Guru is the term used for a spiritual Master who teaches and guides a disciple. To explain the importance of the Guru in our life through this web page, we have tried to incorporate some extracts from the Holy Gita in it.

The purpose of Guru is to remove ignorance and to give knowledge (Gyan) about God. The word Guru has also been derived from the word 'Gu', which means darkness and 'Ru' means to remove. Thus, a Guru removes the darkness of our ignorance about God and thus makes us enlightened.

Because of one's own good luck or actions in their previous birth(s), when one attains a human birth, it is every human must attain the highest state of "Moksh" or liberation by obtaining true knowledge (Gyan) from a spiritual Guru; because only with true knowledge (Gyan) one can attain the highest state of liberation.

Guru is a highly revered entity in Hinduism and dispels the darkness of ignorance and through his compassionate nature, guides the individual on the path of enlightenment. The disciple will show unconditional love and will surrender to him wholeheartedly. This article attempts to precisely elucidate the importance of the Guru through various aspects.

The Guru is considered the embodiment of God and his main role is to imbibe in the individual, a sense of devotion and unconditional love for God. He also appears to continue the line of transmission of divine knowledge from one generation to another. The guru represents the Divine Light manifested in a physical form with a specific purpose. His form exhibits paternal love for the devotee, His compassionate nature, various mediums of bestowing grace on the disciple, etc. 

This Holy text is like a tree bearing fruits full of nectar granting liberation to those who wish to attain it.

Guru is the one who leads you from the forest of ignorance to the destination of light. He is the invaluable treasure, which is attainable only through a fortunate birth. He is the one who instills the true knowledge of Brahman and takes you to the realm of happiness (Ānand) and bliss after you have experienced the darkness of ignorance. The word Guru means Govinda or one who holds the wheel of life in his hands. Guru Sadguru has been defined as that Lord, which holds sway over our mind and body. The Guru is beyond senses, he is above any description. He appears in front of us only when we receive his grace through our unrelenting efforts.

He should always be worshipped by applying our willpower, by following his commands, by keeping our mind on Him with respect and reverence, by performing Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. We should aspire to attain the lotus feet of Guru.

A guru is a very important person in the life of a devotee, because without the Guru, how can the disciple realize God? The best guru is one who teaches you the methods of realizing God. The guru imparts divine knowledge to the disciple and by this, we realize ourselves as the infinite Supreme Soul. Thus, the Guru is our Father, Mother, Teacher, and very close Friend. The guru guides us in spiritual matters and keeps us on the right path. Without the Guru, we cannot attain self-realization and cannot find peace of mind.

"God is infinite and unfathomable, but his holy name is very sweet and charming. The Guru makes the holy name of God resound in the heart of his sishya. The Guru reveals God to his disciple. Without the Guru, the mantra remains mere words on paper. They lose their power and life. So it is said that one who wants to taste the sweetness of sugar should put it in the mouth and suck it. So it is said that one must implore a superior human being to show him, God. The Guru has created this world, but he has not assumed a human form to live among men as their equal. The true Guru creates an exalted soul, a divine being, to whom he reveals himself" (Guru Gobind Singh in Dasam Granth page 598).

During the simplest of explanations of the word Guru, it is usually said that a Guru is a living Master who can help us in our spiritual evolution. That is true.

However, let us be clear. A Guru is not just a monk, a sadhu, or a swami in saffron robes, with long, twisted matted hair and a divine smile on his face.

The Guru is not just someone standing on the elevated dais of a temple. Nor the one who has been anointed as a Guru by his or her Guru. The Guru is not even the one who is holding some sort of an important position in religious rituals and leading them in the name of God. Such Gurus do exist but they are few to dispel our doubts about Gurus being those who represent certain religions.

A Guru can be anyone – your mother, your father, your best friend, your spouse, or your worst enemy.

Satguru means a true Guru. Sat means truth and Guru means one who dispels darkness. Truth is light and light is eternal. So, Satguru is he who dispels the eternal darkness of ignorance from the mind and takes us towards the light of knowledge.

The Guru is the doorway to liberation. He is the divine energy that helps us to cross the ocean of life, the relative world which is full of sufferings, and reach the shore of blissful thoughtlessness, i.e. liberation. To reach liberation, one has to control one’s senses and study the scriptures honestly. One has to first renounce sense-objects through self-discipline and then use one’s intellect in understanding the scriptures, for guidance in life.

It is very important to have regular spiritual practices to get initiated into the path of spirituality. In fact, from the very beginning, as soon as we accept the existence of a Supreme Being, we should try to unite with Him. He can be our Guru whether we feel Him as existing within us or outside us. Lord Krishna said in Bhagavad-gita :

The thirst for liberation has led to the creation of different sects of Yoga, such as Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. Lord Krishna also says in Bhagavad-gita:

One can choose a Guru from among any of the following: Parama Guru, Ishwar, Sadguru, Pitamaha (the grandfather), Acharya (teacher), Acharya-Dev (teacher’s teacher), and Dayalu (loving friend). In every case, one must treat his Guru as a representative of God.

