tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56758270374281463982023-11-16T07:39:02.952-08:00Hindu Gods & Goddesses In India - HinduismIn Hindu religion, there are three best known writings speaking of the Gods and their exploits. These three writings are: The Rig Veda, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ramayana. In Hindu belief lies reincarnation, various forms of yoga to raise awareness, time as a revolving circle, karma, mantras, yantras.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-62364704888199933262011-07-24T12:28:00.000-07:002011-07-24T12:28:25.278-07:00The Hindu Goddess Kali Introduction to Kali, the ferocious form of the Divine Mother<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAF8bfzZkoJqiMsX_CK59ihxUziznpWjjPMiTZstNsZgWet027GdfPoy7hA9ncWvJmo4MA6ZXBAh87o-tF7Gsw6tVax9jQKeZ5UeOLFsa3k8KOftYgQypQerLuKMD7ZIxgqpeOAZqdjaE/s1600/pw_ge_kali02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAF8bfzZkoJqiMsX_CK59ihxUziznpWjjPMiTZstNsZgWet027GdfPoy7hA9ncWvJmo4MA6ZXBAh87o-tF7Gsw6tVax9jQKeZ5UeOLFsa3k8KOftYgQypQerLuKMD7ZIxgqpeOAZqdjaE/s320/pw_ge_kali02.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>Kali is a ferocious form of the Divine Mother, who sent her Shakti, the Mother Gauri, to free the gods from the dominion of the demonic forces Shumbh and Nishumbh, who had conquered the 3 worlds of earth, the astral plane and the celestial plane.<br />
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Kali is the goddess of time and of the transformation that is death (Kala). Lord Shiva and Mother Gauri in their destructive form are known as Mahakala and Mahakali or Kali.<br />
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Kali is the Kundalini energy that paralyses the attachments produced by the solar and lunar currents (both demons mentioned above). This attachment causes fear of death. In the ignorant ones she creates fear, while for others Kali removes the avidya (ignorance) that makes us fear death, the basic insecurity of the First Chakra , a fear rooted in the brain stem or primitive brain.<br />
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The Hindu goddess Kali is the first of the ten Mahavidyas - the others are Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta and Dhumavati, Matangi, Kamala and Bagla Mukhi. Therefore Kali is also known as Adya, the firstborn.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-64707569975463511052011-07-24T12:20:00.000-07:002011-07-24T12:20:23.567-07:00Dhanwantari (or Dhanwantri) Introduction on the Hindu god Dhanwantari<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaeP5u3TC4qMQQcSw3c_I0QYiPW739vbBTQ7ESN8viDOEdT1dg9GXH1HPZGk1EEadPsXW1lze34C5AFeL9-5t7JXCtUnOZnflwQdXZw6ZU4p5noPRhCOYzoQV1FIym-Z7hE4oPqQBNUc/s1600/md_go_dhanwantari_01_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaeP5u3TC4qMQQcSw3c_I0QYiPW739vbBTQ7ESN8viDOEdT1dg9GXH1HPZGk1EEadPsXW1lze34C5AFeL9-5t7JXCtUnOZnflwQdXZw6ZU4p5noPRhCOYzoQV1FIym-Z7hE4oPqQBNUc/s320/md_go_dhanwantari_01_300.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>Dhanwantari is the physican of the gods, the promulgator of the Ayurveda.<br />
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Dhanwantari arose at the time of the churning of the ocean of milk, holding the cup of Amrita, the life-giving elixir. He also carriede the Jalooka (leech, used by Ayurvedic practitioners for blood letting) and the Vaishnava symbols like Srichakra and Sankh. To some he is really an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.<br />
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Dhanwantari was also born as a king of Benares, who brought medical science to the world. Images of Dhanwantari are often found in the shrines of Ayurvedic docters. He is also considered as a great surgeon who taught Ayurvedic surgery to Susrutha, the father of Ayurvedic surgery.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-64564952497340895502011-07-24T12:16:00.000-07:002011-07-24T12:16:31.787-07:00Kartikay Introduction on the hindu god Kartikay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WvXd5BBxKVmh8VWgFBo2xgFechHoZJYZFPFHsf1sagrQRlikX9wTUyhyK2mfoj_cLvFWWKNDZ6nOVgVn7whxZv8ETZPiLQJ4GN0pefB8K2B_st8jxMw7r-WteR3PyrSAbR6LldOppN4/s1600/mj_go_kartikay01_200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WvXd5BBxKVmh8VWgFBo2xgFechHoZJYZFPFHsf1sagrQRlikX9wTUyhyK2mfoj_cLvFWWKNDZ6nOVgVn7whxZv8ETZPiLQJ4GN0pefB8K2B_st8jxMw7r-WteR3PyrSAbR6LldOppN4/s320/mj_go_kartikay01_200.gif" width="241" /></a></div>Kartikay is a son of Shiva and brother to Ganesha. While Ganesha symbolizes a spiritual attitude, Kartikay is the scientist of the gods. Kartikay bears 31 names, among which are Karttikeya, Kumara, Guha… Kartikay rides on a peacock, the killer of serpents.<br />
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When Brahma had granted the demon Taraka the boon of invulnerability to all but a son of Shiva and Taraka became extremely powerful, the gods sought to persuade the ascetic Shiva to produce a son with Parvati. Finally Agni could pick up a seed of the great god but dropped it in a river. From the seed Kartikay was born.<br />
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Six goddesses, the Krtikkas (Pleiades), were filled with compassion for the new born. They were quarreling over him, because each of them was eager to nurse the baby. To satisfy them all, Kartikay grew six heads and grew up under their guidance. Kartikay became commander of the army of the gods and slew the demon Taraka.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-23843597229483841322011-07-24T12:09:00.000-07:002011-07-24T12:09:12.577-07:00Dhumavati Introduction to the Beholder of Smoke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguam2LVpbSYzb7yMajv5nhupsLv1UsS2UOrW1rbnSMjr7kRbqV_fiDgXxpOO6LZWnFpZneCnzQsqx33pQiFKCl2Qb4K9TqKlog0ygvND0OT5stGz6f78xZU3Pq8PINPTU90MG7vClfYq0/s1600/pw_ge_mahavidyas_dhumavati01_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguam2LVpbSYzb7yMajv5nhupsLv1UsS2UOrW1rbnSMjr7kRbqV_fiDgXxpOO6LZWnFpZneCnzQsqx33pQiFKCl2Qb4K9TqKlog0ygvND0OT5stGz6f78xZU3Pq8PINPTU90MG7vClfYq0/s320/pw_ge_mahavidyas_dhumavati01_300.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>Dhumavati is the smoky form of Shakti. She is also known as the eternal widow, the Shakti without Shiva. She is ugly and also called Alakshmi, the one who is without lakshmi or radiance .<br />
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Dhumavati is the Divine Mother at the time of the deluge, when the Earth is under water. While being ugly and fearsome, she is blessing with her right hand those who can still see the Divine Mother in her. The black crow on her flag is the symbol of dark forces and black magic.<br />
