Your Inspirational World Die/s Every Minute You Dont Read This Article: snakes
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Showing posts with label snakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snakes. Show all posts

Monday, September 07, 2009

Chanakya's Quotes - Worth Learning

Monday, September 07, 2009 0
Chanakya's Quotes - Worth Learning

 Chanakya's Quotes - Worth Learning

Chanakya was an ancient Indian teacher, philosopher, economist, jurist and royal advisor. He is traditionally identified as Kauṭilya or Vishnugupta, who authored the ancient Indian political treatise, the Arthashastra, a text dated to roughly between the 2nd century BCE and the 3rd century CE.Chanakya's Quotes - Worth Learning


Extracted BY: Bhaktavatsalam V
Chanakya's Quotes - Worth Learning

"A person should not be too honest.
Straight trees are cut first
and Honest people are screwed first.."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC 75 BC)

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"Even if a snake is not poisonous,
it should pretend to be venomous."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)

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 "The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. ! It will destroy you."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)

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"There is some self-interest behind every friendship.
There is noFriendship without self-interests.
This is a bitter truth."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)

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"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply
and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)

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"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)

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"Once you start a working on something,
don't be afraid of failure and
don't abandon it.
People who work sincerely are the happiest."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

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"The fragrance of flowers spreads
only in the direction of the wind.
But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

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"Whores don't live in company of poor men,
citizens never support a weak company and birds don't build nests on a tree that doesn't bear fruits."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)


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"God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god.
The soul is your temple."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

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"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

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"Never make friends with people
who are above or below you in status.

Such friendships will never give you any happiness."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

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"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years.
For the next five years, scold them..
By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend.
Your grown up children are your best friends."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

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  "Books are as useful to a stupid person
as a mirror is useful to a blind person.."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

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"Education is the best friend.
An educated person is respected everywhere.
Education beats the beauty and the youth."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Lord Vishnu & Ananta Sesha - Lord Vishnu is known as "SHANTAKARAM" means peaceful form who is ... As everybody else has rightly pointed out, Lord Vishnu sleeps on Ananta Shesha.

Sunday, June 08, 2008 0
Lord Vishnu & Ananta Sesha -  Lord Vishnu is known as "SHANTAKARAM" means peaceful form who is ... As everybody else has rightly pointed out, Lord Vishnu sleeps on Ananta Shesha.

 Lord Vishnu & Ananta Sesha

His name means "that which remains", from the Sanskrit root sis, because when the world is destroyed at the end of the kalpa, Shesha remains as he is. So he is reffered as "Ananta-Shesha" which means "Endless Shesha". Lord Vishnu is seen resting on the coils of the serpent Shesha, also called Ananta.

Lord Vishnu & Ananta Sesha -  Lord Vishnu is known as "SHANTAKARAM" means peaceful form who is ... As everybody else has rightly pointed out, Lord Vishnu sleeps on Ananta Shesha.A popular artistic rendering of Lord Vishnu (Adi Keshava) reclining on the serpent Ananta Sesha. Brahma can be seen atop the lotus issuing from Vishnu’s navel

An expansion of God who appears as a serpent with thousands of heads and who serves as the bed of Lord Vishnu. Ananta Sesha holds all the planets of the universe on His hoods and constantly sings the glories of Vishnu from all His mouths.

The fact that our true self resides in pure consciousness is also represented in the depiction of Vishnu. Vishnu is always shown residing in the ocean of milk, resting on Anantha Sesha. Vishnu is the true self, residing in the ocean of pure consciousness, and his resting on Anantha Sesha is representative of the fact that you know your true self by gaining mastery over the kundalini energy.


Nagpanchami / Nagapanchami - Nagpanchami also known as Guga-Navami is a ceremony celebrated by the Hindus all over India

Sunday, June 08, 2008 0
Nagpanchami / Nagapanchami - Nagpanchami also known as Guga-Navami is a ceremony celebrated by the Hindus all over India

Nagpanchami / Nagapanchami

Nagpanchami / Nagapanchami - Nagpanchami also known as Guga-Navami is a ceremony celebrated by the Hindus all over IndiaNagpanchami also known as Guga-Navami is a ceremony celebrated by the Hindus all over India. It falls on the fifth day of moonlit fortnight in Shravan (July/August). Snake worship was a ritual practice long before the Vedic times; by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists and still continues to be a pious celebration. There are quite a few mythological stories that cause the devotees to pray the serpent. Lord Shiva wears the snake as ornamentation around his neck. The ceremonies performed include sweetened milk and puffed rice offered to the snakes. People pray the Snake God for prosperity and safety from the venomous reptile. Goodies including sweets, fresh fruits and dry fruits along with flowers are gift hampers often exchanged among the devotees. In the corporate sector, this occasion is a good time to promote the corporation or a business by personalized Nagpanchami gifts.


