The Vedas: An Exploration
The Purusha Sukta, A Vedic hymn extols the preeminence of the Purusha who is unanimously identified as Narayana. Purusha Sukta along with other hymns in the Vedas promulgates the pantheistic view of creation. An analysis of the Vedic hymns reveals that Lord Vishnu, is, in reality, the sum and substance of the verses. They clearly establish the supremacy of Vishnu. In fact, he is extolled as the highest God par excellence in the Rig Veda – an adjective applied to none other than Vishnu. A sampling of the verses given below reveals the veracity of this statement.
‘Three of these worlds Vishnu strode; thrice did he plant his foot’; ‘The whole of this universe was gathered in the dust of His footsteps’; ‘Vishnu, the Guardian of all, he whom none can deceive, made three strides and henceforth established the Dharma (an obvious reference to the Trivikrama)’; ‘As the eyes spread out as it was in the sky so do the wise ones see the supreme state of Vishnu’; ‘The ever prayerful and awakened wise realized that the Supreme state of Vishnu.’ Yaska, the master of etymology, explains the literal meaning of the word Vishnu as immanent and the all-pervasive Principle who spreads over all the planes of existence.
This story is from the May 2019 edition of The Vedanta Kesari.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2019 edition of The Vedanta Kesari.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Panchakroshi Parikrama of Varanasi
At the snow-capped Kailas, the Divine Lord Shiva was seated with Mother Parvati.
Gadai and the Monks
A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.
Swami Vivekananda’s French Interview: A New Discovery
We are happy to present what, to the best of our knowledge, is a hitherto unknown interview given by Swami Vivekananda in French language to a newspaper in France. Interestingly the interview was published on 11 September 1900, exactly seven years after Swamiji burst upon the world from the platform of the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Swami Surarchitananda discovered this interview during an online archive search and Ms. Irina Croitor has translated it into English.
'Pandit Ji Maharaj' Par Excellence: Swami Vipulananda
In 1933, the Annamalai University of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu was bustling with activity in connection with the imminent visit by the British Governor, George Fredrick Stanley of Madras Presidency. He was to chair the Convocation at the University.
Reminiscences of Sargachhi
All the doctors, teachers, engineers you see, are doing social service. Our education system teaches 'service to the society'- this is the objective side of man.
Mon Ekbaar Hori Bolo... Songs dear to Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna loved songs. There probably was no normal day when he did not sing some songs. His conversations with devotees were interspersed with songs that drove home the point of discussion and intensified the spiritual mood of the gathering. Sri Ramakrishner Priyo Sangeet is a collection of songs that were sung by Sri Ramakrishna or sung in his presence by others. In this section we serialise these songs giving the English and Devanagari transliteration of the Bengali song, along with its English translation.
Freedom vs Technology
Ethics, principles and values that guide ordinary people to do extraordinary work in eternal India
Seven Steps on the Path and other Heart to Heart Talks
BOOK REVIEWS
Tale of Two Realities An understanding of life through the Ramayana and Yogasutra
Beginning with this issue we are serialising Tale of Two Realities which we hope will help readers gain a deeper understanding of life. Our readers are familiar with the author through her The Vedas and Poorva: Magic, Miracles & the Mystical Twelve which were serialised earlier. The illustrations for this series is by Smt Uma Krishnaswami, a well-known artist. The author's note below gives a brief introduction to the series.
Sri Ramakrishna and the Freedom Movement - SWAMI VEDANISHTHANANDA
75th Anniversary of India's Independence The year 2022 is significant for India as it celebrates 75 years of attaining independence from the colonial domination. It was after a long struggle that we could free our motherland from foreign rule and make this "tryst with destiny".