Haath Katro Khamba

Do you recognize it or where is this place, what is its name? Don't know?

Don't know because its history has not been told

This is Goa's "Haath Katro Khamba".

80000 Hindus who did not convert to Christianity were tied to this pillar and their hands were cut from the shoulders and left to die

Do you know who did this?

St. Xavier,

Whose mummy is still kept safe in a church...

Many schools run in our country in the name of St. Xavier where we send our children to study with great enthusiasm, think about it once 

SOME FACTS OF HINDUISM

1)Sanathana Dharma has 2000 basic religious books and totally has more than one lakh religious books which is biggest literature for any religion.
 

2)Apart from India and Nepal ,Mauritious is also a Hindu majority country.The Bali islands in Indonesi is a Hindu majority region. In 1950 Fiji islands , Suriname , Guyana were also Hindu majority countries((now reduced due to large scale conversion)) .
 

3)Even though Sanathana Dharma is 3rd largest religion in the world , the most visited pilgirm centres are in Hinduism. Sabarimala Temple - 70+ million per year Thirupati Tirumala temple - 50 million per year Guruvayoor Krishna Temple - 40+ million per year
 

4)Countries like Pakisthan , Srilanka , Myanmar , Bhutan , Bangladesh , Afganisthan , Tibet 

were once Hindu countries.
 

5)Sanathana Dharma was the largest religion in the world till Christianity overtook it in mordern era. In 1910 census Hinduism was larger religion than Islam *1910 cencus Hinduism-223 million followers Islam - 221 million followers

 

 6)Buddhism which is an offshoot of Sanathana Dharma is also a World religion. Yoga which is a practice of Sanathana Dharma has more than  200million nonHindu followers today.
 

7) Worlds largest Humangathering is for Hindu festival of Mahakumbhamela (( around 160+ million people)). Worlds largest religious structure is Ankorwat Temple. Worlds most richest temple is Padmanabhaswamy Temple. 8)Many countries likeIndonesia,Combodia ,Malasia have Sanathana past.The reality is that Sanathana Dharma or Hinduism is the mother of all religions , cultures and civilisations. Entire world have a Sanathana history. Tommarrow such a day will again come by renaissance.
 

PROUD TO BE A HINDU

Why I Am A Hindu?

 

A Hindu was flying from JFK New York Airport to SFO San Francisco Airport CA to attend a meeting at Monterey, CA.

An American girl was sitting on the right side, near window seat. It indeed was a long journey - it would take nearly seven hours.

