool who believing that all this exists in consequence of 
      its own nature without, in fact, an existent refuge or foundation, fills 
      by such instruction the aspirations of disciples, dispelling by his 
      dialectical ingenuity the reasons the latter might urge to the contrary, 
      succeeds not in attaining to any truth.
      They again who firmly believe that all Cause is due to the nature of 
      things, fail to acquire any truth by even listening to (wiser) men or the 
      Rishis (who are capable of instructing them). Those men of little 
      intelligence who stop (in their speculations), having adopted either of 
      these doctrines, indeed, those men who regard nature as the cause, never 
      succeed in obtaining any benefit for themselves.
      Dharana 
      What is Dharana?
      Religions in Brief  (By Swami Shivapadananda)
      Buddhism in Brief      Zen in Brief
      Confucianism in Brief
      Christianity in Brief
      Hinduism in Brief    Sikkhism in Brief
      Islam in Brief
      Judaism in Brief
      Taoism in Brief

      Basic Beliefs of Hinduism
      Basic Beliefs of Christianity
      Kosas - Sheaths (By Sri Parthasarathy)

      The structure of man can be divided into five material layers enveloping 
      Atman (indwelling soul). Atman is the core of your personality. It is 
      represented by the mystic symbol of AUM (pronounced OM). The five layers 
      of matter are like five concentric circles around the symbol. They are 
      called sheaths or KOSAS in Sanskrit. The five sheaths (pancha-kosas) are:
        Food sheath (Anna-maya kosa) 
        Vital-Air sheath (Prana-maya kosa) 
        Mental sheath (Mana-maya kosa) 
        Intellectual sheath (Vignana-maya kosa) 
        Bliss sheath (Ananda-maya kosa)



      Atheist (By Swami Chetanananda)
      Ram’s great enthusiasm for science and modern knowledge made him an 
      inspiring lecturer to the students, but it also made him an atheist. In 
      his own words: ‘In those days we did not believe in God. We considered 
      that everything happens, changes, or dissolves by the force of nature. We 
      were rank materialists, and we held the view that eating, sleeping, and 
      creature comforts were the summum bommum of life.’ Ram was fond of 
      debating with others about God and religion and found great satisfaction 
      in defeating his opponents. 
      Ram’s family guru came to his house and wanted to initiate him. Ram was 
      forthright. He said: ‘Sir, I don’t believe in God. Moreover, I have 
      terrible doubts about his existence. Can you tell me the way to realize 
      God?’ The guru kept quiet. He did not know what to say.
      Single-minded Devotion (By Swami Chetanananda)
      It is hard to believe how the infinite God actually assumes a 
      finite human form and plays with human beings. But this play 
      was actually enacted in the life of a woman devotee of 
      Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. 
      Thanks Giving (Trikal Sandhya)
      Acts versus Knowledge (From The Mahabharata)
      Suka said: The declarations of the Vedas are twofold. They once lay down 
      the command: ‘Do all acts.’ They also indicate (the reverse, saying), 
      ‘Give up acts.’
      The son of Parsara said these words unto his son: I shall expound to thee 
      the two paths, viz., the destructible and the indestructible, depending 
      respectively upon acts and knowledge
      TOP    <To top of this page
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Brahmachari (From The Mahabharata)
      The conduct of a Brahmachari (celibate student)
      He should never eat before his preceptor has eaten; never drink before his 
      preceptor has drunk; never sit down before his preceptor has sat down; and 
      never go to bed before his preceptor has gone to bed. He should gently 
      touch his preceptor’s feet with upturned palms, the right foot with the 
      right and the left with the left.
      Grahasthya  (Householder) From The Mahabharata)
      As regards the domestic mode of life, four kinds 
      of conduct have been laid down by the learned.
      Vanaprastha  (From The Mahabharata)
      Four kinds of courses of conduct have been laid 
      down for observance in the Vanaprastha mode of life.

      Raja Yoga By Swami Nikhilananda, Belur Math
      According to Raja-Yoga, the waves of the mind 
      can be controlled by practice and non-attachment.
      The word that signifies God is AUM.
      When properly pronounced, Aum represents the whole gamut of sound 
      production as no other word can. It is therefore the matrix of all sounds, 
      and thus the fittest symbol of the Godhead; it is the word, which, 
      according to St. John, was in the beginning, was with God, and was God.
      The three aspects of creation, preservation, and destruction are expressed 
      by the three letters of Aum.
      The Upanishads describe Aum as the symbol of the atman, or individual 
      soul, in its various aspects
      Every Yogi is required to eradicate his selfish tendencies by the practice 
      of ethical
      The Eight Limbs of Raja Yoga
      According to the Sankhya philosophy, on which Raja Yoga is based, 
      attachment to nature is the cause of the soul’s bondage, and detachment 
      from nature is liberation.
      As there exists a close relationship between the body and the mind, one 
      finds it helpful and easy to control the mental states by certain physical 
      exercises laid down in Hatha Yoga. For the practice of Hatha Yoga, a 
      qualified teacher is absolutely necessary.
      The main purpose of Hatha Yoga is to increase the strength, vitality, and 
      digestive power, as well as to remove various physical ailments.


      Karma Yoga (Yoga of Action) By Swami Nikhilananda, Belur Math
      Work when performed as a spiritual discipline is called Karma Yoga
      When work is done without any desire for personal gain it becomes 
      spiritual action.
      Karma yoga is the secret of action. It gives the worker evenness of mind 
      in gain and loss, success and failure.
      The enlightened person sees God manifested both as the One and as the 
      many. He communes with the One in the silence of meditation, and with the 
      many through work.
      Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of divine love; Yoga of devotion) 
      By Swami Nikhilananda
      Love as a force of attraction operates at different levels: the material, 
      the human, and the spiritual.
      When love of God fills the heart all other forms of love pale into 
      insignificance
      Spiritual love, or bhakti, is directed only to God
      When a man obtains love of God, he loves all, hates none, and becomes 
      satisfied forever
      The discipline of bhakti is the easiest and most natural of all spiritual 
      disciplines, because it does not demand the suppression of normal 
      impulses; it only tells the devotee to turn them to God
      Jnana Yoga  (Yoga of Knowledge) By Swami Nikhilananda
      Jnana Yoga, discussed in Vedanta, is the discipline of philosophical 
      discrimination by which jnana, or the knowledge of Brahman (the Supreme 
      Reality) is attained. 
      Sankaracharya
      It may be safely stated that Sankara’s interpretation of Hinduism is, even 
      today, India’s original and unsurpassed contribution to the philosophical 
      thought of the world. 
      The Ideal Teacher  - The Disciple - The four cardinal disciplines of 
      Vedanta
      The Four Great Vedic Statements
      There are two kinds of samadhi
      Highest Object of Knowledge    (From The Mahabharata)
      The disciple said: Whence am I? Whence art thou? Explain that which is the 
      highest truth. From what source have sprung all creatures mobile and 
      immobile? By what do creatures live? What is the limit of their life? What 
      is truth? What is penance, O learned Brahmana? What are called attributes 
      by the good? What paths are to be called auspicious? What is happiness? 
      What is sin? 
      Self-interest  Friend and foe (From The Mahabharata)
      Kshatriya duties- kingcraft- Statecraft
      There is no condition that deserves permanently the name either of 
      friendship or hostility. Both friends and foes arise from considerations 
      of interest and gain. Friendship becomes changed into enmity in the course 
      of time. A foe also becomes a friend. Self-interest is very powerful.
      The highest truth of all treatises on policy is mistrust. For this reason, 
      mistrust of all persons is productive of the greatest good. However weak 
      people may be, if they mistrust their foes, the latter, even if strong, 
      never succeed in getting them under power.

      There is no such thing as a foe. There is no such thing in existence as a 
      friend. It is force of circumstances that creates friends and foes.

      TOP    <To top of this page
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      The Wheel of Life  (From The Mahabharata)
      It is overwhelmed by decrepitude and grief, and it has diseases and 
      calamities for its progeny. That wheel relates in time and place. It has 
      toil and exercise for its noise. Day and night are the rotations of that 
      wheel. It is encircled by heat and cold. Pleasure and pain are its joints, 
      and hunger and thirst are the nails fixed into it. Sunshine and shade are 
      the ruts (it causes).
      Appreciations  (From some of our readers)
      Honesty (9) - Stories and Episodes

      Procrastination   (From The Mahabharata)
      Story of three fishes

      Kamagita (From The Mahabharata)
      Salvation is not attained by foregoing the external things (like kingdom, 
      etc), it is only attained by giving up things, which pander to the flesh 
      (body)
      Resurrection   (From The Mahabharata)
      How is it possible for persons whose bodies have 
      been destroyed to re-appear in those very forms? 
      In the case of ordinary men, the component parts of the body dissolve 
      away, while Yogis can keep such parts from dissolution as long as they 
      like.
      Vidura Niti (From The Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva))
      The wisdom of Vidura
      Words that are beneficial and fraught with high morality. 

      Having provoked the hostility of a person who is capable of inflicting 
      great injury on a fellow creature, one should not gather assurance from 
      the thought that one lives at a distance from the other

      Tell us what may be good for a person that is sleepless and burning?
      Mark of wisdom; The foolish; The one
      These two: These two are like sharp thorns afflicting the body, 
      These three; These four; These ten
      These five fires should be worshipped with regard by a person
      Subdue the senses; Friendship with the sinful should be avoided
      Speech: A forest pierced by arrows, or cut down by hatchets may again 
      grow, but one’s heart wounded and censured by ill-spoken words never 
      recovers.
      When defeat is ordained
      Story about the conversation between Virochana and Sudhanwan
      Theses eight qualities shed a lustre upon their possessor
      Eight different paths of righteousness; Assembly; Sin;  Virtue
      These cannot be ascertained; These rule the earth forever
      Discourse between the son of Atri and the deities called Sadhyas
      Slanders and reproaches;  Silence and truth;   Company
      That man is regarded as the first of his species
      These, however, are the indications of a bad man
      High families; Sorrow; Grief;  Relatives;  Strength in unity; Health; 
Anger
      Prosperity;  
      For what reason then, do not all men attain the allotted period of life?
      Contact with these requires expiation; 
      Words that are agreeable but medicinal
      These may be sacrificed;  Gambling;   
      Servants; A servant should be endued with these eight qualities
      Lending and borrowing money;  He that eats sparingly wins these
      One should not give shelter to these in his house
      A person however distressed, should never solicit these
      A person should never wait upon these six worst of men
      Men are said to have five different kinds of strength
      Cannot place trust on these; None of these should be disregarded; Guests
      A Brahmana should never be a seller of these; Trust; King craft
      Fire has its origin in water; 
      These six are regarded as the fuel of prosperity's flame; Friendship
      These are to be pitied;  Students;  Highest of all teachings

      Sanat-sujata (From The Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva))
      The learned are of the opinion that death results from ignorance. I say 
      that ignorance is Death, and so the absence of ignorance (Knowledge) is 
      immortality.
      Is virtue competent to destroy vice, or is it itself destroyed by vice? 
      These six are destructive of vanity and ignorance (what are they?)
      There is one Brahman which is Truth’s self. It is from ignorance of that 
      One, that godheads have been conceived to be diverse.
      Knowledge of Self and Not-self
      TOP    <To top of this page
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Renunciation is of six kinds  (From The Mahabharata)
      Sanat-sujata's teachings relating to Renunciation from Udyoga Parva
      Topics include: 
      Asceticism
      Thirteen kinds of wickedness that are the faults of asceticism
      These twelve constitute the practice of Brahmanas (Brahmins)
      Mada or pride analysed
      Rites of Sannyasa (Renunciation)
      From Sri Ramakrishna The Great Master
      When about two hours before daybreak, the auspicious moment of 
      Brahma-muhurta arrived, the Guru and the disciple met in the hut. The 
      preliminaries finished, the Homa-fire was lighted. And the woods and the 
      gardens round the Panchavati reverberated with the sound of the holy and 
      profound Mantras chanted before taking the vow of utter renunciation for 
      God- the vow that has come down in an unbroken line from the Guru to the 
      disciple from the beginning of time till today and has maintained India as 
      the foremost country in the field of Brahman realisation.
      The Story of Tota Puri
      From Sri Ramakrishna The Great Master
      A fascinating, inspiring and miraculous real life episode
      Ideals of the Sannyasin  (By Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa)
      Yogins and Sannyasins are like snakes. The snake does not dig out a hole 
      for itself, but lives in the hole made by the mouse. When one hole becomes 
      uninhabitable, it enters into another hole. Just so Yogins and Sannyasins 
      make no house for themselves. They pass their days in other men’s houses- 
      today in one house, tomorrow in another.