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Dhumavati is one of the ten Mahavidyas - the others are Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta and Matangi, Kamala and Bagla Mukhi. The Mahavidyas represent some or other incarnation or manifestation of the Divine Mother. They are in this sense also to be regarded as Vidyas or different approaches to (tantric) knowledge.<br />
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Sadhana of Dhumavati as unorganised divine energy leads to total awareness. Worship of Dhumavati is done in a completely naked state, in a crematorium or in a lonely spot on the darkest night in the descending moon cycle.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-91282952493974457382011-07-24T11:53:00.000-07:002011-07-24T11:53:38.397-07:00The Hindu goddess Durga Introduction to the Hindu Goddess Durga that kills your demons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoPfm1R7avEWTMPHEiJVrZxUK49VGlvJQuAEKg4D_08k_KjUhmvsK1JgWy5XECbSaPvmRbG5vWYu2bHbQZlbsh7a0E5WeZOtjzGXy1Xe5xoxAuecLI-qygZj3U0nxMxaUxltiIdhAIBU/s1600/pw_ge_durga01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoPfm1R7avEWTMPHEiJVrZxUK49VGlvJQuAEKg4D_08k_KjUhmvsK1JgWy5XECbSaPvmRbG5vWYu2bHbQZlbsh7a0E5WeZOtjzGXy1Xe5xoxAuecLI-qygZj3U0nxMxaUxltiIdhAIBU/s320/pw_ge_durga01.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>Durga is an incarnation of Devi or the Mother Goddess, a unified symbol of all divine forces. For Shaivas Durga is the wife of Shiva. For Vaishnavas and Shaktas Durga is another form of Uma or Parvati.<br />
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The Hindu Goddess Durga manifested when evil forces threathened the very existance of the Gods. To destroy these demons, all gods offered their radiance to her creation and each formed part of Durga's body. Durga also obtained very powerful weapons, such as the chakra from Vishnu and a trident from Shiva.<br />
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The name "Durga" in Sanskrit means "invincible". The syllable "du" is synonymous with the 4 devils of poverty, sufferings, famine and evil habits. The "r" refers to diseases and the "ga" is the destroyer of sins, injustice, irreligion, cruelty and laziness.<br />
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Durga killed the powerful demon Mahish and all his great commanders. Demonic forces are self-destructive but very powerful. Divine forces are constructive but slow and efficient. When demonic forces create imbalance, all gods unite, becoming one divine force called Shakti or Durga.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-28228868722178453342011-07-24T11:47:00.000-07:002011-07-24T11:47:51.358-07:00The Life of Ganga The story of Mother Ganga, that is also the river Ganga (Ganges)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2Pz16CXWDWyzSItNm61qCjK9DovOlm199vapcrioRQGDhRDV7QEc53k7AZF6_TF1Y-YvQUX6-Vij5DgNqGz63UMxfHyzZzUOh41zIXobkfCuL4r4aXBDCMteRw1iQEdFAKxdstdNEFA/s1600/pw_ga_ganga02_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2Pz16CXWDWyzSItNm61qCjK9DovOlm199vapcrioRQGDhRDV7QEc53k7AZF6_TF1Y-YvQUX6-Vij5DgNqGz63UMxfHyzZzUOh41zIXobkfCuL4r4aXBDCMteRw1iQEdFAKxdstdNEFA/s320/pw_ga_ganga02_300.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>Translated for the first time in English, The Birth of the Ganga by Harish Johari tells the mythological story of the origins of the river Ganga (known in the West as the Ganges River) and its powerful purifying properties. According to scriptures, Ganga was a goddess residing in heaven but was brought down to earth in the form of a river (the Ganges) to provide salvation to the ancestors of King Bhagirath. It is said that not only did Ganga save King Bhagirath's ancestors, but she provided a means of purification for the entire population of human beings on earth. Today pilgrims travel from all over the subcontinent to bathe in the river as an act of worship in the hopes of obtaining her blessings and realizing salvation.<br />
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The Birth of the Ganga will delight readers young and old alike for not only is it a wonderful story of good deeds leading to a just ending, but its 46 illustrations bring to life many of the Indian saints and gods whose names abound in Hindu scripture and history. The original illustrations of the Ganga book, hand-painted on silk, are inspired by the high classical style of the Ajanta caves and temples of Khajoraho. Harish Johari has restored this classical art form in accordance with the Hindu canon. 46 full-color art reproductions bring to life many of the Indian saints and gods whose names abound in Hindu scripture and history. The book also includes a description of the ancient technique of silk wash painting used in creating the illustrations.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-12552867447146842182011-07-24T11:40:00.000-07:002011-07-24T11:40:18.538-07:00The Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Lakshmi, the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTmd0Q8pycGhmJl_4RZWVPgp-9cdpknYD2SemwmEcJzdawXpqO4K-XnDtoUkMGPOZF04uEQnwbsZh-lT2Z9IDqa_DjwBtz4tXkwXt1n5A3O8bXPnVGwQlVc3YrELvveLCfzRewAXWnRo/s1600/pw_ge_lakshmi01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTmd0Q8pycGhmJl_4RZWVPgp-9cdpknYD2SemwmEcJzdawXpqO4K-XnDtoUkMGPOZF04uEQnwbsZh-lT2Z9IDqa_DjwBtz4tXkwXt1n5A3O8bXPnVGwQlVc3YrELvveLCfzRewAXWnRo/s1600/pw_ge_lakshmi01.jpg" /></a></div>Lakshmi was the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and took refuge in the ocean of milk when the gods were sent into exile. Lakshmi was reborn during the Churning of the Ocean.<br />
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As soon as the gods saw Lakshmi, they all fell in love with her beauty. Shiva claimed Lakshmi as his wife, but since he had already taken the Moon, her hand was given to Vishnu, whom Lakshmi herself preferred.<br />
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Lakshmi was reborn as his consort each time when Vishnu incarnated. For example, Lakshmi was Sita to Rama, Radha and later Rukmini to Krishna.<br />
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Lakshmi is the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth. Being the consort of Vishnu, the preserving principle, Lakshmi also signifies love and grace. Lakshmi often expresses her devotion to Vishnu by massaging his feet as he lies on the coils of the snake Shesha. While Lakshmi is generally worshipped to achieve success, she does not reside long with anyone who is lazy or desires her only as wealth.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-73518731652135837412011-07-24T11:35:00.000-07:002011-07-24T11:35:22.380-07:00The Hindu goddess Matangi Introduction to Matangi, the Dark One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_JiEZlHDwUkG1itvJcMLM3m62VZOkKaK3O62cAoa76f7MRR71GGFG8phIOAbFUvhxc7s1Q0lSJJbfivwJotqHXJYNcwu_WAfygsC3l61_yO1UGy-Ovo8uHvSfa2kz-mzvCwqQeTBqCU/s1600/pw_ge_mahavidyas_matangi01_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_JiEZlHDwUkG1itvJcMLM3m62VZOkKaK3O62cAoa76f7MRR71GGFG8phIOAbFUvhxc7s1Q0lSJJbfivwJotqHXJYNcwu_WAfygsC3l61_yO1UGy-Ovo8uHvSfa2kz-mzvCwqQeTBqCU/s320/pw_ge_mahavidyas_matangi01_300.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>Matangi is the Dark One, a form of Saraswati, incarnated as the daughter of Matang Rishi. He was from the lowest caste known as Chandal, but did not believe in the orthodox caste system and wanted to achieve brahminhood through his karma. Through worship of first Indra and then Saraswati, she became his daughter and was unequaled in her intellect (mati). Thus Matang Rishi gained a reputation to which only brahmins were entitled.<br />
