A Dakshina, also known as Gurudakshina is a Sanskrit word describing the Indian tradition of a student repaying his teacher, his guru after the completion of his education. This tradition is a mark of respect, and of thanks. The repayment is not money, but a special task a teacher wants his pupil to accomplish for him. In most cases, the teacher receives a valuable gift from the pupil and his family. Indian traditions equate one's teacher as equal in importance to one's parents, and to be given great respect throughout one's life. However, this tradition is no ...

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dakshina:

gift given to one's guru.

(See also: dakshina, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

dakshina:

dakshina (dhakshina). Fee, offering.

(See also: dakshina, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Eight hundred years ago, Dharmasthala was known as Kuduma in Mallarmadi, then a village in Dakshina Kannada. There lived lived a Jain chieftain, Birmanna Pergade and his wife Ammu Ballalthi in a house called Neliyadi Beedu. They were simple, pious and affectionate people. All knew the Pergade family for its generosity and hospitality.

Read more here: » Jainism: The Legend Of Dharmasthala

As the sighting of the moon is a must in Islam to signal holy occasions, so is the confluence of the full moon, pournami , and the star Pushya in the month of Makara or January. It is a day consecrated to the worship of Subrahmanya - he who is full of bliss and effulgence - the younger son of Shiva. He is more or less appropriated by the Tamils as their own god; temples to Kartikeya dot the state, most of them situated on hilltops, in places like Palani and Tiruttani, in thick forests as in Subrahmanya in Dakshina Kannada and on the seashore as in Tiruchendur.

(See also: Subrahmanya, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Sri Aurobindo, a scholar of India's spiritual-philosophical tradition, developed an original philosophy, which contained an evolutionary dimension. Humanity's destiny, according to Sri Aurobindo, is to evolve towards a higher state of consciousness that would fundamentally alter life, as we know it. To accomplish this, Sri Aurobindo synthesized various traditions of ancient spirituality and offered the instrument of integral Yoga. This prophet of the New Age not only predicted the perfectibility of the human condition but also assured that the day is not far when man's Supramental consciousness achieves its fullest fruition on earth. Following is an excerpt from Sri Aurobindo's Synthesis of Yoga.

Read more here: » Sri Aurobindo: Integral Yoga from Sri Arubindo's Synthesis of Yoga

A guru shows the path of enlightenment to seekers. The guru is both a formal teacher and a spiritual preceptor. He is a storehouse of spiritual energy, which he can transmit to others. He helps the aspirant to polish his inner self till it reflects the light of truth. In the Shirdi Sai Satcharita a seeker asks Shirdi Baba: "Where to go?" Baba replies: "High up". The seeker then asks: "How to go there?" Baba answers: "Take a guide, he will take you straight and make you avoid the ditches and wild beasts in the jungle". Even avatars like Rama and Krishna subjected themselves to the tutelage of worthy gurus like Vashishta and Sandipani.

(See also: Advantage of Guru, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Nauli Kriya is intended for regenerating, invigorating and stimulating the abdominal viscera and the gastro-intestinal or alimentary system. For the practice of Nauli you should know the Uddiyana Bandha. Uddiyana can be done even in a sitting posture; but Nauli is generally done while standing.

Excerpt from the book Kundalini Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda.

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 What is Vasthu?

Human body is under the influence of the nine Planets. In fact it is governed and controlled by all these nine planets. Dwelling place is known as GRAHA, and this graha is under the rule of vasthu, the Omnipotent Devtha (Divine Lord of men's dwelling place.) So there has to be an utmost harmony between the body (which is ruled by Nava Graha) and home (Graha which is under the influence of Vasthu. Vasthu Sasthra is the science which explains the rules of the harmony required.

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Dakshina Kannada, also called South Kannada, South Kanara, or South Canara, is a district of India's Karnataka state. Mangalore is the capital and chief city of the district. The population of the district is 1,896,403 (2001 census). The population of the district increased 14.51% from 1991 to 2001, and 15.98% in the 1981-1991 period. Dakshina Kannada District is divided into five taluk ...

Including:

• Dakshina Kannada - Background

Read more here: » Dakshina Kannada: Encyclopedia - Dakshina Kannada

In Mahabharata epic, Ekalavya is a young prince of the Nishadha tribes, who achieves a skill level parallel to the great Arjuna, despite Drona's rejection of him. Ekalavya - Becoming a warrior. Ekalavya - Drona's rejection. Ekalavya comes to Drona for instruction. Drona rejects him on account of him not belonging to the Vedic religion, nor being an Indo-Aryan. Ekalavya - Self-training and prowess. Ekalavya is undeterred, and e ...

