या देवी सर्वभूतेषु विष्णुमायेति शब्दिता । नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ yā devī sarvabhūteṣu viṣṇumāyeti śabditā ।namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ ॥ Today is the new year, the beginning of विक्रम संवत् (Vikram Samvat) 2078. And the beginning of Vasanta Navratri. I had written a whole series on Navratri, the first post of which I have …
Tomorrow is Ugādi — the first day of Chaitrā māsā, or the beginning of the new year. Largely celebrated in South India (where I am from), Maharashtra (as Gudi Padwa), Sindh (as Cheti Chand), and Manipur (as Sajibu Nongma Pānba). It is also the start of Navaratri. Unlike New Year’s day as per the Gregorian calendar, the …
Read the previous part here… As soon as she said this, she made a noose with a cloth, fastened it to a branch of the aśoka tree next to the temple, and said… “My lord Jīmūtavāhana! You are renowned in the three worlds for your compassion, yet, why haven’t you been compassionate and rescued me!” …
Read the previous part here… She then performed the arghya, offering the guests water to wash their feet and hands, and then garlanded him with sweet-smelling flowers. Jīmūtavāhana, who as already deep in love, took it off and threw it around the neck of Malayavatī. She blushed, and looked at him with loving glances, her …
Read the previous part here… “What is your friend’s name, and what beautiful family is she from?” The attendant replied… “She is the sister of Mitrāvasu, and the daughter of Viśvāvasu, the King of the Siddhas, and her name is Malayavatī.” एवम् उक्त्वा सहृदया सा तं जीमूतवाहनम् ।नामान्वयौ च पृष्ट्वास्य मुनिपुत्रं सहागतम् ॥ १२,२३.५१ ॥ तां …
A black belt in Karate is an achievement…a big achievement. Its a culmination of years of blood and sweat, of hard toil, of pain and perseverance. A Kyokushin Karate black belt is even more treasured, since it carries with it a silent testimony of hard practice and a spirit of never-give-up. But what happens next? …
Read the previous part here… And so Jīmūtavāhana, his father and his mother, left that very night and went to the Malaya mountains. They made a small hut near a stream, one that was well-hidden by sandalwood trees, and lived a simple life, making do with whatever they could find, and caring for each other. …
Read the previous part here… “Where are those ancestors of ours, who always thought this tree to be their personal possession? For which of them does it still exist, and which of them exists for it?” “And so, if you permit me father, I would like to worship this kalpa-vrksha, the one that grants all …
I know. As soon as you saw the title, you must have thought of it to be a cliché. I’ve heard and seen both sides of the argument. One side contends that if you have to spend 8-10 hours doing something, you might as well love it. Or, to rephrase, find something that you love …
Read the previous part here… He was named Jīmūtavāhana. He was courageous and yet compassionate, and attentive to the teachings of his gurus. When he grew up, his father made him crown prince, considering his noble qualities, and on the advice of his ministers. देव कल्पतरुर् यो ऽयम् अस्ति वः सर्वकामदः ।अधृष्यः सर्वभूतानां सैष पूज्यः …
