Glimpses of Divinity

The Practice of Satsang

kajmani — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:04:47 +0000

The practice of satsang is the basis for like-minded people to commune together and participate in singing bhajans and the glories of their favorite God-head. The bhakti movement in India is perhaps the major sect which practices satsang on a regular basis to sing the glories of Lord Krishna. The word satsang (सतसंग) literally means "in good company" - it is a conjunction of the two words sat (meaning good) and sang (meaning "in the company of"). According to Wikipedia satsang is

Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaya Namah

kajmani — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:47:25 +0000

Lord Sri Krishna, is considered a complete incarnation or purna-avataar of Lord Vishnu. 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya' is a mantra of Lord Sri Krishna. This mantra first appeared as a part of the Srimad Bhagavatam, which describes the many glories of Krishna. One literal translation is, O my Lord, Shri Krishna, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer...

The Five Faces of Gayatri

kajmani — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:06:47 +0000

O Parvati! This entire universe is made of five elements - water, air, earth, light and ether. Gayatri is present in each living being on this earth in the form of energy or shakti. It is these five elements that are manifested in the five faces of Gayatri. In the human body, these five elements have been called the five sheaths or layers under which our true being resides. These five sheaths or

Naraka Chaturdashi – Second day of Diwali

kajmani — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:42:12 +0000

The second day of the Diwali festival, is the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Ashvin, and is called Narak-Chaturdashi or Kali Chaudas and also known as Chhoti (-small) Diwali. This day is dedicated to the victory of Lord Krishna over the wicked demon king Narakasur. Narkasur had fought against neighbouring kings and imprisoned 16,000 women, daughters of the Gods and saints. He had also defeated Lord Indra and taken away the magnificient kundale (earrings) from the ears of Aditi, mother of the Gods. When Lord Krishna learnt about Narakasur's deeds, he decided to engage him in battle and liberate all the celestials.

Dhanteras 2009 – Diwali Begins

kajmani — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:40:07 +0000

Dhanteras (15th October 2009) is celebrated on the thirteenth day (teras) of the Krishna paksha (the waning cycle) of the lunar month of Ashwin in the Hindu calendar. It heralds the beginning of the five days of Diwali, the biggest festival for Hindus in India and all over the world.

Karva Chauth 2009 – Celebrating Women

kajmani — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:47:53 +0000

Karva Chauth is celebrated on the fourth day (-chauth) of the waning moon (the period after Sharad Poornima). It will be celebrated in 2009 on 7th October, about ten days before Diwali. According to tradition, women keep a day-long fast and pray to Goddess Parvati for the health and longevity of their husbands. Read full article...

Durga Navratri – Celebrating the Goddess

kajmani — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:46:47 +0000

Durga Navratri, or the nine (nava-) nights (-ratri) of Durga, are celebrated in the first 9 days of the bright half of the month (starting from the day after Amavasya) of Aswayuja/Asvina in the Indian lunar calendar (usually in end of September or early October). This period of nine days is the beginning of the festival season in all parts of India as the period of Navratri concludes with Dasehra (or victory day or Vijaya-Dashami) on the tenth day of the festival. The nine-day festival honors the role of three prinicipal female Goddesses in the Hindu pantheon - Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.

Pitra Paksha – Remembering our Ancestors

kajmani — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:32:13 +0000

Pitra Paksha, also known as "Shraadh" or "Mahalaya", is a fortnight (fourteen days) dedicated to paying homage to our departed ancestors. It is observed during the dark fortnight of Ashwin or Aswayauja (September 4th -18th 2009) and usually occurs in September/October. The last day of the Pitra Paksha is known as "Mahalaya Amavasya" - the great night of the new moon or Amavasya. It is perhaps the most significant day of this fortnight as the ceremonies conducted on this day are considered to be the most beneficial to the "Pitra" or the ancestors. Read full article...

Ganesha Chaturthi Mantras

kajmani — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 05:23:55 +0000

Ganesha Chaturthi (23rd August 2009) is celebrated on the fourth (chaturth-) day after the new moon (amavasya) in the Hindu month of "Bhadrapada" (usually in August-September). It is a culmination of ten days of festivities in the honor of the chief (eesha) of Lord Shiva's celestial hordes (ganas), Lord Ganesha. Gana also means 'category' or the 'countless'.

Janmashtami – Celebrating Lord Krishna

kajmani — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:24:54 +0000

Krishna Janmashtami (14th August 2009) is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth Divine Incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month (in the waning part of the lunar cycle between the full moon and the new moon) of Bhadrapada (August-September). It is a festival celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm by Krishna devotees all across the world. But why did Lord Krishna incarnate into the physical realm anyway? Read more...