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Matangi is one of the ten Mahavidyas - the others are Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Kamala, Dhumavati and Bagla Mukhi. The Mahavidyas represent some or other incarnation or manifestation of the Divine Mother. They are in this sense also to be regarded as Vidyas or different approaches to (tantric) knowledge.<br />
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Matangi resides in the throat chakra and is radiant like the Moon. Matangi is an adviser of Tripur Sundari and het worship leads the aspirant to Tripur Sundari. Matangi is invoked to achieve command over speech, creativity and knowledge, among others.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-63008012169290731712011-07-24T11:26:00.000-07:002011-07-24T11:26:55.619-07:00Shiva<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIncN06YRniIDPDwevaZ-h8OIwHA_flwSJQku1nmdvirgBmejGwnXFy9AkiLOk0ZSTnGHyrd-aCgByk6nssZ1k8dVM0TO_I5gjoBbyrhHiNuO_jNBubMfO5j999XlSRf9RqRvWFKRCYDA/s1600/pw_go_shiva04_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIncN06YRniIDPDwevaZ-h8OIwHA_flwSJQku1nmdvirgBmejGwnXFy9AkiLOk0ZSTnGHyrd-aCgByk6nssZ1k8dVM0TO_I5gjoBbyrhHiNuO_jNBubMfO5j999XlSRf9RqRvWFKRCYDA/s320/pw_go_shiva04_300.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>Shiva is the god of the yogis, self-controlled and celibate, while at the same time a lover of his spouse (shakti). Lord Shiva is the destroyer of the world, following Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver, after which Brahma again creates the world and so on. Shiva is responsible for change both in the form of death and destruction and in the positive sense of destroying the ego, the false identification with the form. This also includes the shedding of old habits and attachments.<br />
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All that has a beginning by necessity must have an end. In destruction, truly nothing is destroyed but the illusion of individuality. Thus the power of destruction associated with Lord Shiva has great purifying power, both on a more personal level when problems make us see reality more clearly, as on a more universal level. Destruction opens the path for a new creation of the universe, a new opportunity for the beauty and drama of universal illusion to unfold. As Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram or Truth, Goodness and Beauty, Shiva represents the most essential goodness.<br />
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While of course many hindu deities are associated with different paths of yoga and meditation, in Shiva the art of meditation takes its most absolute form. In meditation, not only mind is stopped, everything is dropped. In deep meditation or samadhi, even the object of the meditation (like a mantra) is transformed into its formless essence, which is the essence of everything and everyone. Thus Shiva stands for letting go of everything in the world of forms. The path of Lord Shiva is the path of the ascetic yogi.<br />
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Forms of Shiva<br />
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Shiva has many forms, which are visible in his Panchavaktra form with 5 heads, a combination of all Shiva energies : Aghora (resides in the creamation grounds), Ishana (most often appears as the shivalingam), Tat Purusha (meditating), Varna Deva (the eternal Shiva) and Saddyojat or Braddha Rudra (the old wrathful form). The last also forms the connection to the Rudraksha mala - a rosary made of the dried fruits of the Rudraksha tree.<br />
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Another form is the Nataraj. Shiva Nataraj's dance represents both the destruction and the creation of the universe and reveals the cycles of death, birth and rebirth. His Dance of Bliss is for the welfare of the world. In the pose of Nataraj, the King of Dance is giving darshan to his beloved devotees within the "Hall of Consciousness", which is the heart of man. Under his feet, Shiva crushes the demon of ignorance called Apasmara Purusha, caused by forgetfulness. One hand is stretched across his chest and points towards the uplifted foot, indicating the release from earthly bondage of the devotee. The fire represents the final destruction of creation, but the dance of the Nataraj is also an act of creation, which arouses dormant energies and scatters the ashes of the universe in a pattern that will be the design of the ensuing creation.<br />
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Yet another manifestation of Lord Shiva is said to be Hanuman, the ultimate karma yogi, in never-ending selfless service to Ram. The fact that this is not really clear can be perfectly explained by the understanding that a true karma yogi will never take the credit for his acts, as they would otherwise not be entirely selfless. The ego would still get the credit. So, in order to respect Shiva as a true karma yogi, let us not pay too much attention to this manifestation.<br />
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The Mahamrityunyaya form of Shiva is the great conqueror of death. The Mahamrityunjaya mantra is one of the two main mantras of the Vedas, next to the Gayatri mantra. It is chanted to remove death and disease. This form of Shiva also is the being of pure joy, referring to the unconditioned enjoyment of the perfectly peaceful mind. That is the true nature of the divine elixir that this Shiva offers his devotees in no less than four hands.<br />
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Another main form of Shiva is Ardhnarishwara, half Shiva, half Shakti. Also related to Shiva is Indra.<br />
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Attributes of Lord Shiva<br />
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Shiva's main attributes are :<br />
