Why drona did not teach archery to ekalavya?

When we hear the word Ekalavya, Guru Bhakti will come to our mind immediately. He gave his thumb, an important finger as Guru Dhakshina for the education obtained from Guru. However, Ekalavya was actually a grey character: partially good and partially bad. Before practicing the shastras (shastra vidya) in front of Drona’s idol, earlier he learned Paishacha vidya from group of devils (pishachi). From this force only, he fought against Sri...

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What is Yaga(Yagam) as per Vedas? What are the types of Yagas?

Yajna, Yaga and Homa are the terms derived from root word 'yaj'. Both yajna and yaga mean the same. The definition of yaga is-- ☀ devatoddeshena dravyatyagaH yagaH. Setting apart some material to be offered to a deity is yaga. ☀ Tasya agnau prakShepaH homaH. The offering of that material into the fire is homa. ☀ So the mantra says- sUryAya svAhA, sUryAya idam na mama- This is for sUrya and is no longer mine. ✔ Meaning of Yagna: In its...

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What is Diwali/Deepawali? Why is it celebrated?

Deepavali or Diwali means "a row of lights". It falls on the last two days of the dark half of the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November). Origins of Diwali: There are various alleged origins attributed to this festival. Some hold that they celebrate the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. In Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Kali. It also commemorates that blessed day on which the triumphant Lord Rama returned to...

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Are Hindus idol worshipers?

First of all, the term idol is misleading. It is called vigraha/mUrti though we vaguely call it an idol.The stone or metal deity images in Hindu temples and shrines are not mere symbols of the Gods. They are the form through which their love, power and blessings flood forth into this world. We may liken this mystery to our ability to communicate with others through the telephone. We do not talk to the telephone; rather we use it as a means...

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Why Do Hindus worship the cow?

Hindus don’t worship cows. We respect, honor and adore the cow. By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor all creatures. Hindus regard all living creatures as sacred—mammals, fishes, birds and more. We acknowledge this reverence for life in our special affection for the cow. At festivals we decorate and honor her, but we do not worship her in the sense that we worship the Deity. To the Hindu, the cow...

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Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?

Contrary to prevailing misconceptions, Hindus or rather Sanatan Dharma does not have a concept of 'God' at all! Ishwara, as understood in our tradition, is not an entity that sits in heaven and does supervision business. Hence even though we use the term God to refer to Ishwara - the idea behind it is completely different from organized religions. In Hindu culture, the primordial factor has always been karma and goal has always been Moksha -...

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