Important Aspects of Nag Panchami

This so called "snake day" has several important components. In addition to offerings made to the snakes throughout the country during worship and celebration, men and women celebrate the day in these ways:

  • Cobras are bathed in milk and offered rice as this is thought to offer immunity from their bites.

  • Women often partake in early baths of milk and wear colourful saris.

  • Pots of milk and flowers are placed next to holes that are believed to contain snakes as an offering of devotion. If a snake actually drinks the milk it is thought to be the ultimate sign of good luck.

  • Mansa, the Queen of Snakes, is worshiped in most parts of Bengal during Nag Panchami.

  • In the Punjabi region, a large dough snake is created and then paraded around the village. The parade is colourful with plenty of singing and dancing; at the end of the parade the snake is buried. Nag Panchami is referred to as "Guga-Navami" in Punjab.

  • Snake charmers sit alongside the roads of Maharashtra and encourage women to offer milk, flowers and haldi-kumkum (a powdered offering of tumeric and vermillion) to the dangerous snakes the snake charmers carry.

  • In many villages, snake charmers carry pots containing cobras to a central temple where they are released and then worshiped with offerings of milk and rice.

  • Mainly in the south of India, people worship figures of snakes made of clay or sandalwood as alternatives to the real-life versions.

  • No Hindu home may fry anything on the day of Nag Panchami.

  • Girls who are hoping to marry believe that the cobra offers good luck in their quest for eternal happiness.

Nagpanchami / Nagapanchami



Panchami means the fifth and on the fifth day of the bright half of Shravana, nagas (serpents) are worshippedPanchami means the fifth and on the fifth day of the bright half of Shravana, nagas (serpents) are worshipped. Snakes symbolize energy and prosperity. Snake-worship is pre-Aryan and was incorporated into the Aryan religion at an early stage.

In the rainy month of Shravana many snakes come out of their holes. A large number of human and cattle deaths were caused by snake-bites. Thus, this worship must have been started to appease the nagas.


Nagas are descendents of the sage Kashyapa. He had two wives - Kadru and Vinita. Vinita was the mother of the great eagle Garuda and Kadru, the mother of serpents. There was great rivalry between the two wives. Kadru won a stake through deceit. Consequently, Vinita had to work as Kadru`s slave. One way to free her from bondage was to procure the `amrit` - the nectar of immortality from the city of Gods. Garuda, the mighty bird, procured the amrit and bought his mothers freedom. But, Indra stole it back before the serpents could drink it. However, a few drops of the divine potion fell on the grass on which the serpents slithered. Hence, they are endowed with the capacity to throw away the old skin and grow a new one in its place!

The prominent Cobra snakes mentioned in the Puranas are Anant, Vasuki, Shesh, Padma, Kanwal, Karkotak, Kalia, Aswatar, Takshak, Sankhpal, Dhritarashtra and Pingal. Some historians state that these were not snakes but Naga Kings of various regions with immense power.

Vishnu sleeps between the cycles of creation on a serpent-couch and this form is called Seshshayana Vishnu. This thousand-headed cobra is also called Ananta (endless). He is considered immortal by Hindus as it can slough off its skin. As such Eternity in Hinduism is often represented by a serpent eating its own tail.

In Jainism and Buddhism, snake is regarded as sacred having divine qualities. It is believed, that a Cobra snake saved the life of Buddha and another protected the Jain Muni Parshwanath. As an evidence of this belief, we find a huge serpent carved above the head of the statue of Muni Parshwanath.

In medieval India, figures of snakes were carved or painted on the walls of many Hindu temples. In the caves at Ajanta, images of the rituals of snake worship have been found. Kautilya, in his "Arthashastra" has given detailed description of the cobra snakes.

The most popular legend is about Lord Krishna when he was a small boy. While playing the game of throw-ball with his cowherd friends, the ball fell into Yamuna river. The legend explains how Krishna destroyed Kalia Serpent. He forced Kalia to go away and saved the people from drinking the poisonous water.

This is an ancient festival. Hemadri, an historian, has stated that on Ashvina Shukla Panchami people worshiped images of nagas and Indrani. These images were placed on a white cloth, on platform. The images of nagas were bathed with water, clarified butter and milk. The images of Indrani was washed with water only.

