Podcasts about Durga

En ce sixième jour de Navratri, les dévots honorent la déesse Katyayani, la sixième forme de la déesse Durga. Symbole de courage et de justice, elle est vénérée pour sa force divine et sa capacité à détruire le mal. Dans le cadre du Chaitra Navratri, les prières se poursuivent dans les temples à travers l'île. Ces rituels culmineront ce dimanche 6 avril avec la célébration de Ram Nawmi, anniversaire de la naissance du dieu Ram. Le pandit Kavi Sharma souligne l'importance des textes sacrés dans ce cheminement spirituel.

Le troisième jour de Navratri est dédié à la déesse Chandraghanta, la troisième forme de la déesse Durga associée à l'esprit et à l'harmonie intérieure. Incarnation de la beauté divine, elle symbolise le charme qui captive et élève l'âme vers la pureté. Selon le pandit Kavi Sharma, Chandraghanta enseigne l'importance de la réflexion avant toute action. Pendant Navratri, les prières adressées à la déesse Durga visent à insuffler des pensées positives, essentielles pour accomplir des actions empreintes de bienveillance et de droiture.

Snayhil and Antariksh are back with their fan-favorite Recasted series as they're joined by the one and only Abbas Momin for an epic discussion. In this special episode, they dive deep into the iconic 1995 Bollywood classic Karan Arjun to celebrate its 30th anniversary. With Salman Khan's much-awaited Eid release Sikandar hitting theaters, it's the perfect moment to revisit the magic of Karan Arjun and reimagine its cast in today's world.The trio takes a fun, nostalgic journey as they discuss who would play the legendary roles originally portrayed by Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Amrish Puri, and Rakhi. From the iconic brothers Karan and Arjun to the unforgettable Thakur and Durga, tune in to hear their picks for the ultimate recasting.Not just that-we want to hear from you! Share your own recasting choices and let's see who can crack the code for the perfect Karan Arjun reboot. This one's bound to be a lively debate, so don't miss out on the fun!Tune in now and join the conversation!--x--x--x--Chapters:(0:00) - Intro(0:30) - Welcome to PopCorn Versation(14:35) - The Recasting Begins!

Chaitra Navratri qui marque le début du Nouvel An hindou, est une période de ferveur et de spiritualité dédiée à la déesse Durga et à ses neuf formes divines. Pendant neuf jours, les fidèles honorent ces formes sacrées, chacune incarnant une facette du pouvoir féminin divin. Chaque journée de célébration met à l'honneur une forme spécifique de la déesse. Le premier jour est consacré à la déesse Shailputri, symbole de pureté et de résilience.

After a week off battling colds, allergies, and then a round of colds again, we are back going through the usual run-down of new releases, new critiques, and new disappointments featuring perfumes from Marlou, DS & Durga, MFK, and Strangelove NYC. We also spend time declaring our love for Le Galion's skanky Jasmin, VioVerde by Xinu, and the Collection Privee from Houbigant. Finally, what qualifies as a dad fragrance? Listen in to find out and then stay for The Game.(00:00) - - New Releases and New To Us Perfumes (06:26) - - Thoughts on DS & Durga and other 2010s Brands (12:16) - - Houbigant Collection Privee (15:00) - - Jasmin, A Fire Within, VioVerde (23:07) - - Marlou's New Releases (28:37) - - A few words on Kurky by Maison Francis Kurkdjian (32:52) - - Scents We've Been Wearing (40:53) - - The Game Scents Mentioned in this Episode:Amethyst Haze by Carolina Herrera / Brown Flowers, Amber Kiso, Burning Barbershop, Bowmakers, Coriander, Grapefruit Generation, Bistro Waters, and Amber Teutonic by DS & Durga / Desert Dawn, Eyes Closed, Super Cedar, De Los Santos, Animalique, Vanille Antique by Byredo / Vanilla Powder by Matiere Premiere / Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian / Essence Rare, Jardin Secret, and Mon Boudoir by Houbigant / Jasmin by Le Galion / Ella by Arquiste / Reve D'Ossian by Oriza L Legrand / A Fire Within by Strangelove NYC / VioVerde by Xinu / Heliodose, Doliphor, and Ambilux by Marlou / Kurky by Maison Francis Kurkdjian / Absinth by Nasomatto / Arbole by Hiram Green / Ice Blue by Aqua Velvet / Brut by Faberge / Old Spice / Misfit by Arquiste / Do Son by Diptyque / Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle / Bergamask by Orto Parisi / Portrait of A Lady by Frederic Malle / Karat EG by Maison d'ETTO / French Affair by Ex Nihilo / Rose of No Man's Land by Byredo / Rose 31 by Le Labo / La Bague D'O by Jouissance / Musc Ravageur by Frederic Malle / Flaming Creature by Marissa Zappas / Eau Rose and Eau Capitale by Diptyque / Psycadelique by Jovoy / Rain Cloud by Perfumer H The Game:Nº 11 Amiral Royal by Binet-Papillon / Lunamaris by Diptyque / Nº 9 Patchouli Monarque by Binet-Papillon / Smoke by Perfumer H / Fumabat by Couteau de Poche / 3 Fleurs by Parfum d'Empire Please feel free to email us at hello@fragraphilia.com - Send us questions, comments, or recommendations. We can be found on TikTok and Instagram @fragraphilia

