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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 […]
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-322-sec (The Witness for the Wedding) There once lived in Vidyanagar, South India, two Brahmins who decided to go on a pilgrimage. One brahmin was young and poor. The other was old and wealthy. The young man served the old man and made his trip as comfortable as possible. First they visited Gaya, then Kashi, […]
STO-308-sec Five thousand years ago Lord Krishna appeared in India. He and His elder brother Balaram, live in the rural village of Vrindavan on the river Yamuna. Both brothers were exquisitely beautiful, with black hair like the clusters of crows’ feathers and eyes like lotus petals. The only difference between them was in colour. Krishna […]
STO-314-sec The Birth of Krishna Once upon a time, Vasudeva, the son of King Surasena, just after marrying Devaki, was going home on his chariot with his newly wedded wife. The father of Devaki, known as Devaka, had contributed a sizeable dowry out of affection toward his daughter. He had given hundreds of chariots decorated […]
STO-320-sec Surya and Sanjana In Hindu mythology, Surya married Sanjana and she bore two children, Yama and Yami. Yama is the God of Death, and Yami is more commonly called Yamuna, the sacred river that runs through Vrindavana and New Delhi. Sanjaya, however, could not bear the intense light and heat radiating from her fiery […]
STO-202-sec Once upon a time, the great saint Narada Muni was on his way through a forest to bathe at the confluence of the three sacred rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati.. As he was walking, he came across a deer lying on the path. He saw that the animal was pierced by an arrow, […]
STO-502 All summer long the cowherd boys took the calves to different places to graze. One day they were all feeling very hot and thirsty, so they went to the Yamuna River. Unknown to them, deep within the water lurked a huge and horrible snake called Kaliya. Kaliya had one hundred heads. He so polluted […]
STO-322 Sakshi Gopal (The Witness for the Wedding) There once lived in Vidyanagar, South India, two Brahmins who decided to go on a pilgrimage. One brahmin was young and poor. The other was old and wealthy. The young man served the old man and made his trip as comfortable as possible. First they visited Gaya, […]
STO-320 Surya and Sanjana In Hindu mythology, Surya married Sanjana and she bore two children, Yama and Yami. Yama is the God of Death, and Yami is more commonly called Yamuna, the sacred river that runs through Vrindavana and New Delhi. Sanjaya, however, could not bear the intense light and heat radiating from her fiery […]
STO-314 The Birth of the Blue God Adapted from the book, “Hindu Stories” written by Anita Ganeri and published by Evans Brothers. Reproduced with permission. On the banks of the Yamuna River in India, lay the kingdom of Mathura, which was ruled over by wicked King Kamsa. The king was unjust and unpopular but nobody […]
STO-308 Five thousand years ago Lord Krishna appeared in India. He and His elder brother Balaram, live in the rural village of Vrindavan on the river Yamuna. Both brothers were exquisitely beautiful, with black hair like the clusters of crows’ feathers and eyes like lotus petals. The only difference between them was in colour. Krishna […]
STO-202 Once upon a time, the great saint Narada Muni was on his way through a forest to bathe at the confluence of the three sacred rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati.. As he was walking, he came across a deer lying on the path. He saw that the animal was pierced by an arrow, […]
Word document download: ART-1203 Ramanuja is one of the three preeminent Vedantic theologians; the others are Madhva and Shankara. Shri Ramanuja is known as the greatest exponent of Vishishtadvaita Vedanta (qualified monism). He appeared around 1017 A.D in a pious brahmana family. His birthplace is a small village some 25 miles southwest of Madras (now […]
Word document download: ART-0524 Rishikesh is largely connected with meditation and related groups. Refer to the Teachers’ Book, pages 44, 59 and 145. Rishikesh is a very peaceful town, and it is famous as a place to study yoga and meditation. The town got its name when Raibhya Rishi performed tapasya (austerities) there. Lord Hrishikesh, […]
Download article ‘ART-0502 Source of Ganges’ as word document Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri All these sites are in the Himalayas. The Ganges and Yamuna are often considered the two most sacred rivers. Badrinath Badrinath is the abode of the Nara-Narayana sages and is one of he eight self-manifested holy tirthas (places), as well as […]
