Podcasts about Puranas

Send us a textThe journey through Vedanta continues as we explore the foundational texts and philosophical underpinnings that reveal our true nature as indivisible, eternal consciousness. We examine why the Upanishads stand as the ultimate authority in Vedantic philosophy and how other sacred texts serve to illuminate their timeless wisdom.• Vedanta represents the culmination of spiritual knowledge that follows after ritualistic practices• The Upanishads are the primary authority, with the Brahma Sutras and Bhagavad Gita serving to elucidate their meaning• Once blessed with true wisdom, karma no longer affects you as you realize you're neither the doer nor the enjoyer• Puranas are instructive stories, not direct truth – to understand deeper wisdom, one must turn to authoritative texts like the Upanishads• Traditional qualifications for studying Vedanta include mental purity and specific practices, but sincere desire for self-realization indicates readiness• The genuine longing to realize one's true nature is exceptional and suggests you're prepared for this knowledge• Regular awareness of formless consciousness brings peace and joy that confirms you're on the right pathJoin my Discord server and continue the conversation about your readiness for non-dual realization. Like, comment and subscribe to support the podcast.Join our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/hnRf7wESwX Visit my website: https://www.thebeardedmysticpodcast.com/Buy The Bearded Mystic Podcast Merch: https://thebeardedmysticpodcast.myshopify.com/Want a one-on-one spiritual discussion with The Bearded Mystic - book here: https://www.thebeardedmysticpodcast.com/p/spiritual-discussion/Subscribe to The Bearded Mystic Podcast channel: https://www.youtube.com/ @TheBeardedMysticPodcastBecome a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thebeardedmysticpodcastRahul on Bluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/beardedmystic.bsky.socialSupport the show

Taking the name of the Lord and turning to Him with devotion leads to sanctifying one's life. To urge man on the path of devotion and worship, God presents Himself as the ‘Easily Pleased One'. Sri Rudram is the heartfelt worship of that benign Supreme. Smt Lalitha Srinivasan, wife of Sri J Srinivasa Sharma, who officiated as the head priest during the just-concluded Ati Rudra Maha Yajna, explains the importance of worshipping Lord Shiva with anecdotes from the Puranas and insights about the significance of the Sri Rudram.

ਗੂਜਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਨਾਭਿ ਕਮਲ ਤੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਉਪਜੇ ਬੇਦ ਪੜਹਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਕੰਠਿ ਸਵਾਰਿ ॥ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ਲਖਣਾ ਆਵਤ ਜਾਤ ਰਹੈ ਗੁਬਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਕਿਉ ਬਿਸਰਹਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਅਧਾਰ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਜਨ ਪੂਰੇ ਮੁਨਿ ਜਨ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਰਵਿ ਸਸਿ ਦੀਪਕ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣਿ ਏਕਾ ਜੋਤਿ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਰੈਣਿ ਅੰਧਾਰਿ ॥੨॥ ਸਿਧ ਸਮਾਧਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਤ ਝਗਰਾ ਦੁਹੁ ਲੋਚਨ ਕਿਆ ਹੇਰੈ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਧੁਨਿ ਜਾਗੈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਝਗਰੁ ਨਿਬੇਰੈ ॥੩॥ ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਨਾਥ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਅਜੋਨੀ ਸਾਚੈ ਮਹਲਿ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਹਜਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਜਗਜੀਵਨ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰਹੁ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੨॥ਹੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ! ਮੈਨੂੰ ਨਾਹ ਭੁੱਲ। ਤੂੰ ਉਹ ਹੈਂ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਪੂਰਨ ਪੁਰਖ ਸਦਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਮੁਨੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਦੱਸੀ ਸੂਝ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਸਦਾ ਸਿਮਰਦੇ ਹਨ।1। ਰਹਾਉ। (ਪੁਰਾਣਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਕਥਾ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜਿਸ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਦੇ ਰਚੇ ਹੋਏ) ਵੇਦ (ਪੰਡਿਤ ਲੋਕ) ਮੂੰਹੋਂ ਗਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਸੁਰ ਵਿਚ ਨਿੱਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂੰ ਦੀ ਧੁੰਨੀ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਉੱਗੇ ਹੋਏ ਕੌਲ ਦੀ ਨਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਜੰਮਿਆ (ਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਜਨਮ-ਦਾਤੇ ਦੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਲੱਭਣ ਲਈ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਚ ਚੱਲ ਪਿਆ, ਕਈ ਜੁਗ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ, ਪਰ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਨਾਹ ਲੱਭ ਸਕਿਆ।1। ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਇਤਨਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸੂਰਜ ਤੇ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੀ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ (ਮਾਨੋ ਨਿਕੇ ਜਿਹੇ) ਦੀਵੇ (ਹੀ) ਹਨ, ਸਾਰੇ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ ਉਸੇ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੈ। ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਰਾਹ ਤੇ ਤੁਰ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਹ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਨ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਤੁਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਰਾਤ (ਅਗਿਆਨਤਾ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਬੀਤਦੀ ਹੈ।2। ਵੱਡੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਜੋਗੀ (ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਉੱਦਮ ਦੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ) ਸਮਾਧੀਆਂ ਲਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਤਣ ਦੇ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ (ਪਰ ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਉੱਦਮ ਉਤੇ ਹੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖੇ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ) ਉਹ ਅੰਦਰ-ਵੱਸਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਸਦੀ। (ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸਨਮੁਖ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ) ਉਸ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਝਗੜਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਮੁਕਾ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ-ਰੂਪ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਲਗਨ ਲੱਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਜਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ।3। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! (ਅਰਦਾਸ ਕਰ =) ਹੇ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਸਮ! ਹੇ ਬੇਅੰਤ! ਹੇ ਜੂਨ-ਰਹਿਤ! ਤੇ ਅਟੱਲ ਮਹਲ ਵਿਚ ਟਿਕੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਪਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ! ਹੇ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਜੀਵਨ! (ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਮੈਨੂੰ) ਅਡੋਲਤਾ ਵਿਚ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਮਿਲੇ। ਮੇਹਰ ਦੀ ਨਿਗਾਹ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਬੇੜਾ ਪਾਰ ਕਰ।4।2।O beloved, support of my life! Don't forget me. You are the one whose devotion is always worshiped by the great ancestors, who is worshiped by the wisdom given by the Rishi Muni Guru. Always remember.1. Stay.(There is a story in the Puranas that the Vedas were composed by Brahma (the learned people) in a sweet tone from the mouth to the throat. Read daily, that Brahma was born from the cowl growing from the breath of Vishnu (on his birth-father To find the end of nature, I went with him, kept coming and going in darkness with him for many ages, but he Couldn't find the end of.1.That Lord is so big that the sun and the moon are like lamps in his glorious world, all His light is widespread in the world. If a person follows the path shown by his Guru and attains it day and night, he becomes one with a pure life. The man who follows his mind spends the night of his life in the darkness (of ignorance).2.Great yogis (relying on their own efforts) bring about samadhi and try to conquer the mind (but If a person focuses only on his own efforts, that inner light cannot be seen by his eyes. (The person who faces the Guru) the Guru stops the conflict in his mind, the Guru's presence within him Sweet devotion is felt in the form of words, the light of God awakens within it.3.Hey Nanak! (Pray =) O destroyer of gods and humans! O infinite! O June-free! And the immense Lord who resides in the stable palace! O life of the world! (Please grant me) may I reside in steadfastness. Cross my boat with an eye of mercy. 4.2.

Is 'The Rake' a creepypasta or a cryptid come to life? If it isn't real... then old, naked, no nipple men have been breaking into homes far more often than we thought.   Twitter and Instagram - @biarpodcast Facebook - Bug in a Rug Email us your ideas at biarpodcast@gmail.com   Sources: The Rake - Creepypasta the Rake | Origin and History | Dictionary.com The Rake | Monster Wiki | Fandom The Story of The Rake | Paranormal Authority The Rake - Mythical Encyclopedia The Rake #PrescottAZHistory: 9 Cryptid Monsters of Arizona (UPDATE: Bigfoot near Prescott?) "Monsters Underground" Rake (TV Episode) - IMDb The Rakshasa in the Puranas: The Demonic Beings of Hindu Mythology - Mythology WorldWide Rakshasa | Demonic Spirits, Demons & Monsters | Britannica What is Puranas & How Many Puranas are There? HindUtsav Act of Rakshasa: Significance and symbolism Where Tulpas Come From - JSTOR Daily Tulpa - Wikipedia Creature Feature: The Power Of Belief: The Rake | World of Magick⛥ Amino

Do hear HG Gaurmandal Das, Vice-President Hare Krishna Movement- Mumbai giving lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam. Human society, at the present moment, is not in the darkness of oblivion. It has made rapid progress in the field of material comforts, education and economic development throughout the entire world. But there is a pinprick somewhere in the social body at large, and therefore there are large-scale quarrels, even over less important issues. There is need of a clue as to how humanity can become one in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common cause. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will fill this need, for it is a cultural presentation for the re-spiritualization of the entire human society. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should be introduced also in the schools and colleges, for it is recommended by the great student-devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja in order to change the demoniac face of society. For more such lectures and personal guidance contact us at 9967800542 To attend our Bhagavad Gita sessions on Zoom kindly email us at: hkmmumbai108@gmail.com Like our official page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeHKM/ Visit us: https://hkmmumbai.org  

How could Sri Krishna, a Sampurna Avataara respond in the way he did to the Gopis? What is the right way of looking at their relationship? Through some sections of the Bhagavatam (one of the 18 Puranas) we understand and revel even, in the love of the Gopis for Sri Krishna. The podcast transcript - https://arshavidyananda.in/308-bhakti-the-transformative-love-of-the-gopis-for-sri-krishna-bhagavatam/ Our monthly newsletter - Aarsha Vidya Bharati - Dec 2024| Weaving Gratitude & Hope | Vedic Wisdom Festival | Īśvara Jagat Kāraṇam Brahma | Swaminiji in Dubai And more! https://mailchi.mp/4812183d6c4a/aarsha-vidya-bharati-dec2024 Our monthly newsletter will bring you more happiness, more wisdom and more freedom. To subscribe to Aarsha Vidya Bharati - https://mailchi.mp/cea95b9ad987/aarsha-vidya-bharati Vedanta - the River of Wisdom is a weekly podcast by Swamini B (Brahmaprajnananda), a Vedanta teacher, writer and a sannyasini. Please follow, learn and enjoy Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/arshavidyananda Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arshavidyananda Twitter - https://twitter.com/arshavidyananda To connect and learn Vedanta - www.arshavidyananda.in

