Rakshasa

THE SURYA VAMSA The Ikshvakus are a sublime race of men and women famed in the Puranas and Epics. It owes it’s origins to the great patriarch of the same namesake, Ikshvaku, who was the son of Vaivasvat Manu. He, in, turn was the son of Kashyapa Muni who in turn was the son of Marichi, the son of Brahma. The Solar dynasty comprised of the three lines of Ayodhya, Videha, Vaisala and the Saryatas. Ikshvaku was the first king of Ayodhya, and his father, Manu Vaivasvata, gave him Madhyadesa. He had…

Ramayana Paper Hinduism dates back to 2000 B.C.E, where its roots where established in India. Hinduism does not necessarily have a time of origin or founder, but is referred to as timeless, known to have always existed (“Library”). It consists of a compilation of sacred texts known as Santana Dharma, also referred to as “The eternal teaching” (“Library”). In the Indian religion of Hinduism, an extremely important term known as Dharma refers to the moral order of the universe and a code of…

The Himalayas: A Mystic’s Viewpoint Himalaya literally meaning the abode of snow. Apart from being a geographical entity, it has in various ways shaped the life and culture of South Asian people. Comprising of nine highest peaks in the world, this awe inspiring range has been an object of veneration for people and epitomizes the concept of sublime beauty. The Himalayas are bordered on the north by the Tibetan Plateau, on the south by the Indo-Gangetic Plain, on the northwest by the…

Epics in India and elsewhere have always been a rich reservoir of tales. Time and again, different perspectives emerge from the re-readings of these ancient tales, inspired by the challenges thrown up by the vicissitude of contemporary life. As Workman has observed “…the literary attractiveness of mythology is due to its enduring depiction of significant and sometime very uncomfortable relationships, some admittedly between man and his environment, but others of at least equal importance between…

In the Shiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God. Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for Shiva’s phallus it is used as a symbol for the worship of Shiva. The origin of the lingam dates back to the early Indus Valley civilization. The Lingam is not mentioned in the Vedas yet still the Lingam is a major symbol of worship to many. Even with its absence from the Vedas, the Shiva Lingam is of importance in many other major Hindu scriptures, including the Puranas. As stated by…