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the trident that represents the three gunas the snakes that show he is beyond the power of death and poison and also stand for the Kundalini energy. the sound of Shiva's two-sided drum maintains the rhythm of the heartbeat and creates the sound AUM in the overtones. the vehicle of Shiva is the white bull called Nandi (the joyful). Shiva is often seated on a tiger skin or wears a tiger skin, with the tiger representing the mind. Shiva lives on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas.<br />
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Relationships<br />
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The power or energy of Shiva is Shakti, his spouse, of which Parvati is probably the most popular form. Shiva's first wife was Sati and his second wife was Parvati. They are also known by many other names, such as Uma, Gauri, Durga, Kali, Annapurna and Shakti. His sons are Ganesha and Kartikeya.<br />
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Shiva and Parvati are often shown as sitting in happy, intimate embrace. They also like to discuss philosophy. Shiva taught Parvati on Vedanta (transcendent knowledge), while Parvati tought him Sankhya (cosmological knowledge). Both were perfected yogis.<br />
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After their marriage, they left for mount Kailash and immersed themselves completely in a sexual intercourse so strong that the deity of desire Kama was reborn when their sweat mingles with his ashes. Their love was so intense that it shook the cosmos and frightened even the gods.<br />
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The balance between male and female can also be obtained in marriage, when both partners complement each other to form an ultimate oneness, which is the source of creation. When Shiva does his destructive Tandava dance, Parvati is said to complement him with a slow, creative step of her own, calming him with her soft glances. While Shiva shows a wilder nature that is both ascetic and erotic, Parvati stands for the middle path of the householder. As Shiva exulted in his romantic dalliance with her, the true mother in her longed for a child. Shiva resisted the life of a householder, but Parvati's desire for it was greater than his resistance. Hence first Ganesha was born, later also Kartikay.<br />
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The Shiva Lingam<br />
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Lord Shiva is conceived in his unborn, invisible form as the Shiva Lingam. The Lingam represents the male creative energy of Shiva. This main symbol of Shiva is worshipped in virtually every Hindu temple and home. The phallus is not worshipped as such, but through it Shiva is worshipped as the supreme consciousness. Embracing the base of the linga is the yoni, the female organ, as the universal energy, as Shakti, Shiva's spouse. Through profound understanding of this symbol, the mystery of creation can be understood as an act of love.<br />
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When Ganga incarnated on Earth, Lord Shiva captured her in his hair to avoid that she would flood all of Earth .<br />
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Shiva worshippers (Shaivites) are among India's most ascetic yogis, their body smeared with ashes, dressed in saffron colors and wearing a Rudraksha mala. The path of Shiva can thus be seen as the inward-going path, the great journey to find the self. This path is complementary to the path of Vishnu, which is the outgoing path, bringing out the self from within and letting it manifest in the universe and our lives.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-13199451928652069802011-07-23T21:59:00.000-07:002011-07-23T22:00:21.937-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL-b1_Wj-LixAlPR6AeC2haIhcsOnxJpLIr__FDRJbF9jMVUuZt-ksbsPhvmaLOJC9vqN4kjyGAgHylwejA3ARyhF5hAiVeVi9shhMcLHfv5Bu4WmF8nZZ9pQN6BmtVWmNc7VvIv2ytU/s1600/budha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL-b1_Wj-LixAlPR6AeC2haIhcsOnxJpLIr__FDRJbF9jMVUuZt-ksbsPhvmaLOJC9vqN4kjyGAgHylwejA3ARyhF5hAiVeVi9shhMcLHfv5Bu4WmF8nZZ9pQN6BmtVWmNc7VvIv2ytU/s320/budha.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQh34M1eqxRfjnyBHN48ZuBVGrCrlkbRMTkymfsTZoHhbzBZ39bk2DjMqilKT8aaN7tV8PR33fLKtxtI1s6ueDItdqaca4osH1PTnY4RCLzQVATsNY90PeOX2YsceF_6Lw6cItdhUhOI0/s1600/budha-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQh34M1eqxRfjnyBHN48ZuBVGrCrlkbRMTkymfsTZoHhbzBZ39bk2DjMqilKT8aaN7tV8PR33fLKtxtI1s6ueDItdqaca4osH1PTnY4RCLzQVATsNY90PeOX2YsceF_6Lw6cItdhUhOI0/s320/budha-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In Hinduism, Buddha is regarded as the ninth incarnation of Vishnu, following Ram and Krishna. That is obviously a real honour, even though Buddhism may not see it that way. Buddhism in fact does not believe in Gods and sees him only as the incarnation of a realized being. Nevertheless, various forms of Buddha are worshipped in Buddhism in ways that are very similar to the worship of Hindu gods.<br />
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One example is the Amithaba Buddha, seen as the main bodhisattva form of the fire element, which is symbolized by the deity and the according deities, called the lotus family. The fire element as red color symbolizes the western region of the universe and has the lotus or nectar vase as it's symbol. The lotus stands for pure intentions of all activities and the nectar vase, filled with subtle life energy, symbolizes the immense power of this element. The Amithaba Buddha embodies wisdom and essential equality. The Amithaba Buddha is a form of Buddha that represents infinite light. He is the embodiment of the enlightened speech of all Buddha's. The Amithaba Buddha is the principal representative of the blissful pure land of the West.<br />
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Another example is the Shakyammuni Buddha, the fourth of 1000 founding buddha's predicted to appear during the coming eon. The purpose of the Shakyamunni Buddha is to reveal the path leading to full enlightenement.<br />
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The life of Budhha is an intriguing story that powerfully demonstrates the teachings of Buddhism :<br />
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In the 5. century BC., an Aryan tribe called the Shakyas was living at Kapilavastu, a state between Benares and the Himalayas. Those people depended mainly on rice and simple food and lived a farmer's life. Suddhodana, raja of the Shakyas was married to two daughters of the raja of the neighbor tribe, the Koliyans.<br />
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Buddha's conception was miraculous. Mahamaya, the elder wife, had a dream in which she was translated by devas of the four directions to the Himalayas. There she was bathed and ceremonially purified and the Bodysattva appeared, coming from the North in the form of a white elephant. When Buddha entered his mother's womb, great wonders took place, trees and herbs burst into flower and untouched instruments started to play beautiful music.<br />