      Sannyasa- Its Ideals and Practice (By Swami Vivekananda)
      First, we have to understand the ideal, and then the methods by which we 
      can make it practical. Those of you who are Sannyasins must try to do good 
      to others, for 'Sannyasa' means that. 
      You nourish your body by eating. What good is there in doing that if you 
      do not hold it as a sacrifice to the well being of others? You nourish 
      your minds by reading books. There is no good in doing that unless you 
      hold it also as a sacrifice to the whole world. For the whole world is 
      one; you are rated a very insignificant part of it, and therefore, it is 
      right for you that you should serve your millions of brothers rather than 
      aggrandise this little self.
      Adhyatma - Self- Spritual Science
      From The Mahabharata
      When the Understanding desires for anything, 
      it comes to be called by the name of Mind. 
      Understanding creates all objects
      Indication of a person of knowledge

      TOP    <To top of this page
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Foremost of all Duties
      From The Mahabharata
      The withdrawal of the mind and the senses from all unworthy objects and 
      their due concentration (upon worthy objects) is the highest penance. That 
      is the foremost of all duties. Indeed, that is said to be the highest 
      duty. 
      The Soul as modified by birth and other attributes, does not know whence 
      it has come and whither it is to go. 
      Cease to regard thy body as thyself
      These words that I have used for answering thy question lead to 
      Emancipation

      Dasnami Sampradayas By Swami Brahmeshananda, Belur Math
      One of the major achievements of Acharya Shankara was to organize the 
      Hindu monasticism. He divided the Hindu monks into ten sects called 
      "Dasnami" and organized them under four heads with the Headquarters at 
      Dwaraka in the West, Jagannatha Puri in the East, Rameswaram in the South 
      and Badrikashrama in the North. These became the four sacred "Dhams", 
      "Holy Places" of the Hindus. He also enumerated other details of the order 
      of Hindu monks grouped under these heads for their identity. Although 
      there are today a number of Hindu monastic sects, the most authentic are 
      the ten established by Acharya Shankara.
      Sannyasa - Renunciation From The Mahabharata
      Having subdued all faults of the mind and the heart by easy means in the 
      practice of the first three modes of life (viz., pupilage, domesticity, 
      and seclusion) one should pass into the most excellent and the most 
      eminent of all the modes, viz., Sannyasa or Renunciation. Do thou then 
      pass thy days, having acquired that purity. Listen also to me. One should, 
      alone and without anybody to assist him or bear him company, practise Yoga 
      for attaining to success (in respect of one’s highest object of 
      acquisition). One who practises Yoga without companionship, who beholds 
      everything as a repetition of his own self, and who never discards 
      anything (in consequence of all things being pervaded by the Universal 
      Soul), never falls away from Emancipation. 
      The Essence of all the Vedas   From The Mahabharata
      This discourse, O son, intended for thy instruction, 
      is the essence of all the Vedas. 

      Maya/Shakti/Prakriti
      Maya and illusion By Swami Vivekananda
      The theory of Maya forms one of the pillars 
      upon which the Vedanta rests.

      Maya
      From Vivekachudamani By Sri Sankaracharya
      The Veiling power and the Projecting power of Maya
      Sthitapragnya (of steady wisdom or stable of mind)
      From The Gita
      As the waters of different rivers enter the ocean; which though full on 
      all sides remains undisturbed, likewise he in whom all enjoyments merge 
      themselves attains peace; not he who hankers after such enjoyments.
      With the attainment of such placidity of mind, all his sorrows come to an 
      end

      Hinduism and Sri Ramakrishna By Swami Vivekananda
      Then it was that Sri Bhagavan Ramakrishna incarnated himself in India, to 
      demonstrate what the true religion of the Aryan race is; to show where 
      amidst all its many divisions and offshoots, scattered over the land in 
      the course of its immemorial history, lies the true unity of the Hindu 
      religion
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      The Twofold Vedic Religion (An introduction to Bhagavad Gita)
      By Sri Sankaracharya

      It is the twofold Vedic Religion of Works and Renunciation that maintains 
      order in the universe.

      The aim of this famous Gita-Sastra is, briefly, the Supreme Bliss. A 
      complete cessation of samsara or transmigratory life and of its cause. 
      This accrues from that Religion (Dharma) which consists in a steady 
      devotion to the knowledge of the Self, preceded by the renunciation of all 
      works. 

      Though the Religion of Works, which, as a means of attaining worldly 
      prosperity, is enjoined on the several castes and religious orders, leads 
      the devotee to the religion of the Devas and the like, when practised in a 
      spirit of complete devotion to the Lord and without regard to the 
      (immediate) results, it conduces to the purity of the mind 
      (sattva-suddhi). The man whose mind is pure is competent to tread the path 
      of knowledge, and to him comes knowledge; and thus (indirectly) the 
      religion of Works forms also a means to the Supreme Bliss. 
      The Nature of Man
      An essay by Swami Brahmeshananda, Belur Math

      Man rises from animal to human level by accepting pravritti dharma i.e. by 
      observing social injunctions. He ascends to godhood and becomes divine by 
      embracing the nivritti dharma.
      This Hindu concept of liberation, in turn, is based upon another concept 
      of an ever pure, ever free, ever perfect, ever conscious spiritual entity 
      in man called Atman (soul). According to Swami Vivekananda this Atman is 
      the Real Man as against the body-mind complex which is only the apparent 
      man. The relation between the real and apparent men has been beautifully 
      described through an allegory in the Katha Upanishad:
      Know the soul to be the master of the chariot and the body the chariot. 
      Consider the intellect the charioteer, and the mind the reins. The senses, 
      they say, are the horses, and their roads are the sense objects. The wise 
      call Him the enjoyer when He is united with the body, senses and mind.
      Riddles- The Background Story (Mahabharata)
      Riddles   From The Mahabharata
      The Mother of all Riddles
      What is that which does not close its eyes while asleep? What is that 
      which does not move after birth? What is that which is without heart, and 
      what is that which swells with its own impetus?
      What is weightier than the earth itself? What is higher than the heavens? 
      What is fleeter than the wind? And what is more numerous than grass? 

      Hinduism- A Brief Sketch (By Swami Vivekananda)
      There never was a time when there was no creation.
      I am a spirit living in a body. I am not the body. 
      The body will die, but I shall not die.
      The natural habits of a new-born soul; since they were not 
      obtained in this present life, they must have come down from 
      past lives.
      Purity is the condition of His mercy. 
      There is no polytheism in India
      We can no more think about anything without a 
      mental image than we can live without breathing. 
      The whole religion of the Hindu is centred in realisation. 

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      Hypocrite (7)
      Stories- Episodes  - Story of two Brahmacharis
      He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking 
      of the sense objects in mind, he of deluded understanding 
      is called a hypocrite.
               - Bhagavad Gita Ch. 3, Verse 6

      Was the Kaaba Originally a Hindu Temple?
      By  P.N. Oak (Historian)
      Glancing through some research material recently, I was pleasantly 
      surprised 
      to come across a reference to a king Vikramaditya inscription found in the 

      Kaaba in Mecca proving beyond doubt that the Arabian Peninsula formed a 
      part of his Indian Empire.
      The text of the crucial Vikramaditya inscription, found inscribed on a 
      gold dish 
      hung inside the Kaaba shrine in Mecca, is found recorded on page 315 of a 
      volume 
      known as ‘Sayar-ul-Okul’ treasured in the Makhtab-e-Sultania library in 
      Istanbul, Turkey.
      War  - Military Operations  (Mahabharata)
      Scorched earth
      The king  should himself withdraw all stores of grain (from the open 
      country 
      into his forts). If that becomes impossible, he should destroy them 
      completely by fire. He should set men for destroying the crops on the 
      fields of the enemy (by producing disunion among the enemy’s subjects). 
      Failing to do this, he should destroy those crops by means of his own 
      troops. He should destroy all the bridges over the rivers in his kingdom. 
      He should bale out the waters of all the water tanks in his dominions, or, 
      if incapable of baling them out, cause them to be poisoned. 
      Buddhism, The Fulfillment of Hinduism
      By Swami Vivekananda
      Our views about Buddha are that he was 
      not understood properly by his disciples. 

      Senses- Self-discipline   (From The Mahabharata)
      Senses- what are they? How may they be subdued? What is the good of 
      subduing them and how does a creature reap the fruits thereof? 
      This subjugation of the senses is the highest means of attaining spiritual 
      light. 
      Our senses are at the (cause) root of our spiritual advancement as also at 
      the root of our spiritual degradation. By indulging in them, a person 
      undoubtedly contracts vices, and by subduing these, he attains salvation. 
      Karma (From The Mahabharata)
      Destiny is all-powerful and it is difficult to 
      evade the consequence of our past actions. 
      Evil Karma may be expiated in various ways.
      The commandment that people should not do harm to any 
      creature was ordained of old by men, who were ignorant of 
      the true facts of the case. For, O Brahmana, there is not 
      a man on the face of this earth, who is free from the sin of 
      doing injury to creatures.
      Why does the spirit take its birth, and why 
      does its nativity become sinful or virtuous?


      Vrat - Resolution
      The essence of Himadri-Vrat chapter describes 
      Vrat as a special undertaking, keeping some goal 
      in mind, and making a resolution about it. 
      Mahatma Gandhi said, "Life without solemness of purpose is like a house 
      without foundation". The strength of such solemnness of purpose is what 
      makes this world endure. Not to have such solemness of purpose means 
      to live with wavering indecision. Lack of courage to adopt a resolution is 
      a 
      sign of weakness. Such people are unable to successfully tackle any job. 
      According to Mr. James Allan, "As a matter of fact, the greatest weakness 
      (shortcoming) of man is his lack of resoluteness of purpose". To remove 
      this weakness, Vrats have been assigned a pride of place in Hindu 
      religion.  
      Tirukkural (Book 2)
      Readings from the holy Kural
      Moon Calendar  2003
      01-01- 2002  to 31-12-2003

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      Tirukkural
      There are three holy works by which the Tamil language has 
      been made universal and immortal. These three are the 
      Tirukkural, the Tiruvasagam and the Tirumandiram.

      The Tirukkural is the life, the Tiruvasagam is the heart, 
      and the Tirumandiram is the soul of Tamil culture.

      Tirukkural means "Holy Kural". It is the work of the great saint of South 
      India, named Tiruvalluvar. It is a book for all humanity and for all 
      times. A world that lives by its teachings shall enjoy eternal peace, 
      harmony, health, wealth, power, grace and bliss.
      The Tirukkural contains treasures that lead to peace and harmony at home 
      as well as the country. The Tirukkural, the Gita and Kalidasa’s Shakuntala 
      have been regarded by wise men all over the world as the cream of Indian 
      thought and culture.

