Category: cornerstone

18 days of the Mahabharata war – Battle of Kurukshetra

Post author By gaudiya
Post date August 20, 2023

bhagavad gita teachings slokas summary kurukshetra mahabharata

The following article provides a detailed account of the momentous 18-day Kurukshetra War as narrated by Sanjaya to Dhritarashtra. Known as the epic Mahabharata, the Kurukshetra War stands as a central theme within this Hindu epic. The conflict unfolded between two factions of cousins, namely the Kauravas and the Pandavas, in a gripping struggle for the rightful dynastic succession to the throne of Hastinapura, situated in the ancient Indian kingdom of Kuru.

This monumental clash saw a multitude of ancient kingdoms joining forces as allies of their respective sides, amplifying the scale of the confrontation that transpired on the sacred battleground of Kurukshetra, now situated within the boundaries of the modern Indian state of Haryana. In the heart of this grand spectacle, Duryodhana commanded an impressive army of 11 Akshouhinis, while the Pandavas marshaled a force of 7, collectively totaling eighteen formidable divisions. Remarkably, the epic itself comprises eighteen chapters, each unveiling a distinct facet of the unfolding narrative. The conflict spanned an exact eighteen days, from the break of dawn to the setting sun.

cornerstone

Dashavatar – the Ten incarnations of Vishnu

Post author By gaudiya
Post date November 19, 2022

purusha avatar vishnu

The ten incarnations of Vishnu, commonly referred to as the ‘Dashavatar’ are described below –

Krishna is not quoted in the above list as Krishna is not an incarnation, but instead, He is the source of all the other incarnations. Krishna is the supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who appeared in the year 1486 AD has been portrayed in the scriptures as none other than Krishna. Please find below the links to the articles that talk extensively about them.

cornerstone Radha Krishna

Rasa – Divine Mellow

Post author By gaudiya
Post date August 5, 2022

yashoda krishna vatsalya rasa bhagavatamrasa

Rasa, or divine mellows, is remarkable and the most esoteric truth. It is the culmination of the transcendental pastimes of Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When devotion unto Krishna reaches the peak of purity and grows dynamically active, it transforms into ‘Krishna Bhakti Rasa’, the mellows of devotion towards Krishna. Unless a devotee attains pure devotion and reaches the stage of a ‘sadhaka’, he is not qualified to experience ‘rasa’. Krishna is the root cause of divine love whereas Krishna’s personal traits and paraphernalia act as ‘uddipana’ or that which evokes ecstatic love for Him. ‘Uddipana’ helps stimulate the devotee’s latent love for Krishna, which in course of time manifests itself as ‘rasa’. In this article, we are going to discuss the various facets of Rasa, it’s different types, their respective characteristics, etc.

cornerstone Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma) ramayana

All about Lord Rama – Life, Pastimes & Glorification

Post author By gaudiya
Post date July 1, 2022

rama lakshmana sita forest

On the ninth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Chaitra in Treta Yuga, Lord Ramachandra appeared in Ayodhya, a city in northern India. This day has since been celebrated by the entire world as Ram Navami. The ninth canto of Bhagavata Purana states that Lord Ramachandra was born in the dynasty of Maharaja Khatvanga. The son of Maharaja Khatvanga was Dirghabahu and his son was Raghu. Aja was the son of Raghu and the son of Aja was Dasaratha. Lord Ramachandra was the son of Dasaratha and mother Kaushalya. King Dasarath had three wives – Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra. Ramachandra was none other than Vishnu, the Supreme Lord and He had descended into this world along with His full quadruple expansion – as Lord Rama, and brothers Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. Bharata was the son of Kaikeyi while Lakshmana and Shatrughna were the sons of Sumitra.

cornerstone Gaudiya Vaishnavism Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma)

The Art of Yoga: The Science Behind Yoga and Meditation

Post author By gaudiya
Post date May 31, 2022

yoga ashtanga

Yoga, contrary to popular opinion, does not refer to some impossible physical postures. The actual meaning of Yoga does not merely refer to bending, curving your body, or even holding your breath. The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning “to yoke,” or “to unite”. The practice aims to create a union between body, mind, and spirit, as well as between the individual self and universal consciousness.