It is said that we should be respectful towards the Guru whom we have chosen to worship. If we respect and serve our physical Guru, then it is sure that our inner Guru will also bless us. For instance, if a child has a good tutor, then this teaches him good qualities and helps him to become a good citizen. So, too, if a person has a good Guru, he can live in peace and experience God in his daily life.

The Guru is the medium through which grace is bestowed on the seeker. To realize the purport of the Guru mantra, it is essential to understand the meaning of a Guru. Here we have a list of essential points that will help you realize what a Guru is:

• Satguru realizes God and can therefore show others the way to realize God.

• Satguru realizes God directly without any intermediary.

• Satguru is one who has realized God and has been vouchsafed divine knowledge (Jnana) about Reality.

• Satguru is one who has realized God and has been vouchsafed divine bliss (Ananda).

• Satguru is one who has realized God and has been vouchsafed divine power to bestow upon others the realization of God.

The Guru is not merely a human being but a divine one. He is the embodiment of grace, mercy, compassion, and love. As such a Guru’s blessings or grace is of paramount importance in our life.

A Guru’s grace is indispensable for a disciple to be enlightened and this is because:

• A Guru is an expert in his field and has knowledge which he can pass along to his disciples. It is true that knowledge per se cannot enlighten one, however, a Guru who is endowed with divine knowledge and also with the ability to transfer it to his disciples can open the flood-gates of wisdom for his disciple. Knowledge is the key ingredient of enlightenment and hence a Guru who transfers this essential ingredient to his disciple facilitates the latter’s spiritual growth.
• A Guru has experienced various levels of enlightenment and has spiritual powers or siddhis as a result of this attainment.

।।आत्महत्या हत्या करनेवाला मनुष्य अज्ञान और अंधकार से भरे, सूर्य के प्रकाश से हीन, असूर्य नामक लोक को जाते हैं।।

The present-day suicides are not only more in number but also the most unfortunate because these suicides are taking place without proper understanding of the reasons behind the same. Most of them are due to impulsive and quick decisions which are not based on the principles of Vedic philosophy and which have been repeated in the scriptures again and again as a big sin (MAHA PAPA).
Therefore, you require spiritual knowledge to understand the philosophy of life and this total creation. People do not understand that God is always with us even when we are in sound health.
Suicide is one of the most dangerous and fatal diseases in the world. It is said that suicide is the cause of 80% of the pain that is caused because of the self-inflicting injury.
Suicide has become so common in our current society that it is ranked as the second leading cause of death among young adults. The results of a suicide impact, not just those who have taken their life, but family members and friends as well. To understand why so many people consider suicide, I have done some research and what I found was pretty shocking. In one article, the writer stated that a child is abused every 17 seconds; 1 out of 5 children are sexually abused before the age of 18; 1 out of every 5 teenage girls is a victim of rape or attempted rape; 6 out of 10 female victims were stalked by their attacker either before or after the attack; 3,000 women are killed by husbands or boyfriends every year.