Life Experience Narration

This episode we will finish up the travels of Xuanzang, who circumnavigated the Indian subcontinent while he was there, spending over a decade and a half travelings, visiting important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, and studying at the feet of learned monks of India, and in particular at Nalanda monastery--a true center of learning from this period. For more, check out our blogpost page:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-122 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 122:  Journey to the West, Part 3 The courtyard at Nalanda was quiet.  Although hundreds of people were crowded in, trying to hear what was being said, they were all doing their best to be silent and still.  Only the wind or an errant bird dared speak up.  The master's voice may not have been what it once was—he was definitely getting on in years—but Silabhadra's mind was as sharp as ever. At the front of the crowd was a relatively young face from a far off land.  Xuanzang had made it to the greatest center of learning in the world, and he had been accepted as a student of perhaps the greatest sage of his era.  Here he was, receiving lessons on some of the deepest teachings of the Mahayana Buddhist sect, the very thing he had come to learn and bring home. As he watched and listened with rapt attention, the ancient teacher began to speak….   For the last two episodes, and continuing with this one, we have been covering the travels of the monk Xuanzang in the early 7th century, starting around 629 and concluding in 645.  Born during the Sui dynasty, Xuanzang felt that the translations of the Buddhist sutras available in China were insufficient—many of them had been made long ago, and often were translations of translations.  Xuanzang decided to travel to India in the hopes of getting copies in the original language to provide more accurate translations of the sutras, particularly the Mahayana sutras.  His own accounts of his journeys, even if drawn from his memory years afterwards, provide some of our most detailed contemporary evidence of the Silk Road and the people and places along the way.  After he returned, he got to work on his translations, and became quite famous.  Several of the Japanese students of Buddhism who traveled to the Tang dynasty in the 650s studied under him directly and brought his teachings back to Japan with them.  His school of “Faxiang” Buddhism became known in Japan as the Hosso sect, and was quite popular during the 7th and 8th centuries.  Xuanzang himself, known as Genjou in Japan, would continue to be venerated as an important monk in the history of Buddhism, and his travels would eventually be popularized in fantastic ways across East Asia. Over the last couple of episodes we talked about Xuanzang's illegal and harrowing departure from the Tang empire, where he had to sneak across the border into the deserts of the Western Regions.  We then covered his time traveling from Gaochang, to Suyab, and down to Balkh, in modern Afghanistan.  This was all territory under the at least nominal control of the Gokturk empire.  From Balkh he traveled to Bamyan, and then on to Kapisa, north of modern Kabul, Afghanistan.  However, after Kapisa, Xuanzang was finally entering into the northern territories of what he knew as “India”, or “Tianzhu”. Here I would note that I'm using “India” to refer not to a single country, but to the entirety of the Indian subcontinent, and all of the various kingdoms there -- including areas now part of the modern countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.  The Sinitic characters used to denote this region are pronounced, today, as “Tianzhu”, with a rough meaning of “Center of Heaven”, but it is likely that these characters were originally pronounced in such a way that the name likely came from terms like “Sindhu” or “Induka”.  This is related to the name of the Sindh or Indus river, from which India gets its name.  Xuanzang's “Record of the Western Regions” notes that the proper pronunciation of the land should be “Indu”.  In Japan, this term was transmitted through the Sinitic characters, or kanji, and pronounced as “Tenjiku”.  Since it featured so prominently in the stories of the life of the Buddha and many of the Buddhist sutras, Tenjiku was known to the people of the Japanese archipelago as a far off place that was both real and fantastical. In the 12th century, over a thousand stories were captured for the “Konjaku Monogatarishu”, or the “Collection of Tales Old and New”, which is divided up into tales from Japan, China, and India.  In the famous 9th or 10th century story, “Taketori Monogatari”, or the “Bamboo-Cutter's Tale”, about princess Kaguya hime, one of the tasks the princess sets to her suitors is to go to India to find the begging bowl of the Buddha.  Records like those produced by Xuanzang and his fellow monks, along with the stories in the sutras, likely provided the majority of what people in the Japanese archipelago knew about India, at least to begin with. Xuanzang talks about the land of India as being divided into five distinct parts—roughly the north, south, east, west, and center.  He notes that three sides face the sea and that the Snow Mountains—aka the Himalayas—are in the north.  It is, he says, “Wide in the north and narrow in the south, in the shape of a crescent moon”.  Certainly the “Wide in the north and narrow in the south” fit the subcontinent accurately enough, and it is largely surrounded by the waters of what we know as the Indian Ocean to the west, the east, and the south.  The note about the Crescent Moon might be driven by Xuanzang's understanding of a false etymology for the term “Indus”, which he claims comes from the word for “moon”.  Rather, this term appears to refer to the Indus River, also known as the Sindh or Sindhus, which comes from an ancient word meaning something like “River” or “Stream”. Xuanzang also notes that the people of the land were divided into castes, with the Brahman caste at the top of the social hierarchy.    The land was further divided into approximately 70 different countries, according to his accounts.  This is known broadly as the Early Medieval period, in India, in which the region was divided into different kingdoms and empires that rose and fell across the subcontinent, with a total size roughly equivalent to that covered by the countries of the modern European Union.  Just like Europe, there were many different polities and different languages spoken across the land – but just as Latin was the common language in Europe, due to its use in Christianity, Sanskrit was the scholarly and religious language in much of India, and could also be used as a bridge language.  Presumably, Xuanzang understood Sanskrit to some extent as a Buddhist monk.  And, just a quick note, all of this was before the introduction of Islam, though there were other religions also practiced throughout the subcontinent, but Xuanzang was primarily focused on his Buddhist studies. Xuanzang describes India as having three distinct seasons—The hot season, the rainy season, and the cold season, in that order.  Each of these were four month long periods.  Even today, the cycle of the monsoon rains is a major impact on the life of people in South Asia.  During the rainy season, the monks themselves would retreat back to their monasteries and cease their wanderings about the countryside. This tradition, called “Vassa”, is still a central practice in many Theravada Buddhist societies such as Thailand and Laos today, where they likewise experience this kind of intensely wet monsoon season. Xuanzang goes on to give an in depth analysis of the people and customs of the Indian subcontinent, as he traveled from country to country. So, as we've done before, we'll follow his lead in describing the different locations he visited. The first country of India that Xuanzang came to was the country of Lampa, or Lamapaka, thought to be modern Laghman province in Afghanistan.  At the time it was a dependency of Kapisa.  The Snow Mountains, likely meaning the Hindu Kush, the western edge of the Himalayas, lay at its north, while the “Black Mountains” surrounded it on the other three sides.  Xuanzang mentions how the people of Lampa grow non-glutinous rice—likely something similar to basmati rice, which is more prevalent in South Asian cuisine, as compared to glutinous rice like more often used in East Asia. From Lampa he headed to Nagarahara, likely referring to a site near the Kabul River associated with the ruins of a stupa called Nagara Gundi, about 4 kilometers west of modern Jalalabad, Afghanistan.  This was another vassal city-state of Kapisa.  They were still Mahayana Buddhists, but there were other religions as well, which Xuanzang refers to as “heretical”, though I'm not entirely sure how that is meant in this context.  He does say that many of the stupas were dilapidated and in poor condition. Xuanzang was now entering areas where he likely believed the historical Buddha had once walked.  In fact, Lampa was perhaps the extent of historical Buddha's travels, according to the stories and the sutras, though this seems unlikely to have been true.  The most plausible locations for the Historical Buddha's pilgrimages were along the Ganges river, which was on the other side of the subcontinent, flowing east towards modern Kolkatta and the Bengal Bay.  However, as Buddhism spread, so, too, did stories of the Buddha's travels.  And so, as far as Xuanzang was concerned, he was following in the footsteps of the Buddha. Speaking of which, at Nagarahara, Xuanzang mentions “footprints” of the Buddha.  This is a Buddhist tradition found in many places.  Xuanzang claims that the Tathagatha, the Englightened One, or the Buddha, would fly, because when he walked the land itself shook.  Footprint shapes in rock could be said to be evidence of the Buddha's travels.  Today, in many Buddhist areas you can find footprints carved into rock conforming to stories about the Buddha, such as all the toes being of the same length, or other various signs.  These may have started out as natural depressions in the rock, or pieces of artwork, but they were believed by many to be the actual point at which the Buddha himself touched down.  There are famous examples of these footprints in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and China.  Of course there are also traditions of creating images of the footprint as an object of worship.  Images of footprints, similar to images of the Great Wheel of the Law, may have been some of the earliest images for veneration, as images of the Buddha himself did not appear until much later in the tradition.  One of the oldest such footprints in Japan is at Yakushiji temple, and dated to 753.  It was created based on a rubbing brought back by an envoy to the Tang court, while they were in Chang'an. Like Buddha footprints, there are many other images and stories that show up multiple times in different places, even in Xuanzang's own narrative.  For example, in Nagarahara Xuanzang also shares a story of a cave, where an image of the Buddha could be just barely made out on the wall – maybe maybe an old carving that had just worn away, or maybe an image that was deliberately placed in the darkness as a metaphor for finding the Buddha—finding enlightenment.  This is not an uncommon theme in Buddhism as a whole.  In any case, the story around this image was that it had been placed there to subdue a naga. Now a naga is a mythical snake-like being, and  we are told that this particular naga was the reincarnation of a man who had invoked a curse on the nearby kingdom, then threw himself from a cliff in order to become a naga and sow destruction.  As the story went, the man was indeed reborn, but before he could bring destruction, the Buddha showed up and subdued him, convincing him that this was not right.  And so the naga agreed to stay in the cave, where the Buddha left an image—a shadow—to remind the naga any time that its thoughts might turn to destruction. Later in his travels, at a place name Kausambi, Xuanzang mentions another cave where the Buddha had subdued a venomous dragon and left his shadow on the cave wall.  Allowing for the possibility that the Buddha just had a particular M.O. when dealing with destructive beings, we should also consider the possibility that the story developed in one region—probably closer to the early center of Buddhism, and then traveled outward, such that it was later adopted and adapted to local traditions.  From Nagarahara, Xuanzang continued to the country of Gandhara and its capital city of Purushapura, aka modern Peshwar.  This kingdom was also under vassalage to the Kapisan king.  Here and elsewhere in the journey, Xuanzang notes not only evidence of the historical Buddha, but also monasteries and stupas purported to have been built by King Kanishka and King Asoka.  These were important figures who were held in high regard for spreading Buddhism during their reign.  Continuing through the region of Gandhara, he also passed through Udakhand and the city of Salatura, known as the birthplace of the ancient Sanskrit grammarian, Daksiputra Panini, author of the Astadhyayi [Aestudjayi].  This work is the oldest surviving description of classical Sanskrit, and used grammatical and other concepts that wouldn't be introduced into Western linguistics for eons.  Daksiputra Panini thrived around the 5th or 4th century BCE, but was likely one of the reasons that Sanskrit continued to be used as a language of scholarship and learning even as it died out of usage as the day to day language of the common people.  His works and legacy would have been invaluable to translators like Xuanzang in understanding and translating from Sanskrit. Xuanzang continued on his journey to Kashmira, situated in the Kashmir Valley.  This valley sits between the modern states of Pakistan and India, and its ownership is actively disputed by each.  It is the namesake of the famous cashmere wool—wool from the winter coats of a type of goat that was bred in the mountainous regions.  The winter coat would be made of soft, downy fibers and would naturally fall out in the spring, which the goatherds harvested and made into an extremely fine wool.  In the 7th century and earlier, however, the region was known not as much for its wool, but as a center for Hindu and Buddhist studies.  Xuanzang ended up spending two years in Kashmira studying with teachers there.  Eventually, though, he continued on, passing through the country of Rajpura, and continuing on to Takka and the city of Sakala—modern day Sialkot in the Punjab region of modern Pakistan.  Leaving Sakala, he was traveling with a group when suddenly disaster struck and they were accosted by a group of bandits.  They took the clothes and money of Xuanzang and those with him and then they drove the group into a dry pond in an attempt to corral them while they figured out what they would do—presumably meaning kill them all.  Fortunately for the group, there was a water drain at the southern edge of the pond large enough for one man to pass through.  Xuanzang and one other went through the gap and they were able to escape to a nearby village.  Once they got there, they told the people what had happened, and the villagers quickly gathered weapons and ran out to confront the brigands, who saw a large group coming and ran away.  Thus they were able to rescue the rest of Xuanzang's traveling companions.  Xuanzang's companions were devastated, having lost all of their possessions.  However, Xuanzang comforted them.  After all, they still had their lives.  By this time, Xuanzang had certainly seen his fair share of life and death problems along the road.  They continued on, still in the country of Takka, to the next great city.  There they met a Brahman, and once they told him what had happened, he started marshalling the forces of the city on their behalf.  During Xuanzang's stay in Kashmira, he had built a reputation, and people knew of the quote-unquote “Chinese monk”.  And even though the people in this region were not necessarily Buddhist—many were “heretics” likely referring to those of Hindu faith—the people responded to this pre-Internet “GoFundMe” request with incredible generosity.  They brought Xuanzang food and cloth to make into suits of clothes.  Xuanzang distributed this to his travel companions, and ended up still having enough cloth for 50 suits of clothes himself.  He then stayed at that city a month. It is odd that they don't seem to mention the name of this location.  Perhaps there is something unspeakable about it?  Still, it seems that they were quite generous, even if they were “heretics” according to Xuanzang. From the country of Takka, he next proceeded to the kingdom of Cinabhukti, where he spent 14 months—just over a year—studying with the monks there.  Once he had learned what he could, he proceeded onwards, passing through several countries in northern India until he came to the headwaters of the sacred Ganges rivers.  The Indus and the Ganges rivers are in many ways similar to the Yellow River and Yangzi, at least in regards to their importance to the people of India.  However, whereas the Yellow River and Yangzi both flow east towards the Pacific Ocean, the Indus and Ganges flow in opposite directions.  The Indus flows southwest, from the Himalayas down through modern India into modern Pakistan, emptying into the western Indian Ocean.  The Ganges flows east along the base of the Himalayas and enters the eastern Indian Ocean at Kolkatta.   At the headwaters of the Ganges, Xuanzang found a Buddhist monk named Jayagupta and chose to spend the winter and half of the following spring listening to his sermons and learning at his feet. From there he continued his travels, and ended up being summoned by King Harshavardhana of Kanyakubja, known today as the modern city of Kannauj.  Harshavardhana ruled an immense state that covered much of the territory around the sacred Ganges river.  As word of this strange monk from a far off land reached him, the King wanted to see him for himself.  Xuanzang stayed in Kannauj for three months, completing his studies of the Vibhasha Shastra, aka the Abhidarmma Mahavibhasha Shastra, known in Japanese as the Abidatsuma Daibibasharon, or just as the Daibibasharon or the Basharon, with the latter two terms referring to the translations that Xuanzang performed.   This work is not a sutra, per se, but rather an encyclopedic work that attempted to speak on all of the various doctrinal issues of its day.  It is thought to have been authored around 150 CE, and was influential in the Buddhist teachings of Kashmira, when that was a center of Orthodoxy at the time.  This is what Xuanzang had started studying, and it seems that in Kannauj he was finally able to grasp everything he felt he needed to know about it in order to effectively translate it and teach it when he returned.  That said, his quest was not over.  And after his time in Kannauj, he decided to continue on. His next stop was at the city of Ayodhya.  This was—and is—a city of particular importance in Hindu traditions.  It is said to be the city mentioned in the epic tale known as the Ramayana, though many argue that it was simply named that later in honor of that ancient city.  It does appear to be a city that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, visited and where he preached.  It was also the home of a famous monk from Gandhara who authored a number of Buddhist tomes and was considered, at least by Xuanzang, a proper Boddhisatva.  And so Xuanzang spent some time paying homage to the places where the Buddha and other holy figures had once walked. “Ayodhya” appears in many forms across Asia.  It is a major pilgrimage center, and the city of “Ayutthaya” in Thailand was named for it, evoking the Ramayana—known in Thai as the Ramakien—which they would adopt as their own national story.  In Silla, there is a story that queen Boju, aka Heo Hwang-ok, wife to the 2nd century King Suro of Geumgwan Gaya, traveled to the peninsula all the way from the foreign country of “Ayuta”, thought to mean Ayodhya.  Her story was written down in the Gaya histories and survives as a fragment found in the Samguk Yusa.  Members of the Gimhae Kim, Gimhae Heo, and Incheon Yi clans all trace their lineage back to her and King Suro. From Ayodhya, Xuanzang took a trip down the Ganges river.  The boat was packed to bursting with some 80 other travelers, and as they traveled towards a particularly heavily forested area, they were set upon by bandits, who rowed their ships out from hiding in the trees and forced the travelers to the shore.  There the bandits made all the travelers strip down and take off their clothing so that the bandits could search for gold or valuables.  According to Xuanzang's biography, these bandits were followers of Durga, a Hindu warrior-goddess, and it is said that each year they would look for someone of particularly handsome features to sacrifice to her.  With Xuanzang's foreign features, they chose him.  And so they took him to be killed.  Xuanzang mentioned that he was on a pilgrimage, and that by interrupting him before they finished he was worried it might be inauspicious for them, but he didn't put up a fight and merely asked to be given time to meditate and calm his mind and that they perform the execution quickly so that he wouldn't even notice. From there, according to the story, a series of miracles occurred that ended up with Xuanzang being released and the bandits worshipping at his feet.  It is times like this we must remember that this biography was being written by Xuanzang's students based on stories he told them about his travels.  While being accosted by bandits on the river strikes me as perfectly plausible, we don't necessarily have the most reliable narrators, so I'm going to have to wonder about the rest.  Speaking of unreliable narration, the exact route that Xuanzang traveled from here on is unclear to me, based on his stated goals and where he was going.  It is possible that he was wandering as opportunities presented themselves —I don't know that he had any kind of map or GPS, like we've said in the past.  And it may be that the routes from one place to another were not always straightforward.  Regardless, he seems to wander southeast for a period before turning again to the north and eventually reaching the city of Shravasti. Shravasti appeared in our discussion of the men of Tukhara in Episode 119.  With the men of Tukhara there was also mentioned a woman from Shravasti.  While it is unlikely that was actually the case—the names were probably about individuals from the Ryukyuan island chain rather than from India—it is probably worth nothing that Shravasti was a thriving place in ancient times.  It was at one time the capital city of the kingdom of Kosala, sharing that distinction with the city of Ayodhya, back in the 7th to 5th centuries BCE.  It is also where the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was said to have spend many years of his life.  This latter fact would have no doubt made it a place of particular importance to Xuanzang on his journeys. From there he traveled east, ending up following the foothills of the Himalayas, and finally came to some of the most central pilgrimages sites for followers of the historical Buddha.  First, he reached Lumbini wood, in modern Nepal, said to have been the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.  And then he visited Kushinagara, the site where the Buddha ascended to nirvana—in other words, the place where he passed away.  From there, he traveled to Varanasi, and the deer park monastery, at the place where the Buddha is said to have given one of his most famous sermons.  He even visited the Bodhi tree, the tree under which Siddhartha Gautama is said to have attained enlightenment.  He spent eight or nine days there at Bodhgaya, and word must have spread about his arrival, because several monks from the eminent Nalanda Monastery called upon him and asked him to come to the monastery with them. Nalanda Monastery was about 80 km from Bodhgaya.  This was a grand monastery and center of learning—some say that it was, for a time, the greatest in the world.  It had been founded in the 5th century by the Gupta dynasty, and many of the Gupta rulers and others donated to support the monastery, which also acted as a university.  After the fall of the Gupta dynasty, the monastery was supported by King Harsha of Kannauj, whom Xuanzang had visited earlier.  It ultimately thrived for some 750 years, and is considered by some to be the oldest residential university—meaning that students would come to the temple complex and stay in residence for years at a time to study.  According to Xuanzang, Nalanda hosted some 10,000 monks. Including hosts and guests.  They didn't only study Buddhist teachings, but also logic, grammar, medicine, and divination.  Lectures were given at more than 100 separate places—or classrooms—every day.  It was at Nalanda, that Xuanzang would meet the teacher Silabhadra, who was known as the Right Dharma Store.  Xuanzang requested that he be allowed to study the Yogacharabhumi Shastra—the Yugashijiron, in Japanese.  This is the work that Xuanzang is said to have been most interested in, and one of the works that he is credited with bringing back in one of the first full translations to the Tang dynasty and then to others in East Asia.  It is an encyclopedic work dedicated to the various forms of Yogacara practice, which focuses on the mental disciplines, and includes yoga and meditation practices.  It has a huge influence on nearly all Mahayana schools, including things like the famous Zen and Pure Land schools of Buddhism.  The Yogacharabhumi Shastra is the earliest such encyclopedic work, compiled between the 3rd and 5th centuries—so even if the monk Faxian had brought portions of it back, it was probably not in the final form that Xuanzang was able to access. Silabhadra, for his part, was an ancient teacher—some put his age at 106 years, and his son was in his 70s.  He was one of the few at Nalandra who supposedly knew all of the various texts that they had at the monastery, including the Yogacarabhumi Shastra.  Xuanzang seems to have been quite pleased to study under him.  Xuanzang stayed at the house of Silabhadra's son, Buddhabhadra, and they welcomed him with entertainment that lasted seven days.  We are told that he was then given his own lodgings, a stipend of spices, incense, rice, oil, butter, and milk, along with a servant and a Brahman.  As a visiting monk, he was not responsible for the normal monastic duties, instead being expected to spend the time in study.  Going out, he was carried around by an elephant.   This was certainly the royal treatment. Xuanzang's life at Nalandra wasn't all books: south of the monastery was the city of Rajagrha, the old capital of the kingdom of Magadha, where the ancient Gupta kings had once lived, and on occasional breaks from his studies, Xuanzang would venture out to see the various holy sites.  This included the famous Mt. Grdhrakuta, or Vulture Peak, a location said to be favored by the historical Buddha and central to the Lotus Sutra, arguably the founding document of Mahayana Buddhist tradition. After all, “Mahayana” means “Greater Vehicle” and it is in the Lotus Sutra that we see the metaphor of using different vehicles to escape a burning house.   We've already talked a bit about how the image of Vulture Peak had already become important in Japanese Buddhism: In Episode 112 we talked about how in 648, Abe no Oho-omi had drums piled up at Shitennoji in the shape of Vulture Peak. But although the sightseeing definitely enhanced his experience, Xuanzang was first and foremost there to study.  He spent 15 months just listening to his teacher expound on the Yogacarabhumi Shastra, but he also heard expositions on various other teachings as well.  He ended up studying at Nalandra Monastery for 5 years, gaining a much better understanding of Sanskrit and the various texts, which would be critically important when it came to translating them, later. But, Xuanzang was not one to stay in any one place forever, and so after 5 years—some 8 years or more into his journey, he continued on, following the Ganges east, to modern Bangladesh.  Here he heard about various other lands, such as Dvarapati—possibly referring to Dvaravati, in modern Thailand, as well as Kamalanka and Isanapura.  The latter was in modern Cambodia, the capital of the ancient Chenla kingdom.  Then Mahacampa—possibly referring to the Champa region of Vietnam—and the country of Yamanadvipa.  But there was still more of India for Xuanzang to discover, and more teachings to uncover, and so Xuanzang decided instead to head southwest, following the coast.  He heard of the country of Sinhala, referring to the island of Sri Lanka, but he was urged not to go by ship, as the long journey was perilous.  Instead he could stay on relatively dry land and head down to the southern tip of the subcontinent and then make a quick hop from there across to the island.  He traveled a long distance, all the way down to Kancipuram, the seat of the Pallava dynasty, near modern day Chennai.  From the seaport near Kancipuram, it was only three days to Sinhala—that is to say Sri Lanka—but before he could set out, he met a group of monks who had just arrived.  They told him that the king of Sinhala had died , and there was a great famine and civil disturbances.  So they had fled with some 300 other monks. Xuanzang eventually decided not to make the journey, but he did talk with the monks and gathered information on the lands to the south, on Sri Lanka, and on the islands south of that, by which I suspect he may have meant the Maldives.  While Sri Lanka is an area important to Buddhist scholarship, particularly to the Theravada schools, this likely did not impress Xuanzang, and indeed he seemed to feel that his studies in Nalanda had more than provided him what he needed.  Sri Lanka, however, is the source of the Pali canon, one of the most complete early canons of Buddhism, which had a huge influence on Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. So Xuanzang took plenty of notes but decided to forego the ocean voyage and headed northwest, instead.  He traveled across the breadth of India to Gujarat, and then turned back east, returning to pay respects once more to his teacher in Nalanda.  While there he heard of another virtuous monk named Prajnabhadra at a nearby monastery.  And so he went to spend several months with him, as well.  He also studied with a layman, Sastrin Jayasena, at Stickwood Hill.  Jayasena was a ksatriya, or nobleman, by birth, and studied both Buddhist and non-Buddhist texts.  He was courted by kings, but had left to continue his studies.  Xuanzang studied with him for another couple of years. Xuanzang remained at Nalanda, learning and teaching, expounding on what he had learned and gathering many copies of the various documents that he wished to take back with him, though he wondered how he might do it.  In the meantime, he also acquired quite the reputation.  We are told that King Siladitya had asked Nalanda for monks who could refute Theravada teachings, and Xuanzang agreed to go.  It isn't clear, but it seems that “Siladitya” was a title, and likely referred to King Harsha of Kannauj, whom we mentioned earlier.  Since he was a foreigner, then there could be no trouble that was brought on Nalanda and the other monks if he did poorly.  While he was waiting to hear back from Siladitya's court, which was apparently taking time to arrange things, the king of Kamarupta reached out to Nalanda with a request that Xuanzang come visit them.  While Xuanzang was reluctant to be gone too long, he was eventually encouraged to go and assuage the king. Kamarupta was a kingdom around the modern Assam region, ruled by King Bhaskaravarman, also known as King Kumara, a royal title.  This kingdom included parts of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.  Bhaskaravarman, like so many other regents, seems to have been intrigued by the presence of this foreign monk, who had traveled all this way and who had studied at the famous Nalanda Monastery in Magadha. He invited Xuanzang to come to him.  Xuanzang's teacher, Silabhadra, had exhorted him to spread the right Dharma, and to even go to those non-Buddhists in hopes that they might be converted, or at least partially swayed. King Bhaskaravarman was quite taken with Xuanzang, wining and dining him while listening to him preach.  While there, Xuanzang learned about the country of Kamarupta.  He also learned about a path north, by which it was said it was a two month journey to arrive at the land of Shu, in the Sichuan Basin, on the upper reaches of the Yangzi – a kind of shortcut back to the Tang court.  However, the journey was treacherous—possibly even more treacherous than the journey to India had been. Eventually word reached the ears of King Siladitya that Xuanzang was at the court of King Bhaskaravarman, and Siladitya got quite upset.  Xuanzang had not yet come to *his* court, so Siladitya demanded that Bhaskaravarman send the monk to him immediately.  Bhaskaravarman refused, saying he'd rather give Siladitya his own head, which Siladitya said he would gladly accept.  Bhaskaravarman realized he may have miscalculated, and so he sailed up the Ganges with a host of men and Xuanzang to meet with Siladitya.  After a bit of posturing, Siladitya met with Xuanzang, who went with him, and eventually confronted the members of the Theravada sect in debate.  Apparently it almost got ugly, but for the King's intervention.  After a particularly devastating critique of the Theravada position, the Theravada monks are blamed for trying to use violence against Xuanzang and his fellow Mahayana monks from Nalanda, who were prepared to defend themselves.  The King had to step in and break it up before it went too far. Ultimately, Xuanzang was a celebrity at this point and both kings seem to have supported him, especially as he was realizing it was about time to head back to his own country.  Both kings was offered ships, should Xuanzang wish to sail south and then up the coast.  However, Xuanzang elected to take the northern route, hoping to go back through Gaochang, and see that city and its ruler again.  And so the Kings gave him money and valuables , along with wagons for all of the texts.  They also sent an army to protect all of the treasures, and even an elephant and more – sending him back in style with a huge send-off. So Xuanzang retraced his earlier steps, this time on an elephant.  He traveled back to Taxila, to Kashmir, and beyond.  He was invited to stay in Kashmira, but because of his retinue, he wasn't quite at leisure to just go where he wanted.  At one point, near Kapisa—modern Bagram, north of Kabul—they had to cross a river, and about 50 of the almost 700 documents were lost.  The King of Kapisa heard of this and had his own monks make copies to replace them based on their own schools.  The King of Kasmira, hearing that he was in Kapisa, also came to pay his respects. Xuanzang traveled with the King of Kapisa northwest for over a month and reached Lampaka, where he did take some time to visit the various holy sites before continuing northwest.  They had to cross the Snow Mountains—the outskirts of the Himalayas, and even though it wasn't the highest part of the range it was still challenging.  He had to dismount his elephant and travel on foot.  Finally, after going over the high mountains and coming down, he arrived back in the region of Tukhara, in the country of Khowst.  He then came to Kunduz, and paid his respects to the grandson of Yehu Khan.  He was given more guards to escort him eastward, traveling with some merchants.  This was back in Gokturk controlled lands, over a decade later than when he had last visited.  He continued east to Badakshan, stopping there for a month because of the cold weather and snow.  He eventually traveled through the regions of Tukhara and over the Pamir range.  He came down on the side of the Tarim Basin, and noted how the rivers on one side flowed west, while on the other side they flowed east.  The goings were treacherous, and at one point they were beset by bandits.  Though he and the documents were safe, his elephant panicked and fled into the river and drowned.  He eventually ended up in the country of Kashgar, in modern Xinjiang province, at the western edge of the Taklamakan desert. From there he had two options.  He could go north and hug the southern edge of the Tianshan mountains, or he could stay to the south, along the northern edge of the Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau.  He chose to go south.  He traveled through Khotan, a land of wool and carpets.  This was a major trade kingdom, and they also grew mulberry trees for silkworms, and were known for their jade.  The king himself heard of Xuanzang and welcomed him, as many others had done.  While he was staying at the Khotanese capital, Xuanzang penned a letter to the Tang court, letting them know of his journey, and that he was returning.  He sent it with some merchants and a man of Gaochang to deliver it to the court. Remember, Xuanzang had left the Tang empire illegally.  Unless he wanted to sneak back in his best hope was that the court was willing to forgive and forget all of that, given everything that he was bringing back with him.  The wait was no doubt agonizing, but he did get a letter back.  It assured him that he was welcome back, and that all of the kingdoms from Khotan back to the governor of Dunhuang had been made aware and were ready to receive him. With such assurances, Xuanzang packed up and headed out.  The king of Khotan granted him more gifts to help see him on his way.  Nonetheless, there was still a perilous journey ahead.  Even knowing the way, the road went through miles and miles of desert, such that in some places you could only tell the trail by the bleached bones of horses and travelers who had not been so fortunate.  Eventually, however, Xuanzang made it to the Jumo River and then on to Dunhuang, from whence he was eventually escorted back to the capital city. It was now the year 645, the year of the Isshi Incident in Yamato and the death of Soga.  Xuanzang had been gone for approximately 16 years.  In that time, the Tang had defeated the Gokturks and taken Gaochang, expanding their control over the trade routes in the desert.  Xuanzang, for his part, was bringing back 657 scriptures, bound in 520 bundles carried by a train of some 20 horses.  He was given a hero's welcome, and eventually he would be set up in a monastery where he could begin the next part of his journey:  Translating all of these books. This was the work of a lifetime, but it is one that would have a profound impact on Buddhism across East Asia.  Xuanzang's translations would revolutionize the understanding of Mahayana Buddhist teachings, and students would come from as far away as the Yamato court to study under him and learn from the teacher who studied and taught at none other than Nalanda monastery itself.  His school would become popular in the Yamato capital, and the main school of several temples, at least for a time.  In addition, his accounts and his biography would introduce many people to the wider world of central and south Asia.  While I could go on, this has already been a story in three parts, and this is, after all, the Chronicles of Japan, so we should probably tune back into what is going on with Yamato.  Next episode, we'll look at one of the most detailed accounts we have of a mission to Chang'an. Until then, I hope that this has been enjoyable.  Xuanzang's story is one of those that isn't just about him, but about the interconnected nature of the entire world at the time.  While his journey is quite epic, there were many people traveling the roads, though most of them didn't write about it afterwards.  People, artifacts, and ideas traveled much greater distances than we often consider at this time, well before any kind of modern travel.  It was dangerous, but often lucrative, and it meant that various regions could have influence well beyond what one might expect. And so, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

