Tag: dharma

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Sumitra and Lakshmana
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September 4, 2023September 4, 2023PERSPECTIVE

The Overlooked Brilliance of Sumitra

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The Ramayana is not simply a chronicle of Shri Rama's life and times on Earth, but also an epic saga that holds within itself much for both the devout and the rational.
Each of the characters is fascinating, but there are some that shine like gems in their limited roles without making too much noise. One such character is that of Sumitra, one of the three chief queens of king Dasharatha of Ayodhya, the other two being Kausalya, and Kaikeyi. This article aims to understand Sumitra's character in deeper detail through textual references from both the Valmiki Ramayana as well as Tulsidas's Ramacharitamanasa.

The Imperishable Seed
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August 28, 2023August 28, 2023BOOK REVIEW

‘The Imperishable Seed’ By Bhaskar Kamble – A Summary Review

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Dr. Pingali Gopal reviews 'The Imperishable Seed' By Bhaskar Kamble, a theoretical physicist from IIT Kanpur and presently a data scientist in Germany.
The linear progression of history from a primitive past to an advanced future, deeply entrenched in western philosophy, embeds itself in Indians even today as a classic case of ‘colonial consciousness’. Bhaskar has done a brilliant job of describing the history of mathematics, a much ignored subject in our educational systems,  and tracing the roots of many subjects to the genius mathematicians of ancient and mediaeval India.

Saraswati's Intelligence
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August 25, 2023August 25, 2023BOOK REVIEW

‘Saraswati’s Intelligence’ by Vamsee Juluri – A Review

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Vamsee Juluri's book is a page-turner, a great example of creative reimagining done right.
It cannot easily be categorised as per conventional genres. Depending on individual inclination, it can be classified as spiritual, based on passages dealing with the questioning of the nature of Dharma; action-packed thriller, given the battle scene depictions and wars waged; or 'mythological', since despite being based on living Devatas, it is a fictional representation of them; and very different from the stories we were raised on.

Oppenheimer
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August 16, 2023August 16, 2023PERSPECTIVE, FILM REVIEW

“Oppenheimer”, the Gita, and Dharma

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Imbibing the spirit of true Dharma, one achieves communion with nature, the cosmos, and eventually the Supreme being. The eternal fight therefore, is not between good and evil, or between believers and non-believers, but between Dharma and Adharma.

Hindu Love Stories by Aditi Banerjee
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August 14, 2023August 14, 2023BOOK REVIEW

Hindu Love Stories by Aditi Banerjee – A Review

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In this review of "Hindu Love Stories" by Aditi Banerjee, we learn about the author's motivation behind writing the book; and her treatment of her characters. She brings forth the popular tales, as well as some lesser known ones; and shows us that some of the lore known to us as tales of duty and surrender can also be viewed from the Hindu view of love, which is very different from the single-hued romantic love marketed by the West.

The four purusharthas of Hindu philosophy
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July 25, 2023July 25, 2023COMMENTARY, PERSPECTIVE

Kama and the Nature of Sensual Desires

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In this article, Rohan Raghav Sharma talks about degeneracy and blind gratification of carnal desires becoming the norm in the West and all modern societies inspired by the West, and suggests that the Hindu framework of the four Purusharthas - Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha; can provide guidance for a balanced view of life.

Ratha Yatra
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June 19, 2023June 19, 2023TRADITION, Temple

The Immersive Experience of the Jagannatha Ratha Yatra

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The Jagannatha Ratha Yatra of Puri, Odisha, while not the only such event in the country, is certainly the most prominent and important one. The siblings Jaganatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra (Krishna with His elder brother and younger sister) are brought out and travel to their aunt's house, known as the Gundicha temple, where they stay for a two week period.
Ratnakar Sadasyula throws light on the lesser known aspects of the Ratha Yatra, its traditions and procedures, in detail.