Podcasts about prahlad

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Best podcasts about prahlad

Latest podcast episodes about prahlad

SUSHUMNA SHISHU VANI
Episode 65 – 'The Magic of Holi'

SUSHUMNA SHISHU VANI

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2025 8:28


Join us on an exciting journey to discover the story behind Holi. From the triumph of good over evil to the joyful celebration of colors, this story brings to life the legend of Prahlad and Holika.

ISKCON Chicago
Prahlad Narasimha - 3.2.25

ISKCON Chicago

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 19:35


Prahlad Narasimha - 3.2.25 by Windy City Kirtans

ISKCON Chicago
Prahlad Narasimha - Ohe Vaisnava Thakura - 3.1.25

ISKCON Chicago

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2025 12:36


Prahlad Narasimha - Ohe Vaisnava Thakura - 3.1.25 by Windy City Kirtans

ISKCON Chicago
Prahlad - 2.23.25

ISKCON Chicago

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2025 32:25


Prahlad - 2.23.25 by Windy City Kirtans

Afford Anything
When Disaster Hits Home – Literally

Afford Anything

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2025 57:41


Enrollment for Your First Rental Property is open! affordanything.com/enroll ____________________________ #581: Today's question is different. There's something special about it — and you'll understand why in a moment. An 84-year-old listener left us a voicemail about his struggle to break free from mortgage debt. He and his 83-year-old wife need to move from their two-story townhouse because they can't climb the stairs any longer. They found a single-story ranch house that fits their needs perfectly — except for one detail: it carries a crushing $4,200 monthly mortgage payment. They do have one potential escape route from this debt: selling their Florida condo, a vacation retreat that they haven't visited in years due to mounting chronic health challenges. But Hurricanes Milton and Helene ravaged their building last year. The storms spared their unit but destroyed the lobby and submerged their car in floodwater. The devastation slashed $100,000 from their property's value overnight. Now they face an agonizing decision: Should they accept this massive loss and sell the condo to free themselves from debt? Or would selling now, after such a steep drop in value, mean locking in their losses? Joe and I have answered hundreds of questions from our listeners over the years. But this question is special. It comes from my Dad. __________________________ Here's the transcript of my father's full question: Hi Paula and Joe,  My name is Prahlad. I am 84 years old, and my wife is 83. We live in a two-storied townhouse in Atlanta and also own a two-bedroom condo on the beach as a second home in Clearwater, Florida.  Recently, we purchased a one-storied ranch home in Atlanta so that we don't have to go up and down the staircase at this old age.  Our condo in Clearwater is on the 9th floor of the 14 storied building. We love the condo with views of the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay. However, we have not been able to visit it for a long time due to our underlying health conditions.  We purchased the condo for $400,000 in 2015 and it was estimated to have appreciated to $800,000 in 2022. Since then, the price was estimated to come down to $775,000 in the Spring 0f 2024.   As you know, this area was hit by two major hurricanes Helene and Milton in September and October last year. The lobby of the building was flooded with extensive damage and it is still under construction. The parking area under the roof was also flooded and our car was totaled. Fortunately, our condo did not suffer any damage.  There has not been any significant real estate buy and sell activities in this neighborhood since it was hit by the hurricanes last year. My real estate agent estimates that the current value of the condo is $700,000.  This building has been preparing for a major renovation of the plaza deck for the past few years, and we or the future owner anticipate to be assessed a large amount – maybe $30,000 – for the renovation.  We were hoping that we could sell the condo and pay off the mortgage for the ranch home we recently purchased in Atlanta, and be debt free.  What do you think – should we sell it now or wait until some later time – maybe until next year?  Your advice would be highly appreciated. Thank you both for what you do.   For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode581 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Poetrywithkhwaab ( Sachin Khwaab )
Prahlad-Narsimha a heart touching poem | Who is our real protector? best podcast ever

Poetrywithkhwaab ( Sachin Khwaab )

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024 2:13


Prahlad-Narsimha a heart touching poem | Who is our real protector? best podcast ever

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends
Poker Fraud Alert Radio - 11/25/2024 - PayPal It Once

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2024 283:28


Topic begins at (0:08:06) mark: PayPal suspends Phil Galfond's account with $117k in it.... (0:27:16): Prahlad Friedman is made Twitter famous after embarrassing 2018 tweet exchange is made public by James Woods and another big account.... (0:37:18): Daniel Negreanu and his wife Amanda start a YouTube show revealing intimate details about their lives, past and present.... (1:09:24): Gavin Newsom gives CA Indian tribal casinos the right to sue others -- but nobody can sue them.... (1:20:17): Wyndham Business Earner credit card will not be offering status matches to Caesars Diamond in 2025, but Druff will give you other options to earn it easily.... (2:00:47): Rapper Nelly arrested after $50k casino jackpot reveals Missouri bench warrant over car insurance matter.... (2:08:30): Update: Huge shootout results in arrest of teen believed to have murdered poker pro Matt Bergart in April 2024.... (2:25:10): Druff gives his take on why Kamala Harris lost.... (3:10:20): Druff analyzes Trump's moves so far, and expresses some concern regarding the second term... This was Part 2 of the show which aired on November 23-24, 2024, and this portion was released several days later.

INDIA PODCAST
EP 28 ⁠Diti's Conception⁠ 'Shrimad Bhagwat Katha' by Ashish P Mishra

INDIA PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 13:02


दिति का गर्भाधान | अध्याय 14 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ashishpmishra/⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/@sanatansudha⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ "श्रीमद भागवत कथा पॉडकास्ट के इस अंक में हम सुनेंगे अध्याय 14 जिसमें विदुर जी  भगवान विष्णु के वराह अवतार और दानव हिरण्याक्ष के साथ उनके युद्ध का उद्देश्य समझने की इच्छा व्यक्त करते हैं। इसके उत्तर में, ऋषि मैत्रेय दिति की कथा सुनाते हैं, जो दानवों की माता थीं और अपने पति, ऋषि कश्यप के साथ संतान पाने की तीव्र इच्छा रखती थीं। लेकिन, दिति की अधीरता और दिव्य समय का पालन न करने के कारण, उन्हें ऐसे दो विनाशकारी पुत्रों को जन्म देने का भाग्य मिलता है - हिरण्याक्ष और हिरण्यकश्यप, जो बाद में देवताओं का विरोध करेंगे और संसार में आतंक फैलाएंगे। कश्यप उन्हें सांत्वना देते हैं और यह भविष्यवाणी करते हैं कि यद्यपि उनके पुत्रों का अंत भगवान विष्णु के हाथों होगा, उनका पोता प्रह्लाद अपनी शुद्ध भक्ति का प्रतीक बनेगा और धर्म, करुणा और दया का प्रकाश स्तम्भ बनेगा। यह अध्याय दर्शाता है कि दिव्य सिद्धांतों की अवहेलना के गंभीर परिणाम होते हैं, साथ ही यह भी कि सच्ची भक्ति से मुक्ति और आत्म-परिवर्तन का मार्ग प्राप्त किया जा सकता है, जैसा कि भविष्य में प्रह्लाद की भक्ति के माध्यम से देखने को मिलेगा। in this Episod of ShirmadBhagwat we ll listen howVidura seeks to understand the divine purpose behind Lord Vishnu's incarnation as a boar (Varaha) and his battle with the demon Hiraṇyākṣa. In response, Sage Maitreya recounts the story of Diti, the mother of demons, and her intense longing for children with her husband, Sage Kaśyapa. However, due to Diti's impatience and disregard for divine timings, she is destined to bear two destructive sons, Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, who would later oppose the gods and terrorize the universe.   Kaśyapa consoles her, foreseeing that while her sons will meet their end at the hands of Lord Vishnu, her grandson, Prahlad, will embody pure devotion, becoming a beacon of righteousness and compassion. The chapter illuminates the consequences of disregarding divine principles while also emphasizing redemption and the transformative power of sincere devotion through the future devotion of Prahlad.   Welcome to our podcast, where ancient wisdom meets modern ears in an immersive exploration of the Shrimad Bhagwat. Embark on a soul-stirring journey through this timeless scripture, a treasure trove of spiritual enlightenment and divine narratives. Each episode unlocks the profound teachings and captivating stories from the Bhagwat, inviting listeners to discover profound insights, profound truths, and timeless guidance for navigating life's journey. Join us as we delve into the depths of devotion, wisdom, and the eternal quest for truth. Subscribe now to embark on a transformative odyssey that will enrich your heart, mind, and soul. आइये श्रीमद भागवत कथा के प्राचीन ज्ञान के साथ एक रोमांचक यात्रा पर एक साथ निकलते हैं, जहाँ आध्यात्मिकता मनुष्य के अस्तित्व के मूल स्वरूप के साथ मिलती है। हमारे पॉडकास्ट में आपका स्वागत है, जहाँ प्राचीन ज्ञान आधुनिक जीवन से मिलता है और श्रीमद भागवत का रोमांचक अन्वेषण होता है। इस अद्वितीय शास्त्र के माध्यम से आत्मिक जागरूकता और दिव्य कथाओं की खोज पर एक आत्मा को हिलाने वाली यात्रा परमेरे साथ चलें । प्रत्येक एपिसोड भागवत के गहरे शिक्षाओं और रोमांचक कहानियों को खोलता है, सुनने वालों को गहरी अनुभूतियों, महान सत्यों, और जीवन की यात्रा के लिए समयहीन मार्गदर्शन की खोज में बुलाता है। हमारे साथ जुड़ें, जब हम भक्ति, ज्ञान, और सत्य के शांतिदायी स्रोत में गहराई में उतरते हैं। अब तुरंत सदस्यता लें और आपके दिल, मन, और आत्मा को समृद्ध करने वाली एक परिवर्तनात्मक यात्रा पर निकलें। #shrimadbhagwat #bhagwatkatha #shrimadbhagwatkatha #bhagwatam #bhagwatkathapodcast #hindipodcast #devotionalpodcast #trendingpodcast   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ashish-p-mishra/support

Vedanta and Yoga
Nine Forms of Devotion

Vedanta and Yoga

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2024 51:05


Lecture by Swami Tyagananda, given on July 28, 2024, at the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, Boston, MA.

Wisdom of the Sages
1373: It's All One Path with Different Degrees of Success

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2024 60:56


Thoreau experiences the unearthly nature of the Vedas / Thoreau's balance of contemplation and activism / The Vedas feel nonsectarian, because Vyasadeva isn't trying to wrestle you into immediate submission to the highest truth - he nudges you to take the next step in your evolution / Prahlad was able to recognize the Python man as special, because Vishnu instructed him in the heart / Kaustubha goes to jail / Krishna gives instructions in the heart according to the manner of their surrender / everyone follows Krishna's path in all respects / karmis, jnanis, yogis, and bhaktas all all on the same path at different degrees of success SB 7.13.22 **************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

Wisdom of the Sages
1373: It's All One Path with Different Degrees of Success

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2024 60:56


Thoreau experiences the unearthly nature of the Vedas / Thoreau's balance of contemplation and activism / The Vedas feel nonsectarian, because Vyasadeva isn't trying to wrestle you into immediate submission to the highest truth - he nudges you to take the next step in your evolution / Prahlad was able to recognize the Python man as special, because Vishnu instructed him in the heart / Kaustubha goes to jail / Krishna gives instructions in the heart according to the manner of their surrender / everyone follows Krishna's path in all respects / karmis, jnanis, yogis, and bhaktas all all on the same path at different degrees of success SB 7.13.22 **************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

Wisdom of the Sages
1325: Your Senses Have Their Own Agenda

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2024 62:28


“Caught in that sensual music all neglect, Monuments of unageing intellect.” – William Butler Yeats / all the great wisdom traditions were able to recognize the inability for sense gratification to deliver happiness / the devotee has one optimistic eye and one pessimistic eye / your senses have their own agenda for you / Prahlad doesn't want to be delivered alone / sex desire is like an itch - the more you scratch it the more it itches SB 7.9.40-45

Wisdom of the Sages
1325: Your Senses Have Their Own Agenda

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2024 62:28


“Caught in that sensual music all neglect, Monuments of unageing intellect.” – William Butler Yeats / all the great wisdom traditions were able to recognize the inability for sense gratification to deliver happiness / the devotee has one optimistic eye and one pessimistic eye / your senses have their own agenda for you / Prahlad doesn't want to be delivered alone / sex desire is like an itch - the more you scratch it the more it itches SB 7.9.40-45

Wisdom of the Sages
1323: Nrisimha Avatar Fascinates the Sages

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 57:44


The Nrisimha Avatara's heart frolics with his own playful pastimes / He fascinates the great sages / He enlightens His devotees from within their hearts / although ferocious, He is very soft and kind to devotees / He is here and there and everywhere / Prahlad's gratitude to his guru / Prahlad identifies Vishnu as the designer behind the universe's design / the inconceivable brilliance in the design of the elm seed / we are not creators we are manipulators SB 7.9.28-31 A Girl Can Touch The Sky continues its theatrical release following sold-out screenings with Q & A sessions in Birmingham, U.K., and Dublin, Ireland. The NYC screening with Q & A chaired by Shikha Uberoi (India's former No.1 professional tennis player and social entrepreneur) has been confirmed for Saturday, June 22nd, 6-8 pm as part of the Her Vision International Film Festival at Slate, Manhattan. Tickets can be purchased at https://slate.ticketsauce.com/e/4th-annual-her-vision-international-film-festival/tickets You can see the trailer, reviews and the link to book tickets at www.agirlcantouchthesky.com  

