Current affairs, spirituality, heritage & lifestyle.
Pavan tanay sankar haran, mangal murti roop Ram Lakhan Sita sahit, hriday basuhu sur bhoop May Hanuman, the son of Pavana, the protector from distress, the embodiment of auspiciousness and the deity of the Earth, reside in my heart together with Sri Rama, Laksmana and Sita. Hanuman Chalisa, Verse 43 This is the final and […]
Jai jai jai Hanuman Gosai Kripa karahu Gurudev ki naiee Victory victory victory to Hanuman, the Lord of Senses. Be as compassionate to me as a Guru. Jo sat baar paath kar koi Chhutehi bandhi maha sukh hoi He who reads this (Hanuman Chalisa) one hundred times, becomes free from bondage and enjoys great happiness. […]
Ashtha sidhi nau nidhi ke data Asa bar din Janaki Mata You are the dispenser of the eight supernatural powers and the nine treasures of Kubera. Mother Janaki has bestowed this graceful blessing upon you. Ram rasayan tumhare pasa Sadaa raho raghupati ke dasa You have the ambrosia of Sri Rama with you and you […]
Charo juga pratap tumhara Hai parsiddhi jagat ujiyara Your glory is spread over four yugas and your effulgence is known throughout the world. Sadhu sant ke tum rakhvare Asur nikandan Ram dulare You are the protector of the sages and the saints and the destroyer of demons. Sri Rama has great affection for you. Hanuman […]
From the time in our childhood when we first learn about death, that most unsettling truth of life, the question and curiosity of the afterlife arises; what has happened to the person who has died? Does anything of that person survive in one form or another? A lot of people believe the truth to be […]
Nadia and Reena grew up in the East London borough of Newham, and were best friends who had known each other since the tender age of 6. Nadia was a Muslim and Reena was a Hindu. Growing up, and they often played at one another’s homes. Through their childhood, religion had never got in the […]
There once lived a great yogi named Gorakhnath, an enlightened soul, who had experienced all the great truths of life, death and the Divine. He lived a simple life, revelling in the unparalleled bliss that only enlightened soul’s experience, and had great compassion for all life forms. Although he did not seek a following, many […]
One of the most famous stories of Hinduism is that of the Great Churning of the Ocean by the Devas and Asuras (Gods and Demons) in the quest for the Nectar of Immortality. This tale has deeper dimensions, capturing insights into the nature of existence that the ancient Rishis (sages) discovered in deep meditation. All […]
Many Patels in Gujarat are agitating for Other Backward Caste status, in order to access the same “Reservation” benefits as Scheduled Castes, Schedules Tribes and Other Backward Castes. Reservations are a quota based form of affirmative action, through which a certain percentage of government jobs and places in educational institutes are guaranteed to members of certain […]
Lets be clear. All attacks on schools, places of worship and sexual violence deserve condemnation and punishment. However the vivid media depictions of these isolated incidents as attacks religiously or politically motivated – even before police investigations have revealed who the likely perpetrators are – cannot be described as anything other than mischievous. Over the […]
Most people familiar with India’s capital, Delhi, will likely have used the nation’s main international airport, Indira Gandhi International. En route from the airport to the centre of Delhi is a long and famous road, Rao Tula Ram Marg (‘Marg’ being the Hindi word for street). Situated on this road is one of Delhi’s finer […]
Jnanadeva (also written as Jnandev, Jnanesvar, Jñanadeva or Dnyāneshwar) was a Hindu saint of the Nath tradition, who lived in Maharasthra in the 13th century during the rule of the Yadava King Ramadevarao, immediately prior to the Islamic invasions of that part of India which started in 1296. Ramadevarao provided a stable and secure government compared with […]
“…aggressive religions – they tend to overrun the Earth. Hinduism on the other hand is passive, and therein lies its danger.” (Sri Aurobindo, 1926) Throughout life it has often appeared to me that Hindus were passive. I don’t mean passive in terms of being non-violent (though that may also be the case), but passive in […]
Sister Nivedita (1867 – 1911) was a famous and inspirational social worker and educationalist in pre-independence India. She is considered to have played an important role in raising national consciousness in India, becoming a relatively early advocate of complete Independence of India from British rule which included supporting the activities of freedom fighters. She is […]
When my son (who at the time of writing is 4 years old) was born, I felt connected with the vastness of eternity in a way that I had never felt before. Having a a child of your own is an amazing experience – seeing someone who looks like you playing, learning, being mischievous in […]
When someone harms you or someone to whom you have a sense of responsibility, getting suitable justice, or ensuring that the perpetrator is punished is not always easy. In Hinduism we have the concept of karma, so if justice is not easy to come by there is a temptation to feel that even if we […]
“The company of the great is very difficult, even inaccessible, but it is infallible.” (Narada Bhakti Sutras. 39) Literally speaking, “sat” means truth, and “sang” means to be associated with. Satsang in Hinduism usually refers to a gathering of spiritual aspirants, and participating is such gatherings is meant to lead to tremendously greater progress than […]
Unlike some Indian or Indian origin commentators (particularly in the social media), I feel that the BBC had the right to publish the documentary “India’s Daughter” and that the Indian government shouldn’t create a huff about it. Freedom in such matters is virtually absolute, no matter if the documentary reflects badly on India (and by […]
Over time we tend to form social groups of people with similar views to ourselves. Those of us join organisation and associations will of course do so with people who we think are like-minded. As such, it is usually the case that the discussions we have on various subjects – both formal and informal – […]
At a recent discussion group, attended by UK born Hindus in our 30s, some of whom have young children, a recurring theme was the way in which we would like our children to relate to their Indian cultural and religious heritage. We inevitably drew on, recounted and considered our own experiences and exposures to Indian […]
Hindu Perspective 