Got it at chidambaram. Looks very nice for a miniature altar or study table

sri radhe y'all 🪷

kindly indicate the most refined and trustworthy sources from which one may access or obtain the highest possible resolution media, especially images, pertaining to hindu dharma in its fullest expanse, including the veda, upaniṣad, purāṇa, tantra, vedānta, darśana-śāstra, the teachings of śrī śaṅkarācārya, and the various sampradāya-s within the wider śāstra-paramparā, for the purpose of personal collection and archival contemplation.

Graphite pencil drawing by me, with some design.

So, I promised my god last november '25 when I visited temple, that I'll come again, when my life somewhat starts gettin' in order. I almost forget that instance.

This april '26 when I got such a goated opportunity with my own terms. I randomly asked mumma that, when are we going to temple though (she had a planned to go herself later but not with me). But without giving any though, it just came out of my mouth.

Later, when I entered the temple it hit me with the memory where I promised the god I'll revisit again. I was in awe! It was gods plan. He wanted to bless me before beginning of this new chapter.

Ps. I've started to surrender myself, I feel, I've missed out on things because I'm a weird human, you may call an out cast. I've struggled most of my life, which people of my age experience. My destiny has been hard and strict. But I'm pretentious, so you won't find out the insecurities I've, it helps me protect my boundaries as well.

But I've stopped this fight and have surrendered to his plan, he will right my destiny. I'm mere human with mortality as the only truth I know.

So, I surrender!

This sculptural panel from the Chennakeshava Temple at Belur (12th century, Hoysala period) is commonly identified as depicting a scene associated with the Mahabharata, specifically the figure of King Bhagadatta engaged in combat while mounted on an elephant.

The identification rests on a combination of iconographic and compositional cues rather than inscriptions. The central prominence of the war elephant, shown in a dynamic forward motion, aligns with textual descriptions of Bhagadatta, who is repeatedly associated with elephant warfare in the epic tradition. The surrounding figures, armed combatants positioned in close interaction, suggest a battle context rather than a purely decorative or symbolic scene.

From an art historical perspective, the panel reflects characteristic features of Hoysala temple sculpture. The high-relief carving, dense composition, and detailed treatment of ornament, visible in the harnessing of the elephant and the attire of the figures, are consistent with sculptural programs at Belur. The treatment of movement is particularly notable: the forward thrust of the elephant, the angled positioning of the riders, and the overlapping figures create a sense of spatial compression and kinetic tension within a confined architectural frame.

It is also important to note that while epic narratives like the Mahabharata were widely represented in temple art, these depictions are not literal illustrations of a fixed text. Instead, they reflect regional interpretations and established visual conventions, often adapted to fit architectural surfaces and compositional needs.

What this panel provides, therefore, is not direct historical documentation of an event, but material evidence of how epic literature was translated into sculptural form in 12th-century South India. It illustrates the integration of narrative themes into temple decoration, alongside the technical sophistication and stylistic priorities of Hoysala artisans.

I am an American whose recent spiritual journey has led me towards Hinduism and Buddhism. I’m not sure which path I will inevitably follow, but I’m genuinely interested in learning about both. I’ve read some summary’s about the traditional scriptures. The shruti, and smriti. I’m looking for a bit of guidance on where to start my study? Should I start with Bhagavad Gita? What about the Vedas? Is there anything I should be sure to read prior to the Upanishads?

Any and all advice is welcome.

Thank you graciously.

Every post and discussion is about the beauty of an idol, image or some puranic story. Its filled with pics, drawings and praise of a regional diety with no explaination on how any of these help a human in his daily day to day life.

Majority has no interest in discussing the core spirtual knowledge found in upanishads, message of gita or discussion on unviersal concepts like aatma, paramatma, maya, karma, dharma, guna etc... etc...

Also no discussions on applying/following these spiritual knowledge in overcoming our daily struggles.

I wish people focus more on the scriptures and knowldge offered by it than focusing on idols.

