This is the beauty of Hinduism. When you reach a certain level of spirituality, degrees, wealth, and job titles no longer matter. The search for inner peace and truth becomes more important than material success.

​

Rakt Beej, a demon became invincible due to great powers. Goddess Durga was urged to kill him. As soon as she injured him, his blood fell on the earth and from every drop that fell a hundred demons emerged. So, she took the ferocious form of Kali, killed each demon, and drank all the blood without letting it spill to the earth.

Kali started her victory dance that caused havoc on earth and she became irrepressible.

Then the Gods pleaded to Lord Shiva to stop Kali. Once He realized the looming destruction of all, He rushed towards Kali and in a desperate final effort to calm her down He lay down at her feet while she danced trampling the uncountable corpses. Being in a state of trance she failed to realize that it was Shiva laying down and stepped on Him. The folklore further says that soon she realized Her mistake and calmed down.

Recently I got know how hanuman depicted in ramayana .color of his face ,hair weapon and many things are different.

What we mostly seen is a mascular man with monkey type mouth with a tail .but many vanara features are missing why they were represented clean shaved face and body .it complete misrepresentation vanaras have human type body with dense body hair different colors . hanuman body hair is golden brown with curly hair with red face as I heard.many depictions claims he doesn't weild any permanent weopen no gada

Are this are true or what we see of depicted hanuman?

I am 16 male from kerala, and i am going through one of the worst phase of my life and i have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I am not sure if its permanent thyroid or not, if its permanent the chances of being medically fit in NDA medicals are very low.I don’t have anyone to express my feelings. I wanted to know how to worship shiva.I wanted to pray that its only a temporary thyroid and not a permanent one.

Visited Kumortuli today and posted some pictures I clicked of Goddess idols being made...shared my experiences n all...was being completely respectful and sharing how I'm excited for the upcoming Kali Puja. And yea the post got deleted. Was it because I posted photos of Kali while Naked?

It was Kali...the naked Godess in herself, Gosh wtf is this sub? Is it even hinduism with this moderation standard?

And even if it was done to ensure that someone from other faiths don't mock us, wtf kind of a moderation tactic is this? If someone does that u take action against that specific acc, not on OP for posting it. It was nothing wrong...was completely fine for a 'Hinduism' subreddit.

Wtf is this sub becoming? Are we so scared that we can't even post Maa Kali (that too the post was removed by the moderator perhaps)...or is this some kind of Moral policing?

Atp rename the sub into something else. The action suggests that either we're very coward or absolute Moral polices. Nothing in between.

I’m a 22 year old uni student. I grew up in a Hindu family outside India.

I’ve been going through an incredibly difficult phase in my life. I recently (4 days ago) failed an important exam and I now have only one attempt left to pass it. If I fail again, I would lose the opportunity to continue studying my degree subject anywhere in the country. My boyfriend and I recently broke up too (2 days ago). The relationship was hurting us both and I made mistakes .. I’m still trying to process everything that happened. And last night my grandfather passed away.

I feel as though very few things in my life have come easily to me. During my internship, I went through a particularly difficult period where I experienced a lot of racism, and the stress took a toll on my health and I developed alopecia. My hair has grown back again now.

I also had a traumatic childhood which has affected the way I connect with people. I have struggled to form and maintain friendships and I recognise that some of those unresolved experiences have also affected my romantic relationships.

I feel incredibly lonely, emotionally exhausted, and overwhelmed by everything happening at once. It feels like I barely have time to recover from one difficult experience before something else happens.

I’m trying to make sense of everything and find a way to move forward.

For those who have experienced similarly difficult phases in life, how did you get through them? How did you learn to cope with grief, loss, loneliness, and the feeling that life keeps testing you?

I don’t really have a support system. I had my boyfriend but I don’t have anyone else except him anymore. I have friends but I struggle to open up with them. I also feel like I complicate relationships. I don’t know what to do about that as well.

