This essay examines the Dharmic dimensions of gaze, self-presentation, and sensory restraint through the concepts of indriya-nigraha and viveka. Drawing upon the Bhagavad Gītā and the principles of deśa, kāla, and pātra, it distinguishes involuntary perception from deliberate conduct and moral agency. The discussion moves beyond simplistic notions of blame to consider the reciprocal responsibilities of individuals sharing a social space. It argues that Dharma neither denies human impulses nor permits them to govern conduct, but calls for conscious regulation, contextual discernment, and responsibility. Ultimately, the essay proposes that both seeing and being seen carry ethical dimensions within a Dharmic framework.
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The Enigma of Bhakti
This poem by Pornima Rajkarne traces the relationship shared by the author with Bhakti, one of the important paths of Adhyatma. She weaves together her personal experiences, fieldwork insights, and the academic discourse of Bhakti in this piece.

Why Are We This Way? A Guide to Rediscovering Hindu Shastras
Why do Hindus think differently about knowledge, duty, worship, time and existence? Why Are We This Way: A Guide to Hindu Shastras approaches these questions through the vast knowledge traditions of Sanatana Dharma. Rather than treating Hinduism as a collection of rituals or beliefs, the book introduces readers to the interconnected Shastric ecosystem underlying them. Its accessible treatment of complex traditions makes it particularly relevant to a generation increasingly disconnected from its scriptural inheritance. This review examines the book as a roadmap towards recovering that intellectual and civilizational memory.

Decolonizing IKS (“Indian Knowledge Systems”)
Delivered by Prof. Prakash Shah on behalf of Prof. Vamsee Juluri at the panel "Decolonisation, Public Discourse and IKS" during the IKSHA Conference at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, this thought-provoking talk argues that decolonisation cannot be reduced to merely replacing Western knowledge with Indian knowledge. It challenges the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) movement to examine its own assumptions and recover the spiritual foundations of Bharatiya knowledge. The talk ultimately asks whether true decolonisation is possible if Bhagawan is removed from the centre of the civilizational worldview.

