Maha Shivaratri means the Great Night of Shiva, a festival dedicated to Lord Shiva and celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar on the 14th day of the waning phase of the moon Falgun (February-March). The ceremony and the celebration takes…
Vasant Panchami is one of the more important festivals of India. It marks the beginning of spring and it is a festival dedicated to Sarasvati, the protector of learning, knowledge and wisdom. It is believed that it is also her…
Makar Sakranti is the only festival celebrated according to the solar calendar and falls on January 14th. Literally Sakranti means to move from one place to another – to change direction. It is the time when the sun changes its…
The meeting all of our senses, mind, consciousness, Atma and Jiva: that is Kumbha Mela. TheVessel (Kumbh) is our body. There is a constant battle inside of us between the Devas (divine qualities) and asuras (demonic qualities): what will prevail…
The altar is a place where God “lives”. The altar and the objects on it are the place where we can physically express our worship, prayers and devotion to the Almighty, the universal truth. It is also the central place…
Sannyasa The word Sannyasa in Sanskrit means renunciation. A Sannyasi – a Swami, is one who received Sannyas Diksha and became part of the Holy Order of Sannyasis. Sannyasis carry the title of Swami, or, in the case of women,…
Ashram According to the Vedic tradition and the teachings of the Vedas, one definition of the word ‘ashram’ (a – welcome, shram – to work) is a place where you are welcome to do something for others and for yourself.…
Om is the original sound from which everything was created, the essence of the whole Universe, the Absolute. It is comprised of three sounds: A-U-M, representing the past, the present and the future, and the three divine principles – Brahma,…
Nyaya shastra Nyaya-Sastra was founded by Gautama Rishi. He wrote 521 Sutras. These Sutras are divided into 5 parts with 10 chapters and 80 sub-chapters. Many authors wrote commentaries on his teachings, interperated his ideas and added new ones. Nyaya…
Vedic units and their equivalents in human years Satya Yuga = 1 million 728 thousand human years (1,728,000)Treta Juga = 1 million 296 thousand human years (1,296,000)Dvapara Yuga = 864 thousand human years (864,000)Kali Yuga = 432 thousand human years…