On the occasion of #GuruPurnima, here are thirty-three meanings of the Sanskrit word ‘guru’ as explained in various texts. With praṇāma‑s to all our guru‑s.
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Meaning #1: “one who swallows ignorance”
Meaning #2: “one who teaches ‘dharma’ and scriptures like Veda‑s”
Meaning #3: “one who is praised by gods, ‘gandharva’‑s, humans, etc.”
Meaning #4: “one who destroys darkness with brilliance”
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Meaning #5: “one who removes the disease of worldly existence”
Meaning #6: “one who is beyond [three] qualities and form”
Meaning #7: “one who releases from the bondage of ‘māyā’”
I am pleased to share the list of 51 chapters in my latest book, “Vyasa-Katha: Fables from the Mahabharata”. How many fables and characters can you identify? Do comment with the chapter number.
1. The king and the dogs 2. The Brahmin and the snake
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3. The Brahmachari and the snake maiden 4. The snakes and the horse 5. The turtle and the elephant 6. The clever jackal 7. The bee-eaters 8. The swan and the birds 9. The weeping cow 10. The lovers and the swan 11. The exiled king and the serpent 12. The king and the birds I
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13. The cursed python 14. The frog princess 15. The king and the birds II 16. The king and old animals 17. The fowler and the birds 18. The vow of the cat 19. The crow and the swans 20. The fable of the world 21. The Brahmacharis and the bird 22. The tiger and the jackal
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Learned from Sh. Ardhendumauli Kumar Prasad
(@ardhendumauli) yesterday that his late grandfather, Sh. Krishna Kumar Prasad, named all male descendants with names of Bhagavan Shiva and all female descendants with names of Bhagavati Parvati.
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Just have a look at the beautiiful names ‘sunāma’s Sh. K K Prasad gave to children (in addition to Ardhendumauli)—
Requested to comment: The Rigveda does not say this.
The quote is based on a bad translation (mistranslation) of RV X.95.15 by Griffith “... with women there can be no lasting friendship: hearts of hyenas are the hearts of women.”
Announcement: How to get signed copies of my books from Amazon India
Following repeated requests from readers for signed copies of my books, I have streamlined the process. Now, signed copies of my book can be had from Amazon India. Here is how to get your signed copy.
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1) Go the book page on Amazon India 2) Click on the link “X New from ₹ YYY.ZZ” (just under the best price) 3) Browse to the seller “Sunaama Store” (note the exact spelling) 4) Click on “Add to Cart” (first image) 5) Edit the quantity using the Qty drop-down (second image)
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Do this to get signed copies of all my books—Mahāvīrī, OM Mala (Hindi and English), Kumbha (Hindi and English), Sunāma. After you have added the books to the cart, you can check out the items and pay. The signed copies will be shipped within a couple of days
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