कैसे दुर्गा साधना से श्रीराम ने किया रावण वध ? How did Shri Ram kill Ravana through Durga Sadhna? Devibhagwat EP 7 Ashish P Mishraइस अंक में हम सुनेंगे कैसे ब्रम्हा जी की सहायता से देवी दुर्गा की साधना कर श्री राम ने रावण को परास्त कर उसका वध किया ?In this episode we will hear how Shri Ram, with the help of Brahma Ji and by worshipping Goddess Durga, defeated and killed Ravana.Welcome to Sanatan Sanskriti Podcast, your spiritual sanctuary, where ancient wisdom meetsmodern devotion. I am Ashish P. Mishra, and I am thrilled to present an11-episode series dedicated to the divine glory of Devi Bhagwat Puran.This timeless scripture is a treasure trove of spiritual enlightenment,invoking the sacred presence of Devi Durga and celebrating the eternal power ofShakti.If you are a devotee of Maa Durga, someone who cherishes the essence of Navratri,or a seeker drawn to the rhythmic chants of shloks and mantras,this series is crafted for you. Whether you listen to Bhagwat Katha daily,meditate on divine energies, or simply seek inspiration in Hinduspirituality, Mahabhagwat Devi Puran will deepen yourconnection to the cosmic mother.What is Devi BhagwatPuran?The Devi BhagwatPuran is one of the most revered texts in Hindu scriptures. It is a comprehensive guide to understanding the cosmic energy personified by the Divine Mother, Devi Durga. Through enchanting stories, insightful Kathas,and spiritual philosophies, this scripture unravels the mysteries of creation,preservation, and destruction, all orchestrated by the goddess's infinite energy. It highlights the importance of celebrating Navratri asa pathway to invoke the divine blessings of Maa Durga

