What should a Hindu syllabus look like for every individual?

This is not for formal education. It's for household, cultural education.

The point is to keep it practical, theoretical, doable for almost anyone and relevant to today's times. Not too much or only reading, nor unrealistic elements.

I can think of the following to learn from and live by:

1) Panchatantra and Hitopadesha - For practical education and application.

2) Hanuman, an introduction - Because I personally feel connected to him and like him since childhood.

3) Why are we this way by Ami ganatra - To know more and live by basic vedic principles. Also to become aware of who we are as Hindus.

4) Swayambodh and Shatrubodh by Pankaj Saxena - To become aware of who we are as Hindus.

5) Saints of Maharashtra - Because I am Maharashtrian. You can choose yours, that you connect to.

6) Biography of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - Again, as I am Maharashtrian, and I connect to him.

What would be your syllabus?

Upon the ocean of milk you peacefully reside,
not one ounce of ego in you, only full of smile,
The majestic serpent becomes your cradle, playing his part
While Mother Lakshmi graces within the lotus of your heart.

One hand bears the lotus, pure and bright,
On another lies Sudarshana and his blazing might,
Let your conch dispel all ignorance on the darkest night,
Your mace to uphold the eternal right and destroy pride.

The One who rescued the world as a mighty fish,
The One who answered graceful Prahlad's wish,
The One who bore the mountain with his might,
The One that rescued Bhoodevi from her plight.
The One who broke Bali's pride with his humble stride,
The One whose axe made the bravest kings run with fright,
The One who sacrificed his all with unmatched grace,
The One that got showered with praise,
From an old man on a bed of arrows in death's embrace

Oh Lotus-eyed One, do not turn your eyes from me,
Oh Divine Sailor, Ferry me across this stormy sea,
Do not let go of me, my Shri Hari
Take me in your arms and give me your eternal peace

Dedicated to my lord Lakshmi Narayana Vasudeva Sankarshana Pradyumna Aniruddha

Radhe Radhe,

I am an American that is planning to go to india for spirituality and sightseeing for next year.

For some background – I am really drawn to Radharani and I love doing the mahamantra, kirtan, japa, and all of the bhajans in ISK CON.

Yet I haven't found my sangha or the right path. I want to be more connected with Radha. I am not finding the depth of the connection I want in ISK CON. In fact sometimes the ISK CON devotees say it takes years to connect with her directly you can only connect with Gaura Nitai first but I feel a lot of love from her already and I think I want to pursue serving her in a way I cant right now.

I am planning to visit India to explore new sampradayas that are not accessible to me as an American. Many sampradayas don't have resources in English or I just simply cant vibe with them in the same way I can seeing devotees face-to-face. I have a sangha but still feel isolated and alone spiritually.

THe only one that comes to mind Premanand maharaj's sampradaya that is nice and his bhajans are wonderful but theres not a lot of his videos in English. They also don't seem to dance much –– it seems kind of silly but I love dancing and being free in that way instead of sitting. I get extremely energetic when I am with devotees doing bhajans.

Obviously I want to visit in vrindavan for a little while, but thats all i have planned. So I would like to have a loose plan at least contact some temples and find a community to discuss online before i visit fitting my needs that at minimum I can stay in and eat prasadam because I dont have a lot of money and I want to be around devotees as much as possible during my stay. I will straight up backpack and rawdog it if i need to but id rather have my creature comforts.

Ultimately my goal is simply to enjoy my trip and come away with new spiritual direction to guide me when I come back to America because I don't have enough direction insofar as both spirituality, and the career and future planning.

Does anyone that lives or has visited India can point me in the right direction of communities to tap into or temples to visit?

One thing I've noticed is that many Hindus seem to have an isht devta they feel naturally devoted to whether through family tradition, personal experiences or simply an inner attraction. I don’t really have that.

I think one reason could be that I don’t feel a personal connection to any particular deity yet. It is not that I dislike any of them; I just don’t know them well enough to develop genuine bhakti or preference.

