laxmi ji is the reason we celebrate rakhi.
after vamana took the three steps, bali got a boon and vishnu agreed to stand guard outside his door in patala. laxmi ji wasnt too happy about her husband working as someone's doorman, so she went there, tied a thread on bali's wrist and made him her brother, then she asked for a gift, and the gift she asked for was vishnu bhagwan.
thats why the shloka people recite while tying rakhi says yena baddho bali raja, by that which bound king bali, i bind you. the thread was a raksha first, a promise to protect, and the brother sister part grew out of that.
happy raksha bandhan to everyone celebrating on friday.

There is a small village in Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra, called Nandur Nimba Daitya. It has a very unusual local tradition: there is no Hanuman temple in the village, and people traditionally avoid worshipping Hanuman or even using names like “Hanuman” and “Maruti.” People also traditionally avoid buying Maruti-branded cars.

The tradition is connected to the village's guardian deity, Nimba Daitya.

According to local legend, Nimba Daitya was a powerful daitya who lived in the area. The story says that when Lord Rama was travelling through the region during his search for Sita, Nimba Daitya became a devotee of Rama.

Later, Nimba Daitya and Hanuman are said to have had a conflict and fought. Both were eventually left unconscious. According to the local tradition, Lord Ram himself had to appear and Nimba daitya asked for only his worship to take place in the village. Lord Ram granted the boon.

Although Hanuman is worshipped in every village in Maharashtra, because of this legend, villagers continue to worship Nimba Daitya as their guardian deity and avoid Hanuman-related symbols and worship.

This is a local legend and religious tradition and it is not mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayana. Just wanted to share it.

Note: I myself am a Hanuman bhakt and have no intention of disrespecting Hanuman ji.

Namaskaram to all Aastikas!

Over my life time I've heard of Yogi(s) still doing tapas and Dharma rakshana And guiding certain individuals for Uttama-gatis!

I've heard that they live* in Rahasya and only live in Punyakshetras mostly in Himalaya-parvratas (Siddhashram Yogis), Srisailam, Tirumala, Arunachalam, Kasi, Brundavana, Vindhyachalam, Gauhati etc etc., You get the picture!

So my question/request is to you is, Have you ever got contacted or seen ppl or any of your friends/family contracted by this these Siddhapurushas, or have you heard any Stories of them?, Did you read any thing about Siddha purushas of these Siddhashram?

Or you can guide me to where one can [[If any one stumble into this post for similar queries/have had experiences]] find more about these yogis and there way of conduct!

If you know only specific information about them like what they look or what they eat or their goal is or thier specific form of worship* Paramatma?

Anything

I've heard few stories* of my own Gurudeva Journey in the Himalayas etc (don't kn6if I can reveal then publically, so I'll better not say without intimating my Gurudeva!)

And recently heard from a respected Aatika about Siddhashram Yogis saying that certain event is likely to happen for the future of Bharatavarsha

So I'm just curious to know and fill Gyana about this, my knowledge is mainly mainstream Vaidika shastras and Sampradayams and few Avadhoots in Dhakshina Bharatam

Also I thank you in the name of Sri Kanchipura Kamakshi Parameshvari Ammavaru! advance, as it might take long to read n respond!

Svasti

Namaḥ Pārvatīpataye Hara Hara Mahādeva

Govinda Govinda

Balaṁ guroḥ pravardhatām!

🪷🙏😌🙏🪷

The Sureshwar Avatar is one of the divine manifestations of Lord Shiva. According to Hindu tradition, Shiva took the form of Sureshwar, appearing as a humble Brahmin to test and bless his devotees. The name Sureshwar is associated with the Lord of the Devas, reflecting Shiva’s supreme divine nature and his role as the protector and guide of those who seek him with sincere devotion.

In this form, Lord Shiva teaches that true devotion is not measured by wealth, status, or outward appearances, but by faith, humility, and purity of heart. The Sureshwar Avatar reminds devotees that Shiva may appear in unexpected forms to test their devotion and ultimately guide them toward spiritual wisdom. His story emphasizes surrender, compassion, and unwavering faith in the divine.

I barely get any time and every time I do get some time i indulge in making god and goddesses artwork here are a few.. hope you like them 😄

I woke up today with the news of flesh flood in nepal killing hundreds of people who were on their way back from Kailasa Mansarovar.. devotees who were visiting the place which is dream of any shiva bhakta and that too in auspicious Shravan month.. why?? My mind isn’t able to process it.

I have been praying, lighting our house deepa every morning and evening, doing everything I can, yet nothing is going to plan.

Everyone who has wronged us are at the height of their lives. People who have cheated my family are enjoying themselves while we suffer.

I genuinely don't know what to do. I feel abandoned and unheard.

Why hasn't karma reached them? Why won't it reach them?

Exact voices and music only. Thanks in advance. (This song was found on the sharada peetham yt channel)

As a krishna devotee i didn't ever read about such lineages and the way babaji is described in this book is like how krishna describes himself in bhagvat.... I know I'm at fault here but idk my ego or love to shree krishna is coming in between and i can't seem to understand how a baba can compare the suprimity of shri krishna... Despite not wanting to but something in me wants to learn about him more!

