‘Caste considerations’ have no locus standi in appointment of temple priests
[contextly_sidebar id=”LYnHVdcyLggxQDlR7tl1TIZZCCoBCdn3″] The SC/ST welfare legislature committee tabled its sixth annual report in the Karnataka legislative assembly on November 23, 2016, where it has More...
Book Review: Fundamentals of Indian Philosophy by Ramakrishna Puligandla
Ramakrishna Puligandla’s book, ‘Fundamentals of Indian Philosophy’ is a masterpiece book. It is a textbook apparently for many western university courses, and India should do the same at college level, especially More...
Perspectives from the Ramayana-I: Is Ganga a mere river?
“How can Sri Rama be a mortal, you arrogant fool? Is the god of love Manmatha a mere archer, the Ganga a mere stream, the cow of plenty a mere beast, the gift of food an ordinary gift, O ten-headed monster? Listen More...
Sūrya Namaskāra: Ancient Practice or Modern Invention? Controversy, Textual Evidence
Editor’s Note: The author is currently working on a two-part book series, entitled “The Ancient Roots of Sūrya Namaskāra and Vinyāsa-based Yoga”, where he would expand the themes covered in the current More...
Who is a Guru?
The Sanskrit word Guru is often mistranslated as a ‘teacher’. Teacher in Sanskrit is called as Shikshak. A teacher is someone who informs and educates us. A teacher is supposed to ensure that we learn to read, More...
A brief study of possession in Hinduism-II: The Spiritual Context
[contextly_sidebar id=”JJfzmWQUKhdNCtXJr0s5A2odKlfpfRP4″] Japanese scholar of Sanskrit and Buddhist literature, Minoru Hara, in his study of the Mahabharata lists nearly sixty semantic contexts in which More...
Book Review: Harivamsha, translated by Dr. Bibek Debroy
The Harivamsha is the final, final part of the Mahabharata. Not quite a part of itihaasa – which the Mahabharata and Ramayana are – nor quite a Purana, the Harivamsha nonetheless gets by being called More...
Understanding Karma through probability
I have long been fascinated by the idea of karma. The notion itself is just built on simple empiricism (that of causality), but once you accept a single metaphysical prior – that of rebirth and the quest for More...
Book Review: Tunnel of Varanavat by Gautam Chikermane
The readers of Mahabharata would find its subaltern universe as fascinating as the main plot line of ‘Jaya’. The sermons on Dharma by the nameless housewife and of the butcher Dharmavyadha to a learned Brahmin More...
Who’s responsible for our pains and gains?
For everything good or bad in life we often try to place blame elsewhere. We seek refuge or blame our opponents, destiny, and stars and even gods, deities. So, what’s, or who’s, responsible for all that’s More...