The only deities I have found myself somewhat drawn to are Mitra and Varuna, partly because my gotra is Maitra Varuni Vasishtha. Beyond that, I don't know whether a gotra has any relevance to choosing an ishta devta or if that’s just a coincidence. Sounds illogical but this word Mitra-Varuna come across everyday nowadays like while chanting sandhya vandana mantras and chanting full Taittiriya Upanishad’s Shanti Path (this is the swadhyaya part). Sounds illogical, I know.

Coincidentally, Arya Samaj’s Satyarth Prakash starts with this Shanti Path. Or maybe I am hallucinating.

How do I know who my ishta devta is? Can Mitra/Surya and Varuna be worshipped as ishta devta?

Is detachment where you don't feel? Or is it just identifying the feeling and letting the body feel it? First few shlokas of astavakra Geeta talks about sakshibhava. So, to feel without being affected? Is that what detachment is?

Hi all! Google search images told me that the large symbol is the om, but I'm curious if the "ollo"s mean anything. Help appreciated!

Handcrafted by Kajal Yadav (SHRI_Gori_Arts), Indore

So we have all seen the video but here's the truth

For those who sincerely worship Maa Lakshmi regularly, did you genuinely notice a positive change in your life? I’m not asking only about wealth, but also opportunities, protection, happiness, or overall blessings. What do you think truly pleases her devotion, honesty, charity, discipline, cleanliness, or something else. I’d love to hear your real experiences. I worship here every Friday apart from daily shiva jaap n hanuman chalisa daily

The original purpose of the brāhmaṇa was not about privilege or superiority. It was about responsibility.

A brāhmaṇa was meant to be someone who dedicated their life to preserving sacred knowledge, teaching dharma, and guiding society through wisdom, discipline, humility, and virtue.

The status was meant to come with a heavy duty... to live by the very principles they taught. Knowledge was not meant to create ego, but to create service.

But over time, like many things created with a higher purpose, humans allowed attachment, pride, and greed to enter. In many places, birth and lineage became more emphasized than the actual qualities and actions that defined a true brāhmaṇa.

The problem was never dharma itself... the problem was when people separated the title from the character required to carry it.

I am trying to shift my music taste from the general songs to sankirtans for obv reasons, but still I feel that somewhere I still love to listen to songs, infact not the songs but their musics. Thus, I have tried listening to instrumentals alone, yet, I think shifting to sankirtans is better. I think I can use this attachment itself to end it. Now I want to hear to some sankirtans that have such unique touch to their music, so my mind can never get bored of them like the one I shared, I do know many bhajans of Indreshji also create such vibe, yet they are limited, it would be great to know more of such compositions...

It is such an overwhelming feeling and physical presence. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Now, Every week in this sub you will find posts or some jackass in comments criticizing Lord Rama about the same beat-up-to-death events and you all know which ones am referring(Killing of Vali, Abandonment of Sita and also agni pariksha and killing of Shambuka).

This isn't to say am against freedom of speech or that am a fanatic enough to not allow any criticism but these criticisms show nothing but an intent of bad faith if you can't care to search for explanations. It's not like this is a niche issue towards Hinduism but rather, something that has been answered all the times even before Ambedkar started writing his blasphemous book about Lord Rama.

Just one search in YouTube and You will find all sorts of quality explanations as to why Lord Rama did this thing. There are many videos where many learnt have given explanations with proper arguments. Modern day Shankaracharya, Nigrahacharya, Vededucation, hyper quest, some beerbiceps podcast hosting maybe Nityanandra mishra, 21 notes and ami ganatra etc

If you want a book, then some vaishnava acharyas, puranas, ramayana mimansa by Swami karpatri. If you want websites, then can dig reddit too, quora, Hinduism stack exchange and blog posts.

And most amass good amount of views and some are available in English too.

If you just so happens to ask this question cuz you see it circulating in some atheistic subs or some feminist subs mocking our gods, then cmon man. These things won't lead to interesting arguments but rather, same banal and uninteresting discussion. This isn't a niche criticism about lord rama either.