      Readings from the Tirukkural
      When gentle words are available, why do men choose the words that hurt? Is 
      it not foolish to pick unripe berries when ripe ones can be had for the 
      plucking?
      Not jewels but courteous deportment and gladness of speech are the things 
      that adorn.

      As the spine supports the bodies of vertebrates, love supports the soul. 
      Without it, it shrinks and stops the spirit’s evolution. 
      Where there is no tenderness of heart, life is barren of purpose. Can a 
      tree that is dried up in the desert sun put forth leaves?
      Without a tender heart, of what avail are the externals of family life? 
      Just as the outer ear or eye may be there, but it is of no avail to the 
      deaf and the blind, so is the soulless routine of a householder’s life 
      purposeless without tenderness of heart.
      Without tenderness of heart, the body is but bones covered up with skin. 
      In love alone is the secret of life.
      Life functions really in love and not in the physical activities of the 
      body.
      University (Takshashila or Taxila)
      The world's first International University
      The Ruins of Nalanda University (Photo)
      A Buddhist University,  5th Century, Bihar, India
      A fascinating historical account from the 5th century by
      The Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang 
      (A student of Nalanda in 5th century)
      The Royal Patrons of the University of Nalanda

      Amazing Science (By Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha )
      From ancient India, Saints and Science
      Cosmology & psychology, 
      Medicine (Ayurveda), Aviation
      Surgery, paediatrics, gynaecology, anatomy,
      physiology, pharmacology, embryology, blood circulation
      Ehinoplasty, amputation, caesarean and cranial surgeries
      Atomic theory, Chemistry alchemical metals
      Astronomy and mathematics
      Geography, constellation science
      Botany, Animal science
      Algebra, arithmatic and geomertry, planetary positions, eclipses,
      Cosmography and mathematical techniques, force of gravity
      The Decimal, Metallurgy
      Bacteria- Viruses (From The Mahabharata)
      Physiology  (From The Mahabharata)
      Science of Speech  (From The Mahabharata)

      Grammar, Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology
      Sanskrit was the classical literary language of the Indian Hindus 
      and Panini is considered the founder of the language and literature. 

      Highest Good  - Greatest Merit   (Mahabharata)
      That man who practises the religion of universal compassion achieves his 
      highest good. That man who keeps under control the three faults, viz., 
      lust, wrath, and cupidity, (and practises the virtue of compassion), 
      attains to success.
      The Rule of Righteousness     (Mahabharata)
      One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious 
      to one’s own self. This, in brief, is the rule of Righteousness. 
      Tirtha (Place of Pilgrimage)  Mahabharata
      Adhering to eternal Truth, one should bathe in the Tirtha called Manasa, 
      which is unfathomable (for its depth), stainless, and pure, and which has 
      Truth for its waters and the understanding for its lake.

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      Eldest Brother  (Mahabharata)
      The eldest brother should at times be blind to the acts of his younger 
      brothers, and though possessed of wisdom should at times act as if he does 
      not understand their acts. If the younger brothers were guilty of any 
      transgression, the eldest brother should correct them by indirect ways and 
      means. If there be good understanding among brothers and if the eldest 
      brother seek to correct his younger brothers by direct or ostensible 
      means, persons that are enemies, O son of Kunti, that are afflicted with 
      sorrow at the sight of such good understanding and who, therefore, always 
      seek to bring about a disunion, set themselves to disunite the brothers 
      and cause dissension among them. 
      Overcoming Difficulties  (Mahabharata)
      They that never practise deceit, they whose behaviour is restrained by 
      salutary restrictions, and they that control all worldly desires, succeed 
      in overcoming all difficulties. They that do not speak when addressed in 
      evil language, they that do not injure others when themselves injured, 
      they that give but do not take, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. 
      Kingcraft (Mahabharata) Further articles
      Duties of a kingdom
      The (election and) coronation of a king is the first duty 
      of a kingdom. A kingdom in which anarchy prevails 
      becomes weak and is soon afflicted by robbers. 
      King, that ruler of men, is a god
      In the absence of royal protection
      If the king did not exercise the duty of protection, the strong 
      would forcibly appropriate the possessions of the weak
      Protection of kingdom and how to use spies
      Deployment of spies, foot-soldiers
      Peace treaties, military operations, tribute, scorched earth
      A king should take care of seven things
      Chastisement (punishment)
      If chastisement did not uphold and protect,
      then no body would have studied the Vedas, 
      and no maiden would have married.
      The highest merit a king (or the president and 
      the government) can acquire is acquaintance 
      with the great science of chastisement 
      (punishment) and administering it properly.
      The king makes the age
      The truth is that the king makes the age. When the king rules with a 
      complete and strict reliance on the science of chastisement, the foremost 
      of ages called Krita is then said to set in. Righteousness sets in the 
      Krita age. Nothing of unrighteousness exists then. The hearts of men 
      belonging to all the four orders do not take any pleasure in 
      unrighteousness. Without doubt, all men succeed in acquiring the objects 
      they desire and preserving those that have been acquired. 

      Kingcraft (Mahabharata) More articles
      Taxation
      Weakness is more powerful than even the greatest power
      These faults should be checked. They are such as impoverish everyone.

      Self-restraint  (From The Mahabharata)
      We have not heard that there is any other duty in the entire 
      world that can equal self-restraint.
      Self-restraint, according to all virtuous persons, is the highest 
      of virtues in this world. 
      The man who is without self-restraint always suffers misery. Such a man 
      brings upon himself many calamities all born of his own faults. It has 
      been said that in all the four modes of life self-restraint is the best of 
      vows
      Through self-restraint, a person acquires the highest happiness both here 
      and hereafter. Endued with self-restraint, one acquires great virtue.
      Ignorance  (From The Mahabharata)
      Ignorance has its origin in covetousness. As covetousness grows, ignorance 
      also grows. Ignorance exists there where covetousness exists. As 
      covetousness decreases, ignorance also decreases. It rises with the rise 
      of covetousness. Manifold again is the course that it takes. 
      Duties - General duties and special duties of the four orders of men
      From The Mahabharata
      Nine duties that are eternal:
      The suppression of wrath, truthfulness of speech, justice, forgiveness, 
      begetting children upon one’s wedded wives, purity of conduct, avoidance 
      of quarrel, simplicity, and maintenance of dependants, these nine duties 
      belong to all the four orders (equally).

      Duties that belong exclusively to Brahmanas
      Duties of Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras
      Sacrifice as a duty
      Mental sacrifices are laid down for all orders
      Special protection of Brahmanas
      None of these is competent to pour libations on the sacrificial fire
      These five kinds of falsehoods in speech are not sinful
      Expiation of sins
      Eternal injunctions laid down for the expiation of sin
      The five grave sins
      Adultery
      Minor sins

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      Ashramas - The Four Modes of Life
      From The Mahabharata
      Bhishma said: The four modes of life, O puissant one, have been laid down 
      for the Brahmana (Brahmin). The other three orders do not adopt them, O 
      best of the Bharatas! 

      For a Sudra who is desirous of hearing (such scriptures as are not 
      forbidden in his case), who has accomplished his duties, who has begotten 
      a son, between whom and the superior orders there is not much difference 
      in consequence of the purity of his conduct, all the modes of life have 
      been laid down excepting the observance of universal peacefulness and 
      self-restraint (which are not necessary for him). For a Sudra practising 
      all these duties as also for a Vaisya, O king, and a Kshatriya, the 
      Bhikshu mode of life has been laid down. 
      Having discharged the duties of his order, and having also served the 
      king, a Vaisya of venerable years, with the king’s permission, may betake 
      himself to another mode of life. 

      Having studied the Vedas duly and the treatises on the duties of King, …. 
      a Kshatriya, for leading the life of a Rishi, O king, may adopt the 
      Bhikshu mode of life; but he should never do so for the sake of enjoying 
      the pleasures of the world. Having left the domestic mode of life, he may 
      adopt the life of mendicancy by begging what would barely support his 
      life. A life of mendicancy is not obligatory upon the three orders (viz., 
      Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras), O giver of profuse presents! Inasmuch, 
      however, as they can adopt it if they choose this mode of life, therefore, 
      is open to the four orders.

      Truth  (Mahabharata)
      Truth, as it exists in all the world, is of thirteen kinds. The forms that 
      Truth assumes are impartiality, self-control, forgiveness, modesty, 
      endurance, goodness, renunciation, contemplation, dignity, fortitude, 
      compassion, and abstention from injury.

       

      TOPICS
      The following bookmarked topics are taken from various pages
      Click on underlined topic to open  its page.
      BELL'S THEOREM - VEDANTA AND QUANTUM PHYSICS
      Human consciousness and the physical world
      "The most important discovery in the history of science"
      -Prof.Henry Stapp, Quantum physicist. 
      Modern Physics and Philosophical Reason
      The basic oneness of the universe is not only the central 
      characteristic of the mystical experience, but is also one 
      of the most important revelations of modern physics. 

      Hindu Festivals 2031
      Hindu Festivals till the end of year 2031

      TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION LOWERS CHOLESTEROL
      HURRY SICKNESS
      Yet for all the qualities for which they are admired- their 
      vision, energy, and dedication- they possess, as a group, 
      a characteristic that nobody envies: they have a high 
      mortality rate from heart disease.Type A individuals 
      as a group, die earlier. 
      Sacred Fire Ceremony
      HAVAN- AGNI HOTRA- YAGNA- HOMA
      Agni (fire) is the deity that represents all the other deities.
      Agni is said to be the mouth of the gods. Agni is known as 
      the messenger of the gods. Whatever man has to say to the 
      gods, to the higher powers, he conveys it through Agni. 

      SACRIFICE      

      MANTRAS    
      Speech is born of tapas (austerity) and throughout the Vedic 
      literature is related to Agni (fire). Mystics of all ages have 
      discovered the relationship between the repetition of sound 
      and an inner fire, and these take the mind to profound depths 
      and eventually spiritual illumination. The rhythmically formulated 
      word, with its tendency towards rhyme, its alliteration, assonance 
      and other types of repetition make it an instrument of power. 

        Bacteria - Viruses? 
      (From the Mahabharata)
      FOUR LEVELS OF   LANGUAGES     
      According to the rishis (seers) the mantras are the living 
      body of the luminous inner truth of which they sing, 
      a truth which does not reveal itself to the busy conceptual 
      mind as readily as to the more receptive inner audience of 
      unbounded awareness unfolded through meditation.
      There are four different levels of languages describing 
      four domains of Vedic experience. 

      Five Daily Sacrifices

      POST-OPERATION WOUND HEALED
      WITH AGNIHOTRA ASHES  

      Cows are sacred
       From the Mahabharata
      MEDITATION AND CONCENTRATION
      Sri Ramana Maharshi said "This path (attention to the ' I ' ) is
      the direct path; all others are indirect ways. The first leads to 
      the Self, the others elsewhere.

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      GURU
      The person from whose soul such impulse comes is called 
      the Guru – the teacher; and the person to whose soul the 
      impulse is conveyed is called the Shishya – the student. 
      To convey such an impulse to any soul, in the first place, 
      the soul from which it proceeds must possess the power 
      of transmitting it, as it were, to another; and in the second 
      place, the soul to which it is transmitted must be fit to receive it. 
      Silent Teachings & Sat-sanga
      By Sri Ramana Maharshi
      Sri Ramana Maharshi frequently pointed out that his ‘silent teachings’ 
      were more direct and more powerful. These ‘silent teachings’ consisted of 
      a spiritual force, which seemed to emanate from his form, a force so 
      powerful that he considered it to be the most direct and important aspect 
      of his teachings. Instead of giving out verbal instructions on how to 
      control the mind, he effortlessly emitted a silent power, which 
      automatically quietened the minds of everyone in his vicinity. The people 
      who were attuned to this force report that they experienced it as a state 
      of inner peace and well being; in some advanced devotees it even 
      precipitated a direct experience of the Self.