He was surprised to see the young girl reading a Bible unusual of young Americans. After some time she smiled and we had few acquaintances talk.He told her that I am from India
Then suddenly the girl asked: 'What's your faith?' 'What?' He didn't understand the question.
'I mean, what's your religion? Are you a Christian? Or a Muslim?'
'No!' He replied, 'He am neither Christian nor Muslim'.
Apparently she appeared shocked to listen to that. 'Then who are you?' “I am a Hindu”, He said.
She looked at him as if she was seeing a caged animal. She could not understand what He was talking about.
A common man in Europe or US knows about Christianity and Islam, as they are the leading religions of the world today.
But a Hindu, what?
He explained to her - I am born to a Hindu father and Hindu mother. Therefore, I am a Hindu by birth.
'Who is your prophet?' she asked.
'We don't have a prophet,' He replied.
'What's your Holy Book?'
'We don't have a single Holy Book, but we have hundreds and thousands of philosophical and sacred scriptures,'
He replied.
'Oh, come on at least tell me who is your God?'
'What do you mean by that?'
'Like we have Jesus and Muslims have Allah - don't you have a God?'
He thought for a moment. Muslims and Christians believe one God (Male God) who created the world and takes an interest in the humans who inhabit it. Her mind is conditioned with that kind of belief.
According to her (or anybody who doesn't know about Hinduism), a religion needs to have one Prophet, one Holy book and one God. The mind is so conditioned and rigidly narrowed down to such a notion that anything else is not acceptable. He understood her perception and concept about faith. You can't compare Hinduism with any of the present leading religions where you have to believe in one concept of God.
He tried to explain to her: 'You can believe in one God and he can be a Hindu. You may believe in multiple deities and still you can be a Hindu. What's more - you may not believe in God at all, still you can be a Hindu. An Atheist can also be a Hindu.'
This sounded very crazy to her. She couldn't imagine a religion so unorganized, still surviving for thousands of years, even after onslaught from foreign forces.
'I don't understand but it seems very interesting. Are you religious?'
What can He tell to this American girl?
He said: 'I do not go to Temple regularly. I do not make any regular rituals. I have learned some of the rituals in my younger days. I still enjoy doing it sometimes'.
'Enjoy? Are you not afraid of God?'
'God is a friend. No- I am not afraid of God. Nobody has made any compulsions on me to perform these rituals regularly.'
She thought for a while and then asked: 'Have you ever thought of converting to any other religion?'
'Why should I? Even if I challenge some of the rituals and faith in Hinduism, nobody can convert me from Hinduism. Because, being a Hindu allows me to think independently and objectively, without conditioning. I remain as a Hindu never by force, but choice.' He told her that Hinduism is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. It is not a religion like Christianity or Islam because it is not founded by any one person or does not have an organized controlling body like the Church or the Order, I added. There is no institution or authority..
'So, you don't believe in God?' she wanted everything in black and white.
'I didn't say that. I do not discard the divine reality. Our scripture, or Sruthis or Smrithis - Vedas and Upanishads or the Gita - say God might be there or he might not be there. But we pray to that supreme abstract authority (Para Brahma) that is the creator of this universe.'
'Why can't you believe in one personal God?'
'We have a concept - abstract - not a personal god. The concept or notion of a personal God, hiding behind the clouds of secrecy, telling us irrational stories through few men whom he sends as messengers, demanding us to worship him or punish us, does not make sense. I don't think that God is as silly as an autocratic emperor who wants others to respect him or fear him.' He told her that such notions are just fancies of less educated human imagination and fallacies, adding that generally ethnic religious practitioners in Hinduism believe in personal Gods. The entry level Hinduism has over-whelming superstitions too. The philosophical side of Hinduism negates all superstitions.
'Good that you agree God might exist. You told that you pray. What is your prayer then?'
'Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavantu. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,'
लोका समस्ता सुखिनो भवन्तु !!! ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः !!!
'Funny,' she laughed, 'What does it mean?'
'May all the beings in all the worlds be happy. Let there be Peace, Peace,and Peace every where.'
'Hmm ..very interesting. I want to learn more about this religion. It is so democratic, broad-minded and free' she exclaimed.
'The fact is Hinduism is a religion of the individual, for the individual and by the individual with its roots in the Vedas and the Bhagavad-Gita. It is all about an individual approaching a personal God in an individual way according to his temperament and inner evolution - it is as simple as that.'
'How does anybody convert to Hinduism?'
'Nobody can convert you to Hinduism, because it is not a religion, but it is a Culture, a way of leaving life, a set of beliefs and practices. Everything is acceptable in Hinduism because there is no single Authority or Organization either to accept you or to reject you or to oppose you on behalf of Hinduism.'
He told her - if you look for meaning in life, don't look for it in religions; don't go from one cult to another or from one Guru to the next.
For a real seeker, He told her, the Bible itself gives guidelines when it says ' Kingdom of God is within you.' I reminded her of Christ's teaching about the love that we have for each other. That is where you can find the meaning of life.
Loving each and every creation of the God is absolute and real. 'Isavasyam idam sarvam' Isam (the God) is present (inhabits) here everywhere - nothing exists separate from the God, because God is present everywhere. Respect every living being and non-living things as God. That's what Hinduism teaches you.
Hinduism is referred to as Sanathana Dharma, the eternal faith. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. The most important aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas. It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God (not a personal one) expressed in different forms. For them, God is timeless and formless entity.
Ancestors of today's Hindus believe in eternal truths and cosmic laws and these truths are opened to anyone who seeks them. But there is a section of Hindus who are either superstitious or turned fanatic to make this an organized religion like others. The British coin the word 'Hindu' and considered it as a religion.
He said: 'Religions have become an MLM (multi-level- marketing) industry that has been trying to expand the market share by conversion. The biggest business in today's world is Spirituality. Hinduism is no exception'
He said "I am a Hindu primarily because it professes Non-violence - 'Ahimsa Paramo Dharma' means - Non violence is the highest duty. I am a Hindu because it doesn't condition my mind with any faith system.
A man/woman who changes his/her birth religion to another religion is a fake and does not value his/her morals, culture and values in life.
Hinduism is the original rather a natural yet a logical and satisfying spiritual, personal and a scientific way of leaving a life..

Karma and Retribution- Srimad Bhagavatam

Once there was a king who distributed food to the brahmanas. One day, as he was giving out food to the priests, an eagle flew above holding a dead snake in his claws. Out of the mouth of the dead snake fell a drop of poison into the food that the king was distributing.No one knew or saw that this had happened, so the king continued distributing the food.The Brahmin who accidentally got the poisoned food from king died, and the king was feeling very sad about it.
 

