God Darshan

Navagraha

noreply@blogger.com (Ajay Gupta) — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:19:00 +0000

Navagraha :-

Graha (from Sanskrit ग्रह gráha -- seizing, laying hold of, holding) is a 'cosmic influencer' on the living beings of mother Bhumidevi (earth). In Hindu Astrology, the Navagraha (Sanskrit: नवग्रह, nine seizers or nine influencers) are some of these major influencers.

"The Sanskrit word captures the idea that these nine grahas are living energies which put out waves of energy. These waves of energy affect our awareness. ... this indicates ... the active power of these celestial energies to seize our consciousness when we come under their influence or to take hold of what we focus on."

Accordingly to some, Grahas are the "markers of influence", that point out the karmic influence on the behavior of living beings. They themselves are not causative but can be compared to traffic signs.Unfortunately, the term Graha was linked to the term "planet" of our solar system, as five members of Navagraha (the nine grahas) happen to be planets; but the Surya (sun), Chandra (moon), Rahu (north or ascending lunar node) and Ketu (south or descending lunar node) are not "planets" according to modern astronomy. This misconception is sometimes used as arguments against the validity of astrology. However, a fact common to all the navagraha is that they have relative movement with respect to the background of fixed stars in the zodiac.

"Graha" is sometimes also translated as "celestial body", but Rahu and Ketu are not celestial bodies either, but are only positions in the lunar path. A third translation is celestial god or demi-god, but again, Rahu and Ketu are demonic Asuras , not benign deities like Devas. Thus the term 'graha' in this contexts applies to the nine (9) planetary or cosmic deities, spirits, spiritual beings-entities, etc. The term however mostly refers to any spirit(ual) force in general.Indeed, according to the astrological treatise Prasna Marga there are many other spiritual entities called grahas or spirits. All (excepting the navgrahas) are said to have been born of the anger of Lord Shiva or Rudra. Most grahas are generally malefic in nature but there are a few that may be good. The book called The Puranic Encyclopedia, under the heading 'Graha Pinda', gives a list of such grahas (spirits or spiritual entities, etc), that are said to afflict children, etc. Also in the same book in various places the names of spirits (grahas) are given, like 'Skhanda graha' that is said to cause miscarriage(s),

Load Surya :-

Surya (Devanagari: सूर्य, sūrya) is the chief solar deity SUN, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa, of Indra, or of Dyaus Pitar (depending by the versions). He has hair and arms of gold. His chariot is pulled by seven horses, which represent the seven chakras. He presides as "Ravi" over "Ravi-war" or Sunday. and one of his wife Aditi

In Hindu religious literature, Surya is notably mentioned as the visible form of God that one can see every day. Furthermore, Shaivites and Vaishnavas often regard Surya as an aspect of Shiva and Vishnu, respectively. For example, the sun is called Surya Narayana by Vaishnavas. In Shaivite theology, Surya is said to be one of eight forms of Shiva, named the Astamurti.

He is said to be of Sattva Guna and represents the Soul,the King, highly placed persons or Father.

Load Chandra :-

Chandra (Devanagari: चंद्र ) is a lunar deity. Chandra (moon) is also known as Soma and identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma. He is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and having in his hands a club and a lotus. He rides his chariot (the moon) across the sky every night, pulled by ten white horses or an antelope. He is connected with dew, and as such, is one of the gods of fertility. He is also called Nishadipati (Nisha=night; Adipathi=Lord) and Kshuparaka (one who illuminates the night). He as Soma, presides over Somvarm or Monday. He is of Sattva GunaMind, the Queen or Mother. and represents the Mind, the Queen or Mother.

He is married to daughters of Daksha Prajapathi. He has therefore 27 wives, representing twenty seven Nakshatras (constellations). Budha (the planet Mercury) was born to Soma and Taraka.

Load Mangala :-

Mangala (Devanagari: मंगल) is the god of Mars, the red planet. Mars is also called Angaraka ('one who is red in colour') or Bhauma ('son of Bhumi') in Sanskrit. He is the god of war and is celibate. He is considered the son of Prithvi or Bhumi, the Earth Goddess. He is the owner of the Aries and Scorpio signs, and a teacher of the occult sciences (Ruchaka Mahapurusha Yoga). He is of Tamas Guna in nature and represents Energetic action, confidence and ego.

He is painted red or flame colour, four-armed, carrying a trident, club, lotus and a spear. His Vahana (mount) is a ram. He presides over 'Mangal-war' or Tuesday.

Load Budha :-

Budha (Devanagari: बुध ) is the god of the planet Mercury and the son of Chandra (the moon) with Tara (Taraka). He is also the god of merchandize and protector of Merchants. He is of Rajas Guna and represents Communication.

He is represented as being mild, eloquent and of greenish colour. He is represented holding a scimitar, a club and a shield, riding a winged lion in Ramghur temple. In other illustrations , he holds a sceptre and lotus and rides a carpet or an eagle or a chariot drawn by lions..

Budha presides over 'Budh-war' or Wednesday. In modern Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi,Kannada and Gujarati, Wednesday is called Budhvara; in Tamil and Malayalam it is Budhan.

Load Brihaspati :-

Brihaspati(Devanagari: बृहस्पति ) is the name of a Vedic deity, personification of piety and religion, the chief offerer of prayers and sacrifices, represented as the Purohita of the gods with whom he intercedes for men. He is the Lord of planet Jupiter. He is of Sattva Guna and represents knowledge and teaching.

According to Hindu scriptures, he is the guru of the Devas and the arch-nemesis of Shukracharya, the guru of the Danavas. He is also known Guru, the god of wisdom and eloquence, to whom various works are ascribed, such as the "atheistic" Barhaspatya sutras.

He is described of yellow or golden colour and holding a stick, a lotus and his beads. He presides over 'Guru-war' or Thursday.

Load Shukra :-

Represents planet Venus.

Shukra (Devanagari: शुक्र ), the Sanskrit for "clear, pure" or "brightness, clearness", is the name the son of Bhrigu and Ushana, and preceptor of the Daityas, and the guru of the Asuras, identified with the planet Venus (with honorific, शुक्राचार्य Shukracharya).

He presides over 'Shukra-war' or Friday. He is Rajas in nature and represents wealth, pleasure and reproduction. He is of white complexion, middle-aged and of agreeable countenance. He is described variously mounted, on a camel or a horse or a crocodile. He holds a stick, beads and a lotus and sometimes a bow and arrow.

In Astrology, there is a dasha or planetary period known as Shukra Dasha which remains active in a person's horoscope for 20 years. This dasha is believed to give more wealth, fortune and luxury to one's living if a person has Shukra positioned well in his horoscope as well as Shukra being an important benefic planet in his/her horoscope.

Load Shani :-

Lord Shani(शनि) is one of the navagrahas which are the nine planets in Hindu astrology. Lord Shani is also called as Saneeswaran, Shani Bhagawan, Shaneeshwara, Shani Deva and so on. Shani is a god and is son of Lord Surya (the Sun God) and his wife Chhaya means Shadow goddess. Hence, he is also known as Chayyaputra. Lord Shani is included in the planet Saturn. He is the lord of Saturday and lead metal. The word Shani also represents the 7 day or Saturday in Indian languages.

Lord Shani was born by the sun went into overshadow. He is the enemy of light and is associated by the color black, holding an arrow, two daggers and sword. Lord Shani is also called as the greatest teacher and is known Hindu scriptures as the greatest trouble giver and the greatest well wisher. The crow is vehicle by Lord Shani. His gems are all the black gems and the neelam (the blue sapphire).

Saturn or Shani is the planet of responsibility. It is that symbolizes the ethic of hard work. Lord Shani is the older brother to Yama, the Hindu God of death. Lord Shani represents aloofness as well. Shani Jayanti is celebrated in the month of Jayestha, Krishna Paksha's Amavasya Tithi when "vatsavitri Vrat" also falls.

The origin of word Shani(शनि) comes from the following: Shanaye Kramati Sa: (शनये क्रमति सः) i.e. the one who moves slowly. Saturn takes about 30 years to revolve around the Sun, thus it moves slowly compared to other planets, thus the Sanskrit name शनि. Shani is actually a demi-god and is a son of Surya (the Hindu Sun God) and his wife Chhaya. It is said that when he opened his eyes as a baby for the very first time, the sun went into an eclipse, which clearly denotes the impact of Shani on astrological charts (horoscope).

Shani Temple

Shani temple is located at Shirdi village in Ahmednagar District. It is devoted to Lord Shani and is a powerful planet. Shani temple is a small holy fire. It is known as 'dhuni'. A wide picture of Sai Baba placed behind the god of Shani.

Shani Mantra

Nilamjana Samabasam Ravi Putram Yama Grajami| Chaya Marthanda Sambutam Tam Namami Shanaiswaram||

Shani Pilgrimages

Shree Shani Kshetra Rameshwar Tirth.

Shree Sidh Shakti Peeth ShaniDham

Shree Shani Tirth Tirunalaru, Tamil Nadu.

Shree Shani Temple Beedh, Maharastra.

Shree Shani Tirth Kshetra, Asola, Fatehpur Beri, Mehrauli, Delhi.

Shree Shani Mandir Tirth, Ujjain.

Lord Shani Temple, Gwalior Kokilavan, Vrindavan.

Shanaischara Temple Hassan

Shree Shingnapur, Maharastra.

Shree Shani Kshetra Nastanpur, Maharastra.

Shree Shani Temple, Madivala, Bangalore

ani Kshetra Model Tirth Nandur bar, Maharastra.

Shani and Hanuman

The devotion of Lord Hanuman is a panacea for the severe effects of the 'adverse' presence of Lord Shani. In the Hindu Scriptures Ramayana, Lord Hanuman is said to have saved Shani from the clutches of Ravana and in gratitude, Shani promised to Hanuman that anyone prayed to Hanuman, specially on Saturdays, would be saved from the "malefic" effects of Saturn or the effects would be softened.

Load Rahu :-

Rahu(Devanagari: राहु ) is God of the Ascending / North lunar node. Rahu is the Head of Demon Snake that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses according to Hindu scriptures. He is depicted in art as a dragon with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. He is an Tamas Asura who does his best to plunge any area of one's life he controls into chaos. The rahu kala is considered inauspicious.

According to legend, during the Samudra manthan, the asura Rahu drank some of the divine nectar. But before the nectar could pass his throat, Mohini (the female avatar of Vishnu) cut off his head. The head, however, remained immortal and is called Rahu , while the rest of the body became Ketu. It is believed that this immortal head occasionally swallows the sun or the moon, causing eclipses. Then, the sun or moon passes through the opening at the neck, ending the eclipse.

Load Ketu :-

Ketu (Devanagari: केतु) is the Lord of Descending/South lunar node. Ketu is generally referred to as a "shadow" planet. He is considered as Tail of the Demon Snake. It is believed to have a tremendous impact on human lives and also the whole creation. In some special circumstances it helps someone achieve the zenith of fame. He is Tamas in nature and represents supernatural influences.

Astronomically, Ketu and Rahu denote the points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere. Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are respectively called the north and the south lunar nodes. The fact that eclipses occur when Sun and Moon are at one of these points gives rise to the story of the swallowing of the Sun by the Moon.

Associated characters :-

Each of the graha has associations with various characters, such as colors, metals, etc. The following table gives the most important associations:

Character	Surya Dev (sun)	Chandra (Moon)	Mangala (Mars)	Budha (Mercury)
Color	Copper	White	Red	Green
Gender Associated	Male	Male	Male	Neutral
Element	Fire	Water	Fire	Earth
God	Agni	Varuna	Subramanya	Vishnu
Metal	Gold/Brass	Silver	Brass	Brass
Gemstone	Ruby	Moonstone/Pearl	Red Coral	Emerald
Body Part	Bone	Blood	Marrow	Skin
Taste	Pungent	Salt	Acid	Mixed
Food	Wheat	Paddy Rice	Lentil	Greengram
Season	Summer	Winter	Summer	Autumn
Direction	East	North West	South	North
Day	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday

Character	Jupiter	Venus)	Shai (Saturn)	Rahu	Ketu
Color	Gold	White/Yellow	Black/Blue	Smoky	Smoky
Gender Associated	Male	Female	Neutral	-	-
Element	Ether	Water	Air	Air	Earth
God	Indra	Indrani	Brahma	Nirriti	Ganesha
Metal	Gold	Silver	Iron	Lead	Lead
Gemstone	Yellow Sapphire	Diamond	Blue Sapphire	Hessonite	Cat's Eye
Body Part	Brain	Semen	Muscles	-	-
Taste	Sweet	Sour	Astringent	-	-
Food	Bengalgram	Beans	Sesame	-	-
Season	Winter	Spring	All Seasons	-	-
Direction	North East	South East	West	South West	-
Day	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	-	-

Hanuman

noreply@blogger.com (Ajay Gupta) — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Hanuman:-

Hanuman ((Sanskrit: हनुमत्), (Hanuman); nominative singular (हनुमान्), (Hanumān), (Tamil: அனுமன்)), known also as 'Anjaneya' (son of Anjana) or Maruti (or Maruti nandan), is one of the most popular concepts of devotees of God (bhakti) (devotion to God) in Hinduism and one of the most important personalities in the Indian epic, the Ramayana. His most famous feat, as described in the Hindu epic scripture the Ramayana, was leading a monkey army to fight the demon King Ravana. Hanuman is considered as siranjaeevi (to live eternally). He is the monkey God, strong, full of valour, with various skills and powers. At the same time, he is wise, a great gnani, yogi and a brahmachari. He had only one thought that of serving his Lord Rama with utmost humility and devotion. He is known as Siriya Thiruvadi. He is considered to be an amsam of Lord Siva. He is known by various names - Hanuman - (His jaw & cheek had gone in when struck by the Vajrayudha of Indra), Anumandhayya - (in Karnataka), Aanjaneyalu - (in Andhra Pradesh), Aanjaneyan - (son of Anjana), Maruthi - (son of Vaayu - in Maharashtra), Anumandhan, Vaayunandhan, Kesarinandhanan (son of Kesari), Aadhitasishyan and Siriya Thiruvadi (vahanam for Rama).

