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Dharma & Philosophy
दर्शन
Core ideas of Sanatana thought, explained clearly and without partisanship.
The Six Darshanas & Vedanta
न्याय
Nyaya
The school of logic and right reasoning
The school of logic and right reasoning
वैशेषिक
Vaisheshika
The categories and atomism of reality
The categories and atomism of reality
सांख्य
Samkhya
The enumeration of Purusha and Prakriti
The enumeration of Purusha and Prakriti
मीमांसा
Mimamsa
The exegesis of dharma and the ritual word
The exegesis of dharma and the ritual word
योग
Yoga
Patanjali's eightfold discipline of the mind
Patanjali's eightfold discipline of the mind
वेदान्त
Vedanta
The knowledge of Brahman, culmination of the Vedas
The knowledge of Brahman, culmination of the Vedas
प्रमाण
What is Pramana?
The valid means of knowledge (pratyaksha, anumana, shabda…)
The valid means of knowledge (pratyaksha, anumana, shabda…)
पुरुष प्रकृति
Purusha & Prakriti
Pure consciousness and creative nature
Pure consciousness and creative nature
वेदान्त सम्प्रदाय
Advaita, Dvaita & Vishishtadvaita
Three great readings of the relation between Atman and Brahman
Three great readings of the relation between Atman and Brahman
चत्वारि महावाक्यानि
The Four Mahavakyas
The four great utterances of the Upanishads
The four great utterances of the Upanishads
अहं ब्रह्मास्मि
Aham Brahmasmi
'I am Brahman' — Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
'I am Brahman' — Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
तत्त्वमसि
Tat Tvam Asi
'That thou art' — Chandogya Upanishad
'That thou art' — Chandogya Upanishad
प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म
Prajnanam Brahma
'Consciousness is Brahman' — Aitareya Upanishad
'Consciousness is Brahman' — Aitareya Upanishad
अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म
Ayam Atma Brahma
'This Self is Brahman' — Mandukya Upanishad
'This Self is Brahman' — Mandukya Upanishad
The Cosmic Beings
त्रयस्त्रिंशत् देवाः
The 33 Devas — what '33' means
Trayastrimshati: the older textual count behind '33 crore gods'
Trayastrimshati: the older textual count behind '33 crore gods'
द्वादश आदित्याः
The 12 Ādityas
The twelve solar deities and the twelve months
The twelve solar deities and the twelve months
एकादश रुद्राः
The 11 Rudras
Why eleven — the fierce powers of vitality and mind
Why eleven — the fierce powers of vitality and mind
अष्ट वसवः
The 8 Vasus
The eight bright ones — elements of the cosmos
The eight bright ones — elements of the cosmos
अश्विनौ
The 2 Ashvini Kumaras
The divine physicians and twin horsemen of dawn
The divine physicians and twin horsemen of dawn
मरुतः
The 49 Maruts
The storm-hosts of Rudra — wind, thunder and cosmic force
The storm-hosts of Rudra — wind, thunder and cosmic force
अष्टमूर्ति अग्नि
The 8 Forms of Agni
The eight flames and the tongues of the sacred fire
The eight flames and the tongues of the sacred fire
अष्टमूर्ति शिव
Ashtamurti — 8 Forms of Shiva
Shiva as the eight cosmic supports: earth, water, fire, air, space, sun, moon and the sacrificer
Shiva as the eight cosmic supports: earth, water, fire, air, space, sun, moon and the sacrificer
The Inner Temple
देह देवालय
Deha Devalaya — the body as temple
The human body understood as the sanctuary of the indwelling divine
The human body understood as the sanctuary of the indwelling divine
पञ्चकोश
The 5 Koshas
The five sheaths from Annamaya to Anandamaya
The five sheaths from Annamaya to Anandamaya
त्रिशरीर
The 3 Shariras
Sthula, Sukshma and Karana — the three bodies
Sthula, Sukshma and Karana — the three bodies
अवस्थात्रय
The 3 Avasthas & Turiya
Waking, dream, deep sleep — and the fourth
Waking, dream, deep sleep — and the fourth
आत्मा जीव ब्रह्म
Atman, Jiva & Brahman
The Self, the individual and the Absolute
The Self, the individual and the Absolute
माया अविद्या
Maya & Avidya
Cosmic appearance and individual not-knowing
Cosmic appearance and individual not-knowing
मोक्ष
Moksha
Liberation — the goal of the inner journey
Liberation — the goal of the inner journey
दश प्राण
The 10 Pranas
The five pranas and five upa-pranas that move life
The five pranas and five upa-pranas that move life
त्रिग्रन्थि
The 3 Granthis
Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra knots on the inner path
Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra knots on the inner path
नाडी
The 72,000 Nadis
The subtle channels and the three great ones — Ida, Pingala, Sushumna
The subtle channels and the three great ones — Ida, Pingala, Sushumna
Ritual Mysteries
दीप
Why do we light a diya?