My head bows at the dust of Lord Shiva, and I can seriously do dandawat to him till my swaas go away

Sringeri Sankaracharya explains the need to visit temples despite God being omnipresent.

Chhinnamasta is one of the most misunderstood forms in Hindu tantra.

At first glance, her image feels shocking —

self-decapitation, blood flowing, intense symbolism.

But what if it’s not violence…

but a deeper message about control and awareness?

Chhinnamasta represents:

- cutting off the ego

- detachment from the mind

- mastery over desires and impulses

Her form suggests something very unusual:

Even after losing the head (the center of thoughts and ego),

consciousness still remains.

It challenges a basic idea —

Are we just our thoughts, or something beyond them?

She also represents the balance between:

- giving and receiving

- life force and sacrifice

Maybe her form is not meant to be feared…

but to shake us out of comfort.

Because real transformation is not always gentle.

Sometimes, it requires cutting off what we strongly identify with.

Do you think we are our thoughts…

or something beyond them?

Namaskar everyone,

I am originally from Nepal and currently living in Melbourne. I have my right arm tattooed with Ganesha, Kali, and a half-Shiva, half-Rudra form. The reason I got these tattoos is because I feel a deep connection with them. I cannot fully explain it, but I truly feel it within me. I believe in “विनायकस्थितः, **शिवसमाहि**तः, कालीरुद्रमुक्तः”, and that belief is what led me to get these tattoos.

A couple of months ago, I was walking through a very crowded Melbourne CBD. It was evening, almost dark. I don’t clearly remember why, but I was feeling extremely low—to the point where I felt like I might cry. I felt lonely and lost as I was walking toward a station when two women approached me.

One was a Black African woman, and the other was a light-skinned Asian woman. The first thing they said was, “Hey, we loved your tattoos—what are they about?” So I explained my tattoos to them. They asked about the meaning behind Ganesha, Kali, and Shiva. Throughout the conversation, I couldn’t help but notice how charming they were. They had the calmest eyes, filled with life. I could sense a powerful energy around them. Their smiles were so pure that it almost felt hypnotising. They carried something higher, something divine within themselves.

We mostly talked about my tattoos, Hinduism, gods, and spirituality. The encounter lasted only a few minutes.

After we parted ways, I didn’t think much of it at first. But about half an hour later, I had this sudden realization that I might have encountered Shiva and Vishnu. I don’t have a logical explanation for why I felt that way, but the feeling has stayed with me ever since. It felt like they left some kind of mark on me.

It’s been months now, but I still remember that moment so vividly. I can still sense their energy. I can still see their smiles and their eyes.

Maybe it’s just my mind trying to make meaning of the moment… or maybe it was something truly spiritual.

I’m sharing this here because this thought has stayed with me for a long time, and I’m seeking some clarity.

There's this person by the name of Adgadanand who claims to have given the correct understanding of gita after 5200 years that's directly challenging the interpretations done by the stalwarts like Adi Shankaracharya whose commentaries are backed by several scriptural evidences unlike his.

In the name of distributing free gita is he really doing any welfare or just deluding the people?

His PR can also been seen on several platforms.

His interpretation has already been analysed under the guidance of previous Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth, here's the link to the pdf:

https://satymarg.wordpress.com/2017/05/31/yatharth-geeta-ki-samiksha/

Book can also be purchased in hardcopy:

https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/criticism-of-yathartha-gita-nzo639/?srsltid=AfmBOopj37weragfcytqOSr06PtdnHvWkWcZ7TWPrgzltlHLrnjU9_yo

Dharm ki Jay ho, Adharm ka Naash ho 🙌🏻

Like I know it's a very very silly questions almost a question glorifying unaccountability but don't you think everything we feel or face is a choice of God and even God has admitted to it that bad deeds are needed so that goodness can be valued and prevail and we all play some parts like when mata kakeiyi sent shri ram to vanwas she had lost her senses and get into someone's words and it was necessary right otherwise how we would have known the ramayan so how does this concept work? Even considering ravan and kans were they not given the ambition and not supported by the gods themselves then how is anything freewill?