He is worshipped in the temples as Bhaktha Hanuman & Veera Hanuman. He is seen seated humbly in front of Rama vigrahmas in the Rama sannadhis. There are also separate temples for Hanuman. As Bhaktha Hanuman he is seen holding both hands together in prayer. He is seen as Veera Hanuman, holding the mace in one hand & the sanjeevi parvatham in the other. Devotees are blessed with courage, valour, wisdom, gnanam when they pray to him. He is very happy when he hears the Rama namam. Hence, repeating the Rama namam is one of the best ways to get his blessings.

Birth:-

Hanuman was born to 'Anjana', a female vanara in the Brahmagiri hills near Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra. According to the legend, Anjana was an apsara or a celestial being, named 'Punjikasthala', who, due to a curse, was born on the earth as a female vanara. The curse was to be removed upon her giving birth to an incarnation of Lord Shiva. It is also said that Hanuman was born on Anjaneya Hill, in Hampi, Karnataka, near the Risyamukha mountain on the banks of the Pampa, where Sugreeva and Sri Rama met. There is a temple that marks the spot.

Along with Kesari, her husband, Anjana performed intense prayers to Shiva to beget Him as her Child. Pleased with their devotion, Shiva granted them the boon they sought. Hence, the Hanuman is also known as "Maharudra" because he was born out of the boon given to Anjana by the Shiva who is also known as Rudra. The Valmiki Ramayana, (Yuddha Kanda) states that Kesari is the son of Brihaspati and that Kesari also fought on Rama's side in the war against Ravana.

Different stories are told explaining Hanuman's birth. One is that at the time that Anjana was worshipping Lord Shiva, elsewhere, Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, was performing the Putrakama Yagna in order to have children. As a result, he received some sacred pudding, payasam, to be shared by his three wives, leading to the births of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. By divine ordinance, a kite snatched a fragment of that pudding and dropped it while flying over the forest where Anjana was engaged in worship. Vayu, the Hindu deity of the wind, delivered the falling pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjana, who consumed it. Hanuman was born to her as a result.

Being Anjana's son, Hanuman is also called Anjaneya (pronounced Aanjanèya), which literally means "arising from Anjani".

Sri Aurobindo states that "vanara" does not refer to "monkey": "Prajapati manifests as Vishnu Upendra incarnate in the animal or Pashu in whom the four Manus have already manifested themselves, and the first human creature who appears is, in this Kalpa, the Vanara, not the animal Ape, but man with the Ape nature", i.e. primitive man such as Homo erectus.

Hanuman, in one interpretation, is also considered as the incarnation of Shiva or reflection of Shiva also known as Rudra. Others, such as followers of Dvaita consider Hanuman to be the son of Vayu or a manifestation of Vayu, the god of wind. When Ravana tried to enter the Kailash (the abode of Shiva) called Lord Shiva "a monkey". Lord Shiva in return cursed Ravana that a monkey would burn his Lanka. Shiva took the form of Hanuman.

References to Hanuman in classical literature could be found as early as those of 5th to 1st century BC in Panini's Astadhyayi, Abhiseka Nataka, Pratima Nataka, and Raghuvamsa (Kālidāsa).

Childhood, education, love, and curse :-

As a child, assuming the sun to be a ripe mango, he once took flight to catch hold of it to eat. Indra, the king of devas observed this and therefore threw the Vajra (thunderbolt) at Hanuman, which struck his jaw. He fell back down to the earth and became unconscious. Upset, Vayu went into seclusion, taking the atmosphere with him. As living beings began to be asphyxiated, Indra withdrew the effect of his thunderbolt, and the devas revived Hanuman and blessed him with multiple boons. A permanent mark was left on his chin (hanuhH in Sanskrit), explaining his name.

On ascertaining Surya, the Hindu deity of the sun, to be an all-knowing teacher, Hanuman raised his body into an orbit around the sun and requested that Surya accept him as a student. Surya refused, claiming that as he always had to be on the move in his chariot, it would be impossible for Hanuman to learn effectively. Undeterred by Surya's refusal, Hanuman enlarged his body, placed one leg on the eastern ranges and the other on the western ranges, and with his face turned toward the sun made his request again. Pleased by his persistence, Surya accepted. Hanuman then moved (backwards, to remain facing Surya) continuously with his teacher, and learned all of the latter's knowledge. When Hanuman then requested Surya to quote his "guru-dakshina" (teacher's fee), the latter refused, saying that the pleasure of teaching one as dedicated as him was the fee in itself. Hanuman insisted, whereupon Surya asked him to help his (Surya's) spiritual son Sugriva. Hanuman's choice of Surya as his teacher is said to signify Surya as a Karma Saakshi, an eternal witness of all deeds. Hanuman was mischievous in his childhood, and sometimes teased the meditating sages in the forests by snatching their personal belongings and by disturbing their well-arranged articles of worship. Finding his antics unbearable, but realizing that Hanuman was but a child, (albeit invincible), the sages placed a mild curse on him by which he became unable to remember his own ability unless reminded by another person. It is hypothesised that without this curse, the entire course of the Ramayana war might have been different, for he demonstrated phenomenal abilities during the war. The curse is highlighted in Kishkindha Kanda and Sundara Kanda when Jambavantha reminds (the quietly wondering) Hanuman of his abilities and encourages him to go and find Sita. The specific verse that is recited by Jambavantha is :

पवन तनय ब्ल पवन समाना बुद्धि विवेक विज्ञान निधाना |

कवन् सो काज कठिन जग माही जो नहि होय तात तुम्ह पाहीं ||

Rough translation:-

You are as powerful as the wind (Hanumanji was the son of Pawan, God of wind);
You are intelligent, illustrious & an inventor.
There is nothing in this world that’s too difficult for you;
Whenever stuck, you are the one who can help.

Presence in the present age :-

Hanuman as depicted in Yakshagana, popular folk art of Karnataka

There have been numerous prophets who claimed to have seen Hanuman in modern times, notably Madhvacharya (13 Century A.D.), Tulsidas (16th century), Sri Ramdas Swami (17th century)and Raghavendra Swami (17th century), Swami Ramdas (20th century).

Others have also asserted his presence wherever the Ramayana is read (in Sanskrit, not translated):

यत्र यत्र रघुनाथ कीर्तनम् तत्र तत्र क्रित मस्तक अन्जलिं बष्पावरी परीपूर्ण लोचनम् मारुतिं नमश्च राक्षस अंतकम्।

Which means:

That wherever the deeds of Sri Rama are sung,
At all such places does Hanuman cry tears of devotion and joy,
At all such places does his presence remove the fear of demons.

This can be found in many other texts like Vinaya Patrika by Tulsidas, Mahabharta by Ved Vyasa, Anand Ramayan and many others with slight variation in language/Sentence. Even the places where holy function of Ramayanpath is taking place, there is a special puja and space (or asan) reserved for Hanuman.

Temples and worship:-

A temple to Hanuman near Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka
The largest Hanuman Murti outside of India, located in Trinidad and Tobago
Temple of Hanuman at Nerul Navi Mumbai

Admired for his great strength, Hanuman is traditionally prayed to by wrestlers and boxers in India and Southeast Asia. There are numerous temples for Hanuman, and his images are usually installed at all temples where images of avataras of Vishnu are installed. Hanuman temples can be found in many places for the reason that the area and the surroundings are free from rakshasas and 'evils'. This was a presentational 'Varam' to him by Rama and Sita. Hanuman idols are found on mountain roads because it is believed that he protects people from accidents.

Sankat Mochan Shri Hanuman Mandir, located in the Punjab town of Phillaur, is Asia's tallest temple of lord Hanuman ji. The total height of temple is 121 feet and Hanuman ji statue's height is 67 feet. This is a very famous temple in Punjab, people from all over the world come to see it.

There is a statue of Lord Hanuman at Nandura[citation needed]. The height of statue is 105 feet high situated besides national highway no. 6. From here Shegaon (temple of Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj famous in Maharashtra) is around 40 km ahead.

Ragigudda Anjaneya temple is a Hanuman temple located in JP Nagar Bangalore. The temple is located on a hillock.

The Hanuman temple at Nerul, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India is situated inside SIES complex. The Hanuman idol is 33 feet (10 m) tall and is installed on a pedestal of height 12 feet (4 m), bringing the total height to 45 feet (14 m). In the picture shown, Hanuman has silver coverings (Silver Kavasam). The 10 mtr height idol is sculptured out of single granite stone.

Similarly, a 32 feet (10 m) idol of Sri Anjaneyar was entrenched in 1989[2] at Nanganallur in chennai, India. The distinguished factor of the idol is that it was molded out of a single rock.

Other large Lord Hanuman idols:-

A 30 foot Murti of Anjaneyaswamy, in Ponnur near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh.

An 85-foot (26 m) Karya Siddhi Hanuman murthi was installed at Carapichaima-Trinidad and Tobago, by Avadhoota Dattapeetham Pontiff Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda. (Tallest in the Western hemisphere and second tallest in the world)

Panchamukha Hanuman :-

Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami was the main deity of Sri Raghavendra Swami. The place where he meditated on this five-faced form of Hanuman is now known as Panchamukhi, wherein a temple for him has been built. There is also a shrine for Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami at Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, India. A 40 feet (12 m) tall monolithic green granite murti of Sri Panchamukha Hanuman has been installed in Thiruvallur, also in Tamil Nadu. This place was known as Rudravanam in olden times when many saints and seers had blessed this place with their presence. The Panchamukha Hanuman Ashram itself was established by a saint called Venkatesa Battar.

Hanuman assumed this form to kill Mahiravana, a powerful rakshasa black-magician and practitioner of the dark arts during the Ramayana war. Mahiravana had taken Lord Rama and Lakshmana captive, and the only way to kill him was to extinguish five lamps burning in different directions, all at the same instant. Hanuman assumed His Panchamukha form and accomplished the task, thus killing the rakshasa, and freeing Rama and Lakshmana.

This form of Hanuman is very popular, and is also known as Panchamukha Anjaneya and Panchamukhi Anjaneya. (Anjaneya, which means "son of Anjana", is another name of Hanuman).

A 67 foot Murti of Lord Hanuman Ji has been installed at Sankat Mochan Shri Hanuman Mandir, located in the Punjab town of Phillaur.

A 40 foot Murti of Sri Panchamukha Hanuman has been installed at Tiruvallur, near Chennai, India.

A 36 foot Murti of Sri Panchamukha Hanuman has been installed at Panchavatee,Pondicherry, called as Viswaroopa Jayamangala Panchamukha Sri Anjaaneyaswamy.

A 32 foot Murti of Adhivyadihara Sri Bhaktha Anjaneyaswamy,Nanganallur,Chennai which is molded out of a single rock.

A 3 foot Murti of Sri Panchmukha Hanuman has been installed at OKapi farm 15.7 kms west of Lusaka Zambia from New Mumba Road. While the mandir is under construction, daily puja is offered in the mornings and evenings.

Every Face of Sri Panchamukha Hanuman has significance :-

Sri Hanuman faces east. He grants purity of mind and success.
The Narasimha faces south. He grants victory and fearlessness.
The west facing Garuda removes black magic and poisons.
The north facing Varaha, showers prosperity, wealth.
The Hayagriva mukha faces the Sky. But since we cannot see it, it is usually tilted and shown above Hanuman's face. Hayagriva gives Knowledge and good children.

Worship & offerings:-

Anjaneyar is worshipped with offerings of butter & Vadaimalai (a garland of vadais). Butter is applied to the mouth & tail of the Hanuman vigrahams in temples. Devotees pray to the Lord & apply dots of kumkumam to his tail (from the starting point to the tip) in the images kept at home.

A simple prayer to Anjaneya

Asaathya Saadhaka Swaamin
Asaathyam Thavakim vadha
Raama Dhootha Kribhaa Sindho
Math Kaaryam Sadhakka Prabho

Shree Hanuman Chalisa :-

Whoever recites Hanuman Chalisa (40 stanzas praising Hanuman), written by Shree Tulsi Das, for 40 mornings, will beget health, wealth, happiness, courage, valour and wisdom. Devotees reading this Chalisa 108 times will overcome all obstacles.