According to Agni Purana, snakes are to be worshiped on the Panchamis of Shravana, Bhadrapada, Ashvina and Kartika. Such worship is performed in the honour of Takshaka, the king of serpents. The festival is called Takshaka Yatra.

NagapanchamiIt is celebrated with more enthusiasm in the rural areas. On this day, women and children visit snake-pits and worship the snakes residing there. They perform puja (a form worship with an invocative prayer). Then, they offer milk and honey to the naga-devta (snake-god). In urban areas, small clay images of cobra are worshipped.

Married girls visit their parents. Swings are put up in the villages on which both adults and children enjoy themselves without any inhibition, irrespective of caste, creed or sex. In several houses, clay images of snakes are worshipped.

On this day, people whitewash a portion of a wall. Then, the figures of cobras are painted in black. They worship these figures with incense, lamps, sweets, and flowers. Women observe a fast. Images of snakes made of silver, gold, wood or clay are also worshipped. Cloth effigies of serpents are worshipped in Jodhpur.

In Punjab, Nag-Panchami is known by the name of "Guga-Navami". A huge snake is made from dough. Every household contributes the flour and butter needed to prepare the dough-snake. The dough-snake is then placed on a winnowing basket and taken in a procession in which women and children sing and dance and onlookers shower flowers. All the religious rites are performed to invoke the blessings of the snake-god and then the dough snake is ceremoniously buried.

The body of Shiva is entwined with snakes, thus, on Naga Panchami day, people worship him. Shiva worship is observed particularly at his temples at Varanasi and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and at Vaidyanatha and Naganatha in West Bengal.

Manasa, a daughter of Shiva, is worshipped as the snake-goddess. She is worshipped particularly in Rajasthan, Bengal and the hill areas of India. On this occasion, snake-charmers are also requested to invoke the Snake Queen by playing melodious tunes on their flutes.

In Maharashtra, snake-charmers are seen especially on this day. They go from house to house asking for alms and clothing. The snakes are kept in flat and round baskets. These baskets are opened only when women offer milk and cooked rice for the worship. Women sprinkle haldi-kumkum and flowers on the heads of the snakes and offer sweetened milk to the snakes and pray.

Panchami means the fifth and on the fifth day of the bright half of Shravana, nagas (serpents) are worshippedNagapanchamiThe village of Baltis Shirale, which is situated approximately 400 kilometers (approximately 250 miles) from Mumbai, witnesses the most impressive of all the Nagapanchami celebrations. In this village, people pray to live cobras that they catch on the eve of this pre-harvest festival. About a week before this festival, they dig out live snakes from holes and keep them in covered earthen pots and these snakes are fed with rats and milk. Their poison-containing fangs are not removed because the people of this village believe that to hurt the snakes is sacrilegious. Yet it is amazing that these venomous cobras do not bite instead protect their prospective worshippers.

After all the obeisance is rendered to the goddess and the ritual puja is over, the snakes are put back in the pots and carried in bullock-carts in procession through the 32 hamlets of Shirala village. Women eagerly await outside their houses for "darshan" of the sacred cobras. One or two cobras are let loose in front of each house where men and women offer prayers, sprinkle puffed rice, flowers and coins over them, burn camphor and agarbattis and perform "aarti".

Large crowds arrive from Kolhapur, Sangli, Poona and even from foreign lands to see this wonderful spectacle and enjoy in the fair. The following day, the snakes are released in the jungle.

There is one legend associated with the celebration of this festival. Once Guru Gorakhnath was passing through this village. He saw a woman praying before a clay-cobra idol. He turned it into a living snake and told her not to be afraid of snakes. Since then, the Baltis Shirale village and its neighbouring regions worship snakes. Guru Gorakhnath`s temple is on a nearby hillock.

In Maharashtra, acrobatics and the magic performances by the tribals in the interior parts attracts big crowds.

Some of the other areas of worship during Nagapanchami are the Hardevja temple in Jaipur, Adishesha temple in Andhra Pradesh, Nagaraj temple in Kerala and Nagathamman temple in Chennai.

In the South, images of Snakes are crafted in cowdung on either side of the entrance to the house as a mark of welcome to snake God. Offerings of milk are given in the holes around the house.

There are snake-temples in our country with idols of snake-gods. In these, temples cobras are also reared and live snakes are worshipped on Nag-Panchami day. In Hindu homes, frying any thing on this day is forbidden by tradition.