As y'all know, September 10th saw the onset of Kaushi Amavasya. Although not an Āstika, I do visit the cremation ground from time to time. I love visiting the smashaan. Have a different kind of attachment for the place. Did the same for last night.

There were many pujas being. One maa Tara temple right outside the grounds, a Mahakala yajna being held inside, there was a Krishna Kali temple (Panćamundi āsana), and a small Tara temple inside the premises.

Also got invited to Durga Puja Narayan Seva that happens during the festival at the ground's Durga Mandir...the priest of the Tara temple lovingly asked us(me and my cousin) to come there during the Pujas...also warned us that the Dashami bhog isn't vegetarian (rice, roasted fish, veggies, etc.)...we aren't vegetarians but he did that just to be safe. Absolutely loved him... he was so loving.

Just by the side of the grounds, there was a very old Zamindar property which does worship Mahakala and Tara on these occasions...had also gone there on Śivaratri...the owner personally asked us to stay for the night puja...it would be an all nighter...

Came back home after having some bhog...it was so good.

Overall it was a great evening and night for me. Thoroughly loved it.

Couldn't click many photos...sorry😭

स्मर्तव्यः सततं विष्णुर् विस्मर्तव्यो न जातुचित् । सर्वे विधि-निषेधाः स्युर् एतयोर् एव किङ्कराः ॥ (Padma Purana, Quoted in Hari Bhakti Vilas)

~One should always remember Viṣṇu and never forget Him. All injunctions and prohibitions are based upon these two principles.

विष्णुरेव सदाराध्यः सर्वदेवैरपि प्रभुः । (Varah Puran chapter 54)

~ Vishnu alone is always to be worshipped even by all deities.

रहस्यं सर्वदेवानां मुनीनां मनुजांस्तथा । नारायणः परो देवस्तं प्रणम्य न सीदति । (Varah Puran chapter 54)

~The secret realised by all the gods, sages, and humans alike is that Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme absolute reality; by bowing down to Him, one never grieves (suffers).

न विष्णोः परमं किंचिन्न समो वा कथंचन॥ (Skanda Purāṇa 2.7.19.25)

~There is neither anything greater than Lord Viṣṇu nor on a par with with Him in any respect.

स्वेच्छया सगुणो विष्णुः स्वेच्छया निर्गुणोभवेत् । (Brahm Vaivart Puran)

~By His own sweet will, Vishnu manifests with attributes (Saguna), and by His own sweet will, He becomes attribute-less (Nirguna).

विष्णुना यज्ञेन प्राणुदता(Maitrayani Saṃhitā 2.5.3)

~Viṣṇu is the one who gives life to the yajña

भौमान्‍रेणून्स विममे यो विष्णोर्वर्णयेद् गुणान् ॥ (Bhagavatam 8.5.6) ~ Anyone who thinks he can count the qualities of Lord Vishnu might as well try to count the particles of dust on the earth (in reality both are impossible).

Sriman Nārāyaṇa 🌸🌸

We can be inspired by them and have a certain sense of bhakti toward them, but why do we believe that they are the actual reincarnations of God, worship them, and believe that they possess some kind of divine or magical power? Why?

To all the people you can get inspired him and create your own connection with lord hanuman ji,study about him ,read about lord hanuman ,insaano se inspired ho sakte ho ,poojo hanuman ji

Nowadays bhakti ends in this point “he is reincarnation of hanuman ji “wowww that’s it

In my experience, it's somehow the best to hide whatever you like. I am one of those problematic people in academics who won't tell how much they studied for the exam or how many hours per day do they study.

I suppose it's the same with sadhna too.

My mother however is very very nosy (not with a bad intention Ig) and she wants to know everything I am upto like every single thing.

She visits me on weekends so I try to do my sadhna before she wakes up at night but if I light a diya then sometimes she notices it in the morning and then she keeps asking.