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After nine months, in the year 563 BC., Mahamaya gave birth to a boy, but she died seven days later. A short time after his birth, Buddha was named prince Siddharta - Gautama was his family name. When Siddharta was twelve years old, the Brahmans told the king that his son would either become a great king or an ascetic, as the result of seeing problems, disease and death. From that time on, the king took every precaution to keep Buddha far away from the world's problems. The prince lived in a huge palace and had all kinds of comfort and beauty around.<br />
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Gautama Buddha was early married to his cousin Yashoda, daughter of the raja of Koli. At the age of 29, the problem of suffering, disease and death was impressively set before Buddha. Filled with the thought of the insecurity of all happiness and grief at the sufferings of others, Buddha felt a deep unrest and dissatisfaction with life. After ten years, his son Rahula was born, but Buddha only felt it as one more tie on the way to seek a solution for the problems of the world.<br />
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During the same night, Buddha left his family and home to search for various Brahman hermits and saints. Dissatisfied with their teachings, Buddha practiced alone in the forest. After enduring the most severe penances for a long period of time, with the greatest determination, Buddha found himself no nearer to enlightenment. Buddha abandoned the life of an ascetic, took regular food, sacrificing his reputation so his disciples deserted him.<br />
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Buddha wandered along the banks of the river Nairanjara and took seat under a Bo-tree. After sitting there for some time, his mind was clearer and clearer, his doubts vanished and a great peace came over him. Day and night passed and by dawn came perfect knowledge and Gautama became enlightened and became the Buddha. With that enlightenment, there came also a sense of great isolation. How could Buddha share this wisdom with men, less wise and earnest ? Such isolation comes to all great leaders, but love and pity for humanity determined Buddha at all hazard of failure or misunderstanding, to preach the truth that he had seen.<br />
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Buddha proceeded to Benares to "turn the wheel of the law". Buddha preached the doctrine of nonviolence to all who could hear him. Some became his personal followers, other disciples lived a householder life. Buddha reached many people also from the higher society classes and converted the worshippers of fire by many miracles.<br />
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When Buddha visited Kapilavastu, all the nobles, hearing his doctrine, became his disciples. Buddha perceived that the time had come to visit his native city. His father the king prepared a beautiful garden for his comfort and sent to inform Yashoda, that she might also come to worship Siddharta. When Yashoda heard that Buddha was coming, she cut her hair and went to see him. She humbly bowed at his feet, not as a sudden expression of love, but out of deep devotion, because after her husband left her, she had lived like a nun. Buddha related that in a former life, it had been Yashoda's wish to be the wife of a Buddha and therefore had been his companion and helper for many years.<br />
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Buddha´s parents followed his path and also Rahula, his son, was admitted to the order of monks. Buddha refused to admit Yashoda to the order of priesthood, but many years later, he instituted the order of Buddhist nuns and Yashoda was admitted. She attained Nirvana two years before Buddha's own death.<br />
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In the year 483 BC., at the age of 54 years, Gautama Buddha left his body in the city of Pawa, surrounded by his disciples. Buddha's last words were "work out your salvation with diligence".<br />
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Buddhism grew very popular in India and therefore Adi Shankarachaya installed the four Shankarachayas, each fhouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-26805455718989268772011-07-23T21:49:00.000-07:002011-07-23T21:49:55.570-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaREolsQ9mUyVJu2OolvReyBKiI9EJB4PsrtFANtKOgOREZHxD-6WPBOniIJatsufe-EifPNFDQzB0o-j8Y9CVzIdmiVZhIJUFhDXWxqkmxeyxa2rqgBXfbZPMhrWZLQaSisETcoA95lQ/s1600/krishna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaREolsQ9mUyVJu2OolvReyBKiI9EJB4PsrtFANtKOgOREZHxD-6WPBOniIJatsufe-EifPNFDQzB0o-j8Y9CVzIdmiVZhIJUFhDXWxqkmxeyxa2rqgBXfbZPMhrWZLQaSisETcoA95lQ/s320/krishna.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZm2gmBMvIcWD-qlu_eJJlcS1LDcKN6byy6DfIlj3R7EPs4eKwsRTaGyS1bEq0LSCeNHsOgNNV6pBZscL5F8TEsRv1QEuyexIINWqc9r_9N6lEiWPMHrQ5eWgaiv4xw02KvEmj_EFMq0/s1600/krishna_radhe_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZm2gmBMvIcWD-qlu_eJJlcS1LDcKN6byy6DfIlj3R7EPs4eKwsRTaGyS1bEq0LSCeNHsOgNNV6pBZscL5F8TEsRv1QEuyexIINWqc9r_9N6lEiWPMHrQ5eWgaiv4xw02KvEmj_EFMq0/s320/krishna_radhe_1.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>Krishna is usually regarded as the eight incarnation of lord Vishnu and was born in the Dvarpara Yuga as the "dark one". Lord Krishna is the embodiment of love and divine joy, that destroys all pain and sin. He is the protector of sacred utterances and cows. Krishna is an instigator of all forms of knowledge and born to establish the religion of love.<br />
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Little Krishna<br />
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Krishna was born as the 8th child of Devaki, sister of the cruel demon king Kamsa. The sage Narada had predicted that Kamsa would be killed by his nephew, so the king killed Devaki ´s first six children. The 7th, Balarama escaped and the 8th, Krishna, was secretly exchanged for a cowherds daughter.<br />
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The demon king Kansa send many demons to kill Krishna, but all were defeated. Among them were the whrilwind demon Trinavata, Vatasura disguised as a calf, the enormous crane Bakasura, Aghasura the demon snake and the monstrous horse Keshisura. Lord Krishna also mastered the five-headed demon snake Kaliya, to stop it from poisoning the holy river Yamuna and send it back to the ocean. He jumped on the snake from a big Kadamba tree and then defeated him by dancing on his heads.<br />