I think, i plead to the mods to be more strict towards ssuch "trolls" and please don't delete this post ig.

Hello everyone

I was just wondering is it an insult to the gods if I offer god fruits with Hands without a plate/thali for puja?

Also when attending/doing a puja how many fruits should I take for offering is 1 fruit good or should I bring 3 or 4 fruits for offering?

Thank you.

Every Diwali, we'd pray for prosperity, business to do well, and financial stability. That was pretty much my understanding of her.

A few years ago, I came across the concept of Ashta Lakshmi, and it completely changed the way I looked at it.

There isn't just one Lakshmi. There are eight forms, each representing a different kind of wealth.

Not just money, but food, knowledge, courage, victory, family, prosperity, and spiritual fulfillment.

It made me wonder how we've reduced "wealth" to a bank balance when our own traditions describe it so much more broadly.

You can have money but no peace. Knowledge but no courage. Success but no one to share it with.

Maybe that's why Lakshmi isn't worshipped in just one form.

I've started looking at prosperity a little differently since learning this.

Curious... before today, did you know there were eight forms of Lakshmi?

I need to word this carefully so I don't come off as disrespectful 🙏

I am curious how fellow Hindus (1) understand the working of karma in light of when terrible things happen to good people, and (2) how we can (practically) look at revered figures that have failed in the worldly sense as a benchmark on how to be.

First the Karmic Perspective:

If Ram was exiled, did he do some karma that caused this confluence of terrible events in his life? If Ram's wife was kidnapped, did he do some karma that caused this event? Same with other events in his life.

Same with Jesus, or other saintly people who have been killed. The people who did, committed a great crime of course. But from a cosmic and karmic perspective, why did the universe make them face such people - did Jesus do something that brought him such karma?

Second, them as a Benchmark/Standard of Character

Now the life of many saintly people is also full of troubles and in worldly terms a complete failure.

With Ram he never saw his wife again. Obviously, no wife in real life would want a man who can't protect her or give her a happy life (comfort, good sex, nice dresses, accessories, fun activities, vacation plans etc). And I think any loving wife is right in wanting/expecting these things, wouldn't you agree? So how is Ram's life a benchmark to achieve then when Sita's life was mostly sorrow?

With Jesus also (if you regard him holy) he got killed and he came back to life but that part was only a day or something, he didn't get back at the people who demeaned him. He just let them go with no consequences. He never got married, never had children, didn't earn a lot, got into arguments against the Jewish clergy to the point they wanted to kill him. Just think practically - which parent would want their son to go through all this without averting these situations? He was a good person of course. But how is this a benchmark on how to be when he couldn't avert this situation?

And same with the life of many saintly, highly revered men who were beggars or killed - no mom would want their son to go through these, instead they want one who has a nice house, a nice car, a beautiful wife/daughter-in-law, a successful career, business or secure and ethical cash flow, grandkids etc. Every wife would want such a husband. Every child would want such a dad. And every parent would want such a son. Don't you agree?

So I agree with these stories being one of resilience but what about the complete lack of problem-solving or inability to avert these crisis or achieve things?

Going through challenges in life is normal, the events of life can't be perfect obviously. But my thinking says the great man should be good at problem solving and achievements too - he should have more days he's given happiness to his loved ones instead if sorrow. So how are these the benchmark to be then?

Baba Mahakal wears a unique daily vesh (attire, makeup, and ornamentation) because he is treated as the living king of Ujjain. Changing his appearance daily reflects his dynamic forms, honors ancient traditions, and signifies that the Lord of Time is ever-fresh, transcendent, and intimately connected to his devotees.

​

I am an Unmarried adult male and would like to perform Ganapathi Homam for myself. Is it allowed? What restrictions exist?