Including:

• Ekalavya - Becoming a warrior
• Ekalavya - Drona's rejection
• Ekalavya - Self-training and prowess
• Ekalavya - Ekalavya's dakshina
• Ekalavya - Modern perspective

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A Gurukul is a type of ancient Hindu school in India that is residential in nature with the shishyas or students and the guru or teacher living in close proximity, many a time within the same house. The shishya learns from the guru and also helps the guru in his day- to- day life, including the carrying out of mundane chores such as washing clothes, cooking, etc., The guru- shishya parampara is a hallowed tradition in Hinduism, and has also carried over into Sikhism. At the end of a shishya's study, the guru asks for a "guru dakshina,

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Arebhashe or Gowda Kannada is a dialect of the Kannada language, particularly, spoken by the people belonging to ‘Gowda’ community (among Hindus) who are the natives of Sullia and Bhagamandala of Dakshina Kannada and Coorg districts, respectively and also eastern parts of Kasaragod district of Kerala state. In Sullia Taluk, as the majority of the population belongs to Gowda community, most of others also generally communicate in the same dialect. Around 3 lakhs of people in this region speak this dialect. Arebhashe has its

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The Kaṭha Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. It is associated with the Taittiriya school of the Black Yajurveda. It figures as number 3 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads. The Upanishad uses as its base the story of Vajasravasa (alluded to in Rigveda 10. 135), a poor and pious Brahmi who performs a sacrifice and gives as presents (dakshina) to the priests a few old and feeble cows. His son, Naciketas, feeling disturbed by the unreality of his father's observance o ...

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Kodagu (sometimes called Coorg, especially in English) is a district of Karnataka state, India. It occupies about 4100 sq. km. in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. It is bordered by Dakshina Kannada to the northwest, Hassan district to the north, Mysore district to the east, and Kannur district of Kerala state to the south and southwest. The district town is Madikeri. Kodagu - Geography. Kodagu lies on the eastern slope of the Western Ghats. It is a mountainous district, presenting through ...

Including:

• Kodagu - Geography
• Kodagu - Flora and fauna
• Kodagu - People
• Kodagu - The Kodava
• Kodagu - Other communities
• Kodagu - Languages
• Kodagu - Economy
• Kodagu - History
• Kodagu - The name

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The ancient Buddhist and Brahmanical texts use the expression Dakshinpatha as a name for both the southern high road and for the region lying south of Majjhimdesa or Mid India. The first reference to Dakshinapatha occurs in the Rig-Veda where it refers to the region where the exile goes on being turned out. In the opinion of several scholars, this means the South beyond the limits of the Saptasindhu-- the then recognised Aryan world. Dakshinapatha is found in Panini (IV.2.98). Baudhyana mentions Dakshina ...

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Siddha Yoga is a spiritual group teaching traditional Hindu or yogic practices both in India and in the West. The group has an organizational foundation by the name of SYDA Foundation, founded by the second guru of the Siddha Yoga lineage, Swami Muktananda (1908 – 1982). The guru who is the latest in the lineage of teachers of Siddha yoga is a woman, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda (June 24, 1955 – ). The group has its U.S. headquarters at a large country ashram called Shree Muktananda Ashram composed of two former resort hotels i ...

Including:

• Siddha Yoga - History
• Siddha Yoga - Tenets
• Siddha Yoga - Practices
• Siddha Yoga - Criticism
• Siddha Yoga - Press articles - Favorable
• Siddha Yoga - Press articles - Critical

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The Brihadisvara temple is an ancient Hindu temple located at Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. This 10th century CE temple, one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, is a brilliant example of the Dravidian style of temple architecture. The central temple known as the Periya Koil (Big Temple) stands within a fort, whose walls are later additions built during the 16th century. The main tower of the temple is about 70 m high. The crown itself is very large and heavy (nearly 30 tonnes) and till a few years back was t ...

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Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ kannaḍa; also, less commonly, Kanarese) is one of the major Dravidian languages of southern India. Speakers of its various dialects number roughly 40 million people. It is the state language of Karnataka, one of the four southern states in India. It is written using the Kannada script. Kannada language - History. Perhaps the olde ...

Including:

• Kannada language - History
• Kannada language - Dialects
• Kannada language - Classification
• Kannada language - Geographic distribution
• Kannada language - Official status
• Kannada language - Kannada script
• Kannada language - Transliteration
• Kannada language - Unicode
• Kannada language - Extinct Kannada Letters
• Kannada language - The Dictionary

Read more here: » Kannada language: Encyclopedia - Kannada language

Charity is a term that refers to giving. In Christian theology it is one of the three theological virtues, meaning loving kindness towards others; it is held to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and reflect the nature of God. In its most extreme form charity can be self-sacrificial. Charity is one conventional English translation of the Greek term agapē. The term is also applied to organizations such as a charitable trust, a charitable foundation, or a corporation ...

Including:

• Charity - Dān
• Charity - Dān look-alikes
• Charity - Sankalp – promise to give
• Charity - Benefits of dān
• Charity - Classification of dān
• Charity - How much?
• Charity - Forms of dān
• Charity - The timing of dān
• Charity - Publicising dān
• Charity - Encouraging dān
• Charity - The utility of dān

Read more here: » Charity: Encyclopedia - Charity