Suicide as per Vedas and Puranas

Suicide is a bad idea as per Vedic and Puranic texts.
In the Vedas, it is said to live till hundred years at least. This is considered as a blessing of God to live till hundred years. It is said in the sutras that one should take care of his health and should not die before hundred years. It says that you should attain until such age where you can read, write, hear and talk. If you have any defect in these activities, then you should not die without taking proper treatment. Even after taking proper treatment also you should be alive till hundred years if possible.
Suicide, which is called in Sanskrit as "Atmahatya" is considered a crime. The person who commits suicide, his next birth becomes dark and the next birth takes place on a planet where there is no virtue. The living beings are subject to death and rebirth. It has been said that human life takes birth after many lives and in such a way to lose meaninglessness is foolishness and crime. In Hinduism, it is considered to be a crime to commit suicide. Various aspects of life have been described in Vedas and Puranas. According to Garuda Purana, all forms of life and death have been described in detail. In every religion, suicide is considered to be reproachable because according to religion human life is found after many lives in such a way to lose meaninglessness is foolishness and crime.
The principles of self-love have been described in Vedas so that no one can commit suicide. People will choose suicide when they do not have self-confidence and become unhappy without reason.
Suicide is prohibited in Hinduism. According to the Rig Veda, "Thou shalt not kill, nor cause to kill." (X:10, 116). Killing oneself is equated with killing others and the soul is seen as immortal. According to the Manusmriti, "He who quits his body by taking poison, or a sword, or a noose, goes to hell. He who departs this life by starvation does not at once obtain bliss" (chapter XIV, p. 108). In contrast to the generally negative view of suicide in ancient times, there were some notable exceptions. For example, when Anandabhadeva was forced into exile by his opponents and faced an invasion by an enemy army, he chose to end his life rather than surrender and see his teachings destroyed. Even here though, the act was not viewed as a sin but rather as a courageous rejection of a life of slavery under an enemy king.
Suicide is a very serious matter. A person committing suicide will not only go to hell after death but also the sin of murdering one human being is equivalent to the sin of murdering entire humanity.
You are killing yourself in the hope that you will be born again and have a better life. This is foolishness. You have now destroyed your present life, which was given to you by God. In any case, it is God's wish whether or not you have a better life in your next birth. If you had such thoughts, you should have approached a true Guru who would have told you about this. And if you had done that, you would have been saved from all these troubles and sins. Suicide just because of unhappiness in this birth is not a rational act at all. You must be very careful. All souls will go to heaven after death where there is no unhappiness and all people are equally rich and happy.
The Veda says that a soul committing suicide will fall into hell. Suicide is equivalent to murdering somebody else. Therefore, the torture experienced by your soul in suicide is one part of the sin. The other part of the sin is that you are forcibly missing the opportunity given by God to derive happiness in this life sanctioned by God.
The purpose of your life is not only to enjoy. It is also to remove unhappiness from the world and make this world a happier place to live. Indeed, people around you may not accept you for what you are and they may do injustice against you. At such times it is very easy to get frustrated and think of committing suicide as an option. But suicide is an absolute no under any circumstances. In some countries, they prescribe drugs for such people to get over their depression. They also have a helpline number where these people can talk about their situation and feelings to a professional counselor and they can seek support from them.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US. It is a modern-day plague, affecting all kinds of people regardless of gender, class, education, or ethnic background. There is no single reason for suicide as it varies from one person to another. However, in general, it can be caused due to depression, frustration, anger, addiction, and so on. In India, suicide has been an ancient problem. It is mentioned as one of the 10 misdeeds in the Vedas under the name of ‘Pratritvegah’. The Puranas also talk about the same mentioning King Harishchandra who committed suicide under a curse by Sun God.
Suicide is one of the vices condemned by the world. But many people feel that suicide is a way to escape from the torture of life. But this is not the true solution to life and society. Suicide is never the way to end life. It is seen in the ancient scripts, which prohibit this act of suicide. Suicide should be penalized by society in various ways.
But from the philosophical point of view, suicide is also not justified. Life has two components, viz., physical and mental. Suicide attempts can never save us from heavy mental tortures caused by problems of life. In such a situation, there are two ways to come out of it. One is to face it like a man and make all efforts to solve it and the second one is to get the proper guidance from the Spiritual Guru who can remove all these defects with proper instructions on Veda Marga.

Garuda|Lord Vishnu conversation

Garuda: Why did you create death?

Vishnu: To balance the good and bad of life. People are not grateful for their human birth, so I created a natural death at the end of the life span. By the time one reaches old age, one will have to experience poverty, painful illnesses, and many sufferings. They will understand why I created death.

"Garuda Purana": There is a dialogue between Lord Vishnu and Garuda in the "Garuda Purana" which says that once Lord Vishnu asked Garuda whether he always meditated on him. Garuda replied that he did meditate on him for hours together. Vishnu asked him why he was still unhappy because he did not get a human body yet. Garuda said he was not unhappy but he wanted to have a human body so that he could also see the universe and meditate on Vishnu for years together.

Vishnu said, "Oh Garuda, you are already immortal but you want to go through the cycle of birth and death for millions of births to attain Moksha. It is very difficult to get a human birth."

" यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिः भवति भारत, 
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदा आत्मानं सृजामि अहम् |
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुस्-कृताम्, 
धर्म-संस्थापन-अर्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ||

Sanatan Dharma is the ancient and most vibrant and living tradition of the world. Sanatan Dharma is composed of the body of knowledge, which has been developed throughout the centuries and is primarily based on the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and Bhagavad-Gita. It is also known as Hinduism because its followers primarily live in the country named “Hindustan”. The term Sanatan Dharma is the original and the most suitable name of what we call today Hinduism.

Sanatan Dharma, or the eternal law of nature, is the same ancient path that was revealed by God to mankind during its various evolutionary cycles. This Dharma is a perfectly scientific approach to the study of life and the universe in which we live. The principles of Sanatan Dharma enable man to understand his true nature and his relationship with the world around him. It provides a scientific method to approach the material reality around him and an understanding of his relationship with other humans. It also explains man's true values, purpose, and identity; thereby bringing him a sense of inner peace and equilibrium in a spiritual dimension.

Sanatan Dharma, the eternal religion, is a universal code of living that is the common heritage of mankind, and all human beings irrespective of gender, caste, creed, age, or color can practice it. It recognizes the fact that all religions are different paths leading to the same destination.

It alone can guide humanity in attaining this natural goal. Every aspect of life is considered sacred: be it birth, marriage, or death, all are glorified by being crowned with religious ceremonies. The rituals are performed by the varna system in which everyone is assigned a special place. There is no superiority and inferiority complex among the followers of Sanatan Dharma. All have equal opportunities to achieve liberation.

Sanatan Dharma has some essential and distinguishing features:

Sanatan Dharma does not require any blind faith. Its fundamental principles can be understood on the rational level. Its scriptures can be subjected to logical analysis because it is based on reason and logic rather than blind faith.