Hanuman Dhyanam

adhulitha baladhamam swarna sailaaba dheham
dhanu jvana krusaanum jgnaninaa makrakanyamõ |
sakala gunanithaanam vaanaraannamatheesam
raghupathy priyabakthim vaadha jaadham namaami ||

koshpatheekrutha varasim masakeekrutha rakshasam |
ramayana mahamalarathnam vandheh anilaathmajam ||

yathra yathra raghunatha keerthanam
thathra thathra kruthamathookanjjalim |
bashbaqwari paripoorna lochanam
maruthim namatha raksha-shanthakam ||

Shreeguru charana saroja raja
nija manu mukura suDhaari |
varanoun raghuvara vimala yasu
joa dhaayaku phala chaari ||

budhdhiheena thanu jaanikae
sumirou pavana kumaarae |
bala budhdhi viDhyaa dhaehu mohi
harahu kalesa vikaara||

jaya hanumaan nyaan guna saagara|
jaya kapeesa thihoon loka ujaagara|| 1

raama dhootha athulitha bala Dhaamaa|
anjani puthra pavanasutha naamaa|| 2

mahaveer vikrama bajrangee|
kumathi nivaara sumathi kae sangi|| 3

kanchana varana viraaja suvaeshaa|
kaanana kundala kunchitha kesha|| 4

haatha vajra ou dhvajaa biraajai|
kaanDhae moonja janaeoo saajai|| 5

shankara suvana kesari nandhana|
thaeja prathaapa mahaa jaga vandhana|| 6

vidhyavaana guni athi chaathur|
raama kaaja karibae koa aathur|| 7

prabhu charithra sunibae koa rasiyaa|
raam lakhana seethaa mana basiyaa|| 8

sukshma roopa Dhari siyahin dhikhaavaa|
bikata roopa dhari lanka jaraavaa|| 9

bheema roopa Dhari asura samhaarae|
raamachandhra kae kaaj sanvaarae|| 10

laaya sanjeevana lakhana jiyaayae|
shree raghuveer harashi ur laaye|| 11

raghupathi keenhee bahutha badaayee|
thum mama priya bharathahi sama bhaayee|| 12

sahasa vadhana thumharo jasa gaavain|
asa kahi Shreepathi kanta lagaavain|| 13

sanakaadika bramhadhi muneesaa|
naaradha saaradha sahitha aheesaa|| 14

jama kubaera dhigapaal jahaan thae|
kavi koavidha kahi sakae kahaan thae|| 15

thum upkaara sugreevahin keenhaa|
raam milaaya raja pada dheenhaa|| 16

thumharo manthra vibeeShan maanaa|
lankaeshwar bhayae sab jaga jaanaa|| 17

yuga sahasra yojana para Bhanoo|
leelyo thaahi maDhura phala jaanoo|| 18

prabhu mudhrikaa maeli mukha maahin|
jalaDhi laanDhi gaye achraja naahin|| 19

dhurgama kaaja jagatha kae jaethae|
sugama anugraha thumharae thaethae|| 20

raam dhuaarae thum rakhwaarae|
hoath na aagnyaa binu paisaarae|| 21

sab sukh lahai thumhaari charanaa|
thum rakshak kaanhoo koa darnaa|| 22

aapana thej samhaaroa aapai|
theenon loaka haank sae kaampae|| 23

bhooth pishaash nikata nahin aavai|
mahaaveer jab naam sunaavai|| 24

naashai roga harai saba peedaa|
japatha niranthara hanumatha veera|| 25

sankata sae hanumaan chudaavai|
mana krama vachana dhyaana joa laavai|| 26

sab para raam thapasvee raajaa|
thinakae kaaj sakala thum saajaa|| 27

aura manorath joa koee laavai|
soayi amitha jeevana phala paavai|| 28

chaaron jug parathaapa thumhaaraa|
hei parasidhdhi jagatha ujiyaaraa|| 29

saaDhu santha kae thum rakhwaarae|
asura nikandhana raam dhulaarae|| 30

ashta sidhdhi nava nidhi kae dhaathaa|
asa bara dheen jaanakee maathaa|| 31

raam rasayana thum rae paasaa|
sadha rahoa raghupathi kae daasaa|| 32

thumharae bhajana raam koa bhaavai|
janma janma kae dhukh bisraavai|| 33

antha kaala raghupathi pura jaayee|
jahaan janma hari bhakth kahaayee|| 34

aura dhaevathaa chiththa na Dharayee|
hanumatha saeyeesarba sukh karayee|| 35

sankata katai mitai sab peeda|
joa sumirai hanumatha bala veeraa|| 36

jai jai jai hanumaana goasaayeen|
krupaa karahu gurudaeva kee naayeen|| 37

joa sath baar paaTa kara koiyee|
chootahi bandhi mahaa sukh hoayee|| 38

joa yaha padai hanumaan chaaleesaa|
hoya sidhdhi saakhee goureesaa|| 39

thulalaseedaasa sadhaa hari chaeraa|
keejai naaTha hrudhaya maham daeraa|| 40

bhavana dhanaya sankata harana mangala moorthy roop
raam lakhana jaanaakee boaloa jai hanumaan kee||

************ Jai Bajranbali **************

Lord of Success

noreply@blogger.com (Ajay Gupta) — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:14:00 +0000

Ganesha:-

Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश; Ganesha.ogg listen (help·info)), also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most widely worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India. Hindu sects worship him regardless of other affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.

Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles (Vighnesha, Vighneshvara), patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. He is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during writing sessions. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.

Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in clearly recognizable form in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. His popularity rose quickly, and he was formally included among the five primary deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called the Ganapatya, (Sanskrit: गाणपत्य; gāṇapatya), who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity, arose during this period. The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.

Ganesha:- the elephant-deity riding a mouse — has become one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. This not only suggests the importance of Ganesha, but also shows how popular and pervasive this deity is in the minds of the masses.

The Lord of Success :-

The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja.

Significance of the Ganesha Form :-

Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties.

The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The laddoo (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. And he is humble enough to ride the lowest of creatures, a mouse.

How Ganesha Got His Head :-

The story of the birth of this zoomorphic deity, as depicted in the Shiva Purana, goes like this: Once goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy's head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was facing the north. The company found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the body of the boy. Shiva restored its life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name 'Ganapati'. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture.

However, there's another less popular story of his origin, found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana: Shiva asked Parvati to observe the punyaka vrata for a year to appease Vishnu in order to have a son. When a son was born to her, all the gods and goddesses assembled to rejoice on its birth. Lord Shani, the son of Surya (Sun-God), was also present but he refused to look at the infant. Perturbed at this behaviour, Parvati asked him the reason, and Shani replied that his looking at baby would harm the newborn. However, on Parvati's insistence when Shani eyed the baby, the child's head was severed instantly. All the gods started to bemoan, whereupon Vishnu hurried to the bank of river Pushpabhadra and brought back the head of a young elephant, and joined it to the baby's body, thus reviving it.

Ganesha, the Destroyer of Pride :-

Ganesha is also the destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride. He is the personification of material universe in all its various magnificent manifestations. "All Hindus worship Ganesha regardless of their sectarian belief," says D N Singh in A Study of Hinduism. "He is both the beginning of the religion and the meeting ground for all Hindus."

Ganesh Chaturthi :-

An annual festival honours Ganesha for ten days, starting on Ganesh Chaturthi, which typically falls in late August or early September. The festival culminates on the day of Ananta Chaturdashi, when images (murtis) of Ganesha are immersed in the most convenient body of water. In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak transformed this annual Ganesha festival from private family celebrations into a grand public event. He did so "to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them" in his nationalistic strivings against the British in Maharashtra. Because of Ganesha's wide appeal as "the god for Everyman", Tilak chose him as a rallying point for Indian protest against British rule. Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions, and he established the practice of submerging all the public images on the tenth day. Today, Hindus across India celebrate the Ganapati festival with great fervour, though it is most popular in the state of Maharashtra. The festival also assumes huge proportions in Mumbai and in the surrounding belt of Ashtavinayaka temples.

Temples:-

In Hindu temples, Ganesha is depicted in various ways: as an acolyte or subordinate deity (pãrśva-devatã); as a deity related to the principal deity (parivāra-devatã); or as the principal deity of the temple (pradhāna), treated similarly as the highest gods of the Hindu pantheon. As the god of transitions, he is placed at the doorway of many Hindu temples to keep out the unworthy, which is analogous to his role as Parvati’s doorkeeper. In addition, several shrines are dedicated to Ganesha himself, of which the Ashtavinayak (Sanskrit: अष्टविनायक; aṣṭavināyaka; lit. "eight Ganesha (shrines)") in Maharashtra are particularly well known. Located within a 100-kilometer radius of the city of Pune, each of these eight shrines celebrates a particular form of Ganapati, complete with its own lore and legend; together they "form a mandala, demarking the sacred cosmos of Ganesha".

A statue of Ganesha carved in wood

There are many other important Ganesha temples at the following locations: Wai in Maharashtra; Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh; Jodhpur, Nagaur and Raipur (Pali) in Rajasthan; Baidyanath in Bihar; Baroda, Dholaka, and Valsad in Gujarat and Dhundiraj Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Prominent Ganesha temples in southern India include the following: : the Jambukeśvara Temple (Ucchi pillaiyar kottai) at Tiruchirapalli; at Rameshvaram and Suchindram; Karpaka Vinayakar Temple in TamilNadu; Hampi, Kasargod, and Idagunji in Karnataka; and Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh.

108 Names Of Lord Ganesh :-

Akhuratha :- One who has Mouse as His Charioteer
Alampata :- Ever Eternal Lord
Amit :- Incomparable Lord
Anantachidrupamayam :- Infinite and Consciousness Personified
Avaneesh :- Lord of the whole World
Avighna :- Remover of Obstacles
Balaganapati :- Beloved and Lovable Child
Bhalchandra :- Moon-Crested Lord
Bheema :- Huge and Gigantic
Bhupati :- Lord of the Gods
Bhuvanpati :- God of the Gods
Buddhinath :- God of Wisdom
Buddhipriya :- Knowledge Bestower
Buddhividhata :- God of Knowledge
Chaturbhuj :- One who has Four Arms
Devadeva :- Lord! of All Lords
Devantakanashakarin :- Destroyer of Evils and Asuras
Devavrata :- One who accepts all Penances
Devendrashika :- Protector of All Gods
Dharmik :- One who gives Charity
Dhoomravarna :- Smoke-Hued Lord
Durja :- Invincible Lord
Dvaimatura :- One who has two Mothers
Ekaakshara :- He of the Single Syllable
Ekadanta :- Single-Tusked Lord
Ekadrishta :- Single-Tusked Lord
Eshanputra :- Lord Shiva's Son
Aath Gadadhari :- One who has The Mace as His Weapon
Gajakarna :- One who has Eyes like an Elephant
Gajanana :- Elephant-Faced Lord
Gajananeti :- Elephant-Faced Lord
Gajavakra :- Trunk of The Elephant
Gajavaktra :- One who has Mouth like an Elephant
Ganadhakshya :- Lord of All Ganas (Gods)
Ganadhyakshina :- Leader of All The Celestial Bodies
Ganapati :- Lord of All Ganas (Gods)
Gaurisuta :- The Son of Gauri (Parvati)
Gunina :- One who is The Master of All Virtues
Haridra :- One who is Golden Coloured
Heramba :- Mother's Beloved Son
Kapila :- Yellowish-Brown Coloured
Kaveesha :- Master of Poets
Kirti :- Lord of Music
Kripalu :- Merciful Lord
Krishapingaksha :- Yellowish-Brown Eyed
Kshamakaram :- The Place of Forgiveness
Kshipra :- One who is easy to A! ppease
Lambakarna :- Large-Eared Lord
Lambodara :- The Huge Bellied Lord
Mahabala :- Enormously Strong Lord
Mahaganapati :- Omnipotent and Supreme Lord
Maheshwaram :- Lord of The Universe
Mangalamurti :- All Auspicious Lord
Manomay :- Winner of Hearts
Mrityuanjaya :- Conqueror of Death
Mundakarama :- Abode of Happiness
Muktidaya :- Bestower of Eternal Bliss
Musikvahana :- One who has Mouse as His Charioteer
Nadapratithishta :- One who Appreciates and Loves Music
Namasthetu :- Vanquisher of All Evils and Vices and Sins
Nandana :- Lord Shiva's Son
Nideeshwaram :- Giver of Wealth and Treasures
Omkara :- One who has the Form Of OM
Pitambara :- One who has Yellow-Coloured Body
Pramoda :- Lord of All Abodes
Prathameshwara :- First Among All
Purush :- The Omnipotent Personality
Raktamra :- One who has Red-Coloured Body
Rudrapriya :- Beloved Of Lord Shiva
Sarvadevatman :- Acceptor of All Celestial Offerings
Sarvasiddhanta :- Bestower of Skills and Wisdom
Sarvatman :- Protector of The Universe
Shambhavi :- The Son of Parvati
Shashivarnam :- One who has a Moon like Complexion
Shoorpakarna :- Large-Eared Lord
Shuban :- All Auspicious Lord
Shubhagunakanan :- One who is The Master of All Virtues
Shweta :- One who is as Pure as the White Colour
Siddhidhata :- Bestower of Success and Accomplishments
Siddhipriya :- Bestower of Wishes and Boons
Siddhivinayaka :- Bestower of Success
Skandapurvaja :- Elder Brother of Skand (Lord Kartik)
Sumukha :- Auspicious Face
Sureshwaram :- Lord of All Lords
Swaroop :- Lover of Beauty
Tarun :- Ageless
Uddanda :- Nemesis of Evils and Vices
Umaputra :- The Son of Goddess Uma (Parvati)
Vakratunda :- Curved Trunk Lord
Varaganapati :- Bestower of Boons
Varaprada :- Granter of Wishes and Boons
Varadavinayaka :- Bestower of Success
Veeraganapati :- Heroic Lord
Vidyavaridhi :- God of Wisdom
Vighnahara :- Remover of Obstacles
Vignaharta :- Demolisher of Obstacles
Vighnaraja :- Lord of All Hindrances
Vighnarajendra :- Lord of All Obstacles
Vighnavinashanaya :- Destroyer of All Obstacles and Impediments
Vigneshwara :- Lord of All Obstacles
Vikat :- Huge and Gigantic
Vinayaka :- Lord of All
Vishwamukha :- Master of The Universe
Vishwaraja :- King of The World
Yagnakaya :- Acceptor of All Sacred and Sacrficial Offerings
Yashaskaram :- Bestower of Fame and Fortune
Yashvasin :- Beloved and Ever Popular Lord
Yogadhipa :- The Lord of Meditation

Vakrtund Mahakaya Surya Koti Samaprabha |
Nirbhignam Kurumedaya Sarva Karyashu Sarvada |

Lord Shiva - The Destroyer

noreply@blogger.com (Ajay Gupta) — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Lord Shiva :-

Shiva (pronunciation: [ʃɪ.ʋə]; Sanskrit: शिव, Śiva, lit. "Auspicious one" ) is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is one of the five primary forms of God.