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Krishna was brought up in a cowherds family and loved to play the flute to entertain the other cowherds, the milkmaids, and the cows. As a child, Krishna had great love for his foster-mother Yashoda and their relationship stands as a great exemple for the love between a mother and her child. Krishna also became very famous for teasing the milkmaids of Vrindavan as well as Yashoda. He and his friends would steal milk and butter, let the cows go free at milking time, hide the clothes of bathing girls or even break the water pots the milkmaids were carrying on their heads. Little Krishna was not just teasing purely for the fun of it. He wanted to destroy the ignorance of his devotees, teaching them not to be attached to matter and forms and only focus on him. As such, Lord Krishna is the deity of Hasya or Humour and a messenger of peace.<br />
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Krishna, Radha and Leela<br />
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Radha and Krishna are the divine couple that rules love, romance and the aesthetic sense. Radha was foremost among the milkmaids of Vrindavan, as the incarnation of Lakshmi, Vishnu's spouse and Krishna's obvious favorite.<br />
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Love and devotion may also find beautiful expression in the relationship between lovers. In India, women often see their husbands as Krishna, while men see their wives as Radha, the beloved. When men become gods and women goddesses, then we do not see the imperfections, and see only perfection, divinity. Surrender and serving each other are the keys to any good relationship, which becomes a rehearsal of surrender to the universe and the divine.<br />
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While Krishna's love was truly universal, Radha sometimes expressed feelings of jealousy. Like it is shown in the painting here, one day Radha became jealous of Lord Krishna' flute, because it was allowed to touch his lips and because he would breath his prana into it. Thus she took it from Krishna and then did not want to return it. Some thus see the relationship between Krishna and Radha as the love between god and man, between self and ego.<br />
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One moonlit night, Krishna multiplied his body into many to dance with all the milkmaids and fulfill their desire for union with him. The love between Krishna and the milkmaids represents the divine play (Leela) between reality (consciousness) and illusion (form), purusha (soul) and prakriti (primordial nature), divinity and humanity. The maidens dance around Krishna as electrons dance around the nucleus of every atom, and as body molecules and energies dance around the soul of every being.<br />
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Lord Krishna was only eight years old when he left Vrindavan and and his beloved Radha to study in the ashram of the saint Sandeepani. Therefore, everything that happened between Krishna and Radha or Krishna and the milkmaids took place when they were children. They were all very conscious of being incarnations of divine beings and saints. Whatever happened between them can only have been very romantic and spiritual. A lot of it was child-play.<br />
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Krishna and Bhakti in the Mahabharata<br />
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After Krishna killed Kansa, he became king. In the great Mahabharata epic, Krishna spoke memorable words on the essence of Bhakti Yoga or the yoga of pure spiritual devotion. During the battle of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna revealed to Arjuna the essence of Bhakti Yoga, of love for God which is love. This revelation is found in the famous Hindu scripture called the Bhagavad Gita. The Deity is the beloved and the devotee is the lover. When the Bhakta is blessed by divine grace he feels undivided union and non-dual consciousness.<br />
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Bhakti Yoga is regarded as the most direct method to merge in cosmic consciousness. Food, sex, sleep, attachments, responsibilities - all are no longer important in Bhakti Yoga : only worship is. Paintings and sculptures of deities are an essential part of the Hindu worship known as Puja. In temples or home shrines, one finds images of many gods and goddesses that are worshipped on a daily basis, decorated with flowers and offered food and incense, such as this Krishna statue.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-61607566859797201822011-07-23T21:43:00.000-07:002011-07-23T21:43:40.810-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKCvwhs_8R4NNLrRuka1dUoAfRw8hlugoJZWkR2pbrNABtk0Ma7gpNRwq2pgo97-ZJmTuBeF6Xi4Jx5KO_F6DCDdtB6MK1E1OskR5NxEcSM3UQY6tyIkLlAaWbaVnWAKzwM-52JnQER4/s1600/hj_r12_ram_coronation_200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKCvwhs_8R4NNLrRuka1dUoAfRw8hlugoJZWkR2pbrNABtk0Ma7gpNRwq2pgo97-ZJmTuBeF6Xi4Jx5KO_F6DCDdtB6MK1E1OskR5NxEcSM3UQY6tyIkLlAaWbaVnWAKzwM-52JnQER4/s320/hj_r12_ram_coronation_200.gif" width="235" /></a></div>Ram is the 7th incarnation of Vishnu and the central figure of the Ramayana (Ramayan) epic. The Ramayan is the very soul of India. It is a complete guide to God-realization, the path to which lies in righteousness. The ideals of man are beautifully portrayed in it. Everyone should emulate those ideals and grow into ideal human beings and ideal citizens.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1bYVOfizRmhptEr5vfWAwAKEa6PDeToltoBcG7lsaNHdJE_yoc1hT3UO3mkcdRAKQrfk-tBAzP4xSxpoZhS-rWEs28ds4LEvhfYX3zXGq_yLtr1gwbakCl8vxCwQS6BNkcb0u16arZk/s1600/sj_ha_hanuman_in_lanka01_200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1bYVOfizRmhptEr5vfWAwAKEa6PDeToltoBcG7lsaNHdJE_yoc1hT3UO3mkcdRAKQrfk-tBAzP4xSxpoZhS-rWEs28ds4LEvhfYX3zXGq_yLtr1gwbakCl8vxCwQS6BNkcb0u16arZk/s320/sj_ha_hanuman_in_lanka01_200.gif" width="232" /></a></div>Ram took birth to free the earth from the cruelty and sins of the demon King Ravana (Ravan). Ravana had practiced austerities in order to propitiate Shiva and Brahma, who had granted him immunity from being killed by gods, gandharvas or demons. One of the gods had to take on a human form in order to be able to defeat Ravana.<br />
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Ram was born as the first son of Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya. Ram's mother was Kausilya. Ram had three brothers : Bharata (Bharat) born from the second wife Kaikeyi, and Lakshmana (Lakshman) and Shatrughna born from the third wife Sumitra.<br />
