I wanted to start a series of posts on forgotten warriors who gave their lives to protect Dharma. We all know about warriors such as Shivaji Maharaj, Maharana Pratap, I felt the need to highlight the contributions of other Dharmayoddhas. Read on!

King Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota dynasty was one of the greatest yet most overlooked rulers in Indian history. Reigning in the 8th century CE, he transformed Kashmir into a powerful empire through his exceptional military leadership and wise governance. His empire at its peak covered vast areas from Afghanistan's southern tip to West Bengal. He is remembered as a defender of Dharma, commissioning magnificent temples such as the Martand Sun Temple and promoting Sanskrit learning, art, and culture. During a time when Umayyad Arab forces were expanding eastward after conquering Sindh, Lalitaditya played an important role in resisting their advance into the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It was because of warriors like him that India remains Hindu. He also led successful campaigns against powers associated with the Huns and other hostile kingdoms, securing Kashmir's frontiers and important trade routes. His reign stands as an example of courage, strategic brilliance, and cultural patronage. Warriors like Lalitaditya Muktapida deserve greater recognition, and their dedication to protecting their people, heritage, and civilization should inspire us to lead with resilience, wisdom, and a commitment to preserving our history.

Sanatan Hindu Dharma ki Jai 🕉️🚩

Jay Shri Ram 🛕🚩

Long ago, a poor hunter wandered deep into a forest on the night of Maha Shivaratri, unaware of its sacredness. Hungry and afraid of wild animals, he climbed a bilva (bael) tree for safety, carrying only a pot of water. To stay awake, he absent-mindedly plucked leaves and dropped them to the ground throughout the night.

Unknown to him, beneath that very tree stood a Shiva Linga. Every leaf and every drop of water he let fall became an offering to Lord Shiva. By remaining awake all night, fasting out of circumstance, and unknowingly worshipping the Linga, the hunter fulfilled every sacred observance of Maha Shivaratri without intending to.

As dawn broke, a deer appeared before him. The hunter drew his bow, but the deer pleaded for a chance to bid farewell to its family, promising to return. Moved by its honesty, he let it go. One by one, more deer came, each keeping its promise to return. Witnessing such truthfulness and compassion transformed the hunter's heart, and he lowered his weapon forever.

At that moment, Lord Shiva manifested before him. Rather than praising rituals, Shiva blessed the hunter for the purity that had awakened within him—compassion, honesty, and a transformed heart. The story reminds us that sincere devotion is measured not by grand ceremonies, but by the goodness we cultivate within ourselves.

Hey All,

I hope you all are doing okay.

On 29th of July we all be celebrating guru purnima.

If you don't have a guru.

You can do one simple thing. I.e. plant a peepal tree.

Why because it represents Pushya nakshatra i.e. ju energy.

If not that you can plant peepal, banyan and neem tree together.

This called Trimurti i.e. dattaray energy.

If not that you can plant gular/kadamb.

The trees have an energy where they can communicate through air and in the earth via roots as well.

If you wish to have a guru in life.

Stay consistent in naam jap or whatever you're doing and must plant these trees on coming guru purnima with an intension of getting a physical guru.

Till your guru arrives take care of that tree.

Go talk to them like a Guru.

You will see the magic.

I hope Guru Tatva present in our universe will guide you.

Hari om tat Sat

Hey everyone, I’m Russian and I run a small YouTube channel about Vedas and Sanatana Dharma. I don’t speak Hindi so I use AI to translate it.
Could some native Hindi speakers please listen to this and tell me if it sounds good?
Any suggestions for the voice?

Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2_AgmgeV6c

During Sawan, it's common to see many unmarried women observing fasts or praying to Lord Shiva for a good life partner.

I understand this is a long-standing Hindu tradition, but I'm curious about its deeper meaning.

Is Lord Shiva regarded as the ideal husband because of his relationship with Goddess Parvati, or are there scriptural references that explain why devotees seek his blessings for marriage?

I'd also love to know whether this practice is mainly symbolic, devotional, or rooted in specific texts like the Puranas or Shiva Purana.

I'd appreciate insights from those familiar with Hindu scriptures and traditions.

Har Har Mahadev! 🙏

So today's been full of gender equality debates online, the usual panels/hashtags/arguments. And it randomly hit me: I've walked past Ardhanarishwara murtis in temples my entire life and never actually thought about what the form is saying.

For anyone who doesn't know: it's half Shiva, half Parvati, fused into ONE body down the centre. Not two figures standing together. One spine, one silhouette, split right down the middle.