In this Telugu podcast, we sit down with Ambica Krishna garu, the driving force behind the legacy of Ambica Agarbatti, for an intimate look into his life's journey, the evolution of his family business, and his multifaceted roles in public life. Known for his deep-rooted faith and savvy business acumen, Krishna garu takes us through the inspiring story of how Ambica Agarbatti grew from humble beginnings into a symbol of trust and devotion for millions. Starting with the brand's foundation in the late 1960s, Krishna garu reflects on the legacy his father built. Driven by the motto "Bhagavanthundiki Bhakti Ki," which translates to "Devotion to God," Ambica Agarbatti set out to embody purity and spirituality in every product. Running a family business of this scale comes with its own set of challenges, and Krishna garu shares the unique dynamics of managing a large joint family business that spans across 30 family members and employs over 2,500 people. He reveals how he maintains a close bond with long-term employees, some of whom have worked with Ambica Agarbatti for more than 15 years, fostering a culture that intertwines family values with corporate principles. Krishna garu firmly believes that faith and fate play integral roles in the journey of Ambica, a sentiment that he holds deeply as he continues his father's legacy. Despite a growing wave of atheism and a societal shift away from traditional practices, Krishna garu reflects on how Ambica Agarbatti has adapted. He observes that people, particularly the younger generation, no longer follow the traditional practice of visiting temples; instead, their approach to spirituality has transformed. While some see this shift as a challenge, Krishna garu views it as an opportunity to preserve and present the spiritual values embedded in Ambica Agarbatti's products to a new audience. The marketing legacy of Ambica Agarbatti is as unique as its inception. Krishna garu shares memories of how his father began with Doordarshan ads and created taglines like "Ammakam Ante Nammakam" (Faith Means Trust), which resonated deeply with the Indian audience. One quirky story involves a van Krishna garu used for advertising, which locals mistook for a cigarette van, adding to the product's unique appeal. He recounts the days when their humble van roamed the streets, drawing in curious onlookers and slowly building brand recognition one stop at a time. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a traditionalist at heart, or simply interested in the spirit behind Ambica Agarbatti, this conversation is filled with insights and inspiration.

Who are the Gandharvas? Are they considered gods? Why do people worship them? What benefits come from their practices? What do our Vedas and Puranas say about them? To know more about ''Gandharv kaun hai?" listen to 'What Is The Logic' with Dr Shisham Aggarwal now available on all audio platforms. To know more about Upnishad read the book- https://www.amazon.in/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ADr.+Shisham+Bansal&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In dieser Folge erfahrt ihr, wer Durgā ist - zumindest, wie es die alten Traditionen überliefern - warum feiern wir Durgā ganze 9 Nächte lang und sogar 10 Tage? Was bedeutet der Name Durgā und vor allem, welche sind die 10 Merkmale oder Erkennungszeichen von Durgā? Und wie immer ist diese Folge gespickt von Sanskrit-Begriffen, so dass Du hier beim Hören des Podcasts auch ganz nebenbei etwas Sanskrit mitlernen und in Deinen Wortschatz aufnehmen kannst.

Any one who commits wrong actions or even crime may escape the law of land but cannot escape the law of Karma presided over by Bhagavan. Such a person will suffer the consequences while living or may actually go to naraka. The Puranas speak of 28 kinds of narakas of suffering which relate to different kinds of wrong actions committed here on earth. Knowing about them may prompt us to think twice before we do wrong actions. What are these 28 narakas and how can we avoid suffering, after death? Bhakti - The Heart of Wisdom - 1 Starting on 13th October, 2024 - https://www.hua.edu/courses/bhakti-the-heart-of-wisdom-1/ Soundarya Lahari - 3rd-11th October - https://arshavidyananda.in/live-courses/ It is not too late to join the course on the Complete Bhagavad Gita, which just began on 17 August 2024. Do check out the details, and do not lose an opportunity to transform your life into a blessing through Bhagavan's Divine Song. Details and registration - https://arshavidyananda.in/the-bhagavad-gita-course/ Our monthly newsletter - Aarsha Vidya Bharati - Sep 2024| The Vedic View and Way of Life| Karmaṇā na Mokṣaḥ| Vedānta Sāra Course| New Bhagavad Gita Course| And more! - https://mailchi.mp/ba956da5ddfc/aarsha-vidya-bharati-sep2024 Our monthly newsletter will bring you more happiness, more wisdom and more freedom. To subscribe to Aarsha Vidya Bharati - https://mailchi.mp/cea95b9ad987/aarsha-vidya-bharati Vedanta - the River of Wisdom is a weekly podcast by Swamini B (Brahmaprajnananda), a Vedanta teacher, writer and Hindu monk. Please follow, learn and enjoy Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/arshavidyananda Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arshavidyananda Twitter - https://twitter.com/arshavidyananda To connect and learn Vedanta - www.arshavidyananda.in

 In Hindu tales and Puranas, curses are frequently mentioned. What exactly is a curse? How do curses impact humans? And what are the methods to avoid them? To know more about ''Shraap kya hota hai? Isse kaise bachein?" listen to 'What Is The Logic' with Dr Shisham Aggarwal now available on all audio platforms. To know more about Upnishad read the book- https://www.amazon.in/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ADr.+Shisham+Bansal&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ਗੂਜਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਨਾਭਿ ਕਮਲ ਤੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਉਪਜੇ ਬੇਦ ਪੜਹਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਕੰਠਿ ਸਵਾਰਿ ॥ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ਲਖਣਾ ਆਵਤ ਜਾਤ ਰਹੈ ਗੁਬਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਕਿਉ ਬਿਸਰਹਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਅਧਾਰ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਜਨ ਪੂਰੇ ਮੁਨਿ ਜਨ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਰਵਿ ਸਸਿ ਦੀਪਕ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣਿ ਏਕਾ ਜੋਤਿ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਰੈਣਿ ਅੰਧਾਰਿ ॥੨॥ ਸਿਧ ਸਮਾਧਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਤ ਝਗਰਾ ਦੁਹੁ ਲੋਚਨ ਕਿਆ ਹੇਰੈ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਧੁਨਿ ਜਾਗੈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਝਗਰੁ ਨਿਬੇਰੈ ॥੩॥ ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਨਾਥ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਅਜੋਨੀ ਸਾਚੈ ਮਹਲਿ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਹਜਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਜਗਜੀਵਨ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰਹੁ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੨॥ ਹੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ! ਮੈਨੂੰ ਨਾਹ ਭੁੱਲ। ਤੂੰ ਉਹ ਹੈਂ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਪੂਰਨ ਪੁਰਖ ਸਦਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਮੁਨੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਦੱਸੀ ਸੂਝ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਸਦਾ ਸਿਮਰਦੇ ਹਨ।1। ਰਹਾਉ।  (ਪੁਰਾਣਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਕਥਾ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜਿਸ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਦੇ ਰਚੇ ਹੋਏ) ਵੇਦ (ਪੰਡਿਤ ਲੋਕ) ਮੂੰਹੋਂ ਗਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਸੁਰ ਵਿਚ ਨਿੱਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂੰ ਦੀ ਧੁੰਨੀ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਉੱਗੇ ਹੋਏ ਕੌਲ ਦੀ ਨਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਜੰਮਿਆ (ਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਜਨਮ-ਦਾਤੇ ਦੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਲੱਭਣ ਲਈ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਚ ਚੱਲ ਪਿਆ, ਕਈ ਜੁਗ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ, ਪਰ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਨਾਹ ਲੱਭ ਸਕਿਆ।1।  ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਇਤਨਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸੂਰਜ ਤੇ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੀ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ (ਮਾਨੋ ਨਿਕੇ ਜਿਹੇ) ਦੀਵੇ (ਹੀ) ਹਨ, ਸਾਰੇ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ ਉਸੇ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੈ। ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਰਾਹ ਤੇ ਤੁਰ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਹ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਨ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਤੁਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਰਾਤ (ਅਗਿਆਨਤਾ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਬੀਤਦੀ ਹੈ।2।  ਵੱਡੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਜੋਗੀ (ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਉੱਦਮ ਦੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ) ਸਮਾਧੀਆਂ ਲਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਤਣ ਦੇ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ (ਪਰ ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਉੱਦਮ ਉਤੇ ਹੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖੇ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ) ਉਹ ਅੰਦਰ-ਵੱਸਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਸਦੀ। (ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸਨਮੁਖ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ) ਉਸ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਝਗੜਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਮੁਕਾ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ-ਰੂਪ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਲਗਨ ਲੱਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਜਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ।3।  ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! (ਅਰਦਾਸ ਕਰ =) ਹੇ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਸਮ! ਹੇ ਬੇਅੰਤ! ਹੇ ਜੂਨ-ਰਹਿਤ! ਤੇ ਅਟੱਲ ਮਹਲ ਵਿਚ ਟਿਕੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਪਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ! ਹੇ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਜੀਵਨ! (ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਮੈਨੂੰ) ਅਡੋਲਤਾ ਵਿਚ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਮਿਲੇ। ਮੇਹਰ ਦੀ ਨਿਗਾਹ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਬੇੜਾ ਪਾਰ ਕਰ।4।2। O beloved, support of my life! Don't forget me. You are the one whose devotion is always worshiped by the great ancestors, who is worshiped by the wisdom given by the Rishi Muni Guru. Always remember.1. Stay. (There is a story in the Puranas that the Vedas were composed by Brahma (the learned people) in a sweet tone from the mouth to the throat. Read daily, that Brahma was born from the cowl growing from the breath of Vishnu (on his birth-father To find the end of nature, I went with him, kept coming and going in darkness with him for many ages, but he Couldn't find the end of.1. That Lord is so big that the sun and the moon are like lamps in his glorious world, all His light is widespread in the world. If a person follows the path shown by his Guru and attains it day and night, he becomes one with a pure life. The man who follows his mind spends the night of his life in the darkness (of ignorance).2. Great yogis (relying on their own efforts) bring about samadhi and try to conquer the mind (but If a person focuses only on his own efforts, that inner light cannot be seen by his eyes. (The person who faces the Guru) the Guru stops the conflict in his mind, the Guru's presence within him Sweet devotion is felt in the form of words, the light of God awakens within it.3. Hey Nanak! (Pray =) O destroyer of gods and humans! O infinite! O June-free! And the immense Lord who resides in the stable palace! O life of the world! (Please grant me) may I reside in steadfastness. Cross my boat with an eye of mercy. 4.2.

ਗੂਜਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਨਾਭਿ ਕਮਲ ਤੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਉਪਜੇ ਬੇਦ ਪੜਹਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਕੰਠਿ ਸਵਾਰਿ ॥ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ਲਖਣਾ ਆਵਤ ਜਾਤ ਰਹੈ ਗੁਬਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਕਿਉ ਬਿਸਰਹਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਅਧਾਰ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਜਨ ਪੂਰੇ ਮੁਨਿ ਜਨ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਰਵਿ ਸਸਿ ਦੀਪਕ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣਿ ਏਕਾ ਜੋਤਿ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਰੈਣਿ ਅੰਧਾਰਿ ॥੨॥ ਸਿਧ ਸਮਾਧਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਤ ਝਗਰਾ ਦੁਹੁ ਲੋਚਨ ਕਿਆ ਹੇਰੈ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਧੁਨਿ ਜਾਗੈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਝਗਰੁ ਨਿਬੇਰੈ ॥੩॥ ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਨਾਥ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਅਜੋਨੀ ਸਾਚੈ ਮਹਲਿ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਹਜਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਜਗਜੀਵਨ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰਹੁ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੨॥ ਹੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ! ਮੈਨੂੰ ਨਾਹ ਭੁੱਲ। ਤੂੰ ਉਹ ਹੈਂ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਪੂਰਨ ਪੁਰਖ ਸਦਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਮੁਨੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਦੱਸੀ ਸੂਝ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਸਦਾ ਸਿਮਰਦੇ ਹਨ।1। ਰਹਾਉ।  (ਪੁਰਾਣਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਕਥਾ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜਿਸ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਦੇ ਰਚੇ ਹੋਏ) ਵੇਦ (ਪੰਡਿਤ ਲੋਕ) ਮੂੰਹੋਂ ਗਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਸੁਰ ਵਿਚ ਨਿੱਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂੰ ਦੀ ਧੁੰਨੀ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਉੱਗੇ ਹੋਏ ਕੌਲ ਦੀ ਨਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਜੰਮਿਆ (ਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਜਨਮ-ਦਾਤੇ ਦੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਲੱਭਣ ਲਈ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਚ ਚੱਲ ਪਿਆ, ਕਈ ਜੁਗ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ, ਪਰ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਨਾਹ ਲੱਭ ਸਕਿਆ।1।  ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਇਤਨਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸੂਰਜ ਤੇ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੀ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ (ਮਾਨੋ ਨਿਕੇ ਜਿਹੇ) ਦੀਵੇ (ਹੀ) ਹਨ, ਸਾਰੇ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ ਉਸੇ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੈ। ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਰਾਹ ਤੇ ਤੁਰ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਹ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਨ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਤੁਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਰਾਤ (ਅਗਿਆਨਤਾ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਬੀਤਦੀ ਹੈ।2।  ਵੱਡੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਜੋਗੀ (ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਉੱਦਮ ਦੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ) ਸਮਾਧੀਆਂ ਲਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਤਣ ਦੇ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ (ਪਰ ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਉੱਦਮ ਉਤੇ ਹੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖੇ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ) ਉਹ ਅੰਦਰ-ਵੱਸਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਸਦੀ। (ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸਨਮੁਖ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ) ਉਸ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਝਗੜਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਮੁਕਾ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ-ਰੂਪ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਲਗਨ ਲੱਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਜਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ।3।  ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! (ਅਰਦਾਸ ਕਰ =) ਹੇ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਸਮ! ਹੇ ਬੇਅੰਤ! ਹੇ ਜੂਨ-ਰਹਿਤ! ਤੇ ਅਟੱਲ ਮਹਲ ਵਿਚ ਟਿਕੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਪਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ! ਹੇ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਜੀਵਨ! (ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਮੈਨੂੰ) ਅਡੋਲਤਾ ਵਿਚ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਮਿਲੇ। ਮੇਹਰ ਦੀ ਨਿਗਾਹ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਬੇੜਾ ਪਾਰ ਕਰ।4।2। O beloved, support of my life! Don't forget me. You are the one whose devotion is always worshiped by the great ancestors, who is worshiped by the wisdom given by the Rishi Muni Guru. Always remember.1. Stay. (There is a story in the Puranas that the Vedas were composed by Brahma (the learned people) in a sweet tone from the mouth to the throat. Read daily, that Brahma was born from the cowl growing from the breath of Vishnu (on his birth-father To find the end of nature, I went with him, kept coming and going in darkness with him for many ages, but he Couldn't find the end of.1. That Lord is so big that the sun and the moon are like lamps in his glorious world, all His light is widespread in the world. If a person follows the path shown by his Guru and attains it day and night, he becomes one with a pure life. The man who follows his mind spends the night of his life in the darkness (of ignorance).2. Great yogis (relying on their own efforts) bring about samadhi and try to conquer the mind (but If a person focuses only on his own efforts, that inner light cannot be seen by his eyes. (The person who faces the Guru) the Guru stops the conflict in his mind, the Guru's presence within him Sweet devotion is felt in the form of words, the light of God awakens within it.3. Hey Nanak! (Pray =) O destroyer of gods and humans! O infinite! O June-free! And the immense Lord who resides in the stable palace! O life of the world! (Please grant me) may I reside in steadfastness. Cross my boat with an eye of mercy. 4.

ਗੂਜਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਨਾਭਿ ਕਮਲ ਤੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਉਪਜੇ ਬੇਦ ਪੜਹਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਕੰਠਿ ਸਵਾਰਿ ॥ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ਲਖਣਾ ਆਵਤ ਜਾਤ ਰਹੈ ਗੁਬਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਕਿਉ ਬਿਸਰਹਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਅਧਾਰ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਜਨ ਪੂਰੇ ਮੁਨਿ ਜਨ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਰਵਿ ਸਸਿ ਦੀਪਕ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣਿ ਏਕਾ ਜੋਤਿ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਰੈਣਿ ਅੰਧਾਰਿ ॥੨॥ ਸਿਧ ਸਮਾਧਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਤ ਝਗਰਾ ਦੁਹੁ ਲੋਚਨ ਕਿਆ ਹੇਰੈ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਧੁਨਿ ਜਾਗੈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਝਗਰੁ ਨਿਬੇਰੈ ॥੩॥ ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਨਾਥ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਅਜੋਨੀ ਸਾਚੈ ਮਹਲਿ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਹਜਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਜਗਜੀਵਨ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰਹੁ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੨॥ ਹੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ! ਮੈਨੂੰ ਨਾਹ ਭੁੱਲ। ਤੂੰ ਉਹ ਹੈਂ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਪੂਰਨ ਪੁਰਖ ਸਦਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਮੁਨੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਦੱਸੀ ਸੂਝ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਸਦਾ ਸਿਮਰਦੇ ਹਨ।1। ਰਹਾਉ। (ਪੁਰਾਣਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਕਥਾ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜਿਸ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਦੇ ਰਚੇ ਹੋਏ) ਵੇਦ (ਪੰਡਿਤ ਲੋਕ) ਮੂੰਹੋਂ ਗਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਸੁਰ ਵਿਚ ਨਿੱਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂੰ ਦੀ ਧੁੰਨੀ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਉੱਗੇ ਹੋਏ ਕੌਲ ਦੀ ਨਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਜੰਮਿਆ (ਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਜਨਮ-ਦਾਤੇ ਦੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਲੱਭਣ ਲਈ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਚ ਚੱਲ ਪਿਆ, ਕਈ ਜੁਗ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ, ਪਰ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਨਾਹ ਲੱਭ ਸਕਿਆ।1। ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਇਤਨਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸੂਰਜ ਤੇ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੀ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ (ਮਾਨੋ ਨਿਕੇ ਜਿਹੇ) ਦੀਵੇ (ਹੀ) ਹਨ, ਸਾਰੇ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ ਉਸੇ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੈ। ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਰਾਹ ਤੇ ਤੁਰ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਹ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਨ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਤੁਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਰਾਤ (ਅਗਿਆਨਤਾ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਬੀਤਦੀ ਹੈ।2। ਵੱਡੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਜੋਗੀ (ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਉੱਦਮ ਦੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ) ਸਮਾਧੀਆਂ ਲਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਤਣ ਦੇ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ (ਪਰ ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਉੱਦਮ ਉਤੇ ਹੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖੇ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ) ਉਹ ਅੰਦਰ-ਵੱਸਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਸਦੀ। (ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸਨਮੁਖ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ) ਉਸ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਝਗੜਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਮੁਕਾ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ-ਰੂਪ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਲਗਨ ਲੱਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਜਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ।3। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! (ਅਰਦਾਸ ਕਰ =) ਹੇ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਸਮ! ਹੇ ਬੇਅੰਤ! ਹੇ ਜੂਨ-ਰਹਿਤ! ਤੇ ਅਟੱਲ ਮਹਲ ਵਿਚ ਟਿਕੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਪਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ! ਹੇ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਜੀਵਨ! (ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਮੈਨੂੰ) ਅਡੋਲਤਾ ਵਿਚ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਮਿਲੇ। ਮੇਹਰ ਦੀ ਨਿਗਾਹ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਬੇੜਾ ਪਾਰ ਕਰ।4।2। O beloved, support of my life! Don't forget me. You are the one whose devotion is always worshiped by the great ancestors, who is worshiped by the wisdom given by the Rishi Muni Guru. Always remember.1. Stay. (There is a story in the Puranas that the Vedas were composed by Brahma (the learned people) in a sweet tone from the mouth to the throat. Read daily, that Brahma was born from the cowl growing from the breath of Vishnu (on his birth-father To find the end of nature, I went with him, kept coming and going in darkness with him for many ages, but he Couldn't find the end of.1. That Lord is so big that the sun and the moon are like lamps in his glorious world, all His light is widespread in the world. If a person follows the path shown by his Guru and attains it day and night, he becomes one with a pure life. The man who follows his mind spends the night of his life in the darkness (of ignorance).2. Great yogis (relying on their own efforts) bring about samadhi and try to conquer the mind (but If a person focuses only on his own efforts, that inner light cannot be seen by his eyes. (The person who faces the Guru) the Guru stops the conflict in his mind, the Guru's presence within him Sweet devotion is felt in the form of words, the light of God awakens within it.3. Hey Nanak! (Pray =) O destroyer of gods and humans! O infinite! O June-free! And the immense Lord who resides in the stable palace! O life of the world! (Please grant me) may I reside in steadfastness. Cross my boat with an eye of mercy. 4.2. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gsjhampur/support

ਗੂਜਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਨਾਭਿ ਕਮਲ ਤੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਉਪਜੇ ਬੇਦ ਪੜਹਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਕੰਠਿ ਸਵਾਰਿ ॥ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ਲਖਣਾ ਆਵਤ ਜਾਤ ਰਹੈ ਗੁਬਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਕਿਉ ਬਿਸਰਹਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਅਧਾਰ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਜਨ ਪੂਰੇ ਮੁਨਿ ਜਨ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਰਵਿ ਸਸਿ ਦੀਪਕ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣਿ ਏਕਾ ਜੋਤਿ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਰੈਣਿ ਅੰਧਾਰਿ ॥੨॥ ਸਿਧ ਸਮਾਧਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਤ ਝਗਰਾ ਦੁਹੁ ਲੋਚਨ ਕਿਆ ਹੇਰੈ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਧੁਨਿ ਜਾਗੈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਝਗਰੁ ਨਿਬੇਰੈ ॥੩॥ ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਨਾਥ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਅਜੋਨੀ ਸਾਚੈ ਮਹਲਿ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਹਜਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਜਗਜੀਵਨ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰਹੁ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੨॥ ਹੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ! ਮੈਨੂੰ ਨਾਹ ਭੁੱਲ। ਤੂੰ ਉਹ ਹੈਂ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਪੂਰਨ ਪੁਰਖ ਸਦਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਮੁਨੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਦੱਸੀ ਸੂਝ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਸਦਾ ਸਿਮਰਦੇ ਹਨ।1। ਰਹਾਉ।  (ਪੁਰਾਣਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਕਥਾ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜਿਸ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਦੇ ਰਚੇ ਹੋਏ) ਵੇਦ (ਪੰਡਿਤ ਲੋਕ) ਮੂੰਹੋਂ ਗਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਸੁਰ ਵਿਚ ਨਿੱਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂੰ ਦੀ ਧੁੰਨੀ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਉੱਗੇ ਹੋਏ ਕੌਲ ਦੀ ਨਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਜੰਮਿਆ (ਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਜਨਮ-ਦਾਤੇ ਦੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਲੱਭਣ ਲਈ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਚ ਚੱਲ ਪਿਆ, ਕਈ ਜੁਗ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ, ਪਰ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਨਾਹ ਲੱਭ ਸਕਿਆ।1।  ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਇਤਨਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸੂਰਜ ਤੇ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੀ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ (ਮਾਨੋ ਨਿਕੇ ਜਿਹੇ) ਦੀਵੇ (ਹੀ) ਹਨ, ਸਾਰੇ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ ਉਸੇ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੈ। ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਰਾਹ ਤੇ ਤੁਰ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਹ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਨ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਤੁਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਰਾਤ (ਅਗਿਆਨਤਾ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਬੀਤਦੀ ਹੈ।2।  ਵੱਡੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਜੋਗੀ (ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਉੱਦਮ ਦੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ) ਸਮਾਧੀਆਂ ਲਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਤਣ ਦੇ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ (ਪਰ ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਉੱਦਮ ਉਤੇ ਹੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖੇ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ) ਉਹ ਅੰਦਰ-ਵੱਸਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਸਦੀ। (ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸਨਮੁਖ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ) ਉਸ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਝਗੜਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਮੁਕਾ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ-ਰੂਪ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਲਗਨ ਲੱਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਜਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ।3।  ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! (ਅਰਦਾਸ ਕਰ =) ਹੇ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਸਮ! ਹੇ ਬੇਅੰਤ! ਹੇ ਜੂਨ-ਰਹਿਤ! ਤੇ ਅਟੱਲ ਮਹਲ ਵਿਚ ਟਿਕੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਪਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ! ਹੇ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਜੀਵਨ! (ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਮੈਨੂੰ) ਅਡੋਲਤਾ ਵਿਚ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਮਿਲੇ। ਮੇਹਰ ਦੀ ਨਿਗਾਹ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਬੇੜਾ ਪਾਰ ਕਰ।4।2। O beloved, support of my life! Don't forget me. You are the one whose devotion is always worshiped by the great ancestors, who is worshiped by the wisdom given by the Rishi Muni Guru. Always remember.1. Stay. (There is a story in the Puranas that the Vedas were composed by Brahma (the learned people) in a sweet tone from the mouth to the throat. Read daily, that Brahma was born from the cowl growing from the breath of Vishnu (on his birth-father To find the end of nature, I went with him, kept coming and going in darkness with him for many ages, but he Couldn't find the end of.1. That Lord is so big that the sun and the moon are like lamps in his glorious world, all His light is widespread in the world. If a person follows the path shown by his Guru and attains it day and night, he becomes one with a pure life. The man who follows his mind spends the night of his life in the darkness (of ignorance).2. Great yogis (relying on their own efforts) bring about samadhi and try to conquer the mind (but If a person focuses only on his own efforts, that inner light cannot be seen by his eyes. (The person who faces the Guru) the Guru stops the conflict in his mind, the Guru's presence within him Sweet devotion is felt in the form of words, the light of God awakens within it.3. Hey Nanak! (Pray =) O destroyer of gods and humans! O infinite! O June-free! And the immense Lord who resides in the stable palace! O life of the world! (Please grant me) may I reside in steadfastness. Cross my boat with an eye of mercy. 4.2. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gsjhampur/support

ਗੂਜਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਨਾਭਿ ਕਮਲ ਤੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਉਪਜੇ ਬੇਦ ਪੜਹਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਕੰਠਿ ਸਵਾਰਿ ॥ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ਲਖਣਾ ਆਵਤ ਜਾਤ ਰਹੈ ਗੁਬਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਕਿਉ ਬਿਸਰਹਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਅਧਾਰ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਜਨ ਪੂਰੇ ਮੁਨਿ ਜਨ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਰਵਿ ਸਸਿ ਦੀਪਕ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣਿ ਏਕਾ ਜੋਤਿ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਰੈਣਿ ਅੰਧਾਰਿ ॥੨॥ ਸਿਧ ਸਮਾਧਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਤ ਝਗਰਾ ਦੁਹੁ ਲੋਚਨ ਕਿਆ ਹੇਰੈ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਧੁਨਿ ਜਾਗੈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਝਗਰੁ ਨਿਬੇਰੈ ॥੩॥ ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਨਾਥ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਅਜੋਨੀ ਸਾਚੈ ਮਹਲਿ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਹਜਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਜਗਜੀਵਨ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰਹੁ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੨॥ ਹੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ! ਮੈਨੂੰ ਨਾਹ ਭੁੱਲ। ਤੂੰ ਉਹ ਹੈਂ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਪੂਰਨ ਪੁਰਖ ਸਦਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਮੁਨੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਦੱਸੀ ਸੂਝ ਦੇ ਆਸਰੇ ਸਦਾ ਸਿਮਰਦੇ ਹਨ।1। ਰਹਾਉ।  (ਪੁਰਾਣਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਕਥਾ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜਿਸ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਦੇ ਰਚੇ ਹੋਏ) ਵੇਦ (ਪੰਡਿਤ ਲੋਕ) ਮੂੰਹੋਂ ਗਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਸੁਰ ਵਿਚ ਨਿੱਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂੰ ਦੀ ਧੁੰਨੀ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਉੱਗੇ ਹੋਏ ਕੌਲ ਦੀ ਨਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਜੰਮਿਆ (ਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਜਨਮ-ਦਾਤੇ ਦੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਲੱਭਣ ਲਈ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਚ ਚੱਲ ਪਿਆ, ਕਈ ਜੁਗ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ, ਪਰ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਨਾਹ ਲੱਭ ਸਕਿਆ।1।  ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਇਤਨਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸੂਰਜ ਤੇ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੀ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ (ਮਾਨੋ ਨਿਕੇ ਜਿਹੇ) ਦੀਵੇ (ਹੀ) ਹਨ, ਸਾਰੇ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ ਉਸੇ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੈ। ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਰਾਹ ਤੇ ਤੁਰ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਹ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਨ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਤੁਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਰਾਤ (ਅਗਿਆਨਤਾ ਦੇ) ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਬੀਤਦੀ ਹੈ।2।  ਵੱਡੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਜੋਗੀ (ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਉੱਦਮ ਦੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ) ਸਮਾਧੀਆਂ ਲਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਤਣ ਦੇ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ (ਪਰ ਜੇਹੜਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਉੱਦਮ ਉਤੇ ਹੀ ਟੇਕ ਰੱਖੇ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ) ਉਹ ਅੰਦਰ-ਵੱਸਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਸਦੀ। (ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸਨਮੁਖ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ) ਉਸ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਝਗੜਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਮੁਕਾ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ-ਰੂਪ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਲਗਨ ਲੱਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਜਗ ਪੈਂਦੀ ਹੈ।3।  ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! (ਅਰਦਾਸ ਕਰ =) ਹੇ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਸਮ! ਹੇ ਬੇਅੰਤ! ਹੇ ਜੂਨ-ਰਹਿਤ! ਤੇ ਅਟੱਲ ਮਹਲ ਵਿਚ ਟਿਕੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਪਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ! ਹੇ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਜੀਵਨ! (ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਮੈਨੂੰ) ਅਡੋਲਤਾ ਵਿਚ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਮਿਲੇ। ਮੇਹਰ ਦੀ ਨਿਗਾਹ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਬੇੜਾ ਪਾਰ ਕਰ।4।2। O beloved, support of my life! Don't forget me. You are the one whose devotion is always worshiped by the great ancestors, who is worshiped by the wisdom given by the Rishi Muni Guru. Always remember.1. Stay. (There is a story in the Puranas that the Vedas were composed by Brahma (the learned people) in a sweet tone from the mouth to the throat. Read daily, that Brahma was born from the cowl growing from the breath of Vishnu (on his birth-father To find the end of nature, I went with him, kept coming and going in darkness with him for many ages, but he Couldn't find the end of.1. That Lord is so big that the sun and the moon are like lamps in his glorious world, all His light is widespread in the world. If a person follows the path shown by his Guru and attains it day and night, he becomes one with a pure life. The man who follows his mind spends the night of his life in the darkness (of ignorance).2. Great yogis (relying on their own efforts) bring about samadhi and try to conquer the mind (but If a person focuses only on his own efforts, that inner light cannot be seen by his eyes. (The person who faces the Guru) the Guru stops the conflict in his mind, the Guru's presence within him Sweet devotion is felt in the form of words, the light of God awakens within it.3. Hey Nanak! (Pray =) O destroyer of gods and humans! O infinite! O June-free! And the immense Lord who resides in the stable palace! O life of the world! (Please grant me) may I reside in steadfastness. Cross my boat with an eye of mercy. 4.2. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gsjhampur/support

