Category: traditions

  • Janmashtami – Celebrating Lord Krishna

    Krishna Janmashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth Divine Incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month (in the waning part of the lunar cycle between the full moon and the new moon) of Bhadrapada (August-September). It is a festival celebrated with great devotion…

  • OM or AUM – The Seed Sound – The Beginning

    AUM or ओम् originally ओं = आं , which may be derived from आ, a word of solemn affirmation and respectful assent, sometimes translated by ” yes , verily , so be it “ it is placed at the commencement of most Hindu works, most mantras and shlokas, and as a sacred exclamation may be uttered…

  • 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…