Started reading the Brahmananda Puran ( amzn.to/356oH5u) - 2 volume granth, should keep me busy till next Navaratri. As always will share the snippets as I go. Send me your blessings.
राष्ट्र गतिशील और वासी स्थिर। - while describing Jambudweep. Isn't that wonderful description of a great nation - when the country is on the move but people who inhabit are stable.
While describing the creation, it says Brahma created व्यवसाय for the happiness of the living beings. This is the first time I read this on Creation context. How would you interpret it?
Brahma created
Asura from Thighs, residual - Night
Devtaa from Mouth, residual - Day
Pitras like sons, residual - Sandhya
Manushya from mind, residual - Jyotsana or Moonlight
With a different level of three gunas in them.
Am at the part where the genealogy of various Rishis are being described. Every progeny is mentioned with both father & mother, everytime.
When & where did the patriarchy kicked in?
Bharat is the eldest son of Rishabh of Nabhi Vansha who ruled from Himalayas. Bharat was given the kingdom South of Himalayas, giving it the name Bharat.
To the north of the sea & to the South of the Himalayas lies Bharatvarsha. Manu takes care/nurtures this land giving it the name - Bharat & it's people are Bharti.
Of the seven rivers - Nalini, Haldini & Pavani flow eastwards, Sita, Chakshu & Sindhu flow westwards, while Bhagirathi southwards towards the ocean. All of them originate from auspicious Bindu Sarovar.
Dweep or द्वीप - with Apa or water on both sides
Parvat - hill with a Parva or peak
Giri - hill without a peak
This section talks about sea going up and down with phases of moon just like water boils and tries to come up when boiled.
15 Nimesh = 1 Kashtha
30 Kashtha = 1 Kala
30 Kala = 1 Muhurat
30 Muhurat = 1 Day
Days get longer or shorter but the Sandhya is always one Muhurat or 48 minutes long.
Chariot of Sun is described as:
Navel is Day
Spokes & circumference of wheels are Seasons
Middle of the chariot is the year
Ayanas it's joints to tie horses
Kashtha is the Horse
Kshan is the stick
Different types of Agni explained. The one that originates from Water like lightening in the clouds can not be destroyed by water. Others are pious Parthiv, Nirmathya from wood, Shuchi from burning of Sun, Jathargni in our abdomen...and it goes on #Brahmand#BrahmandPuran 1.24
Sun divides Human days and nights. One month = one day of Pitras (Shukla paksha is their night & Krishna their day)
One year = one day of Devatas (uttarayan is day & Dakshinayan is night)
Goes on till 1 Divya varsha or year as 360 human years.
Three types of दान - जयेष्ठ मध्यम और कनिष्ठ।
ज्येष्ठ - one you do to attain Moksha or for greater good of society.
मध्यम - one you do out of दया for your fellow beings
कनिष्ठ - the one you do for स्वार्थ।
3 Types of Rishis
Brahmarishi - those who research on Brahma(n)
Devarishi - those who research Vedas
Rajrishi - those who work for the happiness of their people
Hiranyakashyap - son of Kashyap and Diti gets his name as she sits on the golden seat kept for a Yagna, as soon as he came out of the womb, earning him his name.
Elephant Names
द्विरद - 2 दांत वाला
हस्ती - हस्त वाला
करी - सूंड वाला
वारण - पूजनीय
दंती - बड़े दांत वाला
गज - गर्जना करने वाला
कुंजर - कुंजो में विचरण करने वाला
मतंग - मत हो कर चलने वाला
द्विप - दो से पीने वाला
नाग - कोई स्थान अगम्य नहीं
लोकमाताएं और उनके स्वभाव
आदिति धर्मशीला
दिती बलशीला
सुरभि तपशीला
धनु मायाशीला
मुनि गंध शीला
क्रोधा अध्ययनशीला
अरिष्ट गीतशीला
खशा क्रूर
कद्दू क्रोधशीला
ताम्रा चोट पहुंचाने वाली
इरा अनुग्रह करने वाली
विनता भारवाहन करने वाली
अनायु भक्षण करने वाली #brahmamd#brahmandpuran 2.7
Agni that should be used for offering - should be pure in golden color, never blue or black or cracking the earth below, no smoke and no sparks, with wood from trees with mild fragrance & no bird nests for the Yajman to get desired results.
One who knows Rigveda knows the Vedas, one who knows Yajurveda knows Yagna, one who knows Samveda knows the Brahma & one who knows Manas or Atharvaveda knows everything.
No one is criticized, cursed, deprived, diseased, greedy or miserly - this comes repeatedly in scriptures when a good king rules. This time it describes the rule of Sagar in Ayodhya.
There is mention of queen Hemavati of Ayodhya, w/o Sahantaksh of Ikshvaku Vamsha aka Drishtavati, who was well known for herself. By any chance is the river Drishtavati was named after her or vice-versa?
