Shankracharya

Shankaracharya was born approximately 600 A.D. at a place named Kalandi near river Purna in the state of Kerala. There is a lot of confusion over his date of birth. Because such was the effect of Shankracharya on the Sanatana Dharam that there was a no. of saints with name Shankara after him. His father was a very learned and religious Brahmin named Shri Shivaguru and his mother was Subhadra. He was born on Shuklapanchami (fifth day of the brighter phase of the Moon) in the month of Vaishaka.
At the time of Shankar's birth, his parents had grown old. His father and mother had worshipped Lord Shiva with great devotion. An adage says that, pleased with their devotion, Lord Shiva blessed them with a boon and Himself took an incarnation as their son. So, the couple rightly named the baby as Shankar.
Shankar began to express his feelings in his mother tongue when he was only one year old. In his second year, he had byhearted the Puranas merely by listening to his mother.
His father passed away after accomplishing Shankar's Churakarm when he was only three years old. When he had reached the age of five, his Yogyopavitsanskar was carried out and then he was sent to a Gurukula for formal education. Within two years, he came back mastering all the subjects like all the four Vedas, Vedanta and the Vedangas. His teachers were surprised at his exceptional talent.
After finishing his education and mastering all the knowledge, Shankar expressed his desire to become an ascetic. But due to a mother's affection and love for her only child, Shankar was refused permission. Shankar was a great devotee of his mother. He did not want to become an ascetic causing pains to her heart. One day, he went along with his mother for a bath in a river. A crocodile caught hold of him. Finding her son in trouble, his mother started shouting in panic. Then, Shankar said to his mother that the crocodile would set him free if she gives her permission to become an ascetic. To save her son's life, his mother instantly gave him the permission.
In this way, he abandoned his home at a young age of eight. But before leaving her, he promised her that he would be present at the time of her death.
Shankar became a disciple of Swami Bhagwatpad who lived in the hermitage at the banks of the river Narmada. His Guru gave him the name of Bhagwatpujyapadacharya. Under the guidance of his Guru, Shankar mastered Yoga in a very short time. Pleased by his accomplishments, his teacher permitted him to go to Kashi and write annotation on Vedantas.
He arrived at Kashi. In a very short time, he became very famous and people accepted him as a teacher. His first disciple was Sanaadan who later on became famous as Padmacharya. While teaching his students and disciples, Shankar authored many scriptures.
One day, disguised as a Chandal, Lord Vishwanath appeared before him. When Shankaracharya recognized Him, Lord Shiva ordered him to annotate on Brahmasutra and engage himself in propagation of the Sanatan Dharma.
Later on, he travelled across the length and breadth of India and defeated many scholars in spiritual debates. He also established four Mathas(shrines) in the four corners of India for the protection and propogation of the Sanaatan Dharma.
When he arrived at Prayag, he met Kumarilbhatt who was in his dying moments. Kumarilbhatt advised him to go to Mahishmati in the district of Saharsa in Bihar and to have a debate with Mandan Mishra, a renowned scholar. In the debate, the wife of Mandan Mishra, Bharati acted as the mediator. The debate between Shankar and Mandan Mishra continued for many days and Mandan Mishra was finally defeated.
Bharati the wife of Mandan Mishra then challenged Shankar for a debate saying that the victory was not complete as she, as the better half of Mandan Mishra, had not been defeated. Shankar accepted her challenge and the religious debate began. But when Bharati changed her topic to Kamashastra (sexual science), Shankar demanded some time to answer those questions which Bharati accepted.
Shankaracharya left that place. On the way he saw a dead body of a king being carried to the cremation ground for the performance of the last rites. By his yogic powers, Shankaracharya translocated his soul in the body of the king and preserved his own body keeping it safely somewhere.
Shankaracharya's soul which was in the body of the king learnt the secrets of Kamashastra from the queen and then returned back to Bharati and defeated her. Mandan Mishra accepted his disciplehood. He was later on known as Sureshwaracharya. Shankaracharya established many Mathas and started giving sermons on the principles of the Upanishads.
Once a Kapaalik (a shaiva sect carrying human skull) requested him to give his head so that he could accomplish his Sadhana (spiritual practice). Shankaracharya generously agreed to his demand. During the state of Samadhi as the Kapaalik was about behead him, one of his disciples, Padmapada came to know about this in the state of his meditation, being informed by his deity, Narsimha. He arrived at the scene and killed the Kapaalik.
Shankaracharya had contributed in the construction of many temples. Because of his teachings, countless number of people followed the virtuous path after quitting their evil ways.
Shankaracharya considered devotion as the best means to attain self-knowledge. He himself was a great devotee. Many Shlokas also bear testimony to the fact that he was also an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna. He had made quotations of many Shlokas connected with Lord Shiva. He wrote many sacred books like Brahmasutra Bhashya, Upanishad(Ish , Ken, Katha,Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya) Bhashya, Gita Bhashya, Vishnu Sahasranama Bhashya, Sanatsujatiya bhashya, Hastamalak Bhashya, Lalitatrishati Bhashya, Viveka Chudamani, Prabodh Sudhakar, Updesh Sahashri, Aprokshanubhuti, Satashloki, Dasha shloki, Sabvedant Siddhantsaar Sangraha, Vakya Sudha, Panchikaran, Prapanchasara, Atma Bodh, Manishapanchak Anandlahiri, Vividh stotra etc.
Shankaracharya's philosophies were of the highest quality. The philosophers of the world give respect to his philosophy.
The advent of Shankaracharya was at the crucial time when the Sanaatan religion was facing the fear of extinction from all sides. The Sanaatan religion owes a lot to Shankaracharya for its survival