Followers of Hinduism who focus their worship upon Shiva are called Shaivites or Shaivas (Sanskrit Śaiva). Shaivism, along with Vaiṣṇava traditions that focus on Vishnu and Śākta traditions that focus on the goddess Devī are three of the most influential denominations in Hinduism.

Shiva is usually worshipped in the form of Shiva linga. In images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon Maya, the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the lord of the dance.

In some other Hindu denominations, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva represent the three primary aspects of the divine in Hinduism and are collectively known as the Trimurti. In this school of religious thought, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer or transformer.

Attributes :-

Shiva with Parvati. Shiva is depicted three-eyed, with a crescent moon on his head, the Ganga flowing through his matted hair, wearing ornaments of serpents and a skull necklace, and covered in ashes, and Trisula and Damaru are seen in the background.

Third eye:- Shiva is often depicted with a third eye, with which he burned Desire (Kāma) to ashes. There has been controversy regarding the original meaning of Shiva's name Tryambakam (Sanskrit: त्र्यम्बकम्), which occurs in many scriptural sources. In classical Sanskrit, the word ambaka denotes "an eye", and in the Mahabharata, Shiva is depicted as three-eyed, so this name is sometimes translated as "having three eyes". However, in Vedic Sanskrit, the word ambā or ambikā means "mother", and this early meaning of the word is the basis for the translation "having three mothers" that was used by Max Müller and Arthur Macdonell. Since no story is known in which Shiva had three mothers, E. Washburn Hopkins suggested that the name refers not to three mothers, but to three mother-goddesses who are collectively called the Ambikās. Other related translations have been "having three wives or sisters" or were based on the idea that the name actually refers to the oblations given to Rudra, which according to some traditions were shared with the goddess Ambikā.
Blue throat:- The epithet Nīlakaṇtha (Sanskrit नीलकण्ठ; nīla = "blue", kaṇtha = "throat") refers to a story in which Shiva drank the poison churned up from the world ocean. (See Halāhala.) The Hari Vanśa Purana, on the other hand, attributes the colour of Shiva's throat to an episode in which Vishnu compels Shiva to fly after taking him by the throat and nearly strangling him.
Crescent moon:- Shiva bears on his head the crescent moon. The epithet Chandraśekhara (Sanskrit: चन्द्रशेखर "Having the moon as his crest" - chandra = "moon", śekhara = "crest, crown") refers to this feature. The placement of the moon on his head as a standard iconographic feature dates to the period when Rudra rose to prominence and became the major deity Rudra-Shiva. The origin of this linkage may be due to the identification of the moon with Soma, and there is a hymn in the Rig Veda where Soma and Rudra are jointly emplored, and in later literature, Soma and Rudra came to be identified with one another, as were Soma and the moon.
Matted hair:- Shiva's distinctive hair style is noted in the epithets Jaṭin, "the one with matted hair", and Kapardin, "endowed with matted hair" or "wearing his hair wound in a braid in a shell-like (kaparda) fashion". A kaparda is a cowrie shell, or a braid of hair in the form of a shell, or, more generally, hair that is shaggy or curly.
Shiva bearing the descent of the Ganges River as Parvati and Bhagiratha and the bull Nandi look, folio from a Hindi manuscript by the saint Narayan, circa 1740.
Sacred Ganga:- The Ganga river flows from the matted hair of Shiva. The epithet Gaṅgādhara ("bearer of the river Gaṅgā") refers to this feature. The Ganga (Ganges), one of the major rivers of the country, is said to have made her abode in Shiva's hair.
Ashes:- Shiva smears his body with ashes (bhasma). Some forms of Shiva, such as Bhairava, are associated with a very old Indian tradition of cremation-ground asceticism that was practiced by some groups who were outside the fold of brahmanic orthodoxy. These practices associated with cremation grounds are also mentioned in the Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism. One epithet for Shiva is "inhabitant of the cremation ground" (Sanskrit: śmaśānavāsin, also spelled Shmashanavasin), referring to this connection.
Tiger skin:- He is often shown seated upon a tiger skin, an honour reserved for the most accomplished of Hindu ascetics, the Brahmarishis.
Serpents:- Shiva is often shown garlanded with a snake.
Trident:- (Sanskrit: Trishula): Shiva's particular weapon is the trident.
Drum:- A small drum shaped like an hourglass is known as a damaru (Sanskrit: ḍamaru). This is one of the attributes of Shiva in his famous dancing representation known as Nataraja. A specific hand gesture (mudra) called ḍamaru-hasta (Sanskrit for "ḍamaru-hand") is used to hold the drum. This drum is particularly used as an emblem by members of the Kāpālika sect.
Nandī:- Nandī, also known as Nandin, is the name of the bull that serves as Shiva's mount (Sanskrit: vāhana). Shiva's association with cattle is reflected in his name Paśupati, or Pashupati (Sanskrit: पशुपति), translated by Sharma as "lord of cattle" and by Kramrisch as "lord of animals", who notes that it is particularly used as an epithet of Rudra.
Gaṇa:- The Gaṇas (Devanagari: गण) are attendants of Shiva and live in Kailash. They are often referred to as the Boothaganas, or ghostly hosts, on account of their nature. Generally benign, except when their lord is transgressed against, they are often invoked to intercede with the lord on behalf of the devotee. Ganesha was chosen as their leader by Shiva, hence Ganesha's title gaṇa-īśa or gaṇa-pati, "lord of the gaṇas".
Mount Kailāsa:- Mount Kailash in the Himalayas is his traditional abode. In Hindu mythology, Mount Kailāsa is conceived as resembling a Linga, representing the center of the universe.
Varanasi:- Varanasi (Benares) is considered as the city specially loved by Shiva, and is one of the holiest places of pilgrimage in India. It is referred to, in religious contexts, as Kashi.

Avatars:-

Shiva, like some other Hindu deities, is said to have several incarnations, known as avatars. Adi Shankara, the 8th-century philosopher of non-dualist Vedanta, was named "Shankara" after Lord Shiva and is considered to have been an incarnation of Shiva. In the Hanuman Chalisa, Hanuman is identified as the eleventh avatar of Shiva.

Temples:-

One hundred and eight Shiva lingas carved on the rock at the banks of River Tungabhadra, Hampi

In Shaivism, Shiva is the god of all and is described as worshipped by all, including Devas (gods) like Brahma and Indra, Asuras(demons) like Bana and Ravana, humans like Adi Shankara and Nayanars, and creatures as diverse as Jatayu, an eagle, and Vali, an ape. Deities, rishis (sages), and grahas (planets) worshipped Shiva and established Shivalingas in various places.

The holiest Shiva temples are the 12 Jyotirlinga temples. They are Somnath—Prabhas Patan, Nageshwar—Dwarka, Mahakaleshwar—Ujjain, Mallikārjuna—Srisailam, Bhimashankar, Omkareshwar, Kedarnath [Uttaranchal - Guptakashi], Kashi Vishwanath—Varanasi, Trimbakeshwar—near Nasik, Rameswaram—Rameswaram, Grishneshwar—near Ellora and Vaidyanath—Deoghar.

In South India, five temples of Shiva are held to be particularly important, as being manifestations of him in the five elemental substances:

Pancha Bhudha Sthalams:-

Thiruvanaikaval(Sri Jambhukeswar) - appu - water
Thiruvannamalai(Sri Arunachaleswar) - thEyu - fire
Thirukkalahasthi(Sri Kalahastheeswara Nathar) - vAyu - air
Kanchipuram(sri Ekampareswar) - pruthvi - land
Chithambaram(Sri Natarajar) - AkAsam - sky

Other notable temples in India include:-
Vemulawada in Karimnagar District of Andhra Pradesh
Kaleswaram in Karimnagar District of Andhra Pradesh
Draaksharamam in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh
Bhramaramba-Mallikarjuna Temple in Srisailam at Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh
Thayumanavar in Tiruchirappalli
Meenakshi Sundareswar in Madurai
Brihadeeswarar in Thanjavur
Nellaiappar in Aragalur(Tirunelveli) District of Tamilnadu
Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal and the pilgrimage site of Kailash Mansarovar are noteworthy. The world-famous Amarnath Yatra to the Amarnath ji Cave in Kashmir (India) is also significant.

Supreme God in Vaishnavite

noreply@blogger.com (Ajay Gupta) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Vishnu :-

Vishnu (IAST viṣṇu, Devanagari विष्णु), (honorific: Bhagavan Vishnu), is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God, and his supreme status is declared in the Hindu sacred texts like Yajurveda, the Rigveda and the Bhagavad Gita.The Vishnu Sahasranama declares Vishnu as Paramatma (supreme soul) and Parameshwara (supreme God). It describes Vishnu as the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of—and beyond—the past, present and future, the creator and destroyer of all existences, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within.

In the Puranas, Vishnu is described as having the divine color of clouds (dark-blue), four-armed, holding a lotus, mace, conch and chakra (wheel). Vishnu is also described in the Bhagavad Gita as having a 'Universal Form' (Vishvarupa) which is beyond the ordinary limits of human sense perception.

The Puranas also describe each of the Dasavatara of Vishnu. Among these ten principal avatars described, nine of them have occurred in the past and one will take place in the future, at the end of Kali Yuga. In the commentary of creator Brahma in Vishnu Sahasranamam, he refers to Vishnu as "Sahasrakoti Yuga Dharine", which means that these incarnations take place in all Yugas in cosmic scales. The Bhagavad Gita mentions their purpose as being to rejuvenate Dharma and vanquish negative forces as also to display His divine pastimes in front of the conditioned/fallen souls. In almost all Hindu denominations, Vishnu is either worshiped directly or in the form of his ten avatars, such as Rama and Krishna.

The Trimurti (English: ‘three forms’; Sanskrit: trimūrti) is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva the destroyer or transformer. These three deities have been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity". Of the three members of the Trimurti, the Bhagavata Purana explains that the greatest benefit can be had from Vishnu.

The Ten Avatars of Vishnu

There are ten avatars of Vishnu (dashavatara) commonly considered as the most prominent.

1. Matsya :-

Matsya (Sanskrit: मत्स्य) (Fish in Sanskrit) was the first Avatar of Vishnu in Hindu mythology.

According to the Matsya Purana, the king of pre-ancient Dravida and a devotee of Lord Vishnu, Satyavrata who later becomes known as Manu was washing his hands in a river when a little fish swam into his hands and pleaded with him to save its life. He put it in a jar, which it soon outgrew. He then moved it to a tank, a river and then finally the ocean but to no avail. The fish then revealed himself to be Lord Vishnu and told him that a deluge would occur within seven days that would destroy all life. Therefore, Satyavrata was instructed to take "all medicinal herbs, all the varieties of seeds, and accompanied by the seven saints” along with the serpent Vasuki and other animals. The deluge occurred and the lord reappeared as promised and advised Sathyavrata to board the boat and fasten the serpent Vasuki to his horn as a rope to the boat. Matsya is generally represented as a four-armed figure with the upper torso of a man and the lower of a fish.

2. Kurma :-

In Hinduism, Kurma (Sanskrit: कुर्म) was the second avatar of Vishnu. Like the Matsya Avatara also belongs to the Satya yuga.

The Devas lost their strength and prowess due to a curse by the sage Durvasa because Indra, the king of the Devas, had insulted the sage’s gift (a garland) by giving it to his elephant which trampled upon it. Thus, after losing their immortality and kingdom, they approached Lord Vishnu for help.

Vishnu suggested that they needed to drink the nectar of immortality to regain their lost glory. However, they needed to strive hard to acquire the nectar since it was hidden in the ocean of milk. After declaring a truce with their foes (Asuras), Indra and his Devas together with the Asuras, use the serpent Vasuki as a churning rope and the mount Mandara as the churning staff.

When they began churning, the mount began sinking into the ocean. Taking the form of a tortoise (Kurma), Vishnu bears the entire weight of the mountain and the churning continues and various objects are thrown out including the deadly poison Halahala, whose fumes threaten to destroy the Devas and the Asuras. Lord Shiva then comes to their rescue and gathers the entire poison in his palm and drinks it. His consort, Parvathi, clasps his throat and the poison remains there. Hence he became known as “Neelakanta” (literally: “the blue-throated one).

“Fourteen precious things” come out of the ocean, culminating with Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, appearing with the nectar of immortality. The Asuras immediately rush and grab the nectar while quarreling among themselves.

Vishnu again comes to the rescue in the form of a beautiful damsel, Mohini and tricks the Asuras and retrieves the potion which is distributed to the Devas. Though the Asuras realize Vishnu’s tricks, it is too late, as the Devas regain their renowned prowess and defeat them.

3. Varaha:-

Varaha (Sanskrit: वाराह) is the third Avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, in the form of a Boar. He appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had taken the Earth (Prithvi) and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed to have lasted for a thousand years, which the former finally won. Varaha carried the Earth out of the ocean between his tusks and restored it to its place in the universe. Vishnu married Prithvi (Bhudevi) in this avatar. Varaha is depicted in art as either purely animal or as being anthropomorphic, having a boar's head on a man's body. In the latter form he has four arms, two of which hold the wheel and conch-shell while the other two hold a mace, sword or lotus or make a gesture (or "mudra") of blessing. The Earth is held between the boar's tusks.

