Trinity of Summer Eclipses in 2020
The upcoming lunar eclipses on the 5th/6th June and 4th/5th July are penumbral and hence deemed minor. However, they sandwich an annular solar eclipse on 20th/21st June on the summer solstice. Whereas eclipses and their effects have been either closely followed or studied by many traditions and cultures, meditators patiently wait for such moments to come forth. This is because the depth and power...
Read More
Auspicious Navarātri Meditation Times in 2019
The Sanskrit text named Mahākāla Saṃhitā declares that four nine-night periods, based on the dynamic soli-lunar calendar, are deemed especially auspicious for the worship of the great śakti in veneration of the Divine Mother. Each of these four periods are popularly celebrated as navarātri, which is a literal translation of ‘nine-nights’.
Read More
Meditation during the Lunar Eclipse
The upcoming total lunar eclipse on the 20th/21st January is the second eclipse of 2019, following the partial solar eclipse that took place on 5th/6th January.
Read More
Reviving the Indigenous Curriculum of India
His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda was graciously hosted by the Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2nd March 2017 in Delhi regarding the fading institutional support for the infrastructure of Sanskrit studies in India. Following an account of that meeting are two proposals aimed at reviving the indigenous curriculum of India.
Read More
Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse
The upcoming total lunar eclipse of Wednesday, 31st January 2018 is on a blue moon. A total lunar eclipse is often called a blood moon because of the reddish orange glow the moon exhibits during the eclipse, moreover this full moon also happens to be a super moon. Thus this eclipse is being called the Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse.
Read More
Four Auspicious Navarātri Periods of 2018
The Sanskrit text named Mahākāla Saṃhitā declares that four nine-night periods based on the dynamic soli-lunar calendar are deemed especially auspicious for the worship of the great śakti or the veneration of the Divine Mother. Each of these four periods are popularly celebrated as navarātri, which is a literal translation of nine-nights.
Read More
Pathway to the Victory Day
The new moon of 19th/20th Sept. is a special day for ascension rites to honour the departed souls of familial lineages, as per the Vedic soli-lunar calendar. This particular new moon (Mahālayā) is immediately followed by the auspicious nine-night period (Navarātri) leading up to the Victory Day. Thereafter, the auspicious Śaradiyā-navarātri or a nine-night period dedicated to the worship of the Divine Mother will...
Read More
Rekindling the Lamp of Knowing
The new moon that marks Dipāvali is a festive observance celebrated by the lighting of lamps. This festival of lights is a time-honoured tradition dating back to antiquity. The epic events of the Rāmāyana narrate how Lord Rāma – the refulgent being epitomizing the most exalted values – returns to the abode of Ayodhyā, the name indicating a place where all inner and outer...
Read More
Kindness in the Light of Compassion
Dharma is said to be complete when kindness and charity are practised as its integral components in addition to other basic principles of right conduct. Kindness and charity (dāna) are hailed as exemplary virtues, both of which are actually rooted in compassion. There is often the tendency to mix up kindness (dayā) with compassion (karunā) from a practical perspective. Sanskrit philosophical usage, however, clearly...
Read More