Category Archives: Hinduism

Communal Festivals and Rituals

Posted on October 15, 2016 by gautshen

Even today, I know several people born and brought up in my hometown Karkala, but currently working elsewhere, who will give anything to attend Karkala Karthikpunnav or Teru. These people plan their leaves for these occasions well in advance. One such person even threatened … Continue reading →

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Review: Ten Kings by Ashok Banker

Posted on November 22, 2015 by gautshen

A very fertile land ruled by an able righteous ruler attracts the envy of the other clans of his own tribe. These other clans plot the ruler’s downfall by forming some sort of a Mahagathbandan. The other clans in the tribe are … Continue reading →

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My encounters with rAmAyaNa

Posted on August 20, 2012 by gautshen

My mother taught me alphabets long before I joined school in 1988. So, when I was between the ages 2.5 and 3.5 I had learnt how to write my A,B,C’s. The earliest memory from my life that I can recollect … Continue reading →

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The Classification of Vedas

Posted on July 25, 2009 by gautshen

Towards the end of the SandhyAvandanA, I remember reciting the following: bhArgava, chyavana, ApnavAn, aurava, jamadajnya, pancha rShi pravarAnvita vatsa gotrOtpannaha AshvalAyana sUtra, shAkala shAKhAdhAyih gautama sharmaH ahaM bho abhivAdaye Which translates to: Hailing from the lineage of the five … Continue reading →

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Happy Ugadi

Posted on March 27, 2009 by gautshen

The Hindu Calender is divided into 12 Months which are called Maasas.They are Chaitra, Vaishaka, Jyestha, Aashada, Shravana, Bhadrapada, Ashvija, Karthika, Margashira, Pushya, Maagha and Phalguna. Today is an auspicious day for us, as it is the first day of … Continue reading →

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Gita: Duryodhana’s worry

Posted on March 20, 2009 by gautshen

Update: Do check Hari’s comments to this post. They correct the misinterpretations of quite a few things mentioned in this post. Having finished reading Sri Shankaracharya’s Bhagavad Gita Bhasya, I am motivated to learn the Bhagavad Gita by heart. I … Continue reading →

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Dharmayuddha@Kurukshetra.in

Posted on November 27, 2008 by gautshen

The war at Kurkshetra in the Mahabharata has been termed as Dharmayuddha, which means the battle fought in order to uphold the principles of Dharma. Before the combat, both the sides agreed to the terms and conditions regarding the rules … Continue reading →

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AvaraNA

Posted on November 21, 2008 by gautshen

I finished reading S.L.Bhyrappa’s AvaraNA yesterday. This is my first Kannada Novel. Yeah, despite being in Karnataka for almost a quarter century now,  I didn’t bother to check out the literature apart from whatever was being taught in the school. … Continue reading →

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