Satvic or Sattvic or satva is to be pronounced as Saa-thvik or as Saa-thvaa respectively. The Sanskrit word can be translated to mean pure. Any object or creature can be called satvic if it has no source in evil and can cause only good to the world. Other words are rajasic and tamasic, which are used to denote things that are not satvic. The three words satvic, rajasic, and tamasic are used to describe the behaviour of objects in the u ...

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Satvic - Satvic objects Satvic - Satvic creatures

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Satvic, Satvic - Satvic objects, Satvic - Satvic creatures

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Prasad:

Prasad(am): Satvic food, flowers, etc., offered to God. All the food one is eating should be first offered to God; mercy, gift (SSS). Each proof of mercy of the Lord.

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

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word derived from two roots: ayur, which means life; and veda, which means knowledge. It has its roots in ancient vedic literature. Ayurveda, a system of diet, healing and health maintenance, is probably the oldest science of life, just like the science of Yoga.

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Satwika individuals are usually noble and spiritual in character, their nature determined as much by body type as their star constellation, having an element of kapha in their constitution.

Brahma

Free from passion, anger, greed, ignorance or jealousy, possessing knowledge and the power of discrimination.

Arsa

Excellent memory, purity, love and self -control, excellent intellectual frame of mind, free from pride, ego, ignorance, greed or anger. Possessing the power of understanding and retention.

Aindra

Devotion to sacred books, study rituals and oblations. Devotion to virtuous acts, far- sightedness and courage. Authoritative behaviour and speech. Able to perform sacred rituals.

Yamya

Free from mean and conflicting desires and acts. Having initiative, excellent memory and leadership. Free from emotional binds, hatred, ignorance and envy. The capacity for timely action.

Varuna

Free from mean acts. Exhibition of emotion in proper place. Observance of religious rights.

Kabera

Courage, patience, and hatred of impure thoughts. Liking for virtuous acts and purity. Pleasure in recreation.

Gandharva

Possession of wealth, attendants and luxuries. Expertise in poetry, stories and epics. Fondness for dancing singing and music. Takes pleasure in perfumes, garlands and flowers. Full of passion.

(See also: Sattva, Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat, beef, poultry, fish or their by-products, with or without the use of dairy products or eggs [1]. The exclusion may also extend to products derived from animal carcasses, such as lard, tallow, gelatin, rennet and cochineal. Some who follow the diet also choose to refrain from wearing products that involve the death of animals, such as leather, silk, feather, and fur. It should be noted that although many vegetarians abstain from all animal by-products, others make exceptions in their di ...

Including:

Vegetarianism - History Vegetarianism - Recent trends Vegetarianism - Terminology and varieties of vegetarianism Vegetarianism - Motivation
Vegetarianism - Religious Vegetarianism - Nutritional Vegetarianism - Ethical Vegetarianism - Environmental Vegetarianism - Social Vegetarianism - Spiritual Vegetarianism - Physiological Vegetarianism - Aesthetic
Vegetarianism - Vegetarian cuisine Vegetarianism - Country specific information Vegetarianism - Vegetarian societies Vegetarianism - Criticism
Vegetarianism - Vegetarian diet and longevity Vegetarianism - Vegetarian diet is not a healthy diet Vegetarianism - Environment Vegetarianism - Animal Right

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Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham is one of the important Hindu Advaita maṭhas. The heads of the maṭha are known as Shankaracharyas. It is believed to be one of the original maṭhas started by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Location. The maţha is located in the temple town of Sringeri (also spelled as Shringeri), on the banks of river Tunga located in the Chikmagalur district of the Karnataka state, India. It is located 190 km from Mangalore. From Sringeri, the river Tunga flows ...

