How many Puranas ?

There are 18 Puranas.

They are:

1. Sri Vishnu Purana (Given by Parasara Maharishi, father of Shri Vayasar Maharishi), contains 6000 Slokas in Sanskrit
2. Srimath Bhagawatham, contains 18,000 slokas
3. Padma Purana, contains 59,500 slokas
4. Varaha Purana, contains 24,000 slokas
5. Brmha Purana, contains 10,000 slokas
6. Saiva Purana, contains 24,000 slokas
7. Narashima Purana, contains 25,000 slokas
8. Markandaya Purana, contains 8,000 slokas
9. Agni Purana, contains 15,400 slokas
10. Bavishiya Purana, contains 14,500 slokas
11. Brmha Vaivartha Purana, contains 18,000 slokas
12. Linga Purana, contains 11,000 slokas
13. Skanda Purana, contains 81,100 slokas
14. Vamana Purana, contains 10,000 slokas
15. Kurma Purana,contains 17,000 slokas
16. Matsya Purana, contains 17,000 slokas
17. Karuda Purana, contains 19,000 slokas
18. Brmhanda Purana, contains 12,000 slokas

All the seventeen puranas except Sri Vishnu Purana were given by Shri Vyasar Maharishi.

In addition to the above 18 puranas there are also sub Puranas.

Inner Transformation

Inner Transformation - Story from Mahabharatha

After the Pandavas (the five righteous princes of ancient India) had won the Mahabharata war, everyone was exhausted and asleep in their tents near the battlefield. Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya (the teacher of the royal princes) and staunch friend of Duryodhana (the oldest of the Kauravas, the Pandavas' hostile cousins), was the sole survivor among the Kauravas' warriors and he was dying for revenge. He sneaked one night into the Pandava camp and when his eyes fell upon the Pandavas' wife Draupadi's five young children, he drew his sword and without a econd thought, cut off the innocent children's heads.

Democarcy in India

The survival of democracy in India is due to tolerance show by the people.  It is not mere tolerance but people's respect for diametrically opposite views.  It is the trust coupled with a cultural bond that keeps alive the democracy in India.

35 Indian Home Remedies

Here are 35 Indian Home Remedies for everything imaginable and have been used for hundreds of years, before the advent of modern medicine.

This is good especially for minor aliments and aches and pains. Print it out and keep it in a place where you can find it easily, when needed. This may avoid a trip to the doctors and/or make you feel healthy (and even look beautiful) in the process. Take Care!

Calculation of Yuga in Earth Years

One Chaduryuga = 43,20,200 Earth years

71 Chaduryugas = 1 Vanmantharam

14 Vanmantharam = 1 Kalapam

2 Kalapams = 1 Day for Lord Brahma

Age of Brahma = 51 Years

Lord Rama's Data of Birth

Lord Rama was born on 4th December 7323 B.C.


Went to Vanavasam on 29th November 7306 B.C.


King Dhasaratha expired on 5th Deecmber 7306 B.C. ( after 6 days from the date Lord Rama went to Vanavasam)


Ravana was killed on Sunday, the 15th November 7262 B.C.

Sayings of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal, of Kanchi Mutt, about Education.

“By education we realise Truth. There are many truths, History is one truth. Geography is one truth, Mathematics is one truth. The content of truth is the greatest in Mathematics. In others, there is an element of imagination. In Geography, we come across names Asia, Africa, Madras, Calcutta, etc. These names were given by us. By imagination, we have given names "plateau" "valley", etc. By a process of gradual elimination of all that is imaginary, when we arrive at truth, that Truth is found to be God. To think of Him with real devotion is the fruit of education.

What is the use of education?

Its first use is to develop humility (vinaya). In olden days, the disciple who went to a guru was called "vineyan" meaning a person of humility, which is the hallmark of Instruction he had from his guru, the fruit of education. Education without humility is no education. Education is the same today as it was before, but methods have changed. The medicine is the same but if the diet is changed, the medicine becomes poison. Education has today become merely the means of livelihood. For true education, the student should go to a guru and follow the guru-kula system.

Right education should make us know that God is the Truth. Knowledge must fill one with good qualities, through which one can realise the Truth, that is God. Therefore, the goal of knowledge is the understanding of the Ultimate Truth. The first fruit of education must be humility and self control.”

Chanakya Needhi

one should abandon for ever any law which is without compassion,

one should not stick to a teacher whose erudition is suspect and who lacks knowledge,

it is better for one to steer clear of a wife who is always showing an angry face

and

one should not keep company with the so called relatives who have no love and attachment for him

ASK for Your Success

The three components of the success are

A – Attitude
S – Skill
K – Knowledge.