Sanatan Dharma is Divine Religion

The highest truth, known as the Brahman is said to be beyond speech. All the efforts of man to express the same by speech or writings will remain a mere approximation to the infinite and inexpressible truth. This highest truth has been variously stated in Indian scriptures as Sat-Chit-Ananda, Parabrahman, Adwaita, Tat-Tvam-Asi, etc., all of which means the absolute, infinite, and eternal truth that is beyond the cognizance of the senses and mental faculties. Later on, it was realized that all such attempts to explain the real truth in words were futile.

Sanatan Dharma is a divine religion that is based on eternal truths and is not man-made. It is not established by any one person, rather it is an ancient religion that has been revived and reestablished by Shri Krishna. It is not the product of human intellect and planning. Sanatan Dharma or the eternal religion does not have a beginning but it does have an end. The modern educated society in India, as well as the whole world, generally gives this very name to Hinduism.

Sanatan Dharma is an eternal spiritual heritage of mankind, which existed long before the Vedas were compiled. Therefore, it is called Apaurusheya. The word Sanatan is derived from the Sanskrit root Saa which means eternality. The root of Dharma is Dhaka which implies upholding order. Therefore, the term Sanatan Dharma conveys that which upholds the eternal order or the Natural Law of the universe. It is true, as we have been told in the Upanishads, that one can approach God directly using spiritual sadhana (discipline). However, it is often difficult to judge for oneself what is right and what is not, what is genuinely spiritual and what is not. This is why Sanatan Dharma was created. The Divine Scriptures of Sanatan are the Vedas. They are eternal because they were revealed by Divine consciousness. Their origin is thus divine and not human.

Universal Religion

The Sanatan Dharma is the universal religion of India. It stands for the essential unity of the entire universe. The concept of Sanatan Dharma has been derived from the word "Dharma" which stands for an eternal principle. This eternally existing principle is called Reality or God.

Sanatan Dharma is a concept in Hinduism that focuses on the oneness of all life. The underlying unity of creation is the basic principle of Sanatan Dharma. It suggests that everything created in the universe has a divine aspect, as well as everything formed out of nature.

In Sanatan Dharma, the cosmos has no boundaries and is considered the manifestation of the supreme reality. All people have a direct connection with this ultimate reality, regardless of one's custom, culture, religion, or any other differences. According to Sanatan Dharma, consciousness is the fundamental guiding principle of all human behavior and all life. Therefore, consciousness and life are the same. This implies that consciousness is a non-physical reality. However, consciousness is different from physical reality because it guides it. Consciousness is also different from thought since it is not limited to one person but rather a force that connects every individual.

Sanatan Dharma views the entire cosmos as the manifestation of the supreme reality. In this way, everything created including the living and non-living is viewed as the segment of the same cosmic equation. Everything we find around us is characterized by a higher consciousness and in this regard, everything is divine and sublime Sanatan Dharma teaches us to honor every living and non-living thing. The supreme consciousness (God) is manifest everywhere. Everything is interconnected through some form of relationship.

Sanatan Dharma encompasses the entire creation from the sub-atomic to the macro-cosmic level. This connects us all and therefore, every creature is divine because everything we experience is connected to God.

Paths for human

Sanatan Dharma and its teaching was always considered ancient, traditional, and obsolete. It was the first and the only alternative to the rigid dogmatic religions of the west. This is true that Sanatan Dharma is truly an ancient religion but it is not traditional or obsolete, rather it has a very important place in society today.

Sanatan Dharma was the path for humans even in ancient times, but with the advent of western influence on Indian society, Sanatan Dharma took a step back. Some people tried to distort its true teaching and thus people started hating it. The main purport of Sanatan Dharma is to shed light on the paths of people and show them the way to achieve perfection. It emphasizes the inseparable bond that man enjoys with the supreme reality and enjoins him to endeavor to realize the sense of supreme oneness with God. This is truly said as the true and ultimate purpose of human life.

Sanatan Dharma is a scientific representation of spirituality, the essence of divine knowledge. It is a complete theory of life. According to Sanatan Dharma, all activities of man during his worldly existence are centered around three fundamental principles i.e. Dharma, Artha, and the Kama. His culture, polity, morals, economy, and spiritual development depend on these three principles. The path of the Supreme Reality that Sanatan Dharma shows to a man is called 'The Path of Sanatan Dharma'.

Sanatan Dharma is considered as the best alternative for the people who are engaged in the activity related to the study of different paths but fail to find their goal on other paths. This failure occurs because the followers of other paths never move beyond the static and inert conception of God as a creator and maintainer who has no direct relationship with mankind. This is against to -the-fact conception maintained by Sanatan Dharma that the Supreme Reality or God exists as a dynamic, creative force in the universe.

Sanatan Dharma is the eternal and all-pervading path for the whole of humanity. Religion, as we know it today, is not a part and parcel of Sanatan Dharma. It is rather a garb that was given to Sanatan Dharma by different people as time progressed and it is a must for us to understand this. Sanatan Dharma encompasses all the noble teachings of ancient masters, which include Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, etc. The path of all these teachings has one and only one goal. That is to guide us to the realization of the Supreme Reality.