Chitragupta, one of the assistants of Yamaraj (the god of death) who had the job of assigning retribution for karmas to the living beings had a problem. When this incident with the king and the poisoned food happened, he did not know who to give the karma to. After all, it was not the eagle's fault that it had carried the dead snake in its claws (since this was its food), nor was it the dead's snake fault, nor was it the king's fault because he did not know that the poison fell into the food.So Chitragupta went to Yamaraj for a solution. Yamaraj told him to wait patiently. Soon a solution would present itself, the lord of death assured him. One day, few other brahmanas entered the kingdom in order to meet the king.
A woman was sitting next to the road, selling wares and they asked her: "Do you know where the king's palace is and how we can get there?" She said: "Yes," and pointed at the right direction. "But, be very careful," she said, "the king is known to kill brahmanas!"
 

The moment she said that and criticized the king unrightfully, Chitragupta got his answer.
He decided to give HER the karma for the death of the brahmana! Moral of the story:If you criticize anyone and you are right about their deeds, you will get half of their bad karma. But, if you criticize someone and you are not right about their deeds, then you will get 100% of their karma.So be careful about what you think or say about other people.
- Srimad Bhagavatam (5.10.17)

Hindus have 33 crore gods !! Are you serious..?

33 divinities are mentioned in the Yajur-veda, Atharva-veda, occurs in the Parsi scriptures of Avesta as well.The expression trayastrimsa deva is found in the list of classes of gods in Sanskrit Buddhist texts like the Divyavadana and Suvarnaprabhasa-sutra.The word koti in 'trayastrimsati koti' does not mean the number '33 crore' or '330 million'. Here koti means 'supreme', pre-eminent, excellent, that is, the 33 'supreme' divinities.

It has been documented in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Śākalya : "How many gods are there?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "Three hundred and three." Then he says, "Three thousand and three."

Śākalya : "Is this the answer that you give me to my question, how many gods are there? Three thousand and three; three hundred and three! Have you no other answer to this question?"  

Yājñavalkya : There are thirty-three gods.

Śākalya : "All right!" (not satisfied with answer) ...Tell me again properly; how many gods are there?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "Six are there."

Śākalya : "How many gods are there. Tell me again. Think properly."
 

Yājñavalkya : "Only three gods are there."

Śākalya : "How many gods are there? Tell again.
 

Yājñavalkya : "Two gods are there."

Śākalya : "Tell again; how many gods are there?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "One and a half gods"

(Then he was very much upset)

Śākalya : "What is this you say, one and a half gods. Tell again properly; how many gods are there?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "One god is there,"

Śākalya : "All these numbers that you have mentioned – three thousand and three, three hundred and three – what are these gods? Give the names of these gods, the deities."
 

Yājñavalkya : "All these three thousand and all that I mentioned – they are not really gods. They are only manifestations of the thirty-three. The thirty-three are the principal manifestations, and others are only their glories, radiances, manifestations, magnificences or forces, energies, powers."

Śākalya : "But what are these thirty-three?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "The thirty-three gods are eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Ādityas, then Indra and Prajāpati – these make thirty-three gods."

Śākalya : "What are these Vasus which are eight in number?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "Fire is one deity; earth is one deity; air is another; the atmosphere is one deity; the sun is one deity; the heaven is one deity; moon is one deity; the stars are one deity. These constitute eight groups"

Śākalya : "Why do you call them Vasus?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "Everything is deposited as it were in these constituent principles. Therefore, they are called Vasus."

Śākalya : "Who are the Rudras?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "The ten senses and the mind make eleven. These are the Rudras."

Śākalya : "What are the twelve Ādityas, the suns?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "They are twelve forces of the sun, takes away the vitality of people."

Śākalya : "Who is Indra? Who is Prajāpati?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "The rain cloud can be called Indra. Sacrifice can be called Prajāpati."

Śākalya : "What do you mean by rain cloud?"
 

Yājñavalkya : "By rain cloud I do not actually mean the cloud, but the lightning which is the embodiment of energy."

Meaning of Ekadasi:

Every month of the Hindu calendar has two auspicious days of Ekadasi. It falls on the eleventh day of the fortnight of the lunar cycle. The first Ekadasi occurs when the moon is closest to the earth and the second Ekadasi occurs when the moon is farthest from the earth. The Ekadasi days are also indicators of the high and low tides of the sea. There are 24 Ekadasis in a year and each Ekadasi has a unique name. Ekadasi is observed as a day of fasting and devotion.