      PURITY OF BIRTH
      A disrespectable behaviour, acts opposed to those laid down 
      in the scriptures, crookedness and cruelty, and abstention 
      from sacrifices and other spiritual acts that lead to merit,
      proclaim one`s impurity of origin. 
      TIME ASSAILS THE ENERGY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
      From The Mahabharata
      Untouchables           Brahmanas
      From The Mahabharata
      Index Alphabetical < Click   ( Index to Pages )

      THE FATHER AND MOTHER OF THE UNIVERSE

      SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SHIVA EMBLEM
      As explained by Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa 
      ARDHANARISHWAR Spirit and Matter    

      DURGA FESTIVAL - NAVARATRI
      VIJAYDASHMI
      Creation  
      As the spider sends forth and draws in its thread, 
      as plants grow on the earth, as hair grows on the 
      head and the body of a living man- so does everything 
      in the universe arise from the Imperishable.

      Cosmic Time Scale
      Dissolution   From The Mahabharata
      When the time comes for universal dissolution, a dozen Suns, 
      and Agni (fire) with his seven flames, begin to burn. The whole 
      universe, wrapped by those flames, begins to blaze forth in a
      vast conflagration. All things mobile and immobile that are on the 
      earth first disappear and merge into the substance of which this 
      planet is composed.
      Wisdom versus knowledge
      Two kinds of knowledge must be known   
      They are the Higher Knowledge and the lower knowledge.
      EDUCATION AS TRAINING OF THE MIND 
      AND NOT STUFFING OF THE BRAIN
      From Chhandogya Upanishad
      Truth depends upon Understanding

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      THE DISPOSITION OF WOMEN 
      The eternal truths about the disposition of women,
      as revealed in the scripturral texts, provide the reasons why, 
      down through the centuries, restrictions are applied to 
      women in Christianity, Islam and elsewhere and women 
      being barred from the study of the Vedas in Hinduism. 
      'The duties of women' etc.as laid down in Hindu scriptures,
      can be understood more properly if
      "The disposition of women" is understood.

      It is more than likely that the scriptural texts 
      "The disposition of women" may upset the reader. 
      Therefore, we appeal that these texts be read with
      the aid of your intellect, keeping emotions under control.  
      Marriage
      Hindu Marriage Ceremony

      Forbidden Marriages

      Polygamy

      Eight types of marriage rites
      Alluring Adornment
      From The Mahabharata
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Nataraj
      A strictly bounded body does not exist. Our roots
      go deep; we are anchored in the stars.
      The biodance, the constant renewal of our body 
      from the world outside, stands in playful contrast 
      to our ordinary idea of death.

      THE NATURE OF REALITY WAS INVESTIGATED 
      FROM TWO LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE

      The four functions of the mind
      Self - Atma
      How shall I reach the Self?
      How long does it take to reach Mukti (liberation)?
      What are the obstacles, which hinder realisation of the Self?
      God
      What is the relationship between God and the world? 
      Is he the creator or sustainer of it?
      Does everything happen by the will of God?
      Why do religions speak of Gods, heaven, hell, etc.?
      Jnani - Self-realised
      Does a jnani have Sankalpas (desires)? 
      (Sri Ramana Maharshi)
      Self-Enquiry
      Sri Ramana Maharshi
      What is the practice? 
      Question: Is not meditation better than investigation?

      Sri Ramana Maharshi: Meditation implies mental imagery,
      whereas investigation is for the reality. The former is 
      objective, whereas the latter is subjective.
      Death & Life
      The living creature is not seen after the destruction 
      of the physical frame just as fire is not seen after 
      the consumption of the fuel with which it was ignited.
      The Process of Death
      How does the body dissolve away 
      and how is another body acquired? 
      The signs of approaching death
      When a person fails to notice the light emanating from the
      sun, the moon or the fire; what he sees is only black, then 
      know it that his life expectancy is about six months or less. 
      When terrific uproar or noises are not heard immediately, 
      then know that the person's death can occur within ...........
      Death
      THE SOUL DOES NOT TAKE BIRTH IN 
      A DIFFERENT BODY IMMEDIATELY
      RITES OF CREMATION      
      Life
      The acts, good and bad, that a Jiva (embodied soul) 
      does are not subject to destruction. Upon attainment 
      of body after body, those acts produce fruits 
      corresponding with them. 
      VALMIKI RAMAYANA ON DEATH

      How to overcome grief
      Mahabharata-- Santi Parva- CCCXXXII
      Immortality From The Mahabharata
      Having acquired great power and great wealth, 
      and having obtained a long period of life, 
      how may one succeed in avoiding death? 
      Thought, Speech and Deed  (From The Mahabharata)
      Whatever good acts are performed, or whatever sin (is perpetrated), the 
      doer tastes the consequences. Hence, one should, in speech, thought and 
      deed, do only acts that are good. 

      Signs of approaching death (From The Mahabharata)
      One that sees the full moon or the flame of a burning lamp to be broken 
      towards the south, has but one year to live. Those men, O king, who can no 
      longer see images of themselves reflected in the eyes of others, have but 
      one year to live. One who, being endued with lustre loses it, or being 
      endued with wisdom loses it, indeed, one whose inward and outward nature 
      is thus changed, has but six months more to live. 
      Funerals A very brief summary of a few ceremonies before and after 
funerals
      When a pregnant woman dies, the unborn infant under 7 months, must be 
      taken out and buried and then the woman is cremated. Infants upto 27 
      months are buried and 28 months and above are cremated. Pre-mature, 
      still-born, miscarriage babies are not cremated but are buried

      When a wedded girl dies, then the in-laws side does the Sutak. Girl, who 
      is engaged only, then both sides observe Sutak.

      When a son dies and the father is alive, then the father cannot apply or 
      light the funeral pyre, and there is no Sapindi ceremony. Father does not 
      do Vidhi (ceremony) for son.

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      Abhisheka (Siva)
      Abhisheka is a part of the worship of Lord Siva. 
      Without it, the worship is incomplete. It is the 
      ceremonial bathing of the Siva Lingam in Siva temples.

      From The Mahabharata
      Bhishma
      Whatever, O Bhishma, thou wilt say unto the enquiring son of Pandu 
      (Yudhishthira), will be regarded on earth to be as authoritative as the 
      declarations of that Vedas.   - Krishna
      The Disposition of Women
      From Tulasi Ramayana
      From Valmiki Ramayana
      From The Mahabharata

      Brahmanas and Sudras   (From Tulasi Ramayana)
      A Brahmana, even though he curses you, beats you or speaks harsh words to 
      you, is still worthy of adoration: so declare the saints. A Brahmana must 
      be respected, though lacking in amiability and virtue; not so a Sudra, 
      though possessing a host of virtues and rich in knowledge.
      Sabari  (From Tulasi Ramayana)
      Nine Forms of Devotion

      Wifely Virtues  (From Tulasi Ramayana)
      Devotion of body, speech and mind to her lord’s (husband’s) feet is the 
      only duty, sacred vow and penance of a woman.

      Mother, Father & Teacher
      What are those duties that most deserve to be practised? What acts are the 
      most important among all duties, by the practice of which one may earn the 
      highest merit both here and hereafter?

      Reincarnation
      Sri Ramana Maharshi: "Reincarnation exists only so long as 
      there is ignorance. There is really no reincarnation at all, 
      either now or before. Nor will there be any hereafter. 
      This is the truth."
      Heaven & Hell
      When abandoning the dead body that is 
      as inert as a piece of wood or clod of earth, 
      people proceed to the other world, what are 
      those that follow them there?
      There are places in those regions that are worse 
      than those which are inhabited by animals and birds. 
      Heaven is rejected by Mudgala
      What is the nature of the inhabitants of heaven (swarga)? 
      What is the nature of happiness there and what are its defects?

      AFTER DEATH, THE SOULS OF THE EXTREMELY WICKED....
      Index Alphabetical < Click   ( Index to Pages )
      Empty Chamber  From The Mahabharata
      What the dialogue is about : a brief outline
      A woman of the name of Sulabha, belonging to the mendicant order, 
      practised the duties of Yoga and wandered over the whole Earth. 
      Sulabha heard from many Dandis of different places that the ruler 
      of Mithila was devoted to the religion of Emancipation. Hearing
      this report about King Janaka and desirous of ascertaining 
      whether it was true or not, Sulabha became desirous of having 
      a personal interview with King Janaka. 

      Physiology : From the Mahabharata (Empty Chamber)
      The constituent elements of the body, which serve diverse 
      functions in the general economy, undergo change every 
      moment in every creature. Those changes, however, are so 
      minute that they cannot be noticed. The birth of particles, 
      and their death, in each successive condition, cannot be 
      marked, O king, even as one cannot mark the changes in 
      the flame of a burning lamp. When such is the state of the 
      bodies of all creatures, - that is when that which is called 
      the body is changing incessantly even like the rapid 
      locomotion of a steed of good mettle- who then has come 
      whence or not whence, or whose is it or whose is it not, 
      or whence does it not arise? What connection does there 
      exist between creatures and their own bodies? 

      Self Realisation  (Svetasvatara  upanishad)
      The Rishis (seers of truth), absorbed in meditation, saw within
      themselves the ultimate Reality, the self-luminous Being, the 
      one God, who dwells as the self-conscious power in all creatures. 
      To realise God, first control the outgoing senses and harness 
      the mind. Then meditate upon the light in the heart of the fire -
      meditate, that is, upon pure consciousness as distinct from
      the ordinary consciousness of the intellect. Thus the Self, 
      the Inner Reality, may be seen behind physical appearance.
      Control your mind so that the Ultimate reality, the 
      self-luminous Lord, may be revealed. 

      Who am I? Sri Ramana Maharshi
      Every living being longs always to be happy untainted by 
      sorrow; and everyone has the greatest love for himself, 
      which is solely due to the fact that happiness is his real 
      nature. Hence, in order to realize that inherent and untainted 
      happiness, which indeed he daily experiences when the mind 
      is subdued in deep sleep, it is essential that he should know 
      himself. For obtaining such knowledge the enquiry, 
      ‘Who am I?’ in quest of the Self is the means par excellence.

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      Worship   Sri Ramana Maharshi
      The purpose of worshipping the impersonal Supreme Being 
      is never to forget "I am Brahman," because the meditation 
      "I am Brahman" comprises sacrifice, gifts, penance, ritual, 
      yoga, and worship. 