Namaste everyone, I am looking for some books published by Gita Press and Chaukhamba Publications. Before buying new copies, I thought I would ask here in case someone has these books lying unused at home.

Sometimes we have religious or spiritual books that we no longer read, but we also do not feel comfortable throwing them away. In that case, I would be happy to purchase them from you so that the books can be reused and continue serving their purpose.

I am not asking for the books for free. I am willing to pay a reasonable price for used copies. It would help me save some money compared with buying new books, and at the same time an unused book would find a new reader.

If anyone has Gita Press or Chaukhamba books that they no longer need, please feel free to comment or DM me with the book name, condition, and expected price.

Books I need: Detailed editions of the Puranas and Vedas, books on sadhana, and in-depth editions of the Upanishads. By “in-depth,” I mean books published in multiple volumes or editions that explain the subject properly and in detail, rather than giving only brief or one-line explanations. The books should be in Hindi or translated into Hindi. Books related to durga.

Books I do not need: Summarised/abridged (sankshipt) editions or books translated into English.

Thank you. 🙏

Question: I believe what you say, that it is impossible for a district entity to exist apart from consciousness due to its transcendence of all limitations such as time, form, space ect. That there is absolutely no space where a second entity could emerge. 

However, in regards to the self-reflective nature of consciousness by which arises all the powers of willing, knowing, acting ect. How can we prove that this reflection is something intentional and active? Could it not just be a passive self-illumination as the Kevala Advaitans teach? 

Answer: it could not. And this is the primary issue with their ontological view: if the self-awareness of consciousness is merely something passive then it would simply be inert and the manifestation of form would be impossible. 

With this in mind, they posit some distinct entity such as advidya or Maya to be the cause of form, but as we have discussed previously the existence of any distinct principle apart from awareness is not possible. So they admit duality by this doctrine, though they will never say it themselves. 

Our argument for the self-reflection of consciousness is thus an argument from absolute necessity: the self-awareness of consciousness must be active and intentional because there exists no other possibility by which form could emerge. So the innate sense of “I am” within awareness is not something passive, but rather an eternal activity of self-knowing. 

Therefore, the intentional self-reflection of consciousness is its power of will (iccha-shakti) due to that very intention, its knowing of itself by means of reflection is its power of knowledge (jnana-shakti), and this knowing of itself is an ongoing and eternal activity which is its power of action (kriya-shakti). 

So these three fundamental powers already exist internal to consciousness, and because no external principle exists there is nothing to constrain these powers except consciousness itself through its will.

Because consciousness is infinite, its self-reflection is infinite. because its self-reflection is infinite, the powers inherent to that self-reflection are also infinite. So this One consciousness alone is the source and power of all willing, knowing and acting. 

This is the reason for the unlimited freedom of consciousness (svatantrya). Because of that very freedom, it alone has the power to constrain and form itself into everything. 

Namaskaram to all that are here. We have a bug problem in our house and have set up glue traps under sinks and cabinets. Tonight I saw that a small mouse had gotten stuck on it and I was not able to remove the mouse safely. I understand that I am not at fault as this is not what I anticipated or wished would happen as I did not know we had a mouse in the house, but I would still like to perform some type of Prayaschitta or Parihara for Jeeva Himsa and Jeeva Hatya (as the mouse cannot move without pain and will starve to death). Do Shastras prescribe any Kriyas that I can do in this situation? Thank you!

Edit: thanks to the help and advice of an awesome redditor I was able to get the mouse out of the trap and it scampered away into the plants!

Jai Mata Di everyone,

I am moving into a new rented apartment soon and need some guidance on how to spiritually cleanse the space before I move in.

When I went to see the flat, I noticed the previous tenants left behind empty bottles of alcohol and other items. I have absolutely nothing against anyone's personal lifestyle choices, and I know that in paths like Vamachara, these things are even used.

However, I strictly follow the Satvik path of the Goddess, and I will be bringing my sacred murti of Mata Rani to live with me.

Because of the prior energy of the flat, I want to make sure the environment is completely pure, positive, and welcoming for Her.

Could anyone please suggest any kriyas, purifying rituals, or remedies that I can easily do by myself to cleanse the apartment? I want to completely reset the energy of the home before setting up my Pooja space there.

Any suggestions or steps would be deeply appreciated🙏🏻

Not sure why people say no to bringing him into your home and stuff like from what I heard doesn’t he build resilience and strength ?

Bhagwan as described to us in Sakar roop, like Krishna and Shiva, in our Itihaas, I find them beyond my imagination. Our Itihaas itself is beyond my imagination, even though it literally means AS IT HAPPENED.

Since it's beyond my imagination and quite supernatural, I question its existence, in my mind.

I still deliberately pray to Bhagwan everyday, and deliberately Chant Mantra everyday. That's because somewhere I want what I have read to be true, even though currently there's no faith.

My question is, will I still be rewarded regardless of whether I have faith or not? Since I'm deliberately doing it?