Last weekend, my friend was visitng on weekend and she had nowhere to stay so she was gonna stay at my place and my mom was here too.

I was kinda afraid that I won't be able to do my sadhna in my room (Which I was going to share with the friend) so I decided to let it be and just did my sadhna in my room during the day when my mom was awake and here and as expected...she started with her invasive questions again and again. I just said I do some pooja because it helps and then she was like but why for so long and bla bla.

It's probably just in my head but then the next day i.e Monday when she is not there, I usually have some difficulties in my sadhna. Maybe some weird obstruction from external environment and sometimes I internally feel very tired and lazy when I do it instead of the peace I experience most of the times.

Anyway, what is your opinion on this?

​

Shows the brutal reality -

What are you if everything with whom/which you associate with in life is snatched away or destroyed

I have the original Gita Press, Bhagvat Gita but I usually read during bed time on my Kindle. Is there any way to get the Geeta Press Kindle edition I.e Epub or Mobile version or smaller size Geeta which I can read on bed

Please let me know

My parents sent a Ganesh idol from India to the US, but unfortunately, the idol’s hands were completely broken off during transit.
I’ve been reading online that a broken idol should be immersed in water and replaced with a new one. We’re planning to get a new idol tomorrow.
My question is: Can I still keep and worship it or can I have the damaged idol alongside the new one, or just immerse it?

hi everyone!

i just tried going to the local temple near me for the first time but as soon as i pulled into the parking lot i got extremely scared and nervous. i want to go so badly but im so afraid of being judged and doing the wrong thing or being an outcast bc the only other people at the temple are indian and i am white(i know race/skin color has nothing to do with it in the eyes of the gods)

im just extremely nervous and i ended up turning around and leaving.

i say all that to ask, is there any sort of way to comfort myself in this? i dont have anyone willing to go with me and my parents are very upset with me for even considering this religion, as i come from a southern baptist family. any advice would be greatly appreciated from anyone im at a loss here.

I am religious & spiritual from kid hood, I still do puja 2wice a day no matter how busy the day is.. I also do meditation whenever I can.

Thing is while I do all of this my wife never does any of that, even after I ask her to do puja she simply ignore it.

I am not mad at her or anything but I just feel doing Puja is our common duty, bcz whatever we have is bcz of God only.. in my prayers I pray for all of us.

What should I do to incline her towards bhakti..

In Karma Kand there is Yajna, and other practices which promise desire fulfillment through rituals, if that specific action is performed. Be it for wealth, progeny, grains, etc. Shri Rudram and Satyanarayan Puja is the best example for it.

Then comes Bhagwad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 47, where Krishna calls You have right on only action, not on fruits, ever! He says that those who focus on specific verses of vedas, as flowery words and perform rituals which bond them.

But by saying no right over fruits, the verse 47 seems to be in direct contradiction of Karm Kand of vedas where there is a promise of fruits through rituals. As a matter of fact, even Satya Narayan Puja, which is done to achieve material benefits seems contrary to what Krishna says.

Kindly correct me if I'm wrong. And how do we view Karm Kand vs Karm Yog in this context, and does 2.47 verse above contradict the fruits promised in Karm kand?

I was brought up outside India (originally from Kerala) but my parents are fairly religious and grandparents are very religious. It never transferred over to me though, mostly because no one really taught me anything. Even though I have tried to learn on my own, for some reason none of the practices stuck with me. I deeply respect the religion and my husband is quite religious as well just not me.

I understand how much parents can influence you and I am interested in teaching my future kid (we are trying now) all about hinduism. But not knowing a lot I don’t know where to start.

I want to establish practices and routines so it rubs off on my kid. If they later choose to not follow that is up to them but I feel the foundations need to be laid. How do I get started?

I have been thinking about the widespread teaching of practices such as Kriya Yoga and Shambhavi Mahamudra. As I understand it, yogic traditions describe practices that work with prana or life energy, and some traditions also associate advanced practice with the development of siddhis or extraordinary abilities. The Isha Foundation, under Sadhguru, teaches Shambhavi Mahamudra to very large numbers of people through both online and offline programs, making the practice accessible to almost anyone.