Wisdom of the Sages
1323: Nrisimha Avatar Fascinates the Sages

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 57:44


The Nrisimha Avatara's heart frolics with his own playful pastimes / He fascinates the great sages / He enlightens His devotees from within their hearts / although ferocious, He is very soft and kind to devotees / He is here and there and everywhere / Prahlad's gratitude to his guru / Prahlad identifies Vishnu as the designer behind the universe's design / the inconceivable brilliance in the design of the elm seed / we are not creators we are manipulators SB 7.9.28-31 A Girl Can Touch The Sky continues its theatrical release following sold-out screenings with Q & A sessions in Birmingham, U.K., and Dublin, Ireland. The NYC screening with Q & A chaired by Shikha Uberoi (India's former No.1 professional tennis player and social entrepreneur) has been confirmed for Saturday, June 22nd, 6-8 pm as part of the Her Vision International Film Festival at Slate, Manhattan. Tickets can be purchased at https://slate.ticketsauce.com/e/4th-annual-her-vision-international-film-festival/tickets You can see the trailer, reviews and the link to book tickets at www.agirlcantouchthesky.com  

Wisdom of the Sages
1321: All My Dreams Pass Before My Eyes, a Curiosity

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 59:22


all the great wisdom cultures draw our attention to our helplessness to the force of time / all your money won't another minute buy / the 3 modes of material nature - without our knowledge, external influences are working their way into your mind / basically, we're all like defiant teenagers / ahem… um, debating Christian and atheist philosophers, the concept of karma kind of solves the whole thing / we're being crushed by the wheel of time / Prahlad's perspective as a witness of the destruction of a materialist at the highest level SB 7.9.20-23

Wisdom of the Sages
1321: All My Dreams Pass Before My Eyes, a Curiosity

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 59:22


all the great wisdom cultures draw our attention to our helplessness to the force of time / all your money won't another minute buy / the 3 modes of material nature - without our knowledge, external influences are working their way into your mind / basically, we're all like defiant teenagers / ahem… um, debating Christian and atheist philosophers, the concept of karma kind of solves the whole thing / we're being crushed by the wheel of time / Prahlad's perspective as a witness of the destruction of a materialist at the highest level SB 7.9.20-23

Wisdom of the Sages
1316: Giving Liberates the Soul of the Giver

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024 51:28


selfishness is the core of our bondage / the quality of your heart, while giving, makes a difference / world peace can't be done? / why Bhakti is translated as devotional service / faith without works is dead / eternal love is a higher aspiration than eternal peace / Prahlad's prayer with a heart softened by love / why our material opulences can't touch the heart of God SB 7.9.4-9

Wisdom of the Sages
1316: Giving Liberates the Soul of the Giver

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024 51:28


selfishness is the core of our bondage / the quality of your heart, while giving, makes a difference / world peace can't be done? / why Bhakti is translated as devotional service / faith without works is dead / eternal love is a higher aspiration than eternal peace / Prahlad's prayer with a heart softened by love / why our material opulences can't touch the heart of God SB 7.9.4-9

Wisdom of the Sages
1306: The Physicist Needs a Guru (Can Science Rule Out the Soul?)

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 54:43


Is self-replication the measure of life? / is there a sufficient level of intelligence for matter to become conscious? / is there an “emergent property” that creates consciousness? / is Brian Cox really “damn sure” that consciousness is physical (our could it be that it is just very subtle)? / “Because He is subtle, He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know.” - Bhagavad-gita 13.16 / “the living entity, even though situated in varieties of bodies, is aloof from them due to his subtle nature… therefore it is impossible to see with the material eyes … no one in science can ascertain this.” - Bhaktivedanta Swami / what is the compulsion of empiricists to deny the existence of the soul? / Prahlad converts his school / Prahlad triggers his father / just as different grades of fire all derive heat and light from the sun, we all drive our power from the same source SB 7.8.1-7

Wisdom of the Sages
1306: The Physicist Needs a Guru (Can Science Rule Out the Soul?)

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 54:43


Is self-replication the measure of life? / is there a sufficient level of intelligence for matter to become conscious? / is there an “emergent property” that creates consciousness? / is Brian Cox really “damn sure” that consciousness is physical (our could it be that it is just very subtle)? / “Because He is subtle, He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know.” - Bhagavad-gita 13.16 / “the living entity, even though situated in varieties of bodies, is aloof from them due to his subtle nature… therefore it is impossible to see with the material eyes … no one in science can ascertain this.” - Bhaktivedanta Swami / what is the compulsion of empiricists to deny the existence of the soul? / Prahlad converts his school / Prahlad triggers his father / just as different grades of fire all derive heat and light from the sun, we all drive our power from the same source SB 7.8.1-7

Wisdom of the Sages
1282: God Has Empowered All of Us in Different Ways

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2024 61:21


“The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy… and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation and we, (Lawyers) and scientists, don't know how to do that.” - Gus Speth / God has empowered all of us in different ways (the politician has a role and the monk has a role) / the material world is designed to crack your shell / Narada instructs Prahlad in the womb / are women less intelligent than men? / cold-hearted, analytical Jnana vs the tender affection of Bhakti / Srimad Bhagavatam elevates the feminine disposition / Srila Prabhupada's pride in his tradition breaking female disciples SB 7.7.1-16

Wisdom of the Sages
1282: God Has Empowered All of Us in Different Ways

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2024 61:21


“The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy… and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation and we, (Lawyers) and scientists, don't know how to do that.” - Gus Speth / God has empowered all of us in different ways (the politician has a role and the monk has a role) / the material world is designed to crack your shell / Narada instructs Prahlad in the womb / are women less intelligent than men? / cold-hearted, analytical Jnana vs the tender affection of Bhakti / Srimad Bhagavatam elevates the feminine disposition / Srila Prabhupada's pride in his tradition breaking female disciples SB 7.7.1-16

Amazing Stories
Story Of Holika(Happy Holi)

Amazing Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2024 1:37


Listen how the cruel Holika gone to make Prahlad burn into the fire and she got burnt in the fire.

Wisdom of the Sages
1277: Bhagavatam's Innocent, Rebellious Appeal to the Essence of Being

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2024 59:30


“Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.” - Albert Camus / find philosophy you can live / Prahlad is pure to the core and entirely rebellious / what is the use of following the principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation? / Bhagavatam rebels against the message of the previous Vedic texts / In the Vedas Indra is the hero - in the Bhagavatam Vritrasura is the hero / the innocence of Sukadeva / the pure-hearteness of Pariksit / you've gotta want Krishna  / liberation is like going to a water park all by yourself SB 7.6.25

Wisdom of the Sages
1277: Bhagavatam's Innocent, Rebellious Appeal to the Essence of Being

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2024 59:30


“Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.” - Albert Camus / find philosophy you can live / Prahlad is pure to the core and entirely rebellious / what is the use of following the principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation? / Bhagavatam rebels against the message of the previous Vedic texts / In the Vedas Indra is the hero - in the Bhagavatam Vritrasura is the hero / the innocence of Sukadeva / the pure-hearteness of Pariksit / you've gotta want Krishna  / liberation is like going to a water park all by yourself SB 7.6.25

Wisdom of the Sages
1274: Einstein as the Brahmin in ”Oppenheimer”

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 59:53


Uncompromised brahmins should engage the military powers - not the other way around / Einstein as the brahmin in the film Oppenheimer (framed in nature, speaking distilled, essential thought, removed from urgent, fear-based thinking) / beware the separatist conception / Prahlad shines light on the dangers of family attachments / Prahlad as 5 year old revolutionary / we won't be indoctrinated into separatist thinking! / revolution sans-hatred / separatist thought leads to cruelty / our rulers should be inspired and tethered by higher thinkers / if your goal is sense gratification, you'll stay in bondage / find a roadmap to liberation / we can be both monk and revolutionary SB 7.6.16-18

Wisdom of the Sages
1274: Einstein as the Brahmin in ”Oppenheimer”

Wisdom of the Sages

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 59:53


Uncompromised brahmins should engage the military powers - not the other way around / Einstein as the brahmin in the film Oppenheimer (framed in nature, speaking distilled, essential thought, removed from urgent, fear-based thinking) / beware the separatist conception / Prahlad shines light on the dangers of family attachments / Prahlad as 5 year old revolutionary / we won't be indoctrinated into separatist thinking! / revolution sans-hatred / separatist thought leads to cruelty / our rulers should be inspired and tethered by higher thinkers / if your goal is sense gratification, you'll stay in bondage / find a roadmap to liberation / we can be both monk and revolutionary SB 7.6.16-18

Cyrus Says
HIGHLIGHTS | The Prahlad Kakar Episode | Cyrus Says REWIND

Cyrus Says

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024 16:21


Welcome to Cyrus Says REWIND! In this episode of Cyrus Says REWIND, Prahlad Kakar visited our studios for the first time! Enjoy! Subscribe to the Cyrus Says YouTube Channel for full video episodes! Listen to Cyrus Says across Audio Platforms Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Gaana | Amazon Music | Jio Saavn Email your AMA questions to us at whatcyrussays@gmail.com Don't forget to follow Cyrus Says' official Instagram handle at @whatcyrussays Connect with Cyrus on socials: Instagram | Twitter And don't forget to rate us!   -x-x-x   Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and statements expressed in the episodes of the shows hosted on the IVM Podcasts network are solely those of the individual participants, hosts, and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of IVM Podcasts or its management. IVM Podcasts does not endorse or assume responsibility for any content, claims, or representations made by the participants during the shows. This includes, but is not limited to, the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. IVM Podcasts is not liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages arising out of or in connection with the use or dissemination of the content featured in the shows. Listener discretion is advised. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cyrus Says
Stories Of Adman-Madman, Prahlad Kakar | PART - 02

Cyrus Says

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2023 80:29


Welcome to Cyrus Says!Become a member of Club Cyrus SaysThis week on Cyrus Says, legendary ad filmmaker and a dear friend, Prahlad Kakar, is back on the show for part 2! Prahlad and Cyrus try hard not to get canceled while going through more amusing stories from Prahlad's latest book ‘Adman, Madman.'Tune in for an incredible laughter session and much more!Follow Prahlad Sir on Twitter at @PrahladKakarSubscribe to the Cyrus Says YouTube Channel for video episodes!Listen to Cyrus Says across Audio PlatformsIVM Podcasts | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Gaana | Amazon Music | Jio SaavnEmail your AMA questions to us at whatcyrussays@gmail.comDon't forget to follow Cyrus Says' official Instagram handle at @whatcyrussaysConnect with Cyrus on socials:Instagram | TwitterAnd don't forget to rate us!-x-x-xDisclaimer: The views, opinions, and statements expressed in the episodes of the shows hosted on the IVM Podcasts network are solely those of the individual participants, hosts, and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of IVM Podcasts or its management. IVM Podcasts does not endorse or assume responsibility for any content, claims, or representations made by the participants during the shows. This includes, but is not limited to, the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. IVM Podcasts is not liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages arising out of or in connection with the use or dissemination of the content featured in the shows. Listener discretion is advised.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cyrus Says
AD GOD, Prahlad Kakar

Cyrus Says

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 71:16


Welcome to Cyrus Says!Become a member of Club Cyrus SaysThis week on Cyrus Says, Cyrus is joined by the legendary ad filmmaker and a very dear friend, Prahlad Kakar! Prahlad and Cyrus dive into a detailed conversation about Prahlad's recent book, called ‘Adman Madman,' covering multiple amusing and hilarious stories from his life. They explore some of the really intriguing stories from the book, such as how the Shyam Benegal chapter started in Prahlad's life and the cheeky story behind Prahlad getting into the field of advertisement.Tune in for an incredible laughter session and much more!Follow Prahlad Sir on Twitter at @PrahladKakarSubscribe to the Cyrus Says YouTube Channel for video episodes!Listen to Cyrus Says across Audio PlatformsIVM Podcasts | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Gaana | Amazon Music | Jio SaavnEmail your AMA questions to us at whatcyrussays@gmail.comDon't forget to follow Cyrus Says' official Instagram handle at @whatcyrussaysConnect with Cyrus on socials:Instagram | TwitterAnd don't forget to rate us!-x-x-xDisclaimer: The views, opinions, and statements expressed in the episodes of the shows hosted on the IVM Podcasts network are solely those of the individual participants, hosts, and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of IVM Podcasts or its management. IVM Podcasts does not endorse or assume responsibility for any content, claims, or representations made by the participants during the shows. This includes, but is not limited to, the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. IVM Podcasts is not liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages arising out of or in connection with the use or dissemination of the content featured in the shows. Listener discretion is advised.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ISKCON Chicago
Prahlad Narasimha - 6.11.23

ISKCON Chicago

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2023 32:12


Prahlad Narasimha - 6.11.23 by Windy City Kirtans

Gaudiya Rasamrita English
Nrsimha Caturdasi and Prahlad Maharaja Teachings, Part 3

Gaudiya Rasamrita English

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2023 36:12


April 30, 2007 Hawaii Continued from Part 1 and Part 2

Gaudiya Rasamrita English
Nrsimha Caturdasi and Prahlad Maharaja Teachings, Part 2

Gaudiya Rasamrita English

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2023 31:18


April 30, 2007 Hawaii Continued from Part 1 and To be continued in Part 3

Gaudiya Rasamrita English
Nrsimha Caturdasi and Prahlad Maharaja Teachings, Part 1

Gaudiya Rasamrita English

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2023 46:21


April 30, 2007 Hawaii To be continued in Part 2 and 3

ISKCON Chicago
Prahlad Narasimha - Night Shift - Naperville Temple Opening 4.21.22

ISKCON Chicago

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2023 37:37


Prahlad Narasimha - Night Shift - Naperville Temple Opening 4.21.22 by Windy City Kirtans

Paisa Vaisa
Planning a Vacation Budget with Cleartrip

Paisa Vaisa

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2023 34:50


How to set-up finances for your long-due vacation? On this episode of #PaisaVaisa, Anupam is joined by Aditya & Prahlad from Cleartrip. They share the trends and the post-covid transformations around consumer travel preferences along with rising awareness around travel budgeting. They dive deep into the idea of travel as an investment and how can one plan their travel budget in the long and short term. All of this and much more along with some smart hacks and tips around planning a budget-friendly trip! Know more about Cleartrip at:Website: http://www.cleartrip.comTwitter: Profile / TwitterInstagram: Cleartrip (@cleartrip) | Instagram Get in touch with our host Anupam Gupta on social media:Twitter: ( https://twitter.com/b50 )Instagram: ( https://www.instagram.com/b_50/ )Linkedin: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anupam9gupta/ ) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts website at https://www.ivmpodcasts.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends
Poker Fraud Alert Radio - 03/19/2023 - New! Instant! No Delay!