The avatar symbolizes the resurrection of the Earth from a pralaya (deluge) and the establishment of a new kalpa (cosmic cycle).

The Varaha Purana is a Purana in which the form of narration is a recitation by Varaha.

Temples dedicated to Varaha :-

Sri Varaham - in Trivandrum, near South Fort.

Srimushnam - This temple in Tamil Nadu named is considered a Swayambhu Murthi, as are Tirupati and Badrinath.

Varah shyam temple - This temple is located in BHINMAL city in Jalore District. Here is present a large idol of God VARAHA. It is an ancient temple and is situated in the middle of the city.

Varaha temple - This temple is in Varaha Village in Jind District, Haryana. Here is a Swayambhu Murthi of God VARAHA.

Thiruvidandai - In this temple near Chennai Varaha is also called Nityakalyana Perumal. It is famous for marriages and is one of the Divya desam.

Simhachalam - The famous Varaha LakshmiNarasimha swamy temple, one of the most prominent in Andhra Pradesh.

Tirupati - Sri VarahaMurthy Temple at Tirumala - TirupatiTirupati is considered to be a very ancient temple. Pilgrims should first worship Lord Varaha and then Lord Venkateswara. It is also known as Aadhi Varaha Kshetra.

ThirukKalvanoor - Aadi Varaha Perumal in Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram.

[Thiruvalavendhai / Valavendhai Piraan / Gnaanapiraan] - Thirukkadalmallai (Mammallapuram) - Aadi Varaha Perumal holding Akhilavalli Thaayaar (Bhudevi) on His right. The only Varaha temple where Perumal holds Thaayaar on His right.

Sukarkshetra Temple - This temple is situated on the bank of Sarayu river in Paska village of Paraspur circle in Gonda district of eastern Uttar Pradesh (India).

YagnaVaraha - This temple is located in Karimnagar District, AndhraPradesh. The rituals are done according to Vaikhanasa Agama.

4. Narasimha :-

Narasimha (the Man-Lion (Nara = man, simha = lion),IAST Narasiṃha, Sanskrit नरसिंह), also spelt as Narasingh and Narasinga, is an avatara of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism, and one of Hinduism's most popular deities, as evidenced in early epics, iconography, and temple and festival worship for over a millennium. He is often visualized as one who takes the form of half-man/half-lion, having a human-like torso and a lower body, but with a lion-like face and claws. This image is widely worshiped in deity form by a significant number of Vaishnava groups (especially in Southern India). He is known primarily as the 'Great Protector' who specifically defends and protects his devotees at the times of need.

References from Vedas :-

One phrase of the Rig Veda appears to indicate an epithet that can be rightly attributed to the form of Vishnu as Narasimha it clearly calls the qualities of Vishnu that are seen only in this avatara as "like some wild beast, dread, prowling, mountain-roaming" (RV.I 154.2a). There is a reference or an allusion to knowledge of Namuci story in RV.VIII 14.13: "With waters' foam you tore off, Indra, the head of Namuci, subduing all contending hosts." This short reference is believed to have culminated in the full puranic story of this highly popular Narasimha form.

Symbolism :-

Narasimha indicates God's omnipresence and the lesson is that God is everywhere. For more information, see Vaishnava Theology.

Prahlada's devotion indicates that pure devotion is not one of birthright but of character. Prahlada, although born an asura, demonstrated greatest bhakti to God.

Significance :-

Killing Hiranykashyapu by incarnating as Narasimha is one of Vishnu's major exploits. In South Indian art - sculptures, bronzes and paintings, Vishnu's incarnation as Narasimha is one of the most chosen themes and amongst Avatars perhaps next only to Rama and Krishna in popularity.

Mode of worship :-

Due to the nature of Narasimha's form (divine anger), it is essential that worship be given with a very high level of attention compared to other deities. In many temples only life-long celibates (brahmacarya) will be able to have the chance to serve as priests to perform the daily puja. Forms where Narasimha appears sitting in a yogic posture, or with the goddess Lakshmi are the exception to this rule, as Narasimha is taken as being more relaxed in both of these instances compared to his form when first emerging from the pillar to protect Prahlada.

Temples dedicated to Narasimha :-

Ahobilam or Ahobalam is a major center of pilgrimage in South India, located in the Nandyal Taluka of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, India. According to local legend, this is where Lord Narasimha blessed Prahlada and killed the demon Hiranyakashipa. It is an important place of worship for Vaishnavas and is one of the 108 Divya Desams.

There are nine main Narasimha deities, collectively known as Navanarasimha:

Ugra Narasimha
Krodha Narasimha
Malola Narasimha
Jwala Narasimha
Varaha Narasimha
Bhargava Narasimha
Karanja Narasimha
Yoga Narasimha
Lakshmi Narasimha
Chhatravata Narasimha/Pavana Narasimha/Pamuleti Narasimha

There is also a further deity at the village of Saligrama near Hassan in Karnataka.

Yoga Narasimha Swamy, in Dharmapuri, Karimnagar District, Andhra Pradesh. It is said that at Dharmapuri, Narasimha Deva meditated in Yogamudra, after his Ugrarupa.
Kadiri Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Kadiri, Anantapur Dist, Andhra Pradesh.
Parthasarathy Kovil Azhagiya Singar at Tiruvellikeni, Chennai.
Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple - Lord NarasimhaMurthy is one of the main deities in the Temple.
Sri Yoga Narasimha, situated on a hilltop fortress at Melkote, Mysore District, Karnataka (Kannada for Mele-top, Kote-fort). The Fort, situated on a near vertical hill is a strategic area, overlooking the plains. Melkote is also the site of the famous Cheluvanarayana Temple and the Annual Vairamudi festival, where the deity is adorned with a crown of dazzling uncut diamonds.
Shri Yogananda Narasimha Swamy, Vedadri, near to Vijayawada
Shri Panakala Narasimha Swamy, Managalgiri, Near Vijayawada
Shri Shobhanaachala Vyaghra Narasimha Swamy, Aagiripalli, Near Vijayawada
Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, Antarvedi, West Godavari District, AP
Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, Yadagiri Gutta, Nalgonda District, AP
Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, Mallooru, Warangal District (~70KM from Bhadrachalam), AP
Sri Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, Mattapalli(confluence of Krishna and Musi),(15km from)Huzurnagar taluq, Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh (Bus reach from Miryalaguda/Kodada)
Shri Shodasha Bahu Narasimha Swamy, Karpara Kshetra (Koppara village), Raichur Dt., KA
Shri Lord Lakshmi-Narasimha Swamy temple, Korukonda, near to Rajahmundry
Shri Narasimha temple, Malakonda, Prakasham District, AP
Shri Prasanna Narasimha Swamy temple, Singarakonda, Prakasham district, AP
Shri Narasimha Swamy Temple, Khammam, Khammam District, AP. The etymology of Khammam is said to be derived from the deity of the temple.
Shri Narasimha temple, Parikkal, Tamil Nadu
Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple Sholinghur, Tamil Nadu. More information on Sholinghur temple.
Narsinghji Temple at Gudha , Rajasthan
Sri Yoganarasimha devalaya, Mysore-Karnataka
Sri Yoga Narasimha Kovil at Chintalavadi, Tamil Nadu
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy,Malleswaram, Bangalore.
Sri Laxmi Narasimha Temple, 1420 Sadashiv Peth, Pune, India
Sri Kaattu Azhagiya Singar, Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli
Shri Laxmi Narsimha Temple in Ranjani, Tal Ambegaon, District Pune Near Manchar
Shri Laxmi Narsimha Temple in Veling (Mhardol), Tal Ponda, Goa
Sri Narasimha Swamy Temple,Hatyal, C N Halli (Tq) Tumkur(dist), Karnataka
Sri Edappurathu Lakshmi Narasimha Moorthi Temple,Puthuruthy,Kerala-680623,India.

This temple is one the famous Narasimha moorthi Temples in kerala

Shri Narsingh Mandir, Hasampur,Between Kotputli & neem ka thana,Rajasthan
Shri Ugra Narasimha Swamy Devasthana at Maddur,Karnataka
Shri Guru Narasimha Swamy Devasthana at Saligrama, Udupi dist, Karnataka
Shri Kambada Narasimha Swamy Devasthana at Sondalagere, kunigal TQ, Tumkur dist, Karnataka
Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthana at Srirangapatna, Mandya dist, Karnataka.

5. Vamana :-

Vamana (Devanagari: वामन, IAST: Vāmana) is a personality described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the Fifth Avatara of Vishnu, and the first incarnation of the Second Age, or Treta yuga. Also he is the first Avatar of Vishnu which appears with a completely human form, though it was that of a dwarf brahmin. He is also sometimes known as Upendra.

Origin :-

Vamana was born to Aditi and Kashyapa . He is the twelfth of the Adityas. Vamana is known to be the younger brother of Indra.

The legend of Bhagavata has it that the Vamana avatar was taken by Vishnu to restore Indra's authority over the heavens, which was taken away by force by the demon king Bali in Dravida. Vamana in the disguise of a short Brahmin, carrying a wooden umbrella requested three steps of land for him to live in. Given a promise of three steps of Land by King Mahabali against the warning given by his Guru Sukracharya, Vamana, The Supreme God grows so huge that he could cover from heaven to earth, earth to lower worlds in two simple steps. King Mahabali unable to fulfil the promise of three paces of Land to the Supreme God, offers his head for the third step. Thus Vamana places his third step on King Mahabali's head and gives him immortality for his benevolence.

Symbolism :-

Vamana taught King Mahabali that arrogance and pride should be abandoned if any advancement in life is to be made, and that wealth should never be taken for granted since it can so easily be taken away. Vamana then took on the form of Mahavishnu. He was pleased by King Mahabali's determination and ability to keep his promise in the face of his spiritual master's curse and the prospect of losing all his wealth. Vishnu named the King Mahabali since he was a Mahatma (great soul). He allowed Mahabali to return to the spiritual sky to associate with Prahalada (the demoniac Hiranyakashipu's pious son, also a descendant of the demon race) and other divine beings. Mahavishnu also declared that Mahabali would be able to rule the universe in the following yuga (age). Mahabali was the grandson of Prahlada being the son of Prahlada's son Virochana who was killed in a battle with the Devas.

Mahabali is supposed to return every year to the land of his people, to ensure that they are prosperous. This is celebrated as the Onam festival in Kerala, where he is also called Maveli (which is a contraction of Mahabali - the Great Bali).

Temples :-

One of the Vamana temples is located in Thrikakkara (Thrikkakara Temple), Cochin, Kerala. There is also a Vamana temple in Kanchipuram near the Kamakshi temple. There is a Vamana temple at Khajuraho too.

6. Parashurama :-

Parashurama (Sanskrit: परशुराम) (also known as Parasurama, Bhrigupati, Bhargava, Bhargava Rama), a Brahmin, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, belongs to the Treta yuga, and is the son of Jamadagni and Renuka. Parashu means axe, hence his name literally means Rama-of-the-axe. He received an axe after undertaking a terrible penance to please Shiva, from whom he learned the methods of warfare and other skills. He fought the advancing ocean back thus saving the lands of Konkan and Malabar (Maharashtra - Karnataka - Kerala coastline). The coastal area of Kerala state along with the Konkan region, i.e., coastal Maharashtra and Karnataka, is also sometimes called Parashurama Kshetra (Parashurama's area). Some say it extends all the way to Mumbai in Maharashtra. Parashurama is said to be a "Brahma-Kshatriya" (of the duty between a Brahmana and a Kshatriya), the first warrior saint. His mother is descended from the Kshatriya Suryavanshi clan that ruled Ayodhya and Lord Rama also belonged to.

Parashurama :-

Parashurama has been mentioned in several scriptures - Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata and Kalki Puranas. He is famous for killing the Haihaya-Kshatriyas on the earth 21 times for their Ahankara (pride and arrogance). He wanted to spread and preserve the Vedic culture on Earth. Major parts of India and Indian villages have been said to be built by him. He was the most obedient descendants of the Bhargava gotra, who always followed the teachings and orders of his Gurus and parents. He respected the elders (jeshtas) and never insulted them. His Bhaava(emotion) was to keep this jeev shrishti(earth) alive with its beauty of nature. He wanted this earth to stay alive for Jeev shrishti like Birds, animals, Trees, Fruits & whole of Nature. He explained that Dharma of Raja was to spread Vedic life & not empowering its praja through kingdom. He was born a Brahmin but is Kshatriya by Karma, or deeds. He is also known as Bhargava.

It is also learned that Parashurama had learned most of the vidyas in his balyaavastha (the education given to children under 8 years or age) with his mothers teachings. He understood and spoke to the animals. Even the wildest of all animals became his friends after he touched them.

He always taught the military arts only to Brahmins. However, there were exceptions such as Bhishma and Karna.

His well known students were :-

Bhishma
Drona, the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas, father of Ashwathama
Karna: Karna did not know that he was kshatriya from birth, he thought of himself as shudra but his ability could not be hidden so when Parashurama knew he got angry and cursed Karna that he will forget all his learning when he needed it. Thus, when Karna and Arjuna square off on Kurukushetra, Karna loses his life to Arjuna simply because he could not remember the vital mantra to invoke Brahmastra.