Things are not looking good for the Ant-astic Four. John Storm is not well in the burning melon. Alex has run away from home. Medusa has brought her son in and is acting odd...which is saying something. I home things don't heat up in this issue. Frist of all, we should give some love to all of the media out there doing the wonderful work that that they do. They are out there every day, taking photos, embarrassing celebrities, taking down anyone with shaky self-esteem. You know who does not take hits to his ego well? Our boy Scott. When he gets even the smallest hit to his ego, or self-esteem, he reacts like someone just kicked his dog...or killed his daughter. And speaking of being on tilt, or not in control of their emotions, we should talk about Mr. John Storm. Here is a guy that is so confused and emotionally unbalanced, that he sets a guy's beard on fire. I mean, who does that. Then he sets fire to the whole town. What a jerk! But, this Kaiju...this dude knows where his Wheaties are at, if you know what I mean. It lives its life and then helps out the fish kids. It just keeps swimming, ya know what I mean! But then Willie Lumpkin has to come in and make everything all awkward. Why you gotta teach a class on birds and bees. Why you have to make it weird. Why did you have to break us? I no longer know what I am talking about. I am just too disgusted. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u   Check out our website at: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2025/02/23/ff-5-spooky-kids-or-merrily-into-the-eight-arms-of-durga-the-invincible-we-all-go/   You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!  Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need.  http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Surprise Attack by by Sascha Ende  

