https://youtu.be/-YOVv8eQVnQ?si=oL2pTYcx4RpBRFlM

I have been looking at the philosophy and basic scripture and every time I get more confused, what makes you Hindu? How do I know which deities to worship? What is the basic structure? Now I am talking purely in terms of ‘logistics’ and not simply philosophy. I cannot read Sanskrit script, which makes things more complicated

The Gujarati New Year, Vikram Samvat 2081, is celebrated on November 2. It marks Bestu Varas, a time for wishes of happiness, prosperity, and new beginnings for families.

lately ive been drawn to maa with this years puja being the first i attended in person.

my grandmother, on my mothers side, was an ardent devotee with keep fasts for her weekly and on days of the puja including visiting kamakhya bi-weekly.

ive been born and raised a hindu but my immediate family doesn't follow the worship of any particular god strictly.

all the sources are either in hindi or bengali and im not fluent in reading either of those and i do not trust western sources. so im seeking some guidance in how do i bgein my worship of ma kaali at my home.

(quick disclaimer: i have difficulty with articulating myself due to long covid, please forgive me if any of my writing is confusing or i repeat myself.)

hello all. i've been a hellenic pagan for over a decade now, but my spiritual journey has been leading me down quite the confusing path for a long time until recently when i discovered Lord Shiva. however, i've been having a lot of difficulty and anxiety due to where i'm coming from in my religious journey and was seeking some advice.

previously, my spiritual beliefs have been shaped by neoplatonic and orphic thought, so concepts such as oneness with God/the Source/Divine, reincarnation, nonviolence, hospitality, duty to others and the world, and others which are shared with many traditions of Hinduism are not foreign to me and have been a central part of my view of the universe for a long time. however, i'll admit i'm quite intimidated by such a vast living tradition with many more rules, stories, viewpoints and superstitions than i'm used to, and i've been quite unsure how to approach it in a way that is both respectful but also true to myself. i'm thankful to the Divine that until this point in my life i have always been very critical in my thinking and dedicated to in-depth research in anything that piques my interest, but this has made me very acutely aware of how commodified many aspects of Hinduism have become in modern New Age circles and how entitled a lot of (white) outsiders feel to many of the concepts and the culture without understanding the circumstances and history from which these arise. as such, i don't want to approach this new spiritual territory as if its something i can just pick and choose from without regard, particularly with the knowledge that this has all been shaped by thousands and thousands of years of loving, devoted people with life experiences i could never imagine.

within pagan circles, i fall under the umbrella of a Revivalist - i am historically informed, but i leave room for fluidity and personal touch to my religion as so much time has passed and our understanding of the world has changed so drastically. until this point, i've not had anyone to tell me whats right and whats wrong about my worship, my relationship with/views of the Divine, my viewpoints and approach to the world around me, because theres simply not been enough information left over from ancient times for anyone to be able to say that there's strictly only one way to approach the religion. my relationship with the Divine has been deeply personal, and my views have been collected from a wide range of sources and belief systems that have created a very eclectic understanding of the universe in my mind. with the deepest respect to the living culture that is Hinduism and the many people who have built it, i feel as though i'm doing a disservice by approaching it with a more fluid, mixed idea of cosmology, morals, the Divine and my interactions with them (not forgoing basic respect and ritual purity), but to attempt to shove my own experiences into a box to fit what my (Western) mind sees as what a 'real Hindu' should be would also be dishonest to myself. to say i hardly know where to start adapting to all these rules is an understatement.

i'm not really sure how to finish this post, but i hope i articulated myself well and made sense. at the end of the day, my biggest concern is staying respectful to living traditions and not overstepping cultural boundaries; in my mind, no calling to the Divine justifies ignoring the very real concerns of the living and breathing people around me. i am more than ready to be corrected, to learn, and to adapt my way of thinking as best as i can. any advice on how to proceed is greatly appreciated, thank you all for your time and patience despite my rambling.

Namah Shivaya ! grateful am i to the Auspicious One who has lead me here, and continues to guide me in my path.