Shri Parashurama had been blessed by the teachings of Gurus & Gurumata like :-

Maharshi Jamadagni (his father)
Jagatmata Renuka devi (his mother)
Maharshi Kashyapa
Gurumata Aditi
Brahmasrhi Vishwamitra
Maharshi Rutvij
Maharshi Atri
Gurumata Anasuya
Brahmarshi Vasishtha

The Sixth Avatara :-

The purpose of the sixth incarnation of Vishnu is considered by religious scholars to be to relieve the Earth's burden by exterminating the sinful, destructive and irreligious monarchs that pillaged its resources, and neglected their duties as kings.

Parashurama is of a martial Shraman ascetic. However, unlike all other avatars, Parashurama still lives on earth, even today. Secondly, he is an Avesha Avatara, a secondary type of Avatara. In such an Avatara, Vishnu does not directly descend as do Rama or Krishna but instead enters the soul of a man with His form. Accordingly, unlike Rama and Krishna, Parashurama is not worshipped. But in South India, at the holy place Pajaka, there exists one major temple commemorating Parashurama.

Parshurama, the creator of the Konkan coast, is also worshipped in a temple at Lote Parshurama in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district.The people of the Konkan call their land 'Parshurama Bhoomi' or the land of Parashurama in accordance with the legend that the sage reclaimed the land from the sea.

There are several Parashurama temples throughout the western coast of India as well as North India, but especially more in the costal areas from Bharuch(ancient name of Bharuch is Bhrugu Kutchchh) in the west Indian state of Gujarat right up to Kerala, the southern tip of India. One can see a Parashurama Temple with a Agni Mandir in Shivpuri - Akkalkot, Khopoli in Maharashtra and Fort Songadh in Gujarat.

A temple of Parashurama is also situated at Akhnoor, 18 km away from Jammu city, J&K. Every year, in the month of May, an enormous fete in the form of a parade, referred as Parshuram Jayanti, with hundreds of tableaux, thronged through the main city of Jammu. Local community leaders and followers arrange for the celebrations and it is celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Kalki Purana :-

The Kalki Purana states Parashurama will be the martial guru of Sri Kalki, the 10th and final avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is he who instructs Kalki to perform a long penance to Shiva to receive celestial weaponry.

Parashurama and Deities' Temples :-

In the Kanyakumari Temple in Kanyakumari town, Parashurama installed the Idol made of blue stone. Parashurama installed the idol of Dharma Sastha (Ayyappa) on the peak on the Sabarimala Hill in the forest. Parashurama trained Ayyappa just as Parashurama had trained Karna in the Mahabharata and is believed will train the future Kalki.

He created a temple of worship right after he resurfaced Kerala from the sea. He placed statues of various deities in 108 different places and introduced martial arts ("Kalari Payattu") to protect the temple from the evils.

Also, while the other pilgrimages created by Parashurama are devoted to Lord Shiva, Lord Subramanya and Lord Ganesha, Kollur is the only one devoted to goddess Parvati.

There are "Seven Mukti Stalas" of Karnataka, which were created by Parashurama and some of the above such as Kollur belong to them.

Multiple Parashuramas :-

There are clues in the Sanskrit literature, for speculating that there were many people in the past with the name of Parashurama. Parashurama, in Indian mythology is depicted as immortal. The epic Ramayana mentions about a Parashurama who encountered Ramachandra or Raghava Rama of Kosala. In Mahabharata we finds mention of Parashurama fighting with Bhishma; teaching military science to Drona as well as Karna. In Bhagavata Purana we find Parashurama encountering Krishna and Balarama. All these figures could be different personalities but having common traits. All of them could be members of the Bhrigu family ie. Bhargavas, and proficient in the use of the battle-axe.

Many ancient figures like Vyasa, Vasistha, Gautama, Narada etc. have this phenomenon of fusion of many people of the same name or family name, combining together into one personality, like a distant star in the sky which in actuality happens to be a collection of two, five or hundreds of stars.

7. Rama :-

Rama (IAST: rāma, Devanāgarī: राम, Thai: พระราม, Burmese: Yama, Tagalog: Rajah Bantugan) or Ramachandra was a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India. In Hinduism, he is the tenth avatar of Vishnu and a lila-avatara as described in the Bhagavata Purana. A significant section of Hindus do not doubt his historicity, and consider him an actual king who ruled over a large part of what is now India from his capital Ayodhya.

Rama is one of the many popular figures and deities in Hinduism, specifically Vaishnavism and Vaishnava religious scriptures in South and Southeast Asia. The majority of details concerning Rama come from the Ramayana, one of the two great epics of India. Born as the eldest son of Kaushalya and Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya, Rama is referred to within Hinduism as Maryada Purushottama, literally the Perfect Man or Lord of Restrictions. Rama is the husband of Sita, who Hindus consider to be an Avatar of Lakshmi and the embodiment of perfect womanhood.

Rama's life and journey is one of perfect adherence to dharma despite harsh tests of life and time. He is pictured as the ideal man and the perfect human. For the sake of his father's honour, Rama abandons his claim to Kosaulya's throne to serve an exile of fourteen years in the forest. His wife, Sita and brother, Lakshmana being unable to live without Rama decide to join him, and all three spend the fourteen years in exile together. This leads to the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the Rakshasa (Asura) monarch of Lanka. After a long and arduous search that tests his personal strength and virtue, Rama fights a colossal war against Ravana's armies. In a war of powerful and magical beings, greatly destructive weaponry and battles, Rama slays Ravana in battle and liberates his wife. Having completed his exile, Rama returns to be crowned King in Ayodhya (the capital of his Kingdom) and eventually becomes Emperor of the World, after which he reigns for eleven thousand years – an era of perfect happiness, peace, prosperity and justice known as Rama Rajya.

Rama's courage in searching for Sita and fighting a terrible war to rescue his wife and their honour is complemented by Sita's absolute devotion to her husband's love, and perfect chastity despite being Ravana's captive. Rama's younger brothers, namely Lakshmana, Shatrughna and Bharata strongly complement his piety, virtue and strength, and they are believed by many to belong to the Maryada Purushottama and the Seventh Avatara, mainly embodied by Rama. Rama's piety and virtue attract powerful and devoted allies such as Hanuman and the Vanaras of Kishkindha, with whose help he rescues Sita. The legend of Rama is deeply influential and popular in the societies of the Indian subcontinent and across South East Asia. Rama is revered for his unending compassion, courage and devotion to religious values and duty.

Etymology :-

Rāmá in the Rigveda and the Atharvaveda is an adjective meaning "dark, black", or a noun meaning "darkness", e.g. RV 10.3.3 (trans. Griffith):

10.3.3cd Agni, far-spreading with conspicuous lustre, hath compassed Night [Rama] with whitely shining garments.

As a personal name it appears in RV 10.93.14:

10.93.14ab This to Duhsima Prthavana have I sung, to Vena, Rama, to the nobles [Asuras], and the King.

The feminine form of the adjective, rāmīˊ is an epitheton of the night (Ratri), as is kṛṣṇīˊ, the feminine of kṛṣṇa, viz. "the dark one; the black one". Mayrhofer (1996) suggests a derivation from PIE (H)reh₁-mo-, cognate to OHG rāmac "dirty".

Two Ramas are mentioned in the Vedas, with the patronymics Mārgaveya and Aupatasvini; another Rama with the patronymic Jāmadagnya is the supposed author of a Rigvedic hymn. According to Monier-Williams, three Ramas were celebrated in post-Vedic times,

Rāma-chandra ("Rama-moon"), son of Dasaratha, believed to have descended from Raghu^{[citation needed]}. (The Rama of this article).
Parashu-rāma ("Rama of the Battle-axe"), the Sixth Avatara of Vishnu, sometimes also referred to as Jāmadagnya, or as Bhārgava Rāma (descended from Bhrigu), a "Chiranjeevi" or Immortal.
Bala-rāma ("the strong Rama"), also called Halāyudha (Wielder of the Plough in Battle), the older brother and close companion of Krishna, the Eighth Avatara of Vishnu.

In the Vishnu sahasranama, Rama is the 394th name of Vishnu. In the interpretation of Adi Sankara's commentary, translated by Swami Tapasyananda of the Ramakrishna Mission, Rama has two meanings: the supreme Brahman who is the eternally blissful spiritual Self in whom yogis delight or the One (i.e., Vishnu) who out of his own will assumed the enchanting form of Rama, the son of Dasaratha.

Avatara :-

The Ramayana speaks of how the Goddess Earth, Bhumidevi, came to the Lord Creator, Brahma begging to be rescued from evil kings who were plundering her resources and destroying life through bloody wars and evil conduct. The Devas also came to Brahma fearful of the rule of Ravana, the ten-headed rakshasa emperor of Lanka. Ravana had overpowered the Devas and now ruled the heavens, the earth and the netherworlds. Although a powerful and noble monarch, he was also arrogant, destructive and a patron of evil doers. He had boons that gave him immense strength and was invulnerable to all living and celestial beings, except man and animals.

Brahma, Bhumidevi and the Devas worshipped Vishnu, the Preserver, for deliverance from Ravana's tyrannical rule. Vishnu promised to kill Ravana by incarnating as a man – the eldest son of Kosala's king Dasaratha. His eternal consort, Lakshmi took birth as Sita and was found by king Janaka of Mithila while he was ploughing a field. Vishnu's eternal companion, the Ananta Sesha is said to have incarnated as Lakshmana to stay at his Lord's side on earth. Throughout his life, no one, except himself and a few select sages (among which are included Vasishta, Sharabhanga, Agastya and Vishwamitra) know of his destiny. Rama is continually revered by the many sages he encounters through his life, but only the most learned and exalted know of his true identity. At the end of the war between Rama and Ravana, just as Sita passes her Agni pariskha, Lord Brahma, Indra and the Devas, the celestial sages and Lord Shiva appear out of the sky. They affirm Sita's purity and ask him to end this terrible test. Thanking the Avatara for delivering the universe from the grips of evil, they reveal Rama's divine identity upon the culmination of his mission.

Dharma of exile :-

King Dasaratha announces to Ayodhya that he plans to crown Rama, his eldest child the Yuvaraja (crown prince). While the news is welcomed by everyone in the kingdom, the mind of queen Kaikeyi is poisoned by her wicked maid-servant, Manthara. Kaikeyi, who is initially pleased for Rama, is made to fear for the safety and future of her son Bharata. Fearing that Rama would ignore or possibly victimize his youngest brother for the sake of power, Kaikeyi demands that Dasaratha banish Rama to a forest exile for fourteen years, and that Bharata be crowned in Rama's place. She had been granted two boons by the king when she had saved his life a long time ago, and the queen now used them to serve her purpose. The king's court and the people are outraged at this turn of events. Dasaratha loved and cherished Rama dearly, and was in personal turmoil. Completely estranged now from his younger wife, he abhors the prospect of separation from Rama. But Rama realizes that the king must not break a solemn promise at any time, and neither should a son disobey his father's command. Sita joins her husband in exile despite his discouraging her, as it is her duty and out of love for Rama that she must be at his side at all times. His younger brother Lakshmana also immediately decides to join Rama rather than remain in the city.

As he leaves for exile, the people of Ayodhya are deeply saddened and angered at Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha's heart is broken and he collapses and dies by the next day, unable to bear the agony of separation from Rama. Despite the reasoning of Vasishtha and the pleas of his brothers, Rama refuses to return. Although horrified at the news of his father's death, Rama finds it impossible that he should break his dead father's word. Rama does not bear any anger towards Kaikeyi, believing firmly in the power of destiny. According to the explanation of the classic, this exile actually presents Rama the opportunity to confront Ravana and his evil empire.

Maryada Purushottama :-

As a person, Rama personifies the characteristics of an ideal person (purushottama) who is to be emulated. He had within him all the desirable virtues that any individual would seek to aspire, and he fulfils all his moral obligations (maryada). Rama's purity and piety in his intentions and actions inspires affection and devotion for him from a variety of characters from different backgrounds. For example, he gave up his rightful claim to the throne, and agreed to go into exile for fourteen years, to fulfill the vow that his father had given to Kaikeyi, one of King Dashratha's wives. This is in spite of the fact that Kaikeyi's son, Bharat, begged him to return back to Ayodhya and said that he did not want to rule in place of Rama. But Rama considered his dharma as a son above that of his own birthright and his life's ambition. For such supreme sacrifices, and many other qualities, Shri Rama is considered a maryada purushottam. Some of his ideals are as follows:

1. At the time when it was normal for kings to have more than one wife, Rama gave ideal of having a single wife. After Sita was banished, he was doing penance with a gold statue of Sita. In Balakanda of Valmiki Ramayana it is written that Rama and Sita resided in each others heart.

2. Rama always followed his promise at any cost. In fact, he went to forest to make his father's promise to Kaikeyi true. There are many examples of Rama's promises which he kept. Most important are the promise to sages to save their lives from Rakshasas, getting back Sugreeva's kingdom, making Vibhishana the king of Lanka.

3. Excellent friend: Rama had very touching relations with his friends irrespective of their status. Some of his friends are Nishad-raj Guh, King of Nishaads (a caste whose profession was hunting the birds), Sugreeva (the Vanar king) and Vibhishana a Rakshasa.

Rama Rajya :-

The end of the war coincides with the end of Rama's tenure of exile. Flying home on the Pushpaka Vimana, Rama returns to a joyous Ayodhya. His mothers, brothers and the people joyously welcome him. Kaikeyi is repentant of her deeds, and Rama forgives her. The next day, Rama is invested as the King of Ayodhya, and Emperor of the World. Although he first asks Lakshmana to become the yuvaraja, upon the advice of Lakshmana he invests the position to Bharata, who has had fourteen years of experience as the ruler of Ayodhya. Rama performs the holy Ashwamedha sacrifice, purifying and establishing religion across earth.