Pushkar Temple

Pushkar is a town in the state of Rajasthan in India. Pushkar means born due to a flower. In Hindu mythology it is said that the gods released a swan with a lotus in its beak and let it fall on earth where Brahma would perform a grand yagna. The place where the lotus fell was called Pushkar. It is situated 14 Km from Ajmer and is one of the five sacred dhams (pilgrimage sites for devout Hindus.) It is often called "Tirth Raj" - the king of pilgrimage sites - and has in recent years become a popular destination for foreign tourists.
Pushkar lies on the shore of Pushkar Lake. It has five principal temples, many smaller temples and 52 ghats where pilgrims descend to the lake to bathe in the sacred waters. One of the primary temples is the 14th century temple dedicated to Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. Very few temples to Lord Brahma exist anywhere in the world. Other temples of Brahma include those at Besakih in Bali, Bithoor in Uttar Pradesh, India, village asotra near balotra city of barmer district in rajasthan INDIA and Prambanan in Indonesia.
Pushkar is also famous for its annual Pushkar Camel Fair.
The natural environment of Pushkar and the sacred lake has become increasingly degraded in the last few decades. The problems stem mainly from overdevelopment of tourist facilities and the deforestation of the surrounding area[1]
Pushkar is one of the oldest cities of India. The date of its actual founding is not known, but legend associates Lord Brahma with its creation.
The Ramayan mentions Pushkar and says that Vishvamitra performed tapa here. It further says that the Apsara Menaka came to Pushkara to bathe in its sacred waters.
The Mahabharata says that while laying down a programme for Maharaja Yudhishthara’s travel, “Maharaja after entering the Jungles of Sind and crossing the small rivers on the way should bathe in Pushkara". And, per Vaman Purana, Prahlada on his pilgrimage to holy places visited Pushkarayana.
A Pratihara ruler of Mandore, Nahadarava, restored this tirtha in the seventh century. He got the place cleared and the lake restored by making an embankment on the side of the river Luni. He rebuilt old palaces and built twelve dharam shalas (resting places) and ghats on three sides of the lake.
The sage Parasara is said to have been born here. His descendants, called Parasara Brahamanas, are found in Pushkar and the surrounding area. The famous temple of Jeenmata has been cared for by Parasara Brahmans for the last 1000 years. Pushkarana Brahamanas may also have originated here.
Pushkar boasts temples, though few are as ancient as you might expect at such an important pilgrimage site, since many were destroyed by Aurangzeb, a Mogul ruler and subsequently rebuilt. The most famous is the Brahma Temple, said to be the only temple in the world dedicated to this deity. It stands on a high plinth with the Marble steps leading up to it. A silver turtle is set on the floor facing the Sanctum-Sanctorum or Girbha-griha. Around the turtle the Marble floor is inset with hundreds of silver coins. Coins engraved with donors names are also embedded in the walls. Peacocks adorn the temple walls as they are supposed to be the vehicle of lord Brahma's consort Saraswati. A small image of the milkmaid Gayatri, flanks the four-faced image of lord Brahma and is called Chaumurti The sanctuary has silver doors inside a carved marble gateway.
Places to view in Pushkar

SAVITRI TEMPLE:
The one-hour trek up to the hilltop Savitri Temple overlooking the lake is best made early in the morning; the view is magical.