Mathura: The Birth Place of Lord Krishna Mathura is closely linked to Krishna. According to Vaishnava philosophy, Lord Krishna is the source of all things, both spiritual and material. However, in order to engage in loving relationships with his pure devotees, he accepts a mother and a father. Around 5000 years ago, Lord Krishna accepted […]
Prayag (Allahabad): The Most Sacred of Bathing Places Prayag is the most important site for the great Kumbha Mela festival Allahabad was previously called Prayag, after a Prakrista Yajna (sacrifice) performed by Lord Brahma. Allahabad is also called Tirtha Raja, “the king of all holy places”. This is the confluence (sangam) of the holy rivers, […]
Vrindavana: The Land of Krishna Vrindavana, along with the nearby city of Mathura is most intimately connected with Krishna. Vrindavana is one of the most important holy places in India because this is where Lord Krishna performed his childhood lila (pastimes). Krishna’s father Vasudeva brought him here from Mathura out of fear of King Kamsa. […]
Friends of Vrindavana – Environmental Charity Download article ‘Friends of Vrindavan’ as word document Friends of Vrindavan is a community project which has arisen from the existing World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Vrindavan Forest Revival Project. This project focusses on environmental regeneration and care based on the spiritual values of Hinduism, which are deeply […]
Incarnation 8 Balaram – The Cowherd Five thousand years ago Lord Krishna appeared in India. He and His elder brother Balaram, live in the rural village of Vrindavan on the river Yamuna. Both brothers were exquisitely beautiful, with black hair like the clusters of crows’ feathers and eyes like lotus petals. The only difference between […]
13. RESTORING THE FORESTS OF VRINDAVAN “Krishna brought forward the cows and played on His flute through the forest of Vrindavan, which was full of flowers, vegetables and pasturing grass. The Vrindavan forest was as sanctified as the clear mind of a devotee and was full of bees, flowers and fruits. There were chirping birds […]
11. HUGGING THE TREES What does the forest bear? Soil, water and pure air. Soil, water and pure air Are the basis of our life. Chipko folk song Sunderlal Bahugana is a small, bright-eyed man with a laughing voice. His unassuming exterior conceals a strength and determination which has been a driving force behind Chipko […]
10. O KING OF TRESS I BOW BEFORE YOU O King of trees! I bow before you. Brahma is in your roots, Vishnu is in your body, Shiva is in your branches. In every one of your leaves there is a heavenly being. Amongst the new wave of people-led environmental groups in India, Trees For […]
7. KRISHNA, THE FOREST COWHERD When Krishna played his flute to call the cows, the river stopped flowing, her waters stunned with ecstasy. Instead of swimming or flying, the cranes, swans, ducks and other birds closed their eyes and entered a trance. The cows and deer stopped chewing, their ears raised. They became motionless like […]
6. THE TEN AVATARS The ten incarnations of Vishnu are a recurrent theme in Vedic history. Vishnu exists outside the material realm as the creator, and he exists within every being as the Supersoul. He also enters this world as avatar, ‘one who descends’, to restore balance whenever his presence is needed. His descent is […]
3. FOREST SLENDOUR Sri Sewak Saran lives in Vrindavan, one of the twelve forests which were once the home of Sri Krishna and his cows. Sewakji inherited two acres of land on the edge of the pilgrimage town of Vrindavan where he has established a small wildlife sanctuary and tree nursery. In the midst of […]
Download article ‘ART-1211. Pushti Marg’ as word document About the Pushti Marg Sampradaya “Pushtimarg” translates as ‘the path of nourishment, and refers to a five hundred year old tradition founded by Vallabha (or Vallabhacharya). This tradition is well represented in the UK, although it is somewhat inconspicuous as there are few (if any) temples solely […]
Glossary Many proper names are listed under this glossary with the link reference. These include names of places, people, festivals, organisations, and sacred texts. A Adi Shankara – well-known theologian and founder of the advaita school. Also called Adi Shankaracharya. Advaita – non-dualism, the name of the theology equating the soul with God. Advaitin – […]