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2023 474:53


Topic begins at the (0:26:03) mark: Wrap up of the Jami Lafay Gofundme situation: Druff and Jami make a truce.... (0:51:46): Rory Young, inventor of the Odin poker training software, under fire for removing delay which was preventing it from being used as a cheating tool.... (1:54:31): Chat GPT attempts to give advice when to fold aces preflop in holdem.... (2:03:22): Controversial 2000s poker pro Shawn Sheikhan convicted of illegal marijuana sales operation, faces long prison sentence.... (2:24:14): Angry ACR player sends bomb, death threats to Chris Moneymaker and Phil Nagy.... (2:43:51): Robbi Jade Lew wins a GPI award for "Best Hand" -- does this make a mockery of the poker community?.... (3:03:03): Christopher Mitchell's third YouTube channel was terminated, leaving him with no YouTube channel.... (3:40:15): Prahlad Friedman battles with poker community on Twitter after he calls everyone racist cheaters.... (4:20:13): D Lucky update: He's now doing blackjack coaching, and he has shills "reviewing" him on YouTube.... (5:10:02): Nick Vertucci claims Live at the Bike was not renewed by the Bicycle Casino.... (5:30:05): Johan Guilbert tanks incessantly in hand, gets clock called on him three times.... (5:52:43): Las Vegas Review Journal publishes article explaining that blackjack has degraded to 6:5 in most places on the strip, then is pressured to kill it.... (6:03:05): New owners of Rio have raised $850m in capital for what is surely going to be a fail casino.... (6:20:05): Silicon Valley Bank is the biggest bank failure since 2008 -- is another collapse coming?.... (7:03:42): Lawsuit says Wynn blackjack dealer kept dealing hands after patron slumped onto table with a heart attack.... (7:14:22): Bally Sports is filing for bankruptcy -- what does this mean for sports and the casino industry?.... tradershky co-hosts at end.

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends
Poker Fraud Alert Radio - 03/19/2023 - New! Instant! No Delay!

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2023 474:53


Topic begins at the (0:26:03) mark: Wrap up of the Jami Lafay Gofundme situation: Druff and Jami make a truce.... (0:51:46): Rory Young, inventor of the Odin poker training software, under fire for removing delay which was preventing it from being used as a cheating tool.... (1:54:31): Chat GPT attempts to give advice when to fold aces preflop in holdem.... (2:03:22): Controversial 2000s poker pro Shawn Sheikhan convicted of illegal marijuana sales operation, faces long prison sentence.... (2:24:14): Angry ACR player sends bomb, death threats to Chris Moneymaker and Phil Nagy.... (2:43:51): Robbi Jade Lew wins a GPI award for "Best Hand" -- does this make a mockery of the poker community?.... (3:03:03): Christopher Mitchell's third YouTube channel was terminated, leaving him with no YouTube channel.... (3:40:15): Prahlad Friedman battles with poker community on Twitter after he calls everyone racist cheaters.... (4:20:13): D Lucky update: He's now doing blackjack coaching, and he has shills "reviewing" him on YouTube.... (5:10:02): Nick Vertucci claims Live at the Bike was not renewed by the Bicycle Casino.... (5:30:05): Johan Guilbert tanks incessantly in hand, gets clock called on him three times.... (5:52:43): Las Vegas Review Journal publishes article explaining that blackjack has degraded to 6:5 in most places on the strip, then is pressured to kill it.... (6:03:05): New owners of Rio have raised $850m in capital for what is surely going to be a fail casino.... (6:20:05): Silicon Valley Bank is the biggest bank failure since 2008 -- is another collapse coming?.... (7:03:42): Lawsuit says Wynn blackjack dealer kept dealing hands after patron slumped onto table with a heart attack.... (7:14:22): Bally Sports is filing for bankruptcy -- what does this mean for sports and the casino industry?.... tradershky co-hosts at end.

The Hindu Parenting Podcast
Celebrating Holi - Part 2

The Hindu Parenting Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2023 55:14