ATTITUDE

Attitude is the quality of thought through with one faces the world.

There are two types of attitude,

1) Positive attitude and 2) Negative attitude.


Positive Attitude – Optimist – Who looks for opportunist in all problems.


Negative Attitude – Pessimist – Who looks for problems in all opportunities


SKILL

There are two types of Skills.

Functional Skills and Attitudinal Skills

Functional skill is the one which we develop / acquire.

Attitude skill comes out from the womb of the mother

Examples of Functional Skills are eating and cycling

Examples of Attitudinal skills are communication and memory.


Memory

Memory involves retaining, retaining is done by repeating, retaining is also
done by organizing.

Personality

It is how we look

It is how we do

It is how we say

It is what we say

And above all it is the confidence

A definition of knowledge includes

Know What (knowledge about facts)

Know Why (Knowledge of science principles and laws of nature)

Know How (skills or capability)

Know Who (information about who knows what and how to do)

If you want to predict your future,
then, create it.

FACTS ABOUT INDIA

The official Sanskrit name for India is Bharat.



INDIA has been called Bharat even in Satya yuga ( Golden Age )



More INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT India

Why UPANAYANAM should be performed between the age of 8 and 16 ?

When the mind is growing and is attaining the impressionable stage between the age of 8 and 16, Upanayanam must be performed.

Upanayanam Deeksha must be performed before impressionable (adolescent) desired arise in mind.

The benefits of Sandhya Vandana and the different types of Sandhya Vandana. The meeting of two period is termed Sandhya (from the word “Sandhi” meaning “Meeting”)

1. When the darkness of night vanishes and day breaks, night and day meet. This is one Sandhya.

2. At Mid-day, the forenoon and afternoon meet.

3. When the day ends in the evening and night begins, this is the third Sandhya, that is the meeting of day and night.

4. Midnight is also a Sandhya being the meting of the first half and the second half of the night.

During all the Sandhyas mentioned above the Sattwa gunas of Nature are at their climax and so these periods are best suited for Paryers. The Prayers performed during the mornings and evenings are called Sandhya Vandanaas.

To cultivate kindness and knowledge in our minds, Sandhya vandana should be performed at least twice daily.

Those who perform Sandhya vandana attain SPIRITUAL rebirth, which is higher than PHYSICAL rebirth.

The symbols of spiritual rebirth are the Sacred Thread and Sikha (Tuft of hair on the head)

The Thread is Vedantham and the Tuft is Gnana.

The Manthra Upadesam initiation and the method of Teaching the Pronounciation of the Manthra (Brahmopadesam) is called UPANAYANAM.

“UPA” means nearness to Brahma, NAYANAM means leading of the Sishya by the guru towards Bhahma. By performing Sandhya Vandana, the mind is purified and the Inner eye is opened to see the Atma in oneself. Just as breathing is indispensable for life, so is Sandhya Vandana indispensable for the purification and uplift of one’s mind. The following Manthras are to be chanted in Sandhya Vandana:-

Achyuthaya Namaha, Anathaya Namaha, Govindaya Namaha.

Meaning: Salutations to the Indestructible, All-knowing the Endles and the All-Pervading Being I surrender my self along with all my Sense to You, Oh Lord by reciting the following 12 Names,

Kesav, Narayana, Madhava, Govinda, Vishno, Madhusudana, Thrivikrama, Vamana, Sreedhara, Hrishikesa, Padmanabha, Damodara

Then we workship Lord Vigneswara by chanting the following manthra:-

“Suklambaradharam Vishum sasivarnam Chathurbhujam, Prasanna Vadhanam Dhyaheth Sara Vighnopa Santheye”

Meaning:- I workship THEE O LORD, who wears while dress whose countenance (face) is like the Full moon who has four arms and who has a plesant face I pray Thee to remove all obstacles and bestow peace on me.

Then follows the Brahma Gayathri Japam:

“Om Bhoohu Om Bhuvaha Om Suwaha Om Thath Savithur Varenyam Bhargo Devasa Dheemahi Dhiyo Yona Prachodayath”

Meaning:- Salutations and Prayers to the Lord, who kindles the Flame of knowledge in us

In we perform Sandhya Vandana in this manner every day, the Godliness (Spiritulaity) in us will certainly be brought out the aims of human life are to Sharpen our knowledge, increase our capability and kindness to all living being. Regular performance of Sandhya Vandhana enables man to attain this high level of spirituality.

Thus, Sandhya Vandanam is indispensable to attain this high level of Spirituality.