Sanatan Dharma accepts the existence of only one supreme reality, which is responsible for the creation, sustenance, dissolution, and destruction of this universe. It also accepts that the path that leads human beings to reality is yoga which can be classified in two different ways.

One of the basic principles of Sanatan Dharma is to recognize the supreme truth in all religions. Along with Hinduism, other religions such as Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism, and so on are included in it. These religions are called asTatva dharmas (principles of religion). For instance, Buddha earned religious merit in Hindu Dharma as someone who attained complete knowledge of the Brahma Tatva (truth) while Zoroaster is considered equivalent to Vishnu. Therefore, there exist some sects that are non-Hindu but still a part of Sanatan Dharma.

Sanatan Dharma is a religion that is not bound by time or geography. It believes in an infinite number of gods and goddesses; everyone has a personal God they can meditate upon and worship. However, Sanatan Dharma only believes in one Supreme Being who is above all other gods, goddesses, and celestials. Generally, the supreme deity is referred to as Siddh - Ishwar i.

The Essential Unity of Dharma

The essential unity of the Sanatan Dharma is reflected in its name 'Sanatan Dharma' which acknowledges the eternal nature of this divine spiritual knowledge. The word 'Dharma' itself reflects this eternal aspect as it means an eternal law or an eternal order that can never be destroyed or changed. The name Sanatan Dharma has also been explained uniquely by Bhagwat Gita - one of the most revered religious texts in Hinduism.

The word 'Sanatan' literally means the eternal law or knowledge of the self, which is revealed to mankind by the Almighty God through His chosen avatars and prophets for their welfare and spiritual upliftment. This knowledge - Sanatan Dharma - is also known as the eternal gospel or supreme knowledge.

Sanatan Dharma is thus the yarn that is sourced and woven by the followers into fabrics of different colors, textures, and patterns. Therefore, it is but natural to find a plethora of gods and sects in Hinduism. Though different individuals manifest religion differently, they are all enjoined to experience the oneness of God as the ultimate truth.

For a common man, the word "religion" is used only for his particular sect and the rituals practiced in it. That's how they all remain. But on deeper introspection, one can see that every individual has a religious thought process, though it may not be formalized and ritualized. Every individual has the concept of soul, reincarnation, karma, etc. He also believes that God is his creator and he is his instrument. He knows that he is born out of a sexual act between two people and he will die after a similar act.

Ratha Yatra

"Atmanam rathinam viddhi shareeram rathameva tu, Buddhim tu sarathim viddhi manaha pragrahameva tu, Indriyani hayanyahur vishayansteshu gocharan,"

Ratha Yatra

The word Rath Yatra translates as the journey of chariots. This is the most important festival in Orissa. The festival is dedicated to the Lord Jagannath who is believed to be a living incarnation of Lord Krishna.

The festival of Rath Yatra is celebrated in the month of Ashadha. The actual day and date of the festival may vary according to the different regions. Hindus celebrate this festival with a lot of pomp and grandeur. The festival is dedicated to Lord Jagannath and his siblings- Lord Balaram and Devi Subhadra(sister of Lord Krishna).

The festival is observed by pulling chariots, which are the replicas of the one used by Lord Jagannath during his annual journey, from the Jagannath Temple in Puri to its summer residence in Gundicha Temple, 3 miles away.

Recent years have seen a remarkable step up in the scale and grandeur of Rath Yatra celebrations. The number of chariots is ever increasing from two to four to six, eight, twelve, twenty-four and more. These are elaborately decorated and well-pulled by thousands of devotees who are willing to walk many miles barefooted to take part in the celebration.

The festival is an occasion for celebration and pageantry, in which religious fervor and devotion is combined with an almost festive mood. It is also the day when the ruling monarchs would offer their status symbol, a golden broom, to God Jagannatha.

Every year the deities of Jagannath Mandir - Lord Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra - are traditionally installed on huge chariots. Devotees pull the chariots in a yatra (procession) through the streets.

Why it is celebrated

About nine hundred years ago, the courageous and pious King Shiladitya of the Bhaumakara dynasty brought the deity of Lord Vishnu, Jagannath, to Puri from his ancestral seat of Shriparvata on the south coast. The king had a divine vision that he would rule for many years only if he installed Jagannath at Puri and offered Him regularly worship. The king made elaborate arrangements for bringing the deity to Puri. He engaged thirty thousand expert craftsmen to carve a beautiful chariot out of rare sandalwood. It took them twelve years to complete the work.

This chariot is considered one of the wonders of medieval India. The exquisitely carved structure is exquisitely ornamented with bronze images of gods, birds and animals.

To initiate the process of sanctification, Indrayumna and the people of the tribe constructed a chariot, or ratha (“chariot”). They then placed the deity of Lord Krishna onto the chariot. After seven days of worship and prayer, the priests and the people were ready to start the Rath Yatra. The Ratha Yatra is a festival that celebrates the journey of Krishna. It is celebrated every year on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya. The first day of Ashadha month is known as Uthana Dwadashi or Sayana Dwadashi.