The Lowest Moral Denominator.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Those who declare war are willing to kill as many as it takes to reach their goal.(The Lowest Moral Denominator)My first week at Havenstone, I'd biked to work alone on most days and I'd enjoyed that. I'd have treasure it more if I had glimpsed my future. I loved people, not crowds. I knew about violence, yet I had no affection for it. I was a confirmed bachelor. Now I was staring down both barrels of marriage. I had had also become a walking arsenal with a lethal omnipresent entourage.This situation was so fucked up that I had to stop by Caitlin's place just to see Aya. My favorite sprite gave me a hug and reminded me that I had to do what I could, not worry about what I couldn't do. She was my 9 year old Svengali. She was my little Valkyrie. In truth, she was the only woman knew I loved and that was the love of a father for his daughter.On the elevator ride up to the penthouse suite of the Midtown Hilton, I thought about Dad. What would Ferko Nyilas do in my shoes? It would be easy for someone who didn't know him to imagine my dad getting up on his high moral horse and telling me to just do the right thing, except that wasn't him. What he'd tell me was to not pass the buck. I had to deal with this, unless I knew someone else who could and would do it better.It wasn't about 'being a man'; it was being a member of the Human Race. We all pitched in and got the job done, or it didn't get done, and millions died because we refused to accept any responsibility for what was going on. That was my Dad, 'do what you can' and 'never be afraid to ask for help if you need it'. After the age of ten, he never told me I had to do anything. He'd tell me what needed to be done and leave it at that.So I wouldn't forget the pictures I knew I'd be seeing before too long, the innocent dead. If the sorrow broke me, it broke me. Until it did, I could not turn away. I had to 'do what I could'. That put me heading to a meeting at three o'clock in the afternoon in the penthouse suite.After my non-breakfast with Iskender, we had driven straight to Havenstone, where I demanded an immediate, private meeting with Katrina. This wasn't an info-dump and then out the door. No, I was part of the process now, one of those fools who were responsible for the lives of others. Katrina and I had argued about compartmentalizing my terrifying news.Her reasoning was clear. We were at war with the Seven Pillars. The basis of the 7P strength was China, so anything bad that happened to China was good for the Amazon Host. I nixed that. It was Katrina's job to think about our security. It was mine to juggle how we related to the rest of the planet. Absent the Golden Mare's opposition, Katrina couldn't stop me from doing my job as I saw fit.The Golden Mare was out of immediate contact, so we moved forward on my proposal. Katrina called Javiera, validated Vincent's call, and then suggested she bring in someone from the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Ft. Detrick. Katrina wouldn't tell her why.I dispatched Delilah to talk to her MI-6 guy while I made my way to Nicole Lawless's law offices. I need to talk to my Aunts. An hour later, I dismissed a somewhat piqued Nicole from the room, then laid out the upcoming crisis to my Mom's clones. I hesitated a minute before dropping the other bomb, Grandpa Cáel was back.Was I sure? I countered with, "Do you know who Shammuramat was?"Why, yes they did; Grandpa had a bust of her in his main office."Well, she's back, in the flesh and that spells all kinds of problems".The six aunts present agreed. They invited me to fly to Europe with five of them. Much to their surprise and joy, I agreed. I told them I would be a party of twelve with plenty of firepower. They were less pleased about that.I exited that scene, only to engage in another, somewhat unrelated, bit of diplomacy. I met with Brooke and Libra for lunch. They brought Casper, who was seeing a specialist in New York and had expressed an interest in seeing me again. Into that volatile mix, I placed my request: 'Could Brooke put up a friend for a couple of weeks while I made other arrangements?'Yes, this was a 'bizarre' friend. Yes, this was a violently bizarre friend. Yes, she walked around with enough weaponry to scare a seasoned SWAT officer. And yes, she was a mass murderer. Cool,, if I agreed to stop by and see how this 'friend' was doing, and gave Libra advance notice too, then they were fine with it.Thus Shammuramat, Sakuniyas, Saku became Brooke's roommate. Insane? Not really. Putting Saku inside Havenstone on a regular basis was going to result in a blood bath. Saku was abrasive and she was a criminal in the minds of her 'sisters'. This gave her an 'out', some space and time with a civilized person who she couldn't emotionally bowl over.If Saku got physical with Brooke, we both understood that House Ishara was going to cancel her return performance. Amazons could defend themselves, so we were fair game for her rude behavior. Brooke couldn't, so she was hopefully out of bounds. Saku had agreed to the arrangement without comment.She'd already figured out that no other Amazons wanted her around and there simply wasn't room at my place. With that chore done, I was able to see Miyako off before her flight to Tokyo by way of Seattle. Selena was with her, but not going. Miyako did have three Amazons in case things got rough.The Marda House guard woman looked mature and humorless. Her age wasn't a problem. She was a grandmother, yet if she thought she couldn't keep up, she'd have taken herself to the cliffs before now. It turned out she had been in Executive Services before returning to House Marda. My diplomat, I didn't know her, but she seemed eager enough. The member of House Ishara was a brand new recruit named Jenna.She was from Acquisitions and spoke seven Asian languages, including Japanese. She looked absolutely thrilled to be heading off into danger. I instructed the younger two to obey the Mardan. In private, I 'advised' the Mardan that our main mission was to be of aid to the ninja. Information gathering would be secondary. More Amazons were on the way. She gave me a nod.For this critical mid-afternoon meeting at the Midtown Hilton, Wiesława lead the way off the elevator. Buffy went next, then me and finally Saku. Delilah and Vincent had already arrived with their appropriate factions. Katrina took a separate elevator, with Elsa and Desiree. Pamela was, somewhere. After she'd pointed out a half-dozen people from four different agencies in the lobby, she told me to not wait while she went to the bathroom.At the door of the Penthouse were two familiar faces from the NYPD, Nikita Kutuzov and her partner, Skylar Montero. When Javiera's investigation followed me to New York, they had been drafted into the taskforce."Hey ladies," I smiled. My last meeting with Nikita hadn't gone well."Cáel," Nikita smiled back. "How have you been?""More trouble than normal," I shook her hand."We can tell," Skylar relaxed somewhat. As Nikita's partner, she had to know that our relationship had soured when she started investigating me. Katrina's group came up."I think you are the last to arrive," Nikita informed us. This time, Desiree was the first one through the door. I could hear the conversation trail off. Wiesława went next, then Katrina, me, Buffy, Saku and finally Elsa. I decided to toss 'civilized' behavior out the window seconds after entering. Virginia Maddox of the FBI, the initiator of the Amazon children's airlift, was here.I hugged her and after a moment, she hugged me back."Priya says hey and," she blushed slightly, "she's counting the days, all forty-five of them.""Don't forget, I owe you," I grinned then patted her shoulder. Javiera was next."Cáel," she headed my familiarity off. She was a Federal Prosecutor after all."This is the head of this taskforce, Jonas Baker (deep breath) Associate Deputy Undersecretary of Analysis for Homeland Security {ADUAHS} (deep breath)." I extended my hand, so he shook it. He looked somewhat annoyed by this whole encounter. Javiera was duly nervous because of his poor initial attitude. The introductions went around.Half way through it, Pamela showed up, from where, I didn't know. Delilah, her MI-6 boss and the British professional killer Chaz were there, much to the chagrin of the Americans. Vincent was there with Javiera. Cresky was representing the CIA plus there was ATF, ICE, Riki Martin (?) from the State Department and a man in a civil servant's salary suit and a military demeanor, Captain Moe Mistriano."Fine," Mr. Baker began. "I hope you aren't wasting our time." His gaze flicked between Katrina and me."May the Blessed Isis bring understanding to our meeting," I intoned, in old Egyptian."What was that?" Baker turned on me."Praying for guidance," I replied. Isis wasn't in the Amazon pantheon, but I could sure use her help at this point. Baker was going from put-out to pissed-off. If that is how they wanted to play it, their choice. "Are you the specialist from Ft. Detrick?" I asked the Captain."Yes, I am and I hope this is worth my time as well," he gave me a steady gaze. Oh, I really needed that."Anthrax, China," I stated and weighed his response. Oh yeah, I had his attention now, which meant his bio-warfare unit had some idea about what was happening in China."Care to enlighten me?" Baker inquired. He had gauged his medical expert's reactions as well and he didn't like what the biological warfare specialist was not saying."Mr. Baker," the Captain decided to go first. "Roughly fifty-five hours ago, we got wind that there was a massive Anthrax outbreak in Western China. Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia and Nei Mongol administrative regions have all reported outbreaks."Holy Shit!" Riki Martin gasped. Her dark, whip-like, Hispanic features noticeably paled."That sounds suspiciously like bio-terrorism," Jonas Baker turned on me."You'd be right about that," I refused to evade. "It is and it is about to get a whole lot worse.""The PRC has a robust vaccine program," the Captain stated. "That is why they aren't making a public stink about it. They have the problem well under control.""Damn, " I closed my eyes and lowered my head. In some deep section of my mind, I had fanned the feeble flames of hope that somehow, the Earth  and  Sky program had derailed. "That is the 'whole lot worse' I was talking about. The terrorists aren't terrorists. They, ""What do you mean they are not terrorists," Baker snapped. "They, ""Shut up and let the man speak," Katrina said calmly."Who are you again?" he glared at Katrina. "If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem and I'm here to make sure this problem is dealt with. I am not here to play footsie with you. I am going to be asking some tough questions and you had better answer them.""I'm Cáel's boss," Katrina smiled. "Since we came here to help you and you don't want to let us speak, we are leaving. Cáel."The Amazons didn't turn and leave. No, we backed up toward the door."You can't start talking about an ongoing terrorist threat and then walk out the door," Baker argued."Javiera, I apologize," I looked her way. "Mr. Baker, Javiera's a smart cookie. I'm sure she's given you every bit of information that has come across her desk. That means you know we consider ourselves an independent nation-state without borders. You can't intimidate us. We feel no obligation to obey your legal system and we operate internationally," I kept going."Now, as we are trying to repay Javiera's kindness in our time of need, you are treating us like criminals currying favors. Blow it out your ass, you pompous bureaucrat" I concluded. "We aren't the problem here.""If that's the way you want it," he shrugged. "Javiera, arrest them." Pause."Sir, you do realize that if I give that order, there is a good likelihood they will resist with force?" Javiera replied calmly. Baker looked around the room."We outnumber them and these are law enforcement officers," he insisted. "Now, ""I wouldn't count on that 'outnumbered' thing," Delilah chimed in.Chaz and MI-6 dude didn't seem to be onboard with his plan. "I have reason to believe Cáel has information on a highly virulent weaponized Anthrax program. If our US allies aren't interested, Her Majesty's government certainly will be." That did interest the MI-6 senior officer."That is all the more reason to put these people into federal custody," Baker stated."Then what, Mr. Associate Deputy?" Chaz said. "Are you going to torture them for time sensitive data? In my military service, I've met some truly hard characters. Some people you can put a gun to their child's head and they'll tell you what you want to know. Not this group. They'll memorize your face and wait for a chance to make you pay, whether you kill the kid, or not.""That's my read on them as well," Agent Vincent Loire added."Mr. Baker, I worked under you when we were both in Counter-terrorism," Virginia spoke up. "I think you are mishandling this. Invoke the Patriot Act and all we get is a roomful of statues. I've fought beside these, Amazons and I'm reaffirming my report to Ms. Castello (Javiera), they do not believe their behavior is wrong.At some point in their fifties, they commit ritual suicide. They make their twelve year old daughters fight for their lives. They murder their male infants. Sir, they are an alien society, indoctrinated at birth to believe they are spiritual inheritors of the ancient Amazons mentioned by Homer during the time of the Iliad.They fanatically believe in a pantheon of goddesses and possess very little inclination for integration. They think they are superior to everyone in this room, except for Cáel, he's an oddity," Virginia pleaded."That legion of crimes is yet another reason to arrest them," Baker just wouldn't give up."What you have described, Agent Maddox is a right wing nut cult, like the Branch-Davidians at Waco. Arrest them.""What are the charges?" Javiera's face blanked out."Conspiracy to commit terrorist acts; aiding and abetting an international terrorist organization," Baker snapped."Everyone, put down your firearms and blades," Katrina ordered. I didn't have the status to give that order except to my own. For that matter,"Team, disarm," Elsa commanded her Security Detail people. Technically, Katrina couldn't order those girls to forego their primary mission, defend the Host. Out came the guns.The group of us went over to one wall, put our backs to it and sat down. Pro forma, Virginia, Vincent and the ATF guy drew their firearms. By this time, both Riki and the Captain looked ready to explode."Tell us what you know about this terrorist conspiracy and, " Baker said."We invoke our Right to Council," I raised my hand."You are being charged under the Patriot Act, smart-ass," Baker sneered. "We can hold you indefinitely if we can show a risk to National Security, such as a terrorist attack in China.""I apologize for dragging you into this," I turned to Katrina. "You too, Saku." Saku shrugged."I told you there is no benefit in helping 'these people'," Katrina comforted me. She meant non-Amazons and it was rather sad that it was looking like she was right and I was wrong."Unless you want to grow old and grey in Guantanamo, I suggest you start talking now," Baker threatened.There was no bravado on our part. We didn't zone out, or ignore him. We looked at him the same way we would a yappy dog while continuing to scan the room. Being disarmed didn't make us defenseless. It merely limited our options."Sir," Riki tapped Baker."If the People's Republic of China finds out we withheld details of a terrorist attack on their soil, that would be BAD, with a capital 'B'.""I have to call this in," the Captain shook his head."Wait until we have active intelligence," Baker said. The Captain completed his call."I don't work for you, Sir. I work for the Department of Defense and that man," the Captain pointed at me, "strung two words together he shouldn't have. Now, I don't know any of you people. I was told to come here, so here I am. I do know, Sir, that you are ignoring the advice from your experts about the expected results of standard interrogation techniques.You are acting on two assumptions which I find to be fictitious," the Captain was clearly furious. "First, you seem to think this won't get out, and you are wrong. Why? We have no idea who these people have talked with. We can only believe that any person outside of their organization can use that revelation for their own ends. Secondly, you haven't grasped the extent of the emergency.Chinese citizens are already starting to drop dead as we speak. This variant of Anthrax is highly contagious, fast-acting, and appears to be incredibly fatal. No nation on Earth has enough Anthrax vaccine on hand to protect their entire population, and that still implies that the vaccines we currently have will work on this new bacteria. Need I go on?"Then Captain Mistriano went back to talking softly with his companions back at Ft. Detrick. The MI-6 chief made his own call. This was his job after all. Before Baker could even start to threaten the Brit, Delilah and Chaz had their guns out, though pointed down. The US law enforcement operatives were far more leery of challenging agents of a friendly foreign power."I will make sure to tack on charges for all those deaths you are facilitating," Baker piled it on. "The US government might find it necessary to send you to the People's Republic of China to face charges there. After all, you claim to not be US citizens." None of us responded verbally. We looked at him. We certainly heard him speak, but his '

Jaya Guru gesungen von Shivapriya – dieser Kirtan ist eine freudige Verbeugung vor Gott in all Seinen verschiedenen Formen und Aspekten. Er preist Ihn als denjenigen, der dich sowohl von innen als auch von außen führt (guru), als göttliche Mutter (ma), die dir immer das schickt, was zu deinem Besten ist, sowie viele andere Aspekte (Rama, Sita, Shiva, Durga, Kali, Radha, Krishna, Lakshmi, Narayana), die die vielen Formen illustrieren, in denen Gott sich zeigt.Es hilft, deine persönliche Beziehung zu Gott zu stärken: „ami tomari, priya he“ bedeutet „Ich bin ganz dein, mein Geliebter“ und „tumi amari, natha he“ bedeutet Der Beitrag Jaya Guru mit Shivapriya vom Mantra Circle erschien zuerst auf Yoga Vidya Blog - Yoga, Meditation und Ayurveda.

dhyānaṃ nagādhīśvara viṣtrāṃ phaṇi phaṇōttṃsōru ratnāvaḻī bhāsvad dēha latāṃ nibh'u nētrayōdbhāsitām । mālā kumbha kapāla nīraja karāṃ chandrā ardha chūḍhāmbarāṃ sarvēśvara bhairavāṅga nilayāṃ padmāvatīchintayē ॥ ṛṣiruvācha ॥1॥ ityākarṇya vachō dēvyāḥ sa dūtō'marṣapūritaḥ । samāchaṣṭa samāgamya daityarājāya vistarāt ॥ 2 ॥ tasya dūtasya tadvākyamākarṇyāsurarāṭ tataḥ । sa krōdhaḥ prāha daityānāmadhipaṃ dhūmralōchanam ॥3॥ hē dhūmralōchanāśu tvaṃ svasainya parivāritaḥ। tāmānaya ballādduṣṭāṃ kēśākarṣaṇa vihvalām ॥4॥ tatparitrāṇadaḥ kaśchidyadi vōttiṣṭhatē'paraḥ। sa hantavyō'marōvāpi yakṣō gandharva ēva vā ॥5॥ ṛṣiruvācha ॥6॥ tēnājñaptastataḥ śīghraṃ sa daityō dhūmralōchanaḥ। vṛtaḥ ṣaṣṭyā sahasrāṇāṃ asurāṇāndrutaṃyamau ॥6॥ na dṛṣṭvā tāṃ tatō dēvīṃ tuhināchala saṃsthitāṃ। jagādōchchaiḥ prayāhīti mūlaṃ śumbaniśumbhayōḥ ॥8॥ na chētprītyādya bhavatī madbhartāramupaiṣyati tatō balānnayāmyēṣa kēśākarṣaṇavihvalām ॥9॥ dēvyuvācha ॥10॥ daityēśvarēṇa prahitō balavānbalasaṃvṛtaḥ। balānnayasi māmēvaṃ tataḥ kiṃ tē karōmyaham ॥11॥ -- Devi Mahatmyam Durga Saptasati Chapter 6 Read full text in Vignanam App: https://vignanam.page.link/T3xsJ2BwFurMu5qRA

