The Katha Upanishad is one of the primary Upanishads, which are ancient Hindu texts that explore philosophical and spiritual concepts. It is part of the Yajurveda, one of the four Vedas, the foundational scriptures of Hinduism. The Katha Upanishad is a dialogue between a young boy named Nachiketa and Yama, the god of death. …

The Bhagavad Gita, popularly known as the Gita, comprises eighteen chapters in the Mahabhārata. It takes the form of an inspired dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna on the battle-field of Kurukshetra. The setting of the battle-field contributes a dramatic element to the book and relates religion to the realities of life. It is that …

Swami Divyananda is the Vice-President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Swami Divyananda Maharaj joined Ramakrishna Mission in 1972. He did his post-graduation in physics and served RKM Vidyamandira, Belur Math as Vice Principal and Vivekananda Centenary College, Rahara, as a Principal. He took classes for two decades, served as secretary of Agartala, Malda and …

The Chaitanya Charitamrita (Sanskrit: चैतन्यचरितामृत, romanized: Caitanya-caritāmṛta; Bengali: চৈতন্যচরিতামৃত, romanized: Côitônyôcôritamṛtô), composed by Krishnadasa Kaviraja in c. 1557, is written in Bengali with a great number of Sanskrit verses in its devotional, poetic construction, including Shikshashtakam. It is one of the primary biographies detailing the life and teachings of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the founder of Gaudiya …

Ramcharitmanas (Devanagari: रामचरितमानस rāmacaritamānasa), is an epic poem in the Awadhi language, composed by the 16th-century Indian bhakti poet Tulsidas (c. 1511–1623). It has many inspirations, the primary being the Ramayana of Valmiki. This work is also called, in popular parlance, Tulsi Ramayana, Tulsikrit Ramayana, Tulsidas Ramayana or simply Manas. The word Ramcharitmanas literally means …

  Rama's name is often chanted or sung within the many traditions of Hinduism. In Mahabharata, Shiva states that uttering "Rama" three times is equal to pronouncing the thousand other names of God. "Ram Naam Satya Hai" (transl. The name of Ram is the truth) is commonly chanted by Hindus while carrying a dead body to be cremated. This recitation implies that …

Swami Atmapriyananda is the Vice Chancellor of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, a multi-campus University trying to actualize Swami Vivekananda’s educational vision and devoted to teaching and research in a variety of unique areas. Swami Atmapriyananda received his Ph.D. from the University of Madras, India, in Theoretical Physics. Inspired by Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology, he joined the Ramakrishna …

A spiritually illumined soul who has scaled the depths of the Divine is a constant source of inspiration to countless other seekers. Swami Shivananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was such a person whose simple conversations with spiritual seekers were treasured by them as unfailing blessings for the rest of their life. Swami Shivananda, …

Swami Paradevatananda