The Ratha or Chariot is a traditional vehicle used across India even today. The construction of a chariot involves woodwork, metalwork, cooking art forms, and sewing. The chariots are decorated with flowers and are made in different styling according to each region or state.

The King carried out the process of carving, and thus was born Lord Balarama and Lord Krishna in the form of structures. Thus, Ratha Yatra is celebrated as the festival of idols.

Nandbaba, who was also present there, took the partially burned body and put it on Garuda, the celestial carrier and all of them started sailing to the eastern coast. There, from the ocean surface rose a huge wave. Being an ardent ocean lover, Lord Krishna used his magical powers to bring down the tidal wave in his direction. A boat, which was passing by at that time, was swallowed by this wave.

Indradyumna, on his terrace, saw all this happen and understood that he was dreaming about Lord Krishna's procession to Jagannath Puri. The next morning he invited all the villagers to see what had come to shore. But there was nothing except two trunks of Bilva tree floating ashore and in them were the two silver urns containing Lord's ash remains. The king covered them with sandalwood paste and built a temple around them.

The King ordered his men to look out for such a body, but in vain. It was by sheer divine intervention that the King found the body floating near the Puri beach and the King performed the "Sandhi Puja" (Inter-ment) ceremony and cremated it according to Vedic traditions. The spot is known as "Deula Pitha" (place where Lord's body rested)and Lord Jagannath Temple was built there, which is considered to be one of the most sacred temples of India.

The three Brother nd Sister, Balaram, Subhadra and Jagannath, Lord Krishna still reside in the temple of Puri. The "Ratha Jatra"or car festival is performed every year with great pomp and splendor.

He then decided to go out in search of the body that was floating on the waters.

Indradyumna who was a worshiper of Lord Jagannath, heard about Balaram and Subhadra's plans to float the dead body of Krishna down the Ganga. He then offered his ship to take them there. During the journey, they sailed through the Arabian Sea, past Sri Lanka, and through the Bay of Bengal. A strong storm uprooted the mast but still they continued their journey, only to end up on an unknown shore.

When the king heard this he was worried. He armed the people with weapons to drive him away. The carpenter, however, laughed at the king. He asked him to come closer and opened his mouth wide as if to swallow him and his men. Seeing all this the king fainted. When he regained consciousness he thanked Vishwakarma for helping the people of Mathura. He also promised that he will build a temple in his honor.

The carpenter then asked the king to carve out Lord's eight parts and prepare them as a gift for Goddess Lakshmi. After that, Vishwakarma disappeared, and so did the sculptures he had created with his chisels

Vishwakarma appeared in the royal court of Raja Purushottam Das, the ruler of Orissa.

The king had fallen sleep after having a dream during the process of Rath Yatra which seems to be true. In his dream, Lord Jagannath had expressed his desire to stay with his sister Subhadra and brother Balabhadra at Puri during Rath Yatra. The dream came true and Rath Yatra was started. But the question was who would carve the statues.

The king found the splinters of bone (asthi) and took them. But the question was who would carve the statues. It is believed that the Gods' architect, Vishwakarma, arrived as an old carpenter. He made it clear that while carving the statues nobody should disturb him, and in case anybody did, he would vanish leaving the work unfinished.

Who Am I?

Am I a body? Am I the personality within? Or am I something supernal and infinite? Am I a spirit or an entity of soul?

If you see the Vedas and Upanishads you will realize that the soul is like a bird that has just perched on the body.

The body is a machine, and the soul is its rider. When the body dies, the rider moves on to his next destination. The body is also called “the house of death” or “the field of action,” meaning life in the body is a preparation for death and action in the world.

The statement in the Upanishads is aham brahmasmi, “I am Brahman;” that is to say, I am spirit. The corollary is that “I do not matter,” and the meaning of that is, “I am not this body.”

The term aham or ego means “I am”; it is the “I-that-is.” Brahman, on the other hand, refers to the Universal Soul or Spirit, the Atman or real Self. So when we say aham brahmasmi, we are not saying something about ourselves. We are affirming something about our real nature.

Hindus maintain that when we say we do not have a body, what we mean is we are not this or that part of the body, physical body.

As per Vedas and Puran, we are not the body, but the soul in the body is called Atma. And Atma is eternal, unchangeable, self-luminous, all-knowing, all-powerful, universal spirit, free from all material desires and attachments.

We are none of our bodies, our names, or our forms. We are only the eternal soul.

We are that which knows, feels, and wills. We are that which gives all the activities to the mind and body. We are those who experience the objects of knowledge through the mind and organs of senses. We are that which is to be realized by controlling our senses and mind and our activities. We are to be known by knowing the Self within and not by the knowledge of the objects without.

Vedas tells us we are neither male nor female, not this body, not the mind, not even the life-breath, but the immortal, all-pervading living force called Brahman which is beyond the Triputi. That’s why you never find Brahman referred to as a male or a female in the Vedas. The soul is Atman, a female which can never be subjected to any other entity but herself. It is a Jivatman inside this Vivartavada body that got changes according to the gunas of Prakrti, the material cause of the phenomenal world. So Atman is never bound by this body or by the mind or by the vital air or even by the senses. It would be mistaken to think that we are our bodies, our minds, or even our feelings.