In the 2nd part of our Holi episode, we talk about the colours, issues, the images and the misconceptions with our guest Neha who is the founder of Shaktitva.org.General InformationSubscribers are requested to look for The Hindu Parenting notification emails for new podcasts/posts in their email promotions/spam tab and personally move these into the main inbox. Thereafter all posts will be delivered to their main inbox. Thank you!For questions that you'd like us to address, please use the form below:Hindu Parenting QuestionsFor comments and suggestions, please use the comments tab or write to us at contact@hinduparenting.orgPlease note that questions will not be answered on email.Do subscribe to our substack and follow us on our social media handlesTwitter: hinduparentingInstagram: hinduparentingTelegram: t.me/hinduparentingFacebook: facebook.com/groups/hinduparentingTranscriptRekha: Namaste! Welcome to the Hindu Parenting Podcast, Part 2 of the Holi Episode. Please join us as we continue the fascinating discussion about the Festival of Holi with some more stories from Neha ji, founder of Shaktitva and a Devi Upasaka.Neha: So, just to complete the story, eventually when all of these attempts to, you know, to kill Prahlad fail, and Hiranyakashipu decides to take the matters into his own hands and he finds this unarmed child. In a fit of rage, he tries to strike a sword with. So, he, you know, the child ducks and the sword hits a pillar. And from that pillar, Narsimha Avatar appears. And now Narsimha Avatar is the half-man, half-animal. So, it's not either, the boon was either animal or man. But this avatar is half-man, half-animal. And this is the most, you know, interesting element of the story.So, this Narsimha Avatar, Sri Vishnu takes him to the, at the, what we call dehleez , like the corner of the house. Yeah, the threshold of the house, exactly. He stands on the threshold of the house, takes this demon, puts him on his thigh, so that he's not on the ground or on the sky. He's on Sri Vishnu's thigh. And then he claws his heart out with his claws. So, it's not a known weapon. Yeah. And he does this at exactly a dusk when it is neither morning, day or night. Shalini: Sandhyakaal!Neha: Yeah, sandhyakaal, like the mixing when it's neither day nor night. So, he finds that exact combination that will defeat that very ingenious boon. And that's how, you know, Hiranyakashipu is defeated. Finally, Prahlad gets to witness his Ishta in the raw form, and he is blessed. And then Prahlad takes over the throne and continues the lineage of Sage Kashyap going forward. So, that Holika moment. Shalini: You said the story so beautifully.Neha: Awww! Thank you!Rekha: Nehaji, I love the part where the puzzle gets solved. I can see how kids can get absolutely fascinated by this, you know, if parents can just tell their kids, you give this puzzle; even if your kid doesn't know the story but tries to solve this puzzle.“Neither during the day nor night”. I mean, it's just too beautiful.Neha: It's ingenious. Yeah, absolutely. And see, the moral of the story is right, like you can, first of all, like I always wonder these people, they put hundreds of years of sadhana or many lifetimes of sadhana to get a boon from their Ishta, right? Like imagine, you're sitting in extreme penance, like Ravana's penance and then Hiranyakashipu's penance is not ordinary. This is like almost hundreds of years of extreme penance, even thousands of years by some accounts. They sit and you ask for such a stupid thing. I mean, your Ishta is standing in front of you deviate and you ask that you should not be killed. Why is that? I think that shows the nature of who we call demon is not by birth or lineage, you know, these are Kashyap rishi's sons, like these are the most exalted lineage you can find in all of Bharat Varsha. And that is evident because they have the capability to do this penance for eons. This is not ordinary feat in itself and the lineage is definitely blessed. So it's not by birth or by previous or whatever is the other ways of people understanding it. It's not about descent, it's not about race, it's not about caste, it's not about all of these things. It's about what you do with your abilities, right? What are your desires? Shalini:Yeah, absolutely. That is true.Neha: Yeah, as a Devi upasaka, when Ma comes to me and I ask something so stupid, I think like, you know, I should be banned from sadhana… do that if somebody does things like this. But you know, devatas are when they're happy, they're happy, they will give you what they want as long as it's within - as long as it doesn't defy the laws of nature. And so you can find several stories where Brahma is giving boons or Ma is giving boons or you know, Shiva is giving boons and these, depending on who is getting the boons, people do different things.Rekha: I'd like to bring up one point here. You live in the US. And I know that about three years ago, just pre-COVID, there was this thing in US universities about Holi against Hindutva, where Holika was painted as a Dalit woman. And you know, many people tried to spread this rumor in colleges that there's something very bad going on when Holika is burnt because she is an oppressed woman and she's a Dalit. And so I know that a lot of Indian children got swayed by this. I'd like you to weigh in on this because..Neha: yeah, absolutely. So actually, with the exact incident you're talking about, led me to write a two-part article on Holi on Shaktitva blog. The part where I explain what Holi is and the many colors of Holi is one article. And then there is a second article called “Let the Subaltern Speak”, in which I kind of explore exactly this point. So first of all, like logically speaking, you know, a lot of these claims are absurd to the point of ignorance. Like they, they rely on the fact that a lot of people don't know about these stories and the legends or all the meanings behind what we do as a culture. And that's part of colonialism, you know, just detaching us from our roots is definitely part of the colonial projects.So that now that, you know, the urban audience has already detached very few know the story of Holika or why we do this, you can twist the argument in your favor.So there are two main articles that led to this Equality Labs protest that were challenged by it. So basically this Equality Labs organization cited two main articles in their write up for Holi against Hindutva. One of them was from Pradnya Waghule, which said ‘Reading caste in Holi- the burning of Holika, a Bahujan woman'. And the second one is the Equality Labs, its own article, ‘why do we say no to Holi' In both of them, you know, I am not going to critique the whole blog, because it's ridiculous. But you can see a very clear indication that this is nothing but Hinduphobia. So Waghule herself says that she's only only ever lived in cities all her life. Right. So the what I'm trying the reason I'm trying to highlight that is because she has no in-first person knowledge of these traditions. Right. Whereas, you know, most of our families are just two generations ago, we were living in villages. So that's number one. Now this reading of Bahujan woman of Holika - Holika's existence comes from this story that I told you about. She is Hiranyakashipu's sister. Hiranya Kashyapu and Hiranyaksha are very clearly Kashyap Rishi's sons. So Kashyap Rishi is like, you know, one of the Saptarishis. So obviously he's the ultra ultra Brahmin, not even ordinary normal Shukla chukla or, you know, Pandya Brahmin is the ultra Brahmin, like he has an entire Gotra named after him.And he these are the first one, not first one, but he is like, yeah, these two are sons from Kashyap Rishi. So by caste, essentially, because it's a paternalistic tradition, it happens, they have become Brahmin. And so Holika is a sister. So that means she's a Brahmin woman, you know, by legend, which is where she's mentioned. Now, what the reality is, these people when they're mentioning these instances of Holika being worshipped in tribal areas, they are confusing Holika and Holi Mata. Now, Holi Mata is indeed worshipped in many parts of the country in many, many tribal traditions, including my hometown. Now, Holi Mata has nothing to do with Holika.What happens is many of us, many of our tribes are traditionally like the Kula Devi is a Devi, right? The Kula devatha is a Devi. And so usually anything auspicious, Devi has to be worshipped. So when you do that, and usually what the tradition goes that in specific instances, for example, if you're doing the Gauri Pooja, a specific form of Ma is being worshipped, that's why it's called Gauri Pooja. So in the same way, during Holi Mata, a specific form of Ma is being worshipped and a specific type of worship is being done, that ritual only happens around Holi. And that includes your offering, the same colors are offered, new clothes are offered, when the dahan is done, that bonfire is done, a part of that bonfire, ashes are brought to the Mata and so on. So like in the Prasad, this Naivedyam is first created. So that's why we make gujiya after the dahan, and then gujiya is first offered to the god. So if we were in the villages, we would offer it to the Kula Devi. And then eventually it will be distributed. So for that particular purpose, a Murti or a makeshift clay idol is created. And all of the village will gather around and offer the blessings over there, like they'll put the offerings in that on the clay idol.So that is that clay idol is called Holi Mata. So now confusing Holimata with Holika is silly because the same people also do the bonfire. So why would they do the bonfire if they were worshipping Holika later? Then why would you celebrate her death? Just two minutes before! They are not related. Now in other parts of India, you can actually see that Holimata, that makeshift idol, is also taken on a Yatra like Ganesh Chaturthi. So they also, the Visarjan happens and so on, like the same process, which is typical for us, like whenever we have a makeshift idol like in Ganesh Chaturthi or in Durga Puja, once the process is completed, it is done - Visarjan into some form of water body. So that also happens. So those processions will chant Holi Mata Ki Jai or something like that. And that's what these urbanites who actually want to speak for the subaltern without getting to know them, without getting to live their lives or understanding their tradition and faith systems, this is how they confuse people. So in this imagination, because she is the goddess of the tribal people, she becomes a tribal deity because they've already confused it and they're not familiar with these ideas of how Holi Mata is constructed, like on a makeshift thing and all of those nuances are not known. And so they will do this confusion and then they will suddenly Holika, the daughter of Kashyap rishi becomes the Dalit woman all of a sudden. And now nobody from the Bahujan parts of India is coming to read this English language article meant to be circulated in USA to correct it, right? Nobody's going to do that. And so and the rest of you are saying we hardly know anything about why things are happening. So we are not also correcting it. So that's how you get to circulate these, you know, false narratives. And it was actually very offensive, because targeting Holi like that. And here is the thing, you know, if you are, let's say, even if I were to imagine this concept of Brahminical Hinduism versus non-Brahminical, Brahminical tribal Hinduism, Holi is the least Brahminical of all, you know, celebrations of Hindus. Like, you know, if you see the typical hallmarks of what is what, how these people define Brahminism is - at least a Brahmin needs to be present, no? Usually all some festivals you require a priest to come and do some puja, but Holi requires the presence of no priest. Right. As I mentioned, in fact, it's a challenging of social norms and mores.Then the tradition inquires, like it requires no particular, like you usually offer it to your own gods, your own deities and a Kula Devi. But it does not require any elaborate temple visit or anything like that. Right. So how, why would, you know, if this were to be confused, check, if we were to put it in these two arbitrary criteria of Brahminical versus non-Brahminical, this is very fundamentally indigenous tribal and adivasi in origins. Right. So, so the entire basis of attacking an indigenous authentic tribal festival, which is like, in fact, one of the biggest festival for many tribes in India as a, you know, fascist thing and trying to disparage it this way and especially targeting American universities is insidious to say the least.Now, are we saying that Vedic traditions are not uninhibited? They are not, you know, connected to Mata or they are not connected to Kula Devi? No, it's a beautiful spectrum. Right.How, what happens now in a traditional, let's say, let's find a simple example in a traditional homa. Right. If you're doing Rudrabhishekam in your home and you are the Yajman and pundits have come and they're conducting it for you. What happens? Right. The starting is you'll do the cleaning of your hands. You'll remember Sri Vishnu for that. Right. Then you will start by remembering your Guru, your ancestors, your Kula Devi and Sri Ganesha. Right. Not, I messed up the order, but basically this is the, like, start with Sri Ganesha, then your Kula Devi, then your ancestors, your Guru. This is the beginning of every homa, every puja, everywhere.Right. Now, if you had, if you were in living in a place where you had access to your Kula Devi's murti, maybe you put it in your temple or maybe you are living in a place where your Kula Devi temple is nearby and that's where you're conducting it. When you are remembering them, it will involve an offering to them immediately. And this will be guided to you by the priest himself. Right. So he's not, there is no distinction between vedic gods and these gods, right.It's a beautiful spectrum. One cannot exist without the other. So the, now, whether you're reading it from the Shastras or the Puranas or you're telling folk stories, it does not matter. Right. That's just the ritual or how should I say levels of ritualism. If you were to do it at your home by yourself, you probably don't know all the Sanskrit verses. So you do it in your mind. Right. You remember the deity and you have, maybe you have a mantra or maybe you don't have a mantra. Maybe you have a Chalisa. For example, in North India, we have these avadhi verses, which serve as the mantras. So Chalisa is our collection of 40 verses or you have sometimes, you know, these, these arathis, for example, these songs that we have constructed for the singing the legends of our gods, Om Jai Jagdish hare being the most prominent one. So we have all of these different levels and ways of worship. Now, some people do it in a very elaborate way where sometimes you need a priest because it's actually too elaborate and it's not possible for some unless somebody is trained in that ritual for tens of years, which is what often priests do. It's hard for a normal householder to start doing it without training. And also it's not recommended to do it without training either. So depending on the level you're doing, for example, in Shivaratri that just passed, most people will do it in their homes. Right. If they have a lingam at home, they will do a simple Abhishekam at home. If they have, if they're going to a temple, then they'll, you know, put money for a Rudrabhishekam for the temple priests to conduct it. Or sometimes people will arrange for a priest to come and do a homa at their home. It's different levels of the same festival. All of them are valid. All of them are common.Rekha: So Neha Ji, you brought up this very, very important point of two traditions coexisting harmoniously. The universal story, the Pauranic story of Holika dahan, the Hiranyakashipu story, and also the Holi Mata Kuladevi local traditions, which are typically known as the Desi and the Margi traditions within Sanatana Dharma. So the interesting thing is that there is really no conflict. And this thing happens over and over again in our tradition, right, with the festivals, with customs, dance, music, and so many things. And I'd like to say here that I think this is not a bug, but a feature of Sanatana Dharma. Any thoughts on this?Neha: Thank you for that software engineering reference. And you're absolutely right. No, so exactly right. So I think, you know, sometimes I find myself browsing through an article that some colonial, you know, neo-colonial Indologist wrote, and they seem so confused, right? If you read the research papers that get published in Indology journals, they are just, you know, it's like it's impossible for them to parse the continuity of this tradition. So sometimes they will be looking at, you know, let's say they'll go to a rural Kuladevi Mandir, right? And they'll see, let's take for an extreme example, let's say they'll see a Bali ritual, right? And then a few, even in Tamil Nadu, let's just take the example of Tamil Nadu. If you go to the rural villages, there are still like some Kuladevi Kuladevata temples where Bali happens, you know, now with the colonial government banning it and then our modern government continuing colonial traditions, you know, officially it's banned, but still happens. Then you cross- Shalini: I think there is a temple in Kerala also, no? The Muthappan temple. Neha: Not just one, not just one temple. Shalini: Yeah, many, many temples.Neha: A lot of places where you have to secretly do this because, you know, our own government has turned against our traditions or, you know, some places where it's relatively open, but it happens. And then you cross a few kilometers and you come to the heart of, you know, say Chennai and you go to a Vaishnava temple or a Shaiva temple, like, you know, Iyengar temple or an Iyer temple and you're suddenly like, this is like very organized, you know, we have a lot of learned gurus who have given like volumes and volumes of very detailed documentary, like documented evidence of everything that they found. And, you know, somehow for these people who come from the West, it looks like these two traditions cannot coexist each other with each other. And the reason they think that is because they're bound with this Christian mentality, where paganism, which was a pre-Christian tradition of their lands, was considered or labeled as backward and, you know, not civilized by the Christians who came to dominate the space later on. So they see, you know, nature worship as uncouth, uncivilized or, you know, the thing that uneducated people do. And this has also been indoctrinated to us in our education, right? Because our education is also colonial. So every time like you have, I'm sure you have read somewhere that, you know, even in our own books that the people, ancient people worshiped Sun because they did not understand its power, right? And so the idea is that the only reason you worship something is because you don't understand it. And so it becomes a myth. And so therefore science becomes a way to dispelling that myth. And, you know, Christianity brought us to the light. And so the old gods lost the power. This is all very, very standard European Christian commentary. This is how they understand their own past. And their present, which is Christian and then eventually post-Christian. So now they use that same..Shalini: So they project that on our system.Neha: Exactly, exactly. So they project that on our system. Because for them, when they look at, say, Kanchi matham, right, it looks very organized. It looks a little bit centralized. The priests over there are learned. They talk in, you know, high philosophy. And so on, and they can, you know, hold themselves up to any debate. They are, you know, they're experts in science, math, whatever you want them to be. And so this is like, you know, high philosophy is revered, revered as, exalted culture, more civil. And so they see reflections of their Orthodox church in this. And then they look, few villages down, they look at the common villager, who is, you know, just showing pure Bhakti to the Devi. He is also following Tantra. Here is the thing, right, even these temples, the Kula Devi temples are also established as per Agama Tantra. So these, these are still very much rituals that have been told to us, passed down generations of generations through sadhakas, through practical, practical knowledge, right? But because in, in these, to these external observers, it does not appear connected, you know, because unless you are completely disconnected and you're doing some high-falutin philosophy, you're not like, you know, learned enough. So you have to talk in abstract. Suddenly, when you translate that to actual rituals, it becomes old and childish and, and, you know, superstitious and what not. So this dichotomy from their own society, they project on ours. And that's exactly what happens when they look at these traditions.So when they look at the grama traditions, and here is the thing, Dharma clearly says there are many, many acharams, right? There is Vedachar and there is Lokachar, right? And there is not, it is not like a hierarchy. It is not like Vedachar is better than Lokachar. Both are absolutely important. And it is the context that defines which, you know, acharam has to be used and in which circumstance. And so this is, you know, these, all of these interconnectedness is only understood, a lot of this, like even you and I, a lot of us understand this implicitly because we've grown up in this tradition. And, you know, one basic requirement of Indology is that if you've grown up in the tradition, then you're not qualified to speak on it. Because that's the, again, the colonial lens, right? Like, if you're a brown person, you can't possibly be objective in to look at your tradition correctly. Of course, white people can look at white, white culture correctly, but brown people, you know, we have some racial defect. And that's why we can never be objective about our culture unless we prove it to them by proving our atheism first.So all of this, you know, this is a very clever structure created so that their lens remains dominant. So even when a brown person enters these, you know, these academic institutions, you have to prove that your way of thinking has been whitened enough. And that is why they are completely unable to understand these traditions and the beauty of this, this continuity of this tradition, right? Like tantra, whether it's Agama Tantra or Dakshinacharya Tantra or whatever kind of Tantra is learned knowledge. It's practical learned knowledge, like some, you know, great upasaka did years and years and decades of sadhana, found like a point where equally in fact, it is said that there are many Tantric upasakas who have reached a stage where they can access their past lives upasana also. So all of the things that they learned in their past lives, they can collect, remember all of those memories, right? And then they have a bigger picture. And then they try to bring that bigger picture and they try to give you the rules of how to do that for yourself, right? Like they can't just disseminate the secret, you won't understand. So you have to kind of just, they can only show you a path that doing these things in this particular order through this method will lead you somewhere where you can see the truth for yourself.That's Tantra, right? So that's the marg, that's the path that has been given to you. Now it may or may not, Tantra basically distills all of this down to a process. Whereas the Vedanta and other Darshanas, they are more focused on the philosophical end goal. So there is a little bit more philosophy associated with these other paths and less with Tantra, but that does not make these local understanding that we have learned over and built up over generations and generations less valuable, right? And that is exactly how every Indigenous culture has it, right? There is a reason why North American Indigenous people and even Africans, they had so much importance to the elders, right? To