Tattva

In the Hindu way of life, food (bhojan) goes beyond just a means of body nourishment. It is also believed to influence our mental and spiritual development. Many great rishis have expounded on this aspect in our scriptures. In fact, the very first mantra of the Yajur Veda gives a scientific explanation of the relation between food and energy. The body needs nourishing food and the mind needs noble thoughts. These two aspects emphasizing the importance of physical and mental nourishment are beautifully captured in the format of a Bhojan mantra followed by a Shanti mantra.

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 Shaanthi, meaning “peace”, is a natural state of being. Disturbances  are created either by others or us. For example, peace already exists in a place until someone makes noise. Therefore, peace underlies all our agitations. When agitations end, peace is naturally experienced  since it was already there. Where there is peace, there is happiness. Therefore, everyone without exception desires peace in their lives. However, peace within or without seems very hard to attain because it is covered by our own agitations. A rare few manage to remain peaceful within even in the midst of external agitation and troubles. To invoke peace, we chant prayers. By chanting prayers, troubles end and peace  is experienced internally, irrespective of the external disturbances.  All such prayers end by chanting Shaanti thrice. Read the rest of this entry »

मांगलयम् तंतुनानेना मम जीवन् हेथुनाकंठे बधनामि शुभगे संजीवा षरदः षतम्

māṁgalayam taṁtunāanenā mama jīvan hethunākaṁṭhe badhanāmi śubhage saṁjīīvā ṣaradaḥ ṣatam

Rig Veda, Section 10, Verse 85 Read the rest of this entry »

Hindus prostrate before their parents, elders, teachers and noble souls by touching their feet. The elders in turn bless them by placing their hand on or over their heads. Prostration is done daily, when we meet elders and particularly on important occasions like the beginning of a new task, birthdays, festivals etc. In certain traditional circles, prostration is accompanied by Aabhivaadana that serves to introduce one-self, announce one’s family and social stature.

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Hindus greet each other with Namaste. The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word Namaste. This greeting is for all - people younger than us, of our own age, those older than friends, even strangers and us. There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shaastras of which Namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a Namaste.

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One of the customary aspects of going to a temple is the practice of going around the deity or the sanctum sanctorum. This is called pradakshina. Typically, pradakshina is done after the completion of traditional worship (pooja) and after paying homage to the deity. We cannot draw a circle without a center point. The Lord is the center, source and essence of our lives. We acknowledge this by performing pradakshina.

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 As a part of the Hindu culture there are many practices which we follow diligently. We have often wondered what is the explanation behind them. One such practice is lighting a lamp. In almost every Hindu home, a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the function.  What is the reason behind this practice?

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