Beyond the Ramayana, the eleven thousand years of Rama's rule over the earth represent to millions of modern Indians a time and age when God as a man ruled the world. There was perfect justice and freedom, peace and prosperity. There are no natural disasters, diseases, ailments or ill-fortune of any nature for any living being. There are no sins committed in the world by any of his people. Always attentive and accessible to his people, Rama is worshipped and hailed by all – the very symbol of moksha, the ultimate goal and destination of all life, and the best example of perfect character and human conduct, inspiring human beings for countless succeeding ages.

Rama like other Indian kings went undercover every night to hear the pleas of his subjects and have a common man's perspective of his rule. During Rama's tenure as King, the people apparently had no locks on their doors as they feared no burglaries or other such misfortunes.

International Influence :-

Be it as a manifestation of God or simply as a legendary hero of myths and folktales, Rama is an immensely revered and inspirational figure to people across the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia, as well as increasingly across Western civilization, where the Hindu epics and values are gaining recognition and popularity. In Jainism, Rama is enumerated among the nine white Balas.

Rama is a great hero to the adherents of Agama Hindu Dharma and to the Muslims who practice Abangan, a syncretic form of Islam and Hinduism, in Indonesia. He is revered by the people throughout Indochina who otherwise adhere to different forms of Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. His regal bearing and fighting prowess is emulated in various Indian martial arts which in turn influenced various Southeast Asian fighting systems such as Muay Thai and silat. The Rama Leela is performed across South East Asia in numerous local languages and the story has been the subject of art, architecture, music, folk dance and sculpture. The ancient city of Ayutthaya stands in Thailand, as the tribute of an ancient Thai kingdom to the great legend. Many ancient and medieval era kings of South East Asia have adopted Rama as their name.

A Buddhist version of the tale is found in the Jataka stories, in the Dasharatha Jataka (Jataka Atthakatha 461) in the Pali vernacular. Here Rama is represented as a former life of the Buddha as a Bodhisatva and supreme Dharma King of great wisdom. In the Buddhist tale, he is the king of Varanasi and not Ayodhya, which is traditionally the capital of Kosala.

Festivals :-

Rama's day and time of birth, as well as marriage to Sita are celebrated by Hindus across the world as Rama Navami. It falls on the ninth day of a Hindu lunar year, or Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami. This day is observed as the marriage day of Rama and Sita as well as the birthday of Rama. People normally perform Kalyanotsavam (marriage celebration) for small statues of Rama and Sita in their houses and at the end of the day the idols are taken in a procession on the streets. This day also marks the end of nine day utsavam called Vasanthothsavam (Festival of Spring), that starts with Ugadi. Some highlights of this day are:

Kalyanam (Ceremonial wedding performed by temple priests) at Bhadrachalam on the banks of the river Godavari in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh.
Panakam, a sweet drink prepared on this day with jaggery and pepper.
Procession of idols in the evening that is accompanied with play of water and colours.
For the occasion, Hindus are supposed to fast (or restrict themselves to a specific diet).
Temples are decorated and readings of the Ramayana take place. Along with Rama, people also pray to Sita, Lakshmana and Hanumana.

The occasion of victory over Ravana and the rakshasas is celebrated as the 10-day Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra. The Ram Leela is publicly performed in many villages, towns and cities in India. Rama's return to Ayodhya and his coronation are celebrated as Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights. The latter two are the most important and popular festivals in India and for Hindus across the world. In Malaysia, Diwali is known as Hari Deepavali, and is celebrated during the seventh month of the Hindu solar calendar. It is a federal public holiday. In many respects it resembles the traditions followed in the Indian subcontinent. In Nepal, Diwali is known as Tihar and celebrated during the October/November period. Here, though the festival is celebrated for five days, the traditions vary from those followed in India. On the first day, cows are worshipped and given offerings. On the second day, dogs are revered and offered special food. On the third day, celebrations follow the same pattern as in India, with lights and lamps and much social activity. On the fourth day Yama, the Lord of Death, is worshipped and appeased. On the fifth and final day, brothers sisters meet and exchange pleasantries. In Trinidad and Tobago, Diwali is marked as a special occasion and celebrated with a lot of fanfare. It is observed as a national holiday in this part of the world and some ministers of the Government also take part in the celebrations publicly.

8. Krishna :-

Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, kṛṣṇa in IAST, pronounced [ˈkr̩ʂɳə] in classical Sanskrit) is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being.

Krishna is often depicted as an infant, as a young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita. The stories of Krishna appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions. They portray him in various roles: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero and the Supreme Being. The principal scriptures discussing Krishna's legends are the Mahābhārata, the Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana.

The various groups dedicated to different manifestations of Krishna such as Vasudeva, Bala Krishna and Gopala, existed as early as 4th century BCE. The Krishna-Bhakti Movement spread to southern India by the 9th century CE, while in northern India Krishnaism schools were well established by 11th century CE. From the 10th century CE, with the growing Bhakti movement, Krishna became a favourite subject of performing arts. The regional forms of Krishna such as Jaganatha of Orissa, Vithoba of Maharashtra and Shrinathji in Rajasthan were developed. Since 1966, the Krishna-bhakti movement spread in the West, with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Devotion to Krishna is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, Bahá'ís and beyond India.

Etymology and names :-

The Sanskrit word kṛṣṇa has the literal meaning of "black", "dark" or "dark-blue" and is used as a name to describe someone with dark skin. Krishna is often depicted in murtis (images) as black, and is generally shown in paintings with a blue skin.

Some Hindu traditions often ascribe varying interpretations and powers to the names. The Mahabharata's Udyoga-parva (Mbh 5.71.4) divides kṛṣṇa into elements kṛṣ and ṇa, kṛṣ (a verbal root meaning "to plough, drag") being taken as expressing bhū "being; earth" and ṇa being taken as expressing nirvṛti "bliss". In the Brahmasambandha mantra of the Vallabha sampradaya, the syllables of the name Krishna are assigned the power to destroy sin relating to material, self and divine causes. Mahabharata verse 5.71.4 is also quoted in Chaitanya Charitamrita and Prabhupada in his commentary, translates the bhū as "attractive existence", thus Krishna is also interpreted as meaning "all-attractive one". This quality of Krishna is stated in the atmarama verse of Bhagavatam 1.7.10.

The name Krishna is also the 57th name in the Vishnu Sahasranama and means the Existence of Bliss, according to Adi Sankara's interpretation. Krishna is also known by various other names, epithets and titles, which reflect his many associations and attributes. Among the most common names are Govinda, "finder of cows", or Gopala, "protector of cows", which refer to Krishna's childhood in Vraja. Some of the distinct names may be regionally important; for instance, Jagannatha (literally "Lord of the Universe") in eastern India.

Literary sources :-

The earliest text to explicitly provide detailed descriptions of Krishna as a personality is the epic Mahābhārata which depicts Krishna as an incarnation of Vishnu. Krishna is central to many of the main stories of the epic. The eighteen chapters of the sixth book (Bhishma Parva) of the epic that constitute the Bhagavad Gita contain the advice of Krishna to the warrior-hero Arjuna, on the battlefield. Krishna is already an adult in the epic, although there are allusions to his earlier exploits. The Harivamsa, a later appendix to this epic, contains the earliest detailed version of Krishna's childhood and youth.

Many Puranas tells Krishna's life-story or some highlights from it. Two Puranas, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana, that contain the most elaborate telling of Krishna’s story and teachings are the most theologically venerated by the Gaudiya Vaishnava schools. Roughly one quarter of the Bhagavata Purana is spent extolling his life and philosophy.

Yāska's Nirukta, an etymological dictionary around the 5th century BCE, contains a reference to the Shyamantaka jewel in the possession of Akrura, a motif from well known Puranic story about Krishna.Satha-patha-brahmana and Aitareya-Aranyaka, associate Krishna with his Vrishni origins. early texts, such as Rig Veda, there are no obvious references to Krishna, however some, like Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar attempted to show that "the very same Krishna" made an appearance, e.g. as the drapsa ... krishna "black drop" of RV 8.96.13.

Birth :-

Traditional belief based on scriptural details and astrological calculations gives the date of Krishna's birth, known as Janmashtami, as either 18 or 21 July 3228 BCE. Krishna belonged to the royal family of Mathura, and was the eighth son born to the princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva. Mathura was the capital of the Yadavas (also called the Surasenas), to which Krishna's parents Vasudeva and Devaki belonged. The king Kamsa, Devaki's brother, had ascended the throne by imprisoning his father, King Ugrasena. Afraid of a prophecy that predicted his death at the hands of Devaki's eighth son, he had locked the couple into a prison cell. After Kamsa killed the first six children, and Devaki's apparent miscarriage of the seventh, being transferred to Rohini as Balarama, Krishna took birth.

Since Vasudeva believed Krishna's life was in danger, Krishna was secretly taken out of the prison cell to be raised by his foster parents, Yasoda and Nanda in Gokula. Two of his other siblings also survived, Balarama (Devaki's seventh child, transferred to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva's first wife) and Subhadra (daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini, born much later than Balarama and Krishna). According to Bhagavata Purana some believe that Krishna was born without a sexual union, by "mental transmission" from the mind of Vasudeva into the womb of Devaki.

Early historical references :-

One of the earliest recorded instances of a Krishna who could potentially be identified with the deity can be found in the Chandogya Upanishad, where he is mentioned as the son of Devaki, and to whom Ghora Angirasa was a teacher. The Upanishads, namely Nārāyaṇātharvaśirsa and Ātmabodha, specifically regard Krishna as a god and associate him with Vishnu.

References to Vāsudeva also occur in early Sanskrit literature. Taittiriya Aranyaka (X,i,6) identifies him with Narayana and Vishnu. Panini, ca. 4th century BCE, in his Ashtadhyayi explains the word "Vāsudevaka" as a Bhakta (devotee) of Vāsudeva. This, along with the mention of Arjuna in the same context, indicates that the Vāsudeva here is Krishna. At some stage during the Vedic period, Vasudeva and Krishna became one deity, and by the time of composition of the redaction of Mahabharata that survives till today, Krishna (Vasudeva) was generally acknowledged as an avatar of Vishnu and often as the Supreme God.

In the 4th century BCE, Megasthenes the Greek ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya says that the Sourasenoi (Surasena), who lived in the region of Mathura worshipped Herakles. This Herakles is usually identified with Krishna due to the regions mentioned by Megasthenes as well as similarities between some of the herioc acts of the two. The Greco-Bactrian ruler Agathocles issued coins bearing the images of Krishna and Balarama in around 180–165 BCE.

Three inscriptions from Hāthibādā and one from Ghosundi (near Nāgari, Chittorgarh district) from the 2nd century BCE, record the building of a pujā-silā-prākar (stone enclosure for worship) in Nārāyana-vata (park of Nārāyana) by king Gājāyana Sarvatāta for the worship of the gods Sankarshana (Balarama) and Vasudeva (Krishna). From the same century,the Nānāghāt cave (Maharashtra) inscription of the Satavahana queen Nāyanika begins with an invocation to various gods including Sankarshana and Vasudeva.

In the 1st century BCE, Heliodorus from Greece erected the Heliodorus pillar at Besnagar near Bhilsa with the inscription: "This Garuda-column of Vasudeva the god of gods was erected here by Heliodorus, a worshipper of the Lord Bhagavata, the son of Diya Greek Dion and an inhabitant of Taxila, who came as ambassador of the Greeks from the Great King Amtalikita [Greek Antialcidas] to King Kasiputra Bhagabhadra the saviour, who was flourishing in the fourteenth year of his reign [...] three immortal steps [...] when practiced, lead to heaven—self-control, charity, and diligence."

Another inscription from Besnagar, from the same period, records the setting up of a Garuda pillar in a prasādottama (excellent temple) in the twelfth regnal year of a king called Bhāgavata, usually identified as a Sunga king. A 1st century BCE inscription from Mathura records the building of a part of a sanctuary to Vasudeva by the great satrap Sodasa.

The renowned grammar scholar Patanjali, who wrote his commentary on Panini's grammar rules around 150 BCE (known as the Mahabhashya), quotes a verse: "May the might of Krishna accompanied by Samkarshana increase!" Other verses are mentioned. One verse speaks of "Janardana with himself as fourth" (Krishna with three companions, the three possibly being Samkarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha). Another verse mentions musical instruments being played at meetings in the temples of Rama (Balarama) and Kesava (Krishna). Patanjali also describes dramatic and mimetic performances (Krishna-Kamsopacharam) representing the killing of Kamsa by Vasudeva.

Also in the 1st century BCE, there seems to be evidence for a worship of five Vrishni heroes (Balarama, Krishna, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Samba) for an inscription has been found at Mora near Mathura, which apparently mentions a son of the great satrap Rajuvula, probably the satrap Sodasa, and an image of Vrishni, "probably Vasudeva, and of the "Five Warriors". Brahmi inscription on the Mora stone slab, now in the Mathura Museum. Many inscriptions and references to worship of Krishna can be found from the early centuries of the Common Era.

In the West :-

Since 1966, the Krishna bhakti movement has also spread outside India. This is largely due to the evangelistic Hare Krishna movement, the largest part of which is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The movement was founded by Prabhupada, who was instructed by his guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, to write about Krishna in English and to share the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy with people in the Western world.

9. Buddha :-

Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is generally seen by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (Sammāsambuddha) of our age. The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians date his lifetime from c. 563 BCE to 483 BCE; more recently, however, at a specialist symposium on this question, the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha's death, with others supporting earlier or later dates.

