All posts by proudhindu

Celebrating Diwali, The Hindu Festival Of Lights

Diwali is India’s biggest festival (Photo Credit: By Khokarahman [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons) Every year, around October or November, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains worldwide celebrate Diwali. Also referred to as Deepavali or the Festival of Lights, the five-day event, whose exact date is determined by the Hindu lunar calendar, dates back over 2,500 years. Hence, it should come as no surprise that Diwali, which will be commemorated from November 5 to November 9 this year, is India’s Read more [...]

Devali with ancient Hindu Tribes of Cholistan

The festival of Devali is celebrated by Hindus with a religious fervor and enthusiasm. The history of the festival is associated with the ancient folklore. According to Hindu scripture during ‘Treta yug’ (initial period of tr world), Dasrath Ram the king of Audhiya exiled his son Shri Ram for fourteen years to jungle enticed by his youngest wife Rani Kekaai. Rani Kekkai, opposing the title of Ram as crown prince insisted the king to exile him to wilderness because as his step mother she didn’t Read more [...]

Bantwal: Hinduism reveres women – others should review opinion on it ‘ – SL Bhyrappa

Mounesh Vishwakarma Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP) Bantwal, Nov 3: "Hinduism has given the status of god to women. But people belonging to other religions continue to nurse ulterior opinion about Hinduism. They need to question themselves about this attitude and re view their stand," felt noted Kannada novelist, Saraswathi Samman awardee, Padma Shri Dr S L Bhyrappa. He was addressing the students after going through academic and other activities being organized by Sri Rama Vidya Kendra, Read more [...]

Hinduism is a religion, but it is something more: David Frawley

The crowd that gathered at David Frawley's Why I Became A Hindu, braving the afternoon heat, seemed almost geared for battle. In the end, they simply listened, spellbound. There were others too, seeking comfort and hope, who found their eyes well with tears as Frawley, one of the most acclaimed Vedic scholars of the day, described "the religion not of one God, but innumerable Gods. Hindu dharma recognises the unity of the universe but accepts the diversity of everything within it." Later, his Read more [...]

Do You Have Any Plans For Your Rebirth or Reincarnation?

by Jayaram V For a non-believer this is but one life, but for a believer of Hinduism, this is one of the many. This may be the final one for a self-realized yogi, or the seed for another for those in whom desires are not yet cremated in the fire of renunciation. This discussion is not about what you want to achieve in this life. It is what you want to do in your next life, or how you want to shape it. If you believe in rebirth, planning for your next life is as important as planning for your Read more [...]

The Importance of the 10th Chapter of the Bhagavadgita, Day 38

by Jayaram VNotes: I have translated the Bhagavadgita twice. The first one was a loose translation. The second one was a word to word translation with a detailed commentary. The commentary is however different from what you will find here. In this section I will share with you my thoughts about the knowledge, philosophy and wisdom of the Bhagavadgita as I understand it from my perspective. Jayaram V  The Bhagavadgita has 18 chapters. Of them some are considered more important than others. One chapter Read more [...]

The Meaning and Significance of Heart in Hinduism

by Jayaram VThe purpose of this essay is to introduce to you to the significance of the heart in Hinduism in different planes or dimensions of existence, not just as a physical organ in the body but as a spiritual entity and representative of God and Soul in the micro and macrocosms of creation.For many people the heart is simply an organ that pumps blood to various parts in the body and keeps it alive. For some it is a symbol of love. They would say, "I have given my heart," or "Your heart is mine, Read more [...]

Why the polytheism of Hindus (and their texts) leaves the monotheistic West confused

[A longer version of this article first appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books.]Polytheism can be a terribly confusing affair to monotheists. The confusion is not just spiritual but material and cultural. Non-practising or secular people brought up in monotheistic cultures are just as likely to find polytheism bewildering. Attitudes toward polyandry or polygamy in societies that enshrine monogamous partnerships display a similar dynamic, but the problem is not merely the one versus Read more [...]

Kaivalya, the State of Aloneness

by Jayaram VSo long as there is a limitation, deficiency or imperfection, that far one should serve the teacher. Kaivalya Upanishad, From the Selected Upanishads by Jayaram VWhen the self-restrained ascetic attains the state of mental inertia then only he reaches that highest state. Wherever the mind of the self-restrained ascetic rests that alone is the highest state. Kaivalya Upanishad, From the Selected Upanishads by Jayaram VFor a spiritual person who knows the nature of pure Self, knowledge Read more [...]

Hinduism And The Evolution of Life And Consciousness

by Jayaram VThe evolution of life in Hinduism through the transformative and diversification process of Prakriti is not only about the evolution of the physical body, but also the evolution of the mind, ego, and intelligence in which desire and dynamism are the first manifestations, bondage and delusion, the intermediary, and liberation, the final. Jayaram VHinduism believes in the concept of evolution of life on earth. Although it is not the same as the one known to modern science, in many ways Read more [...]