yajur veda:

'knowledge of sacrificial ritual', one of the four vedas

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

Yajur Veda: Veda of ritual or sacrifice

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

yajna: (Sanskrit) "Worship; sacrifice."

One of the most central Hindu concepts - sacrifice and surrender through acts of worship, inner and outer.

1) A form of ritual worship especially prevalent in Vedic times, in which oblations - ghee, grains, spices and exotic woods - are offered into a fire according to scriptural injunctions while special mantras are chanted.

-       The element fire, Agni, is revered as the divine messenger who carries offerings and prayers to the Gods.

-       The ancient Veda Brahmanas and the Shrauta Shastras describe various types of yajna rites, some so elaborate as to require hundreds of priests, whose powerful chanting resounds for miles. These major yajnas are performed in large, open-air structures called yagashala.

-       Domestic yajnas, prescribed in the Grihya Shastras, are performed in the family compound or courtyard. Yajna requires four components, none of which may be omitted: dravya, sacrificial substances; tyaga, the spirit of sacrificing all to God; devata, the celestial beings who receive the sacrifice; and mantra, the empowering word or chant.

-       While puja (worship in temples with water, lights and flowers) has largely replaced the yajna, this ancient rite still continues, and its specialized priestly training is carried on in schools in India.

-       Yajnas of a grand scale are performed for special occasions, beseeching the Gods for rain during drought, or for peace during bloody civil war. Even in temples, yajna has its Agamic equivalent in the agnikaraka, the homa or havana ceremony, held in a fire pit (homakunda) in an outer mandapa of a temple as part of elaborate puja rites.

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2) Personal acts of worship or sacrifice. Life itself is a jivayajna.

-       The Upanishads suggest that one can make "inner yajnas" by offering up bits of the little self into the fires of sadhana and tapas until the greater Self shines forth.

The five daily yajnas, pancha mahayajna, of the householder (outlined in the Dharma Shastras) ensure offerings to rishis, ancestors, Gods, creatures and men. They are as follows.

-       brahma yajna: (also called Veda yajna or rishi yajna) "Homage to the seers." Accomplished through studying and teaching the Vedas.

-       deva yajna: "Homage to Gods and elementals." Recognizing the debt due to those who guide nature, and the feeding of them by offering ghee and uncooked grains into the fire. This is the homa sacrifice.

-       pitri yajna: "Homage to ancestors." Offering of cakes (pinda) and water to the family line and the progenitors of mankind.

-       bhuta yajna: "Homage to beings." Placing food-offerings, bali, on the ground, intended for animals, birds, insects, wandering outcastes and beings of the invisible worlds. ("Let him gently place on the ground [food] for dogs, outcastes, svapachas, those diseased from sins, crows and insects" Manu Dharma Shastras 3.92).

-       manushya yajna: "Homage to men." Feeding guests and the poor, the homeless and the student. Manushya yajna includes all acts of philanthropy, such as tithing and charity. The Vedic study is performed in the morning.

The other four yajnas are performed just before taking one's noon meal. Manu Dharma Shastras (3.80) states, "Let him worship, according to the rule, the rishis with Veda study, the devas with homa, the pitris with shraddha, men with food, and the bhutas with bali."

Mystics warn that all offerings must be tempered in the fires of kundalini through the power of inner yajna to be true and valuable, just as the fire of awareness is needed to indelibly imprint ideas and concepts on one's own akashic window.

See: dharma, havana, homa, puja, sacrifice.

(See also: Yajna, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

The pot is perhaps the most ancient of vessels. It is also the most universal. It is an intrinsic part of several rituals in many societies. It is difficult to imagine any Hindu religious ceremony without the holy kalash. Our gods partnered with demons to churn the ocean to obtain the pot of nectar. In ancient Europe, hydrio-taphia (urn-burial) was common. In Gond society, a married couple desirous of divorce carry together a mud-pot and drop it to 'break' their wedlock.

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

In the stampede at the Nashik Kumbh Mela, many pilgrims were injured and several died. Some others drowned in the Godavari while taking the holy dip and a few were victims of the bomb blasts in Mumbai where they had made a brief stopover.

Pilgrims are aware of the various hardships they have to endure, of the risks involved - landslides, stampedes, floods, terrorist attacks, fires - but they carry on, undeterred, motivated by the desire to acquire punya or spiritual merit.

(See also: Kumbh Mela, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

There is an interesting legend connected with Mahashivratri, the day Shiva got married a second time to Shakti, his divine consort.

Once Shiva and Sati or Shakti were returning from the ashram of sage Agastya, after listening to Ram Katha or the story of Ram.

On the way when Shiva saw Rama roaming the forest - in search of Sita who was kidnapped by Ravana - he bowed his head in reverence. A surprised Sati inquired of Shiva why he was paying obeisance to a mere mortal.

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

Hanuman, the monkey-god, was an ardent devotee of Rama. His devotion took him wherever he was required to help Rama tide over difficulties. Most famously, Hanuman searched and found Ram's kidnapped consort Sita, brought vital healing herbs from the mountain to make a seriously wounded Lakshman well, and acted as the commander of Ram's forces.

Hanuman, therefore, is popularly referred to as the sankat mochan , resolver of problems, easy to please. He was born on Chaitra Shukla Purnima, and there are many legends surrounding his birth. He is also known as Shankarsuvan, Kesarinandan, Pawansut - that is, son of Shankar, of Kesari and Anjani and of Pawan, the god of the winds respectively.

(See also: Hanuman and Ram, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Every year on Makara Sankaranthi , a unique phenomenon takes place at Sabarimala, the popular pilgrim centre on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. A light of extraordinary brightness appears on the horizon in the north-eastern side of an adjacent mountain top called Kantamala. The beacon, called Makara Jyoti , lasts 15 to 20 minutes and marks the climax of the 41 days of the Sabarimala pilgrimage.