The main goal of the Soul is to attain freedom, liberation, and salvation. It is the inner self of man that makes its appearance from time to time in various bodies throughout life in this material world. As per Vedas and Puran, the soul is the real guide in the life of a person and makes him do virtuous or vicious deeds depending upon his deeds and karmas. Various types of karmas bring about happiness or misery in the life of a person. If a person does virtuous acts he becomes happy and when he does sinful deeds he becomes miserable. It is because of one’s selfishness, stubbornness, malevolence, and ignorance, man rejects the truth and inclines toward Untruth. Due to attachment and aversion towards worldly objects, man fails to see the real truth. Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of these tendencies to attain freedom and attain true knowledge.

I have gone through all the Vedas and many other scriptures, so far, there are so many references that mention the Soul and Brahman. I wanted to know if I am my body or not? The human body serves as a vehicle for the soul. The soul is what resides in the body and gives it life. The scriptures tell us that we are not our bodies. We are the soul occupying the body.

In this world, we see people dying every day. People lose their lives to accidents and tragedies, which means that their bodies and souls separate from each other. Death, then, is nothing more than the soul departing from the body. However, we do not remember who we were before we were born. Hinduism takes death very seriously because, in death, we are faced with our true selves and need to recognize who we truly are. In truth, we are pure spirits and we need to see ourselves as such.

The (Yoga) Sutras says that the spirit soul is the conscious energy of Krishna and that without the spirit soul, Krishna is just an inert material force. So from the Bhagwad Gita and the Yoga Sutras, we can understand that in the spiritual realm, Krishna is the supreme soul-conscious being, and all other living entities are His subordinate souls.

Anusasan Part 3.30: "The Supreme Lord God forgets nothing. He is near to everyone, yet he dwells far away from everyone. He has created this entire universe in such a way that it has its own free will.

There are many other ancient texts in Hinduism that support this view. The Vaisheshika Sutra states that: “The consciousness of every entity is dependent on the presence of an all-pervasive conscious soul, which is unconditioned and eternal.” The Samkhya Sutra states that: “There is all-pervasive spiritual conscious energy in the world. It is aprakrita (chain) [not created by something else], absolutely free from all adjuncts, indivisible, and not subject to change.”

Unconditional love, peace, and happiness in life can be achieved by overcoming four obstacles: ignorance, ego, desire, and fear. Spiritual Dhyana provides simple spiritual solutions to achieve a happy and peaceful life while living in the material world.

When we observe closely, we find that all our experiences like happiness, sorrow, joy, misery, worry, etc., are arising and disappearing within us without any need of any external help. All our experiences in life are only the modifications of our Self. The source or root of all these experiences is our Self only. We think that we are all separate individuals due to ignorance. But when ignorance goes away, we realize that we are all the same Self. This is the Upanishadic wisdom.

In the Kathopanishad (3-2-1), Katha means story and upa means near and ni means down. So Kathopanishad means near to the nearness. The Vedas were given as teachings to mankind by noble souls who were given that knowledge from God.

The human mind is the most powerful creature on earth. It can plan, create, destroy and it can be the reason for unhappiness or happiness. Our mind is filled with thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas have mentioned in great detail about the mind. These scriptures are considered as the words of God or as per these scriptures man is a ‘child of God’. This post is about the power of the mind and its connection with one’s Atman or soul.

In Hinduism, there are three levels of beings: 1) spiritual being, 2) human being, and 3) material is. The Atman or soul is known as a spiritual being and it is a particle of God that gets connected to the human body at the time of birth.

8.4 MILLION SPECIES OF LIFE

The Vedic literature records that there are 8,400,000 species of life in this universe. Each species has its own habitat, style of dress and language. The Vedas describe the bodily features of all the species and their behavior. On examination it is found that their descriptions tally with those found in modern-day biology books. In the Vedas we also find descriptions of the nature and behavior of the 8.4 million species that inhabit the world, including their diet and habitat. For example, in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.9) it is stated that different types of life eat different types of food according to their bodily features.

The Soul and the Material Body – The soul is not part of an 8.4 million species of life, but is a spiritual energy with unlimited power, knowledge and bliss-giving qualities.

The souls thus migrate into bodies and out of bodies, and the living entity thus goes on wandering through hundreds of thousands of species for millions of lifetimes. The variety of species of life in plants and animals is described in the following verse:

vedānta-nyāya-vidhiḥ syāt tataḥ karmabandhūni jātibhūtāni

pariṇāmiṣatvanta-bhedabrahma-viśeṣabhāgabhūtāni

The Vedanta-nyaya-vidhi (GB 3.24; also in the Gītā [2.22]) says that there are 8,400,000 types of bodies to be adopted in various species. As a soul passes from one species to another, he sheds his old bodies and acquires new ones.