VARAH TEMPLE:
Originally built in the 12th century, Varah Temple was, like many others, destroyed by the bigoted Emperor Aurangzeb (who, it is said , was particularly upset by the huge idol here of Varah, the god with the body of a man and the head of the boar.) Reconstructed BY Raja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in 1727, the temple has an interesting and richly ornamented image house.

MAHADEVA TEMPLE:
A Beautiful temple built in the 19th century, it was described by a British traveler of the time as "by far the most remarkable, for the elegance of its structure and the nature of its ornaments, of all the temples Pushkar boasts of." It is also noteworthy for its white marble Mahadeva image, with its five faces (and its traditional tufts of hair).

RAMAVAIKUNTH TEMPLE:
One of Pushkar's largest and most intricate temples, the Ramavaikunth Temple was built in the 1920's and has beautifully sculpted images of no less than 361 different deities. The ornate outer gopuram over the entrance is said to have been built by a team of masons specially brought here from south India.

Lake and its many Ghats:
Many Ghats run down to the Holy Lake where pilgrims are constantly bathing in the holy waters. Joining people at the ghats has to be with some respect for their culture and privacy. And for this reason, removing shoes before approaching the ghats, no smoking and restraining from photographing bathing people is well avoided. The Pilgrims here are sensitive about comments by non-Hindus. The famed waters of the Pushkar lake wash away the sins of a lifetime.
The mystical water is also believed to cure skin diseases, making Pushkar the Lords of the East.

Gayatri Mantra

Gayatri mantra


ओ३म् भूर्भुव: स्व: |
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गोदेवस्य धीमहि |
धियो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ||

MEANING:-
तूने हमें उत्पन्न किया, पालन कर रहा है तू |
तुझ से ही पाते प्राण हम, दुखियों के कष्ट हरता तू ||
तेरा महान तेज है, छाया हुआ सभी स्थान |
सृष्टि की वस्तु वस्तु में, तु हो रहा है विद्यमान ||
तेरा ही धरते ध्यान हम, मांगते तेरी दया |
ईश्वर हमारी बुद्धि को, श्रेष्ठ मार्ग पर चला ||

Om: The primeval sound that represents Brahma,
Bhur: The physical world that embodies the vital spiritual energy or 'Pran',
Bhuvah: The mental world and destroyer of all sufferings,
Swaha: The celestial and spiritual world that embodies happiness,
Tat: That or God, referring to transcendental Paramatma (Ultimate Spirit),
Savithur: The Bright Sun or the Creator and Preserver of World,
Varenyam: Best or most adorable,
Bhargo: Destroyer of all sins,
Devasya: Divine Deity or Supreme Lord,
Dheemahi: We meditate upon and take in,
Dhiyo: The Intellect,
Yo: The Light,
Nah: Our,
Prachodayath: Inspire or Enlighten

Hindu Trinity

LORD BRAHMA
Lord Brahma, the creator God of the Trinity appears seated on a lotus (a symbol of glorious existence), He has four heads and hands. Each hand is holding a sacrificial tool (sruva), the vedas (knowledge), a water pot (kamandalu) and a rosary respectively.
His vehicle is a swan (hans) which is known for its judgment between good and bad. Lord Brahma's consort is goddess saraswati, the Goddess of Learning.

