OM MANI PADME HUM..

Karma Thubten Trinley
"These are the six syllables which prevent rebirth into the six realms of cyclic existence. It translates literally as 'OM the jewel in the lotus HUM'. OM prevents rebirth in the god realm, MA prevents rebirth in the Asura (Titan) Realm, NI prevents rebirth in the Human realm, PA prevents rebirth in the Animal realm, ME prevents rebirth in the Hungry ghost realm, and HUM prevents rebirth in the Hell realm."


Variation
The mantra: Om Mani Peme Hung Hri
As Bucknell, et al. (1986: p. 15) opine, the complete Avalokiteshvara Mantra includes a final hrīḥ (Sanskrit: ह्रीः, ), which is iconographically depicted in the central space of the syllabic mandala as seen in the ceiling decoration of the Potala Palace. The hrīḥ is not always vocalized audibly, and may be resonated "internally" or "secretly" through intentionality.


Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism

The first known citation of the mantra occurs in the Karandavyuha Sutra published in the 11th Century which appears in the Chinese Buddhist canon.[2] However, some Buddhist scholars argue that the mantra as practiced in Tibetan Buddhism was based on the Sadhanamala, a collection of sadhana published in the twelfth century.

Om Mani Padme Hum

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Carved stone tablets, each with the inscription "Om Mani Padme Hum" along the paths of Zangskar
"The mantra Om Mani Päme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Pä, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom.
"So in this way recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. The path of these six perfections is the path walked by all the Buddhas of the three times. What could then be more meaningful than to say the mantra and accomplish the six perfections?"
— Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones

OM MANI PADME HUM :: Dalai Lama

14 Dalai Lama  said..

"It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast... The first, Om [...] symbolizes the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind; it also symbolizes the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[...]"

"The path is indicated by the next four syllables. Mani, meaning jewel, symbolizes the factors of method: (the) altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love.[...]"

"The two syllables, padme, meaning lotus, symbolize wisdom[...]"

"Purity must be achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by the final syllable hum, which indicates indivisibility[...]"

"Thus the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[...]"

OM MANI PADME HUM :: meaning

OM MANI PADME HUM  ::Meaning

Mantras may be interpreted by practitioners in many ways, or even as mere sequences of sound whose effects lie beyond strict meaning.

The middle part of the mantra, maṇipadme, is often interpreted as "jewel in the lotus," Sanskrit maṇí "jewel, gem, cintamani" and the locative of padma "lotus", but according to Donald Lopez it is much more likely that maṇipadme is in fact a vocative, not a locative, addressing a bodhisattva called maṇipadma, "Jewel-Lotus"- an alternate epithet of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. It is preceded by the oṃ syllable and followed by the hūṃ syllable, both interjections without linguistic meaning.

Lopez also notes that the majority of Tibetan Buddhist texts have regarded the translation of the mantra as secondary, focusing instead on the correspondence of the six syllables of the mantra to various other groupings of six in the Buddhist tradition. For example, in the Chenrezig Sadhana, Tsangsar Tulku Rinpoche expands upon the mantra's meaning, taking its six syllables to represent the purification of the six realms of existence:

Syllable	SixPāramitās	Purifies	Samsaric realm	Colours	Symbol of the Deity	(Wish them) To be born in
Om	Generosity	Pride / Ego	Devas	White	Wisdom	Perfect Realm of Potala
Ma	Ethics	Jealousy / Lust for entertainment	Asuras	Green	Compassion	Perfect Realm of Potala
Ni	Patience	Passion / desire	Humans	Yellow	Body, speech, mind quality and activity	Dewachen
Pad	Diligence	Ignorance / prejudice	Animals	Blue	Equanimity	the presence of Protector (Chenrezig)
Me	Renunciation	Poverty / possessiveness	Pretas (hungry ghosts)	Red	Bliss	Perfect Realm of Potala
Hum	Wisdom	Aggression / hatred	Naraka	Black	Quality of Compassion	the presence of the Lotus Throne (of Chenrezig)

OM MANI PADME HUM

OM MANI PADME HUM  :: 

Karandavyuha Sutra

The first known description of the mantra appears in the Karandavyuha Sutra (Chinese: 佛說大乘莊嚴寶王經 (Taisho Tripitaka 1050);[2] English: Buddha speaks Mahayana Sublime Treasure King Sutra), which is part of certain Mahayana canons such as the Tibetan. In this sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha states, "This is the most beneficial mantra. Even I made this aspiration to all the million Buddhas and subsequently received this teaching from Buddha Amitabha."

OM MANI PADME HUM

OM MANI PADME HUM   
                                                        

                                                                           The mantra in Tibetan with the six syllables coloured

                                                                 

Om mani padme hūm (Sanskrit: ओं मणिपद्मे हूं, ) is the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan Chenrezig, Chinese Guanyin), the bodhisattva of compassion. Mani means "jewel" or "bead" and Padma means "the lotus flower", the Buddhist Sacred Flower.
The mantra is especially revered by devotees of the Dalai Lama, as he is said to be an incarnation of Chenrezig or Avalokiteshvara.
It is commonly carved onto rocks or written on paper which is inserted into prayer wheels, said to increase the mantra's effects.

                                                                               "om mani padme hūṃ", written in Tibetan script on a rock outside the Potala Palace in Tibet

GARWALI FOOD

Garhwali food is very simple but very nutritious completely suits the hard environment. Pulses like Gehet,gauth,swanta,toor(tur), gauthare fashioned into different preparations like ras-bhaat, chainsu, faanu and thatwaani, thatchwari, kwuadu attu, miceyani roti all are unique preparations. In sweet dishes primarily tasmai, lapsi, arsa, rwatna, kandku, palyu are relished by all Garhwali ppl. In chutneys bhangjeera has no substitute. Jholi or curry seasoned with curd. Chudkani and jol made from bhatt pulses. Cereals like Koda with rice and wheat are popular. Kaaphli which is the same as saag of Punjab is also popular. Fruits like maltas(mekauti), narangi grow in the upper himalayas and papayas and mangoes in somewhat lower hilly areas such as pola(near tilwara) are grown.

Since garhwal region comprises rugged mountains so the flora and fauna of different climatic conditions are readily available to be used in everyday cooking. This naturally provides the scope for the variety of cuisine in a garhwali kitchen.