Fifth Chapter of Sree Durga Sapthasathi is chanted here.It is called Devi Dhootha Samvadha.This contains the famous Sloka ' Yaa Devi Sarva Bhooteshu ' अस्य श्री उत्तरचरित्रस्य रुद्र ऋषिः । श्री महासरस्वती देवता । अनुष्टुप्छन्धः ।भीमा शक्तिः । भ्रामरी बीजम् । सूर्यस्तत्वम् । सामवेदः । स्वरूपम् । श्री महासरस्वतिप्रीत्यर्थे । उत्तरचरित्रपाठे विनियोगः ॥ ध्यानं घण्टाशूलहलानि शङ्ख मुसले चक्रं धनुः सायकं हस्ताब्जैर्धदतीं घनान्तविलसच्छीतांशुतुल्यप्रभां गौरी देह समुद्भवां त्रिजगतां आधारभूतां महा पूर्वामत्र सरस्वती मनुभजे शुम्भादिदैत्यार्दिनीं॥ ॥ऋषिरुवाच॥ ॥ 1 ॥ पुरा शुम्भनिशुम्भाभ्यामसुराभ्यां शचीपतेः त्रैलोक्यं यज्ञ्य भागाश्च हृता मदबलाश्रयात् ॥2॥ तावेव सूर्यतां तद्वदधिकारं तथैन्दवं कौबेरमथ याम्यं चक्रान्ते वरुणस्य च तावेव पवनर्द्धिऽं च चक्रतुर्वह्नि कर्मच ततो देवा विनिर्धूता भ्रष्टराज्याः पराजिताः ॥3॥ हृताधिकारास्त्रिदशास्ताभ्यां सर्वे निराकृता। महासुराभ्यां तां देवीं संस्मरन्त्यपराजितां ॥4॥ तयास्माकं वरो दत्तो यधापत्सु स्मृताखिलाः। भवतां नाशयिष्यामि तत्क्षणात्परमापदः ॥5॥ इतिकृत्वा मतिं देवा हिमवन्तं नगेश्वरं। जग्मुस्तत्र ततो देवीं विष्णुमायां प्रतुष्टुवुः ॥6॥ देवा ऊचुः नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै शिवायै सततं नमः। नमः प्रकृत्यै भद्रायै नियताः प्रणताः स्मतां ॥6॥ रौद्राय नमो नित्यायै गौर्यै धात्र्यै नमो नमः ज्योत्स्नायै चेन्दुरूपिण्यै सुखायै सततं नमः ॥8॥ कल्याण्यै प्रणता वृद्ध्यै सिद्ध्यै कुर्मो नमो नमः। नैरृत्यै भूभृतां लक्ष्मै शर्वाण्यै ते नमो नमः ॥9॥ दुर्गायै दुर्गपारायै सारायै सर्वकारिण्यै ख्यात्यै तथैव कृष्णायै धूम्रायै सततं नमः ॥10॥ अतिसौम्यतिरौद्रायै नतास्तस्यै नमो नमः नमो जगत्प्रतिष्ठायै देव्यै कृत्यै नमो नमः ॥11॥ यादेवी सर्वभूतेषू विष्णुमायेति शब्धिता। नमस्तस्यै, नमस्तस्यै,नमस्तस्यै नमोनमः ॥12 यादेवी सर्वभूतेषू चेतनेत्यभिधीयते। नमस्तस्यै, नमस्तस्यै,नमस्तस्यै नमोनमः ॥13॥ यादेवी सर्वभूतेषू बुद्धिरूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै, नमस्तस्यै,नमस्तस्यै नमोनमः ॥14॥ -- देवी माहात्म्यं दुर्गा सप्तशति पञ्चमोऽध्यायः Read full text in Vignanam App: https://vignanam.page.link/QnjvcZp36GSPGccd9

शक्रादिस्तुतिर्नाम चतुर्धोऽध्यायः ॥ ध्यानं कालाभ्राभां कटाक्षैर् अरि कुल भयदां मौलि बद्धेन्दु रेखां शङ्ख-चक्रं कृपाणं त्रिशिखमपि करै-रुद्वहन्तीं त्रिनेऱ्त्रम् । सिंह स्कन्दाधिरूढां त्रिभुवन-मखिलं तेजसा पूरयन्तीं ध्याये-द्दुर्गां जयाख्यां त्रिदश-परिवृतां सेवितां सिद्धि कामैः ॥ ऋषिरुवाच ॥1॥ शक्रादयः सुरगणा निहतेऽतिवीर्ये तस्मिन्दुरात्मनि सुरारिबले च देव्या । तां तुष्टुवुः प्रणतिनम्रशिरोधरांसा वाग्भिः प्रहर्षपुलकोद्गमचारुदेहाः ॥ 2 ॥ देव्या यया ततमिदं जगदात्मशक्त्या निःशेषदेवगणशक्तिसमूहमूर्त्या । तामम्बिकामखिलदेवमहर्षिपूज्यां भक्त्या नताः स्म विदधातुशुभानि सा नः ॥3॥ यस्याः प्रभावमतुलं भगवाननन्तो ब्रह्मा हरश्च नहि वक्तुमलं बलं च । सा चण्डिकाऽखिल जगत्परिपालनाय नाशाय चाशुभभयस्य मतिं करोतु ॥4॥ या श्रीः स्वयं सुकृतिनां भवनेष्वलक्ष्मीः पापात्मनां कृतधियां हृदयेषु बुद्धिः । श्रद्था सतां कुलजनप्रभवस्य लज्जा तां त्वां नताः स्म परिपालय देवि विश्वम् ॥5॥ किं वर्णयाम तवरूप मचिन्त्यमेतत् किञ्चातिवीर्यमसुरक्षयकारि भूरि । किं चाहवेषु चरितानि तवात्भुतानि सर्वेषु देव्यसुरदेवगणादिकेषु । ॥6॥ हेतुः समस्तजगतां त्रिगुणापि दोषैः न ज्ञायसे हरिहरादिभिरव्यपारा । सर्वाश्रयाखिलमिदं जगदंशभूतं अव्याकृता हि परमा प्रकृतिस्त्वमाद्या ॥6॥ यस्याः समस्तसुरता समुदीरणेन तृप्तिं प्रयाति सकलेषु मखेषु देवि । स्वाहासि वै पितृ गणस्य च तृप्ति हेतु रुच्चार्यसे त्वमत एव जनैः स्वधाच ॥8॥ या मुक्तिहेतुरविचिन्त्य महाव्रता त्वं अभ्यस्यसे सुनियतेन्द्रियतत्वसारैः । मोक्षार्थिभिर्मुनिभिरस्तसमस्तदोषै र्विद्याऽसि सा भगवती परमा हि देवि ॥9॥ शब्दात्मिका सुविमलर्ग्यजुषां निधानं मुद्गीथरम्यपदपाठवतां च साम्नाम् । देवी त्रयी भगवती भवभावनाय वार्तासि सर्व जगतां परमार्तिहन्त्री ॥10॥ मेधासि देवि विदिताखिलशास्त्रसारा दुर्गाऽसि दुर्गभवसागरसनौरसङ्गा । श्रीः कैट भारिहृदयैककृताधिवासा -- देवी माहात्म्यं दुर्गा सप्तशति चतुर्थोऽध्यायः Read full text in Vignanam App: https://vignanam.page.link/uFGrRwDntUzyBumA8

Chanting of Madhyama Charitra of Devi Mahaatmiya Chaper 2 Dweethiyodhyaya. ma . Mahishasura Sainya Vadha,the Annihilation of the armies of Mahishasura is described

Another mind bending podcast. At some point, I ask Amelia Earhart about the latest book I'm writing about her, and she tells Jennifer to tell me, "It's on page 36, Chapter Two" - and lo and behold, the actual structure I'm asking her about is pictured on page 36, the start of Chapter Two. No one has seen this book but me. It's uncanny sometimes, but for those who are fans of this podcast, that's Jennifer in a nutshell. In this podcast, she starts with the memory of her dad Jim Medlyn who passed 8 years ago today. Jim is very eloquent on the flipside, and has turned us on to a number of things that we talk about in the podcast, including the teacher he met - and introduced us to - Ma Durga, an 8 armed individual. For fans of the books BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE we have interviewed her a number of times, and she has shown up in other sessions with different people using meditation to access this same information. Amelia Earhart tells us about a class that she is teaching in aviation, except that everyone in the class sees and feels the plane when she describes it.  Mind bending to say the least. Robin Williams shows up to point out he's glad he's continuing to make people laugh, and enjoy his work.   And then we interview David Lynch again - part two of his interview from last week. If one hasn't heard that one, seek it out - but this is a continuation of those concepts and events.   We ask him what it feels like being off the planet for two weeks and gives us a mind bending relativity answer.  He talks about his journey and what he's learned on the flipside since leaving the stage. All of it is mind bending to some degree. All I can say is "Enjoy."

Raatri Suktha

Navakshari Vivechanam of Durga Saptashati Chanting

Madhukaidab Vadha Prathama Charitra Chanting of Sree Devi Mahatmiya/ Durga Sapthasathi

Mantra für die Göttliche Mutter. Kali, die dunkle und geheimnisvolle Göttin.O göttliche Mutter, o Kali, o Durga, ich erweise dir meine Ehrerbietung gesungen von Sonya „Jaya Mata Kali“ gehört zu den besonders enthusiastischen, besonders ekstatischen und freudigen Kirtans. Du findest hier den Text zum Mitsingen: AmJaya mātā kālīG AmJaya mātā durgeF Am Em Amkālī durge namo namahF Gkālī durge namo namahF Am Em Amkālī durge namo namah Jaya bedeutet „Sieg für“, „Verehrung für“, „langes Leben“. Jaya bedeutet auch „Triumph in“. Die göttliche Mutter ist überall, sie ist das Leben. „Jaya, Der Beitrag Jaya Mata Kali mit Sonya vom Mantra Circle erschien zuerst auf Yoga Vidya Blog - Yoga, Meditation und Ayurveda.

Mantra für die Göttliche Mutter. Kali, die dunkle und geheimnisvolle Göttin.O göttliche Mutter, o Kali, o Durga, ich erweise dir meine Ehrerbietung gesungen von Sonya „Jaya Mata Kali“ gehört zu den besonders enthusiastischen, besonders ekstatischen und freudigen Kirtans. Du findest hier den Text zum Mitsingen: AmJaya mātā kālīG AmJaya mātā durgeF Am Em Amkālī durge namo namahF Gkālī durge namo namahF Am Em Amkālī durge namo namah Jaya bedeutet „Sieg für“, „Verehrung für“, „langes Leben“. Jaya bedeutet auch „Triumph in“. Die göttliche Mutter ist überall, sie ist das Leben. „Jaya, Der Beitrag Jaya Mata Kali mit Sonya vom Mantra Circle erschien zuerst auf Yoga Vidya Blog - Yoga, Meditation und Ayurveda.

This part of Durga Sapthasathi,Devi Mahatmiya describes the Destruction of Mahishasura by Devi. I shall be uploading meaning for each sloka shortly

Durga Sapthasathi Devi Kavacham Chapter 1 . First chapter describes and places Devi's in various parts of our body as an Armour to protect us.I shall be uploading meanings of each sloka shortly

Arkala Stotram beseeches Devi to Grant us various aspects of Prosperity,,Wealth,Health,Fame ..among others.

Chapter 13 of Sree Durga Sapthasathi,Devi Mahatmiya chanting uchadana and chandas are to be given importance

Sree Durga Sapthasath,Devi Mahatmiyai Chapter 12 Palasruthi Durga Saptashati is a powerful Mantra for invoking the blessings of the Devi The twelfth chaper is chanted here.( Dwadasoyadhyaya) .This lists the benefits that accrue whe one recites the Durga Sapthasathi.

Sree Durga Sapthasathi Keelakam.This describes the Days on which one can chant and the benefits of chanting Durga Sapthasathi

The character of “Durga” has haunted film audiences the world over. The actress who portrayed her had something of a tragic life herself. Sandip remembers Uma, as she now, like her character Durga, has died.

'Did You Know ' Series Discover the powerful meaning behind the name Durga. Learn why she's called "the invincible" and how her name reflects her strength and unwavering spirit. Explore the symbolism and significance of Durga's name in Hindu mythology.