This 'light' miracle, in fact, follows yet another unexplained annual event. The ornaments of Lord Ayyappa, presiding deity of Sabarimala, are kept in the custody of the erstwhile Prince of Pandalam in his palace, 90 km from the temple. These are taken to the temple every year in a three-day-long procession. As the procession approaches the temple, an eagle is seen hovering over it, guiding it towards the sanctum sanctorum. Once the ornaments reach the temple, the eagle mysteriously disappears.

(See also: Makara Jyoti, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

The festival of Lohri marks the beginning of the end of winter and the coming of spring and the new year. The fires lit at night, the hand-warming, the song and dance and the coming together of an otherwise atomised community, are only some of the features of this festival. The Lohri of north India coincides with Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Samkranti in Bengal, Magha Bihu in Assam, Tai Pongal in Kerala, all celebrated on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti .

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

This day, over 5,000 years ago, Krishna appeared on Earth as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. Because of his human form and behaviour, not many knew He was God incarnate.

But while rendering advice to Arjuna at Kurukshetra, Krishna unabashedly reveals - in the Bhagavad Gita - that he is infinite, his vibhutis or divine manifestations and opulences being unlimited. No one, not even the gods, can know him completely. Krishna then proceeds to impart what he calls the most sovereign knowledge and profound mystery, contemplating on which alone one can attain moksha or liberation.

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

Dussehra marks the day when goddess Durga killed the buffalo-demon Mahishasura, who had a boon from Brahma that he would not be slain by gods, men, spirits or any aspect of nature. So he vanquished the gods and tyrannised the world.

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva combined the energies of their consorts, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Shakti and created a beautiful woman - the ten-armed Durga - to kill the demon, as Mahishasura had forgotten to mention women while asking for his boon. Durga fought Mahishasura for nine days, finally beheading him on the tenth day.

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

Purva Mimamsa or Karma-Mimamsa is an enquiry into the earlier portion of the Vedas, an enquiry into the ritual of the Vedas or that portion of the Vedas which is concerned with the Mantras and the Brahmanas only. The Purva Mimamsa is so called, because it is earlier (Purva) than the Uttara Mimamsa, not so much in the chronological as in the logical sense.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Purva Mimamsa: Hindu Philosophy - The Purva Mimamsa

Hinduism Daily Rituals

In Hinduism, these rituals are always meant to inculcate feelings of devotion and to bring about the divine orientation of human life. As a part of his householders responsibilities, a devout Hindu is expected to perform certain rituals every day starting from morning till evening.

Read more here: » Hinduism Rituals: Hinduism and the performance of Rituals

Hinduism and Worship: Yagna - the ritual worship of Hinduism

Yagna or yajna is an outer form of worship in which offerings are made to different deities in a prescribed and systematic manner by qualified priests to supplicate them, so that they would assist the worshipper in achieving certain results in life.

Read more here: » Hinduism and Worship: Yagna - the ritual worship of Hinduism

Theism is the Basis of High-end Hinduism

Since we believe in the Paramatma or Supreme energy that is beginningless and endless, it is clear that Hinduism in its purest form is theistic. Theism is hindusim basic premise.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Theism is the Basis of High-end Hinduism

There are great truths behind the ancient mythology of Hinduism. You cannot ignore a thing simply because it has a garb of mythology. Do not argue. Shut up your mouth. Keep your intellect at a respectable distance when you study mythology. Intellect is a hindrance. It will delude you. Give up arrogance and vanity. Cultivate love for imagery. Sit like a child and open your heart freely. You will comprehend the great truths revealed by mythology. You will penetrate into the hearts of the Rishis and sages who wrote the mythology. You will really enjoy mythology now..

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Mythology: Hinduism Mythology and Symbols

Outward symbols are necessary and beneficial. When viewed from the right angle of vision, you will find that they play a very important part in your material as well as spiritual life. Though they may look very simple and unimportant, they are very scientific and effective.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Symbols: Symbols in Hinduism

Religion and Dharma Are Not Synonymous

Dharma and religion are not the same thing. The terms are used interchangeably for want of an appropriate English word. The Oxford Dictionary defines religion as "A system of faith, especially personal God entitled to obedience".

Performing rituals alone is not dharma . Worship or upasana is the method. The mind gets purified by worshipping the Supreme Lord, Bhagwan. It will yield love for the Lord and all living beings. There will be no violence. Therefore, love for the Supreme Lord is the best dharma .

Read more here: » Dharma: Religion and Dharma Are Not Synonymous

Bhagavan stuti: Open Your Mind With Songs of God

Stuti literally means praise and a stotram is a hymn or song dedicated to God's glory. Is it necessary to praise the Lord? Would He be affected by our praises and does He really need them? What could be the benefits that accrue from singing His glory? From our experiences of dealing with the empirical world, we understand it is natural to appreciate someone who has performed well.

Read more here: » Bhagavan stuti: Open Your Mind With Songs of God

Shanidev is Partly Shiva's Avatar

Shani or Shanichar (Saturn) is believed to be the son of Surya the Sun-god and Chhaya. So he is also called Saura. His other names include Kruradris and Kruralochana (the cruel-eyed), Mandu (dull or slow), Pangu (physically challenged), Saptarchi (seven-eyed) and Asita (dark). Shani is believed to wield evil influence, so anyone born under his influence is at risk. Hence the day named after him, Shanivara, is considered inauspicious to begin any new venture.

Read more here: » Shani: Shanidev is Partly Shiva's Avatar