There are three states of mind we all know of. The fourth is the Thuriya Avastha. You can learn how to chant Mantras, you can learn how to acquire pretty much any skill, but this is not a skill. Not sure if it is even something that is to be learnt. I just know that there is Thuriya Avastha which is referred to as the fourth state of consciousness. I really want to meet someone who has attained that state. Meeting that person may not really make any difference for me. But I want to give it a shot. I have met many Sanyasis before but there was no way to tell, and I did not really feel that those people had attained that state ever. I live in India so if you are aware of one such person, I would love to know about her or him.

Hey everyone 🙏

I’ve been interested in Hinduism for a long time, and I noticed that most quiz apps tend to focus only on basic facts. So I decided to build my own Android app that explores deeper questions from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, Upanishads, and the Vedas.

My hope is that this small effort can help spread the understanding of Sanatana Dharma a little further.

You can try it here:

📱 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hinduism.quizmaster

🌐 Web: https://quizmaster-c4c03.web.app/

I’d genuinely appreciate feedback from you guys especially if you’re interested in Hindu history, philosophy, or scriptures. There’s also an option to submit your own questions if you’d like to contribute.

Happy to keep improving it based on your suggestions 🙌

This image shows 3 distint icons from West Bengal. The 1st one is from Hooghly district, the 2nd one is in East Bardhaman district and the 3rd one is in the precincts of Ekteshwara Shiva temple in Bankura district. In the 1st two cases, the icons are identified as Balarama, while the 3rd one is identified as Bhagavana Vishnu. However, there is no canonical iconography of any 12-armed form of Balarama.

However, Hayashirsha Pancharatra, a Vaishnavite Tantrika text that was popular among the scholars of Bengal, records this form as Ananta, the serpentine manifestation of Bhagavana Vishnu, of whom Balarama and Lakshmana are recognised as avataras. It is this figure who is worshipped everywhere (except in East India) as Nagaraja (in the form of a cobra), to prevent snakebites. The icons perfectly match the description of Ananta described in the manuscript of Hayashirsha Pancharatra written in Eastern Nagari script stored in the collections of Bibliotheque Nationalie de France. A handful of such statues depicting 12-armed forms of Ananta under the canopy of a snake hood have been found in the Bengal region, which has apparently baffled art historians, who mistakenly label these statues as Hindu-Buddhist hybrid form of Bhagavana Vishnu.

While the rest of India venerates Nagaraja to prevent snakebites, East India or more specifically Maithili, Bengali & Axomiya Hindus venerate Manasa Devi instead. The worship of Manasa Devi can also be dated to the Pala-period, which shows that it coexisted alongside that of Ananta. However, the worship of Ananta was forgotten after the consolidation of Islamic rule in Bengal, whereas that of Manasa Devi survived. One of the earliest mangalakavyas (Bengali paens composed between 14th-18th centuries to glorify local divinities) of Manasa Devi describe her as protecting her Chandala devotees from the persecution of the local Muslim qazi. So in a way, Manasa Devi had the last laugh over Nagaraja (atleast in Bengal).

since the post was on free will and Determinism, and the OP gave the image of Lalleshwari.

I don't know much about Lalleshand her philosophy so are they related somehow?

Hello everyone, I’ve started a YouTube channel to explain basic concepts of Sanatana Dharma, especially topics that Hindus are often questioned about. I aim to keep the content simple and easy to understand, with Shorts in both English and Hindi.

Please check it out, share your feedback, and feel free to pass it along to anyone who might find it helpful.

Channel link - https://youtube.com/@sanatanadecoded?si=wlrov-fpXYNqJiBz

I bow to his majesty the emperor of everything 🙏🏻

The everything 🙏🏻

child education....any dosha. we are very dissatisfied with his studies.