LORD VISHNU
The preserver god of the Trinity has four hands. The first holds a conch shell (sankha) indicating spread of the divine sound "Om"; one holds a discus (chakra), a reminder of the wheel of time, and to lead a good life; one holds a lotus (Padma) which is an example of glorious existence and the fourth hands holds a mace (gada) indicating the power and the punishing capacity of the Lord if discipline in life is ignored.
His vehicle is the swift-flying bird Garuda which can spread the Vedic knowledge with great courage. The dark color of the Lord represents the passive and formless ether, a great quality for a pervading god. He rests on the bed of the powerful, coiled serpent, Seshanag who represents the sleeping universe. Lord Vishnu is also known as Hari, the remover. Lord Vishnu's consort is Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth .

LORD SHIVA
Lord Shiva appears in a meditating but ever-happy posture. He has matted hair which holds the flowing Ganges river and a crescent moon, a serpent coiled around his neck, a trident (trishul) in his one hand and ashes all over his body.
The Lord's attributes represent his victory over the demonic activity, and calmness of human nature. He is known as the "giver" god. His vehicle is a bull (symbol of happiness and strength) named Nandi. Shiva-Linga, a sign of the Lord, is adored instead of him. Shiva temples have Shiva-Linga as the main deity.

Meaning of Om

The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which men desire when they lead the life of continence … is Om. This syllable Om is indeed Brahman. Whosoever knows this syllable obtains all that he desires. This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahma."
Om or Aum is of paramount importance in Hinduism. This symbol (as seen in the image on the right) is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism — omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable.
Om, therefore, represents both the unmanifest (nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects of God. That is why it is called pranava, to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath.

The Power of Chanting Om
1. The chanting of Om drives away all worldly thoughts and removes distraction and infuses new vigour in the body.
2. When you feel depressed, chant Om fifty times and you will be filled with new vigour and strength. The chanting of Om is a powerful tonic. When you chant Om, you feel you are the pure, all pervading light and consciousness.
3. Those who chant Om will have a powerful, sweet voice. Whenever you take a stroll, you can chant Om. You can also sing Om in a beautiful way. The rythmic pronunciation of Om makes the mind serene and pointed, and infuses the spiritual qualifications which ensure self-realization.
4. Those who do meditation of Om daily will get tremendous power. They will have lustre in their eyes and faces.

Hanuman Chalisa

जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुन सागर । जय कपीस तिहुँ लोक उजागर ॥१॥
राम दूत अतुलित बल धामा । अंजनिपुत्र पवनसुत नामा ॥२॥
महाबीर बिक्रम बजरंगी । कुमति निवार सुमति के संगी ॥३॥
कञ्चन वरण विराज सुबेसा । कानन कुण्डल कुँचित केसा ॥४॥
हाँथ वज्र और ध्वजा विराजै । काँधे मूँज जनेऊ साजै ॥५॥
संकर सुवन केसरीनंदन । तेज प्रताप महा जग बंदन ॥६॥
विद्यावान गुनी अति चातुर । राम काज करिबे को आतुर ॥७॥
प्रभु चरित्र सुनिबे को रसिया । राम लखन सीता मन बसिया ॥८॥

सूक्ष्म रूप धरि सियहिं दिखावा । बिकट रूप धरि लंक जरावा ॥९॥
भीम रूप धरि असुर सँहारे । रामचंद्र के काज सँवारे ॥१॰॥
लाय सजीवन लखन जियाये । श्रीरघुबीर हरषि उर लाये ॥११॥
रघुपति कीन्ही बहुत बड़ाई । तुम मम प्रिय भरतहि सम भाई ॥१२॥
सहस बदन तुम्हरो जस गावैं । अस कहि श्रीपति कंठ लगावैं ॥१३॥
सनकादिक ब्रह्मादि मुनीसा । नारद सारद सहित अहीसा ॥१४॥
जम कुबेर दिगपाल जहाँ ते । कबि कोबिद कहि सके कहाँ ते ॥१५॥
तुम उपकार सुग्रीवहिं कीन्हा । राम मिलाय राज पद दीन्हा ॥१६॥

