BharatiyaStories

  #Dashadharma # Kacha and Devayani   We had seen the story of Sukeshi who went to the ashram of the sages in the Magadh forest and learnt many dharmic concepts. ( https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/02/pious-asuras-and-worried-gods ). Amongst the many things he learnt from the sages, he got the knowledge of the ten basic principles of Dharma that is common to all people irrespective of their occupation (varnas). We had already covered few of these Dharmas through relevant stories. Please see the link below. Dasha Dharma 1.         Dhṛti – Patience ( https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/02/dashdharma-patience-shabari.html ; https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/02/dash-dharma-patience.html ) 2.         Kṣhamā – Forgiveness ( https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/03/dashadharma-story-of-kaakasura-from.htmll ) 3.         Damo - Calmness 4.         Asteyaṃ - Not coveting/ stealing 5.         Saucam - Cleanliness 6.         Indriyanigraha – Control of

  # Know your dharma #Greatness of Thulasi Thulasi has a very special place in Hinduism especially in the Vishnu puja. Thulasi is considered a reincarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and hence revered. Every part of the Thulasi plant is revered and considered sacred. The leaf, stem and roots and even the soil near the roots are precious and are preferred by the Gods. It is said that even if you don’t get Thulasi plant, chanting the name can beget great benefits. “ Thulyaam Syathi ithi Tulasi “ — another meaning for  Syathi  is to reach. Placing Tulasi leaves in God’s divine heart reaches Him and becomes equal to Him.   “ Thu “ refers to fade or whither, whereas “ Lasathi “ refers to glitter with radiation. The servants of Yama do not come to his house in the vicinity of which there is a grove of Tulsi (where that plant is worshipped daily). That house is as sacred as a pilgrim centre.”       (Skanda Purana) Lord Mahadeva says to Kartikeya, “Of all the leaves and flowers, the auspi

  Jalandara and Shiva Once King of Gods Indra and devaguru Brihaspati were going towards Mount Kailash for a Shiva darshan. Lord Shiva wanted to test their knowledge and appeared in front of them as a yogi. Indra arrogantly tried to shoo the yogi away. Shiva gets angry with Indra and opened his third eye. Thankfully, Brihaspati realised that it is Maheswara in disguise. He fell at Shiva’s feet and asked him not to punish Indra. Having opened his third eye, Shiva directs his gaze towards the ocean where the heat from the eye leads the water to churn violently. From the giant waves emerged a small boy. Since he emerged from the water Shiva calls him Jalandara. Lord Brahma looked at the boy and predicted that he will become a great king of the Asuras. The boy grew up to be a powerful and became the king of the Asuras. He married a very beautiful and pious maiden by name Vrinda, the daughter of another asura Kalanemi. Vrinda was a pious devotee of Vishnu and had a boon that her husban

  #Know your dharma #Why do we put Vibhuti (Source – Sanskritimagazine)   “Lalaata Shoonyam Smashaana Tulyam”, says our scriptures. It means that “an empty forehead is comparable to a cemetery”. So, Hindus pay special attention that their forehead is smeared with vibhuti and it remains all the time over their body in a day. The Almighty Lord Shiva who sports  vibhuti  all the time stands as an example to his followers that however great one be considered in this mortal world, he needs to smear his forehead and the body with holy ash prepared from a special kind of wood as he does (Lord Shiva) in the Immortal adobe of Kailasa. It is considered by vedic scholars that even great saints, seers, yogis and the like should wear  vibhuti  all the time over forehead and other parts of the body in form of three lines to make a Tripundra.  Vibhuti  smeared horizontally to make three parallel lines with forefinger, middle finger and ring finger across the forehead & other parts of the

                                                               The Magic of Shiva Pooja Many of us keep thinking, I am praying so much. Is there a God even listening to me? We also feel proud and chosen when our prayers are answered and dejected and let down when they aren’t. So, what is the answer? Should we pray or not? Don’t know? Perhaps this story from the Shiva Puran can help us understand how prayers have helped others. Each of us can decide on what we want to do after reading that. Sixteen week Somavaara (Monday) Fasting One day Bholenath and Parvati decided to travel the universe. After all they are Gods. They can roam around at will. During their travels they reach the city of Amaravati and decide to stay at the local Shiva temple. Parvati Devi was bored one day and called Shiva to play chausar (an Indian dice game). At that time, a brahmin enters the temple to offer his prayers. Parvati laughingly asks the brahmin who is going to win the game. The brahmin carelessl

  We had seen the story of Sukeshi who went to the ashram of the sages in the Magadh forest and learnt many dharmic concepts. ( https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/02/pious-asuras-and-worried-gods ). Amongst the many things he learnt from the sages, he got the knowledge of the ten basic principles of Dharma that is common to all people irrespective of their occupation (varnas). We had already covered few of these Dharmas through relevant stories. Please see the links below. Dasha Dharma 1.         Dhṛti – Patience ( https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/02/dashdharma-patience-shabari.html ; https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/02/dash-dharma-patience.html ) 2.         Kṣhamā - Forgiveness 3.         Damo - Calmness 4.         Asteyaṃ - Not coveting/ stealing 5.         Saucam - Cleanliness 6.         Indriyanigraha – Control of senses 7.         Dhīr – Righteous Action 8.         Vidya – Pursuit of knowledge 9.         Satyam – Truthfulness ( https