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One day Saint Vishwamitra visited Ayodhya and asked Dashratha to send Ram and Lakshmana with him because the Yakshini (demon) Tarka - with her two sons Mareech and Subahu - were terrifying him and the other saints at his ashram. They were not letting them worship and meditate. Ram went with Lakshmana and Vishwamitra to kill Tarka. On the way to Saint Vishwamitra's ashram there was a dense forest. When they entered the forest Tarka came to kill them but Ram killed her and her son Subahu with a weapon given to him by Vishwamitra. Ram also shot an arrow at Mareech and threw him 100 yojan far away.<br />
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Later Ram went with Saint Vishwamitr to Mithila where the wise King Janak ruled. King Janak had organized a svayamvaraa (an acient custom wherein the bride chose her husband of her own accord from amongst a number of suitors). It was announced that whosoever will bend the bow of Lord Shiva will marry King Janak's daughter Sita. Sita was an incarnation of Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. But none of the suitors was able to lift Lord Shiva's bow, except Ram. Ram lifted the bow with his one hand and bended it so hard that it even broke.<br />
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So Ram got married to Sita, and his brothers got happily married to Sita's sisters. After returning and living happily in Ayodhya the old King Dashrath decided that it was time to give his kingdom to his beloved son Ram. There Kaikeyi, the third and youngest wife of the King, claimed the throne for her son Bharat. A long time before the young Queen had saved the King's life and he had promised to fulfill her two wishes. Manthara, the crooked and evil-minded maid-servant of Kaikeyi influenced the queen to claim her wishes now in favor of her son and to request Dashrath to banish Ram from the kingdom for fourteen years, and to install Bharat on the throne instead. The King was shocked, his heart was broken, but he knew that truth is the highest Dharm, and that he had to fulfill his promise to his wife. So Ram went to exile happily, knowing that to obey and serve his father was the highest duty of a son.<br />
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After Ram left to the forest, Dashrath died from the pangs of separation from his beloved son Ram. Bharat went to the forest to meet his brother Ram and to request him to come back to Ayodhya. When Ram refused to return, in honor of the promise to his father, Bharat took Ram's "khadau" (wooden sandals) and placed them symbolically on Ayodhya's throne. Until his brother returned from the exile Bharat served the kingdom as a true and honest caretaker of Ram.<br />
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Once Surpnakha, the sister of Ravana, passed by the place where Ram was living. She saw Ram and became impressed by his beauty. She transformed herself into a beautiful lady and went to Ram and asked him to marry her. When Ram refused and told her he is already married to Sita, she became angry. Coming back to her original form she ran towards Sita to kill her. When Lakshman saw that he cut her nose and one ear. Surpnakha then send her brother Khardushan with fourteen thousand rakshasas to avenge her. But all were killed by Ram.<br />
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Surpnakha now sought vengeance through her older brother Ravana, but only got his interest by pointing out that the beautiful Sita would be a fitting wife for him. Ravana lured Ram and Lakshman away from Sita by sending an enchanted deer of extreme beauty and then took Sita to his kingdom of Lanka. On the way, Jatayu, a vulture bird and old friend of Ram's father Dashrath, fought Ravan but was fatally wounded. He lived only long enough to tell Ram what had happened upon his return.<br />
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In Lanka, Ravana tried to threathen Sita into marrying him, but was rejected again and again. Meanwhile, Ram made an alliance with the monkey King Sugreeva, who had been exiled from his kingdom by his brother Bali. Ram helped Sugreeva to regain his kingdom and in return Sugreeva raised an army of monkeys and bears, led by Hanuman. When they reached the sea, Hanuman flew across. On the way he had many adventures, which can be found on the Hanuman page.<br />
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In Lanka, Hanuman promised Sita that help would come soon. When he was then captured by the rakshasas, Ravana ordered them to set fire to Hanuman's tail, wrapping it with oily rags. But Hanuman increased the length of his tail so much that there seemed no end to it. He escaped and used his burning tail to set fire to all of Lanka.<br />
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Meanwhile, Ram's army had build a huge bridge between Lanka and the mainland. They crossed the ocean and attacked Ravana's army. During the battle, Lakshmana was heavily wounded, but he was cured by a magic herb which Hanuman flew all the way to the Himalayas to obtain. Not finding the herb at first, Hanuman brought the entire mountain just to be sure. Finally, all rakshasa generals were killed and the battle become a single combat between Ravana and Ram. Finally, Ram killed Ravana with a special weapon given to him by saint Agastya.<br />
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This was a moment of great rejoicing. Ram and Sita were finally crowned King and Queen of Ayodhya, though people were doubting that Sita had preserved her virtue while being Ravana's captive, which is another story in itself.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-84156678221544059332011-07-23T21:36:00.000-07:002011-07-23T21:36:35.523-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8likg91U7yv8cEgcvW-XxdDIIZluYyEm2nsSteNN7ML47o-nyOmqmodv_JWwGQK6R15KhsKZ_BwWn3AFIhPpSYqsAeRB02mbQsmp2S7t24M3kBd5D7VJ26csBVAmZQ6qWkGXoVFCxHM/s1600/parasuram_200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8likg91U7yv8cEgcvW-XxdDIIZluYyEm2nsSteNN7ML47o-nyOmqmodv_JWwGQK6R15KhsKZ_BwWn3AFIhPpSYqsAeRB02mbQsmp2S7t24M3kBd5D7VJ26csBVAmZQ6qWkGXoVFCxHM/s320/parasuram_200.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>Sixth incarnation of Vishnu : Parasurama : he killed the King Kartavirya, who had stolen the holy cow Kamadhenu, which could grant all desires.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-30807891610853852352011-07-23T21:34:00.000-07:002011-07-23T21:34:57.102-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqj52SaF7Rw_VfnshLEFHfPmFRPtzaJ7zXJdypoEIPOKNMVMFzHEEnYqVO__DFGY6EW6dK_XwegGhzfC6HOz5ekX9m7i4px1WrqmDzm61kPjiG-k9xEWwDTodCgF4x_93hA5VkAb2Xrp8/s1600/pw_ga_vamana_second_step_200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqj52SaF7Rw_VfnshLEFHfPmFRPtzaJ7zXJdypoEIPOKNMVMFzHEEnYqVO__DFGY6EW6dK_XwegGhzfC6HOz5ekX9m7i4px1WrqmDzm61kPjiG-k9xEWwDTodCgF4x_93hA5VkAb2Xrp8/s320/pw_ga_vamana_second_step_200.gif" width="244" /></a></div>Vamana is the fifth incarnation of Vishnu, born as a dwarf into the household of a Brahmin priest.<br />