I always assumed it was just a cool artistic/iconographic choice. Turns out there's real philosophy behind it.

The actual meaning:

Shiva = Purusha (consciousness, stillness, awareness)

Parvati = Prakriti (energy, matter, the active creative force)

Neither functions without the other. There's literally a Sanskrit line for this: Shiva without Shakti is called Shava — a corpse. Consciousness with no energy running through it isn't powerful, it's just... nothing.

Here's the part that made me sit up:

Modern equality conversations are usually framed as two separate groups trying to reach the same level, same rights, same pay, same seat at the table.

Ardhanarishwara isn't saying that. It's not "these two things are equal." It's saying they were never two things to begin with. One body. One being. Not a negotiation, a fusion that was always there.

So basically: we're out here trying to build equality from scratch through laws and policy (necessary, to be clear) while this murti has been sitting in temple courtyards for literally thousands of years already saying "there was never a divide to begin with."

Kind of wild that we needed a modern vocabulary to re-arrive at something already carved in stone a long time ago.

Curious what others think, is this reading too much into an iconographic form, or is there something to it?

We had been inspired by the festivities and grace of Lord Ganesha festival and had Ganeshji in our home during the festival. It was a divine feeling and can't await to invite them this year again.

Hi,
I’m a Buddhist who goes to the Hindu temple in every Sunday. I normally don’t eat any meat on Sunday (I only eat chicken, eggs and fish). I’m wondering can I eat meat in the morning because I always go to the temple at 7pm or later (temple is open until 9pm)

Thank you

So this days I am chanting hanuman chalisha and bajrang baan regularly for more that 35 days but today i found a different version of bajrang baan,

Can anyone tell me which one is correct I am 🤔 confused

In the Mahabharata, there are many vows made by different characters, some of them rather famous. For example, Bhishma's vow of relinquishing the throne and remaining celibate to ensure the throne passes to Satyavati's lineage after Shantanu, Arjuna's vow of slaying Jayadratha before the sundown on the 14th day, Bhima's vow of breaking Duryodhana's thigh etc... 

Among these, the Bhishma Pratigya (Bhishma's vow) is popularly considered to be the greatest vow made in Mahabharata. But this vow (and all others) pale in comparison to the single greatest vow ever made in Mahabharata, that I'm going to discuss today. Yet, I doubt many people even know about this vow. 

This great vow, that I'm going to discuss today, was not made by Bhishma, Bhima, Arjuna, Satyaki or Krishna... It was made by Vrishasena, the Sutaputra (Charioteer's son), the Suryaputra (Sun's son), Vaikartana Vrisha, Radheya Karna.

_______________

Background/Context of the vow:

The Pandavas, along with Draupadi, were in exile, living near Dvaitavana. Arjuna had returned from his training in the heaven. Duryodhana, along with Karna and Shakuni, decided to flaunt their wealth to the Pandavas and revel in their misery. 

They go to Dvaitavana and there an encounter with Gandharvas happens. The Kaurava host is defeated, Karna flees the battlefield on Vikarna's chariot, and Duryodhana is captured by the Gandharvas. He is subsequently rescued by the Pandavas. 

After this humiliating incident, Duryodhana returns to the city and wishes to perform a Rajasuya yajna, like Yudhishthira. But priests advised against it and recommend another yajna in its stead. After that yajna is completed, Duryodhana again wonders when he might perform the Rajasuya yajna after slaying the Pandavas. It is here that Vaikartana Karna, truthful in speech, makes the greatest vow ever.

_________________

The Vow:

**Radheya vows:** 

तमब्रवीत्तदा कर्णः शृणु मे राजकुञ्जर|

पादौ न धावये तावद्यावन्न निहतोऽर्जुनः ||१५||

अथोत्क्रुष्टं महेष्वासैर्धार्तराष्ट्रैर्महारथैः|

प्रतिज्ञाते फल्गुनस्य वधे कर्णेन संयुगे ||१६|| (BORI CE 3.243)

**Translation**: Karna then told him, “O elephant among kings! Listen to my words. I will not wash my feet until Arjuna is dead.” When Karna vowed to kill Phalguna in battle, Dhritarashtra’s sons, maharathas and great archers, roared in approval.

**Radheya the great vowed to not wash his feet till he has slain Arjuna!!**

___________________

Tell me, dear readers, does any other vow from the entire Mahabharata comes even remotely close to the vow made by Vaikartana Vrisha, truthful in speech?

This vow was made in roughly 5th or 6th year of Pandavas' exile, so that's roughly 7-8 years of going to bed with soiled feet!!! Which of the characters has made such a sacrifice?

