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Word document download: FCT-0302 ‘Mantra’ means “that which delivers the mind” and denotes a prayer or phrase consisting of sacred words. Mantras are usually in Sanskrit and are often recited repetitively. There are numerous Gayatri mantras but the main one, of twenty-four syllables, is sometimes called ‘Savitri’. Many Hindus recite the mantra as part of […]
Prayers (primary version) (word document download) Hindu Prayers Keep in mind that many Hindu songs, poems and mantras are also a form of prayer, and you may consult the corresponding material on this CD-Rom. It is also important to note that some of these prayers will need to be adapted for use with or by […]
Scriptural Verses D (secondary version) Section D – Verses Spoken on the Audio CD The following is a transcript of the verses on the Audio CD (Tracks 4-10), along with the accompanying narrative. There may be slight differences from the spoken version. Track 4 All but one of the following verses are from the Bhagavad […]
Scriptural Verses B (word document download) Verses on Core Values and Virtues Please also refer to the section on proverbs for further relevant verses. In here, there are four main categories, namely: A. Godly / Spiritual Qualities (general) B. Demonic / Materialistic Qualities (general) C. Specific Virtues D. Miscellaneous A. Godly / Spiritual Qualities (general) […]
Quotes from Hindu Leaders (word document for download) Selected Quotes by Hindu Leaders QTL-01 Fearlessness is the first requisite of spirituality. Cowards can never be moral. Mahatma Gandhi QTL-02 You do not like to suffer yourself. How can you inflict suffering on others? Every killing is a suicide. The eternal, blissful and natural state has […]
Prayers (secondary version) (word document download) Keep in mind that many Hindu songs and poems are also a form of prayer, and you may consult the corresponding material on this CD-Rom. Prayer for liberation and enlightenment From the temporary lead me to the eternal! From darkness lead me to light! From death lead me to […]
STO-317-sec Once Lord Brahma was attending a yajna (sacrifice). It is traditional that for a married man his wife should always sit next to him during the yajna, otherwise it won’t bear fruit. Additionally, yajnas were only expected to be successful if started at an auspicious moment, as determined by the respective positions of the […]
STO-204-sec Draupadi was the daughter of Maharaja Drupada. The king performed a great sacrifice under the superintendence of the sage Yaja. By his first offering, Dhrishtadyumna was born. At Kurukshetra, he killed Drona, his father’s arch enemy. By the second offering, Draupadi was born. An aero-message declared that she was born for the destruction of […]
STO-211-sec Relevant to how different people have different values, and to the cause(s) of suffering Some herons were sitting by the side of a boggy pond. A swan happened to pass by, then a heron asked the swan, “Why are you face, eyes and toes red? Who are you?” The swan replied, “I am a […]
STO-118-sec Vishnu, as soul of the entire cosmos, manifests innumerable universes from the pores of his skin and from his breathing. He then enters each universe, as the universal soul. From his navel springs a lotus flower, upon which is born Brahma. Brahma performs austerity and creates the world from sound beginning with the Gayatri […]
STO-401 There are number of stories or incidents connected with Raksha Bandhan, and we narrate five, as follows: The Bhavishya Purana cites a story that the Devas (demigods) once battled with the Asuras (demons) for twelve years. However, the Devas, headed by the mighty Indra, were losing the war. As they prepared to fight again, […]
STO-317 Once Lord Brahma was attending a yajna (sacrifice). It is traditional that for a married man his wife should always sit next to him during the yajna, otherwise it won’t bear fruit. Additionally, yajnas were only expected to be successful if started at an auspicious moment, as determined by the respective positions of the […]
STO-211 Relevant to how different people have different values, and to the cause(s) of suffering Some herons were sitting by the side of a boggy pond. A swan happened to pass by, then a heron asked the swan, “Why are your face, eyes and toes red? Who are you?” The swan replied, “I am a […]
A Concise Collection of Hindu/Indian Proverbs Download word document: Proverbs PRO-01 One attains greatness by personal qualities and not by merely holding high office. A crow perching on top of a palace does not become Garuda (the king of birds and carrier of Vishnu) PRO-02 A pigeon today is better than a peacock tomorrow PRO-03 […]
Selected Mantras Download word document: Mantras The Gayatri Mantra MAN-01 Let us meditate on the most excellent light of the creator (the sun); May he guide our intellect Rig Veda 3.62.10 A different translation of this same mantra is included on the primary Audio-CD, track 13, and is as follows: I meditate on the sun […]