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Vamana tricked the demon king Bali to grant him as much of his empire as he could measure in 3 steps. With the first step he covered all of Earth. With the second step he covered all the heavens and while doing that Brahma washed his feet in his kamandula or water pot. Out of that pot, Ganga was born. With the third step, Vamana pushed Bali back to the underworld or Patala Loka.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-34241478673269999212011-07-23T21:31:00.000-07:002011-07-23T21:31:17.749-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NOOEIqHBKP_3fTTGnZR9WxplA7swmPJNUpqSkttS3mBU0vplnFqY42vwFJXTSKckRI3o0uconohJ72AOGBCkQjFrKkgLTmURjZwOhXTcoZpN3KRb-JssYzVu5CNTihjvOzstNUvnw3E/s1600/hj_go_vishnu_narasingha01_200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NOOEIqHBKP_3fTTGnZR9WxplA7swmPJNUpqSkttS3mBU0vplnFqY42vwFJXTSKckRI3o0uconohJ72AOGBCkQjFrKkgLTmURjZwOhXTcoZpN3KRb-JssYzVu5CNTihjvOzstNUvnw3E/s320/hj_go_vishnu_narasingha01_200.gif" width="208" /></a></div>Fourth incarnation of Vishnu : Narasingha or the Lion incarnation : as a creature who was half-lion and half-man, Vishnu killed the demon Hiranyashasipu, brother of Niranyaksha, who had gained the boon of immunity from attacks by man, beast or god.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-49926167635369507932011-07-23T21:28:00.000-07:002011-07-23T21:28:04.562-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9JptPGk1YgFaRiI8GVSv4w-pvmYm3R-4ZG4f_W4rJ_LqLR5CelgmhDgv6V7ghk0Pmgemqte_BxD17qS8Jc7MXrfELhrewTMIkvxFXhljod0DRlPW5CgmwhXG9pfrNxDVwcNbmwfLyAs/s1600/hj_vishnu_incarnations_boar_varana.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9JptPGk1YgFaRiI8GVSv4w-pvmYm3R-4ZG4f_W4rJ_LqLR5CelgmhDgv6V7ghk0Pmgemqte_BxD17qS8Jc7MXrfELhrewTMIkvxFXhljod0DRlPW5CgmwhXG9pfrNxDVwcNbmwfLyAs/s320/hj_vishnu_incarnations_boar_varana.gif" width="227" /></a></div>Third incarnation of Vishnu : Varaha or the Boar incarnation of Vishnu : he killed the demon Hiranyaksha, recovered the stolen Veda's and released the Earth from the bottom of the ocean.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-45281091051460349042011-07-23T21:24:00.000-07:002011-07-23T21:24:10.894-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuJNZGR49snLk3J6xjjuofasmUhllgKW8T6TjnVW2ZsLg0npu6CP72svNZdVQZ8iAIy7eRtELuYIUAL9ynqysQ8UwIUgQJV9ewKWO_c6k7wMzQ7Y_vRAYH0RQNgoTvqOTJKmkgWIPCO8/s1600/hj_churning_ocean02_200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuJNZGR49snLk3J6xjjuofasmUhllgKW8T6TjnVW2ZsLg0npu6CP72svNZdVQZ8iAIy7eRtELuYIUAL9ynqysQ8UwIUgQJV9ewKWO_c6k7wMzQ7Y_vRAYH0RQNgoTvqOTJKmkgWIPCO8/s320/hj_churning_ocean02_200.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRcXUjLrc43F-1kFExa_P9gqf078e0tDLjvYJvFlKrAOglQoqMx_a9btcAoo-dIp454NWUvRvJCmoL3M4uzwwRclX2ot7P4lp7xnSvs8vwtCPoYKzHNuI8o6SfmyNFEjqv8Ssrpi1Chk/s1600/hj_go_vishnu_turtle01_200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRcXUjLrc43F-1kFExa_P9gqf078e0tDLjvYJvFlKrAOglQoqMx_a9btcAoo-dIp454NWUvRvJCmoL3M4uzwwRclX2ot7P4lp7xnSvs8vwtCPoYKzHNuI8o6SfmyNFEjqv8Ssrpi1Chk/s320/hj_go_vishnu_turtle01_200.gif" width="240" /></a></div>Kurma (or the Koorm Avatar) is the second, turtoise-incarnation of Lord Vishnu.<br />
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At the Churning of the Ocean, the Mount Mandara that was used as a churning stick, began to sink into the soft ocean bed. This caused Vishnu to assume the form of the turtoise-avatar, diving to the bottom where his back became a pivot for the churning stick.<br />
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The Kurma incarnation also represents the stage in the development of life, when the ability to breathe air and walk out of the water developed. The turtle is also the symbol of perseverance.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-35157362482997064072011-07-23T21:08:00.000-07:002011-07-23T21:08:50.512-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56UBYWeN8b6N7iF-zEIK7vRLkGSFm10AWZ9ZlTyYycsbnOcocU5RluEfOYKusxK8tXgB-rEORJXwEMSLyVjk8qnc2YpjNKiMMBJ2s2VQo-JgU-Uhf3cliU3sebYMd1Dx9K1-tbIEdi94/s1600/hj_go_vishnu_fish01_200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56UBYWeN8b6N7iF-zEIK7vRLkGSFm10AWZ9ZlTyYycsbnOcocU5RluEfOYKusxK8tXgB-rEORJXwEMSLyVjk8qnc2YpjNKiMMBJ2s2VQo-JgU-Uhf3cliU3sebYMd1Dx9K1-tbIEdi94/s320/hj_go_vishnu_fish01_200.gif" width="235" /></a></div>First incarnation of Vishnu : Matsya or the Fish incarnation : in this form Vishnu saved the Saint Vaivaswata, the hindu variety of the biblical Noah (or vice versa).houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675827037428146398.post-76235470300195489602011-07-23T21:03:00.000-07:002011-07-23T21:03:58.413-07:00Vishnu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTqAlj3oF46WL-lvPPRmMvFZxHavxFbFWzg-X2FktQoUBfEWpjUBW74YDax6aV7Ts4obXNfS-ECiZ746Yl6qiVZrhNzz774QNI6dgS8ALJ7jENQMjPGtqy43mrk3HJdsI_xC6y8SCS-s/s1600/pw_gg_vishnu_lakshmi_massage_01_200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTqAlj3oF46WL-lvPPRmMvFZxHavxFbFWzg-X2FktQoUBfEWpjUBW74YDax6aV7Ts4obXNfS-ECiZ746Yl6qiVZrhNzz774QNI6dgS8ALJ7jENQMjPGtqy43mrk3HJdsI_xC6y8SCS-s/s320/pw_gg_vishnu_lakshmi_massage_01_200.gif" width="214" /></a></div>In the basic Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Hindu god Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation. Vishnu is the embodiment of mercy and goodness, the self-existent, all-pervading power that preserves the universe and maintains the cosmic order Dharma.<br />
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Vishnu is often represented resting on the coiled serpent Shesha, with Vishnu's consort Lakshmi massaging his feet. Vishnu never sleeps and is the deity of Shanti, the peaceful mood. Vishnu does not however tolerate Ego.<br />
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Most often, the Hindu god Vishnu is shown with four attributes or weapons. In one hand Vishnu holds the conch or Sankha. The second hand of Vishnu holds the disc or Vaijra. The third hand of Vishnu holds the club and in the fourth hand Vishnu holds the lotus or Padma. Vishnu also has a bow called Sarnga and a sword called Nandaka.<br />
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Most of the time, good and evil forces are evenly matched in the world. But at times, the balance is destroyed and evil demons get the upper hand. Often in response to a request by the other gods, Vishnu then incarnates in a human form to set the balance right again. 10 Vishnu incarnations are generally recognized as the most important Vishnu avatars, even though opinions differ naturally and some sources may also see other important figures of the indian heritage as incarnations of Vishnu.houhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275756258218827218noreply@blogger.com0