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius  / So why do we always try to find happiness by adjusting the externals? / what if everyone was thinking higher thoughts? / the yoga mat is just the doormat / all the regulations of the yoga culture are designed for improving the quality of our thoughts - if we forget that, we miss the point / the conception of duality, which is epitomized by the duality between man and woman / the sage sees everyone with equal vision / all the leaders need spiritual training / Mahabharata and the Puranas are validated by the Upanishads as "Panchama Veda" - the 5th Veda / Srimad Bhagavatam is the commentary of the Vedanta Sutra by the author himself / all the regulations are there to help us see how God is in everything, and not in everything SB: 7.12.10-15 ***************************************************************************** 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  

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius  / So why do we always try to find happiness by adjusting the externals? / what if everyone was thinking higher thoughts? / the yoga mat is just the doormat / all the regulations of the yoga culture are designed for improving the quality of our thoughts - if we forget that, we miss the point / the conception of duality, which is epitomized by the duality between man and woman / the sage sees everyone with equal vision / all the leaders need spiritual training / Mahabharata and the Puranas are validated by the Upanishads as "Panchama Veda" - the 5th Veda / Srimad Bhagavatam is the commentary of the Vedanta Sutra by the author himself / all the regulations are there to help us see how God is in everything, and not in everything SB: 7.12.10-15 ***************************************************************************** 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  

"Kalki 2898 AD" is an ambitious film by Nag Ashwin, blending Indian mythology with Western sci-fi. The story, inspired by the Puranas and the Mahabharata, echoes classics like "Dune" and "Metropolis." While the visuals are stunning and the cast star-studded, the film's creativity and ambition shine through, offering a unique cinematic experience. We dissect the film in this video, and talk about what worked and what didn't in the same. #Kalki2898AD #Prabhas #AmitabhBachchan #DeepikaPadukone Follow Us Onhttp://instagram.com/filmcompanionhttps://www.twitter.com/filmcompanion⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/filmcompanion⁠Find us on YouTube:⁠https://www.youtube.com/@FilmCompanion⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@FilmCompanionSouth⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@FilmCompanionLocal⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ReviewsandMore.⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@FilmCompanionShorts

A story about a devoted wife, Shilavati, who stopped the entire world to protect her husband from Rishi Mandavya's terrible curse. Can Anasuya save the world? Transcript and show notes: https://sfipodcast.com/puranas-shilavati-and-anasuya-ep-258/  Music: https://www.purple-planet.com#sfipodcast #Saptarishi #Purana #Puranas #Anasuya #Atri #Surya #Mandavya --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/storiesfromindia/message

The story of Raja Harishchandra and Vishwamitra - how the King stuck to his moral principles, regardless of the cost to his family, his subjects, and himself Transcript and show notes: https://sfipodcast.com/puranas-harishchandra-ep-254/  Music: https://www.purple-planet.com #sfipodcast #Harishchandra #Taramati #Vishwamitra #Brahmarishi #Ayodhya #Yama #Indra #Swarg #Svarg --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/storiesfromindia/message

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Raj Balkaran is a scholar, seeker, and librarian of wisdom. He is the author of The Stories Behind the Poses, an amazing book about the mythology connected to the asanas. Raj is a Chaplain at McMaster University, a teacher with the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, a podcast host for the Indian Religions show, and the director of The Indian Wisdom School. He is graciously offering this community a free course. Use the code “GRACE”. ... https://rajbalkaran.com/ https://www.indianwisdomschool.com/  (GRACE) ... https://newbooksnetwork.com/hosts/profile/35dc4556-5592-4211-96c1-db8fdb52be50 ... https://www.spiralverse.com/products/9780711271883 ... https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-review-of-the-red-cross/article/abs/exploring-hindu-ethics-of-warfare-the-puranas/9B7ED58D8DC122F00D56D371F9EDC3DC ... https://capitalinstitute.org/course-introduction-regenerative-economics/ (promo code: COSMIC10) ... https://aftontickets.com/event/buyticket/68x24z4jg2 (promo code: COSMIC) ... https://www.cosmiclabyrinth.world/    

Indian mythology, deeply rooted in ancient scriptures and oral traditions, encompasses a plethora of fascinating stories that blend the mystical with the moral, the divine with the earthly. These narratives, spanning epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, as well as numerous Puranas, offer insights into the cultural, religious, and philosophical tapestry of the Indian subcontinent. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nilnia/support

he Satavahanas (Sādavāhana or Sātavāhana, IAST: Sātavāhana), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the late second century BCE and lasted until the early third century CE, although some assign the beginning of their rule to as early as the 3rd century BCE based on the Puranas, but uncorroborated by archaeological evidence. The Satavahana kingdom mainly comprised the present-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. At different times, their rule extended to parts of modern Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka. The dynasty had different capital cities at different times, including Pratishthana (Paithan) and Amaravati (Dharanikota). The origin of the dynasty is uncertain, but according to the Puranas, their first king overthrew the Kanva dynasty. In the post-Maurya era, the Satavahanas established peace in the Deccan region and resisted the onslaught of foreign invaders. In particular their struggles with the Saka Western Satraps went on for a long time. The dynasty reached its zenith under the rule of Gautamiputra Satakarni and his successor Vasisthiputra Pulamavi. The kingdom fragmented into smaller states by the early 3rd century CE. The Satavahanas were early issuers of Indian state coinage struck with images of their rulers. They formed a cultural bridge and played a vital role in trade and the transfer of ideas and culture to and from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the southern tip of India. They supported Hinduism as well as Buddhism and patronised Prakrit literature. #satavahana #satavahanadynastyhistory #satavahanahistoryintelugu #satavahanaexpress #satavahanaempire #satavahanauniversitykarimnagar #satavahanamanjariintamil #satavahanauniversity1stsemexamdate2023 #satavahanaexpressfulljourney #satavahanadynastyhistorybookstawa #satavahanacoins #satavahanaexpressacchaircar #satavahanadynastyhistoryintelugu #satavahanaexpresschaircar --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chinna61/message

In episode 128 of PG Radio, we talk to Ishita Sharma from @sootjiboley about the philosophy, psychology and deeper meanings hidden in the stories from Puranas.

