Some interpretations from hindu teachings...

(This is an ever-growing list)

As I discover some beautiful teachings myself in our hindu dharma shastras, I wish to bring them to you:

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In Hanuman chalisa, we ask lord Ram for 4 fruits of life. Do you know where and what?
Says, Jo dayak phal charu, in the first doha. This means that, hey lord, please give 4 fruits of Dharma (Morals), Artha (Prosperity), Kaam (Love) and Moksha (Liberation)।

To listen to Hanuman Chalisa, click here (Try to listen and sing this chalisa daily).
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Some quotes from चाणक्य नीति (Chanakya was a sharp-minded advisor to King Maurya):

-- प्रत्येक व्यक्ति को स्वाध्याय अवश्य करना चाहिए। उसे प्रतिदिन धर्म शास्त्रों का कम से कम एक श्लोक अवश्य पढ़ना चाहिए। इससे व्यक्ति को ज्ञान प्राप्त होता है और उसका भला होता है। (Everyone must spend time daily in self-inspection and read moral teachnings from vedic books to enhance their knowledge and happiness.)

-- मन के संयम के बिना कोई दूसरा तप नहीं है, संतोष जैसा कोई सुख और तृष्णा जैसा कोई भयंकर रोग नहीं है और दया जैसा कोई धर्म नहीं है। (No meditation is bigger than self-control; No happiness is bigger than abstinence; No disease is bigger than desires; And, no religion is bigger than that of mercy.)
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Funny role of the catalysts...

1. A man was born in a brahmin family in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh. This man loved his wife just too much and was obsessed with her passion. One day when he came back home and found that his wife had gone to her father's house, he couldn't bear this separation and set out to her house in the dark night. He walked in wind and rain and reached the river bank. Then, he crossed the swollen river on the back of a dead body thinking of it as a boat. Finding all her doors closed, he climbed up to the upper floor using a hanging python thinking of it as a rope in the dark. His wife woke up after he climbed. He thought his wife will become happy seeing him come miles to see her, but she felt very ashamed on his insane obsession of her. She said, if you put the same heart in lord ram, you will cross this ocean of the world and attain eternal bliss. This man was so ashamed on hearing this that he went back and became an ascetic and went on to write a great hindu text that people read to this day and offer their prayers to the lord. Do you know who this man was?

Yes, this great man was Goswami Tulsidas ji and he wrote Shri Ramcharitmanas that describes the life of lord Ram.

2. Centuries ago, a young princess named Vidyottama, meaning extremely wise lady, proposed that she will marry someone who was more intelligent than her. Her intellect disturbed pundits and they conspired to find her the dumbest man for her. One day, they saw a man (wood cutter) cutting the very tree branch on which he was sitting. They found him the dumbest and approached with her proposal. They just told this man to pretend deaf and mute and let pundits interpret for him. On the day of great debate with her, the lady started by holding up her one index finger, meaning that One god exists. This man, thinking she wants to poke into his eyes, raised two fingers that pundits interpreted as Two faces of god (body and soul). Next, she showed her five fingers with palm, meaning five elments of life. This man thought she wants to slap, so he showed a fist that Pundits interpreted as five elements embedded in one body. Finally, she accepted his superiority and decided to marry him. Soon after marriage, she found out about his dumbness and threw him out. This man got so humbled that he dedicated himself to the literature and knowledge and became one of the greatest writers of Indian Literature. Do you know who he was?

He was Mahakavi Kalidas who wrote famous books including Meghdoot and Abhigyan Shakuntalam.
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Lord Ram's date of birth (as calculated by a software)
I spotted an interesting article that stated that a computer software called 'Planetarium Gold' has calculated the date of birth of lord Ram as January 10, 5114 BC at just after noon time। This date was based on the descriptions in Valmiki Ramayan. It said the lord went into exile at the age of 25 and came back to Ayodhya at the age of 39.
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Gayatri Mantra and its meaning
Gayatri mantra has been used everywhere by all. This powerful mantra contains in its line the essence of all vedic knowledge. In that it calls for illumination of the mind, body and soul by dispelling of ignorance through the divine light (Sun).

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः । तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमिह । धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

Interpretation: We contemplate the glory of Light illuminating the three worlds: gross (Bhur), subtle (Bhuvah), and causal (Swah). I am that vivifying power, love, radiant illumination, and divine grace of universal intelligence. We pray for the divine light to illumine our minds.

Literal meaning of the words:
Om: The primeval sound
Bhur: The physical world
Bhuvah: The mental world
Suvah: The celestial, spiritual world
Thath: God; transcendental Paramatma
Savithur: The Sun, Creator, Preserver
Varenyam: Most adorable, enchanting
Bhargo: Luster, effulgence
Devasya: Resplendent,supreme Lord
Dheemahi: We meditate upon
Dhiyo: The intellect,understanding
Yo: May this light
Nah: Our
Prachodayath: Enlighten,guide,inspire
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