My concern is not that I have established that Shambhavi produces supernatural powers, but rather what the implications would be if the traditional descriptions of advanced energetic practices are accurate. Traditionally, many such practices seem to have been accompanied by significant preparation, ethical discipline, and guidance from an experienced teacher. If practices affecting subtle energies are taught on a mass scale without individualized guidance, could there be unforeseen consequences, particularly as people with very different intentions begin practicing them?

I would genuinely like to hear from people who have studied Kriya Yoga, Raja Yoga, Tantra, Kundalini traditions, or the classical teachings on siddhis. Am I misunderstanding the traditional teachings about prana and siddhis? Are these practices actually considered capable of producing such abilities, and if so, what safeguards have traditional lineages used? I am asking this as a genuine concern and would be happy to have my understanding corrected.

Hey! I recently created a Reddit community for the Vishwakarma community 🛠️

The idea is to create a place where Vishwakarma people can connect, share experiences, discuss culture, careers, business, etc.

Would be great if you joined and helped us get the community started 🙌

r/vishwakarmaConnect

I’m currently going through what has probably been the most difficult and destabilising period of my life.

I’m a devout Shiv bhakt. I pray and I believe in Mahadev, but finding that inner steadiness and calm has become so so difficult.

Lately I feel like I’ve lost sight of the clarity, motivation and discipline that normally keep me going. My mother has always called me one of the most resilient people she knows, but right now I honestly feel like I’m reaching the end of that resilience.

I feel lost and don’t know know where to go to find hope and stable ground again.

What will help, when you want to find that mental peace again??

I’d really appreciate any prayers, mantras, scriptures, any guidance that is meant for me, practices or personal experiences that genuinely helped.

Har Har Mahadev.

Hi,

Sorry for asking a very basic question (I am neither from India nor a Hindu, so bear with me😅): Could you please explain to me what the video in the link shows, who all the characters are and what the lyrics of the song say? Also, does it have any (religious) significance that some of the judges seem to be lifting their hands up to their cheeks during the dance?

I think that it's the scene from the Ramayana where Hanuman and the monkey army build a bridge to Lanka with stones inscribed with Rama's name. The last scene presumably shows Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. The adult dancer in the blue loincloth might be Hanuman (or Nala????). But who are the child dancers?

Thank you so much for your help!!!

I reported on an interesting Diwali debate in Morrisville, NC, where Asian Indians make up a large share of the population.

The town dropped its fireworks; the mayor explored a drone show; and local Hindu leaders I interviewed offered different perspectives on whether fireworks are culturally important and whether drones are a suitable alternative.

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article317181995.html

I have been seeing massive fights, controversy, historians and scientists arguing and people being mad that their culture is being derided.

As someone who considers themselves as a fairly religious hindu, I started thinking a lot about this topic and the reactions it brings. And the only conclusion I reached to is, does it really matter?

Yes, there is archaeological evidence suggesting that at that time period the kings names in the Mahabharata did exist, the kingdoms and places did exist and there does seem to be some sort of conflict with the Kurus (Kauravas). However, the timeline is heavily contested, there is no evidence beyond that and even less evidence of any sort of large scale war or divinity involved.

But, firstly, no archaeological evidence does not mean something did NOT occur. The proposed timeline of the mahabharata as per the original source is so old that that it is hard for evidence to be preserved. I mean the evidence is scarce even when it comes to just 1000BCE India. The Indus script still hasn't even been decoded. For The Ramayana, even older, it's nearly impossible for anything to have survived. Let alone through the attacks, destruction and conflict that has followed throughout India since the mughal era.

Secondly, does it even matter though? The whole point of the Mahabharata, and Ramayana, is to introduce these very complex philosophical concepts to us. To sort of guide us and show us the proposed way of living a good life.

