Current affairs, spirituality, heritage & lifestyle.
One of the most boring times I can recall from my childhood is when I had to sit through lengthy pujas, ceremonies and kathas. This is not at all to say that I had no faith in my religion. Far from it, I have always been a devout Hindu in my own way. The boredom […]
“The only place in the UK where the hereditary caste system is practiced is Buckingham Palace!” Dilip Lakhani is a well-known figure in the British Hindu community. He is founder of Vivekananda Centre UK and for many years has been on a seemingly tireless mission to promote Hinduism in Britain. His work has included setting […]
J. Robert Oppenheimer (April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) was an American theoretical physicist, best known for his role as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project, the World War II effort to develop the first nuclear weapons, at the secret Los Alamos laboratory in New Mexico. He is often remembered as “the father […]
The odds were always stacked against me ever knowing anything about my culture. Growing up, I was never sure what it meant to be a Hindu. I grew up in a quiet town where my family ran (surprise, surprise) a newsagent shop. There weren’t any other Hindus my age in the area. In fact I […]
Some from high action through base fear refrain; The path is difficult, the way not plain. Others more noble to begin, are stayed By a few failures. Great spirits undismayed Abandon never what once to do they swore. Baffled beaten back, they spring once more, Buffeted and borne down, rise up again (Nitishatakam of Bhartrihari, […]
No we’re not talking about credit cards, loans and mortgages here, but totally different kinds of debts, of an ethical and spiritual nature. Since ancient times, Hindu thought has recognised various debts (rins) that play an important part in dharmic values. It is said that each person is born with these debts and must repay […]
Visit Hindu Perspective’s HANUMAN SECTION (special feature) Insight into verse 13 Laye sanjivan Lakhan jiyaye Shree Raghubir harashi ur laye You brought the nectarine herb and revived the life of Laksmana. Sri Rama Chandra embraced with deep joy This of course refers to the part of the Ramayana where Lakshmana is fatally wounded by Ravana’s son Indrajeet. […]
We have all seen the image of Kali at a temple or in a Navratri shrine. This article provides a fascinating insight into who Kali really is! Kali is one of the best known, but poorly understood Hindu deities. She is dark destructive and terrible in image. She appears allied to the forces of death […]
The Mahabharata is acknowledged as being the largest of the world epics, and the largest work of literature created before the advent of the printing press. It contains close to 100,000 verses (*1), and a full copy of the Mahabharata is thousands of pages long. Yet it was not always so. The Mahabharata itself claims […]
Atheism, the idea that there is no God or Creator, is a conception of the human mind that occurs at various stages of mental and spiritual development. It may appear in undeveloped minds that cannot perceive a deeper reality than that of the physical world. It may also appear in more developed minds who see […]
Hindu nationalism The term “nation” is defined differently by various sources. One definition is: “A people who share common customs, origins, history, and frequently language.” Hindu nationalism can be defined as the tendency of Hindus to define themselves as a nation. It is often said that the late 1980’s and 90’s saw an upsurge of […]
Visit Hindu Perspective’s HANUMAN SECTION (special feature) Insight into Verse 7 Hath Bajra aur dhvaja birajai Kandhe moonj janeu sajai You hold the mace of the thunderbolt and a flag in your hands. The sacred thread of Munja grass adorns your shoulders. In the first line of Verse 7, Tulsidas says that Hanuman’s hand carries the “bajra” […]
Visit Hindu Perspective’s HANUMAN SECTION (special feature) Insight into Verse 5 Mahabir Bikram Bajrangi Kumati nivar sumati ke sangi O Mahaveer, your actions are mighty and terrible, and your body is strong as a thunderbolt. You eliminate the illusions of the mind and give a bright intellect. “O Mahaveer, your actions are might and terrible, and your […]
A quite recent article in Zee News, claimed that researchers had found the exact date of birth of Lord Rama. The article can be faulted in many ways (it is a journalistic, not a scientific article). However the actual date proposed and the method used to arrive at it are indeed worthy of examination. It […]
Click here for explanations of verses 1 & 2 Insight into Verse 3 Jai Hanuman gyan gun sagar Jai Kapis tihun lok ujagar Victory to Thee, O Hanuman, Ocean of wisdom and virtue, victory to the Lord of monkeys who is well known in all the three worlds. This is a seemingly simple devotional verse […]
Visit Hindu Perspective’s HANUMAN SECTION (special feature) The Hanuman Chalisa is a prayer that many young Hindus will at least have heard of, if not be familiar with. Chances are that it may be sung in your own home or by somebody that you know. This article explains the background to the Hanuman Chalisa and provides an insight […]
Rama Navami is the Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Rama. While not as exuberantly celebrated as Diwali (which is centered on the return of Rama to his kingdom of Ayodhya after a period of exile), it is still a major festival, celebrated with great devotion by millions. This year, Rama Navami falls on Saturday 20th […]
Veda Vyasa is a legendary Hindu sage, whose very name is synonymous to Hindus with knowledge. According to traditional Hindu accounts, he lived at the end of the Treta Yuga and early Kali Yuga (the date for the beginning of the Kali Yuga is 3102BC). Veda Vyasa is accredited with compiling the Vedas and writing […]
“To an individual, family, nation or even to plants and animals, dharma is ones true place in the cosmic process. The eternal principle of dharma determines the harmonious functions of the cosmic machine. In order that we fulfil our role in the divine play we must carry out our dharma. That is, we ought to do the right thing, at […]
Although not born a Hindu, David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) is one of the foremost Hindu scholars of our time. As well as being one of the foremost western teachers of several branches of Hindu wisdom, he is recognised by a number of Hindu spiritual lineages / groups in India as a “Vedacharya” and has authored […]
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