Category: scriptures

  • Gayatri Mantra from RigVeda

    Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yo Na Prachodayaat! तत सवितुर वरेण्यम भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो न प्रचोदयात! We meditate on the brilliant light of the creator. Who has created the Universe. Who is worthy of Worship. Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light. Who is the remover of all Sin and…

  • Is your work more important than you think?

    “The offering of wisdom is better than any material offering, Arjuna; for the goal of all work is spiritual wisdom.” (Bhagavad Gita 4:33) Reading these ancient words from The Bhagavad Gita this morning on a flight from Atlanta to Minneapolis, I was struck with inspiration. The goal of all work is spiritual wisdom? What a…

  • Do you really need a Guru? A lesson from the Ramayana

    It is said that satsang, the company or association of like-minded people, is one key element of helping you along your spiritual path. So, when I received an invitation to attend a satsang with Amma Sri Karunamayi in my town, I could not pass up the opportunity for my third visit with her in three…

  • Significance of the Vedas in Hinduism

    I am often asked the question whether a particular mantra can be chanted or recited by a particular person from a particular caste. I am also often asked if certain mantras can be chanted by women. The answer to all such questions was eloquently given by one of the greatest reformers of the 19th century…

  • Powerful Vishnu Prayer for Healing and Protection

    We begin the New Year with a prayer to Lord Vishnu, the preserver and purveyor of all that is good for our body, mind and spirit. This four line shloka is also sometimes referred to as stuti – something which is said in the highest praise of the Lord. Sashankha Chakram, Sakiriita Kundalam…

  • Prayer for Lord Vishnu – Protector in the Hindu Trinity

    The mere mention of Lord Vishnu can get rid of all our ailments. There is great power and healing conveyed to those who remember the Lord’s name with faith and devotion. Such is the strength conveyed in the following shloka which is found in the concluding verse of the Vishnu Sahastranaam (thousand names of Vishnu):