GARWALI PEOPLE :: Kingdom of Garwal

The Kingdom of Garhwal was founded by Rajputs nearly 700 years ago, one of these chiefs, Ajai Pal, reduced all the minor principalities under his own sway, and founded the Garhwal Kingdom. He and his ancestors ruled over Garhwal and the adjacent state of Tehri-Garhwal, in an uninterrupted line till 1803, when the Gurkhas invaded Kumaon and Garhwal, driving the Garhwal chief into the plains. For twelve years the Gurkhas ruled the country with a rod of iron, until a series of encroachments by them on British territory led to the Anglo–Nepalese War in 1814. At the termination of the campaign, Garhwal and Kumaon were converted into British districts, while the Tehri principality was restored to a son of the former chief. The British district of Garhwal was in the Kumaon Division of the United Provinces, and had an area of 5,629 sq mi (14,580 km2). The present king of Kumaon kingdom is raja Mahendra Chand of Lamakhet, he is married to Rani Gita Chand of Rina and has three children's (Rajkumari Aakanksha Chand, Rajkumari Mallika Chand, Rajkumar Aryan Chand) After annexation, Garhwal rapidly advanced in material prosperity. Two battalions of the Indian army (the 39th Garhwal Rifles) were recruited in the district, which also contained the military cantonment of Lansdowne. Grain and coarse cloth were exported, and salt, borax, livestock and wool were imported, and the trade with Tibet was considerable. The administrative headquarters were at the village of Pauri, but Srinagar was the largest city. It was an important mart, as was Kotdwara, the terminus of a branch of the Oudh and Rohilkhand railway from Najibabad. Later it was part of the Punjab Hill States Agency of British India, consisting of the present day Tehri Garhwal district and most of the Uttarkashi district and acceded to the Union of India in 1949.Garhwal holy pace of India

GARWALI PEOPLE :: origin

The region was originally settled by Kols, an aboriginal people of the Austro- Asiatic physical type who were later joined by Indo-Aryan Khas/Khasas tribes that arrived from the northwest by the Vedic period.
The Khas are typically thought to be descendants of the ancient Kamboj people who were of eastern Iranian origin. The Khasas are also believed to have arrived from Tajikistan and share some physical traits with the Tajik population.
Historians of Kumaun and Garhwal say that in the beginning there were only three castes: Khas Rajput, Khas Brahmin and Shilpkar. Main occupation of Khas Rajputs and Khas Brahmin was of Zamindari and law enforcement. Occupation of some Khas Brahmins was to perform religious rituals in temples and education of the elite. Shilpkar were mainly working for Brahmins and Rajputs, in their lands and were expert in handicrafts.
Gairola brahmins find their roots in gairoli village near karanprayag with isth devi as maa Uma devi .With passage of time myriad of this clan /ppl went in search of livelihood and settled in different parts of uttarakhand .While some went on to Rudraprayag settling in gram Sann, the others to tehri, pauri etc. We can still see that surnames of these Khas origin people are associated with the name of villages they belonged to e.g. Bahuguna from Bughani, Painuly (Panuly) from Panyala and Uniyal from Uni and Nautiyal from Nauti. However, one's surname doesn't necessarily indicate the cast of the Garhwali people. For example, famous surnames Bisht and Bhandari are used by both Rajputs and Brahmins.
These people of Garhwal were later joined by others through several waves of migration, mainly due to pilgrimages, which took place over centuries from various parts of India. The immigrants, who mostly married with Khas women, brought in their own cultures which blended in with the existing local traditions over time.

GARWALI PEOPLE

Garhwali people (Garhwali: गढ़वळि मन्खि) are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who primarily live in the Garhwal Himalayas of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Any person who has ancestral Garhwali roots or lives in Garhwal and has a Garhwali heritage is called a Garhwali.
They include all those who speak the Garhwali language or any of its numerous dialects, living in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts of Uttarakhand, India.
There is documented evidence that the Garhwal region has been inhabited by mankind at least since the Vedic period, and the people of Garhwal today are the descendants of different waves of migration of Indo-Aryan and Indo-Iranian people to these hills which took place over several centuries.

Significant communities of Garhwalis are present in the surrounding Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra along with a sizeable population overseas. According to various estimates, there are at least 25 lakh Garhwali migrants living in Delhi and the National Capital Region. Many Garhwalis also share links with the neighbouring Nepal with many similarities in traditions and culture.

KRISNA :: great YOGi

Chapter Two: Foundation of Knowledge. 
Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has explained this chapter as the summary of Bhagavad Gita.
Hearing Arjun's confusion over fighting, Lord Krishna starts speaking. He chastise Arjun for keeping thought for not fighting. Arjun restates his arguments in short, then admits his confusion and accepts Krishna as his spiritual master and surrenders to Him in need of wise guidance. Arjun's first difficulty in fighting this war was his compassion and affection for his Grandfather, Guru and the family members who would fight against him. Krishna advises that compassion and affection must be guided by sastra.


Krishna takes the roll of Arjun's teacher, and starts speaking. "Those who are wise, lament neither for living nor for dead. Everything is existing eternally. Although there is always some pain in loosing loved ones, the wise undergo that pain with patience and tolerance. They push on without letting grief overwhelm and ruin their responsibilities."  Krishna explains the fundamental distinction between temporary material body and eternal spiritual soul.  Soul is indestructible, immeasurable, unborn and eternal.


While material body is just opposite. Soul simply accepts different material bodies for  a temporary period. Every living entity begins without material body and ends without material body. Only in middle duration it accepts material bodies. Death is simply a change of body for soul, like a change of clothes. We, the eternal spiritual soul, have no reason for having grief over death of  the temporary body. The elements that form the body and life return to nature after death and again form another body, another life. As such, there is no cause for grief.


Krishna here reminds Arjun that happiness comes from right action: duty. Arjun's duty as a kshatriya (warrior), was to protect the virtuous. No unhappiness could arise from performing his duty, even if it involved fighting.  Even if Arjun were to die in the war, he would attain heaven  the reward of dutiful action [32]. The results of wise action are imperishable [40], the wise therefore strive for wise action with unbroken determination [41].  This ultimate goal, enlightenment, is best achieved by Wise Action (karma-yoga), in which one acts out of duty only, without personal attachment [47]. This is real "yoga" [48].


One can best act without personal attachment by acting for the pleasure of God. This frees one's actions from impurity and sin ("bad karma") [49]. It also frees one from material piety ("good karma") [50], and thus grants true liberation [51]. In this liberated state, the intelligence becomes indifferent to all material desires and hates [52], and remains fixed in self-realization .


In this chapter, Lord discussed Karma, Jnana Yoga with the glimpse of Bhakti yoga. Lord explains the nature of devotional service. Only man of small knowledge follows the rituals of Vedas to get results for sense gratification. All the purpose of Vedas can be served by serving the Lord and by self realization.  If one does not fix his mind upon God, it will become fixed on sense objects, which leads, step by step, to illusion.


While answering Arjun question on the nature of devotees, Lord explains, the devotees are free from desire to enjoy the senses, have steady mind, indifferent from good & evil, Have taste for devotional activities, control the senses by engaging them in the devotional activities. One who is not connected with the supreme or not doing devotional activity can not have steady mind or peace.Peace comes only to those who give up the motivations of false ego [71].