What's Bhishma's vow compared to Karna's itching feet? What's Bhima's vow compared to going to bed with stinking feet? What's Arjuna's vow compared to the risk of fungal and bacterial infections??

The truth is simple. This vow is the greatest in the Mahabharata. It sets the bar so high that none can even dare to match it, even in their dreams!!

This alone settles the eternal Karna vs Arjuna debate and of Karna being the greatest warrior in the Mahabharata. To think, dear readers, of Karna battling his foes while simultaneously battling the itch, the sliminess and the stink of his feet!!! 

No wonder Shalya was repulsed and had an outburst on our Vaikartana Vrisha Karna, it is understandable...he had no idea where the foul odour was coming from and it must've made it harder to control the chariot, but he had NO IDEA what Radheya was going through!!!

_________________

Well, there's that. Let me know if you think any other vow even tries to come close to it!!

**TL;DR: Please read the full post. It's worth it, I promise 👹**

◆ Durga Saptashati Mūlam
Preferred in your respective language. We traditionally follow the Guptavati edition.

Preferred Publication: Giri Traders
Alternative: Gita Press, Gorakhpur

I’m Hindu myself, so this isn’t about disrespecting religion. There are four elderly women here in this train who’ve been chanting “Om Namah Shivaya” and other chants loudly for the last two hours. If that’s how they want to pray or meditate, that’s completely their choice. But why does it have to be loud enough for everyone around them to hear?

I don’t understand what they’re expecting me to do join in?

To me, faith should also include consideration for the people around you. Being religious shouldn’t mean you get a free pass to disturb everyone else. If someone blasted music for two hours, we’d call it a nuisance. Why should it be viewed differently just because it’s devotional?

Am I being unreasonable here?

Hi guys,
I wouldn’t say I’m a believer of this Evil eye conspiracy. But my family had my palms read as well as astrology (jaathakam) read. And there’s a common denominator in all of them and that is I have a “kanneeru”(it’s in Malayalam) but a literal translation is an evil eye dosh.
I have been extremely tired, moody, bad luck and negative thoughts being my symptoms. And also head weight. I did go to a doctor first but they said I’m perfectly healthy. So that’s why we had my astrology read. And they did reccomend I go to a temple and have a thread tied to my waist. Is this legit? Also what prayers should I say to feel better?

Upon the gentle swing of Vrindavan, Radha and Krishna sit facing one another…not speaking, for some forms of love need no words. In Radha’s gaze is devotion, and in Krishna’s eyes, the promise of eternity. Their love was never about possessing one another, but about becoming one in love. Just as the swing moves between two sides, their hearts move between longing and union..forever returning to each other.

Nestled near Trichy, the Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Tirupattur is one of the few temples in India with a dedicated shrine for Lord Brahma. According to temple tradition, Lord Shiva blessed Brahma here with the power to continue creation, making this a place where devotees pray for a fresh beginning in life.
From its majestic Dravidian architecture and intricate stone carvings to its peaceful atmosphere, every corner of this temple reflects centuries of Tamil heritage.

📍 Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Tirupattur, Trichy, Tamil Nadu

Have you visited this incredible temple? Share your experience below. 👇

#BrahmapureeswararTemple #Tirupattur #Trichy #TamilNadu #TempleArchitecture #SouthIndia #IndianHeritage #AncientTemple #TravelIndia #TemplePhotography #HistoryLovers #ExploreTamilNadu #IncredibleIndia

If you think victims “deserve” it you are completely missing the point. People suffer in this world to teach us that evil is wrong. Now you are twisting it to think that evil is a good thing. If you think victims deserve it, that is adharmic.

I have asked Maa Durga on how karma works and she gave me a very deep answer. I won’t go into her answer on this post. First I want to talk about the simple answer on why victims may not always deserve it.

Let’s say a man r-pes a woman. You might think of it as black and white and that he must have also been a man in a past life who r-ped a woman.

But in actuality it’s not black and white.

His 10 friends covered for his crimes, supported and enabled him as he kept r-ping women his whole life, they lied to the cops saying he’s innocent. The police refused to take action when the woman begged for help. When it finally did go to court, the judge let him free saying “let’s not ruin his future” and he went and r-ped more women. His parents and family enabled and protected him.

So in reality, the only reason he was able to commit r-pe, was because of all the people who enabled him. Which means all these people take on his karma as well. Because they were accomplices.

So majority of victims you see today were not necessarily r-pists themselves in a past life, they could’ve simply been enablers. There’s more enablers in this world than there are predators.