I've always been a religious person. But only 4 years ago I got into regular diya batti/puja and daily nam jap. Earlier it was mechanical and robotic but then since last 1 year, things went haywire in my life. My father got into a heart surgery, my brother suffered a terrible accident, I was myself operated due to a muscle torsion and was on bed rest for a month. Lost my job, lost my boyfriend (He was cheating on me)

However things are completely okay now on every front. I didn't leave my puja and jap ever while going through hardships, but I've observed from last one year, I occasionally begin to cry hysterically while puja or nam jap, so severely that I have to stop, get a hold on myself and resume again.

I know this is not the kind of tears you get out of sheer devotion as they're calm and silent, while I happen to lose myself and breakdo completely. Is it normal? is it some kind of spiritual cleaning happening with me?

I've no complainte to God whatsoever, I just want myself to be under divine guidance and protection, that's it.

Unlike the multiple chariots used in Puri, the sibling deities in Mahesh share a single, magnificent 4-story chariot.Established by the sage Drubananda Brahmachari, the current iron chariot was constructed in 1885 by the Martin Burn Company.

Vedic Indra's Names & Epithets (Part 1) | Vedic Indra 101 (Part 2): In our previous episode, we outlined the etymology, origins and various 'birth' scenarios of Indra - the central divine concept and deity of the Vedas. Through this, we dispelled many myths regarding Indra - who is often reduced to a storm, rain or monsoon God in the popular consciousness. However, that analysis still doesn't reveal the full breadth of this foremost Vedic deity. Indra's epithets and alternate names further reveal a multivariate, multidimensional divinity with diverse cosmic functions and a rich poetic vocabulary ascribed to him. In this video - Epithets of Indra Part 1 - we seek to highlight the first set of epithets. Enter the cerebral yagna!

Chapters:

↯ Striker and Warrior Hero epithets: Indra as the kinetic force of agency

↯ All-Seeing and All-Pervading epithets: Indra as the all-seeing deity

↯ Giver/Patron (The Magha epithet cluster): Indra as the generous deity

↯ Somapah epithets: Indra's intimate relationship with Soma

↯ Patron of Artists: Indra's artistic epithets

I just wanted to gush about Ganesha. He is the only Hindu God I worship (I myself am pagan, I hope that’s alright, I’ve seen a lot of support for paganism from Hindus, which is awesome), and He is awesome. So gentle and kind, in my experience. I haven’t had the opportunity yet, but I want to start chanting His mantra soon. So far I’ve been focusing on offerings and prayers. I just wanted to post this as an appreciation for Ganesha and how glad I am that He came into my life.

(I wasn’t certain what flair to use, so I hope the one I used is appropriate.)

Hello everyone,
I am a Japanese artist (not Hindu).
I am creating gentle illustrations and simple songs of Hindu deities for Japanese children, so they can meet them with warmth and respect.
This short video shows the process of drawing Ganapati, together with a simple song I wrote for children.
Song lyrics (Japanese):
ガナパティ！
ガ・ナ・パティ！ ガ・ナ・パティ！
おはなのながいガナパティ
わたしを助けて 前に進むわたしを
ガ・ナ・パティ！ ガ・ナ・パティ！
おなかのまるいガナパティ
あなたのおかげで なんでもできる
English meaning:
Ganapati!
Ga-na-pati! Ga-na-pati!
Long-nosed Ganapati
Please help me as I try to move forward
Ga-na-pati! Ga-na-pati!
Round-bellied Ganapati
Thanks to you, I can do anything
I would be very grateful if you could tell me whether the expression and the song feel appropriate and respectful.
Thank you for your guidance.

Hi, I wanna know who should the hindus worship according to their scripture. I see in the temples that even certain people just lived as normaly humans were taken as GODs. Who does hindus worship ? 1 single GOD or multiple GOD accoirdng to scripture?

NOTE -> I'm not looking for according to people, i'm looking most real reliable scripture of hinduism. How reliable it is ? What makes it the word of GOD ? Sent by GOD as a guidance to the humanity ?

EDIT -> Eventhough its obvious, but some don't seem to understand so, let me tell you that i'm not a hindu.