In the commentary on Bhagavad Gita, Srila Prabhupad has given some guidelines for the devotional service.


1. Take shelter of a bonafide spiritual master. 
2. Receive initiation ( diksha) from spiritual master. 
3. Serve the spiritual master. 
4. Inquire & learn from spiritual master 
5. Follow the footstep of holy persons devoted to the transcendental loving service of the Lord. 
6. Prepare to give up all kind of enjoyment & miseries for the satisfaction of Krishna. 
7. Live in a place where Krishna had his pastimes. 
8. Be satisfied by whatever is sent by Krishna for the maintenance of body and hanker for no more. 
9. Observe fasting on Ekadasi day. 

10. Show respect to devotees, cows & sacred trees.

MAHA - BHARATA :: preaching of KRISNA

Chapter :1 Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra


    The armies of  Pandava's and Kaurava's  have  assembled at Kurukshetra. As Kurukshetra is dharmakshetra and   Krishna is dharma personified, so  the side, having Krishna with them will be victorious. Thus Duryodhana feels apprehensive due to the prowess of the Pandavas army. However, he pacifies himself by expressing the glories of  his own army to his martial Guru Dronacarya. Thus starting with Bhishma,  all warriors blow their counchshells to herald the beginning of  the war. A ferocious uproar results, shattering the hearts of the Kurus.


    Krishna is driving Arjuna's chariot. Unlike in other wars, Arjun wants to see the opponents more clearly so he orders Krishna, to drive his chariot into the midist of armies. The infallible Krishna become conquered by the devotion of Arjun. We all are the eternal servants of Krishna. Out of love for his devotees, Krsna accepts their service and derives pleasure by reciprocating with them in this way.


    The mighty armed Arjun, after seeing all his  friends and  relatives standing to fight with him, is  filled with compassion for them. As Krishna wants to establish the 'paramapara' again by giving the message of Bhagavad Gita, he bewilders Arjun with his Maya shakti(material energy).  Thus by seeing his opponents, Arjun is overwhelmed with grief.  Arjun experiences severe emotional reactions. His mouth dries (28), and his body shakes (29). Thus, he looses his interest in fighting and starts giving arguments against the war. He argues that if others are blinded by the selfish motive to gain a  Kingdom, why should he also become 'blind'?


    Arjun feels that no good could result from the war, as it is sinful to kill one's family, under any circumstance (36). He  argues that how the war causes destruction and  degradation to  society.  Arjun  decides not to fight. Arjun exclaims that before engaging in this 'selfish act' (44), he would prefer to be killed by Duryodhan, unresisting.(45) Arjun casts his bow aside.  Being overwhelmed by Krishna's illusory shakti,  he becomes grief stricken (46).

KRISNA's Gift to poor Sudama

Sudama returns home to find in place of it, a golden palace, the gift of Krishna, ca 1775-1790 painting.

       Gift
Sudama was Lord Krishna’s classmate and a very intimate friend. Lord Krishna was a king. Sudama was a moneyless, poor Brahmin. This difference did not come in way of their true friendship. Sudhama went to Dwarka to meet Krishna. He carried a very very humble gift to be presented to Lord Krishna. What did he carry? Some books say he carried pohe (beaten rice), while some books and movies say he carried sathu powder (peeth). This confusing difference is because Sudhama carried neither suttu nor pohe. He carried with him a combination of sattu and pohe called “sattu-peeth pohe”.[citation needed] It is an exclusive speciality of Samvadhi Lad Brahmins to which Sudhama belonged. That Sudhama was a Samvadi Lad Brahmin is more or less widely accepted; whether his home town was Bhurgakacha (Bhadoch) or Porbander is a point on which minor difference of opinion exist.
Shri krishna-Sudama is an immortal example of real, non-materialistic friendship. It is a perpetual symbolic definition of real friendship. Sathu-peet pohe is a very tasty, ready-to-serve, easy-to-carry food In it poha (beaten rice) is smeared with sathu while it is fried. Suthu peeth is prepared from grama (phutana) and wheat flour.

KRISNA SUDAMA :: FRIENDSHIP

                                                              Sudama bows at the glimpse of Krishna's golden palace in         Dwarka. ca 1775-1790 painting.

Lessons
This story is told to illustrate that the Lord does not differentiate between people based on their finances and that he will reward devotion always. Another moral taught by this story is to never expect anything free in life; God will provide for your good deeds. Another moral is not to trade bhakti for anything in return. Sudama did not ask Krishna for anything. Despite being poor Sudama had given Krishna everything he had (poha); in return the Lord gave Sudama everything he needed.
Additionally, the story of Sudama and Krishna contrasts the difference between how Krishna treated Sudama and how Drupada treated Drona. Drona spent his youth in poverty but studied religion and military arts together with the prince of Panchala, Drupada. Drupada and Drona had become close friends as students. Drupada, in his childish playfulness, promised to give Drona half his kingdom on ascending the throne of Panchala. The two students later parted ways. Drona later married and had a son. For the sake of his wife and son, Drona desired freedom from poverty. Remembering the promise given by Drupada, he decided to approach him to ask for help. However, drunk with power, King Drupada refused to even recognise Drona and humiliated him by calling him an inferior person. By contrast, Krishna never forgot His friend and treated Sudama with utmost respect. By His example, Krishna is teaching us about how to treat one another.
Another important lesson here is about how Krishna rewards true persons. Krishna did not reward Sudama just because he was a friend. Sudama spent all of his time and effort in cultural efforts befitting a true person which explained why he was financially not well off. This included teaching religion, moral duties, and spreading spirituality through society. It is for this effort that Krishna rewards Sudama's family with wealth so that Sudama may continue to do that work. In contrast, Drona does not receive the support that he needs from Drupad. As a result, Drona compromises his principles and accepts refuge from the kingdom of Hastinapur. Eventually, that compromise forces Drona to take the side of evil in the battle of Kurukshetra. So the real lesson learnt here is that when kings (and society at large) does not take care of its poor (true moral and philosophical guides), it may drive them into the hands of evil.
Did Sudama himself lead an austere life after returning from Krishna? It is said that Sudama continued to lead the life of a hermit while his family enjoyed the generous gifts of wealth from Krishna.

KRISNA AND SUDAMA :: FRIENDSHIP DAY

KRISHNA AND SUDAMA :: FRIENDSHIP



Sudama was from a poor family. His father's name is Matuka and His mother is Rocana-devi. Krishna was from the royal family. But this difference in social status did not come in the way of their friendship. They lost contact over the years and while Krishna became a military leader and King of great repute at Dwaraka, Sudama stayed as a humble and somewhat impoverished villager.
Some time later when Sudama was going through some bad times, not even having enough money to feed his children, his wife Susheela reminded him of his friendship with Krishna.
Though initially reluctant to go to his friend for help, Sudama finally agrees to go. He leaves with nothing but some beaten rice tied in a cloth as a present. He remembers that beaten rice (avalakki in Kannada, aval in Tamil and Malayalam, powa/poha in Hindi, pohe in Marathi and atukulu in Telugu) is Krishna's favorite and decided to give this as a gift to the Lord.