      Self - Atma
      How shall I reach the Self?
      How long does it take to reach Mukti (liberation)?
      What are the obstacles, which hinder realisation of the Self?
      Bhakti - Surrender
      The Philosophy of Love - Narada Sutras
      The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi
      Narada gives these as the signs of Bhakti (devotion): 
      When all thoughts, all words, and all deeds are given 
      up to the Lord, and when the least forgetfulness of God 
      makes one intensely miserable, then love has begun.
      -Aphorism 19. Narada Sutras
      Bhakti is intense love for God.
      -Aphorism 2.
      Japa
      In its early stages the repetition of the name of God 
      is only an exercise in concentration and meditation, 
      but with continued practice a stage is reached in which 
      the repetition proceeds effortlessly, automatically and 
      continuously. This stage is not reached by concentration 
      alone but only by completely surrendering to the deity 
      whose name is being repeated: ‘To use the name of God 
      one must call upon Him with yearning and unreservedly 
      surrender oneself to Him. Only after such surrender is 
      the name of God constantly with the man’.
      Three States of Consciousness
      Waking, Dream and Deep sleep
      Gross, Subtle and Causal Body
      Microcosm and Macrocosm
      Vishva, Taijas, Prajna
      Akshara, Hiranyagarbha,Virat
      AUM
      The self as embodied in the gross body and undergoing 
      the experiences of waking is called VISHVA. 
      The self as encased in the subtle body and undergoing 
      dream-experiences is the TAIJASA.
      The self as resting in the causal body in the state of 
      deep-sleep is the PRAJNA.
      The Five Great Elements

      Mandukya Upanishad
      AUM- Turiya - three states of consciousness
      Freedom and Bondage
      Is the world created for happiness or misery?
      Morality From The Mahabharata
      One cannot accomplish his course through the world with 
      the aid of a morality that is one-sided. Duty must spring 
      from the understanding; and the practices of those that 
      are good should always be ascertained.
      Kingcraft From The Mahabharata
      The origin of governments
      The diverse kinds of battle array, strategies and manoeuvres in war, 
      planetary conjunctions foreboding evil, calamitous visitations (such as 
      earthquakes), skilful methods of warfare and retreat, knowledge of weapons 
      and their proper keep, the disorders of troops and how to get rid of them, 
      the means of inspiring the army with joy and confidence, diseases, times 
      of distress and danger, knowledge of guiding foot soldiers in battle, the 
      methods of sounding alarms and notifying orders, inspiring the enemy with 
      fear by display of standards, the diverse methods of afflicting the 
      enemy’s kingdom by means of robbers and fierce wild tribes, and 
      fire-raisers and poisoners and forgers by producing disunion among the 
      chief officers of hostile armies, by cutting down crops and plants, by 
      destroying the efficiency of the enemy’s elephants; by producing alarms, 
      by honouring those among the enemy’s subjects that are well disposed 
      towards the invader, and by inspiring the enemy with confidence, ... the 
      exact administration of justice, the extermination of the wicked,  the 
      methods of making presents and of storing requisite things, feeding the 
      unfed and supervision over those that have been fed, the qualifications of 
      military officers, .....
      O king, thy kingdom should always be protected by the aid of the science 
      of chastisement. Thou shouldst also, by careful observation made through 
      the movements of thy spies, protect it in such a way that no one may be 
      able to injure it. 
      There is no treasure more valuable to kings than that which consists in 
      the selection and assemblage of servants. 
      Bhishma said: Protection of the subject, O Yudhishthira, is the very 
      cheese of kingly duties. 

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      Karma  From The Mahabharata
      As the young calf is able to recognise its dam from among a thousand cows, 
      so does the previous acts of a man pursue him (in all his different 
      transformations). As the flower and fruits of a tree unurged by visible 
      influences, never miss their proper season, so does Karma done in a 
      previous existence bring about its fruits in proper time. 

      Brahmacharya - Celibacy (From The Mahabharata)
      Purity of speech, of body and of mind, forgiveness, truth, steadiness, and 
      intelligence, - these good qualities are displayed by righteous persons 
      observant of both kinds of religion. That which is called Brahmacharya 
      (religion of abstention or Yoga) is regarded as the means of attaining to 
      Brahman (the Supreme Reality). That is the foremost of all religions. It 
      is by the practice of that religion that one obtains the highest end 
      (viz., Emancipation). 
      Aghamarshana Mantra  - The eight breaks of Brahmacharya (Celibacy)
      Rules for Brahmacharis  -  What is Brahmacharya (Celibacy)?
      Veerya (Semen) - the vital fluid  -  Ojas Shakti (Sex-sublimation)
      Brahmacharya in active life
      Truth versus Falsehood
      On what occasions should a person tell the truth, 
      and what occasions should he tell an untruth?
      There where falsehood would assume the aspect of truth, 
      truth should not be said. There, again, where truth would 
      assume the aspect of falsehood, even falsehood should be said. 

      Forgiveness versus Might and Anger
      Might is not always meritorious and forgiveness 
      also is not always meritorious. 
      The ignorant always regard anger as equivalent 
      to energy. Wrath, however, has been given to man 
      for the destruction of the world.
      Renunciation
      Renunciation does not imply apparent divesting of costumes, 
      family ties, homes, etc., but renunciation of desires, affection 
      and attachment. There is no need to resign your job, only 
      resign yourself to God, the bearer of the burden of all. 
      "Renunciation & Abandonment" describes:
      Three types of knowledge      Three types of Actions
      Three types of Agent              Threee types of intellect
      Three types of constancy       Three types of happiness

      Happiness
      The practice of self-restraint is 
      distinguished above all other virtues. 
      (From the Mahabharata)
      Suffering
      When will the suffering cease?
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      The four great Vedic statements
      Dharma - From Virtue Arises Happiness
      (Mahabharata)
      IS EVERYTHING THE RESULT OF CHANCE OR
      THE RESULT OF PREVIOUS ACTIONS?

      WHAT THE FRUITS ARE OF GOOD DEED
      Conscience
      What good health is to the body, 
      good conscience is to the soul.

      AUM- GAYATRI- AND THE THREE VEDAS
      What was the Word, which, 
      according to St.John, was in the beginning,
      was with God, and was God ?
      Prayer
      Prayer is not asking, but a communion with 
      God through single-minded devotion.
      Prayer is an invocation, a calling forth of spiritual 
      forces ever flowing through the human heart and soul.

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      TECHNIQUES OF MEDITATION  

      The Master Sri Ramana Maharshi states that the 
      control of the mind , achieved by any way except 
      the VICHARA (SELF-INQUIRY) will be only temporary
      "WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE MIND?"
      Question, :"Should I retire from business 
      and take to reading books on Vedanta?"

      Question: "What do you think about social reform?"
      Question: "What is the relationship 
      between Society and its members?"
      ABOUT SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI

      The Astonishing Spiritual Powers 
      of Sri Ramana Maharshi
      Mind (Sri Ramana Maharshi)
      According to the Hindu scriptures there is an entity known as the ‘mind’, 
      which is derived from the subtle essence of the food consumed; which 
      flourishes as love, hatred, lust, anger, and so on; which is the totality 
      of mind, intellect, memory, will and ego; which, although it has such 
      diverse aspects, bears the generic name ‘mind’, which is objectified as 
      insentient objects cognized by us; which, though itself insentient, 
      appears sentient, being associated with Consciousness, like a red-hot iron 
      appearing as fire

      Miracles and Visions 
      Sri Ramana Maharshi discouraged his devotees from 
      deliberately pursuing either visions or Siddhis by 
      pointing out that they were products of the mind, which 
      might impede rather than facilitate Self-realisation. 
      If visions came spontaneously he would sometimes admit 
      that they were a sign of progress but he would usually add 
      that they were only temporary experiences in the mind and 
      that they were ‘below the plane of Self-realisation’.
      Preyas - Sreyas
      The wise, recognising eternal life, do not seek
      the constant among inconstant  things."
      PRAVRITTI - NIVRITTI
      The Vedic dharma (religion) is verily twofold, characterised by
      Pravritti (social action) and Nivritti (inward contemplation)
      The Path of Yoga   [Raja-Yoga  or the Yoga of Meditation]
      The uniting together of Intellect and Mind, and all the Senses, and 
      the all pervading Soul is said to be Knowledge of the foremost kind.
      (From the Mahabharata)
      Raja Yoga From The Mahabharata
      Also Sri Ramana Maharshi's teachings on 
      Yoga and Concentration

      Gita
      The central theme of the Gita
      An introduction to the Gita
      Readings from the Gita
      The lower self is your enemy, 
      The higher self is your friend
      Fire of knowledge - Wisdom Sacrifice
      GURU (from the Gita)
      Karma Yoga
      The Gita starts by saying that you are not the body 
      and that you are not therefore the Karta (the doer).

      Direct Perception versus Scriptures From The Mahabharata
      Which indeed, of the two, direct perception and 
      the scriptures, is to be regarded as authority for arriving 
      at a conclusion?"

      IN THE DOMESTIC MODE OF LIFE THESE ARE ALLOWED
      (From the Mahabharata)
      Swami Vibekananda wrote about
      Conversion The Hindus, like the Jews, do not convert others    

      Toleration? Toleration means that,  I think that you are wrong 
      and I am just allowing you to live. Is it not a blasphemy to think 
      that you and I are allowing others to live?

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      Sin  From The Mahabharata
      Source and foundation of sin.
      When wicked-souled persons under the domination of 
      covetousness apparently practise the duties of righteousness,
      the consequence that results is that the desecrations committed
      by them soon become current among men.
      Sin of foeticide Reference to sin of foeticide from The Mahabharata
      Abortion
      One guilty of foeticide  may also be cleansed 
      by casting his person on a blazing fire.

      Confession of sin
      Having committed a sin, one should confess it in the presence
      of those that are good. They would destroy it immediately. 
      (From the Mahabharata)

      KARMA
      As the blazing fire reduces wood (fuel) to ashes, 
      so does the fire of knowledge reduce all actions 
      to ashes. Gita, Ch.4, Verse 37.
      There are three kinds of karmas

      Good and Pure
      Fear, wrath, restlessness and sorrow do not dwell in them. 
      There is not the outward garb of religion for misleading their 
      fellowmen. There is no mystery with them. 
      Sattwa, Rajas & Tamas
      Goodness, Passion & Darkness (From the Mahabharata)

      Vices  (Mahabharata)
      These vices are regarded as very 
      powerful foes of all creatures

      Penance  (Mahabharata)
      Whatever things there are that are apparently unattainable are sure to be 
      won by the aid of penance. 
      Of all kinds of penances, however, that one may practise after abstaining 
      from pleasure and enjoyment, abstention from food is the highest and best. 
      The penance involved in abstention from food is superior, O king, to even 
      compassion, truthfulness of speech, gifts, and restraining of senses.
      Truth  (Mahabharata)
      Truth, as it exists in all the world, is of thirteen kinds. The forms that 
      Truth assumes are impartiality, self-control, forgiveness, modesty, 
      endurance, goodness, renunciation, contemplation, dignity, fortitude, 
      compassion, and abstention from injury.

      Truth versus Falsehood
      On what occasions should a person tell the truth, 
      and what occasions should he tell an untruth?
      There where falsehood would assume the aspect of truth, 
      truth should not be said. There, again, where truth would 
      assume the aspect of falsehood, even falsehood should be said. 
      Mother, Father & Teacher
      What are those duties that most deserve to be practised? What acts are the 
      most important among all duties, by the practice of which one may earn the 
      highest merit both here and hereafter?

      Friendship  (Mahabharata)
      Those men with whom friendships may not be formed
      Those men with whom friendships may be formed

      Malevolent and Wicked (Mahabharata)
      Malevolent persons always do wicked acts and feel an irresistible 
      inclination for doing them. They slander others and incur obloquy 
      themselves. They always regard themselves as cheated of what is their due.
      What are the indications  of a wicked person?

      East-West-North-South
      From The Mahabharata
      One should never sleep with head 
      turned towards the north or the west.
      Vivaswat, having performed a sacrifice, gave this quarter 
      away as a present (Dakshina) unto his preceptor. 
      And it is for this that this region is known by the name 
      of Dakshina (south). It is here that the Pitris of the three 
      worlds have their habitation. 