Hi everyone!
I have a few questions about Karwa Chauth and would really appreciate some guidance, especially from people who are familiar with the traditions.
A little background:
My community doesn’t traditionally celebrate Karwa Chauth, so I never really thought about observing it before.
However, this year, my husband and I went through an emotional roller coaster. We faced some of the toughest situations of our lives, and at times, our marriage was really tested.
But through everything, we stood by each other. Our faith in God grew stronger, and somehow, our marriage became even stronger than before.
This experience made me realize how incredibly blessed I am to have my husband. I genuinely don’t think I could have found a better person to share my life with. He’s not perfect, but he fits perfectly into the puzzle of my life. ❤️
That’s why I want to observe Karwa Chauth this year.
For me, it’s not just about following a religious tradition. It’s my way of expressing love and gratitude, and praying for his health, happiness, and long life.
I don’t know whether fasting can actually extend someone’s lifespan, but regardless, I would love to dedicate this day to praying for his well-being.
Now, here’s where I’m confused.
I recently heard that Karwa Chauth in 2026 falls during Shukra Asta, and that women shouldn’t start observing the vrat for the first time during this period.
My husband and I have been married for five years, so I’m not a newlywed. However, this would be my very first Karwa Chauth vrat.
My questions are:
Does the restriction apply only to newly married women, or to anyone observing Karwa Chauth for the first time?
Is it okay for me to start the vrat this year despite Shukra Asta?
According to your family’s or community’s beliefs, what are the consequences, if any, of starting during this period?

I really feel connected to Lord Krishna and Durga Maa and I feel so much energy when I listen to storams and slokas. But at the same time I don’t want to call myself religious because for the starters I’m not and I don’t like all the misogyny and performative stuffs that’s attached to the religion. Like people being hateful and judgemental and justifying wrongdoings in name of religion.

So what does that make me? A devotee? An agonist?

​

वाल्मीकि जयंती की शुभकामनाएं 🙏

I bow to thee, thou Lord of all the Gods! I bow to thee, thou slayer of Vritra! I bow to thee, thou slayer of Namuchi! O thou of a thousand eyes, lord of Sachi! By thy showers, be thou the protector of the snakes scorched by the Sun. O thou best of the deities, thou art our great protector. O Purandara, thou art able to grant rain in torrents. Thou art wind, the clouds, fire, and the lightning of the skies. Thou art the propeller of the clouds, and hast been called the great cloud (i.e., that which will darken the universe at the end of Yuga). Thou art the fierce and incomparable thunder, and the roaring clouds. Thou art the Creator of the worlds and their Destroyer.

Thou art unconquered. Thou art the light of all creatures, Aditya, Vibhavasu, and the wonderful elements. Thou art the ruler of all the Gods. Thou art Vishnu. Thou hast a thousand eyes. Thou art God, and the final resource.

Thou art, O God, all ambrosia, and the most adored Soma. Thou art the moment, the lunar day, the bala (minute), thou art the kshana (4 minutes). Thou art the lighted fortnight, and also the dark fortnight. Thou art kala, thou kashtha, and thou Truti. Thou art the year, the seasons, the months, the nights, and the days.

Thou art the fair Earth with her mountains and forests. Thou art also the firmament, resplendent with the Sun. Thou art the great Ocean with heaving billows and abounding with whales, swallowers of whales, and makaras, and various fishes. Thou art of great renown, always adored by the wise and by the great Rishis with minds rapt in contemplation.

Thou drinkest, for the good of all creatures, the Soma juice in sacrifices and the clarified butter offered with sacred invocation.

Thou art always worshipped at sacrifices by Brahmins moved by desire of fruit. O thou of incomparable mass of strength, thou art sung in the Vedas and Vedangas. It is for that reason that learned Brahmins bent upon performing sacrifices, study the Vedas with every care.

Hello folks!

I am a Catholic but I enjoy dialoguing with followers of other religions and sharing our views. Hinduism is a religion which I feel I don’t know all that much about and I’m not sure how big Catholic Christianity is in India, which is of course where most Hindus live. I want to put out a post here to offer some opportunities for discussion and learning :) I did one of these on the LDS (Mormons) subreddit and it was quite successful.

I have some questions here for you guys, feel free to ask any questions you may have about Catholics, our beliefs, or our relations with Hinduism!

1) Is Hinduism polytheistic or monotheistic? It seems, from what I have seen, that there are multiple figures in Hinduism like Shiva, Vishnu, and Ganesh. These seem to be sometimes treated as gods and sometimes as manifestations of one god?

2) It seems that Hindus worship idols. What is the theology behind this?

3) Is there an afterlife in Hinduism? I know there seems to be reincarnation but, once one has stopped reincarnating, is there somewhere that you go or do you just disappear? If it is the latter, why would one not want to keep reincarnating?