Krishna is greatly pleased to see his old friend. He treats him royally and with much love. Overwhelmed by all this Sudama forgets to ask for what he actually came for. But the Lord realises what His friend needs, and the Lord's consort Rukmini, incarnation of Lakshmi, gifts him with his desires. On his return journey, Sudama ponders his circumstances and is thankful for the great friend he has in Lord Krishna. When Sudama finally returns to his home, he finds a palatial mansion instead of the hut he had left. He also finds his family dressed in extremely nice garb and waiting for him. He lives an austere life after that, always thankful to the Lord.

RAKHI :: Picture

RAKHI :: :: Festival of siblings

RAKHI

Mythologie



Mit der Poesie dieser Bruder-Schwester Beziehungen beschäftigen sich indische Dichter in unzähligen romantischen Erzählungen, Liedern und Gedichten. Man kennt Geschichten von Königen, die sogar ihr Leben opferten, um ihre Rakhi-Schwester zu beschützen. Manche scheinen geschichtliche Ereignisse zu sein wie der populäre Bericht über eine Fürstin:
Rani Karnavati, die Fürstin von Chittor, soll im 16. Jh. angesichts einer feindlichen Bedrohung dem moslemischen Herrscher Humayun ein Rakhi geschickt haben. Dieser eilte sofort zu ihrer Unterstützung. Da er aber zu spät kam und ihr Reich zerstört war, nahm sich Rani Karnavati das Leben.
Welche große Bedeutung diesem Brauch schon in der Vergangenheit zukam, veranschaulicht auch die Überlieferung von Alexander dem Großen, der im vierten Jahrhundert nach Indien kam und seine Schreckensherrschaft verbreitete. Seine Frau soll in einer aussichtslosen Lage an den König Porus ein Rakhi geschickt haben, der ihr daraufhin Hilfe versprach. Er verzichtete schließlich darauf, den verhassten Alexander im Kampf zu töten, obwohl er dazu Gelegenheit gehabt hätte.
Verschiedene Mythen erzählen, wie sogar die Götter auf den schwesterlichen Segen angewiesen waren.
Danach konnte Indra, der König des Himmels, den Sieg über seinen größten Feind, den Dämonen Vritra erst erringen, nachdem ihm seine Frau Sachi ein Rakhi-Band umgeknüpft und gesegnet hatte.
Krishna, erhielt laut dem Epos Mahabharata von Draupadi einen Seidenstreifen, den sie von ihrem Sari abgerissen und um sein Handgelenk gebunden hatte, um das Blut an seinem verletzten Finger zu stillen. Obwohl Draupadi Tochter eines mächtigen Königs war und gemeinsame Gattin von fünf Prinzen, war Krishna der Einzige, auf dessen Hilfe sie letztlich zählen konnte.

Es wird auch erzählt, Yama, der Herr des Todes, habe mit seiner Schwester Yamuna das Raksha Bandhan Ritual gefeiert. Aus Dankbarkeit und Liebe erklärte Yama darauf hin, dass jener den Tod überwinden werde, der von seiner Schwester ein Rakhi und das Versprechen ihres Schutzes erhalten würde.

RAKHI :: das Fest

Rakhi
Nicht nur der leibliche Bruder, auch Cousins zählen als Brüder. Frauen und Mädchen haben das Recht, jeden von ihr gewählten Burschen oder Mann auf diese Weise zu „binden“. Das Band macht sie für immer zu Rakhi-Bruder und Rakhi-Schwester. Nach uralter Sitte verpflichtet es ihn ihr gegenüber zu lebenslangem Schutz. Ein Rakhi soll nicht nur vor körperlichem Unheil bewahren, sondern auch vor Krankheit und Sünde. Da das Band gleichzeitig Reinheit symbolisiert, schließt die Rakhi-Beziehung ein Liebesverhältnis oder romantische Gefühle auf erotischer Ebene aus. Frauen setzen es darum noch heute oft als Zeichen ein, wenn sie eine Freundschaft bewahren, aber keine Liebesgeschichte akzeptieren wollen.
Die „schützende Verbindung“ durch ein Rakhi ist aber nicht grundsätzlich auf ein Bruder-Schwester Verhältnis beschränkt. In einigen Traditionen, etwa in Nepal, erhalten Gläubige, Frauen ebenso wie Männer, an diesem Rakhi Purnima das schützende Band von ihrem Priester oder Guru. In der indischen Unabhängigkeitsbewegung setzte man es sogar als Instrument zum Frieden ein. So organisierte der bengalische Dichter Rabindranath Tagore im Jahr 1905 Raksha Bandhan Veranstaltungen, damit sich die zerstrittenen Hindus und Moslems gegenseitig ein Rakhi umknüpfen und damit Geschwisterlichkeit und Solidarität betonen sollten.

RAKHI :: Das Fest

RAKHI
Hauptsächlich feiert man den Tag als Fest der geschwisterlichen Verbindung. So knüpfen Frauen und Mädchen ihrem Bruder rituell ein gesegnetes Band, ein Rakhi, um das Handgelenk. Mit diesem meist dekorativen Baumwoll- oder Seidenband, das vorher einige Zeit auf dem Hausaltar liegt, drückt sie schwesterliche Liebe sowie ihren Segen aus. Sie tupft ihm dabei einen Segenspunkt auf die Stirn und schwenkt segnend ein Öllicht vor ihm. Er dagegen überreicht ihr ein kleines Geschenk und verspricht ihr seinen Beistand im Leben. Ist der Bruder fern, etwa in einer anderen Stadt, erhält er sein Rakhi mit Segenswünschen per Post.

RAKHI festival

RAKHI

Raksha Bandhan (Hindi, m., रक्शा बंधन, rakśā bandhan, wörtl.: „schützende Verbindung“) auch Rakhi Purnima (Purnima wörtl: Vollmond) oder einfach Rakhi genannt, ist ein wichtiger Feiertag im Hinduismus. Besonders im Norden von Indien populär findet er nach hinduistischem Mondkalender an einem Vollmondtag im Monat Shravana statt, nach westlichem Kalender meist Anfang August.