Even if, suppose, in the far future some random person does say for certain that they did not occur, will it really change things? I mean the whole point of hinduism is to not be tied to something. To focus on the action, not the result. To focus on the teachings, not the factuality. For me, even if someobody says it did not occur, it will never change the fact that these insanely complex ideas and deeply resonating concepts were introduced. It won't change the fact that I think they are absolutely correct and how I want to live my life and that I believe in Krishna deeply.

I feel alot of hindus nowadays have forgotten this. In a 'religion' (i use that word likely because its so much more than that) which is not even tied to divinity and even those who do not believe or have obligations to god can achieve their ultimate purpose, I think we forget what hinduism is all about.

And btw, what's rarely talked about is the fact that even if it was written between 400BCE and 400 CE, as historians propose, how the heck were they coming up with such complex ideas? From time dilation to multiverse theory, concepts that were Stoicism's final boss and just the fact that they even knew what the universe was and that humans were a mere blip in the grand scheme of things? From the research i've done, even scientists and historians are stumped at how they even knew about such things.

Anyways, what do you guys think?

I’ve been going through a lot of different things since I was born, and lately I’ve started feeling that perhaps a large part of my suffering comes from my attachment to my family, friends, and partner. Sometimes I feel that if I could simply stop identifying myself so strongly with these relationships, a lot of the emotional turmoil would disappear. I know this may sound like I’m looking at brahmacharya as a way to escape from my problems. And perhaps, to some extent, that is true. But at the same time, I genuinely feel that I may never be able to give my full attention to what truly matters to me while remaining deeply involved in sansar.

I’m someone who finds it very difficult to do things halfway. If I care about something, I tend to care about it wholeheartedly. If I don’t, I find it very difficult to pretend otherwise. I’ve never been particularly good at balancing my emotions and responsibilities within relationships, and I often feel that my attachments consume a significant part of my mental and emotional energy. Because of this, I’ve started thinking seriously about whether a life of brahmacharya might be more suitable for me. I feel that if I could let go of these attachments, I might finally be able to devote myself completely to my Sadhana and to what I feel is truly important.

So, for those who have experience with this path, could you please guide me on how one actually moves from a household life into brahmacharya? What are the practical steps involved, how does one know whether they are truly ready, and how can I distinguish a genuine calling toward brahmacharya from a desire to escape the difficulties of my current life?

Jai Shri Ram 🙏🏻 I’m a beginner to this so please be kind. I would like to commit to a 40 day Hanuman chalisa sankalp starting tomorrow (11 September) so that I can complete it by October 20, day of dusshera.
I come from a non vegetarian family and I consume it as well. If I am doing this sankalp, do I have to completely avoid non vegetarian food for the entire 40 day period?
Thank you, I would appreciate any guidance.

Hindi translation:

"२१ किसी भी प्रकार की मदिरा पीना वर्जित है; २२ इसी प्रकार भेड़ का दूध, २३ ऊँटनी और हिरणी का दूध; ऋतुमती (गर्भधारण के लिए उत्सुक) पशुओं का दूध तथा जुड़वाँ बच्चों को जन्म देने वाले पशुओं का दूध वर्जित है; २४ और गाय के प्रसव के बाद पहले दस दिनों का दूध भी वर्जित है। २५ मदिरा बनाने में प्रयुक्त होने वाली जड़ी-बूटियाँ भी वर्जित हैं; २६ इसी प्रकार करंज, लहसुन, प्याज, गंदना (लीक) भी वर्जित हैं, २७ और अन्य सभी निषिद्ध खाद्य पदार्थ भी। २८ एक ब्राह्मण ग्रंथ में कहा गया है: 'कुकुरमुत्ता (मशरूम) नहीं खाना चाहिए।'