Including:

Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Location Sringeri Sharada Peetham - History Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Head of the maá¹­ha Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Philosophy and Traditions of the maá¹­ha Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Followers of the maá¹­ha Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Activities of the maá¹­ha Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Relationship with other maá¹­has and Institutions Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Guru Parampara

Read more here: » Sringeri Sharada Peetham: Encyclopedia - Sringeri Sharada Peetham

Raja Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga is one of the four major Yogic paths of Hinduism, the others being Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Bhakti yoga. Raja Yoga involves psycho-physical meditational techniques to attain experiences of the truth and finally achieve liberation, described in Hindu thought as moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth). Raja yoga is also known as Ashtanga Yoga. The term Ashtanga means eight limbs, thus Ashtanga Yoga refers to the eight limbs of yoga. It is the classical Indian system of Hindu ...

Including:

Raja Yoga - Origin Raja Yoga - Concept Raja Yoga - Practice Raja Yoga - Eight limbs of Raja Yoga
Raja Yoga - Yama Raja Yoga - Niyama Raja Yoga - Asana Raja Yoga - Pranayama Raja Yoga - Pratyahara Raja Yoga - Dharana Raja Yoga - Dhyana Raja Yoga - Samadhi
Raja Yoga - Results

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There is no consensus on whether the cow was sacred and forbidden in the Hindu diet from ancient vedic times. Depending on the interpretation of terminology used for a cow, the cow may have been protected or offered as a sacrifice and eaten. It was possibly revered because the largely pastoral Vedic people and subsequent generations relied so heavily on the cow for dairy products, tilling of fields and fuel for fertiliser that its status as a 'caretaker' led to identifying it as an almost maternal figure (so the term gau mata). Those ...

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Sacred cow, Sacred cow - Origins, Sacred cow - Etymology Cow in Sanskrit, Sacred cow - Cow in the Hindu Scriptures, Sacred cow - In today's world, Sacred cow - Historical significance, Sacred cow - The law in India

Read more here: » Sacred cow: Encyclopedia II - Sacred cow - Origins

Vegetarianism - Religious. The majority of the world's vegetarians, according to the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians, follow the practice for religious reasons. Many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, the Bahá'í Faith, Sikhism, and especially Jainism, teach that ideally life should always be valued and not willfully destroyed for unnecessary human gratification. Smaller denominations that prescribe the diet include the Seventh-day Adventis ...

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Vegetarianism, Vegetarianism - History, Vegetarianism - Recent trends, Vegetarianism - Terminology and varieties of vegetarianism, Vegetarianism - Motivation, Vegetarianism - Religious, Vegetarianism - Nutritional, Vegetarianism - Ethical, Vegetarianism - Environmental, Vegetarianism - Social, Vegetarianism - Spiritual, Vegetarianism - Physiological, Vegetarianism - Aesthetic, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian cuisine, Vegetarianism - Country specific information, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian societies, Vegetarianism - Criticism, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian diet and longevity, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian diet is not a healthy diet, Vegetarianism - Environment, Vegetarianism - Animal Right

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The origin of the maá¹­ha is described in Sankara Vijaya, written by Madhava, brother of Sayana. He was different from Vidyaranya, an ancient seer of the maá¹­ha, though Vidyaranya's purvashrama name was also Madhava. There are many inaccuracies in the Madhaviya Sankaravijaya. For example there is mention of an encounter of Adi sankaracharya with one great tantric called Abhinavagupta of Kamarupa. In fact there was one such famous tantric called Abhinavagupta in Kashmir, who wro ...

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Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Location, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - History, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Head of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Philosophy and Traditions of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Followers of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Activities of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Relationship with other maá¹­has and Institutions, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Guru Parampara

Read more here: » Sringeri Sharada Peetham: Encyclopedia II - Sringeri Sharada Peetham - History

The term Ashtanga means eight limbs, thus Raja Yoga is also known as Ashtanga Yoga which refers to the eight limbs of yoga. The eight limbs of Raja Yoga are: Yama: Code of conduct - self-restraint Niyama - religious observances - commitments to practice, such as study and devotion Asana - integration of mind and body through physical activity Pranayama - regulation of breath leading to integration of mind and body Pratyahara - abstraction of the senses, withdrawal of the s ...