Scholarship and Sacred Truth
Can a civilization survive if all its sacred truths are judged solely by external academic standards? This essay argues that while historical inquiry has its place, Hindu Dharma must remain rooted in its own sacred framework of shraddha, sampradaya, and parampara. A living tradition cannot endure if its foundational beliefs are endlessly relativized. History may study a civilization from the outside, but only its sacred truths sustain it from within.
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Globalisation, Economy and Rashtra in Dharma traditions
Dharmic knowledge is an untapped resource which could help alleviate many problems of the modern world.
Shiva’s symbolism (Hindi)
हिन्दू धर्म को समझने की एक लोकप्रिय विधि है हमारे देवी देवताओं के स्वरुप और चिह्नों पर गहरा विचार करना और इनसे सीख प्राप्त करना।
Recent excavation of ancient temple – Mahabalipuram Part III
Recently discovered temple complex provides intriguing proof of temple construction dating back more than 2000 years in Mahabalipuram.
That! Who or What is Worth Worshipping?
In post-Christian Europe, many no longer subscribe to traditional theology or atheism, instead calling themselves “Something-ists” or “spiritual but not religious.” This vague belief in “Something” echoes ancient Indian thought, where the Vedic word Tad—“That”—points to the Absolute beyond description. Found in the Ṛg-Veda, Upaniṣads, and Bhagavad Gītā, Tad represents the witness-consciousness, the essence beyond qualities. The clearest enunciation of Tad, at once one of the profoundest Vedic phrases is the assurance Tat tvam asi, “that thou art” in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad. Thus, what seems modern is rooted in one of humanity’s oldest insights into the ultimate reality.
The Eternal Dasas of Sree Padmanabha Swamy – VI (The Last Ruling Dasa)
Without an ounce of exaggeration, basing our knowledge on clear cut facts, it is evident how the classic rulers of Travancore and their weighty contributions made Kerala the modern state we see today.
When should Pongal/Makar Samkranti be celebrated and why?
An incomplete understanding and misreading of the Shastras in the modern age, has led people to celebrate Pongal on the wrong day.
The one who stands apart
Bhairava, the terrifying form of Shiva, inspires fear as he strikes at the root of all fear, the ego.
Brainwashed Republic
Decades of propaganda in our school textbooks have brainwashed our youth into despising their own heritage.
A.M.Hocart’s ‘Caste: A comparative study’
A look at the caste-system from perhaps the only unprejudiced European from colonial times, anthropologist Arthur Maurice Hocart.
Factors hindering ‘Total Revolution’ in India
The change as envisioned by JP Narayan still has familiar roadblocks to contend with in its path.
Śaṅkara Charitam – a re-telling – Chapter-12 – Śivaḥ kevalo’ham
Chapter 12 of Śaṅkara Charitam takes us through Śaṅkara’s meeting with his Guru, and the Guru's acceptance of Śaṅkara as his disciple.
Govinda Bhagavatpāda asks the boy standing at the foot of the cave, inside which he meditated for centuries, to introduce himself and Śaṅkara calls himself - "Śivaḥ kevalo’ham".
The life of Gauḍapāda as a Brahmarākṣasa and his meeting with Govinda Bhagavatpāda is also mentioned in this chapter.
“Rama of the Axe” by Ranjith Radhakrishnan – A Review
A comprehensive review of "Rama of the Axe" by Ranjith Radhakrishnan, and his treatment of plots and characters beyond what is mainstream, including but not limited to the protagonist Bhagwan Parashurama and the antagonist Kartyavira Arjuna.
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Śaṅkara Charitam – a re-telling – Chapter-13 – At the feet of the Guru
Chapter 13 of Śaṅkara Charitam takes us through Śaṅkara’s experience with his Guru, Govinda Bhagavatpāda, the completion of his education, and Guru's blessings and final teachings for Śaṅkara to take with him in the world and tackle the thick forest of ignorance enveloping the minds of the people.
Gauḍapāda as Brahmarākṣasa finds Govinda Bhagavatpāda acceptable as a disciple, and the teaching starts atop the pipal tree in which the Brahmarākṣasa resides..........
Amir Khusrau’s Contributions to Indian Music: A Preliminary Survey
Deemed as the originator of many facets of Indian music, Amir Khusrau's contribution needs a thorough investigation.
Re-examining Sabarimala
As the Supreme Court refers the Sabarimala case to a larger bench, thereby giving a foot in the door to the devotees, it is time to grasp the essential ideas that make the case for the tradition so compelling and unignorable.
Countering narratives against Hinduism during Kartika Masam in Odisha
In this auspicious lunar month we try to inculcate some noble qualities to march in the path of Bhakti and shed negative attributes of our body-mind.
The Sword of Kali by Chittaranjan Naik: Part 2
Dr Pingali Gopal encapsulates an old debate about the nature of Hinduism.
Agni – The fire within
Agni's powers of transformation have for long been invoked by sadhakas to make rapid progress in their spiritual journey.
Nandi: Puranas and the Science of Attention
The stories of Nandi from the Puranas combined with the modern scientific perspective help us understand the science of attention in meditation.
Ārya Prajñā: Artificial Intelligence according to Indian ethical values – Part II
All cultures develop machines and industries in their own image and hence an effort to build such machinery through an authentic Indic and Dharmic perspective should be our aim.
Humour in Hinduism – Part 1
Hinduism has always incorporated a healthy dose of humour in its writings, with even gods not being spared.
Hamvira Deva: The forgotten warrior-prince of Odisha
A brief narrative of the valorous warrior-prince Hamvira Deva of Odisha's famous Suryavamsa Gajapati dynasty.
Science, Secularism and Saturn
The interplay between rationality, politics and Hindu tradition is much more complex than westerners or elitist Indians imagine. The worship of reason at the expense of traditional wisdom of the diverse communities in India creates artificial fault lines in the social fabric of the country and can have serious long term implications.
Understanding Political Systems Of India – Part 1 – Political Ideologies – A Dummy’s Understanding of Background Western Theories
"The political spectrum teaches absurdly that opposites are the same. The two ‘positions’ - Left and Right - are the mixing of incoherent, unrelated, and constantly shifting ideas lumped together by the accident of history. Aggressive military positioning hardly connects to a free-market philosophy. Defenders acknowledge this variation but claim an underlying essence: the Right (conservatives), ‘backward looking’, want to conserve; the Left (progressives), ‘forward looking,' want change. Both wings' policies, in fact, are ‘backward-looking’ and marked by nostalgia, depending on the issue."
In the first installment of the series titled "Understanding Political Systems Of India", Dr. Pingali Gopal analyses the multiple prevalent political systems and ideologies of the West, that define world politics as we know it today. These systems have been allowed to influence Indian politics and policy making after independence, with complete disregard to the ancient political systems of India.
The broad classification of political ideology as Right or Left is nebulous at best - one can falsify every proposed essence of right or left, which shows us that ideologies are nothing but social constructs. these Right-Left political ideas do not make sense either in the Western context or in the Indian context, and yet, for decades, we have held on to them. We need to understand our past political systems better, and we need to transcend the paradigm.
