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Archive for July, 2009
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Aditya Hridayam – The Sun Mantra
Eclipses are great times for spiritual practices because the effects of the mantras are greatly magnified. If you get tired of repeating mantra, then you can always listen to them and mantras for the Sun are particularly appropriate. Over the next few days I will post as many Surya (Sun) mantras as I can locate. [...] -
Hanuman
If you are going to build a Hanuman to watch over things…he might as well be big! Taken on the road north of Chennai on the way to Vishaka Patnam. -
Saraswati Suktam
Saraswati is the goddess of wisdom and learning. She is supposed to be shy and difficult to reach, presumably like wisdom itself. She is the wife of Brahma the Creator. The Saraswati Suktam is very nice, and some of the translation follows: Paavakaa na Saraswathi Vajebhi vajnivathi Yagnam vasthu dhiyaavasu. Saraswathi is the purifier,Giver of [...] -
After six months of private yagyas
A while ago I received a very nicely detailed examination of the effects of the yagyas from an individual who had participated in a private yagya every month for six months. This is his summary of the results he experienced, slighted edited for the sake of brevity. Living and housing situation: THEN: I was living [...] -
Dakshinamurti
Dakshinamurti, sometimes also known as Jnana Dakshinamurti, is the form of Shiva associated with the Guru who removes ignorance through jnana (knowledge). While most deities in a temple will face east towards the rising Sun, Dakshinamurti always faces south, the direction of death. Shiva is known as the victor over death (Mrytunjaya). So this placement [...] -
#18 – Mapping the Heavens
After creating the north or south indian chart and locating the ascendent, (the constellation that was on the eastern horizon), we have set the stage. We associate the ascendent with a specific constellation or sign, and thus can know the rest of the houses and their associated signs. The stage is set! The next step [...] -
Love is all bewilderment
In God’s eyes, whoever has no tint of Love is nothing but wood and stone. Love wrings water from rocks, Love cleans rust from mirrors. Unbelief has come in war, faith in peace – Love strikes a fire to both peace and war. In the ocean of the heart Love opens its mouth and like [...] -
Navagraha – the nine planets
In the spiritual traditions of India, astrology (Jyotish) is always present. In a way it makes sense because what we are seeking is harmony with the universe and the planets mark the rhythms of nature on both the broadest scale and the microscale of our own lives. The planets are seen as the delivers of [...] -
The effects of daily yagyas on spiritual practices
“As a spiritual practitioner, I find that participating in the daily yajnas helps provide me with a bit of an added boost: I can’t really explain it, but it creates a certain level of energetic support on the subtle level that helps my sadhana go a little bit easier, with a little bit less effort. [...] -
#17 – The South Indian Chart
Penny Farrow discusses the way that the South Indian style of chart differs from the northern style. In the south, the signs are fixed in the same place and the lagna moves, unlike the north indian style. In our conversation we explore the features of this style of chart and how it aids in the [...]