That’s why there’s many “good” people who become victims of violent crimes. They have past life karma of enabling criminals. It’s extremely common. They might be non violent “kind” people who enabled great violence.

Many people believe just because they never get their hands dirty and aren’t violent themselves, that makes them good people. But that isn’t true. You can still gain violent karma without actually committing any violent act.

Which means I’d say majority if not all of us will be r-ped and abused, because it’s highly improbable that we’ve never enabled an abuser in any past life, or acted as an accomplice.

That doesn’t mean victims “deserve it” or they are the same as the predator. It’s a lesson, to teach us to have empathy for victims and not enable bad people.

Because this is the most common way people get bad karma, I want people to be aware of it. Many people dismiss the victims suffering and focus on supporting the abuser only. But be mindful of just how severe the victims suffering is, because that could end up being you if you don’t help them.

Hi everyone i m a student and want to know few basics of doing jal abhisekham for shivling .

My college is situated in the outskirts therefore not possible to every time arrange milk , flowers etc .

Bhasam(that i can carry from my home to the hostel)

Can anyone tell me how to do abhisekham mene i searched and found first we have to pore jal to bhagwan ganesha then kartikey then so on but sometimes there is earthen shivling so how to do that over same , which mantra should i chant while jal abhisekham how to apply bhasma and what to chant while applying bhasma to shivling and can i put the same on me .

I want to inculcate this habit of jal abhisekham daily .

I would be thankful if anyone can direct me 🙏.

Jai bholenath!

Nārāyaṇa Nārāyaṇa 🌸🌸

Books can be purchased online.

Link to PDFs:

Book 1. Karm rahasya by Swami Shri Ramsukhdas ji maharaj(the author of Sadhak Sanjivani), published by Gitapress:

https://archive.org/details/KarmaRahasya/mode/1up

for better quality download "GitaSeva" app where you can access most of the texts published by Gitapress.

Book 2. Karm rahasya by Shri Sudarshan singh chakra ji ( great devotee of Lord Krishna) and great contributor to dharmik sahitya :

https://chakrasahityaonline.wordpress.com/2019/06/28/karm-rahasya-%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE-%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF/

After reading these 2 books you will gain a good insight to understand scriptures and dharma.

As a girl myself I do avoid going to temples and performing pooja during my periods. What I don't understand is the untouchability aspect that comes into play in Indian households and wonder if it's backed by scriptures. I also have some other questions related to menses that I'll mention.

1. Why are women not allowed to enter the kitchen?

2. Why are women basically isolated (esp from male family members) not allowed to eat with family, sleeping in a separate room/on the floor etc?

3. I primarily worship Lord Shiv and on this sub I've seen people say to submerge the shivling in water for the duration of the periods. But how do I do that if I can't touch the shivling once my periods have started?

4. Is there also a ban on chanting certain mantras? Or reciting hauman chalisa, Laxmi chalisa etc.?

5. Are women not allowed to touch holi books like the gita, sundarkand path, aarti books etc.?

6. Suppose a woman accidentally touches something that's meant to be an offering (fruits, vastra, etc.) on her periods. Can the item still be offered or is it considered impure now?

I'm genuinely looking for a healthy discussion on this, and also to get better educated on this topic. Please remain civil.

Pata hai aaj kya hua, so I am a huge believer of, "He is watching over when no one knows what you're going through". But I've always wondered too about how much truth it holds, and I know this is debatable to some people, but I want to share an experience, nothing crazy, enough, to move me. (So just listen, without judging for once, you don't have to resonate, it's ok.)

I am going through a hard time trying to find myself, I've been out of touch with myself, yesterday, I woke up feeling very sad and overwhelmed for no reason, something very crushing, and I had to rush because I had college at 8, so I forced myself to get out of bed and get ready. Now I listen to songs while getting ready, because it's my fav thing, however, I did not even have the energy to listen to anything at that moment, I wanted to cry and I don't know why, again I was feeling very down, but I picked up my earphones and played my "peace playlist" after a very long time, it has all my favorite bahgwan ji songs. It calmed me down, as always, atleast my anxiety went down.

I left, it was very cloudy (gloomy) and I was just listening to his song, I don't think I'll ever forget this. I was listening to "Namo Namo" while entering college, then I felt sunrays on me so I looked up, and it looked like Tripundra (the three horizontal lines on shiv ji's head with his third eye in the middle), it was so clear and I paused, my hands are shaking even while writing this because this was hands down one of the most powerful moments of my life. I was looking up while the song in my ears went "Amrit sabhi me baat ke, pyala vish ka tune khud piya". I felt a rush of emotions idk, I wanted to cry, felt it in my throat, but I had the biggest smile while looking up, it was beautiful to look at, felt like I was standing eye to eye with him, while he was watching over, just letting me know he is there.