तुम्हरो मंत्र बिभीषन माना । लंकेस्वर भए सब जग जाना ॥१७॥
जुग सहस्त्र जोजन पर भानू । लील्यो ताहि मधुर फल जानू ॥१८॥
प्रभु मुद्रिका मेलि मुख माहीं । जलधि लाँघि गये अचरज नाहीं ॥१९॥
दुर्गम काज जगत के जेते । सुगम अनुग्रह तुम्हरे तेते ॥२॰॥
राम दुआरे तुम रखवारे । होत न आज्ञा बिनु पैसारे ॥२१॥
सब सुख लहै तुम्हारी सरना । तुम रच्छक काहू को डर ना ॥२२॥
आपन तेज सम्हारो आपै । तीनों लोक हाँक तें काँपै ॥२३॥
भूत पिसाच निकट नहिं आवै । महाबीर जब नाम सुनावै ॥२४॥

नासै रोग हरै सब पीरा । जपत निरंतर हनुमत बीरा ॥२५॥
संकट तें हनुमान छुड़ावै । मन क्रम बचन ध्यान जो लावै ॥२६॥
सब पर राम तपस्वी राजा । तिन के काज सकल तुम साजा ॥२७॥
और मनोरथ जो कोई लावै । सोई अमित जीवन फल पावै ॥२८॥
चारों जुग परताप तुम्हारा । है परसिद्ध जगत उजियारा ॥२९॥
साधु संत के तुम रखवारे । असुर निकंदन राम दुलारे ॥३॰॥
अष्ट सिद्धि नौ निधि के दाता । अस बर दीन जानकी माता ॥३१॥
राम रसायन तुम्हरे पासा । सदा रहो रघुपति के दासा ॥३२॥

तुम्हरे भजन राम को पावै । जनम जनम के दुख बिसरावै ॥३३॥
अंत काल रघुबर पुर जाई । जहाँ जन्म हरिभक्त कहाई ॥३४॥
और देवता चित्त न धरई । हनुमत सेई सर्ब सुख करई ॥३५॥
संकट कटै मिटै सब पीरा । जो सुमिरै हनुमत बलबीरा ॥३६॥
जै जै जै हनुमान गोसाईं । कृपा करहु गुरु देव की नाईं ॥३७॥
जो सत बार पाठ कर कोई । छूटहि बंदि महा सुख होई ॥३८॥
जो यह पढ़ै हनुमान चलीसा । होय सिद्धि साखी गौरीसा ॥३९॥
तुलसीदास सदा हरि चेरा । कीजै नाथ हृदय मँह डेरा ॥४॰॥

Hindutva

Hindutva

Hindutva or Hindutva literally means Hinduness - a way of life or a state of mind that is based on the cultural and spiritual ethos based on the spiritual systems that evolved from India.
Hindutva is a Philosophy like Communism or Socialism. The difference is that whereas communism and socialism are materialistic philosophies intended to secure economic welfare of individuals, Hindutva is a spiritual plus economic philosophy founded and developed from ancient times in India for securing the all round happiness of all individuals irrespective of religion of individuals.
The stress in this philosophy both on the ruler and the ruled is the performance of duty and to conform to a code of conduct. The vast body of proper code of conduct in every sphere of human activity such as personal, social, political was called "Dharma".

Shree Ramjanmabhoomi Temple

On the site of the birth of Lord Rama, one of the most important avatars of Lord Vishnu, stood a magnificent temple devoted to Him. However, Babur, a fifteenth Mogul invader, who brutalized India and destroyed temples in his zeal to spread Islam destroyed the temple and in its place - a structure he called Babri Masjid.
For centuries Hindus tried to recover this auspicious site. Legal challenges were filed and were unresolved for decades. Hindus presented volumes of historical and archeological data to prove the existence of Shree Ramjanmabhoomi Temple. In fact, for at least 70 years no Moslem had prayed in that mosque, whereas Hindus continued circumambulating around this site, despite it being a mosque.
Finally, in what is now widely accepted as India's second freedom struggle, on December 6, 1992 the Babri Masjid was brought down and icon representing Lord Rama, was installed and worshipped.

Human Rights

Hindus are a minority in several countries. In some of the countries, the Hindu minority is persecuted severely. For example, in Pakistan, the Hindu population has been drastically reduced through genocide, forced conversions and forced migration. The condition of Hindus in Bangladesh is no different. In the 1970s, Edi Amin expelled all the Hindu Ugandans from the country, whereas in Fiji, attempts have been made to exclude the Hindu minority from the political process. This section will serve to catalog the Human rights violations, committed against Hindus around the world.