Benefits of Ekadasi fasting:

• It brings the blessings of Lord Vishnu.
• It liberates one from the cycle of birth and death.
• It gives one freedom from the sins of the past.
• It fulfills the wishes of health, wealth and happiness.
• It enhances the physiological functions of the body.
• It helps in flushing out the toxins from the body.
• It helps to strengthen one’s self-control.
• It improves one’s emotional stability.

Methods of Ekadasi Fasting:
 
• Complete fasting involves total abstinence from food and water for 24 hours.
• Partial fasting involves consumption of fruits and milk and the avoidance of rice and grains.
• People with health problems can opt for partial fasting after consulting with their doctors.
• Some people take only a single meal on the Dasami day, the day before Ekadasi.

The 24 different Ekadasis

Mythological Significance of Ekadasi:

It is believed that Ekadasi is the name of the Goddess that arose from Lord Vishnu to defeat Demon Mura. Happy with her divine act, Lord Vishnu blessed her that anyone who observes Ekadasi fast will be freed of their sins and will attain Moksha.

The 24 different Ekadasis:

1. Putrada Ekadasi:
There is a popular belief that married couples without children will be blessed with children if they observe Putrada Ekadasi.

2. Shatilla Ekadasi:
On this day, Til (sesame) is used in six ways. It is used in Ubtan, bathing, performing Havans, Tarpan, meal and donations.
 
3. Jaya Ekadasi:
The greatness of this Ekadasi was narrated to Yudhishtira by Sri Krishna and is found in the Padma Purana and the Bhavisyothara Purana.
 
4. Vijaya Ekadasi:
The major belief behind practicing this ritual is the observance of a vrat by Lord Ram before he headed towards crossing the ocean to reach Lanka and defeating Ravana.
 
5. Amalki Ekadasi:
Dedicated to Amlaki or Gooseberry Tree, observance of this Ekadasi is believed to bring in great prosperity and benefits.
 
6. Papamochini Ekadasi:
Observing a vrat on this day is highly significant as a sincere devotee can get rid of all his sins committed so far.
 
7. Kamda Ekadasi:
A fast on this day will assist in getting rid of all sins and guilt that are a result of lust.
 
8. Varuthini Ekadasi:
The vrat is a step towards a fortunate phase of life.
 
9. Mohini Ekadasi:
Eliminates all sins and helps in leading a happy and prosperous life. Also, a person undergoing sadness is effectively able to overcome this sickness.
 
10. Apara Ekadasi:
This vrat would help in eliminating their sins and henceforth, would finally assist them in attaining Moksha, or salvation.
 
11. Nirjala Ekadasi:
It is the strictest fast among all the Ekadashis in the Hindu religion as one cannot even drink water while observing it.
 
12. Yogini Ekadasi:
It is the most significant Ekadashi fast in order to get rid of various ailments and diseases.
 
13. Devshayani Ekadasi:
It is believed that Lord Vishnu went into a deep sleep for the next four months beginning from this day.
 
14. Kamika Ekadasi:
This vrat is considered highly significant and auspicious for performing good deeds and seeking blessings of the Lord.
 
15. Aja Ekadasi: 
 This vrat eradicates all sinful and evil activities. 

16. Parivartan Ekadasi:
On this Ekadasi day Lord Vishnu who reclines on Aadishesha turns to another side and this turn is called as Parivarthan.
 
17. Indira Ekadasi:
It is believed that observing this Ekadasi will help in removing the sins committed by oneself and one’s forefathers.
 
18. Pasankusa Ekadasi:
One will be able to fulfill his dreams and observing it is equal to performing numerous yajnas and making several offerings.
 
19. Rama Ekadasi:  
Sins and evil deeds can be washed away by observing a vrat on this day.
 
20. Prabhodini Ekadasi: 
The Hindu devotees believe that Lord Vishnu woke up from his Yoga Nidra (cosmic sleep) on this day.
 
21. Utpanna Ekadasi: 
One can enjoy all kinds of comforts and gets the shelter of Lord Vishnu, after death.
 
22. Mokshada Ekadasi: 
Helps in attaining Moksha, or liberation.
 
23. Saphala Ekadasi:
Sins of many generations of a person are removed by observing the fast of Saphala Ekadasi.
 
24. Haribobhini (Devotthani) Ekadasi.