Gautama, also known as Śākyamuni or Shakyamuni ("sage of the Shakyas"), is the key figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to Gautama were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later. Early Western scholarship tended to accept the biography of the Buddha presented in the Buddhist scriptures as largely historical, but currently "scholars are increasingly reluctant to make unqualified claims about the historical facts of the Buddha's life and teachings."

Conception and birth :-

Siddhartha was born in Lumbini and raised in the small kingdom or principality of Kapilvastu, both of which are in modern day Nepal. At the time of the Buddha's birth, the area was at or beyond the boundary of Vedic civilization; it is even possible that his mother tongue was not an Indo-Aryan language. His community does not seem to have had a caste system, and their society was not structured according to Brahminical theory. It was not a monarchy, and seems to have been structured either as an oligarchy, or as a form of republic. According to the traditional biography, however, his father was King Suddhodana, the chief of the Shakya nation, one of several ancient tribes in the growing state of Kosala; Gautama was the family name. His mother, Queen Maha Maya (Māyādevī) and Suddhodana's wife, was a Koliyan princess. On the night Siddhartha was conceived, Queen Maya dreamt that a white elephant with six white tusks entered her right , and ten lunar months later Siddhartha was born. As was the Shakya tradition, when his mother Queen Maya became pregnant, she left Kapilvastu for her father's kingdom to give birth. However, she gave birth on the way, at Lumbini, in a garden beneath a sal tree.

The day of the Buddha's birth is widely celebrated in Theravada countries as Vesak. Various sources hold that the Buddha's mother died at his birth, a few days or seven days later. The infant was given the name Siddhartha (Pāli: Siddhatta), meaning "he who achieves his aim". During the birth celebrations, the hermit seer Asita journeyed from his mountain abode and announced that the child would either become a great king (chakravartin) or a great holy man.^{[citation needed]} This occurred after Siddhartha placed his feet in Asita's hair and Asita examined the birthmarks. Suddhodarna held a naming ceremony on the fifth day, and invited eight brahmin scholars to read the future. All gave a dual prediction that the baby would either become a great king or a great holy man.^{[citation needed]} Kaundinya (Pali: Kondanna), the youngest, and later to be the first arahant, was the only one who unequivocally predicted that Siddhartha would become a Buddha.

While later tradition and legend characterized Śuddhodana as a hereditary monarch, the descendant of the Solar Dynasty of Ikṣvāku (Pāli: Okkāka), many scholars believe that Śuddhodana was the elected chief of a tribal confederacy.

Physical characteristics :-

Buddha is perhaps one of the few sages for whom we have mention of his rather impressive physical characteristics. A kshatriya by birth, he had military training in his upbringing, and by Shakyan tradition was required to pass tests to demonstrate his worthiness as a warrior in order to marry. He had a strong enough body to be noticed by one of the kings and was asked to join his army as a general. He is also believed by Buddhists to have "the 32 Signs of the Great Man".

The Brahmin Sonadanda described him as "handsome, good-looking, and pleasing to the eye, with a most beautiful complexion. He has a godlike form and countenance, he is by no means unattractive."(D,I:115).

"It is wonderful, truly marvellous, how serene is the good Gotama's appearance, how clear and radiant his complexion, just as the golden jujube in autumn is clear and radiant, just as a palm-tree fruit just loosened from the stalk is clear and radiant, just as an adornment of red gold wrought in a crucible by a skilled goldsmith, deftly beaten and laid on a yellow-cloth shines, blazes and glitters, even so, the good Gotama's senses are calmed, his complexion is clear and radiant." (A,I:181)

A disciple named Vakkali, who later became an Arahant, was so obsessed by Buddha's physical presence that Buddha had to tell him to stop and reminded Vakkali to know Buddha through the Dhamma and not physical appearances.

Although the Buddha was not represented in human form until around the 1st century CE (see Buddhist art), the physical characteristics of fully-enlightened Buddhas are described by the Buddha in the Digha Nikaya's Lakkhaṇa Sutta (D,I:142).^[18] In addition, the Buddha's physical appearance is described by Yasodhara to their son Rahula upon the Buddha's first post-Enlightenment return to his former princely palace in the non-canonical Pali devotional hymn, Narasīha Gāthā ("The Lion of Men").

Teachings :-

Some scholars believe that some portions of the Pali Canon and the Agamas could contain the actual substance of the historical teachings (and possibly even the words) of the Buddha.^[20]^[21] This is not the case for the later Mahayana sutras.^[22] The scriptural works of Early Buddhism precede the Mahayana works chronologically, and are treated by many Western scholars as the main credible source for information regarding the actual historical teachings of Gautama Buddha.

Some of the fundamentals of the teachings of Gautama Buddha are:

The Four Noble Truths: that suffering is an inherent part of existence; that the origin of suffering is ignorance and the main symptoms of that ignorance are attachment and craving; that attachment and craving can be ceased; and that following the Noble Eightfold Path will lead to the cessation of attachment and craving and therefore suffering.
The Noble Eightfold Path: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
Dependent origination: that any phenomenon 'exists' only because of the ‘existence’ of other phenomena in a complex web of cause and effect covering time past, present and future. Because all things are thus conditioned and transient (anicca), they have no real independent identity (anatta).
Rejection of the infallibility of accepted scripture: Teachings should not be accepted unless they are borne out by our experience and are praised by the wise. See the Kalama Sutta for details.
Anicca (Sanskrit: anitya): That all things are impermanent.
Anatta (Sanskrit: anātman): That the perception of a constant "self" is an illusion.
Dukkha (Sanskrit: duḥkha): That all beings suffer from all situations due to unclear mind.

However, in some Mahayana schools, these points have come to be regarded as more or less subsidiary. There is some disagreement amongst various schools of Buddhism over more esoteric aspects of Buddha's teachings, and also over some of the disciplinary rules for monks.

According to tradition, the Buddha emphasized ethics and correct understanding. He questioned the average person's notions of divinity and salvation. He stated that there is no intermediary between mankind and the divine; distant gods are subjected to karma themselves in decaying heavens; and the Buddha is solely a guide and teacher for the sentient beings who must tread the path of Nirvāṇa (Pāli: Nibbāna) themselves to attain the spiritual awakening called bodhi and see truth and reality as it is. The Buddhist system of insight and meditation practice is not believed to have been revealed divinely, but by the understanding of the true nature of the mind, which must be discovered by personally treading a spiritual path guided by the Buddha's teachings.

10. Kalki :-

("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist.

In Hinduism, Kalki (Devanagari: कल्कि; also rendered by some as Kalkin and Kalaki) is the tenth and final Maha Avatara (great incarnation) of Vishnu who will come to end the present age of darkness and destruction known as Kali Yuga. The name Kalki is often a metaphor for eternity or time. The origins of the name probably lie in the Sanskrit word "kalka" which refers to dirt, filth, or foulness and hence denotes the "destroyer of foulness," "destroyer of confusion," "destroyer of darkness," or "annihilator of ignorance." Other similar and divergent interpretations based on varying etymological derivations from Sanskrit - including one simply meaning "White Horse" - have been made.

Maha Avatara :-

Hindu traditions permit numerous interpretations of what avatars are and to what purpose they act. Avatara means "descent" and indicates a descent of the divine awareness into manifestations of the mundane form. The Garuda Purana lists ten avatars, with Kalki being the tenth. The Bhagavata Purana initially lists twenty-two avatars, but mentions an additional three for a total of twenty-five avatars. He is presented as the twenty-second avatar in this list.

All Hindu traditions declare all people to be manifestations of the divine essence or Atman and avatars to be individuals who are far more acutely and extensively aware of this fact and its implications than most. They have entered the mortal realms voluntarily to teach important truths to humanity or dharma, and who usually have extraordinary abilities to aid in these roles.

Popular images depict him riding a white horse with wings known as Devadatta (God-given.) In these images, Kalki is brandishing a sword in his right hand and is intent on eradicating the corrupt destitution and debauchery of Kali Yuga. Others represent him as an amalgam of a horses head and a man's body.

Modern interpretations of the Kalki prophecy :-

Many modern writers have attempted to link figures in comparatively recent history to Kalki. Given the traditional account of the Kali Yuga lasting 432,000 years and having started in 3102 BCE , which makes these claims problematic. Some scholars such as Sri Yukteswar Giri and David Frawley have claimed that there are intermediate cycles within the 432,000 year cycle.

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Paritranaya Saadunaam

Vinashayasa Dushkrudham

Dharma Samsthaba Sarthaya

Sambavami Yuge Yuge

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(Meaning)

Whenever evil over-takes the good and the world is sinking with sins at that time I will come to annihilate the evil and establish righteousness.

Quote by : Lord Sri Krishna from Bhagavat Geeta....

God of Creation

noreply@blogger.com (Ajay Gupta) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:11:00 +0000

LORD BRAHMA - THE CREATOR

Brahma is the Hindu god (deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman. Brahmā's consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning. Brahmā is often identified with Prajapati, a Vedic deity.

Name :-

In Sanskrit grammar, brahmā ब्रह्मा is the nominative singular of the generic neuter brahman.
The god is known as Berahma in Malay and as Phra Phrom in Thai

Creation :-

According to the Puranas, Brahma is self-born (without mother) in the lotus flower which grew from the navel of Vishnu at the beginning of the universe. This explains his name Nabhija (born from the navel). Another legend says that Brahmā was born in water. In this he deposited a seed that later became the golden egg. From this golden egg, Brahma the creator was born, as Hiranyagarbha. The remaining materials of this golden egg expanded into the Brahm-anda or Universe. Being born in water, Brahmā is also called Kanja (born in water). Brahmā is said also to be the son of the Supreme Being, Brahman and the female energy known as Prakrti or Maya.

Appearance :-

Brahma is traditionally depicted with four heads and four faces and four arms. With each head he continually recites one of the four Vedas. He is often depicted with a white beard (especially in North India), indicating the near eternal nature of his existence. He is shown as having four arms, with none holding a weapon, unlike most other Hindu Gods. One of his hands is shown holding a scepter in the form of a spoon, which is associated with the pouring of holy ghee or oil into a sacrificial pyre, indicating that Brahma is the lord of sacrifices. Another of his hands holds a water-pot (sometimes depicted as a coconut shell containing water). The significance of the water is that it is the initial, all-encompassing ether in which the first element of creation evolved. Brahma also holds a string of prayer beads that he uses to keep track of the Universe's time. He also is shown holding the Vedas, and sometimes, a lotus flower.

Another story in connection with Brahma's four heads is that when Brahmā was creating the universe, He made a female deity known as Shatarupā (one with a hundred beautiful forms). Brahmā became immediately infatuated with Her. Shatarupā moved in various directions to avoid the gaze of Brahmā. But wherever She went, Brahmā developed a head. Thus, Brahmā developed five heads, one on each side and one above the others. In order to control Brahmā, Shiva cut off one of the heads. Also, Shiva felt that Shatarupā was Brahmā's daughter, having been created by Him. Therefore, Shiva determined, it was wrong for Brahmā to become obsessed with Her. He directed that there be no proper worship on earth for the "unholy" Brahmā. Thus, only Vishnu and Shiva continued to be worshipped, while Brahmā is almost totally ignored. Ever since the incident, Brahmā has been believed to be reciting the four Vedas in His attempt at repentance.

Symbols :-

The Four Hands - The four arms represent the four directions north, east, west and south. They describe the mind (back right hand), intellect (back left hand), ego (front right hand), and the self confidence (front left hand).

The Rosary - Symbolizes the substances used in the progress of creation.

The Book - Symbolizing knowledge

The Gold - Symbolizes activity in the universe and the golden face of Brahma indicates that the Lord is active when involved in the process of creation.

The Swan - The Swan symbolizes the power of discrimination. Brahma uses the swan as a vehicle.

The Crown - The crown on the head implies that the Brahma has supreme authority.

The Lotus - Lotus symbolizes the nature and living essence of all things and beings in the universe.

The Beard - The black or white beard denotes wisdom and a longer beard denotes eternal process.

The Four Faces - The four Vedas (Rig, Yajor, Athara, and Sama).

Vehicle :-

Brahma's vehicle is a divine Swan. This divine bird is bestowed with a virtue called Neera-Ksheera Viveka or the ability to separate milk and water from a mixture of the two. The significance of this is that justice should be dispensed to all creatures, however entwined it might be in a situation. Also, this virtue indicates that one should learn to separate the good from the evil and then accept that which is valuable and discard that which is worthless or evil.

Temples :-

Although Brahmā is prayed to in almost all Hindu religious rites, there are very few temples dedicated to him in India, the more prominent of which is at Pushkar, close to Ajmer. Once a year, on the full moon night of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika (October - November), a religious festival is held in Brahmā's honour. Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the holy lake adjacent to the temple.

There are also temples in Thirunavaya in Kerala, in the temple town of Kumbakonam in (Thanjavur District in) Tamil Nadu; in Asotra village in Balotra Taluka of Barmer district in Rajasthan known as Kheteshwar Brahmadham Tirtha, in Goa (in the small, remote village of Carambolim in the Sattari taluka in the northeast region of the state). Regular pujas are held for Lord Brahma at the temple in Thirunavaya, and during Navrathris this temple comes to life with colourful festivities. There is also a shrine for Brahma within the Bramhapureeshwarar temple in Thirupattur, near Trichy and a famous murti of Brahmā at Mangalwedha, 52 km from Solapur district in Maharashtra, the largest of which is in Angkor Wat in Cambodia. In Khedbrahma, Gujarat, there is a statue of Brahma. A six feet tall statue was also discovered at Sopara near Mumbai. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in the temple town of Sri Kalahasti near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.