Philosophy

Yajna, Dana, and Tapas

It is known that dharma is the only way to live. But how to practice it? The action plan of dharma is given in the pedagogy of yajna, dana, and tapas.

In the Hindu way of life we are guided by four purusharthas (पुरुषार्थ) –

Rta, Rna, and Dharma

'Fact' and 'Value' in the Context of Indian Culture

ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಅಸ೦ಖ್ಯ ಪಾತ್ರ-ಸ೦ದರ್ಭಗಳ ವಾದಲಹರಿ-ವಿಚಾರವಲ್ಲರಿಗಳು ಅದೆಷ್ಟೋ ಬಾರಿ ನ್ಯಾಯದರ್ಶನದ ವಾದ, ಜಲ್ಪ, ವಿತ೦ಡಾಗಳ೦ಥ ಚರ್ಚೆಗಳಾಗಿ ಬೆಳೆಯುವುದನ್ನು ನಾವು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ವ೦ಶವೃಕ್ಷದ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸಶ್ರೋತ್ರಿಯ ಮತ್ತು ಸದಾಶಿವರಾಯರ ನಡುವಣ ಮಾತುಗಳಾಗಲಿ, ರಾಜ ಮತ್ತು ಕಾತ್ಯಾಯನಿ, ಶ್ರೋತ್ರಿಯ ಮತ್ತು ಕಾತ್ಯಾಯನಿಯರ ನಡುವೆ ಬೆಳೆಯುವ ಚರ್ಚೆಗಳಾಗಲಿ, ದಾಟುವಿನ ಸತ್ಯಭಾಮಾ, ಮೋಹನದಾಸ;ಧರ್ಮಶ್ರೀಯ ಸತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಶ೦ಕರ,ತಬ್ಬಲಿಯು ನೀನಾದೆ ಮಗನೆ ಕಾದ೦ಬರಿಯ ವೆ೦ಕಟರಮಣ, ಹಿಲ್ಡಾ ಮು೦ತಾದವರು ಮಾಡುವ ವಾದಗಳಾಗಲಿ ವ್ಯಾಪಕರೀತಿಯ ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳಾಗುತ್ತವೆ.

The Fourfold Path of Values

Of the many twists and turns in the Ramayana, the most troubling one is that of Rama abandoning Sita based on the public perception of her character.

The sound of the single syllable ‘om’ (or ‘aum’) has been central to Indian culture for several millennia. Om is made up of four parts – ‘a’, ‘u’, ‘m’, and silence. It is also called 'pranava' since it pervades life and runs through our prana (breath, vital breath, life). The four parts of om can also mean to represent birth, growth, letting go, and immortality.

Sanatana dharma literally means eternal way of life or eternal ethic. This is not restricted by the constraints of space and time. However, in variegated applications of the same, specific spatiotemporal frames are adopted. Though the word 'dharma' has no proper equivalent in languages other than Sanskrit, its spirit can somehow be communicated through English words such as global ethic, righteousness, way of life, culture, etc. However, all these words put together may mean the sustained implications of dharma. The word 'sanatana' symbolizes eternity.

One of the favorite pastimes of people interested in Indian epics – Ramayana and Mahabharata, is to compare Rama with Krishna, specially to take actions performed by Rama and speculate on how Krishna would have handled the situation.