APRICOT :: Medicinal and nonfood uses

Apricot Blossom

APRICOT

Medicinal and nonfood uses

Cyanogenic glycosides (found in most stone fruit seeds, bark, and leaves) are found in high concentration in apricot seeds. Laetrile, a purported alternative treatment for cancer, is extracted from apricot seeds. Apricot seeds were used against tumors as early as AD 502. In England during the 17th century, apricot oil was also used against tumors, swellings, and ulcers. In 2005, scientists in the Republic of Korea found that treating human prostate cancer cells with amygdalin induces programmed cell death in vitro. They concluded, "amygdalin may offer a valuable option for the treatment of prostate cancers".

A 2006 systematic review by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded: "The claim that [l]aetrile has beneficial effects for cancer patients is not supported by data from controlled clinical trials. This systematic review has clearly identified the need for randomised or controlled clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of [l]aetrile or amygdalin for cancer treatment." Given the lack of evidence, laetrile has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health evaluated the evidence separately and concluded the clinical trials of amgydalin showed little or no effect against cancer.For example, a 1982 trial of 175 patients found tumor size had increased in all but one patient.The authors reported, "the hazards of amygdalin therapy were evidenced in several patients by symptoms of cyanide toxicity or by blood cyanide levels approaching the lethal range."

The study concluded, "Patients exposed to this agent should be instructed about the danger of cyanide poisoning, and their blood cyanide levels should be carefully monitored. Amygdalin (Laetrile) is a toxic drug that is not effective as a cancer treatment".

In Europe, apricots were long considered an aphrodisiac, and were used in this context in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and as an inducer of childbirth, as depicted in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi.

Due to their high fiber to volume ratio, dried apricots are sometimes used to relieve constipation or induce diarrhea. Effects can be felt after eating as few as three.

Research shows, of any food, apricots possess the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids. Carotenoids as antioxidants may help to prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer. Although initial studies suggested antioxidant supplements might promote health, later large clinical trials did not detect any benefit and suggested instead that excess supplementation may be harmful. In traditional Chinese medicine, apricots are considered helpful in regenerating body fluids, detoxifying, and quenching thirst.

In Armenia, the wood of the apricot tree is used for making wood carvings such as the duduk, which is a popular wind instrument in Armenia and is also called the apricot pipe. Several hand-made souvenirs are also made from the apricot wood.

Apricot :: Kernels

APRICOT



Kernels
Main article: Apricot kernel

Seeds or kernels of the apricot grown in central Asia and around the Mediterranean are so sweet, they may be substituted for almonds. The Italian liqueur amaretto and amaretti biscotti are flavoured with extract of apricot kernels rather than almonds. Oil pressed from these cultivar kernels, and known as oil of almond, has been used as cooking oil. Kernels contain between 2.05% and 2.40% hydrogen cyanide, but normal consumption is insufficient to produce serious effects.

APRICOT :: KHUBANI

APRICOT

The apricot is a small tree, 8–12 m (26–39 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm (16 in) in diameter and a dense, spreading canopy. The leaves are ovate, 5–9 cm (2.0–3.5 in) long and 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip and a finely serrated margin. The flowers are 2–4.5 cm (0.8–1.8 in) in diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs in early spring before the leaves. The fruit is a drupe similar to a small peach, 1.5–2.5 cm (0.6–1.0 in) diameter (larger in some modern cultivars), from yellow to orange, often tinged red on the side most exposed to the sun; its surface can be smooth (botanically described as: glabrous) or velvety with very short hairs (botanically: pubescent). The flesh is usually firm and not very juicy. Its taste can range from sweet to tart. The single seed is enclosed in a hard, stony shell, often called a "stone", with a grainy, smooth texture except for three ridges running down one side

APRICOT :: fruits

The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.

NAG PANCHAMI

Krishna and the Kaliya Snake

 Nag Panchami is also connected with the following legend of Krishna. Young Krishna was playing with the other cowboys, when suddenly the ball got entangled in the high branch of a tree. Krishna volunteered to climb the tree and fetch the ball. But below the tree there was a deep part of the river Yamuna, in which the terrible snake Kaliya was living. Everybody was afraid of that part of the river. Suddenly Krishna fell from the tree into the water. Then that terrible snake came up. But Krishna was ready and jumping on the snake’s head he caught it by the neck. Kaliya understood that Krishna was not an ordinary boy, and that it would not be easy to overcome him. So Kaliya pleaded with Krishna: “Please, do not kill me.” Krishna full of compassion asked the snake to promise that henceforth he would not harass anybody. Then he let the snake go free into the river again. On Nag Panchami day the victory of Krishna over the Kaliya snake is commemorated. For this reason Krishna is known as “Kaliya Mardan”. Snakes are believed to like milk. As this is the day of the serpents, devotees pour milk into all the holes in the ground around the house or near the temple to propitiate them. Sometimes, a small pot of milk with some flowers is placed near the holes so that the snakes may drink it. If a snake actually drinks the milk, it is considered to be extremely lucky for the devotee. The festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm by all, especially women. As most rivers in India are in spate during the month of Shriven, poisonous snakes come out of their subterranean abodes and creep about in plenty all over the place. Many also float on flooded rivers running through the countryside. Mortality from snakebites must have been considerable to prompt people to worship the nagas to seek protection from them. Because of the fear, nagas were elevated to a divine status by the Hindus. The serpents are believed to have the capability to change their shape at will. When in human form, they are depicted as beautiful women and handsome men. Naga Panchami is observed indifferent ways in different parts of India. It is one of the most ancient fasts, and finds mention in the Puranas. It is believed to be one of the most auspicious days of the entire year. According to the Bhavishya Purana, when men bathe the snakes called Vasuki, Takshaka, Kaliya, Manibhadra, Airavata, Dhritarashtra, Karkotaka and Dhananjaya with milk on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of Shriven, they ensure freedom from danger for their families. In some parts of southern India, figures of snakes are drawn with red sandalwood paste on wooden boards, or clay images of snakes coloured yellow or black are purchased. These are then worshipped and offered milk. Snake charmers wander about with all sorts of snakes, to which people offer milk. The snake charmers are paid some money for allowing this Serpent worship developed gradually from the fear of serpents that must have taken a heavy toll on life, particularly at the beginning of the rainy season. In the Ashvalayana Grihyasutra, the Paraskara Grihyasutra and other Grihyasutras, a rite called Sarpabali or 'offerings to serpents' was performed on the full moon night of Shriven. However the reason that it was moved from the full moon night to that of the fifth night of the bright fortnight is not apparent. It may be due to the slight change in the time of the onset of the rains.

