Category: audio
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Navaratri – Celebrating the Goddesses
The spirit of Navaratri – a festival of nine (-nava) nights (-ratri) is a vibrant reminder to us of the power of the feminine in our lives. One aspect of the feminine is shakti – often described as power, or energy. The significance of shakti is perhaps explained best by the two words Shiva-Shakti. Shiva…
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Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra for Lord Shiva
The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is a prayer to Lord Shiva for healing, overcoming death. Om tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam, urvarukamiva bandhanaan mrityor mokshiye maamratat.
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Dhanteras – First Day of Diwali
Dhanteras is celebrated on the thirteenth day (teras) of the Krishna paksha (the waning cycle) of the lunar month of Ashwin in the Hindu calendar. It heralds the beginning of the five days of Diwali, the biggest festival for Hindus in India and all over the world.
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Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi – The Bond of Love and Protection
Raksha Bandhan (the bond – Bandhan of protection – Raksha) is a Hindu festival, which celebrates the love between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on the full moon (poornima) of the month of Shraavan. This article discusses the different ways that Raksha Bandhan is celebrated across India, the legends behind the festival and the…
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Guru Poornima – Celebrating the Guru
The Purnima (Full Moon) day in the month of Ashadha (July-August) is known as Guru Purnima. Oh Guru, you are father, mother, brother, friend, knowledge and wealth. The ideal Guru is a facilitator and encourages the disciple to go and seek beyond that which is taught by the Guru. But what are the qualities of…
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Suktam for Glory from Samaveda
This series of articles on the Vedas has discussed Agni mantras from the vedas and the highly venerated Gayatri Mantra. This article builds on the theme of Agni from the sAmaveda. The verse or suktam presented below is considered a ‘great sequence’ or ‘maka-panktii’ (महापंक्ति) in the vedas – one that carries great significance and…