Any idea @bibekdebroy@ArchitectRupa #brahmand#brahmandpuran 2.63
1000:1 Ratio of living beings
Insects etc : water beings
Water beings: Birds
Birds: Animals
Animals: Humans
Humans: Dharmik humans
Dharmiks: Those who go to swarga
Swarg-gami: those who get Moksha
In description of prosperity of Kanchipuram, it says - all the people there are healthy and no one dies an untimely or unnatural death. Read something similar about Ayodhya in various texts. Prosperity defined in terms of health. Let's do that. #brahmandpuran#brahmand 3.7
पाप gets divided among
- Main doer of act
- one who assists him
- one for whom it has been done
- who permits it
Each get 10% of the Paapa of the one above them in this hierarchy.
Shakti is the reason for win & prosperity. One who has Shakti is beyond the gender divide. Shakti is naturally present in everything, but you need to look for is its absence.
विघ्न यंत्र - a weapon used to mislead the army into questioning their commander, making them lazy and complacent.
It's description sounds so similar to paid media or using media as weapon to spread unrest in enemy camp.
महारोगास्त्र - When Bhandasur used the weapon that created diseases in Devi's army, she used नामत्रय यंत्र - takes takes the names - Achyuta, Ananta, Govinda
This Navaratri, taking the Sankalpa to read Mahabharat in original Sanskrit along with Hindi Translation, thanks to Gita Press Edition (amzn.to/3RdthEY). Seeking the blessings of Devi to keep me healthy enough to complete it without a Vighna. #Mahabharata
In the forests of Naimisharanya, Ugrashrava - the son of Lomharshan Rishi, tells the Munis gathered for a Satra about Kalchakra - just like fruits and flowers appear with Ritu and merge back after it, so does everything at the end of a Kalpa.
Duryodhan is like tree whose trunk is Karna, Shakuni a branch, Dushasan a fruit & Dhritrashtra the root of this tree.
Yuddhisthir is tree of Dharma, Arjun his trunk, Bhimsen branch, Nakul Sahdev fruits & flowers, root is Krishna & Veda.
'Science Behind Indian Calendar' is a workshop I conducted a lot this year, and then I chanced upon this poem by Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar:
ये नव वर्ष हमे स्वीकार नहीं
है अपना ये त्यौहार नहीं
है अपनी ये तो रीत नहीं
है अपना ये व्यवहार नहीं
1/n
धरा ठिठुरती है सर्दी से
आकाश में कोहरा गहरा है
बाग़ बाज़ारों की सरहद पर
सर्द हवा का पहरा है
सूना है प्रकृति का आँगन
कुछ रंग नहीं , उमंग नहीं
हर कोई है घर में दुबका हुआ
नव वर्ष का ये कोई ढंग नहीं
चंद मास अभी इंतज़ार करो
निज मन में तनिक विचार करो
नये साल नया कुछ हो तो सही
2/n
क्यों नक़ल में सारी अक्ल बही
उल्लास मंद है जन -मन का
आयी है अभी बहार नहीं
ये नव वर्ष हमे स्वीकार नहीं
है अपना ये त्यौहार नहीं
ये धुंध कुहासा छंटने दो
रातों का राज्य सिमटने दो
प्रकृति का रूप निखरने दो
फागुन का रंग बिखरने दो
3/n
Graha Vandana - a lovely Stuti to all 9 planets. If you can understand the words used to describe the Grahas, you understand a lot of Jyotish. It covers their lineage, their personality, their svabhav and their place.
स्वरशास्त्रविशारदः - A Jyotishacharya should be well versed in the science of Swara - breathing through left and right nostril. Read this book if you want anureviews.com/swara-yoga-swa…
#PanajiTales - Since pandemic is not letting me travel, I walk around my city discovering something new every day. Starting this thread with Varada Ganapati temple in the #Panaji Mahalakshmi temple complex. #travel#backyardtravel
Lanes of flower sellers in Panaji Municipal market.
#3 Stone anchors from the ancient sites of Dwarka, Bet Dwarka & Somnath discovered during underwater excavations by NIO & now at their office in #Panaji . Remanants of the maritime history of India.
DELHI WE HARDLY KNOW - a thread based on the book ' Delhi - City of Yoginis (amzn.to/2kR2bXS) '. Read it 10 years ago and again now. Sharing some snippets. You can read my earlier review here - anureviews.com/delhi-city-of-…
Delhi was once called Yoginipur, it is one of the 11 names of the city mentioned in scriptures. One Yogini temple survives in the city - Yogmaya Temple behind Qutub Minar - inditales.com/ancient-yogmay… Aurganzeb could not destroy it, he tried though.
There were two Devi temples in Purana Qila Complex - one dedicated to Kunti - the mother of Pandavas & second to Shitala Mata. Kunti Murti was stolen & Shitala Mata Temple one was demolished by ASI - inditales.com/in-and-around-…