Nag Panchami :: Hindu festival

The Snake and the Farmer
    A farmer was ploughing his field. At the edge of the field there was an anthill which he inadvertently destroyed with the plough, and thus the young serpents that were hiding in it were killed. The mother snake had casually gone out. When she came back she could not find her young ones. At last she found them cut into pieces. She was furious and understood that the farmer had killed them. She was bent on taking revenge.
    At night when the farmer was sleeping with his wife and children, the snake came full of anger. She began to bite the feet of the farmer, and then one by one the feet of his wife and children. All began to cry. But the eldest daughter happened to be out of the house that night. Then the snake remembered that on the occasion of her wedding, the girl had gone to the house of her father-in-law. “I will not spare her either,” the snake resolved.
    The snake ran towards the neighbouring village. She stopped before the door of a house, and saw a young girl inside. She recognized her as the farmer’s eldest daughter. The snake went in determined to bite her. But then she saw the young girl with joint hands worshipping the snake she had made out of “gandh”, and the nine “nagkule” (young snakes). She had offered them “nagane” (gram soaked and parched), “lahya” (rice blown out by parching), and “durva” (grass sacred to Ganpati), and she was praying with great devotion, “O God Snake, don’t be angry if I have committed any mistake. Accept my worship. Look after my people at home and in my father-in-law’s house. Do not bite anyone. Forgive any fault we may have committed inadvertently.”
    With this the snake was pleased and came before the girl. She opened her eyes and got frightened at the sight of the snake. But the snake said, “Don’t be afraid. I shall not bite you. Tell me who you are and where your house is.” Then the snake knew well that the girl was the farmer’s daughter and felt very sorry for having killed all her people.

    The snake told the girl what had happened, but told her not to cry. She gave her some nectar and told her to sprinkle it on her dead people, and with this they all came back to life.

NAG PANCHAMI :: HINDU FESTIVALS

NAG PANCHAMI


Celebrated on : The fifth day of the Bright half of Shravan.


Religion : Hindu

On the fifth day of the bright half of Shravan people worship the snake, “nag”. The day is known as “Nag Panchami”. Naga Panchami is the festival of snakes celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Shriven. The festival falls during the rainy months and is believed to counter the increased possibility of a snake bite during this time. People visit temples specially dedicated to snakes and worship them. Shiva temples are also favoured places for veneration as snakes are considered dear to him. In South India, people craft images of snakes using cow dung on either side of the entrance to the house to welcome the snake god. Some go to worship the snake which is believed to be hiding in the holes of anthills. Or else a five hood snake is made by mixing “gandh” (a fragrant pigment), “halad-kumkum” (turmeric powder), “chandan” (sandal) and “keshar” (saffron) and placed on a metal plate and worshipped. This practice of worshipping the snake on this day is related to the following story.

Krisna

Later life


According to Mahabharata, the Kurukshetra war resulted in the death of all hundred sons of Gandhari. On the night before Duryodhana's death, Lord Krishna visited Gandhari to offer his condolences. Gandhari felt that Krishna knowingly did not put an end to the war, and in a fit of rage and sorrow, Gandhari cursed that Krishna, along with everyone else from yadu dynasty, will perish after 36 years.
At a festival, a fight broke out between the Yadavas, who killed each other. His elder brother, Balarama, then gave up his body using Yoga. Krishna retired into the forest and started meditating under a tree. The Mahabharata also narrates the story of a hunter who kills Krishna. The hunter Jara, mistook Krishna's partly visible left foot for that of a deer, and shot an arrow wounding and killing him mortally. Krishna's soul then ascended to heaven, while his mortal body was cremated by Arjuna.

According to Puranic sources, Krishna's death marks the end of Dvapara Yuga and the start of Kali Yuga, which is dated to February 17/18, 3102 BCE. Vaishnava teachers such as Ramanujacharya and Gaudiya Vaishnavas held the view that the body of Krishna is completely spiritual and never decays as this appears to be the perspective of the Bhagavata Purana. Krishna never appears to grow old or age at all in the historical depictions of the Puranas despite passing of several decades, but there are grounds for a debate whether this indicates that he has no material body, since battles and other descriptions of the Mahabhārata epic show clear indications that he seems to be subject to the limitations of nature. While battles apparently seem to indicate limitations, Mahabharata also shows in many places where Krishna is not subject to any limitations as through episodes Duryodhana trying to arrest Krishna where his body burst into fire showing all creation within him. Krishna is also explicitly described as without deterioration elsewhere.

Krisna :: Family

KRISNA  :: FAMILY

Krishna had a total of 16,108 wives, out of which eight were his princely wives and 16,100 were rescued from Narakasura, who had forcibly kept them in his harem, but all of them are considered to be incarnations of Goddess Lakshmi. It may seem that Krishna lusted for women but in reality it was not possible for another man to marry the 16100 princesses (rescuees) as they were held captive by Narakasura so Krishna (the rescuer) accepted their unanimous request to marry him and the Supreme lord accepted them as his wives, clearing them of any worldly blemish).

The first son of Queen Rukmini was Pradyumna, and also born of her were Charudeshna, Sudeshna and the powerful Charudeha, along with Sucharu, Chharugupta, Bhadracaru, Charuchandra, Vicaru and Caru, the tenth. Pradyumna fathered the greatly powerful Aniruddha in the womb of Rukmavati, the daughter of Rukmi. This took place while they were living in the city of Bhojakata.

The ten sons of Satyabhama were Bhanu, Subhanu, Svarbhanu, Prabhanu, Bhanuman, Chandrabhanu, Brihadbhanu, Atibhanu (the eighth), Sribhanu and Pratibhanu.

Samba, Sumitra, Purujit, Satajit, Sahasrajit, Vijaya, Citraketu, Vasuman, Dravida and Kratu were the sons of Jambavati. These ten, headed by Samba, were their father's favorites.

The sons of Nagnajiti were Vira, Candra, Asvasena, Citragu, Vegavan, Vrisha, Ama, Sanku, Vasu and the opulent Kunti.

Sruta, Kavi, Vrisha, Vira, Subahu, Bhadra, Santi, Darsa and Purnamasa were sons of Kalindi. Her youngest son was Somaka.

Madra's sons were Praghosha, Gatravan, Simha, Bala, Prabala, Urdhaga, Mahasakti, Saha, Oja and Aparajita.

Mitravinda's sons were Vrika, Harsha, Anila, Gridhra, Vardhana, Unnada, Mahamsa, Pavana, Vahni and Kshudhi.

Sangramajit, Brihatsena, Sura, Praharana, Arijith, Jaya and Subhadra were the sons of Bhadra, together with Vama, Ayur and Satyaka.

Diptiman, Tamratapta and others were the sons of Lord Krishna and Rohini.