the ancient ones, the wisdom of the elders.Why was it valued? It wasn't just a quality of age, that wisdom followed from generation to generation. It was imparted by the ancestors to their future generations when the people felt ready.Rekha: Now this dichotomy, maybe you can analyze the visuals of Holi using this dichotomy too, right? Because Holi being so colorful and so visually appealing, I do know that a lot of photographers converge on Vrindavan just to take photographs of this spectacle and then publish it across the world. But I think a lot of this dichotomy comes into play there also and it has been commercialized quite a bit is what I hear. Neha: Oh absolutely. So you know, the dominant image in the mind of the West is when you are civilized, when you are wise, you are not, you behave a certain way, right? Like, you know, how British were, you were all stuck up and then you know, you behave like you have to act proper and whatever. And so if you're not doing that, right? If you're literally just having fun, that's lack of civilization, right? Lack of civility. And we've learned that even in our minds, we have at some point integrated that.So if somebody is behaving like they're just very, you know, acting very demure and very, you know, quiet and not letting their emotions out, all of that is a mark of manners or civility. And every time you let your hair down and like if you're angry, you're yelling, if you're, you know, happy, you're laughing boldly, all of that is, is, you know, lack of, you know, decorum. So we've learned those behaviors. Rekha: Nehaji, we often see pictures from Mathura and Vrindavan for Holi. Yeah. So is this like the center where it all started and what kind of celebrations are usually done in these places? Neha: Oh, actually, I mean, I don't know if it started there, but it's definitely a very important focal point of the Holi traditions in North India. And the part of the reason is because all of when you, when you listen to Shri Krishna's Rasleela stories, Holi actually plays a very interesting part there. In fact, it comes, the reference comes from his Balakanda to the time he is doing the Rasleela. Yeah. So in fact, because Krishna's birthplace and place where he grew up, are so central to the areas around Mathura, so Mathura, Vrindavan and NandGaon and all of these, they are very, you know, they celebrate the Krishna connection also during those Holi celebrations. So, in fact, when Vrindavan Holi is so very, very famous, in fact, if you just Google it as a most, you know, the most of the Westerners are fascinated by this particular Holi celebration. And I even know of people who try to visit Mathura specifically just to witness the Holi. And so it's actually fairly elaborate. And one of the, this is actually worth mentioning, Vrindavan's Holi lasts for seven days. And just the color playing part. So like the playing part lasts seven days. Everywhere else, we have one day of Holika Dahan, which is the bonfire ritual, and the next day is the playing colors part. But Vrindavan, the thing goes on for a week. And the first Holi in that day is called Laatmaar Holi, right, and translates to being beaten by a stick Holi. And there is, there is actually a legend behind it. So what happened is, it's part of Rasleela stories of Sri Krishna. So Sri Krishna, who hailed it from Nandgaon, he was visiting Radha in Barsana, which is where she used to live. So he was visiting her. Radha and her friends in Barsana on Holi. And he teased Radha and the other gopis so much, right, that they got really annoyed and they started hitting him, him and his friends with a stick and they chased him out of the city. So it's part of the whole like the Rasleela, the play, and he used to be like a notorious prankster, right. So you would run away with the clothes and whatnot. So he was here teasing them and playing pranks on them a lot. And so they got very annoyed. And so they chased him out of the city. So in sync with that legend, now men from Nandgaon will visit Barsana every year, you know, being acting like their Krishna story. And then the Barsana women will basically beat them up with lathis.Shalini: It happens to this day? It happens to this day?Neha: Exactly. So in fact, now this tradition has spread outside Barsana also, in many places they do this. But that is the, that is the role play that's happening, right. So they are Krishna's friends, the men act like Krishna's friends visiting the gopis and the women act like the women of Barsana act like they are the gopis. And so they basically, you know, reenact that scene. And this especially happens outside the Radharani temple in Barsana, like that's the specific part. And this is one of the most famous temples dedicated to Radha Ma in India. And then obviously you sing and dance and you know, we are very happy people. We drink thandai and all sorts of sweets are eaten and nuts and all of that fun stuff happens. But then one of the other days is Phoolon wali Holi where you play with flowers. Then there is another day where the people play with mud. It's not pleasant but it happens. And then the actual colors Holi. And in fact, Shalini: That makes it for three more. Three, four, one is flowers, one is the mud. Neha: Yeah. And one is colors four and I think the three more. Yeah, I don't remember exactly.Shalini: But these are very interesting, very interesting. Rekha: But but at the same time, there is a lot of shock value or, you know, some kind of an intrinsic value in all these visuals, right? You do see international media using a lot of the Holi and then, you know, coming to something like the widows of Vrindavan. You see that every year the media puts these very nice colorful pictures which I believe are actually sold by the international media. INeha: In fact, it's big, it's big money. Like a right picture can the copyrights can be translated throughout the world and it can actually make like quite a decent sum. So photographers from around the world gather around and then the, you know, they will just take captionless photos. And then the caption is added by the whoever is looking at the picture. So actually, you brought the brought up widows of Vrindavan. I actually have a Twitter thread where I analyze this! Ever since I joined Twitter. This was 2009. I've been noticing these headlines, right? “Widows of Vrindavan break taboo, break tradition and celebrate Holi!”. Now I actually did an analysis. I just take this phrase “widows of Vrindavan play Holi” and I append a year to it, right? And you can see these stories coming back from all the way up to 2012. So it's been 10 years and every year apparently, those widows break tradition and celebrate Holi and, you know, they break taboo and celebrate Holi. Every year they will announce it as if it's a new thing. So that just makes you question, was that ever a taboo in the first place or is just a myth that media has created that they just like to break because it's a catchy headline? Well, so this is absolutely like it makes a lot of money and from you can find those articles from, you know, they get sent through those news agencies like ANI and then they republished internationally. It's big money. Some of those photos can actually fetch you a very pretty penny, especially like there's so many aerial shots of those of Vrindavan Holi too these days, a lot of them like so. In fact, if you go to during Holi time, if you go to Vrindavan, you'll see a flock of international photographers over there just trying to get those pictures. Rekha: No concerns of privacy? I mean, I'm just wondering for the western world is so big on privacy, but is there no compunction in you know, preying on somebody's personal space. Neha: I very much doubt that they get these contracts like the privacy waiver signed. Exactly.Rekha: You know, let's talk a little bit about the colors. So these colors, there are some typical colors that are used predominantly. I see most of the people using a kind of a magenta color. Neha: So yes, so that pink is very common. The most common probably is pink. And then yellow is very common. Then nowadays, so almost every color on the spectrum, you can find you can find like light blue, powder blues. And even these days, pastels have come into fad. Also organic colors are appearing nowadays. This is interesting.Rekha: This is an interesting variation. So initially, I think we didn't need an organic color because because obviously all color was organic. Flowers and herbs is what I hear. And that specific bright colors that were made from the powder of certain dried flowers. Is that right?Neha: Yes, exactly. So the yellow was actually a mix of turmeric and marigold. And I don't remember the pink came also from a flower. But these days, so they could become a much brighter pink, at least that's what my nani used to say. But yeah, the definitely some colors are more predominant. Although nowadays, again, most of it is made being manufactured in factories. So you get pretty much every color there is. Shalini: Yeah, there's so much of talk about these being chemical colors and not very good for the skin and all. How much truth is there in that?Neha: growing up, I did have at least some like at least for a couple of years, there definitely was some sort of adulterated color coming into the market that was harsh on the skin. But these days, people are like too aware and especially depending on, but here is the thing, you can't control what color gets put on you. You can buy good colors. But then if somebody else buys whatever colors, then you're at the mercy of that person. But again, I think like cheaper colors as usual, you'll find some adulteration there. But mostly nowadays, there are big companies, just like the fireworks for Diwali, there are big companies dedicated to doing this. So if you buy like those brands or if you make at home, sometimes I've seen people starting to make themselves by grinding flowers. So those options are also there. But you find like very easy to find safe colors, to be honest.Shalini: Okay, so now you play with these colors, what do you do to take them off?Neha: That is this mystery thing called Ubtan. Yeah, I'm glad that you asked about removing the colors. So that's a whole entire exercise in itself. So basically, we make this very gooey paste made of all organic elements found at home. So you take either besan, which is ground chickpea flour, or you take wheat flour, your regular aata, and you mix haldi in it. And you put like turmeric, and you put oil, and you put water. Now, it should be a little bit more on the watery side, because you want it to be sticky. But the oil is there so that it removes well also, like when it comes up, all of it should come off. But if you have less oil, then it won't stick long enough. So the point is that you stick, and it's also used during the wedding ceremonies, by the way, after Haldi. So when you do the Haldi ceremony, it's actually Haldi and oil ceremony. So one round is done with Haldi, one round is done with oil, and then Ubtan is applied. And so the Haldi is, etc., is taken off by the Ubtan. And the idea is that obviously, it's very good for your skin, because putting turmeric is very, very nourishing for the skin. But also that consistency of the Ubtan, it brings out all the impurities of the skin. So in this case, that being colors. So colors come off very nicely with Ubtan, for the most part, unless you're, I'm talking about those my naughty cousins who actually pour that nasty chemical thing on my head, those ones don't come out easily. But the powder ones come off very easily, like with Ubtan, you know, between Ubtan and shower are fully covered, like you won't even, people won't even realize that you played Holi. Shalini: Okay, so I was just going to ask about that, you know, does it go in one day or it takes a few days to get rid of these colors? Again, powder? I can work with remnants of the color, you know, at the next day, it's not all good. Rekha: I call it a post-Holi glow, you know, you can always pick that on people. Neha: 100% there is a post-Holi glow, because you're so tired and you're so happy and you're so well fed by the end of this all, that you know, there's a post-Holi glow. But, but jokes aside, honestly, if you're playing only with powder or even with like, you know, diluted colors mixed in water, all of it comes out in one day for the most part. Unless you've been pranked with the thing on your head, then it will take a while. But I actually remember one of my best friends in school, she had like, you know, normal brown hair, but it's a slightly lighter color than the complete black hair that we usually have. So her hair was slightly brownish. And one time she came back after playing Holi and I kid you not, when she stood in the sunlight, her hair looked pink. This when we were not allowed to color our hair, because we were young children back then. So I think you got like a free hair color when there's not a lot of costs involved. But just things like that happen. Again, it completely depends on like the kind of Holi you play and you know, the type of people that, you know, come to your place to play with you. But for the most part, like, powder color 100% comes off with Ubtan. And it's also very good for your skin. So any kind of this harsh chemical or whatever, right? Like if you do the Ubtan treatment afterwards, it also kind of takes care of that. Like, and as I said early on, you have to be careful and put oil before you go out. And that way it will stain on your skin less if you have oil on your skin. Yeah, so for the most part, it comes out. Rekha: This is insider information.Neha: Absolutely. Shalini: So what a rollicking time we've had, you know, but I think now, I think you should speak about your foundation, Nehaji. What prompted you to start the foundation? What do you do? What are your projects, please? Neha: Yeah, absolutely. You know, that's a Shaktitva Foundation is a labor of love. It started around 2018, had to slow it down a couple for the last couple of years because of COVID and, you know, bereavement and family. But essentially, the original idea behind it, it's a decolonial, indigenous, feminist organization. And what I mean by that and this decoloniality and indigeneity approach from a Hindu perspective. So what essentially that means is this actually started around the same time when Shalini Ji you and I met for the first time. This was like the aftermath of Sabarimala. And, you know, we, I'm sure like all three of us were part of it in some way or the other. But one thing that became very obvious in the aftermath or during the Sabarimala protest for all of us Hindu women was that somehow our voice was being erased, right? This entire war was being fought in our name, right? Suddenly it was a Hindus versus women, you know, and the Hindu women were the least heard of all people. If you remember, like we were not allowed on TV debate, we were not, our opinions were considered, you know, fringe by some exactly some miracle, like, you know, majority of women were suddenly fringe. Anybody who basically did not agree with the five feminists of Delhi was fringe, right? So that that erasure is what led to the frustration that eventually led to the inspiration from my calling this Shaktitva Foundation. So the idea was that, you know, our voices need to have a place and not just the voice of a Hindu woman in India, but also this, the immigrant Hindu woman in growing up in America, right, or living in America. And the same thing that you know, because what happens is if we don't speak up, somebody else takes the mic and starts speaking for us, right? Whether we are the subaltern and whether we are an unrepresented group, if people don't speak up for their own groups, their names are misused and, you know, activists kind of take up that mantle of speaking on behalf of us, even if that is not the majority opinion, or even they forget the majority opinion, even if it is not even a minority opinion, then this will happen. And so we wanted to kind of set up a space where we can bring forth the lived experiences of a Hindu woman from the point of view of what we just did, right? Like we were talking about Holi from the lived experience of a person who has participated in it. And not just that, it's not just isolated to my personal experience, but also I try to kind of dive into the, when we do the research. If you see, a lot of people actually write for us, the articles and the work that we do focuses on bringing forth the original, authentic, indigenous meaning behind the things. And the reason is India and by extension, the South Asian activism circles is full of people who almost are kind of like the people who have been left behind by the colonialists, right? It's almost that they wanted to be taken with them, you know, ‘why did you leave us behind' sort of frustration that you see in these activists. And so they look at every time they sort of create this, you know, unnecessary rift in the society, it's because they're looking at things from a colonial lens, whether it is they're getting angry at Sabarimala tradition or it's not a concern for women that led to the creation of that controversy, right? It was that, you know, it is a colonial view. We must so that the colonial white man saviourism has appointed these brown saviours. And so they're now going to save Hinduism from Hindus, essentially. That's what's happening. So they're taking up for that, that colonial mantle of reform, and they're imposing all of these ideas on us in order to get some name and fame and they become those these heroes of who saved the women from oppressive Hinduism and so on. So whether it's the Sabarimala question, whether it is the Jallikattu again, no concern for actual animals or anything like that, whether it's the elephant controversy or whether it's in North India, the Kavadia controversy. Now they'll say these are rowdy men. Kavadiya men in Kavadia is the same when they become rowdy. 10 minutes later when farm laws happened, the same men who were actually doing Kavadia minutes before these are the oppressed category of farmers.So there is no rhyme or reason to it. So exactly that the point was that, you know, we wanted to create a space where Hindu women could find their voice and essentially take up that narrative and clear it up from their side. So we do a whole host of things. There's one is very important aspect is research driven articles like this one on Holi. I've done another one on Rakshabandhan and there's many more that are coming, not just on festivals, we also do on general issues and so on. And there is the other aspect of on-the-ground activism where we sort of try to help groups. So for example, we did a workshop with Bhutanese Hindu refugees who are living in America, especially the kids. And we did a workshop there about Dharma and specifically with the girls, about menstruation because menstruation is - like the menstrual restrictions are very strictly followed in Nepali and Bhutanese communities. And that becomes a very important propaganda point for missionaries to try to convert these kids. So we wanted to present the honest truth of why these rituals exist, like why are these menstrual restrictions are at all present in the culture and what are the significance, not prescribing them or, you know, or denying them, just presenting the truth of it. After that, it's up to you. Like as is always the case in Dharma. And similarly, we also did a project for to focus on the domestic violence survivors, Indian origin domestic violence survivors in America.That so we're trying to sort of create a space where we can dispel the fake issues and focus on the real issues and essentially, you know, move forward with that mindset.Shalini: So is this an initiative only driven only by you or is are you a team of a few people?Neha: No, we are a team of we're a team of a few people. We have few directors and after that, there is an advisory board. So the details can be found that also volunteers that work at different levels. Some of them are, for example, interested in conducting those workshops that I spoke about in their areas for a specific group. So we sort of arm them with the content and we help them and train those volunteers for those spaces. There's also like several other projects that are in the works just COVID kind of, you know, through a wrench and all of them. But but we're trying to sort of bring it up again. Hopefully this year, you should see a lot more action.Shalini: Sure. This sounds very empowering and well, such a misused word, but for lack of a better word, empowering our own women, you know, Neha: So we'll actually, I'll actually end with the quote. somehow it dawned on me while I was sitting in Sadhana. You know, I said, Hindu women are embodiments of Shakti and you do not empower Shakti, you bow before it. So that's why the name is Shaktitva, which is the essence of being Shakti. Now, this is not to be construed with this modern new agey idea of, you know, I am princess, I am a goddess type, you know, the wrong notions. No, we are talking about like a very sacred channeling of the divine energy that can happen when you are you know, when you are really devoted to your gods and your faith and to your culture and the indigeneity of it all. Like it's not, these terms almost seem to have become like negative terms, honestly, in the western space. But for, you know, as an indigenous person, it's all the same. It's a spectrum. These words are not disconnected at all. Rekha: Nehaji, I'm looking at your website. And there is a scheme, there is something called the Gayatri grants. Is that still operational? Is that something that can be used to encourage young people to write for you?Neha: Oh, absolutely. Yes. So Gayatri grants are not just even for writing. Even if there was a proposal that like that somebody wants to take up like a more elaborate research project towards anything, you know, towards something that brings together that aligns with the mission of Shaktitva. We are more than happy to sort of sponsor that activity because research itself, you know, is expensive. And, you know, so we want to encourage through this grant system, we want to encourage people to apply for, you know, proposals and come up with ideas because, as I said, like it's very difficult for one person to or a few people to cover the breadth of this issue. So if there is even if there's something very simple as you notice that there is a tradition that is unexplored, and it aligns with our mission, and you want to research it, you know, please submit a grant to us, grant proposal to us, the template is provided on the website. So you just have to fill that template up and send us a proposal and we'll evaluate it. And hopefully, like we can come up with a collaboration.Rekha: Can you tell us the name of the website for all the listeners? We will also be providing links to the website on our transcript. But can you just mention the name please?Neha: Yeah, it's Shaktitva.org. S-H-A-K-T-I, Shakti. And then, Shaktitva.org.Shalini: Great. Yeah, so I think we've had a one hell of a ride with you, Nehaji. It's been absolutely exhilarating, I would say. And I think this episode will not stay at 35, 40 minutes, but that's okay. But I think even our listeners will find it extremely engaging and beautiful too. So I think I'm absolutely floored by your quote. I would like you to end once more with the quote that you just mentioned and then we'll call it wraps. Neha: Absolutely. So the way we mentioned it is that Hindu women are embodiments of Shakti. You do not empower Shakti, you bow before it.Shalini: And with that, I think we come to the end of this edition of our podcast, and we will connect with our listeners in a fortnight's time. Thank you. Thank you, Nehaji. Thank you very much for spending so much time with us and giving us one grand experience of Holi. Thank you so much and thank you, Rekha, and we will meet with our listeners soon. Namaste. 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The Hindu Parenting Podcast
Celebrating Holi - Part 1