      Stories - Episodes
      (1) Add the God principle in our daily lives
      (2) Gods and demons
      (3) Two Goats
      (4) Da-Da-Da (Story from Brahadaranyaka Upanisad)
      (5) The Letters from the God of Death
      (6) The Story of a Wallet
      (7) Hypocrite
      (8) Man with an Umbrella
      (9) Honesty

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      GIFTS
      From desire of merit, from desire of profit, from fear, 
      from free choice, and from pity, gifts are made.
      Gifts, therefore, should be known to be of five kinds. 
      Gift is more auspicious than all sacred acts. 
      Faith 
      As a man’s faith is, so is he. 
      Faith is the main support of life. It is not 
      a mere intellectual belief or blind acceptance 
      of pet dogmas or doctrines. 
      Righteousness
      The rules of righteousness have been laid down for 
      the conduct of the affairs of the world. 
      Righteousness produces happiness as its fruits. 
      Ethics
      Hindu ethics is mainly subjective or personal.
      Ethics, which concerns itself with the study of conduct, 
      is derived, in Hinduism, from certain spiritual concepts; 
      it forms the steel-frame foundation of the spiritual life. 

      Karma Yoga (Yoga of Action)
      Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you 
      offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever you 
      practise as austerity, do it as an offering unto Me.
      Fasting (Religious)
      What are the merits of fasting during
      the month of Sravana and other months?
      Karva Chauth (Karak Chauth)  
      Fasting Vrat for married women
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      Sacred Waters - Ganga From The Mahabharata

      By holding that sacred stream, touching it,
      and bathing in its waters, one rescues one's 
      ancestors to the seventh generation.
      The man of righteous conduct who with rapt soul,
      thinks of Ganga at the time when his life-breaths 
      are about to leave his body, succeeds in attaining
      to the highest end.
      She affords the best bed for the dying.
      She leads creatures very quickly to heaven.
      Verily, Ganga is the path to heaven 
      of those that have bathed in her current.
      Tilak
      The importance of Tilak or the 
      sacred mark on the forehead

      IDEAL BEHIND THE IDOL
      There is great beauty in the
      idea of worshipping an image.
      THE  LIFE  OF  S R I    R A M A K R I S H N A 
      Ideal behind the idol
      The Manner of Worshipping the Deity
      From Yogavaasishtha
      For those who have not known the essential nature of Deity, 
      the worship of form and the like has been prescribed. 
      To one who is incapable of (travelling) a distance of one Yojana
      (eight miles), a distance of one Krosa (two miles) is provided. 

      RITUALS OF RELIGION, LIKE THE HUSK OF A SEED,
      PRESERVE ITS LIFE AND MAKE IT GERMINATE
      THE RITUAL OF SRADDHA
      Shraddha & Tarpan / Pitr-Paksha
      Why are three rice-balls offered separately at a Shraddha?
      From The Mahabharata
      GRASPING COVETOUS PRIESTS
      ADORATION AND WORSHIP
      Prana Pratishtha ( Consecration)
      Tarpana (Libations of water etc)
      Because your parents’ genes originated in your 
      grandparents, your emotions will be influenced by 
      their emotions, and by the emotions of your 
      great-grandparents, and so on, back at least seven 
      generations. Even though most of your ancestors are 
      already dead the subtle effects of their personalities 
      remain in your genetic environment and continue to 
      affect you.
      Aarati (Om Jaya Jagadish Hare)
      Universal Aarati with meanings
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      Sacraments – Samskaras
      There are sixteen main Sacraments (Samskaras).
      These range from conception to funeral ceremonies.
      Forbidden or prohibited names

      10 B. Vedarambha (Sacraments   Samskaras)
      commencing the study of the Vedas
      Father's advice to his son
      Only that is the king (qualities needed to lead a nation)
      Only that is the Acharya (qualities needed to become a teacher)
      Upon completion of studies, the teacher instructs the pupil
      (From Taittiriya Upanishad, 1.11)

      Flowers – Incense - Lamps - Vali
      Such flowers as grow on cemeteries and crematoria, 
      or in places dedicated to the deities, should not be brought 
      and used for marriage and other rites having growth and 
      prosperity for their object, or acts of dalliance and pleasure 
      in secrecy. 
      Persons endued with piety and wisdom make offerings of 
      incense and lights, accompanying them with prostrations 
      and bows. 
      Prasada
      Prasada is the sacred food offering of the Lord. 

      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Sacred Thread (Upanayana)
      After those (periods men of) these three (castes) who have 
      not received the sacrament at the proper time, become 
      Vratyas (outcastes), excluded from the Savitri (initiation) 
      and despised by the Aryans.

      The Tantras
      A Way of Realisation
      The Tantric method of sublimation consists of three steps: 
      purification, elevation, and reaffirmation of identity on the 
      plane of pure consciousness. 
      TANTRIC RITUAL
      Left Hand Path (Vamachara)
      Kundalini
      Every genuine spiritual experience, such as the seeing 
      of light or a vision, or communion with the Deity, is only 
      a manifestation of the ascent of the Kundalini. 
      Abusive Speech (From The Mahabharata)
      How should a learned man adorned with modesty behave when 
      assailed with harsh speeches in the midst of assemblies by an 
      ignorant person swelling with conceit?
      Vices  (Mahabharata)
      These vices are regarded as very 
      powerful foes of all creatures

      Friendship  (Mahabharata)
      Those men with whom friendships may not be formed
      Those men with whom friendships may be formed

      Malevolent and Wicked (Mahabharata)
      Malevolent persons always do wicked acts and feel an irresistible 
      inclination for doing them. They slander others and incur obloquy 
      themselves. They always regard themselves as cheated of what is their due.
      What are the indications  of a wicked person?
      Penance  (Mahabharata)
      Whatever things there are that are apparently unattainable are sure to be 
      won by the aid of penance. 
      Of all kinds of penances, however, that one may practise after abstaining 
      from pleasure and enjoyment, abstention from food is the highest and best. 
      The penance involved in abstention from food is superior, O king, to even 
      compassion, truthfulness of speech, gifts, and restraining of senses.

      Wicked Person (Mahabharata)
      What are the indications  of a wicked person?

      Low Birth & High Birth (Mahabharata)
      Bhishma said: If a king gathers round him persons of low birth, he can 
      never be happy. A person of high birth, even if persecuted without any 
      fault by his royal master, never sets his heart, in consequence of the 
      respectability of his blood, upon injuring his master. An individual, 
      however, that is mean and of low birth, having obtained even great 
      affluence from his connection with some honest man, becomes an enemy of 
      the latter if only he is reproached in words.


      Buddhism in China, Japan and Korea
      In 522 AD Buddhism was introduced in Japan by a 
      Chinese Buddhist, Shiba-Tatsu by name

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      Food
      There are three kinds of food that a man
      can eat.(Sattwic, Rajasic and Tamasic).

      Eating of flesh – Merits and Demerits
      From The Mahabharata

      MEAT SANCTIFIED WITH MANTRAS

      RELIGION OF COMPASSION
      FORBIDDEN  FOODS

      Ayurveda and food

      The Ritual of Eating

      The Three Doshas  
      Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which are effectively 
      Air, Fire and Water respectively.  

      The Six Tastes

      Your Personal Constitution
      Obesity - Losing weight (Ayurveda)
      Permanent weight loss occurs only when 
      the body's fat setpoint is lowered. 


      NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL DEGENERATION

      THE HUNZA HEALTH SECRETS

      FAULTY FOOD DISEASE
      Menu of the German sailors
      Menu of the Danes
      Natural Food Cures Psoriasis
      FOOD COMBINING FOR HEALTH
      Balance between Space and Time -
      Potassium and Sodium
      Canned Foods - Processed Foods
      Pernicious Anemia & Vitamin B-12
      It has long been known that fasting results 
      in a rapid blood regeneration in anemia.
      The matter has not been simplified by the 
      realisation that vitamin B-12 deficiency is 
      even more prevalent among meat-eaters than 
      among vegans. [Note: Vegans do not use any 
      animal products, not even milk or milk products]

      OXIDATION  of foods
      Accompanying this wiping out of distinguishing 
      sexual differences, there is the growing increase 
      of sterility in both sexes.
      MICROWAVE OVENS
      Milk reheated in microwave ovens 
      could damage baby's brains

      What constitutes nutrition?
      "THE POISONS IN YOUR FOOD"
      DESTRUCTIVE EMOTIONS
      Violent rage makes the saliva poisonous
      Furious emotions will impair breast milk

      Your Constitution 
      Your Ayurvedic Constitution
      The healing science of Ayurveda is totally based upon the knowledge 
      of ‘Prakruti’, the individual constitution. If every individual knows his 
      own constitution, then one can understand, for instance, what is a good 
      diet and style of life for oneself. One man’s food is another man’s 
      poison. Therefore, to make one’s life healthy, happy and balanced, the 
      knowledge of constitution is absolutely necessary. 

      Prakruti (constitution) evaluation
      To open sub-categories listed below, click on 
      'Prakruti (constitution) evaluation'  above.
      Body Frame  Weight    Skin Colour and Complexion
      Skin Characteristics   Sweat  Head Hair    Nails
      Eyes  Mouth  Appetite  Breakfast   
      Digestion and Evacuation   Menstruation
      Climate Preference   Sex Drive
      Physical Strength and Endurance
      Pulse   Sleep    Dreams    Vocal Qualities
      Characteristic Emotion       Personality Traits
      Predominant Mode of Expression
      The Mind   Memory     Lifestyle

      Summaries of Constitutional Types
      To open sub-categories listed below, click on 
      'Summaries of constitutional types' above
      Vata    Pitta    Kapha   Vata-Pitta
      Pitta-Kapha    Vata-Kapha

      TOP    <To top of this page
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Trees Have Life
      From The Mahabharata
      Photosynthesis? (The Mahabharata)

      VASANAS
      Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga
      WHEN THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WILL SET THE AGED
      MOTHER-IN-LAW TO WORK Mahabharata,Santi Parva.Sec CCXXVII
      Daughters-in-law, lecture and rebuke their husbands
      The Evils of Kaliyuga From The Bhagavat Mahapurana
      Justice will have every chance of being vitiated because of one’s 
      inability to gratify those administering it, and voluble speech will 
      be the (only) criterion of scholarship. Want of riches will be the 
      sole test of impiety and hypocrisy will be the only touchstone of 
      goodness. (Mutual) consent will be the sole determining factor 

      PRANA-VYANA-SAMANA-APANA-UDANA
      (From The Mahabharata)
      These are the five kinds of wind that cause 
      an embodied creature to live and move. 
      Through the breath called PRANA a living creature is enabled to move. 
      Through that called VYANA , they put forth strength of action. That called 
      APANA moves downwards. That called SAMANA resides within the heart. 
      Through that called UDANA one eructates and is enabled to speak in 
      consequence of its piercing through (the lungs, the throat, and the 
mouth).
      KRISHNA JANMASHTHAMI 

      KRISHNA'S FLUTE   

      KRISHNA THE INNER SELF OF ALL 

      Krishna - 16000  Wives
      From The Mahabharata
      From Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana

      RAAS LEELA

      Vedas - Scriptures Ancient Literature
      The Vedangas, Puranas, Upa-Puranas, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Mimamsa, Brahma 
      Sutras, Sankhya, Yoga, Dharma Sastra, The Upa-Vedas, The Kalas
      NINE  DUTIES THAT ARE ETERNAL
      CALAMITY OVERTAKES HIM WHO IS
      THE DISTINGUISHING TRAITS OFTHE GOOD AND THE WICKED
      THESE VICES ARE REGARDED AS VERY
      POWERFUL FOES OF ALL CREATURES
      HOW TO WIN THE HEARTS OF KINSMEN, FRIENDS AND FOES?
      WHAT IS THAT ONE ACT, BY ACCOMPLISHING WHICH 
      WITH CARE, A PERSON MAY BECOME THE OBJECT 
      OF REGARD WITH ALL CREATURES AND ACQUIRE GREAT CELEBRITY?
      IN WHAT KIND OF MAN OR WOMAN, DOES THE
      GODDESS OF PROSPERITY ALWAYS RESIDE?