KRISNA :: THE GREAT WARRIOR

Kurukshetra War and Bhagavad Gita


                                                           Krishna and Arjuna driving towards Bhisma

Main articles: Kurukshetra War and Bhagavad Gita



Once battle seemed inevitable, Krishna offered both sides the opportunity to choose between having either his army called narayani sena or himself alone, but on the condition that he personally would not raise any weapon. Arjuna, on behalf of the Pandavas, chose to have Krishna on their side, and Duryodhana, Kaurava prince, chose Krishna's army. At the time of the great battle, Krishna acted as Arjuna's charioteer, since this position did not require the wielding of weapons.
Upon arrival at the battlefield, and seeing that the enemies are his family, his grandfather, his cousins and loved ones, Arjuna becomes doubtful about the fight. He lost all his hopes and put down his Gandiv (Arjuna's bow). Krishna then advises him about the battle, with the conversation soon extending into a discourse which was later compiled as the Bhagavad Gita.

Krishna had a profound effect on the Mahabharata war and its consequences. He considered the Kurukshetra war as a last resort by voluntarily making himself as a messenger in order to establish peace between the Pandavas and Kauravas. But, once these peace negotiations failed and was embarked into the war, then he became a clever strategist. During the war, upon becoming angry with Arjun for not fighting in true spirit against his ancestors, Krishna once picked up a carriage wheel and converted it to a Chakra (discus) to challenge Bhishma when the latter injured him. Upon seeing this, Bhishma dropped his weapons and asked Krishna to kill him. However, Arjuna apologized to Krishna, promising that he would fight with full dedication here/after, and the battle continued. Krishna had directed Yudhisthira and Arjuna to return to Bhishma the boon of "victory" which he had given to Yudhisthira before the war commenced, since he himself was standing in their way to victory. Bhishma understood the message and told them the means through which he would drop his weapons—which was if a woman entered the battlefield. Next day, upon Krishna's directions, Shikhandi (Amba reborn) accompanied Arjuna to the battlefield and thus, Bhishma laid down his arms. This was a decisive moment in the war because Bhishma was the chief commander of the Kaurava army and the most formidable warrior on the battlefield. Krishna aided Arjuna in killing Jayadratha, who had held the other four Pandava brothers at bay while Arjuna's son Abhimanyu entered Drona's Chakravyuha formation—an effort in which he got killed by the simultaneous attack of eight Kaurava warriors. Krishna also caused the downfall of Drona, when he signalled Bhima to kill an elephant called Ashwatthama, the namesake of Drona's son. Pandavas started shouting that Ashwatthama was dead but Drona refused to believe them saying he would believe it only if he heard it from Yudhisthira. Krishna knew that Yudhisthira would never tell a lie, so he devised a clever ploy so that Yudhisthira wouldn't lie and at the same time Drona would be convinced of his son's death. On asked by Drona, Yudhisthira proclaimed

Ashwathama Hatahath, naro va Kunjaro va


i.e. Ashwathama had died but he was nor sure whether it was a Drona's son or an elephant. But as soon as Yudhisthira had uttered the first line, Pandava army on Krishna's direction broke into celebration with drums and conchs, in the din of which Drona could not hear the second part of the Yudhisthira's declaration and assumed that his son indeed was dead. Overcome with grief he laid down his arms, and on Krishna's instruction Dhrishtadyumna beheaded Drona.


When Arjuna was fighting Karna, the latter's chariot's wheels sank into the ground. While Karna was trying to take out the chariot from the grip of the Earth, Krishna reminded Arjuna how Karna and the other Kauravas had broken all rules of battle while simultaneously attacking and killing Abhimanyu, and he convinced Arjuna to do the same in revenge in order to kill Karna. During the final stage of the war, when Duryodhana was going to meet his mother Gandhari for taking her blessings which would convert all parts of his body on which her sight falls to steel, Krishna tricks him to wearing banana leaves to hide his groin. When Duryodhana meets Gandhari, her vision and blessings fall on his entire body except his groin and thighs, and she becomes unhappy about it because she was not able to convert his entire body to steel. When Duryodhana was in a mace-fight with Bhima, Bhima's blows had no effect on Duryodhana. Upon this, Krishna reminded Bhima of his vow to kill Duryodhana by hitting him on the thigh, and Bhima did the same to win the war despite it being against the rules of mace-fight (since Duryodhana had himself broken Dharma in all his past acts). Thus, Krishna's unparalleled strategy helped the Pandavas win the Mahabharata war by bringing the downfall of all the chief Kaurava warriors, without lifting any weapon. He also brought back to life Arjuna's grandson Parikshit, who had been attacked by a Brahmastra weapon from Ashwatthama while he was in his mother's womb. Parikshit became the Pandavas' successor.

Krisna :: The Prince of Mathura

THE PRINCE





On his return to Mathura as a young man, Krishna overthrew and killed his maternal uncle, Kansa, after avoiding several assassination attempts from Kansa's followers. He reinstated Kansa's father, Ugrasena, as the king of the Yadavas and became a leading prince at the court.] During this period, he became a friend of Arjuna and the other Pandava princes of the Kuru kingdom, who were his cousins. Later, he took his Yadava subjects to the city of Dwaraka (in modern Gujarat) and established his own kingdom there.
Krishna married Rukmini, the Vidarbha princess, by abducting her, at her request, from her proposed wedding with Shishupala. Krishna subsequently married 16,100 maidens who were held captive by demon Narakasura, to save their honour. of which eight were chief—collectively called the Ashta Bharya—including Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravrinda, Nagnajiti, Bhadra and Lakshana. Krishna killed the demon and released them all. According to social custom of the time, all of the captive women were degraded, and would be unable to marry, as they had been under the Narakasura's control. However Krishna married them to reinstate their status in the society. This symbolic wedding with 16,100 abandoned daughters was more of a mass women rehabilitation.] In Vaishnava traditions, Krishna's wives are forms of the goddess Lakshmi— consort of Vishnu, or special souls who attained this qualification after many lifetimes of austerity, while his queen Satyabhama, is an expansion of Radha.

Krishna displays his Vishvarupa (Universal Form) to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

When Yudhisthira was assuming the title of emperor, he had invited all the great kings to the ceremony and while paying his respects to them, he started with Krishna because he considered Krishna to be the greatest of them all. While it was a unanimous feeling amongst most present at the ceremony that Krishna should get the first honours, his cousin Shishupala felt otherwise and started berating Krishna. Due to a vow given to Shishupal's mother, Krishna forgave a hundred verbal abuses by Shishupal, and upon the one hundred and first, he assumed his Virat (universal) form and killed Shishupal with his Chakra. The blind king Dhritarashtra also obtained divine vision during this time to be able to see the Lord's form. Essentially, Shishupal and Dantavakra were both re-incarnations of Lord Vishnu's gate-keepers Jaya and Vijaya, who were cursed to be born on Earth, to be delivered by the Lord back to Heaven.