The Hindu Parenting Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2023 37:51


In this episode, we talk about the festival of Holi with our special guest Neha who is the founder of Shaktitva.org.In this episode, we participate and soak in the reminiscences of Neha ji as she recounts her memories of playing Holi in India, growing up.General InformationSubscribers are requested to look for The Hindu Parenting notification emails for new podcasts/posts in their email promotions/spam tab and personally move these into the main inbox. Thereafter all posts will be delivered to their main inbox. Thank you!For questions that you'd like us to address, please use the form below:Hindu Parenting QuestionsFor comments and suggestions, please use the comments tab or write to us at contact@hinduparenting.orgPlease note that questions will not be answered on email.Do subscribe to our substack and follow us on our social media handlesTwitter: hinduparentingInstagram: hinduparentingTelegram: t.me/hinduparentingFacebook: facebook.com/groups/hinduparentingTranscriptRekha: Namaste. Welcome to the Hindu Parenting Podcast. Today, we will speak about the festival of Holi. Holi is celebrated on the full moon Purnima in the month of Phalgun as per the Hindu calendar.To help us understand the traditions, the stories and the issues surrounding the festival, we have a special guest today, Neha Ji, who is the founder of Shaktitva Foundation, a Devi Upasaka and many things besides. She is also a software engineer. Namaste, Neha Ji.Neha: Namaste, everyone. Really glad that you chose me to be here. Holi is definitely one of the top two festivals that we celebrate in North India and I'm glad to share it with you all.Rekha: Oh, we are very happy to have you on our podcast too. So this being a special Holi episode, could you tell us a little bit about your childhood memories? Where did you grow up?Neha: Yeah, so I actually am born and raised in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. As you can imagine, that's like the heart of what they call the Hindi heartland. So, you know, we have a very, very elaborate celebration of Holi. Like the anticipation starts building up honestly from like right after Basant Panchami. Holi and Diwali are the two major festivals where everything comes together. For the Western audience, I often compare that to like we have, this is like our Christmas. It's that big. So yeah, I grew up in Lucknow and Holi was like when we were even like younger, like Holi and Diwali are the two times when you definitely get new clothes. That's a guarantee. You may or may not get on your birthday or any other occasion, but these two, you are definitely going to get new clothes. You know, the growing up we, you know, the fondest memories are that most of my cousins who are usually busy with their, you know, daily lives, they're working in different cities and so on. They'll all they choose the Holi vacations to come to the hometown. And we had like a joint family sort of a setup. So we would get relatives we hadn't seen in, you know, months, sometimes even years, who will come over to celebrate with us. Shalini: Nehaji, so is there a concept of Holi vacations in the north? I've not heard of that. Neha: Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. So like for example, right now, my niece has her board exam starting on 27th here. That is Monday, but she will get five days off around Holi. Shalini: Wow, really? This is news to me. I didn't know that, you know, there are vacations for Holi also. Neha: And in fact, my other niece is in the engineering school right now and she is getting her 10 day off. Shalini: 10 days for Holi? That's so lovely. I thinkNeha: what they do is they integrate Holi with whatever their summer like semester break is. So that it happens at the same time. So they say the same as spring break, right? But in this scenario, spring break and Holi are done together. Yeah, so we have this, people would come like, as you said, as because you get these longer vacations to take time to go back to family, if you're not living with them, also the preparations in the household start honestly, even months before. So there is this, so when you're celebrating Holi in the middle of it, like, you know, you're drenched in colors and you get hungry. But you can't sit down to eat your regular food, right? What are you going to eat? Because you're only literally like dripping with colors. So we have to prepare, you have to prepare snacks, right? That are like, that are sort of, you know, homemade fried snacks. So the sweets are offerings, you can eat those.So what we call Gujiya. But other than that, you can, the ladies will start preparing chips and papad. So chips is mostly potato chips, but also other kinds of chips. And papads, so I am sure if you don't know the process of making chips requires you, you know, slice the potatoes in a certain thickness, you lay it all to be dried in the sun. And only then for many, many days, and only then it's ready. Same is the story with papad. So for papad, like, aloo papad is easier, like potato papad is easier. But if you're making papad from tapioca, sabudana, then that one, you have to make that paste, spread it really thin on a plastic, and then again, put it out in the sun to soak, to dry. And if it's not dry, it's not going to fry. Okay, so this is a very, very elaborate process that's taken up almost weeks before. Like, I am sure like back in India right now, the process has started in my home. Shalini: So this all this happens even now? Neha: Yeah. I mean, it's honestly, it kind of depends on the person. Like, you know, you can be as, you know, you can do as much of this as you want. And sometimes you obviously the replacements are available in the market. So if you don't have time to make papad and chips, you can always buy them. But you know, you're talking about memories. So this was definitely, you know, in the, every family and every sister in law, mother in law that I knew whether it was a working lady or not, they're coming back and even entire families involved. To be honest, like my brother used to boil potatoes. And we used to help them, help them spread. Because it's a lot of work, you know, like one person can't do it. So literally, you know, kids will get involved. And also, it's fun because like we're not now all hanging around it and maybe we get to take a bite of it uncooked and raw. And then your tummy will hurt. But you know, children will be children. Shalini: Sounds like a whole load of fun, really.Neha: Yeah, it's a very, very elaborate process. So this is this starts weeks before then you have to plan for the, you know, the actual Holi, so you have to buy colors in advance and so on. And then if sometimes, you know, daughters will visit their Maika, like their mother's home with their husband, if they're local, usually, if they're local. So during the playing time, them, them and their, so usually what happens, you play for a little bit in your home. And then sometimes you, if you have local relatives, you kind of do a tour, you know, like you go to those other houses and play.So sometimes daughters will visit and then, you know, mothers will get very anxious that oh, she's going to visit. So now we have to prepare all of the stuff that has to be given to her and all that fun. So it gets like, you know, the preparations take a while. Then the day before Holi is the Holika Dahan. We'll talk a little bit more in detail about it. But that is the sort of the, it's very similar to how the day before Diwali is. So the Naraka Chaturadashi, that and this one is very similar where you basically the idea is that you clean your house, get all the impurities out of the house. And in this time, we actually put those impurities and burn it in the bonfire. So it's kind of like an evil warding ritual, right. And there is a mythological reason behind it or like I don't want to call it mythological, it's a legendary reason behind it. Shalini: Yeah. Okay. So and then after the, after the, I think the next day is the playing with colours, no? And then what happens after, after all the masti is over? Neha: And then you have to clean up yourself. Shalini: Is that something people looked forward to? Neha: No, no, no, that's the worst part obviously. And depending on how, you know, how, how should I say, how naughty your cousins and friends are, that will increase the intensity of the cleanup. So usually like if you're playing with dry powder colours, which is like Gulal is what we call it in Hindi, those are relatively easier to clean up. Like you can just shower and shampoo and it's more or less it cleans up fast. But these days, sometimes you start getting those wet colours, right? So you mix those, it comes taken a very crystallised form powder and you mix it in the water and then it becomes coloured water. So you throw water at each other. Again, that, that can also relatively get cleaned up. But the naughty part is now at least my brothers used to do this and I am, if you've never met me, but I'm short. So what they'll do is they'll get that entire box of the crystals and put it on my head, dry, not with water. So when I'm shampooing, now this thing is dissolving. So that's when it starts to dissolve and I get freshly coated as I'm shampooing because I'm showering. So for like hours, the water has to run from my head so that the colour and will keep coming out and out and out. So sometimes I'm actually more colourful after the shower than before the shower. So it depends. Rekha: It's a diabolical plan. Neha: People get very creative on Holi. So you must have heard like, you know, neighborhood boy, little young boys will, you know, or boys and girls in fact both. They'll make those balloons filled with water and they'll, you know, throw those from roof tops. The two tease, tease people, we all get yelled at for it. But you know, kids being kids. And then there's also like, sometimes the, some of the friends will hide on the balcony and they will target the people who are coming to the house, right? Like, so if you're knocking and if the balcony faces the door, you're standing on the balcony, hoping to not be noticed. And as soon as the, as you come to knock, we all pour, you know, colour from on top of you. But the fun part, you know, another interesting thing is Holi is in fact, there is an entire genre of songs, traditional folk songs about Holi. And then you'll notice a theme in there. Right? Those are very, very naughty songs. And by naughty, I mean, like, usually there is a, you know, a decorum of how you talk to people or how you behave with certain relations, right? So for example, you know, the daughter's husband is like a sort of a celebrity, like a mini celebrity in the daughter's home. So like, there's like a certain decorum, like, you know, you want to offer the best food to him and you want to treat him special. And also same thing with, you know, elders and some in law relationships are also like that, like daughters in law will be very respectful to brothers in law and so on. Yeah. But on Holi, we call it like, you know, all sins are forgiven. So, so there is a, in fact, there's a slogan called bura na mano Holi hai. Don't mind. So I have permission that I have. I have an implicit permission to, you know, break those barriers. So what that means is if I am a younger sister, usually I'll be very respectful towards my older brother or older sister. But on Holi, I can actually play all these tricks on them and they're not allowed to get angry at me.And the same thing, it will even transcend those boundaries of marriages and custom, you know, so like daughters in law will sometimes play pranks on their, you know, in fact, their mother-in-law or like even their brother-in-law and so on. So that kind of license to, you know, be completely free and enjoy the festival in your, you know, in your natural form. And that like, that laughter and joy that, you know, uncontrolled or rather uninhibited joy is what actually brings the beauty of the festival.Rekha: An opportunity to let off some steam also, right? Neha: Exactly, exactly. So people look forward to it. You know, if you've been, sometimes, like, you know, if you've had some say, let's say you've had a fight with your sister-in-law, you know, you haven't been seeing eye to eye, Holi is the time where you get to be, you know, where you get to talk about it. Or maybe that is exactly because she's not allowed to get upset. So there are songs, entire songs dedicated on how, you know, bura na mano Holi hai theme, essentially. Okay. Rekha: This part is so cultural. I, anybody who's not part of this culture, who hasn't seen it growing up, will have some trouble relating to it. And a chance of misinterpreting this is very high, I feel. Neha: Oh, absolutely. In fact, in fact, this is known, right? For example, if somebody even from other parts of India has moved recently to some part of North India, and they see it for the first time, you know, it will, in fact, appear weirdly rowdy. Oh, my God, what are these, you know, people who appear. It's honestly, we're having so much fun that sometimes we look drunk, but we're not. But like, but if people like so, like, you know, uninhibited that you would feel that they may be like high on something.And you'll see groups of these extremely colored people, you know, wearing weirdo clothes, walking around with bags of color in their hands and throwing it at random strangers and yelling, bura na mano Holi hai, it sounds very uncultured, right? And in fact, it's very common for you, like, maybe you're not expecting to be colored, but you know, suddenly somebody throws color at you and something like that can happen. And it can sometimes be a little off-putting. But you have to understand this is a very, very, Holi is probably one of the most authentic indigenous festivals that has maintained its nature throughout the, you know, two waves of colonization and even this modern, you know, fad of westernization. We have sort of at least Holi preserves that original authentic character.So, you know, it started off in villages where everybody knew everybody. So, first of all, like that, there was this implied sense of relationship, even if it wasn't blood relations. And then so they first sort of this was like a community level function, right? And that uninhibition or lack of inhibition can be a little, you know, I would even say jarring, which is why, you know? Shalini: Disconcerting…Neha: Yeah, exactly. Disconcerting or even maybe jarring, which is why you start seeing these, you know, tweets of hyper-civilized, hyper-westernized or colonized people tweeting about, oh my God, this is so rowdy, this is so rowdy. You know, I've even, I've even heard toxic masculinity pop up, but like, you know, if you see my behavior, then it's also very toxic masculinity on that day. But no, but I think, you know, but of course, there is at the same time, whenever you have some festival like this, there'll always be elements that try to misuse it and, you know, pull that off. But that's not the nature of the festival. Like you can't change a festival because there are criminal elements in the society. Shalini: Oh yeah, that's true. Yeah, absolutely. Neha: But yeah, to your point, you know, it is, it can be, you know, a little bit shocking, but that's also why so many people are attracted to this festival. Like in fact, I live in New York and, you know, ever since I moved here, I know that there is a grand Holi celebration that happens in New York. And there is a, I've actually even participated in a couple of them. Obviously, we can't do it on the actual date because it's too cold. So then the holy celebration in New York is delayed and usually happens in like May. And we book an entire park and have a sport park is booked for celebration and the colors are sold in the stalls right there. There is Indian dancers performing and there's like snacks and everything like it. They try to recreate that experience to the extent possible because it's just so intoxicating in that sense. If you see it vicariously, you want to be a part of it.Shalini: It's, I think that freedom to let go of any inhibitions is something very tempting for everybody no. I mean, you're always living a very rule bound, boundaries, not to violate them, which is, of course, I think required too, but this one occasion to let go is something very attractive.Neha: It creates that balance. Otherwise, we are a fairly conservative society. We live by so many rules that are implied and that sometimes are not even written somewhere, but we have these social norms and the society is very strongly structured around those rules that we have