Nos tomamos unos días de descanso, pero queríamos seguir cerquita de ustedes. Les dejamos una selección de nuestros episodios favoritos para cerrar el año juntxs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this seventh episode of our Supernatural Stories series, Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with guest Brittney Barney all about her recent experience with none other than Jesus Christ!I know, I know. The name "Jesus" is SUCH a trigger across religious AND New Age circles, making him a hard figure to chat about as a spirit guide. So, JESUS BLESS Britt for her bravery, curiosity and, above all else, spiritual honesty. I mean, it's not like she MADE this all happen!In this episode, Rachel and Britt discuss her spontaneous vision of Jesus, as well as his seemingly very effective efforts to heal her energetically-- and possibly even physically. Britt was very pregnant at the time, and woke up the next day to an epic detox-- some might say the "detox from heaven"!We discuss how Jesus is an unusually polarizing figure in spiritual circles, despite the regular and totally accepted appearance of religious figures from other faith systems like the Buddha, Durga, Artemis, Zeus, and even the Archangels of Christianity. Even the concept of Jesus has become a serious third rail in most polite circles, which may be limiting folks from having healing contact with this loving energy.Don't worry-- Rachel isn't going full Jesus people on you like Doreen Virtue did (whoops). She's just trying to open the dialogue up and create some sacred space to chat about direct spiritual experiences without judgement or knee jerk reactions.It's in the objective, messy middle that all the magic happens...and Britt is well on her way!LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this week's minipod I'm going through my top beauty picks from the Black Friday Sales. I've included loads of my favourite beauty products that are on special offer and I really hope you find the episode handy.During the episode I talk about products the following brands:Cult BeautyLibertySpace NKSweed BeautyVieve MuseIt CosmeticsThe Constant Candle CoNeomAromatherapy AssociatesTo The FairestAKTColor WowMerit BeautyTropicJo Malone LondonKliraNursemD.S. & Durga

The goddess archetypes of Aphrodite and Athena, sensuality and warfare, are within us all. In today's episode, Katie shares the light and shadow sides of these goddesses to help you liberate yourself from some of the most painful patterns in your life. Learn how to start healing your lineage from past relationship karma that can hold you back from fully loving and being loved. This episode is a sneak peek inside our Divine Feminine Ayurveda School! Click here to learn more and enroll in our 2025 class starting on January 15, 2025! Want to see the images of Aphrodite and Athena that Katie references in this episode? Check out the links below or watch the video version here on YouTube. In this episode, you'll hear: ~ Study the goddesses with Katie in Ayurveda School ~ Sign up for our free mini-course about Women's Wisdom and Ayurveda! ~ The multi-faceted roles of women throughout history ~ Women as the keepers of warfare ~ Freeing ourselves from shame ~ What is an archetype? ~ Archetypal forces influencing your life ~ Aphrodite and other female archetypes present in us all ~ The Vedic concept of Brahmacharya ~ Using your energy wisely ~ The ancient concepts of Graha and Jyotish ~ Honoring your sensuality and anger ~ Marilyn Monroe and the goddess Venus ~ Dolly Parton and the goddess Aphrodite ~ The parallels between Aphrodite and Lakshmi, Durga and Athena ~ Book a free call with one of our coaches to learn more about Ayurveda School!  Other resources mentioned in this episode:  ~ Birth of Venus - Painting by Botticelli ~ Athena - Artwork by Anita Chaudhary ~ The work of Joseph Cambell ~ Barbara Walters interviewing Maralyn Monroe ~ Katie's latest book, Glow-Worthy, is available now! Get the full show notes here: www.TheShaktiSchool.com/podcast/

As the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women we are thrilled to be joined by Priya Varadarajan, a dedicated advocate for gender justice and the founder of Durga. With over 23 years of experience in governmental affairs and civil society, Priya shares her insights on empowering women and girls to build agency and combat sexual violence in public spaces. In this episode, we discuss: • The inspiration behind Durga and its mission to prevent sexual harassment. •The normalization of inappropriate behaviour and the need to shift societal narratives around women's safety. •The importance of education and awareness in preventing violence against women, particularly focusing on sensitivity building among men. •How Durga addresses intersectionality by working with the most vulnerable members of society. •The role of corporate environments in safeguarding against violence and promoting awareness. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation about advocacy, community engagement, and the essential steps needed to create safer public spaces for everyone!

Lecture by Swami Tyagananda, given on October 6, 2024, at the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, Boston, MA.

Pray the Rosary with me LIVE every weekday morning at 4:45 am ET

In our rush to reclaim our lost traditions, reconstruct rituals of the past, and reinvent new meanings for the gods and goddesses in modern terms, do we sometimes lose track of what the deities anciently said about themselves? In this episode of the SASO podcast, we unpack two pieces of ancient text, the Metamorphoses and Goddess Hymn where the Goddess tells us exactly who she is and what she is here to do. It may leave you questioning the direction we are going in and what we hope to accomplish. Sacred Source Home

Please join in for this unique transmission to connect to your personal spiritual protectors and to work with the Arcturians to seal and integrate your seven subtle bodies with a protection frequency.  In this session we celebrate the concept of spiritual protectors.  These are spiritual beings who look after practitioners in their spiritual practice and work in the world and multi-dimensional realities.  Every spiritual tradition and lineages have their particular protectors and you may already be consciously connected to some.  In this 50 minute Arcturian Protector Transmission, we do a number of energetic processes.  It will first help us to make a conscious connection to our personal spiritual protectors.  These may be known spiritual beings such as Archangel Michael in the Christian Tradition; Kali, Durga, or Sekhmet in the Divine Feminine Traditions, or Mahakala, Palden Lhamo, or Ekajati in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition.  You also may be linked to Protectors who are only known to you.  The Arcturian Healing Method has certain protectors such as the Arcturian Guard, the Arcturian Wrecking Crew, and the Arcturian Flying Dragons.  Second, the Arcturian Protector Transmission will seal, protect, and bring integrity to all our seven subtle bodies. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-ang/support

Durga Puja, Kolkata's biggest festival comes face to face with the biggest protests the city has seen in recent years.

Jeg har deltatt på Oslo Durgotsav og det var veldig eksotisk og spennende for meg! Jeg lærte om den kvinnelige gudinnen Durga og hva hun betyr for hinduer. Livet er en landevei som består av gleder, sorger, overraskelser og spennende hendelser. Det er viktig at vi husker på at livet både gir og tar, så vi klarer hverdagene. Suggestopedi er min favorittmetode når det gjelder å lære språk.. Jeg har kurs i Oslo 11.-14. november. Jeg anbefaler at dere ser min video 1163 med Per Brodal. Her snakker vi om både suggestopedi og norskprøvene.

In a city chaotic with light and noise, the Goddess has come home and is calling out to us. Now if we could just cut through the static and be on the same wavelength.

The bhakti journey 5 - | Durga puja youth camp | Newtown, Kolkata by Exploring mindfulness, yoga and spirituality

The bhakti journey 6 - | Durga puja youth camp | Newtown, Kolkata by Exploring mindfulness, yoga and spirituality

The word 'Durga' itself means an invincible fortress as well as a difficulty. By chanting these 32 powerful names, each of which starts with Durga, we dwell on the meaning and transform our relationship with Durga/difficulty, for good. Bhakti - The Heart of Wisdom - 1, Starting on 13th October, 2024 - https://www.hua.edu/courses/bhakti-the-heart-of-wisdom-1/ It is not too late to join the course on the Complete Bhagavad Gita, which just began on 17 August 2024. Do check out the details, and do not lose an opportunity to transform your life into a blessing through Bhagavan's Divine Song. Details and registration - https://arshavidyananda.in/the-bhagavad-gita-course/ Our monthly newsletter - Aarsha Vidya Bharati - Oct 2024| A Tradition of Immediate Blessing l Soundarya Lahari course l Vedānta Sāra Course l Vedanta Camp Aug report l Guidelines for online Śravaṇam And more! - ⁠https://mailchi.mp/0583f90191a8/aarsha-vidya-bharati-oct2024⁠ Our monthly newsletter will bring you more happiness, more wisdom and more freedom. To subscribe to Aarsha Vidya Bharati - https://mailchi.mp/cea95b9ad987/aarsha-vidya-bharati Vedanta - the River of Wisdom is a weekly podcast by Swamini B (Brahmaprajnananda), a Vedanta teacher, writer and a sannyasini. Please follow, learn and enjoy Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/arshavidyananda Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arshavidyananda Twitter - https://twitter.com/arshavidyananda To connect and learn Vedanta - www.arshavidyananda.in

Sadhguru talks about the three fundamental qualities of the Divine Feminine, and explains how we can make use of Navratri, or the nine auspicious nights dedicated to Devi, to hasten our spiritual growth. Experience nine nights of grace, wellbeing and wisdom, and receive Devi's grace through various offerings, the Navratri Abhishekam Livestream and Navratri Sadhana. Registration for the offerings as well as for the Navratri Sadhana and livestream can be done online. HTTP://bhairavi.co/navratri Set the context for a joyful, exuberant day with a short, powerful message from Sadhguru. Explore a range of subjects with Sadhguru, discover how every aspect of life can be a stepping stone, and learn to make the most of the potential that a human being embodies.  Conscious Planet: https://www.consciousplanet.org Sadhguru App (Download): https://onelink.to/sadhguru__app Official Sadhguru Website: https://isha.sadhguru.org Sadhguru Exclusive: https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/sadhguru-exclusive Inner Engineering Link: isha.co/ieo-podcast Yogi, mystic and visionary, Sadhguru is a spiritual master with a difference. An arresting blend of profundity and pragmatism, his life and work serves as a reminder that yoga is a contemporary science, vitally relevant to our times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sadhguru talks about the three fundamental qualities of the Divine Feminine, and explains how we can make use of Navratri, or the nine auspicious nights dedicated to Devi, to hasten our spiritual growth. Experience nine nights of grace, wellbeing and wisdom, and receive Devi's grace through various offerings, the Navratri Abhishekam Livestream and Navratri Sadhana. Registration for the offerings as well as for the Navratri Sadhana and livestream can be done online. HTTP://bhairavi.co/navratri Set the context for a joyful, exuberant day with a short, powerful message from Sadhguru. Explore a range of subjects with Sadhguru, discover how every aspect of life can be a stepping stone, and learn to make the most of the potential that a human being embodies.  Conscious Planet: https://www.consciousplanet.org Sadhguru App (Download): https://onelink.to/sadhguru__app Official Sadhguru Website: https://isha.sadhguru.org Sadhguru Exclusive: https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/sadhguru-exclusive Inner Engineering Link: isha.co/ieo-podcast Yogi, mystic and visionary, Sadhguru is a spiritual master with a difference. An arresting blend of profundity and pragmatism, his life and work serves as a reminder that yoga is a contemporary science, vitally relevant to our times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a heavy heart and feeling purposeless, a devotee is cleaning her mandir, wiping the murti of Durga. She prays for guidance. Lo behold! Devi Durga appears and teaches her the most important thing. Listen on, in this profound teaching of Devi to her devotee. Soundarya Lahari - 3rd-11th October - Worship Devi by enrolling here - https://arshavidyananda.in/live-courses/ Bhakti - The Heart of Wisdom - 1, Starting on 13th October, 2024 - https://www.hua.edu/courses/bhakti-the-heart-of-wisdom-1/ It is not too late to join the course on the Complete Bhagavad Gita, which just began on 17 August 2024. Do check out the details, and do not lose an opportunity to transform your life into a blessing through Bhagavan's Divine Song. Details and registration - https://arshavidyananda.in/the-bhagavad-gita-course/ Our monthly newsletter - Aarsha Vidya Bharati - Sep 2024| The Vedic View and Way of Life| Karmaṇā na Mokṣaḥ| Vedānta Sāra Course| New Bhagavad Gita Course| And more! - https://mailchi.mp/ba956da5ddfc/aarsha-vidya-bharati-sep2024 Our monthly newsletter will bring you more happiness, more wisdom and more freedom. To subscribe to Aarsha Vidya Bharati - https://mailchi.mp/cea95b9ad987/aarsha-vidya-bharati Vedanta - the River of Wisdom is a weekly podcast by Swamini B (Brahmaprajnananda), a Vedanta teacher, writer and a sannyasini. Please follow, learn and enjoy Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/arshavidyananda Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arshavidyananda Twitter - https://twitter.com/arshavidyananda To connect and learn Vedanta - www.arshavidyananda.in

