STORY

One fine day, Lord Vishnu was enjoying the cosmic dance of his Isht, Lord Shiva. Seeing the dance, Lord Vishnu’s weight grew heavier, which made Adishesh, the magnanimous serpent, gasp for his life. As the dance ended, Lord Vishnu’s body became lighter. These subtle though significant changes mesmerized the Adishesh; he asked, “O Lord! How could a cosmic dance create changes in thy weight?” Lord Vishnu said, “The beats of the cosmic dance create vibrations within me.” Mesmerized by the answer, Adishesh said,…

After a surge of passion, Brahma Ji lost his fourth head, and hence the fourth Veda disappeared. Only three Vedas were supposed to guide mankind. In the same era, Rishi Atharva appeared and absorbed the essence of Brahma’s fourth head, thereby assimilating the fourth Veda. Rishi Atharva presented his plea to Shiva and said, “Venerable Lord! I have discovered the fourth Veda and wish to receive its validation from Thee. Kindly listen to its exposition.” Shiva smiled gently and remained silent. He decided…

गुरु बनाम शिक्षक मेरे मन में हमेशा से सवाल रहे हैं… जीवन को लेकर, खुद को लेकर, और इस सफ़र को लेकर जिसमें मैं बढ़ रही हूँ। कोई कहता है – ज़्यादा जानो, कोई कहता है – ज़्यादा महसूस करो। लेकिन दिल के किसी कोने में मैं बस यही सोचती हूँ… मुझे वास्तव में रास्ता दिखाएगा कौन? एक शिक्षक? या कोई गुरु? क्या दोनों में कोई अंतर है? क्या मैं कभी समझ पाऊँगी? यह मेरी यात्रा है… सवालों से उत्तरों तक — एक-एक…

We all know the story of Angulimala, the infamous bandit in the Buddhist lore. But, do you know about his birth? Let’s take a glance.बौद्ध धर्म में कुख्यात डाकू अंगुलिमाल की कहानी तो हम सभी जानते हैं। लेकिन, क्या आप उसके जन्म के बारे में जानते हैं? आइए एक नज़र डालते हैं। One fine night, constellations acquired a unique arrangement, and all weapons glistened in red. The wife of the royal advisor delivered a son. The astrologers predicted a prophecy of the infamous…

نہ میں مومن وچ مسیتاں ، نہ میں وچ کفر دیاں ریتاںنہ میں پاکاں وچ پلیتاں، نہ میں موسیٰ نہ فرعونبلھیا کی جاناں میں کوننہ میں اندر بھید کتاباں ، نہ وچ بھنگاں نہ شراباںنہ وچ رنداں مست خراباں، نہ وچ جاگن نہ وچ سونبلھیا کی جاناں میں کوننہ وچ شادی نہ غمناکی، نہ میں وچ پلیتی پاکینہ میں آبی نہ میں خاکی، نہ میں آتش نہ میں پونبلھیا کی جاناں میں کوننہ میں عربی نہ لاہوری، نہ میں ہندی شہر نگورینہ میں…

Uttam Brahmacharya or Supreme Celibacy/Chastity In our journey towards self-realization, we have explored how vairagya (detachment) serves as the foundation for practicing key virtues such as shaucha (purity), satya (truth), samyam (restraint), tapasya (penance), and tyaga (renunciation). These virtues in turn lead us to a life filled with kshama (forbearance), mardava (humility), and aarjava (simplicity and honesty). Yet, when this path of detachment is combined with brahmacharya (celibacy), it becomes even more powerful—a true culmination of spiritual discipline. On the 10th day of…

So far we have seen how, in order to imbibe the spirit of the first three (uttam kshama, uttam mardav and uttam arjav), the next five (uttam shaucha, uttam satya, uttam samyama, uttam tapa, and uttam tyagya) virtues, which are the solutions of the first three, have to be followed. From today we will see why the last two virtues – uttam akinchan (non-attachment) and uttam brahmacharya (chastity), are said to be the essence of the ten supreme virtues, and if these are…

Paryushana Parva—Eighth Day: Uttam Tyaga or Supreme Renunciation The possession of material things is a form of violence. The term tyag means to renounce, give up, relinquish, or abandon. Many sages have wisely stated: “It is not what we acquire in this world, but what we renounce that truly makes us rich.” As the saying goes, “A noble mind derives greater joy from sharing its possessions with others than from owning them alone.” Renunciation elevates a person to greatness. Lord Bahubali exemplified this…

Paryushan Parva – Seventh Day – Uttam Tapa (Penance or Austerities) Tapasya (penance) involves curbing worldly attractions and desires. The purpose of penance is to keep cravings and passions under control, as overindulgence inevitably leads to suffering. By practicing penance, we invite positive karma into our lives. Penance is essentially self-discipline through fasting, meditation, study, and other practices, all aimed at elevating the soul above the pleasures and pains of worldly existence. In Jainism, penance holds a special place in the code of…

Paryushan Parva – Sixth Day – Uttam Sanyam (Self-Control) “Enjoyment has its limits, but self-control knows no bounds.” – Mahatma Gandhi. Self-control, or Sanyam, is the supreme power by which we protect all living beings through unwavering restraint. It involves renouncing the pleasures offered by the five senses – touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing – as well as the mind, which is often regarded as the sixth sense. In a state of false knowledge or belief, the soul mistakenly identifies itself with…