Understanding the jīva’s transmigration through different species of life and understanding the mechanism of rebirth require a fair understanding of the Vedic cosmological model. The Vedic cosmology is based on the Vedas which consist of three main divisions known as Ṛks, Sāmans and Yajus. The Ṛks are mantras, or hymns of praise; Sāmans are melodies or melodic formulas used in rituals and Yajus are made up of incantations.

According to the Vedas, there are 8.4 million species of life and the conditioned soul is continuously passing through the different species according to his karma, under divine supervision. 

If one is attached to sense enjoyment, he may take birth as a worm, an insect, an animal or even as a human being who leads a life of indulgence. If one commits sinful activities, he gets the birth of a demon (danav) or preta (ghost). If one commits only subtle sins, he gets the birth of an asura (demon). If one indulges in sensual pleasures with attachment, but without any sinful activities, he gets the birth of a divinity.

There are eight million species of life and all are dominated by lust (kāma), hatred (dveṣa) and delusion (moha), and therefore they are called earthly desires. One who is free from these three qualities gets liberation from bondage.

The variety of species of life is stated to be 8.4 million. Of these, the number of demigods (devas) is said to be thirty-three crores. Their luster is full, and their bodies are perfect. They are always engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord.

The number of species on other heavenly planets is stated to be thirty-three crores. The life span there is about a thousand years, and the pleasures there are not as fully satisfying as that of Svarga-loka. A person who lives on these heavenly planets for a long time can become eligible to take birth on the planet known as Sudarśana, which is full of jewels and surrounded by millions of gardens.

The inhabitants of this planet have six legs, and their bodies are straight like conchshells. They are engaged in the service of the Lord day and night, and they are very expert in some transcendental subject.

3.1.3 Upgrading to Deva Status

Eating non-vegetarian food or meat is the root cause for demoniac life (bhūtaja janma). The demoniac form is extremely ugly and deformed. Devils have upturned noses, pointed fangs, blue-black bodies and etc. They are very strong and powerful like cats and dogs. Besides eating everything available on the earth, they indulge in the drinking of blood of various animals.

The Supreme Lord Krishna states that all bodies are perishable. He also states that the spirit soul has no beginning or end. With this vision of the material existence in mind, it can be concluded that no being can ultimately escape the clutches of death, whatever his/her material wealth and opulence might be. Death is waiting for everyone, no matter how great one is.

However all the bodies within the ambit of the 8.4 milion species, including that of the demigods, are subject to birth and death. All such bodies have a limited period of life, after which one has to give it up to assume a new body. This process of giving up one type of body and assuming a new one is called death. It is pertinent to note that it is the body that dies and not the spirit soul, who is occupying the body. In other words it is only an old worn out garment that dies, while the spirit soul remains eternally young and fresh.

The 8.4 million species of life

How to live in perpetual happiness?

No fear even at the time of death.

How to achieve this state?

The sages who were purified by knowledge of the Self declare that transcendental knowledge is the way to live in perpetual happiness. This transcendental knowledge is based on the Ultimate Reality–the Supreme Spirit, which is also called Brahman or Paramatma. This knowledge can be attained through the grace of a pure devotee of God and by performing one's prescribed duties. By such actions, one gradually becomes free from material desires and attains peace and happiness.

On the other hand, if one abandons pious deeds and devotes himself to sense gratification, he will only increase his illusion and bondage. Moreover, wealth earned without work is useless. As it says in Bhagavad-gita.

When we speak of death, we mean the death of the body. Death is a phenomenon through which we have to undergo once in our life times. It is the departure of the soul from the body. At death, the principle soul leaves the body and acquires a new one. The departed soul has no knowledge of what is happening about in the world, for he has become oblivious of his former existence. On leaving the old body, he puts on a new one. If he was a demigod, he will get an appropriate body; if he was human, he will get another human body. The departed soul has no knowledge of where he is being taken and to what kind of family he will be born as a member. Nor does he know what kind of environment he will be placed in. The demigods know that after leaving one body they will take another body, but they do not know which body they will deserve next.

The traveling cycle of 8.4 million species means the following: a living being is born from his mother’s womb, and then after some years his body gets destroyed, he enters his father’s semen again, gets born again, and after some years he once more dies and enters a mother’s womb again. Thus, he goes on wandering within the cycle of 8.4 million species, from which he never gets liberated.

The only way to break this cycle is to attain liberation (mukti).

Liberation (mukti) means putting a stop to the journey within the cycle of 8.4 million species. When one breaks this cycle, one is liberated from repeated birth and death, and is transferred to the spiritual sky, where he gets an eternal body. This body that he gets in the spiritual world is free from birth and death, because it is made of sat (eternity), cit (knowledge) and ananda (bliss). Once we reach the spiritual realm, there is no chance of our falling back into the miserable cycle of birth and death.

The journey within the cycle of species takes place when ignorance clouds our intellect, thus causing us to forget our true selves and begin identifying with the non-self — body, organs, happiness, sorrows, etc. This results in repeated births which eventually lead us to old age and death. Buddha has shown us various ways in which we can progress from ignorance to knowledge, thereby putting an end to this journey.