Send us a textIn the season 7 finale, Leandra and Elyse are joined by Fio Gede Parma to discuss their book 'The Witch Belongs to the World', and its major themes: what does it really mean to be a witch?  We talk about what initiation really is, the pros and cons of following a particular lineage, and the ins and outs of Fio's tradition, the Wildwood Tradition from so-called Australia.Fio Gede Parma (they/she) is a Balinese-Australian international teacher, magical mentor, and award-winning author. They were born in the island of Bali - to Roslyn and John - and descend from Balinese, Chinese, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and English peoples. Fio has lived in so-called Australia for most of her life, as north as Thul Garrie Waja/Gurrumbilbarra (Townsville) and as south as Naarm (Melbourne).Fio was raised in an animistic, polytheistic, magic-affirming, spirit-knowing family - in a haunted house - whose traditions were largely impacted by what the west calls Balinese Hinduism. When forced to consider it, some Balinese name their ‘religion' Agama Tirta, Religion of the Holy Water. Ganesha, Siwa (Shiva), Krishna, Parwati Uma, Durga, Hanuman, the Barong and Rangda, the spirits and the ancestors were all spoken of, venerated, and regarded with holy awe. Learn more about their work on her website: https://www.fiogedeparma.com/ Get tickets for Elyse's Raising Energy workshop on 10/24/24 here.Rooted Rituals: Every Day Magic for Overwhelmed Witches, Leandra's first summit is Oct. 10 and 11! Sign up here for free and enjoy talks by over a dozen presenters.Connect with Leandra and Elyse in the Magick Kitchen Pantry: a free and paid community where you're invited to a Wheel of the Year Book Club, and a library of bonus episodes with us! Join through either of our private communities: The Rebel Mystic by Leandra Witchwood and Elyse Welles on Patreon. Follow Elyse @seekingnumina on Instagram and Facebook, and join Seekers of the Sacred Wild, a free Facebook group for weekly live lessons and readings. Sign up for her newsletter, join the Path of the Sacred Wild, book a tarot reading, shop self-paced courses, read her articles, and view her tours and retreats to Greece at seekingnumina.com. Follow Leandra @leandrawitchwood on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok and find her blog and books at leandrawitchwood.com.Leave us a voicemail for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/TheMagickKitchenPodcast

He's an economist who cares more about people than numbers -- and he thinks his field needs more sociology and anthropology in it. Vijayendra (Biju) Rao joins Amit Varma in episode 392 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about what makes him angry and what brings him peace. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Vijayendra (Biju) Rao on Twitter, Google Scholar, The World Bank and his own website. 2. Biju Rao's blog at the World Bank. 3. Localizing Development: Does Participation Work? -- Ghazala Mansuri and Vijayendra Rao. 4. Oral Democracy: Deliberation in Indian Village Assemblies -- Paromita Sanyal and Vijayendra Rao. 5. Can Economics Become More Reflexive? -- Vijayendra Rao. 6. Vamsha Vriksha -- Girish Karnad. 7. ‘I want absolute commitment to our gharana': A tribute to Rajshekhar Mansur and his music -- Vijayendra Rao. 8. The Life and Work of Ashwini Deshpande — Episode 298 of The Seen and the Unseen. 9. Two Hundred and Fifty-Thousand Democracies: A Review of Village Government in India -- Siddharth George, Vijaendra Rao and MR Sharan. 10. Last Among Equals : Power Caste And Politics In Bihar's Villages -- MR Sharan. 11. Lant Pritchett Is on Team Prosperity — Episode 379 of The Seen and the Unseen. 12. National Development Delivers: And How! And How? — Lant Pritchett. 13. The Perils of Partial Attribution: Let's All Play for Team Development — Lant Pritchett. 14. The Rising Price of Husbands: A Hedonic Analysis of Dowry Increases in Rural India -- Vijayendra Rao. 15. The Life and Times of Jerry Pinto — Episode 314 of The Seen and the Unseen. 16. Shephali Bhatt Is Searching for the Incredible -- Episode 391 of The Seen and the Unseen. 17. Jiddu Krishnamurti on Wikipedia, Britannica and Amazon. 18. Biju Rao listens to Jiddu Krishnamurthy. 19. Ben Hur -- William Wyler. 20. Trade, Institutions and Ethnic Tolerance: Evidence from South Asia -- Saumitra Jha. 21. Memories and Things — Episode 195 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aanchal Malhotra). 22. Remnants of a Separation — Aanchal Malhotra. 23. Deliberative Democracy -- Jon Elster. 24. A Life in Indian Politics — Episode 149 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jayaprakash Narayan). 25. Subhashish Bhadra on Our Dysfunctional State — Episode 333 of The Seen and the Unseen. 26. Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government Is Holding Indians Back — Subhashish Bhadra. 27. Urban Governance in India — Episode 31 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan). 28. Understanding Gandhi. Part 1: Mohandas — Episode 104 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha). 29. Understanding Gandhi. Part 2: Mahatma — Episode 105 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha). 30. Accelerating India's Development — Karthik Muralidharan. 31. The Added Value of Local Democracy -- Abhishek Arora, Siddharth George, Vijayendra Rao and MR Sharan. 32. Some memories of VKRV Rao -- Vijayendra Rao. 33. The Foundation Series — Isaac Asimov. 34. Lawrence of Arabia -- David Lean. 35. Gandhi -- Richard Attenborough. 36. The Story of My Experiments with Truth -- Mohandas Gandhi. 37. Bhagavad Gita on Wikipedia and Amazon. 38. KT Achaya on Amazon. 39. The Emergency: A Personal History — Coomi Kapoor. 40. My Varied Life in Management: A Short Memoir -- SL Rao. 41. The Incredible Curiosities of Mukulika Banerjee — Episode 276 of The Seen and the Unseen. 42. Ram Guha Writes a Letter to a Friend -- Episode 371 of The Seen and the Unseen. 43. Terror as a Bargaining Instrument : A Case Study of Dowry Violence in Rural India -- Francis Bloch and Vijayendra Rao. 44. Domestic Violence and Intra-Household Resource Allocation in Rural India: An Exercise in Participatory Econometrics -- Vijayendra Rao. 45. Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative. 46. Narrative Economics -- Robert J Shiller. 47. Culture and Public Action -- Edited by Vijayendra Rao and Michael Walton. 48. The Capacity to Aspire -- Arjun Appadurai. 49. Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming -- Agnes Callard. 50. Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind -- Tom Holland. 51. PV Sukhatme in EPW. 52. India Needs Decentralization -- Episode 47 of Everything if Everything. 53. Deliberative Inequality:  A Text-As-Data Study of India's Village Assemblies -- Ramya Parthasarathy, Vijayendra Rao and Nethra Palaniswamy. 54. A Method to Scale Up Interpretive Qualitative Analysis with An Application to Aspirations among Refugees and Hosts in Bangladesh -- Julian Ashwin, Vijayendra Rao, Monica Biradavolu, Aditya Chhabra, Afsana Khan, Arshia Haque and Nandini Krishnan. 55. Using Large-Language Models for Qualitative Analysis Can Introduce Serious Bias -- Julian Ashwin, Aditya Chhabra and Vijayendra Rao. 56. This Be The Verse — Philip Larkin. 57. Audacious Hope: An Archive of How Democracy is Being Saved in India -- Indrajit Roy. 58. Poverty and the Quest for Life -- Bhrigupati Singh. 59. Recasting Culture to Undo Gender: A Sociological Analysis of Jeevika in Rural Bihar, India -- Paromita Sanyal, Vijayendra Rao and Shruti Majumdar. 60. We Are Poor but So Many -- Ela Bhatt. 61. Premature Imitation and India's Flailing State — Shruti Rajagopalan & Alexander Tabarrok. 62. James Wolfensohn in Wikipedia and The World Bank. 63. Arati Kumar-Rao Took a One-Way Ticket -- Episode 383 of The Seen and the Unseen. 64. Marginlands: Indian Landscapes on the Brink — Arati Kumar-Rao. 65. Amitav Ghosh on Amazon. 66. Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life -- Nicholas Phillipson. 67. Elinor Ostrom on Amazon, Britannica, Wikipedia and EconLib. 68. Jane Mansbridge on Amazon, Wikipedia, and Google Scholar. 69. Albert O Hirschman on Amazon and Wikipedia. 70. Mughal-e-Azam -- K Asif. 71. Samskara -- Pattabhirama Reddy. 72. The Wire -- David Simon. 73. Deadwood -- David Milch. 74. Biju Rao on Democracy, Deliberation, and Development -- the Ideas of India podcast with Shruti Rajagopalan. Biju Rao's Specially curated music recommendations: 1. The Senior Dagar Brothers (Moinuddin & Aminuddin Dagar) performing (Komal Rishab) Asavari and Kamboji. 2. Raghunath Panigrahi performing Ashtapadi from the Geeta Govinda and Lalita Lavanga. 3. Amir Khan performing Lalit and Jog. 4. Vilayat Khan performing Sanjh Saravali and Hameer. 5. Ravi Shankar performing Jaijaiwanti and Tilak Shyam (full concert) and Durga. 6. Faiyaz Khan performing Raga Darbari and Raga Des. 7. N Rajam performing a full concert with Gorakh Kalyan, Sawani Barwa, Hamir, Malkauns. 8. Kumar Gandharva performing Tulsidas – Ek Darshan and Surdas – Ek Darshan. 9. Bhimsen Joshi performing Ragas Chhaya and Chhaya Malhar & Jo Bhaje Hari Ko Sada – Bhajan in Raga Bhairavi (original recording from 1960). The Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana: 1. Mallikarjun Mansur in a guided Listening Session by Irfan Zuberi, and performing Basanti Kedar and Tilak Kamod. 2. Kesarbai Kerkar performing Lalit and Bhairavi. 3. Moghubai Kurdikar performing Kedar and Suddha Nat. 4. Kishori Amonkar performing Bhimpalas and Bhoop(ali). 5. Some performances by Rajshekhar Mansur are linked in Biju Rao's piece on him. Karnatic Music: 1. TM Krishna performing Krishna Nee Begane Baaro, Yamuna Kalyani (Yaman Kalyan) and Nalinakanthi (closest Hindustani equivalent is Tilak Kamod). 2. MD Ramanathan performing Bhavayami – Raga Malika and Samaja Vara Gamana – Ragam Hindolam (Malkauns). 3. Aruna Sairam performing a full concert. 4. Madurai Mani Iyer performing Taaye Yoshade. 5. MS Subbulakshmi performing a full Concert from 1966 and Bhaja Govindam (Ragamalika). 6. TR Mahalingam performing Swara Raga Sudha – Shankarabharanam. Jugalbandis: 1. Ali Akbar Khan and Vilayat Khan performing Marwa. 2. Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar performing Jaijaiwanti. 3. N Rajam with her brother TN Krishnan performing Raga Hamsadhwani. Amit's newsletter is active again. Subscribe right away to The India Uncut Newsletter! It's free! Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new video podcast. Check out Everything is Everything on YouTube. Check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing. Episode art: ‘The Iconoclast' by Simahina.

A PERFECT new niche perfume store has just opened in Williamsburg. It's called Stéle, and today, I'm joined by its Co-Founders Jake Levy and Matt Belanger. Despite the fact that this store has some of the most obscure and deeply niche fragrances I've come across, neither Matt nor Jake come from fragrance backgrounds! Hear how and why they created Stéle and all the great perfumes they've discovered (and stocked) along the way. Watch the full length video of this episode on Substack. FRAGS MENTIONED: Commodity Juice (Expressive, Personal, Bold), YSL Baby Doll, Versace Bright Crystal, Liis Rose Struck, Ormaie, Fischersund No. 23, Circle of Lim, Amphora, Jorum Studio, DS & Durga, Polo Green, Clive Christian, Gap Grass, CK be, CK One, St. Rose, Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe, Oddity Dead Air, MAISON d'ETTO, Ormaie Le Passant, Clue Perfumery, Binaurale, Costa Brazil, Dior Eau Noire, St. Rose Gypsy Cowboy, Atelier Materi Poivre Pomelo, Perfumer H: Ink, Dandelion; Neandertal Them, Mihan Aromatics Kirra Curl FOLLOW: @stelenewyork SHOP: stele.shop SUBSCRIBE TO THE PERFUME ROOM SUBSTACK: perfumeroom.substack.com