followed for millennia. So this one day where you get to be yourself and have fun and tease and play and be naughty and all of that and play pranks on people that otherwise would get upset is an amazing experience. It just lets you be. It creates that balance that is, I think, very necessary for us to survive. Rekha: Nehaji, in many ways, I wish I had known this growing up because I grew up mostly in South India and had spent a couple of years in Bihar in Patna. And I must tell you that my first Holi there was very unsettling for me because I had no background of Holi, witnessing Holi at all. And you're right. I did see many people wandering around looking colorful. It's just this whole thing. It makes you quite unsettled. And I just wish I had known this to understand it in its proper spirit then. Shalini: Correct. Actually, yeah, even I remember while growing up, Holi was one festival where we would get afraid. It was a bit fear inducing because you don't know who will jump out from where to throw those colors. Even I grew up in the South. So there was a sense of fear associated with Holi. It's just that you're not used to somebody coming and rubbing so much color on you and you looking like a ghoul after that.Rekha: We have all these concepts now of personal space and things like that that we have grown up with because we have internalized them so much. Maybe the modern Western thinking that we all grew up with. So Holi is one occasion that doesn't leave you with this concept of personal space. And that's what I remember thinking back then. But then it's always the lens with which you view these things. And knowing what I know now, it just seems like I should have relaxed and participated.Neha: So I think there's one more thing though. There is an important, you bring up a very important point. I think what I have noticed personally and I may be biased and if your experience is different, I'd be happy to hear it out. But from what my experience says, if I am passing by, you're all in the mood. And if I notice somebody who's clearly telling with me with their body language that they don't want to participate, then most people will leave them alone actually.Unless there's somebody trying to create nuisance, people will generally leave them alone. But of course, if you are participating, like if you're fully colored and you have a bag in your hands, even then I've seen like usually, especially with women and women you don't know, if somebody wants to play with you, they'll come and ask first, is it okay, didi, if I put color on you, something like that. So that kind of respect is still there. We don't completely forget who we are. But again, like, as you said, like, you know, very correctly observed that it's all about the lens that you see it from. If you weren't scared, and if you were willing to participate, the experience may be actually very beautiful. Shalini: It is, because the figure I remember listening to you, it sounds like real, you know, letting your hair down completely, you know, so much. But we never got this perspective growing up, you know, so, Neha: yeah, because your family wasn't participating. Yeah, I think that's the difference, right? Like when you start, like from like in the morning on the color playing day, you're actually not supposed to start playing unless you've offered color to the gods and then to the elders. So I was the youngest and I was obviously the most excited also to play holy. So the first thing I'll do the moment I get up, I'll brush my teeth, and mom will try to put some breakfast out, but I'm not interested. And I will, you know, wear whatever clothes have your marks to be destroyed by Holi. I'll wear those. And then I will put like a plate of all the various colors. And I'll go to the puja room, put it on the gods, offer it to the gods and come back and wake up every family member and put a tika on them so that, you know, I can start playing. So as soon as possible, like even if you have not woken up, the tika will be there because I need to go. So I'll, you know, once I'm ready and all the other cousins from other family and we used to live in a sort of joint family setting. So then I'll go around the rest of the place, offering the same thing. And then, you know, of course, every single time I had to be reminded that I should put oil on my body first. So we'll take mustard oil and we'll put it earlier so that it stains less, like the color stains less if you put oil. So we'll drench ourselves with mustard oil, including the hair, and then you wear those clothes. And so you've already, the moment I enter, you know, I'm prepared for what's about to ensue.So it starts like that, like it starts simple and all the, you know, every single family I'll visit, they'll have snacks on the table ready somewhere, hopefully outside where you don't have to walk too much inside too late. Otherwise you'll just, you know, spill colors everywhere. So they'll, whatever is their visitor's area, they'll put out like a whole plate of snacks right there and they'll offer you, oh, and then as I said mentioned, like, you know, that special sweet has to be prepared, Gujiya. So that is also a night. So in some families, there's a culture that you have to prepare it the night before, after the holika has burned, like that holika dahan has happened, that bonfire has happened. And that's also a decently elaborate ritual.So mostly all of the family would be involved in that also. So it's made from, like from Maida, which is like, you know, filtered wheat flour, and you use Maida and you add, like, you know, flatten it into a small puri. And then you fill it with a sweet mixture of milk solids, like the mawa. And before that, you have to fry mawa to a golden brown color, and then you add dry fruits in it and powdered sugar or gold, like jaggery. And so that mixture is prepared, that is the filling of that Gujiya. And then you seal it up in a semi, like it's a semi circle, sort of shape. And then you then it is fried. So again, everyone wants you to try out their Gujiya and then you have to praise the Gujiya. Shalini: Actually, we had a similar sweet in the south, you know, it's called, yeah, what? Rekha: In Telugu, we call it kajjikai. Neha: Yes. Yes. What you call it, but there is something very similar. Yeah. Yeah, it is slightly different, you know. Shalini: Yeah, the filling is different. In the south, I think they put either channa dal mixed with gud or they put coconut, coconut in it. Neha: We also put coconut, but the base is mawa. Shalini: Yeah, that's what. I've not seen milk solids in the southern version of this.Neha: But you know, by the way, there is a very interesting linkage here. So one interesting thing that my friend Sahana Singh has found is that during the reign of King Harsha, several families, and I'm talking hundreds of families of Brahmins, learned Brahmins were invited to live in the Agrahaara he was setting up in Karnataka. And they were all invited from the Ahi Chhatra part of Uttar Pradesh, which is now Bareli. So actually Sahana Singh's own family traces her origins to Ahi Chhatra area. So it is and that is why it's my personal observation also that the some specific traditions, whether it's wedding rituals or even this these, you know, folk traditions have a lot of commonality between Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.I don't know if this particular sweet is related or not, but I'm just saying like it's entirely possible that the, you know, the there is some cultural interchange that has caused this very similar sweet to have, you know, come into being. Shalini: Yeah, yeah, we should find a lot more of these linkages, you know, just to end this whole North-South divide, you know, completely. Neha: Oh, absolutely. The more you get to know each other, the more you find out it's so similar. You know, there's more common than there are more commonalities than differences.Rekha: Totally. The food, the customs, there's a lot in common. And this whole thing about, you know, UP and Bihar, I feel the culture is just so vibrant. And it's not really understood by a lot of people who have modernized. And the thing is that that area of India, I think holds on a lot still to respect for elders to tradition, and also has a very, you know, a playful way of bringing out these festivals. So it's a beautiful blend and it comes very close to, you know, I like to think of it as India that used to be. So I have a lot of admiration for that.Shalini: The Bharat that used to be perhaps, you know. Rekha: Bharat that used to be, I like that. Yes.Shalini: So Neha ji, we've had such a great time reminiscing about your Holi, you know, not our Holi, but your Holi and had a lot of fun. So I would just like to ask you what, you know, what is a primary story associated with the festival of Holi?Neha: Yeah, yeah. So there are actually several deity specific legends that exist around Holi. So Holi happens on a very specific time, like it's right before the wheat harvest, very close to the vernal equinox. Now, before I get into the legend of Holi, it's important to note that this is a very common time for most indigenous festivals, like, you know, most non-Abrahamic cultures around the world to celebrate equinoxes is a very common pattern to celebrate specific movements of the moon and the sun.So, you know, these kind of celebrations are very common. And so this one is also very similar. Also in other cultures, for example, Native American cultures and even Latin American cultures, pre-Christian ones, you can find similar bonfire rituals. Okay. So and also, I don't know if you know, but similar to Lohdi, like another bonfire ritual that we have, there is a very beautiful parallel in pre-Christian Ireland and Scotland even, where equinoxes and solstices are considered these very powerful times. So this one, Holi falls very close to the vernal equinox. And that is right before the time of the wheat harvest. So North India, you know, for several centuries now, wheat has become one of the most important crops. And so this is sort of a celebration and also an evil warding ritual, the bonfire serves as an evil warding ritual to ensure the health of the crops, to ensure the health of the people, and in general, well-being and prosperity. So that's the one important, like the indigenous commonality of it all. But speaking of our Shastras and Puranas, the first or the most important mention is found in Bhagavad Puran, which is also known as Srimad Bhagavatam. And there you find the story of the Narasimha avatar, which is related to Hiranyakakashipu , the demon and Bhakta Prahlad. So the story basically goes that, you know, Hiranyakashipu was one of the two sons of Sage Kashyap. And they, through both of them, through extreme penance, had gained several boons from Lord Brahma. And the hidden aspiration, sorry. Rekha: Who is it that has gained the boon from Lord Brahma? Neha: Hiranyakashipu, who is the son of Sage Kashyap, but he is him and his brother, both are demons. So Hiranyaksha is their brother and Hiranyakashipu is the other son. So there are two sons. So they've gained boons from Lord Brahma and he has the hidden aspirations, like pretty much all demon stories, to rule the entire universe. So his arch enemy in the story is Vishnu, because Brahma and Shiva both are sort of like, you know, distracted and don't really care about the running of the universe. So these demons always fixate on Vishnu for these purposes. So this fellow, he has now, so he gets a very interesting boon. So by the laws of nature, you can't actually ask for immortality. So when you do this extreme penance and you have to ask for a boon, these demons still want immortality or undefeatability. And so they get creative. So this guy gets really creative. Okay. And so he asks that I should not be able to be killed inside the home or outside the home. Okay. I should not be able to be killed during the day nor at night. I should not be able to be killed from any known weapon or any other thing. And then I should not be able to be killed by any human being or an animal. Or I should not be able to be killed either on the ground or in the sky. Yeah. Okay. So he thinks he's covered all the possibilities of how he can be killed. And so now because these, some of one of the criteria will be met. And so essentially he becomes invincible for the most intentional purposes. So now he is convinced that he is like the master of the universe. Nobody can defeat him, including Vishnu, because you know, all of these rules sort of apply to everybody. It doesn't matter who's killing him. So he is full of ego and greed and jealousy and, you know, confidence. And he establishes a rule in his kingdom that nobody except him can be worshipped. So he declares himself as the one true male jealous God. So he is now the only God that is allowed to be worshipped in his kingdom.Now, as you can imagine, the entire kingdom is full of people who've been practicing their dharma for years and years. And suddenly this diktat comes. So he reels out their terror on all of these people and anybody who tries to oppose this is instantly killed. So this goes on for in fact decades. And all of his subjects are, you know, reeling under this persecution, except for one person who is Hiranyakashupu's 10 year old son Prahlad. So he is fully defiant and he does not care whether he lives or dies. He is only going to worship Vishnu. So initially, you know, Hiranyakashupu is angered by his son's defiance. So he says he sends him to this pathasala where he already has convinced these acharyas to impart, you know, the teachings of Hiranyakashupu. So they are trying to convince Prahlad that he should forget about all other gods and he should only focus on Hiranyakashupu. Because Hiranyakashupu is undefeatable and that's not true for, so that makes him superior to Vishnu. But Prahlad, who's already well versed in the teachings of Sri Maha Vishnu, he defeats them in a philosophical debate. These, you know, sages are very upset and convinced in fact, but, you know, they will lose their heads if they start agreeing with him. So they are, you know, uncertain and they go back to Hiranyakashupu that I cannot convince this kid. So he is again angered. And this time he says, okay, I'm going to make an example out of you. So I'm going to punish you in such a, you know, tyrannical way that anybody else would think twice before disobeying me like this. And imagine this is a 10 year old son, his own son that he is waging this war against. Now, according to the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 7.5, he tries to crush him with an elephant. The Hiranyakashupu tries to crush his 10 year old son Prahlad by elephant, attack him with huge snakes, cast spell of dooms, throw him from heights, to conjure tricks, imprison him, administer poison and subject him to starvation, cold wind, fire and water. He threw rocks at him. But none of these means the demons succeeded in putting his son, the sinless one to death. With his prolonged efforts having no success, he got very nervous. So at this point, he enlists a list of long list of demons he had in his army, and he unleashes all of them on Prahlad. All of them fail. They are all, the Prahlad is saved from all of them because of the blessings of Sri Vishnu. So eventually, Hiranyakashupu finds his own sister Holika. Now Holika also has a boon. She has a boon that she has been granted a cloak, or like a cloth that protects the wearer from being burned in the fire. So she can, if she dons herself with this cloak and she sits in the fire, she will not be burned. So on Hiranyakashupu's command, this woman lowers her young nephew into sitting on a pyre. She puts the nephew on her lap, puts the cloth on her own self and sits on a pyre and the pyre is lighted. So as the fire starts raging, the wind blows again from the blessing of Sri Vishnu and covers Prahlad and uncovers Holika. So instead of Prahlad getting burned, Holika gets burned and the innocent child is saved. Now eventually, and this is the relevant, this is the moment that is celebrated as Holika Dahan. Shalini: I think we will stop at this point for today and we will discuss further in our next podcast which will be coming up very soon. We have so much to discuss with Nehaji and there is just so much more fun awaiting you all in a few days time. So we will take a break for this podcast and come back to the second part of this podcast in just a couple of days time. So please hang in there and wait for the continuation of this episode. Thank you and Namaste. Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends
Poker Fraud Alert Radio - 12/24/2022 - Rest In Peace, Sir... I Mean Ma'am!