Skanda Purana book 3 , section 2, chapter 30, verse 8-9

8-9. The bow of Īśvara that was kept in the abode of Janaka, was broken. In his fifteenth year, O king, Rāma married the six-year old beautiful daughter of the king of Mithilā, Sītā who was not born of a womb. On getting Sītā, Rāghava became contented and happy.

Can someone explain this to me please? I can't find the original sloka anywhere and I am certain that this translation is incorrect. Please help me understand the context of these slokas and age of Rama and Sita at the time of their marriage.

We know story behind Govardhan Puja...and it opposes practice of yajnā and worship of Indra ...also is there any puranic source that shree Krishna started it because I think it is just a tale.....what are your views on it

Is it okay to?

Happy Diwali everyone! 🪔🎇

I am curious if anyone has read the vedas please help me 😢

I am tempted to use colourful wicks, but I don’t want to make any mistakes!

Hey, I'm an 18-year-old male living in Varanasi. Since childhood, I've seen temples every 1 or 2 kilometers, but I've never felt the need to devote myself to them. I go in front of a temple, pray for a few seconds, and then get back to my work. I've never gone inside a temple solely because it was never necessary.

From childhood, it has been ingrained in my mind that what ultimately matters are your deeds. If you do good, you get good; if you do bad, you get bad.

Another reason I've never wanted to worship God is that I see those who do terrible things are also devotees, and this upsets me.

So, my final question is: Does believing in karma instead of worshipping God make me a bad Hindu?

Hello, I am planning to go to tirupati tomorrow and take Sri vaari mettu steps. I will reach railway station at 8. Do I need to take a bath before starting to climb? If so any suggestions of places where I can quickly freshen up?

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Happy Deepawali from our household to yours. May Lord Ram and Janaki Ma bless everyone.

|| Jai Shri Ram ||

Maa laxmi and ganesh puja.

Came across the post regarding the guru scams trending these days. What are your thoughts and views about the one's preference of praying ?

According to some people, Ramayan happened in 7000 bce, and ram setu dates to 7000 bce, but it doesn't match up with timelines, as some also state it to be 1.6 mil years ago, if it's 1.6, then what about ram setu, n if it's 7000, then what abt the timelines, it's so confusing!!!

First, let me begin with an apology for any misconceptions I have or any potential offense caused by the implications of my questions. I have an almost non-existent understanding of Hindusim, and this question was inspired solely by an "Introduction to Hindusim" seminar at my University. That is the level of my understanding.

Are there malevolent forces in Hinduism? Something equivalent to what Abrahamic faiths would call demons. If so, what is their origin? As I understand it, all "things" and gods are derived from a single Supreme Being. And so, are demons also an aspect of that Being? If so, what are the implications for the nature of the Supreme Being? Is it simultaneously good and bad, is it neither good nor bad, is it a mistake to try to reconcile a human understanding of morality with the nature of a Supreme Being?

I suppose this has become less a question about demons, and more a question about tangible incarnations of what we could call "evil" and the problem of pain in Hinduism.

I appreciate any insights you have to offer, and hope this doesn't seem too simple of a question (I did try to find an answer elsewhere online).

I am listening to some youtube videos and I have understood concepts like brahman is eternal, omnipresent (brahman is different from god), then there is something like purusha and prakriti. Due to maya, prakriti seems to exist. Just like how clay and pot appear different but only truth is clay. Purusha(atman) in a way is brahman but separated due to ignorance/ego which gives birth to different desires and then karma theory begins.

But my question is how ego/ignorance came into existence first place..

I don't get concept of god too. All I understand is brahman is just too vague for most people to understand, so god is just our proxy to understand the brahman.

Saying brahman(or god) created this world means even brahman has desires which in itself is contradictory.

I am talking about Niraahar type fast. The solah somwar/mangalvar fasts. What happens if I do it for the wrong person? I wanted this person really bad (I still do honestly) but this person isn't really a good person or a decent human being. What's gonna happen now? Will my wish still come true even when I know it isn't the best thing for me? Or Will my fasts go in vain?

My friend said that my intentions were pure so all the efforts will be adjusted somewhere in my life. How truthful is it?

Edit- will God make him a better person, if I ask if to?