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Bilvamaṅgala Thakura

Articles, SaintsMay 21, 2018250Views 0Likes 0Comments

The story goes that during 12th century in South India there lived a Brahmin by the name of Bilvamaṅgala Thakura who led an extremely debauched lifestyle and was very attracted to a prostitute named Cintamani. After the death of his father even before the period of mourning could get over, Bilvamaṅgala, his mind under the…

Types of Buddhist Tantra

Articles, Buddhism, ShaktiMay 21, 2018359Views 0Likes 1Comment

One of the highest class of Buddhist Tantra-s were known as Anuttarayoga Tantra (Tibetan: bla na med pa'i rgy) meaning Unexcelled Tantra. In the new schools of Tibetan Buddhism it is associated with the mahamudra route to enlightenment. In the Gelug tradition it is believed this Tantras originated from the teachings of the Buddha on…

Bhadrakali

Articles, ShaktiMay 21, 2018638Views 0Likes 0Comments

When an amavasya coincides with a Saturday, then it's ideal for placating disturbing pitr-s, mollifying Saturn, or doing upasana of Kali. As the last Yuga deepens, and Asuric forces become more and more powerful, Kali becomes the most prominent and active among devata-s who participate in the world of humans. Her unstoppable power decimates Asura-s. Even…

Kankali

Articles, ShaktiMay 21, 2018402Views 0Likes 0Comments

Among the five ShaktipiTha-s in the land of Birbhum in Bengal, the one considered most terrifying since early times was Kankalitala. It is believed the skeleton of Sati fell near a pond in this place. Close to the temple is a cremation ground and a north-flowing river named Kopai. All such areas which have a…

Parikshit

Articles, VishnuMay 21, 2018281Views 0Likes 0Comments

The Varaha Purana mentions an interesting story about Raja Parikshit (परिक्षित्). Parikshit is popularly regarded as the posthumous son of Abhimanyu of the Kuru clan who inherited the throne of Hastinapur from Yudhisthira. At the end of the Mahabharata war, Aswathama, who was the son of Dronacharya and himself born from the blessings of Rudra,…

Yogiraj Shyama Charan Lahiri

Articles, SaintsMay 21, 2018494Views 0Likes 0Comments

Yogiraj Sri Shama Charan Lahiri was born on 30 September 1828 in Ghurni village of Nadia district of West Bengal. While working for the railways in 1861, Lahiri Mahasaya was transferred to Ranikhet, in the foothills of the Himalayas. One day, while walking in the hills, he heard a voice calling to him. After climbing…

Amoghasiddhi

Articles, BuddhismMay 21, 2018505Views 1Like 0Comments

Tibetan Buddhism originated in the Eastern part of India (Bengal, Bihar) and then shifted to Tibet with the fall and decline of Buddha dharma when Turko-Mongol warriors destroyed their monasteries. In their tradition all paths are finally originated from five dhyānibuddha-s (meditative Buddhas) who control every divine emanation and power that is used to…

Mahākāla

Articles, ShivaMay 21, 2018429Views 0Likes 0Comments

Mahākāla is a common deity in Hinduism and Buddhism. With the decline of the Pashupata and other Saiva sects, worship of Mahakala become restricted to the Kali Kula in Hinduism. Mahā (महत्; "great") and kāla (काल; "time/death") literally means One who is beyond Time. It is essentially Shiva but more limitless than the normal conception of…

Nataraja

Articles, ShivaMay 13, 2018318Views 0Likes 0Comments

The Thirumantiram is a classic spiritual poetry from the 5th century by Thirumular, and one of the first books to use the term Shaiva Siddhanta. Scholars believe that the veneration of Lord Shiva as the Cosmic Dancer and Lord of Dance, Nataraja, starting from South Indian Saiva traditions. Every shade of every iconography of a…

Hanuman

Articles, ShivaApril 22, 2018423Views 1Like 0Comments

The Valmiki Ramayana describes Hanuman as a mahapandita (great scholar), Mahavira (of tremendous valor), a master of Veda-s and Vedanga. He is also described later as Bajrang, one who has a body as strong as lightning. By the 10th century Hanuman was regarded as an amsa of Shiva and this association is reflected in…

kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam

Articles, VishnuApril 22, 2018238Views 1Like 0Comments

In the later day Vaishnava schools Lord Krishna is considered the supreme form of the Lord. This idea is supported by a verse from the Srimad Bhagwatam . The Bhagwatam while describing 24 different Avatar-s of the Lord mentions, when it comes to Krishna, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge …

Kenopanishat

Articles, VedantaApril 21, 2018336Views 0Likes 0Comments

The Kenopaniṣat says - आत्मना विन्दतॆ वीर्यं विद्यया विन्दतॆऽमृतम् - AtmanA vindatE vIryaM; vidyayA vindatE amRutam meaning, from the Atmah comes Power and Strength, from Knowledge comes Immortality. The Kena is a Mukhya Upanishad embedded in the end of the Samaveda. It deals with discussion of the Brahman which is both with and without…