      Misery
      WHAT THE EXCELLENT BEHAVIOUR IS OF
      GOOD AND CHASTE WOMEN

      If chastisement did not uphold and protect,
      then nobody would have studied the Vedas, 
      and no maiden would have married.
      POVERTY IS A STATE OF SINFULNESS  
      The Mahabharat-Santi Parva-Section VIII
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      PURUSHARTHA 
      DHARMA, ARTHA, KAMA AND MOKSHA
      Virtue, Wealth, Pleasure and Emancipation
      ASHRAMAS - FOUR STAGES OF LIFE

      BY WHAT DOES A MAN BECOME ENDUED WITH 
      LONGEVITY, AND BY WHAT IS HIS LIFE SHORTENED?
      Brahma-Sutras
      In the Hindu philosophical tradition Vedanta means 
      the essence of the Vedas, as described in the Upanishads,
      the Brahma-Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita. 

      TOP    <To top of this page
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Temples
      "Our temples are not churches or mosques. They are not 
      places of public worship, for, properly speaking, there is 
      no such thing as public worship in India." -Swami Vivekananda.
      Jagadguru K.K. Shankaracharya Swami wrote:"Our temples are not organised 
      as places for meditation, nor for congregational worship".

      Indian temple is only a reflection of the physical form of the human body.
      Makar Sakranti (Festival)
      Khichadi Sakranti
      Til Sakranti
      Kite Flying Day
      Gangasagar and Surya Puja
      Vasant Panchami
      Vasant Panchami is the festival dedicated 
      to Saraswati,  the goddess of learning.

      Siva
      Karpur Arati and its meaning
      Om Trayambakam Yajamahe (Maha Mritanjay Mantra and meaning)

      Two sided Rudraksha bead helps to increase mental powers, calms 
      agitated minds, helps to overcome Tamasic Guna.

      Lord Siva has at least four quite distinct characters, each of which 
      has a female or active energising counterpart (shakti).

      If there is one who worships Siva by creating his image, 
      another who worships his emblem, the latter it is that 
      attains to great prosperity for ever. (Mahabharata)
      Index Alphabetical < Click   ( Index to Pages )

      Holi - Festival
      The story of Prahlad
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Ramayana
      The celestial Sage Narada narrates 
      to Valmiki the qualities of Sri Ram

      The philosophy of Ramayana
      By Swami Vivekananda
      Adhyatma Ramayana (an introduction)

      The supreme virtue of the Ramayana  (Valmiki Ramayana)
      The Art of Administration as depicted in Valmiki Ramayana
      (The Ramayana’s relevance to modern times)
      Sri Rama, an Embodiment of Dharma

      A private side of Sri Rama 
      as revealed by Mother Kaushalya
      From The Valmiki Ramayana


      [Note:  The Ramayana is a poetical work of great antiquity.
      The author, Rishi Valmiki, is known as the 'First Poet' (Adikavi) 
      and his pre-eminence in Sanskrit verses has never been 
      seriously challenged to this day. Ramayana consists of 
      24 000 slokas (48 000 lines). The following translated extracts 
      ('Ravana- The Terrible Rascal'  and  'Ravana Begs Sita To Wed Him') 
      give us a glimpse of the exquisitely imaginative and rich style of 
      writing that has come to us from the most ancient times.]
      Ravana - The Terrible Rascal (Valmiki Ramayana)
      The Rape of Rambha , The Curse of Nalakuvara
      Ravana begs Sita to wed him (Valmiki Ramayana)
      The birth of Ravana and his brothers (Valmiki Ramayana)
      The boons desired by Ravana (Valmiki Ramayana)
      Ravana's lineage (Valmiki Ramayana)
      Appendix

      Vali and Sri Rama
      An esoteric interpretation

      Tulasi Ramayana
      The Importance of Satsang (company of holy people)
      Tulasi Ramayana
      Surrendering to the Lord  (Tulasi Ramayana)
      The Victory Chariot Of Sri Rama (Tulasi Ramayana)
      Question: How can one, standing alone on the ground,
      bare feet, and without armour to protect the body, 
      defeat the opposition who is mounted in a battle tank?

      Seven Questions
      Seven questions of Garuda and Kakabusundi’s replies to them

        Which form of all is the most difficult to obtain? 
        Which is the greatest misery? 
        Which is the highest pleasure? 
        What are the innate disposition of, or the essential 
        characteristics of the saints and of the evil-minded? 
        Which is the highest religious merit made known 
        in the Vedas? 
        Which is the most terrible sin? 
        What is the disease of the mind?


      Knowledge and Devotion (The two paths)  Tulasi Ramayana

      Some legends connected with Goswami Tulasidas

      Rama Darshan at Chitrakut  (The vision of Sri Rama at Chitrakut)
      (Sri Hanuman and Sant Tulasidas)

      Yoga Vasistha
      In the Ramayana we have the discussion about the first three 
      human aspirations, Dharma (religious duty), Artha (economic 
      security) and Kama (fulfillment of legitimate desires) whereas 
      the Yoga-Vasistha deals exclusively with Moksha, (liberation), 
      the fourth goal.
      Hanuman
      The Legend and Origin: 
      Sri Hanumanji is an incarnation of Lord Siva.
      TOP    <To top of this page
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Adhik-Maas (Extra Lunar Month)
      The lunar calendar adds one extra month every third year. 
      This extra month is known by various names: Adhik Maas, 
      Mal Maas, Purushottam Maas, Malimmacha. This is the 
      thirteenth month of the lunar calendar. 
      Just as there is the lunar year with the extra month (Adhik Maas), 
      so is there a lunar year with a diminished or reduced month, with 
      only eleven months in the year. The lunar year comprising of eleven 
      months only is very rare indeed. It occurs once in 140 years or once 
      in 190 years. But the extra month or Adhik Maas comes every third year. 
      Buddhism
      To understand Buddha without understanding the Upanisads 
      is to miss the significance of Buddha and his teachings. 
      Buddhism in China, Japan and Korea
      In 522 AD Buddhism was introduced in Japan by a 
      Chinese Buddhist, Shiba-Tatsu by name
      Index Alphabetical < Click   ( Index to Pages )

      Hindu Scriptures <Click here to open Page
      Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads 
      and four secular heads. The six orthodox sections form the 
      authoritative scriptures of the Hindus. The four secular sections 
      embody the latter developments in classical Sanskrit literature.
      The six scriptures are: 
        Srutis 
        Smritis 
        Itihasas 
        Puranas 
        Agamas 
        Darsanas 
      The four secular writings are:
        Subhashitas 
        Kavyas 
        Natakas 
        Alankaras 
      Philosophy
      What is philosophy? Its origin and its limitations
      Various schools of philosophy
      The Shad-Darsanas or The Six Orthodox Schools
      The Nyaya, The Vaiseshika

      The Nyaya (philosophy)
      The Nyaya is intended to furnish a correct method of 
      philosophical enquiry into all the objects and subjects 
      of human knowledge, including the process of reasoning 
      and laws of thought. 
      The Vaiseshika (philosophy)
      Atomic Theory of the Universe
      In the Vaiseshika system, the formation of the world is 
      supposed to be effected by the aggregation of atoms. 
      These atoms are countless and eternal. They are eternally 
      aggregated, disintegrated and re-disintegrated by the 
      power of Adrishta (unseeen).
      The Vaiseshika has, for its chief objective, the analysis 
      of experience. It begins by arranging its enquiries under 
      categories (Padarthas), i.e., enumeration of certain general 
      properties or attributes that may be predicted of existing 
      things. It formulates general conceptions, which apply to 
      things known, whether by senses or inference, or by authority.

      The Sankhya (philosophy)
      The Sankhya system is generally studied next to the Nyaya. 
      It is a beautiful system of philosophy. The Western philosophers 
      also have great admiration for this system. It is more categorically 
      dualistic. It denies that anything can be produced out of nothing. 
      It assumes the reality of Purusha and Prakriti, the knowing Self 
      and the objects known.
      The Yoga (philosophy)
      Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga
      Patanjali’s Yoga is Ashtanga-Yoga or Yoga with eight limbs. 
      This Yoga deals with the discipline of the mind and its psychic 
      powers. Hatha Yoga treats of the methods of bodily control and regulations 
      of breath. The culmination of Hatha Yoga is Raja Yoga. 
      The Purva Mimamsa (philosophy)
      Purva Mimamsa or Karma-Mimamsa is an enquiry into the 
      earlier portion of the Vedas, an enquiry into the ritual of the 
      Vedas or that portion of the Vedas which is concerned with 
      the Mantras and the Brahmanas only.
      Mimamsa is not a branch of any philosophical system. 
      It is rather a system of Vedic interpretation. Its philosophical 
      discussions amount to a kind of critical commentary on the 
      Brahmana or ritual portion of the Veda. 
      The Vedanta Philosophy
      Uttara Mimamsa or the Vedanta philosophy of Vyasa or 
      Badarayana is placed as the last of the six orthodox 
      systems, but, really, it ought to stand first.
      The Uttara Mimamsa conforms closely to the doctrines 
      propounded in the Upanishads. The term Vedanta means 
      literally the end or the essence of the Veda. It contains the 
      doctrines set forth in the closing chapters of the Vedas. 
      The closing chapters of the Vedas are the Upanishads. 
      The Upanishads really form the essence of the Vedas.
      The Five sheaths (Kosas) (The Vedanta Philosophy)
      Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy and Saktaism 
      Philosophy  - Part  2
      Saiva Siddhanta is the philosophy of Southern Saivism. 
      It owes its origins to no single author. It is midway between 
      Sankara’s Advaita and Ramanuja’s Visishtadvaita. 
      The central doctrine of the Saiva Siddhanta philosophy is that 
      Siva is the Supreme Reality, and that the Jiva or the individual 
      soul is of the same essence as Siva, but not identical. Pati (God), 
      Pasu (soul) and Pasa (the bonds), and the thirty-six Tattvas or principles 
      which constitute the world, are all real.
      The Saiva Siddhanta system is the distilled essence of the 
      Vedanta. It prevailed in Southern India even before the Christian 
      era. Tirunelveli and Madurai are the centres of the Saiva 
      Siddhanta School. Even now, Saivism is a very popular School 
      in South India. It is a rival school of Vaishnavism.

      Schools of Vedanta 
      The Advaita philosophy of Sri Sankara
      The Visishta Advaita philosophy of Sri Ramanuja
      The Dvaita philosophy of Sri Madhavacharya
      The Dvaitadvaita Philosophy of Sri Nimbarka
      The Suddhavaita Philosophy of Sri Vallabha
      The Achintya Bhedabheda Philosophy of Sri Chaitanya
                 (The Hare Krishna Movement)
      Sankhya versus Yoga From the Mahabharata
      The understanding of the Bhagavad Gita and 
      of  the Vedanta philosophy will be greatly 
      enhanced by getting to know "The path of 
      knowledge of the Sankhyas 
      and the path of action of the Yogis."
      There is no knowledge that is equal to this
      The knowledge, which is described in the system 
      of the Sankhyas, is regarded as the highest. 
      The Sankhya system does not believe in any God
      This philosophy of the Jaina is most intimately connected with 
      the Sankhya philosophy. The fundamental principles of the 
      Buddhist philosophy also depend upon the Sankhya theory. 