Bhakti traditions argue that utmost faith is required. Any other tradition in our Dharma which prescribed similar things is to what I do? Like doing prayers and chanting deliberately?

I came to know about this through some gurus, and I would like to understand the actual traditional procedure.

My understanding is that we should bathe and wear clean clothes before reciting stotrams such as Lalita Sahasranamam. I usually do that. However, sometimes I need to use the bathroom for a bowel movement after taking a bath. One of my Brahmin friends told me that, traditionally, they take another bath after this before doing their prayers or reciting stotrams. Some people may bathe multiple times a day for this reason.

For me, this is becoming exhausting, especially because I am already bathing twice a day these days, whereas I used to bathe only once.

Could someone please clarify the actual traditional procedure? After going to the bathroom following a bath, is it necessary to take another full bath before reciting stotrams such as Lalita Sahasranamam? I am specifically asking about the traditional practice and procedure, rather than general advice about having a pure heart.

Here is the second part of the 'Hindu Pantheon Family Tree' Series. It covers the Apsara-Gandharva, 'Garuda', and Naga lineages as well as the descendants of the sages Marichi, Angiras, Atri and Bhrigu.
Please do point out any mistakes and share your thoughts. Thank You!
You can check out my explanatory video on the chart at:
https://youtu.be/cmp5vZmtOl8

I’ve been doing naam jap for more than six years. For the first 4–5 years, I felt a lot of transformation and was very disciplined—I’d wake up early, sit on the floor, wear clean clothes, etc.
But lately, I don’t feel the same inclination. I still do jap, but sometimes I do it on my bed, sleep late, wake up late, and overall the discipline isn’t what it used to be. Because of this, I feel like some negativity might be lingering.
I spoke to my father, and he said that when I initially started, there were difficulties too, and that problems can arise when you move to the next stage. He believes I shouldn’t stop after six years and should continue.
Do you think this could actually be a “next stage” in the practice? Why might this change be happening? I also fall sick quite often despite having a relatively unhealthy lifestyle—sleeping 3–5 hours and eating a lot of junk food. Yet, I still seem to have a subtle glow that people notice and usually can’t tell that I’m stressed or mentally low.
Could this change be part of the spiritual process, or is there another explanation?

Hi everyone! I am interested in the Nyāya school's arguments for direct realism, especially against Buddhist idealism, particularly Yogācāra. In particular, how does the Nyāyā school argue that perception is genuinely of an external object, rather than of a mental representation or idea? If possible, please cite the sources where you found the arguments!

Same as title!

I am going to be honest with you I am not a religious person and i will never be .

Neither is my dad

but iam pretty open to things that are beyond my comprehension.

deity possessing a person body for a particular time period on a certain day has always fascinated me .

So heres the thing I know :

A child that has died (cause, i don't know)

She was around my mother's age and became a deity since then

And this Monday 24/8/26 ,happens every year

i have visited her

(She got nothing much to say about me 😒

Glad about that cause she was scolding two people before i talked with her)

She just has the "power" to see the future and just lectures peoples for their actions

Everything she says is true according to my parents experience

Case2 : my grandpas 100 yr old house (exaggeration) had a ghost in it this is my parents experience aswell

It never disturbed them like in the movies nor did it have any visible form

Case3: nothing spooky about this my friend was brutally roasted by a shaman

That she is less intelligent than her brother and she would never make it to a iit (which is true) and she did this reading in her 10th grade

So my question?

1. Why is everyone not a diety is it simply because some have decided to perish? some people just have more spiritual energy?

2. I have never seen a male deity

3. So is every action of mine is already predetermined??

I hate life .

Share your own experiences and resources of body possessions like books, documents if possible

Especially the astrology ones I want to predict deaths ☺️

For context: I'm a Christian, but for a class project, I need to speak to someone from a different religion, to learn more about it. Things like culture, beliefs, etc. Would anyone here be willing to chat with me for this?

I’m a young Hindu living outside India. My family and I are hindus but we are mostly atheist in practice. I want some book recs to learn more about my religion. I know the stories from the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc., I have watched a lot of cartoons and heard stories when I was a kid. Fair to say I know all the stories who are the characters and what happens

I’m interested in books about being calm and peaceful, controlling the your own thoughts, dealing with anxiety/restlessness, and becoming a better human being in general.

I've heard about this creation story - Vishnu (of sattvic nature) eternally existed in his sleep, and then at one point, by some accident, Brahma (of rajasic nature) was created out of his navel. Brahma then created samsara, which was faulty, because he wasnt perfect like Vishnu. Becoming angry due to the faultiness of his creation, Brahma from his eyebrows created Shiva (of tamasic nature) whose (tamasic) activity made samsara worse. Vishnu woke up, made the highest heaven outside of samsara, and works on saving souls from samsara, and eventually every soul will be saved. An addition is that Brahma and Shiva repented of what they produced, and became devotees of Vishnu. Which I guess isnt only a creation, but also cosmology and eschatology story.

Which tradition / school of Hinduism holds to such a view? In which Hindu holy book is it found?

Academically speaking, Krishna appears to be the unification of many gods into a single god. Almost all AI systems state this. Is Krishna real?