The yoga system was originally meant for realizing God, and all varieties of yoga practice are assumed to bring one to that point. Success in Yoga ultimately depends on the quality of one’s consciousness and the will of the Supreme Person, rather than on our own gymnastic endeavors. The various yogic asanas, breath control, and withdrawal of the senses are meant to help pacify the mind so that one can focus one’s entire attention on the Supreme Lord (Paramatma) who is eternally present within our heart. In this article, we shall present all the relevant information and scriptural evidence that one needs to know concerning Yoga.

cornerstone Lord Nityananda

All about Lord Nityananda (Nitai)

Post author By gaudiya
Post date May 23, 2022

nitai nityananda

Sri Nityananda Prabhu is none other than Lord Balarama, the first expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Narottam das Thakur sings ‘vrajendra nandana yei, saci suta haila sei, balarama haila Nitai’. Vrajendra Nandana is Lord Krishna, the master of Vraja (Vrindavana) and Saci suta means the son of mother Saci.So the same person who previously had been the darling of Vrindavana has now incarnated as Sri Chaitanya, the son of Saci mata. Similarly, the person who previously had been Lord Balarama has now appeared as Nityananda Prabhu.

Lord Nityananda was born on shukla trayodashi tithi of 1474 AD (the year 1395 of the Saka era) in the village of Ekachakra (Birbhum, West Bengal, India). Nityananda Prabhu freely distributed the treasure of the Lord’s love, attaining which is rare even for demigods like Brahma, to one and all without judging one’s qualification (Brahma-ra durlabha prema sabakare yache). His uncommon unique pastimes moved even the atheists to cry tears of love. In this article, we shall discuss in detail about Lord Nityananda’s amazing life and pastimes.

cornerstone Vaishnava acharyas

Pancha Tattva – The Absolute Truth in five features

Post author By gaudiya
Post date May 17, 2022

pancha tattva

Pancha Tattva tmakam Krishnam
Bhakta rupa svarupakam
Bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam
Namami bhakta saktikam
–
I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, who is non-different from His features as a devotee (Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu), devotional manifestation (Sri Nityananda Prabhu), devotional incarnation (Sri Advaita Acarya), devotional energy (Sri Gadadhara Pandita) and pure devotee (Sri Srivasa Pandita).

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by His plenary expansion Lord Nityananda, His incarnation Sri Advaita Acharya, His internal potency Sri Gadadhara Pandita, and His marginal potency Srivasa Pandita. Lord Chaitanya is in the midst of them as the Supreme Lord.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu cornerstone Gaudiya Vaishnavism - An overview

All about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Gauranga)

Post author By gaudiya
Post date May 12, 2022

Contents : Identity, Pastimes and Teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Identity – Who is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ?

cornerstone Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma)

What is Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma) | Explore Hindu Dharma

Post author By gaudiya
Post date May 12, 2022

Dharma is often interpreted as “duty,” “religion” or “religious duty” and yet its definition is more profound, defying the concise English translation. The word ‘Dharma’ originates from the Sanskrit root “dhri,” which means “to sustain.” Another correlated meaning of ‘Dharma’ is ‘that which is indispensable and fundamental to something’. The word ‘Sanatan’ translates to ‘eternal’ and the phrase ‘Sanatan Dharma’ alludes to that which is eternally integral to a living entity. That which is ‘Sanatan’ does not have either a beginning or an end. Likewise, ‘Sanatan Dharma’ is timeless, non-sectarian and not limited by any boundaries. Religion conveys the idea of faith, and faith of a person may change. But ‘Sanatan Dharma’ is that which cannot be changed. For instance liquidity cannot be taken away from water, nor can heat be taken away from fire.

Contents : Identity, Pastimes and Teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Identity – Who is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ?

Contents – An Overview of Sanatan Dharma