Title: Meaning of Om Tat Sat17th Chapter: verses 20, 21, 22, 23Yajna, Dana, and Tapah – these spiritual principles have the triple dimensions of Sattvika, Rajasika and Tamasika.Yajna refers to any noble, unselfish deed that is done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness and as an offering to God. Our everyday activities can be spiritualized when we perform them as yajna. Then there is no difference between the shrine and the workplace. Any activity not done as yajna becomes a bondage – it is an invisible chain that binds us to the world.Dana refers to any act of compassion, kindness and charity meant to help others.Tapah means austerity, activities that we do with total dedication and with a sense of going beyond the body-mind complex.20th verse: “Charity done with the attitude “It is my duty to help this person”, done in the right manner without any expectation of return, given to someone who is in need of it, who will use it for constructive purpose, and done at the right place and time – such charity is Sattvik.”21st verse: “When charity is practiced with the expectation of getting something back in return or done with a mind that is not happy as it is struggling with its own greed, ort done with a desire to be known as a charitable person – such charity is Rajasik.”22nd verse: “Charity done at the wrong place, at the wrong time, or to unworthy person or without regard for rules and etiquette – such charity is Tamasik.”Suppose a person is sitting in a dirty, filthy place and we give him restaurant food. It is an example of wrong place. Suppose that person has already had his meal and we give him food. It is an example of wrong time. Suppose we give money to a person who uses it for terrible things. It is an example of charity to an unworthy person.The 23rd and 24th verses are very important and explain how we can purify our spiritual activities such as yajna, dana and tapah.23rd verse: “In the Vedic literature, specifically the Upanishads, it is stated that “Om Tat Sat” constitutes the essence of all vedic literature. These three words are behind the origin and creation of the Brahmanas, Vedas and Yajnas.”There are four vedas. Each veda has four parts – Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad. Samhita contains hymns to deities. Brahmana contain description of rituals. Aranyaka contain philosophical discussions and spiritual disciplines. Upanishads contain the highest and most sublime portion of the vedas.It is difficult for normal human beings to perform their spiritual practices with perfection. For example, a prayer is effective when the mind, the act of prayer, the thoughts and emotions are all focused on the prayer. It is difficult for normal human beings to do so – there is an inherent incompleteness and imperfection in their prayer. The same applies to rituals. The spiritual practice – a prayer or an offering or a ritual – can be purified by uttering “Om” or “Om Tat Sat.”The utterance of “Om Tat Sat” can have two levels. The utterance has more effect when we understand its meaning. It has less effect if it is uttered without understanding its meaning.Om is a word symbol that represents the totality of existence and divinity. Whatever we experience in waking state, dream state or deep sleep state – they are all represented by Om.Om is comprised of A-U-M. “A” represents the totality of waking state experiences. “U” represents the totality of dream state experiences. “M” represents the totality of deep sleep experiences. Together, they represent all our experiences, as we cannot have any experience outside of these three states.Om contains the essence of all vedas. All the vedas are an attempt to describe the Absolute Reality which can only be experienced. At the empirical level, the Absolute Reality is denoted with Om.Om comes from two Sanskrit roots which mean “something that is all-pervading that sustains us, protects us from problems of the empirical world, and leads us to the highest spiritual realization.”Sri Ramakrishna used simple language to describe Om. In ascending order, he said: “Puaranas are the lowest. Higher than Puranas are Upanishads. Upanishads are condensed in Gayatri. Gayatri is condensed in Om. Beyond Om is total silence.”The highest level of experience cannot be explained. It is a deeply felt experience whose language is silence. Below silence is Om, which is the first audible, verbal symbol of the divine. When we elaborate Om, we get Gayatri. When we elaborate Gayatri, we get Upanishads. Below the Upanishads, there are many mythological books. All these books are meant to take us beyond books. The highest experience is beyond all these books.Tat means “I am offering it to the all-pervading, divine reality.” It is used to purify all forms of yajna, dana and tapah. These spiritual practices may have inherent imperfections which are rectified by utterance of Tat.When we offer our activity to the all-pervading reality that is present in everyone and everything, the activity is purified. In fact, this is the essence of the Brahma-Yajna-Mantra in the 24th verse of the 4th chapter. With the imagery of a Vedic ritual (Yajna), this verse says: “the process of offering, what we offer, the one who offers, into what it is offered, the act of performing the ritual, the goal to be reached – everything is Brahman.”There is nothing in this world, but Brahman. With this strong conviction, when we utter this mantra before eating food, then whatever we eat becomes purified.Sat means strong, steady faith. Yajna, dana and tapah, when done with a sense of sanctity, sacredness, sincerity, honesty and integrity – they get purified.Sometimes devotees chant “Hari Om Tat Sat”. Hari is the name of Vishnu and means the Lord.

In this special presentation, made as a tribute to Vaidya RK Mishra, her distinguished disciple, formulation tester, and patient consultation partner of 20 years, Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum, of whom Vaidya himself once said "She has the light of the rishis, and before I live this body, I want to teach her everything I know" summarizes Vaidya's inconmensurable contribution to the science of Ayurveda. Vaidya Mishra, was the heir of a millenia-old lineage of ayurvedic healers whose origins are recorded in the Puranas (ancient Sanskrit Vedic texts). They practiced the purest and most elevated form of ayurveda and had the highest understanding of the human physiology; an understanding that went beyond body organs and functions and holistically took into account the connection, communion, and harmonious balance of the physical body as the housing of the soul, put in motion by the flow of Prana and kept in harmony with the natural laws of the universe, as the true means of attaining HEALTH and BLISS.

Michael Witzel is an important scholar discussed in the book 'Ten Heads of Ravana' and Manogna Sastry analyzes his work in her cogent essay. Sastry discusses one of the major themes of Witzel's academic work, consisting of his championing the Aryan Invasion/Migration into India theories, to the point of disregarding evidence and denigrating through ad hominem attacks, the works which challenge and have negated several of his central points. His proof and methodology have included “creating” evidence when none exists, through mistranslations and grammatical errors, to the point of distorting verses to suit his whims. When his claims have been discredited by others, Witzel has gone on to offer farcical explanations, even as the lack of academic ethics in his work stands tall. The essay highlights how such, instances demonstrate the poor scholarship that accompanies Witzel's work in a theme as crucial as the Aryan issue, for it has direct implications on the temporal and spatial origins of the Vedas and Sanskrit heritage. Witzel has been a vociferous critic of Indians wherever they are fighting for a fair and just representation of their history. He played a role, along with Marxist historians such as Romila Thapar, in trying to thwart the attempts made by Hindus in North America to correct the history textbooks of Grade VI taught in California Public Schools. Witzel's writings, laden under the garb of trying to protect “historical accuracy”, lays bare much of what is fallacious about his scholarship. The essay considers several such instances of Witzel's work to demonstrate why his work qualifies him as one of today's Intellectual Ravanas. Romila Thapar has been one of India's foremost historians, having held control of premier national educational and research institutions to influence academic discourse and government policies over decades. Anurag Sharma, in his brilliant essay, refutes Thapar's historiographical assumptions by providing strong counterexamples from Indian history. In the first section, he critically examines her views on the Islamic period of Indian history; in the second, her theories related to Hindu Dharma and the sacred texts such as Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas; and in the third, her views on India as a nation and Hindu nationalism. Using evidence from fields of numismatics, archaeology, epigraphy, art and traditional texts to debunk many of the claims, Sharma makes a compelling case as to why Thapar's work is unreliable and cannot be assumed as the mainstream narrative if we wish to return to scientific, objective and fact-based representations of history. Snakes in the Ganga - http://www.snakesintheganga.com Varna Jati Caste - http://www.varnajaticaste.com The Battle For IIT's - http://www.battleforiits.com Power of future Machines - http://www.poweroffuturemachines.com 10 heads of Ravana - http://www.tenheadsofravana.com To support Infinity Foundation's projects including the continuation of such episodes and the research we do: इनफिनिटी फ़ौंडेशन की परियोजनाओं को अनुदान देने के लिए व इस प्रकार के एपिसोड और हमारे द्वारा किये जाने वाले शोध को जारी रखने के लिए: http://infinityfoundation.com/donate-2/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rajivmalhotrapodcast/support

Through out the year, the hindu calendar is full of religious activities. Especially during Navarathri community engages in a lot of activities - golu and pujas in homes and temples, festivals and concerts, garba dances, visiting each other's home and interacting with friends and more. This is a very colorful period of the year. This period is celebrated as a period of devotion next only to mArgazhi in TN. Considering this period is celebrated by all parts of India and also abroad, one can say this is more a broad based celebration. But what exactly is devotion? Is it just chanting mantrAs, slokAs and visiting temples or something else? What is bhakti (devotion), not from the point of view of purAnas but from the point of view of tattvas (truth) as explained in the sanAtana dharma philosophical texts like upanishads and BG? Is bhakti under sanatana dharma same as bhakti in western religions? Follow episodes 52, 53 and 54 to get an idea of what is devotion, the various levels of devotion and who is dear to Bhagavan. Be ready for a shock! All the traditional ideas about bhakti will be thrown out!

Extreme human antiquity? Forbidden archeologist and author Michael Cremo joins Brendan to discuss his decades-long and detailed research into the question: how old is humanity REALLY? Michael is an expert in the field of suppressed and ignored history, particularly as it pertains to the origins of humankind. Influenced by a long-running interest in the ancient spiritual teachings of India, Cremo shares a wealth of scientific archeological evidence that supports the Vedic notion that humanity is actually millions of years old. His work provides a huge uppercut to the Establishment's (unproved) theory of Darwinian evolution. Dive deeper into Michael Cremo's work: mcremo.com Find Part 2 of the interview inside The Truthiversity (www.Truthiversity.com) Special Guest: Michael Cremo.

What one act gives us the utmost fulfillment and happiness every day, something we shouldn't delay? We all have a purpose to serve in the bigger scheme of life, which will benefit others and us even more, leading to inner happiness and well-being. Listen more to learn as Swami Mukundananda helps us understand it in detail by relating a story from our Puranas in this twelfth episode of the Art and Science of Happiness series.

