Meaning  of  the mantra ‘Asatoma Ma Sadgamaya’ asato ma sadgamaya tamaso ma jyotirgamaya mrtyorma amrtam gamaya om shanti shanti shanti. Lead me from the asat to the sat. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality Om Peace Peace Peace. (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad — I.iii.28) This is true prayer—the seeker’s admission of [Read more... click the article link above]

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti: meaning of the shanti mantras The mantras chanted in Amma’s ashrams at the end of arati and archana are called shanti mantras1. Therefore to conclude each one, “shanti,” which means “peace,” is chanted three times. As a spiritual aspirant, one chants shanti in desire for the occurrence of circumstances conducive to [Read more... click the article link above]

The birth of Ganesha One day Goddess Parvati was at home on Mt.Kailash preparing for a bath. As she didn’t want to be disturbed, she told Nandi, her husband Shiva’s Bull, to guard the door and let no one pass. Nandi faithfully took his post, intending to carry out Parvati’s wishes. But, when Shiva came [Read more... click the article link above]

Ārati symbolizes surrender—the final relinquishment of the ego to God. Just as the camphor used in the ritual dissolves into nothingness, so too should the individual will merge in the divine will, so too should we make an offering of the only thing that is truly ours to give—the ego. Only when we give up [Read more... click the article link above]

Symbolism of the cow Due to the wise example and guidance of India’s ancient Rishis (Seers), who established the habit of honouring all aspects of life, cows, through their symbiotic relationship with people, were naturally given a high place in Indian culture. This high status was reinforced and high-lighted with the advent of Sri Krishna [Read more... click the article link above]

Meenakshi & Kannagi: Madurai’s Women of Power & Grace Sthala Puranas of Bharat According to the legend, on the day the Madurai was to be named, Lord Shiva blessed the land and its people while divine nectar showered from his dreadlocked hair. The city hence came to be known as “Madhurapuri”—the City of Divine Nectar. [Read more... click the article link above]

In 3228 BCE in Mathura, India, a child was born who was destined to reshape the spiritual and temporal destiny of mankind—Sri Krishna. In his 125 years of life, Sri Krishna made an indelible impression upon mankind’s collective consciousness—re-educating the world about devotion and dharma as well as the ultimate reality. His life was a [Read more... click the article link above]