The meaning of the sacred lamp
The meaning of the sacred lamp
प्रदक्षिणा
Why circumambulate clockwise?
The logic of pradakshina
The logic of pradakshina
घण्टा
Why ring the temple bell?
Sound, attention and the dissolving of thought
Sound, attention and the dissolving of thought
कर्पूर
Why use camphor?
The flame that leaves no residue
The flame that leaves no residue
पुष्प
Why offer flowers?
Beauty, impermanence and surrender
Beauty, impermanence and surrender
जल
Why offer water?
Arghya, achamana and the offering of the pure element
Arghya, achamana and the offering of the pure element
बिल्वपत्र
Why offer Bilva to Shiva?
The three-fold leaf and the threefold Lord
The three-fold leaf and the threefold Lord
तुलसी
Why offer Tulsi to Vishnu?
The beloved plant of Narayana
The beloved plant of Narayana
दूर्वा
Why offer Durva to Ganesha?
The grass of vitality offered to the remover of obstacles
The grass of vitality offered to the remover of obstacles
नारिकेल
Why the coconut?
The shriphala and the breaking of the ego
The shriphala and the breaking of the ego
कलश
Why the Kalasha?
The sacred pot as the vessel of the cosmos
The sacred pot as the vessel of the cosmos
अभिषेक
What is Abhishekam?
The sacred bathing of the deity
The sacred bathing of the deity
पञ्चामृत
What is Panchamrita?
The five nectars and their meaning
The five nectars and their meaning
संकल्प
What is Sankalpa?
The vow of intention that begins every rite
The vow of intention that begins every rite
आचमन
What is Achamana?
Sipping water and inner purification
Sipping water and inner purification
न्यास
What is Nyasa?
Installing the divine in the body through touch and mantra
Installing the divine in the body through touch and mantra
आवाहन विसर्जन
Avahana & Visarjana
Inviting the deity and the gracious farewell
Inviting the deity and the gracious farewell
The Sacred Fire
त्रयी अग्नि
The 3 Sacred Fires
Garhapatya, Ahavaniya and Dakshinagni
Garhapatya, Ahavaniya and Dakshinagni
अग्निहोत्र
Agnihotra, Homa, Yajna & Havan
The forms of the fire offering
The forms of the fire offering
सप्त जिह्वा
The 7 Tongues of Agni
The flames that carry the offerings
The flames that carry the offerings
अग्निदूत
Agni — messenger of the Devas
Why offerings are placed into the fire
Why offerings are placed into the fire
Celestial Cosmology
नवग्रह
The 9 Grahas
The nine influences and their symbolism
The nine influences and their symbolism
राहु केतु
Rahu & Ketu — the shadow grahas
Why they are not physical planets, and the story of Samudra Manthan
Why they are not physical planets, and the story of Samudra Manthan
द्वादश राशि
The 12 Rashis
The twelve zodiacal signs
The twelve zodiacal signs
नक्षत्र देवता
The 27 Nakshatra Devatas
The presiding deities of the lunar mansions
The presiding deities of the lunar mansions
चतुर्दश लोक
The 14 Lokas
The seven upper and seven lower worlds
The seven upper and seven lower worlds
चतुर्दश रत्न
The 14 Ratnas of Samudra Manthan
The fourteen treasures churned from the ocean of milk
The fourteen treasures churned from the ocean of milk
More
धर्म
Dharma
That which upholds and sustains
Dharma is the principle of right order — duty, virtue and the law that sustains the cosmos and society.
कर्म
Karma
Action and its consequence
Karma is the law by which every action bears fruit, shaping experience across lives.
मोक्ष
Moksha
Liberation, the fourth purushartha
Moksha is release from the cycle of birth and death — the highest goal of human life.
संसार
Samsara
The cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Samsara is the continuous flow of worldly existence driven by karma and desire.
आत्मन्
Atman
The innermost Self
Atman is the true Self — pure consciousness — beyond body, mind and ego.
ब्रह्मन्
Brahman
The Absolute reality
Brahman is the infinite, all-pervading reality — the ground of all that is.
माया
Maya
The veiling and projecting power
Maya is the power by which the one appears as the many.
योग
Yoga
Union and discipline
Yoga is the discipline of uniting the individual with the divine or the Self.
भक्ति
Bhakti
The path of loving devotion
Bhakti is wholehearted love and surrender to the divine.
ज्ञान
Jnana
The path of knowledge
Jnana is liberating knowledge of the Self and Brahman.
Related Services
Bring this into practice
Request a related pooja, homam or yagya, performed with care and respect for tradition.