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Raja Yoga, Raja Yoga - Origin, Raja Yoga - Concept, Raja Yoga - Practice, Raja Yoga - Eight limbs of Raja Yoga, Raja Yoga - Yama, Raja Yoga - Niyama, Raja Yoga - Asana, Raja Yoga - Pranayama, Raja Yoga - Pratyahara, Raja Yoga - Dharana, Raja Yoga - Dhyana, Raja Yoga - Samadhi, Raja Yoga - Results

Read more here: » Raja Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Raja Yoga - Eight limbs of Raja Yoga

There are four main criticisms of vegetarianism, based on health, environment, morality and politics. Vegetarianism - Vegetarian diet and longevity. Life Expectancy is arguably the most objective and quantifiable measure of health. Most recent studies consistently show that vegetarian sample populations have longer life extectancies than the general populations. However, it has been pointed out that people who are vegetarian tend to contain people with higher socio-economic status, which is associated with ...

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Vegetarianism, Vegetarianism - History, Vegetarianism - Recent trends, Vegetarianism - Terminology and varieties of vegetarianism, Vegetarianism - Motivation, Vegetarianism - Religious, Vegetarianism - Nutritional, Vegetarianism - Ethical, Vegetarianism - Environmental, Vegetarianism - Social, Vegetarianism - Spiritual, Vegetarianism - Physiological, Vegetarianism - Aesthetic, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian cuisine, Vegetarianism - Country specific information, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian societies, Vegetarianism - Criticism, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian diet and longevity, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian diet is not a healthy diet, Vegetarianism - Environment, Vegetarianism - Animal Right

Read more here: » Vegetarianism: Encyclopedia II - Vegetarianism - Criticism

It used to be illegal in India to kill a member of the genus Bos, but now, many slaughterhouses operate in big cities like Bombay/Mumbai or Kolkata/Calcutta. While there are approximately 3,600 slaughterhouses operating legally in India, there are estimated to be over 30,000 illegal slaughterhouses. The efforts to close them down have so far been largely unsuccessful. The export trade in Indian leather is worth about $1.7 billion and India's export share of the leather market has been on the increase. Germany is the largest importer of ...

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Sacred cow, Sacred cow - Origins, Sacred cow - Etymology Cow in Sanskrit, Sacred cow - Cow in the Hindu Scriptures, Sacred cow - In today's world, Sacred cow - Historical significance, Sacred cow - The law in India

Read more here: » Sacred cow: Encyclopedia II - Sacred cow - The law in India

Today, in heavily Hindu nations like India and Nepal, bovine milk continues to hold a central place in religious rituals. In honor of their exalted status, cows often roam free. In some places, it is considered good luck to give one a snack, or fruit before breakfast. In holy places where there is a ban on cow slaughter, a citizen can be sent to jail for killing or injuring a cow. With injunctions against eating the cow, a system evolved where only the pariah fed on dead cows and treat their leather. With the introductio ...

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Sacred cow, Sacred cow - Origins, Sacred cow - Etymology Cow in Sanskrit, Sacred cow - Cow in the Hindu Scriptures, Sacred cow - In today's world, Sacred cow - Historical significance, Sacred cow - The law in India

Read more here: » Sacred cow: Encyclopedia II - Sacred cow - In today's world

According to Rig Veda, cow represents the maternal aspect of Earth. Vyasa said: Cows are sacred. They are embodiments of merit. They are high and most efficacious cleansers of all. Literature on Lord Krishna, one of the Hinduism's most important figures who is believed to have lived 5000 years ago, depict him as a cowherd. He is often described as bala-gopala, "the child who protects the cows." Another of Krishna's names, Govinda, means "one who brings satisfaction to the cows." Other scriptures identify the cow as the "mother" of all civilization, its milk nurturing the population. T ...