Sid Chhabra is a computer scientist and scholar of Vedic cosmology. His research has revealed startling quantitative similarities between the predictions of ancient works and modern mathematical physics. Fundamentally, however, Sid approaches cosmology as an integrative art that requires one to put themselves into a cosmic context on a daily basis. He argues that cosmology is a study rich with meaning for each person's journey through this world. Support us both when you pick up Sid's book, The Big Bang and The Sages : Modern Science Catches Up With The Ancient Purāṇas - https://amzn.to/3QC7SsG 00:00:00 Go! (00:00:17) Who is Sid Chhabra (00:09:23) Finding Inspiration for the Search (00:18:10) Patreon Ask (00:19:04) A purpose to being human (00:26:41) Spiritual present & presence (00:33:04) Discoveries in the Vedas (00:41:52) How the Puranas keep time (00:53:34) Historicity of faith vs the value of spiritual practice (00:57:04) An astonishing depth of knowledge (01:08:15) The true age of the Vedas (01:16:03) Living a life of meaning (01:22:07) Searching for a teacher (01:25:34) Closing thoughts Support the scientific revolution by joining our Patreon: https://bit.ly/3lcAasB Tell us what you think in the comments or on our Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub #vedas #cosmology #ancient Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671

Produced by Joseph Cottrell and Ken Fuller This week we are joined by Yes book author, Simon Barrow, to talk about the concept behind Tales From Topographic Oceans. We get into a lot of detail as you would expect and explore some pretty fascinating areas of concept music - whatever that actually is! What is a concept album? Is Tales a concept album? Does it even matter? Let us know if you agree with us! Some of Kevin's copies of Tales The actual footnote Jon Anderson based the concept of Tales on:10-6: Pertaining to the shastras, literally, “sacred books,” comprising four classes of scripture: the shruti, smriti, purana, and tantra. These comprehensive treatises cover every aspect of religious and social life, and the fields of law, medicine, architecture, art, etc. The shrutis are the “directly heard” or “revealed” scriptures, the Vedas. The smritis or “remembered” lore was finally written down in a remote past as the world's longest epic poems, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Puranas are literally “ancient” allegories; tantras literally mean “rites” or “rituals”; these treatises convey profound truths under a veil of detailed symbolism. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7452/7452-h/7452-h.htm Simon Barrow at a Yes concert! Available now! TormatoBook.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Ken Fuller Patrons: Jim Morrison Jon Pickles Declan Logue Gary Betts Alan Begg Michael Handerhan Barry Gorsky Steve Perry Doug Curran Martin Kjellberg Todd Dudley Rachel Hadaway Lind  Paul Hailes Craig Estenes Mark James Lang Steve Rode David Bob Martilotta John Holden Stephen LambeDem Fred Barringer Scott Colombo Chris Bandini David Heyden John Thomson Mark Baggs John Cowan John Parry Dave Owen Simon Barrow Steve Scott Terence Sadler Steve Dill Robert Nasir  Fergus Cubbage William Hayes Geoff Bailie Steven Roehr Lobate Scarp Geoffrey Mason David Watkinson Tim Stannard Robert VandiverBrian Sullivan David Pannell Jamie McQuinnMiguel Falcão Paul Tomei Michael O'Connor Our (not really) new Facebook YMP Discussion Group is open to anyone to join but I'll be adding rules and joining requirements when I have time (one day…). One of the advantages of the new format is that all members of the group have the same ability to post content, so it's a bit more egalitarian, or somesuch. Please do search for the group and join in. https://www.facebook.com/groups/3216603008606331/ Become a Patron! Please follow/subscribe! If you are still listening to the podcast on the website, please consider subscribing so you don't risk missing anything: Theme music The music I use is the last movement of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. This has been used as introduction music at many Yes concerts. My theme music is not take from a live concert – I put it together from: archive.org

Sri Ramakrishna, like the Buddha before him, often held that what the Absolute Reality, Brahman is cannot be described. It is "ucchishta", meaning, undefiled by the tongue. As such, it is beyond the Vedas, the Puranas, the Tantra or any sacred book. Further, because the ultimate Reality is "one without a second", that is, non-dual, It cannot be compared to any other thing, It being all there is. What does ghee taste like? Well, Sri Ramakrishna would say, it "tastes like ghee!". In saying this though, the Master points out that there is a "rasa", a taste or a qualia, a subjective experience that comes with being absorbed in that Absolute Brahman. And he often compares that feeling to the feeling of a fish let loose into the ocean or the feeling of a bird soaring high in the sky. In this video, we take up Sri Ramakrishna's descriptions of what it feels like to be absorbed in Brahman, compare them to Chandogya Upanishad 7.23.1 (yo vai bhūma tat sukam, nalpa sukham asti = there is no joy in the limited, only the vast is joyful) and then come up with a few analogs from our day to day lives to give you a taste of what enlightenment feels like.Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday at 6pm PST.  There's Q&A right after the lecture. It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the show

Listen to Part 2 of our Podcast with bestselling author Ranjith Radhakrishnan, author of “Rama of the Axe”, a novel based on Parashurama, the 6th avatara of Mahavishnu.This set of two podcasts contains deep discussions on essential concepts of Hindu dharma and reclaiming our ways of seeing, rather than using a Western lens.We continue the conversation from Part 1 on the need for kshaatra in the service of dharma. Hear a powerful excerpt read out by the author as he gives us a glimpse into his thought process.We also talk about the Divine Feminine as Shakti being an essential part of Hindu worship, unlike in Abrahamic religions and finally, Ranjith ji gives his advice to aspiring authors who want to write novels/stories based on our itihasas and puranas.Ranjith Radhakrishnan is a Bengaluru based entrepreneur. He is an ex-actor, assistant director, script assistant, toll manager, and pretty much ex everything else. He is father to a brat and husband to a wife who loves dogs, cats, cows, elephants, her husband and other animals, strictly in that order. He loves grandmother's tales and stories from our Puranas and Itihasas. He is a proud pagan and ardent idol-worshipper. He drinks a lot of tea as every right-thinking person should.Published works:Debut Novel: Rama of the AxeShort Story: Shakuni - The Dice of Death, in the anthology Unsung Valour - Forgotten Warriors of the Kurukshetra War.Poem: Tushara Svayamvara, in the anthology Arya - Vedic women of Substance.Website: ranjithradhakrishnan.comTwitter: ranjith_rFacebook: ranjith.radhakrishnanInstagram: ranjithrdhkrshnYou can get your copy of “Rama of the Axe” from any of the booksellers below:Padhega India (40% discount on MRP, Indic bookseller, prompt and friendly service)AmazonFlipkartGeneral Information:Subscribers 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/hinduparentingFacebook group: facebook.com/groups/hinduparentingKoo: hinduparenting Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe

Listen to Part 1 of our Podcast with bestselling author Ranjith Radhakrishnan. Why is this book a game-changer in its genre? Hear about lesser known facets of Hindu dharma through the 6th Avatara, Parashurama; the axe as a weapon of choice (not the more common bow or mace); the role of kshaatra; the inspiration behind the author's handling of these themes, and more.Ranjith Radhakrishnan is a Bengaluru based entrepreneur. He is an ex-actor, assistant director, script assistant, toll manager, and pretty much ex everything else. He is father to a brat and husband to a wife who loves dogs, cats, cows, elephants, her husband and other animals, strictly in that order. He loves grandmother's tales and stories from our Puranas and Itihasas. He is a proud pagan and ardent idol-worshipper. He drinks a lot of tea as every right-thinking person should.Published works:Debut Novel: Rama of the AxeShort Story: Shakuni - The Dice of Death, in the anthology Unsung Valour - Forgotten Warriors of the Kurukshetra War.Poem: Tushara Svayamvara, in the anthology Arya - Vedic women of Substance.website: ranjithradhakrishnan.comTwitter: ranjith_rFacebook: ranjith.radhakrishnanInstagram: ranjithrdhkrshnGrab your copies from any of the places below:Padhega India: https://rzp.io/l/RamaOftheAxe (40% discount on MRP. Hindu Parenting endorses Padhega India for their extremely prompt and friendly service!)Amazon:http://amzn.eu/d/bzD1W09Flipkart: https://shorturl.at/qruDQ General Information:Subscribers 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/hinduparentingFacebook group: facebook.com/groups/hinduparentingKoo: hinduparenting Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe

“Is it possible to acquire knowledge without the guru? And is it possible to acquire knowledge without renunciation? In the same way, the Vedas and Puranas sing that there is no chance of happiness and peace without devotion to Shri Hari.” (Dohavali, 137)

“Is it possible to acquire knowledge without the guru? And is it possible to acquire knowledge without renunciation? In the same way, the Vedas and Puranas sing that there is no chance of happiness and peace without devotion to Shri Hari.” (Dohavali, 137)

“The pure-minded saints, who are learned in the Vedas and Puranas, say like this, that only through the favor of the husband of Sita will the miseries within the ocean of suffering go away.” (Dohavali, 136)

In the Vedic tradition, learning with a Guru is essential for wisdom and blessings to flow in our lives. What makes any Guru great is the Shaastra. There is no Guru without the Shaastra and the Shaastra cannot be learnt without a Guru. The select verses of what is known as the Guru Stotram, were selected by Pujya Swami Dayānanda Saraswatī. These verses are found in the Guru Gita, a text of 274 shlokas.  Guru Gita itself is from Skanda Purana, one of the 18 Puranas. These beautiful shlokas talk about the glory of a guru, role and necessity of a guru in one's life, and the benefit of the pursuit of self knowledge. It is easy for the one who has a Guru to have reverence for Ishvara, Shaastra and the Guru. The one who does not have a guru nor seeks one, wonders what all the fuss is about. It takes having a guru, to know the magic that unfolds in one's life. New 3 month course starting 9th July 2023 - Self knowledge and the quest for happiness course - https://www.hua.edu/product/self-knowledge-and-the-quest-for-happiness/ Do read the podcast transcript/ article- https://discoveratma.com/category/podcast/ Please check out our June 2023 Aarsha Vidya Bharati newsletter - Bhumi puja l New course at HUA - Self knowledge and the pursuit of happiness l Guru Purnima announcement l Value of Values and much more ! - https://mailchi.mp/4f03f3f7d73f/aarsha-vidya-bharati-jun2023 Our monthly newsletter will bring you more happiness, more wisdom and more freedom. To subscribe to Aarsha Vidya Bharati - https://mailchi.mp/cea95b9ad987/aarsha-vidya-bharati Vedanta - the river of wisdom is a weekly podcast by Swamini B (Brahmaprajnananda), a Vedanta teacher, writer and Hindu monk. Please follow, learn and enjoy Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@DiscoverAtma Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discoveratma Twitter - https://twitter.com/discoveratma To connect and learn Vedanta - www.discoveratma.com

What is the Rudra Principle? What is anger? Where does it start? Why do WE become angry in the first place. How does anger travel. Who is the diety of anger. A vedic perspective on anger and explanation of the diety of Rudra. Monica Groover, the author of Ayurveda and the Feminine and Essential Guide to Ayurveda talks to Pandit Atul Krishna Das-co founder of Narayana Ayurveda and Yoga Academy in Austin Texas. Pandit Atul spend years in an ashram in India and has been a student of Vedic literature, Puranas for 45 years.