Download PDF: PCT-312 The sun is one of the five deities worshipped by the Smarta tradition. These five are Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganesh and Surya. Worship of the sun goes back to ancient times. The ancestors of Rama came in the Surya vamsha (dynasty of the sun) and the Sun was their worshipable deity (note: […]
Download PDF: PCT-309 Sarasvati is the Goddess of Learning and the Arts, and is closely connected with all aspects of Hindu culture. Sarasvati has three main forms: As Vach (speech personified) As the Goddess of learning and the arts As the legendary river (now dried up) She is the daughter of Brahma, but became his […]
Download PDF: PCT-308 Lakshmi is the eternal consort of Lord Vishnu, and is often worshipped with him as Lakshmi-Narayana. She is worshipped in her own right, particularly during the festival of Diwali. Lakshmi is shown standing or sitting on the lotus, and she holds in two hands a lotus and a water pot. With another […]
Download PDF: PCT-304 Shakti or Devi (the goddess) is one of the three main focuses of worship. Shakti means energy and in one sense refers to all goddesses, the ‘energies’ of their respective husbands. Specifically, Shakti refers to the consort of Shiva. In other words, the Supreme Lord is represented as Shiva and his power […]
Download PDF: PCT-303 Shiva is one of the Trimurti. He presides over tama-guna (the quality of darkness) and is responsible for the destruction of the material world. He is also considered the supreme male principle (purusha), the husband of mother nature (Shakti) and is therefore also associated with creation. He is often worshipped through the […]
Download PDF: PCT-301 Brahma is one of the trimurti, He presides over raja-guna (the quality of passion) and is in charge of universal creation. He was born atop the lotus emanating from the navel of Vishnu. He is also called Svayambhu, the ‘self-born’, and is the first living being within the universe. Brahma is also […]
Download PDF: PCT-015 Shiva&Parvati Shiva is one of the trimurti (three main deities). He is in charge of destruction. He destroys the universe by dancing and beating on his drum. Shiva is white with a blue throat although he is often shown with dark blue skin. He carries a trident (a spear with three points) […]
Word document download: ART-1206 Sahajanand Swami, also known as Swaminarayan, was born in April 1781 in the small village of Chapaiya north of Ayodhya in the State of Uttar Pradesh India. In accordance with Indian custom on the sixth day after birth he was given his name, Ghanshyam. The boy’s father was Dharmdeva and his […]
Word document download: ART-0526 Somnath is particularly important for Shaivas, but related sites are closely connected to Krishna. For a picture of a linga, see the Teachers’ Book, page 135. Somnath near Veraval in Gujarat was once the most revered shrine in the country, for it had one of the twelve pre-eminent Jyotirlingas (the glowing […]
Word document download: ART-0503 Chidambaram is most closely related to Shiva in his form as Nataraja (See the Teachers’ Book, pages 48 and 52). Chidambaram Temple is in South India. ‘Cid’ means ‘consciousness’ and ‘ambaram’ means “expanding skies”. ‘Chidambaram’ can be translated as ‘expanding consciousness’. Chidambaram is a home of famous Nataraja, Shiva as the […]
Word document download: FCT-0603 There are a number of ceremonies before birth, namely the purification of the womb (prior to conception) and two ceremonies during pregnancy. After birth, there are further samskaras and we list below seven of the most important. Keep in mind that specific practices and the timings vary considerably and that today […]
Word document download: FCT-0401 Hinduism almost certainly has a longer list of festivals than any other religion. Everyday of the year, someone somewhere is celebrating a Hindu festival. For this reason, we cannot list them all here, but will concentrate on a few major ones. Pongal (January 14th or one day on either side) In […]
Word document download: FCT-0303 Within the Hindu tradition there is no clear distinction between prayer, the chanting of mantras and the singing of songs and hymns. A mantra is a standard phrase consisting of a number of syllables. It is often chanted repetitively a fixed number of times. At the beginning of each mantra there […]
Word document download: FCT-0002 WHAT IS HINDUISM? Hinduism does not refer to one religion with a single set of beliefs and practices, but is an umbrella term that embraces the religious and cultural life of the Indian sub-continent The name Hindu was given by the Persian invaders to refer to the various beliefs and practices […]
Audio player for tracks extracted from the Heart Of Hinduism ‘Sounds of the Hindu World’ CD