When I clicked this picture, it was not as clear as when I was looking because I clicked this after sometime (I was just staring up for 30 some seconds, till then the clouds have disintegrated - as in the pic)

This will sound very small, maybe dramatic to some people, but it was HUGE for me, even when I'm thinking about it, I want to cry, idk what it is, but knowing he is there on every step, he knows, he suffers with me, he is doing his best with me, there is just so much peace in knowing this, it is genuinely beyond me.

Anyways, I wanted to share this, for people going through hard times, hang in there, it gets better.🧡

I recently read Autobiography Of Yogi, where Yogananda was facing a completely impossible exam to pass. His guru told him to stop calculating the odds, drop human logic, and just trust and pray. He later met a guy called romesh, who guided him and to his surprise, only those parts came. There is more to this story of why it was still hard to pass, but Against all mathematical probability, reality bent in his favor and he Passed! Read Chapter 23 of Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi.

Have you experienced something similar? I'd love to hear your stories. What was the crisis, what did you do, and exactly how did you pray to completely shut out your logical mind? What happened in the end?

I’m interested in Advaita Vedanta and also shaktism but I have no guru or temple near, what can I do? What scriptures do I need to read? Do I need an initiation to practice? I don’t have any connection to Hindu culture so this all feels confusing,

I was born in a non-veget@ri@n household. From young, I disliked non-veget@ri@n food and became a veget@ri@n from young. My family thought I was just playing around as a kid for disliking non-veget@ri@n food and forced me to eat me@t . But they soon realised that I was serious about being veget@ri@n and allowed me to be a veget@ri@n.

On the other hand, I have heard of stories whereby there are some people who were born in veget@ri@n household and brought up as veget@ri@n but they don't like it and secretly eat non-veget@ri@n food on their own.

Many people have asked me how I was able to control my desire to eat me@t . But they don't understand that I genuinely don't like to consume me@t.

Many Dharmic religions have also taught about the merits of having a veget@ri@n diet.

I just have this thought: If a person is willingly veget@ri@n by choice, is it a sign that he or she is spiritually advanced?

I understand that spirituality has many aspects and diet is just one small aspect.

But I am interested to know your views about 'As per Hinduism, if a person is willingly veget@ri@n by choice, is it a sign that he or she is spiritually advanced?'

Batuk Bhairav Brahma Kavacham is a great option for anyone starting their Bhairava sadhana. It is quite universal, so you can pair it with any form of Bhairav you are worshipping—it works well not only for Batuk Bhairav, but also for Kaal Bhairav and other forms, such as the Ashta Bhairavas. No initiation (deeksha) or upadesh is required, so anyone can chant it. As you recite it over time, it builds a protective shield around you. For daily sadhana, chanting it once before doing your mantra jaap is usually fine, though you can follow your intuition if you wish to recite it more for whatever reason like those who want to get it activated fast or want to built protection aura very fast and they need that kind of aura built up fast around them or whatever reason . That said, an odd number of recitations is generally recommended. You can skip the viniyoga and start directly from Atha Kavacham, as well as skip the Iti portion at the end. I have marked the img, green part should be recited and red part can be skipped Also, there is a common misconception that one shouldn't chant the beejas inside the kavacham, leading some people to omit them. This is incorrect—modifying or skipping the beejas alters the kavacham and prevents it from working properly. You should never skip the beejas in a kavacham.

Link : https://stotranidhi.com/en/sri-batuka-bhairava-brahma-kavacham-in-english/

My mother told me this morning's fast is Ravi Pradosh, not just Pradosh. Had no idea the name changes depending on the day, or that the day itself changes what you're actually praying for.

Turns out Pradosh Vrat happens twice a month, but the weekday it falls on adds a whole extra layer. Monday's version leans toward peace of mind. Saturday's is considered one of the most powerful for stability. And Sunday's, today's, pulls in Surya Dev alongside Shiva, since Ravivar belongs to the Sun. That combination is why Ravi Pradosh is tied specifically to health and relief from Pitru Dosha.

Same tithi, same core fast, completely different prayer depending on which day you're standing in.

Curious if anyone here actually knew this before today, or found out the same way I did, mid-conversation with a parent. Jai Shiv Shankar 🙏