OK, so maybe you haven't had two business rivals spring from your earwax… but perhaps you do feel like you've been hammering away at something in your business to no avail. If you do, you're in luck! Today Hayagriva reminds us about the importance of thinking on your feet and being playful and ethically wily when what you've been doing just isn't working.Support the show by becoming a Patron here: www.patreon.com/AmyMcDonaldLearn all about the Abundant Yoga Teacher Retreat here: https://www.amymcdonald.com.au/retreatsREFERENCES:Nayak, Satyarth (2022) Mahagatha 100 Tales from the Puranas, Harper Collins, Cyber City, Gurugram

Senior scholar John Brockington discusses his scholarship, his role in establishing key conferences, and his work on an online research archive on the spread of the story of Rāma. Professor John Brockington graduated from Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 1963 and joined the Sanskrit Department at Edinburgh in 1965. In 1968 Professor Brockington completed his D.Phil with a thesis on the language and style of the Rāmāyaṇa. He remained at Edinburgh throughout his teaching career and is now emeritus Professor of Sanskrit in the School of Asian Studies, of which he was the first Head (1998-1999); he was also the first Convenor of the Centre for South Asian Studies (1989-1993). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2001. He was the Secretary General of the International Association of Sanskrit Studies from 2000 to 2012 (and is now a Vice President) and he was the chair of the organising committee of the 13th World Sanskrit Conference, held at Edinburgh in July 2006. Professor Brockington has given lectures by invitation at many universities in India and Europe and was awarded the honorary Vidyāvācaspati degree by Silpakorn University, Bankok, in 2015. He was a founder member the Executive Committee of the Dubrovnik International Conferences on the Sanskrit Epics and Puranas. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode, we converse with Bharathi ji, a mother and a professional writer and storyteller. We explore the topic of “Why tell Stories” taking many examples of stories within stories in our Itihasas and Puranas. Come, listen to a fascinating discussion and some great stories!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/hinduparentingFacebook group: facebook.com/groups/hinduparentingCopyright belongs to Hinduparenting.Transcript in Progress… Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe

Introducing Sabad Hajare Patshahi 10, new translations and commentaries of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib's composition. Harinder Singh (Innovation Director) and Jasleen Kaur (Research Associate) discuss their learnings and challenges while engaging with the words of this composition. The unique contexts and subversions these compositions reveal are a treat for those who yearn to get to know Guru Gobind Singh Sahib and those who yearn to celebrate Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. In the tenth composition of the “Sabad Hajare Patisahi 10” (popularly Shabad Hazare Patshahi 10) series, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib declares that identifying with the attributes and existence of the 1 eliminates fear. Guru Sahib disrupts the practice of identifying with deities and celestial bodies, for only the 1 who is beyond the cycle of birth and death eliminates fear. In this eleventh and final podcast of the series, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore Guru Gobind Singh Sahib's utterances on the 1's Identification. They discuss the context around the Guru's references to various Divine names, smaller deities, and sages, as well as various religious texts. They then discuss the Guru's emphasis on the vastness of IkOankar through his description of the One as infinite, formless, and colorless. Finally, they offer closing personal reflections on the series. Sabad ਦੇਵਗੰਧਾਰੀ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੀ ੧੦ ਬਿਨੁ ਹਰਿਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਬਾਚਨ ਪੈ ਹੈ॥ ਚੌਦਹਲੋਕ ਜਾਹਿ ਬਸਿ ਕੀਨੇ ਤਾ ਤੇ ਕਹਾਂ ਪਲੈ ਹੈ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ॥ ਰਾਮ ਰਹੀਮ ਉਬਾਰਿ ਨ ਸਕਿ ਹੈ ਜਾਕਰ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਟੈ ਹੈ॥ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਸੂਰਜ ਸਸਿ ਤੇ ਬਸਿ ਕਾਲ ਸਬੈਹੈ॥੧॥ ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਕੁਰਾਨ ਸਬੈ ਮਤਿ ਜਾਕਰ ਨੇਤਿ ਕਹੈ ਹੈ॥ ਇੰਦ੍ਰ ਫਨਿੰਦ੍ਰ ਮੁਨਿੰਦ੍ਰ ਕਲਪ ਬਹੁ ਧਿਆਵਤਿ ਧਿਆਨ ਨ ਐ ਹੈ॥੨॥ ਜਾਕਰ ਰੂਪ ਰੰਗ ਨਹਿ ਜਨਿਯਤਿ ਸੋ ਕਿਮ ਸ੍ਯਾਮ ਕਹੈ ਹੈ॥ ਛੁਟਿਹੋ ਕਾਲਜਾਲ ਤੇ ਤਬ ਹੀ ਤਾਹਿ ਚਰਨ ਲਪਟੈ ਹੈ॥੩॥੨॥੧0॥ Translation 1's Identification ‍Why do you need to Identify with 1? Devagandhari Sovereign 10 No one can be saved without Hari's Nam, 1's Identification. That 1 who controls the fourteen worlds, where can you run away from That 1? Pause-reflect. Rama and Rahim can not ferry you across whose names you are repeating. Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, the sun, and the moon are all under the control of death. All wisdoms of Vedas, Puranas, and Quran call That 1 infinite. Indra, Sheshanaga, and great sages intensely concentrated for eons, but they still could not concentrate on That 1. Whose form and color can not be recognized; how can That 1 be called Shyam-Krishna? You will only be free from the death-web if you cling to the feet of That 1. Read the full article: https://sikhri.org/articles/sabad-hajare-patisahi-10-sabad-10 ~~~ Presenters Harinder Singh - sikhri.org/people/harinder-singh Jasleen Kaur - sikhri.org/people/jasleen-kaur Credits Art - Kiran Kaur Ahluwalia (https://sikhri.org/people/kiran-kaur) Caligraphy - Albel Singh (https://sikhri.org/people/albel-singh) Sabad Kirtan - Bhai Balbir Singh (https://sikhri.org/articles/bhai-balbir-singh) Sabad Narration - Harjinder Singh (https://sikhri.org/people/harjinder-singh-gharsana) #GuruGobindSingh #Sabad #Shabad #Sikh #Sikhism #Poetry --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-sikh-cast-sikhri/support

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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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. 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Introducing Sabad Hajare Patshahi 10, new translations and commentaries of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib's composition. Harinder Singh (Innovation Director) and Jasleen Kaur (Research Associate) discuss their learnings and challenges while engaging with the words of this composition. The unique contexts and subversions these compositions reveal are a treat for those who yearn to get to know Guru Gobind Singh Sahib and those who yearn to celebrate Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. In the eighth composition of the “Sabad Hajare Patisahi 10” (popularly Shabad Hazare Patshahi 10) series, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib questions how That One can be said to be in one human form. Guru Sahib shakes the yogic methods and techniques of the methodological discipline of intense concentration and replaces them with an intimate connection with That One. In this ninth podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore Guru Gobind Singh Sahib's utterances on the vastness of IkOankar. They discuss the Guru's description of how even the holiest of people lost themselves in intense concentration, and his guidance towards understanding that no matter the person, deity, ghost, or spirit, all are calling That One infinite. Sabad ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੀ ੧੦ ਸੋ ਕਿਮਿ ਮਾਨਸ ਰੂਪ ਕਹਾਏ॥ ਸਿਧ ਸਮਾਧਿ ਸਾਧਿ ਕਰਿ ਹਾਰੇ ਕ੍ਯੋ ਹੂੰ ਨ ਦੇਖਨ ਪਾਏ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ॥ ਨਾਰਦ ਬਿਆਸ ਪਰਾਸਰ ਧ੍ਰੂਅ ਸੇ ਧਿਆਵਤਿ ਧਿਆਨ ਲਗਾਏ॥੧॥ ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨਿ ਹਾਰਿ ਹਠਿ ਛਾਡਿਓ ਤਦਪਿ ਧਿਆਨ ਨ ਆਏ॥੧॥ ਦਾਨਵ ਦੇਵ ਪਿਸਾਚ ਪ੍ਰੇਤ ਤੇ ਨੇਤਹਿ ਨੇਤ ਕਹਾਏ॥ ਸੂਛਮ ਤੇ ਸੂਛਮ ਕਰਿ ਚੀਨੇ ਬ੍ਰਿਧਨ ਬ੍ਰਿਧ ਬਤਾਏ॥੨॥ ਭੂਮਿ ਅਕਾਸ ਪਤਾਲ ਸਭੈ ਸਜਿ ਏਕ ਅਨੇਕ ਸਦਾਏ॥ ਸੋ ਨਰ ਕਾਲਫਾਂਸ ਤੇ ਬਾਚੇ ਜੋ ਹਰਿ ਸਰਣਿ ਸਿਧਾਏ॥੩॥੧॥੮॥ Translation That One ‍Are we lost in yoga and meditation? Bilaval Sovereign 10 How can That One be said to be in one human form? The Siddhas could not see That One, lost themselves in perfect consciousness and intense concentration. Pause-reflect. Likes of Narada, Vyasa, Prasara, and Dhruva concentrated with intense concentration. Vedas and Puranas lost and left after stubbornness; even then, they could not concentrate on That One. Even demigods, deities, spirits, and ghosts call That One infinite and infinite. That One is recognized as the finest among the finest; That One is labeled as the greatest among the greatest. That One created all — land, sky, and nether regions — the One is known for many forms. Only that person is free from the noose of death who takes refuge in Hari-1. Read the full article: SikhRI.org/Articles ~~~ Presenters Harinder Singh - sikhri.org/people/harinder-singh Jasleen Kaur - sikhri.org/people/jasleen-kaur Credits Art - Kiran Kaur Ahluwalia (https://sikhri.org/people/kiran-kaur) Caligraphy - Albel Singh (https://sikhri.org/people/albel-singh) Sabad Kirtan - Bhai Balbir Singh (https://sikhri.org/articles/bhai-balbir-singh) Sabad Narration - Harjinder Singh (https://sikhri.org/people/harjinder-singh-gharsana) #GuruGobindSingh #Sabad #Shabad #Sikh #Sikhism #Poetry --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-sikh-cast-sikhri/support

My grandfather was a clown prophet. I mean he was a clown. A literal clown. He wore clown makeup. And he foretold the end. Accurately. John, the Puranas, Snorri Sturluson, Nostradamus, any of those apocalypse writers---they didn't know shit. The guy who really knew the magic, the guy who really knew about how the end of the world would come, was my grandfather. | Copyright 2022 by Alex Saint-Widow. Narrated by Roxanne Hernandez.