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2022 430:06


Topic begins at (0:23:50) mark: Druff hit by weird ear pressure issue which ends up delaying radio a few days.... (0:38:50): PFA member & regular radio listener IAmGreek has probably passed away -- and Druff made a startling discovery about the person behind the account.... (0:52:26): Hustler Casino Live finally releases investigative report on themselves, and Bryan Sagbigsal's arrest warrant is published.... (2:15:48): Tyrone calls in, and asks Druff two personal questions.... (2:31:54): BetMGM acknowledges May 2022 data breach which allowed players' personal info to be stolen -- is it related to the recent thefts?.... (2:45:47): Druffytime Christmas Theater: A Christmas DirecTV Story.... (3:20:55): Ethan "Rampage" Yau wins Wynn $25k High Roller event on second bullet, refunds first bullet buyers, Twitter controversy ensues.... (3:51:45): Social media slot player "D Lucky" charging people over $1700 to spend 10 minutes with him -- is this a scam?.... (5:07:28): Andy Stacks grabbed $10k worth of opponent's chips on Hustler Casino Live -- was it intentional?.... (5:27:35): Livestream poker player Ramsey Doumani passes away at age 34.... (5:42:41): Former UB shill Prahlad Friedman is popping off on Twitter about poker cheating.... (6:03:25): FTX update - Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang plead guilty, SBF arrested.... (6:41:49): For the second time in 2022, a Rolex was stolen from a Vegas strip hotel room, and shoved inside a vagina.... (6:54:55): Old lady wins $1.6 million jackpot at Harrah's Atlantic City, and tips $77,000.

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends
Poker Fraud Alert Radio - 12/24/2022 - Rest In Peace, Sir... I Mean Ma'am!

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2022 430:06


Topic begins at (0:23:50) mark: Druff hit by weird ear pressure issue which ends up delaying radio a few days.... (0:38:50): PFA member & regular radio listener IAmGreek has probably passed away -- and Druff made a startling discovery about the person behind the account.... (0:52:26): Hustler Casino Live finally releases investigative report on themselves, and Bryan Sagbigsal's arrest warrant is published.... (2:15:48): Tyrone calls in, and asks Druff two personal questions.... (2:31:54): BetMGM acknowledges May 2022 data breach which allowed players' personal info to be stolen -- is it related to the recent thefts?.... (2:45:47): Druffytime Christmas Theater: A Christmas DirecTV Story.... (3:20:55): Ethan "Rampage" Yau wins Wynn $25k High Roller event on second bullet, refunds first bullet buyers, Twitter controversy ensues.... (3:51:45): Social media slot player "D Lucky" charging people over $1700 to spend 10 minutes with him -- is this a scam?.... (5:07:28): Andy Stacks grabbed $10k worth of opponent's chips on Hustler Casino Live -- was it intentional?.... (5:27:35): Livestream poker player Ramsey Doumani passes away at age 34.... (5:42:41): Former UB shill Prahlad Friedman is popping off on Twitter about poker cheating.... (6:03:25): FTX update - Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang plead guilty, SBF arrested.... (6:41:49): For the second time in 2022, a Rolex was stolen from a Vegas strip hotel room, and shoved inside a vagina.... (6:54:55): Old lady wins $1.6 million jackpot at Harrah's Atlantic City, and tips $77,000.

Sacinandana Swamis Podcast
Brahmotsava - 40th Anniversairy of Prahlad Nrsimhadeva

Sacinandana Swamis Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2022 126:24


2022.09.05 NJNK EN

Sacinandana Swamis Podcast
Brahmotsava - 40th Anniversairy of Prahlad Nrsimhadeva

Sacinandana Swamis Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2022 126:24


2022.09.05 NJNK EN

Wellness Curated
The Miracle of Breathwork in Yoga | Prof. Prahlad | Episode 88

Wellness Curated

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 14:54


The buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn known as the ‘father of mindfulness' wrote in his book 'Being Peace', "Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.” The world is waking up to the huge benefits of breathwork. It can help with anxiety, sleep, stress and more! It is a wonderfully powerful tool which we will explore through the age old tradition of breathwork in yoga. Prof. Prahlad is the Head of Yoga at Pema Wellness. He guides people globally on the important science of breathing and yogic kriyas and their impact on daily life, on physical, cognitive and coherent functions in the body. Kriyā most commonly refers to a "completed action", technique or practice within a yoga discipline.

Inspiration and Transformation
How Can We Be More Like Prahlad?

Inspiration and Transformation

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2022 57:02


How Can We Be More Like Prahlad?Air Date: Thursday, 28 July 2022 at 11:00 AM EST / 8:00 AM PSTSadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati at Parmarth Niketan discusses the following topics and answers questions from seekers from around the world, during her Satsang from the banks of the holy Ganga River:~ How Can I Get a Deeper Connection to God?~ How Can We Be More Like Prahlad?~ How Can I Stay Fearless?Has God Always Been Within?~ Can You Separate Love & Attachment?Visit the Inspiration and Transformation show page http://omtimes.com/iom/shows/inspiration-and-transformation/Learn more about Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati on her Host Page Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati#Prahlad #Spirituality #SadhviBhagawatiSaraswati #InspirationAndTransformationSadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Ph.D., was raised in an American family in Hollywood, California, and graduated from Stanford University. She was completing her Ph.D. in Psychology when she left America in 1996 to live at Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India. She has been living there for the past 24 years, engaged in spiritual practice and service.Sadhviji was officially initiated into the order of Sanyas (monastic renunciation) in the year 2000 by her Guru, His Holiness Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, one of India's most revered spiritual leaders and the President of Parmarth Niketan. At Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, where Sadhviji lives most of the year, she gives daily spiritual discourses and Satsang, teaches meditation, provides counseling, and oversees a myriad of charitable and humanitarian projects.Sadhviji leads discourses and question-answer sessions on topics ranging from Indian spirituality to the bridge between science and spirituality to the keys of true happiness and meaning in daily life and teaches meditation to seekers from every corner of the globe. She travels across the world giving spiritual discourses, question-answer sessions, and meditation courses. Her talks blend the knowledge and logic of the West with the insights, spirituality, and wisdom of the East.Connect with Sadhvi at https://www.sadhviji.orgSubscribe to our Newsletter https://omtimes.com/subscribe-omtimes-magazine/Connect with OMTimes on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Omtimes.Magazine/ and OMTimes Radio https://www.facebook.com/ConsciousRadiowebtv.OMTimes/Twitter: https://twitter.com/OmTimes/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omtimes/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2798417/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/omtimes/

The Late Morning Program with Namarasa
Ep. #110 | Param Bhava: The Passing of a Vaisnavi | feat. Sitapati & Prahlad

The Late Morning Program with Namarasa

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2022 85:59


Join Sitapati, Prahlad, Tulasi Priti, and Namarasa for the recounting of the astonishing passing of Parambhava devi dasi, a wife, mother, and dedicated Hare Krishna devotee from New Zealand. **************************************************** ▶ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- DONATE HERE: https://fnd.us/31wO0e?ref=ab_69ruT1_sh_94I4AXgegQa94I4AXgegQa ▶ WATCH ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheLateMorningProgramWithNamarasa ▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdx42Nztrpnl2sz8p4sE99g/videos ▶ LISTEN ON SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/tulasi-nadia-harrison/sets/the-late-morning-program-with ▶ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-late-morning-program-with-namarasa/id1348449077 ▶ DO YOU WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? -- FILL OUT THIS FORM: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScgqQ0tHOZDW1XHSgodWH8m-xB0FXL8_frWcNrvFrEbEea3Cw/viewform ▶ FOLLOW: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/namarasa/ //Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/namarasa108/ //Email: namejuice@gmail.com

HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami english lectures
Why Does Nrisimha Love Prahlad?

HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami english lectures

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2022 57:00


Why Does Nrisimha Love Prahlad?. Lecture delivered by His Holiness on philosophy, principles, and practices of Krishna consciousness based on revealed Vedic scriptures as received in parampara.

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends
Poker Fraud Alert Radio - 02/20/2022 - Just Kidding

PokerFraudAlert - Druff & Friends

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2022 327:32


Topic begins at (0:19:15) mark: Blatant slowroll on Hustler Casino Live sparks controversy.... (0:42:54): Update: Gambling coaching scammer Christopher Mitchell proves he has $227k via bank ATM visit.... (1:21:49): To stake or not to stake? Bart Hanson's offer to stake controversial poker pro Tony Bigcharles ruffles feathers on Twitter.... (1:54:15): Unscheduled Prahlad Friedman update.... (2:01:54): Druffytime Theater: Car rental place stole cell phone from Druff's relative in early 2010s -- what did he do about it?.... (2:33:04): Vanessa Kade quits as ACR sponsored pro after one year, cites "different values".... (3:09:35): GPI Awards ceremony held, some arguments follow regarding selection of certain winners.... (3:33:49): Dennis Hof's "Love Ranch" in Pahrump is for sale, for just $1.2 million.... (3:55:26): Update: Crystal Cruises is donkdown, and many with reservations are out a lot of money. What now?.... (4:18:18): Former poker pro Igor Kurganov to help distribute $5.7 billion to charities for Elon Musk.... (4:32:41): NFT Fraud Alert: Nasty Opensea phishing scheme results in a ton of stolen NFTs.... (4:54:12): Lots of states lift mask and vaccine mandates. Will life return to normal?