      Hindu Sects

      TOP    <To top of this page
      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )

      Dharma Kinds of Dharma, Dharma in other religions
      Varnasrama Dharma, The Four Asramas
      Benefits of the practice of Dharma, 
      Fundamentals of Dharma: 
      (Non-violence, Truth, Purity, Self-Control)
      Dharma is the means of preserving one’s self. 
      If you transgress it, it will kill you. If you protect it, 
      it will protect you. It is your soul companion after death.
      It is the sole refuge of humanity.

      Speech- Science of
      speech ought always to be free from the nine verbal faults 
      and the nine faults of judgment. It should also, while setting 
      forth the meaning with perspicuity, be possessed of the 
      eighteen well-known merits.
      Abusive Speech (From The Mahabharata)
      How should a learned man adorned with modesty behave when 
      assailed with harsh speeches in the midst of assemblies by an 
      ignorant person swelling with conceit?


      The Authority of the Vedas and other scriptures 
      not inconsistent with the Vedas, is eternal.
      From the Mahabharata, Santi Parva, Section CCCVI, Janaka said:
      "Whatever is read as declared in the Vedas and in other 
      scriptures is regarded as authority. The authority again, 
      of the Vedas and other scriptures, not inconsistent with 
      the Vedas, is eternal.
      That person who bears in his understanding merely the 
      texts of the Vedas and other scriptures without being 
      conversant with the true sense or meaning of those texts, 
      bears them fruitlessly. Indeed, one who holds the contents 
      of a work in memory without comprehending their 
      meaning is said to bear an useless burden." 
      .................................................................................................
      From The Mahabharata, Santi Parva, Section LIV
      Addressing Bhishma,
      Krishna said: Whatever,O Bhishma, thou wilt say unto the enquiring son of 
      Pandu (Yuthishthira), will be regarded on earth to be as authoritative as 
      the declarations of that Vedas. That person who will conduct himself here 
      according to the authority of thy declarations, will obtain hereafter the 
      reward of every meritorious act.
      ___________________________________________

      Index Alphabetical < Click  ( Index to Pages )
      ___________________________________________

                             Study Web Excellence Award 

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      Appreciations < Click (From our readers)

      ========================================
      TOP < To top of this page   
      The number of visits recorded for our website  www.hinduism.co.za/ 
      General Statistics monitored by Web Trends
      From 30-04-2000  to  04-12-2000   (7 months)
            General Statistics 

            Date & Time This Report was GeneratedSunday January 14, 2001 - 
            22:10:52
            Timeframe04/30/00 02:01:25 - 12/04/00 08:07:10
            Number of Hits for Home Page18,295
            Number of Successful Hits for Entire Site425,851
            Number of Page Views (Impressions)112,385
            Number of User Sessions67,314
            User Sessions from South Africa2.15%
            International User Sessions74.53%
            User Sessions of Unknown Origin23.31%
            Average Number of Hits Per Day1,944
            Average Number of Page Views Per Day513
            Average Number of User Sessions Per Day307
            Average User Session Length00:03:56
            Number of Unique Users26,038
            Number of Users Who Visited Once20,302
            Number of Users Who Visited More Than Once5,736


      This section outlines general server activity, comparing the level of 
      activity on weekdays and weekends. The Average Number of Users and Hits on 
      Weekdays are the averages for each individual week day. The Average Number 
      of Users and Hits for Weekends groups Saturday and Sunday together. Values 
      in the table do not include erred hits. 

      7 months
            Summary of Activity for Report Period 

            Average Number of Users per day on Weekdays453
            Average Number of Hits per day on Weekdays2,935
            Average Number of Users for the entire Weekend699
            Average Number of Hits for the entire Weekend4,093
            Most Active Day of the WeekTue
            Least Active Day of the WeekSat
            Most Active Day EverNovember 27, 2000
            Number of Hits on Most Active Day6,582
            Least Active Day EverJune 03, 2000
            Number of Hits on Least Active Day1,066
            Most Active Hour of the Day20:00-20:59
            Least Active Hour of the Day10:00-10:59



      7 months
            Most Active Countries 

            CountriesUser Sessions
            1United States40,687
            2UK1,625
            3South Africa1,449
            4Australia1,332
            5Canada1,135
            6India759
            7Singapore736
            8Malaysia646
            9Netherlands272
            10New Zealand (Aotearoa)235
            Total 48,876

       
      This section breaks down web site activity to show which of the North 
      American States and Provinces were the most active on the site. This 
      information is based on where the domain name of the visitor is 
      registered, and may not always be an accurate representation of the actual 
      geographic location of this visitor. This information can only be 
      displayed if reverse DNS lookups have been performed. 

      7 months
            North American States & Provinces 

            StateUser Sessions
            1Virginia16,513
            2California635
            3Oregon545
            4New York247
            5Washington172
            6Florida101
            7Ontario66
            8Connecticut53
            9Ohio45
            10Illinois45
            Total For the States Above 18,422

      7  months
            Number of Users Per Number of Visits 

            Number of VisitsNumber of Users
            1 visit25216
            2 visits4278
            3 visits1268
            4 visits595
            5 visits358
            6 visits245
            7 visits164
            8 visits134
            9 visits92
            10 or more visits860

       
            Organization Breakdown 

            Organization TypeHits% of Total HitsUser Sessions
            1Company99,45645.45%28,214
            2Network86,25339.41%10,524
            3Education27,36712.5%2,575
            4Organization3,2431.48%345
            5Government1,3950.63%133
            6Military8740.39%103
            7Arpanet1780.08%27
            8International470.02%5
            Total for Known Organization Types 218,813100%41,926

      This table shows the total number of hits for the site, how many were 
      successful, how many failed, and calculates the percentage of hits that 
      failed. It may help you in determining the reliability of the site. 
      7 months
            Technical Statistics and Analysis 

            Total Hits431,197
            Successful Hits425,851
            Failed Hits5,346
            Failed Hits as Percent1.23%
            Cached Hits69,941
            Cached Hits as Percent16.22%



            Most Active Organizations 
            Prior six months
             OrganizationsHits% of Total HitsUser Sessions
            1America Online
            aol.com18,5224.86%13,880
            2home.com8,1862.15%1,112
            3Uunet Technologies Inc.
            uu.net7,3521.93%792
            4vsnl.net.in5,3681.41%579
            5Mikota Maentz
            rr.com3,5480.93%489
            6earthlink.net3,1980.84%328
            7splitrock.net3,1330.82%271
            8Level3.net2,9680.77%316
            9saix.net2,7270.71%259
            10mweb.co.za2,6680.7%302
             Sub Total For Companies Above57,67015.15%18,328
             Total For the Log File 381,737100%60,582

       
            Most Active Organizations 
            Previous ten months
            OrganizationsHits% of Total HitsUser Sessions
            1America Online
            aol.com42,1327.26%33,546
            2Uunet Technologies Inc.
            uu.net12,8452.21%1,362
            3home.com10,2301.76%1,442
            4att.net4,6900.8%427
            5splitrock.net4,6720.8%500
            6earthlink.net4,5030.77%422
            7Level3.net3,7430.64%384
            8pol.co.uk3,5130.6%1,445
            9mweb.co.za3,2110.55%386
            10psi.net3,1490.54%312
            Sub Total For Companies Above92,68815.98%40,226
            Total For the Log File 583,242100%110,130

       
            Top Referring Sites 
            Prior six months
            SiteUser Sessions
            1http://www.hinduism.co.za/41,658
            2No Referrer11,513
            3http://www.google.com/1,239
            4http://google.yahoo.com/824
            5http://search.msn.com/486
            6http://www.khoj.com/323
            7http://aolsearch.aol.com/305
            8http://search.excite.com/234
            9http://dir.yahoo.com/219
            10http://search.yahoo.com/213
            Sub Total for the Referring Sites Above57,014
            Total for the Log File 60,582

       
            Top Referring Sites 
            Previous ten months
             SiteUser Sessions
            1http://www.hinduism.co.za/73,622
            2No Referrer23,579
            3http://search.aol.com/1,122
            4http://search.yahoo.com/1,099
            5http://www.google.com/1,053
            6http://aolsearch.aol.com/976
            7http://dir.yahoo.com/903
            8http://search.msn.com/799
            9http://www.altavista.com/621
            10http://www.khoj.com/567
             Sub Total for the Referring Sites Above104,341
             Total for the Log File 110,130

       
            Top Search Engines 
            Prior six months
            EnginesSearches% of Total
            1Google5,10537.97%
            2Yahoo4,81435.81%
            3Microsoft Network8186.08%
            4Excite7985.93%
            5Lycos5043.74%
            6AltaVista4203.12%
            7Look Smart1831.36%
            8All The Web1611.19%
            9WebCrawler1581.17%
            10dogpile1310.97%
            Total of Searches for the Engines Above13,09297.39%
            Total of Searches for the Log File 13,442100%

       
            Top Search Engines 
            Previous ten months
            EnginesSearches% of Total
            1Yahoo5,52131.37%
            2Google4,71426.78%
            3AltaVista1,89610.77%
            4Lycos1,3657.75%
            5Microsoft Network9165.2%
            6Excite7234.1%
            7InfoSeek6523.7%
            8Look Smart3842.18%
            9WebCrawler3652.07%
            10Northern Light3461.96%
            Total of Searches for the Engines Above16,88295.92%
            Total of Searches for the Log File 17,599100%



            Most Downloaded File Types 

             File typeFilesK Bytes Transferred
            1gif288,2951,133,291
            2htm144,8857,485,912
            3jpg35,08988,134
            4exe6,3965,571
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      ___________________________________________
      Our web site hinduism.co.za/ was first 
      published on the internet on 24-06-1998
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      Forthcoming Hindu Festivals


            Hindu Festivals 2002  
            Makarsankranti <click infoMonday14-01-2002
            Vasant panchami <infoSunday17-02-2002
            Maha Shivaratri < infoWednesday13-03-2002
            Holi <click for informationThursday28-03-2002
            Ramayana WeekSaturday13-04-2002
                                          ToSunday21-04-2002
            Ramanavami <informationSunday21-04-2002
            Hindi New YearSunday21-04-2002
            Hanuman Jayanti <infoSaturday27-04-2002
            Raksha-Bandhan <infoThursday22-08-2002
            Krishna Janmashthami  Friday     (Smarta)
            Saturday (Vaishnav)30-08-2002
            31-08-2002
            Ganesh Chauth <click infoTuesday10-09-2002
            Pitr-PakshaSaturday21-09-2002
                                          ToSunday06-10-2002
            Navaratri <click for infoMonday07-10-2002
                                          ToTuesday15-10-2002
            Saraswati Puja
            (Forms part of Navaratri)Sunday13-10-2002
            Vijaya Dashami (Dasera)Tuesday15-10-2002
            Deepavali -(Diwali) <infoMonday04-11-2002
            Vikram New Year  2060Tuesday05-11-2002

      Buddha Purnima                Sunday         26-05-2002      Purnima  
      Vaisakha
      Guru     Purnima                Wednesday   24-07-2002      Purnima  
Asadha
      Easter                                Sunday          31-03-2002
      The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
      Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
       
      Hindu Festivals - 2031
      Hindu Festivals till the end of year 2031

      The historic origins of some of the various Hindu festivals 
      revolve around their special significance for each of the 
      four castes. Sravan is primarily a festiv month for the 
      Brahmins (priests). Dassera (Vijay Dashmi) is a festival 
      primarily for the Kshatriyas (warriors). Holi is a festival 
      primarily for the Sudras and Deepawali is a festival 
      primarily for the Vaisyas. 
      These distinctions are not rigid and generally all Hindus 
      participate and celebrate all these festivals.
      Index Alphabetical < Click   ( Index to Pages )
      TOP < To top of this page