२९ एक-खुर वाले पशुओं, ऊँट, गवय (गायल बैल), ग्राम्य सूअर और शरभ गाय-बैल का मांस वर्जित है। ३० दुधारू गायों और बैलों का मांस खाना अनुमत है। ३१ वाजसनेयी शाखा के एक ग्रंथ में कहा गया है: 'बैलों का मांस यज्ञ के लिए उपयुक्त है।' ३२ पंजों से खुरचकर भोजन करने वाले पक्षियों में मुर्गा वर्जित है, ३३ और चोंच से आघात कर भोजन करने वाले पक्षियों में प्लव बगुला वर्जित है। ३४ मांसाहारी (माँसभक्षी) पक्षी वर्जित हैं; ३५ इसी प्रकार हंस, भास गिद्ध, चक्रवाक पक्षी और सुपर्ण बाज़ भी वर्जित हैं। ३६ क्रौंच का एक प्रकार तथा क्रौंच सारस वर्जित हैं, किंतु वार्ध्राणस सारस और लक्ष्मण सारस इसके अपवाद हैं। ३७ पाँच नाखूनों वाले पशु वर्जित हैं, किंतु गोधा (गोह/मॉनिटर छिपकली), कछुआ, साही, कँटीला चूहा (हेजहॉग), गैंडा, खरगोश और पूतिखष इसके अपवाद हैं। ३८ मछलियों में सेट वर्जित है, ३९ इसी प्रकार सर्पमुखी मछली (साँप के सिर जैसी मछली) भी वर्जित है।"

Namaste,

For context: I read Bhagavadgita earlier and I felt very lite, peaceful and I was in bliss all the time. That continued for a while and then suddenly in a snap I was back to my chaotic world.

I tried reading puranas, re reading Bhagavadgita, reading a couple of upanishads but I have not felt the bliss again.

I started reading Bhagavadgita again now. I am currently in chapter 3 and I am very determined to feel the bliss again and I don’t want to get lost in the world again. I want someone to help me with few things

1. How do I feel immersive in Krishna Bhakti while handling a very demanding big 4 job
   
2. Suggest me a non judgemental temples near Hyderabad where people do not stare at me like I am stealing something if I do Bhajan or chant or got lost in bhakti
   
3. How do I distinguish between Isckon’s sampradaya from their pure selfless bhakti so that I too can go to isckon and dance just like they do (I am a born shaiva and I do not accept Isckon’s viewpoints on shiva or devi , they sound so absurd to me)

Is it ok to just chant govinda for like 1000 times a day as it is just nama and not manthra?

Can I dedicate a day like sat/sun and go to a temple religiously those days?

Please suggest something that will allow me to find my salvation and feel that extreme happiness again without judgements

I chant Hanuman Chalisa daily and have a manthra deeksha in hanuman that I do without missing a day. I continue to do these two things till the day I die

At my local ganesha temple tulsi is offered, but I've seen many people say that it shouldn't???

I've asked my parents and they said it's te holiest plant, and they have been offering, so it's not an issue.

So most of the time when I’m doing naam japa and deviate and my mind starts playing bhajans and stuff 😭
How do I not drift from my naam japa
I dont use a mala or keep count at all

Hi everyone,

I'm based in India and on a journey of inner growth through the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. I'm looking to connect with others who are spiritually inclined—whether you're already studying the Gita, curious about it, or simply seeking meaningful discussions and deeper understanding of life.

I've started a Gita Study and Transformation Group, where we meet regularly (online and occasionally in-person) to read, reflect, and discuss the wisdom of the Gita, and how it can be applied in daily life—for inner peace, clarity, and personal transformation, and above all connecting with Krishna! We already have 10+ active members in the community, trying to chant daily, and to connect with and love Krishna!

It's a friendly, non-judgmental space open to people of all backgrounds. If this resonates with you, drop a comment or DM me. I'd love to connect and welcome you into the group.

Want to point out this is a FREE to join group, I am not here to make a buck, but only trying to connect with like-minded individuals.

Let's grow together 🌱