Krisna :; his childhood & youth

KRISNA


Childhood and youth



Nanda was the head of a community of cow-herders, and he settled in Vrindavana. The stories of Krishna's childhood and youth tell how he became a cow herder, his mischievous pranks as Makhan Chor (butter thief), his foiling of attempts to take his life, and his role as a protector of the people of Vrindavana.
Krishna killed the demoness like Putana, disguised as a wet nurse, sent by Kansa for Krishna's life. He tamed the serpent Kāliyā, who previously poisoned the waters of Yamuna river, thus leading to the death of the cowherds. In Hindu art, Krishna is often depicted dancing on the multi-hooded Kāliyā.
Krishna lifted the Govardhana hill and taught Indra, the king of the devas and rain, a lesson to protect native people of Vrindavana from persecution by Indra and prevent the devastation of the pasture land of Govardhan. Indra had too much pride and was angry when Lord Krishna advised the people of Vrindavana to take care of their animals and their environment that provide them with all their necessities, instead of worshipping Indra annually by spending their resources. In the view of some, the spiritual movement started by Lord Krishna had something in it which went against the orthodox forms of worship of the Vedic gods such as Indra. In Bhagavat Purana, Lord Krishna says that the rain came from the nearby hill Govardhana, and advised that the people worshiped the hill instead of Indra. This made Indra furious, so he punished them by sending out a great storm. Lord Krishna then lifted Govardhan and held it over the people like an umbrella.

The stories of his play with the gopis (milkmaids) of Vrindavana, especially Radha (daughter of Vrishbhanu, one of the original residents of Vrindavan) became known as the Rasa lila and were romanticised in the poetry of Jayadeva, author of the Gita Govinda. These became important as part of the development of the Krishna bhakti traditions worshiping Radha Krishna

Gopala Krishna, Protector of the cows

KRISHNA


Life


This summary is based on details from the Mahābhārata, the Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana. The scenes from the narrative are set in north India, mostly in the present states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat.

Birth

According to Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was born without a sexual union, but by divine "mental transmission" from the mind of Vasudeva into the womb of Devaki. Based on scriptural details and astrological calculations the date of Krishna's birth, known as Janmashtami, is 19 July 3228 BCE and departed on 3102 BCE. Krishna belonged to the Vrishni clan of Yadavas from Mathura, and was the eighth son born to the princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva.

Mathura (in present day Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh) was the capital of the Yadavas, to which Krishna's parents Vasudeva and Devaki belonged. King Kansa, Devaki's brother, had ascended the throne by imprisoning his father, King Ugrasena. Afraid of a prophecy that predicted his death at the hands of Devaki's eighth son, Kansa had the couple locked into a prison cell. After Kansa killed the first six children, and Devaki's apparent miscarriage of the seventh (which was actually a secret transfer of the infant to Rohini as Balarama), Krishna was born.

Since Vasudeva knew Krishna's life was in danger, Krishna was secretly taken out of the prison cell to be raised by his foster parents, Yasoda  and Nanda, in Gokula (in present day Mathura district). Two of his other siblings also survived, Balarama (Devaki's seventh child, transferred to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva's first wife) and Subhadra (daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini, born much later than Balarama and Krishna).

KRISHNA :: THE GOD

KRISHNA

The Sanskrit word in its origin language Kṛṣṇa is primarily an adjective meaning "black", "dark" or "dark-blue", sometimes it is also translated as "all attractive". It is cognate with Slavic čьrnъ "black".

As a feminine noun, Kṛṣṇa is used in the meaning "night, blackness, darkness" in the Rigveda. As a proper noun, Kṛṣṇa occurs in RV 8.85.3 as the name of a poet.

As a name of Vishnu, Krishna listed as the 57th name in the Vishnu Sahasranama. Based on his name, Krishna is often depicted in murtis as black or blue-skinned. Krishna is also known by various other names, epithets and titles, which reflect his many associations and attributes. Among the most common names are Mohan "enchanter of women or cowherdesses", Govinda, "finder of cows", or Gopala, "protector of cows", which refer to Krishna's childhood in Vraja (in present day Uttar Pradesh). Some of the distinct names may be regionally important; for instance, Jagannatha (literally "Lord of the Universe"), a popular deity of Puri, Orissa in eastern India and western China.

KRISHNA :: Hinduism

KRISHNA

Krishna (Sanskrit: कृष्ण Kṛṣṇa , pronounced [ˈkr̩ʂɳə] literally "black, dark blue" is a Hindu deity, worshipped as a "complete" avatar of the preserver-god, Vishnu.
Krishna is often described and portrayed as an infant or young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana, or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita. The stories of Krishna appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions. They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero and the Supreme Being. The principal scriptures discussing Krishna's story are the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana.
Worship of a deity of Krishna, either in the form of Vasudeva, Bala Krishna or Gopala, can be traced to as early as 4th century BC.Worship of Krishna as svayam bhagavan, or the Supreme Being, known as Krishnaism, arose in the Middle Ages in the context of the bhakti movement. From the 10th century AD, Krishna became a favourite subject in performing arts and regional traditions of devotion developed for forms of Krishna such as Jagannatha in Orissa, Vithoba in Maharashtra and Shrinathji in Rajasthan. Since the 1960s the worship of Krishna has also spread in the West, largely due to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Watermelon

Nutrition


A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight.[7] As with many other fruits, it is a source of vitamin C.
Watermelon, raw (edible parts)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 127 kJ (30 kcal)
Carbohydrates 7.55 g
- Sugars 6.2 g
- Dietary fiber 0.4 g
Fat 0.15 g
Protein 0.61 g
Water 91.45 g
Vitamin A equiv. 28 μg (4%)
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.033 mg (3%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.021 mg (2%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.178 mg (1%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.221 mg (4%)
Vitamin B6 0.045 mg (3%)
Folate (vit. B9) 3 μg (1%)
Vitamin C 8.1 mg (10%)
Calcium 7 mg (1%)
Iron 0.24 mg (2%)
Magnesium 10 mg (3%)
Phosphorus 11 mg (2%)
Potassium 112 mg (2%)
Zinc 0.10 mg (1%)
Percentages are relative to
US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database


The amino-acid citrulline was first extracted from watermelon and analyzed.[8] Watermelons contain a significant amount of citrulline and after consumption of several kilograms, an elevated concentration is measured in the blood plasma; this could be mistaken for citrullinaemia or other urea cycle disorders.
Watermelon rinds, usually a light green or white color, are also edible and contain many hidden nutrients[vague], but most people avoid eating them due to their unappealing flavor. They are sometimes used as a vegetable. In China, they are stir-fried, stewed or more often pickled. When stir-fried, the skin and fruit is removed, and the rind is cooked with olive oil, garlic, chili peppers, scallions, sugar and rum. Pickled watermelon rind is also commonly consumed in the Southern US.Watermelon juice can be made into wine.

Watermelon is mildly diuretic and contains large amounts of beta carotene. Watermelon with red flesh is a significant source of lycopene. Preliminary research indicates the consumption of watermelon may have antihypertensive effects.