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Sacred cow, Sacred cow - Origins, Sacred cow - Etymology Cow in Sanskrit, Sacred cow - Cow in the Hindu Scriptures, Sacred cow - In today's world, Sacred cow - Historical significance, Sacred cow - The law in India

Read more here: » Sacred cow: Encyclopedia II - Sacred cow - Cow in the Hindu Scriptures

Vegetarianism has been common in the Indian subcontinent, since possibly the 2nd millennium BC for spiritual reasons, such as ahimsa (nonviolence) and reducing bad karmic influences. Hinduism preaches that it is the ideal diet for spiritual progress and Jainism, which claims between eight to ten million adherants, enjoins all its followers to be vegetarian. Buddhist monks of Mahayana school have also historically practiced vegetarianism. In looking for parallels in Jewish and Christian antiquity for these practices, some Christian vegetarians feel a kinship with ...

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Vegetarianism, Vegetarianism - History, Vegetarianism - Recent trends, Vegetarianism - Terminology and varieties of vegetarianism, Vegetarianism - Motivation, Vegetarianism - Religious, Vegetarianism - Nutritional, Vegetarianism - Ethical, Vegetarianism - Environmental, Vegetarianism - Social, Vegetarianism - Spiritual, Vegetarianism - Physiological, Vegetarianism - Aesthetic, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian cuisine, Vegetarianism - Country specific information, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian societies, Vegetarianism - Criticism, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian diet and longevity, Vegetarianism - Vegetarian diet is not a healthy diet, Vegetarianism - Environment, Vegetarianism - Animal Right

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Much of the maá¹­ha activity is centered around religious institutions. A number of Vedic Schools and Temples are maintained by the maá¹­ha. Besides this the maá¹­ha also runs a hospital, and a few colleges. It has established branches in many parts of India. The Sharadambal Temple at Sringeri is managed by the Sringeri maá¹­ha. There is also a spectacular library in Sringeri, with rare Sanskrit Volumes ,which is managed by the maá¹­ha. The environment in Sringeri is highly unpolluted and beautiful. The maá¹­ha has also played an impor ...

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Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Location, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - History, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Head of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Philosophy and Traditions of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Followers of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Activities of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Relationship with other maá¹­has and Institutions, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Guru Parampara

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The maá¹­ha Gurus follow the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta. As per the tradition initiated by Adi Shankara, the matha is incharge of the Yajur Veda (the Black Yajurveda is more popular in south India). The Gurus of the maá¹­ha believe in all the demigods (devas), described in the Vedas and the Puranas, to be mundane manifestations of the same One Cosmic Spirit, called Brahman. They suscribe to the Vedic phrase "Aham Brahma Asmi",which means that "I am the Universal spirit". The Gurus wear ochre robes, smear their forehead with Sacred ashes o ...

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Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Location, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - History, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Head of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Philosophy and Traditions of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Followers of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Activities of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Relationship with other maá¹­has and Institutions, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Guru Parampara

Read more here: » Sringeri Sharada Peetham: Encyclopedia II - Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Philosophy and Traditions of the maá¹­ha

The maá¹­ha has enjoyed patronage from many Kings and Rulers. Its sage Vidyateertha was contemporary to the founders of Vijayanagar Empire. The maá¹­ha was given lavish grants of land by the Vijayanagar Kings.Vidyaranya another maá¹­ha head, was himself the advisor to the Vijayangar King. Tipu Sultan,the famous Muslim ruler of Mysore,also respected the Sringeri Acharyas, and helped it to sustain itself. Even in modern times the maá¹­ha has had good relationship with the State and Central Governments, as it has strived to be politically neutr ...

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Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Location, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - History, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Head of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Philosophy and Traditions of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Followers of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Activities of the maá¹­ha, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Relationship with other maá¹­has and Institutions, Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Guru Parampara

Read more here: » Sringeri Sharada Peetham: Encyclopedia II - Sringeri Sharada Peetham - Relationship with other maá¹­has and Institutions