20M, Iam a person who has no idea about tantra🙏, so iam very sorry for posting this here but i genuinely feel that maybe spirituality can help me.

My life has been utter gutter since Covid, it began with my maternal grandparents who were everything to me passing away. Grandmother died from heart attack, i couldn't even see her last moments as she died in ICU of hospital and my grandfather was diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma( cancer), since surgery was not possible at old age there was nothing that could be done, he too passed away within 1 yr of my grandmothers death.

My life has been chaos since then, my Father's personality suddenly changed as he was almost caught having an affair in 2025, my mother was at a very vulnerable position at that time. He has suddenly transformed into a completely rude person who judges me and my mother all the time. Verbal abuse has become common now.

I used to be topper in studies but it has faded away as if i have lost my spark in life, somehow managed to get 82% in 12th and now second dropper for NEET. Have changed coachings, found lots of problems, i have difficulty in grasping concepts, memory and so many things which i never had before. Honestly i don't know why iam no longer able to find success despite working hard or why iam facing so many problems in my life when i want to improve.

is there any kind of mantra, or any specific deity or ritual that i can do to change my life like before

Most of us know Shiva as Neelkanth, the one who drank the poison. But the older texts tell it with more detail than the usual summary.
During the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), the first thing to emerge wasn’t nectar. It was Halahala, a poison so potent that devas and asuras alike feared it would end all creation. When they went to Shiva, he drank it. In the version in the Bhagavata Purana (Canto 8), Parvati’s hand on his throat stops it from going further, and that is why it turned blue.
What stands out to me is the choice. Nobody could force him to do it. He took it on so everyone else wouldn’t have to.
Which version of this story did you grow up with, and does it change between regions or texts? I’d love to hear the retellings I haven’t come across.
I covered the full story with the scripture references in a ~10 minute video here, if anyone wants it: https://youtu.be/5FkBEpL81vQ

few days ago shared this post

https://www.reddit.com/r/hinduism/comments/1xbdbzq/there_is_only_one_soul/

https://www.reddit.com/r/hinduism/comments/1xe1suz/there_is_only_one_soul_pt_2/

Bhagvat Geeta 2.18

The material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is sure to come to an end; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata.

BG 2.20

For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

BG 2.23

The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.

BG 2.24

The soul is unbreakable and incombustible; it can neither be dampened nor dried. It is everlasting, in all places, unalterable, immutable, and primordial.

We had made a mistake of thinking that soul can be quantified and are in multiple . And this is the cause of our downfall.

Whiele in reality there is only one soul. Even our scriptures hints at that.

Try imagining anything (using it here for ease of communication) that has never made- and is there since even before creation (yeah, before creation, as creation has a beginning, but soul doesn't).

It also can't be slained/divided or differentiated and is there without changing its state. Now try imagining multiple of such things which are there together.

A question arises—how can we imagine multiple of such things?

To count anything—the basic idea is-

1- That it's somehow different from the surrounding: meaning there is some sort of division b/w it and the surrounding. Like some sort of boundary- separating it from the surrounding- does soul have a boundry? Because if it does, then it can't be immeasurable.

2- It should undergo changes- But the soul doesn't undergo any change. Even if eternity passes, soul(s) will remain same as ever. So how can there be division?

3- Historical Trajectory: An entity is discrete if it carries a unique, non-replicable trajectory through time.Does soul have such thing? because of it does the it becomes time -dependent. Is soul time dependent?

4- It occupies some space unique to itslef- Is it same for the soul?

If all these criteria don't apply to the soul, then how can it be counted? It it can't be count'es then how can we be sure that there are multiple of such entities? Maybe they are a single entity that is perceived like a multiple entity by us because of avidhya!

Edit: Using soul here only for ease of communication

Edit 2- By "preceive by us mean"- As in how we think/imagine about it- & not in as how we see it.

If you have spent any time browsing social media, watching YouTube video narratives on Hinduism, or scrolling through AI-generated slop videos on short-form platforms, you have likely come across a sensational claim linking the end of Lord Śrī Krishna's earthly pastimes to the origin of Lord Jagannath in Puri. Driven by algorithms that prioritize shock and dramatic value over accuracy, these viral videos push a bizarre story: that Lord Krishna’s physical body was cremated after His departure, but His heart refused to burn, floating across the oceans until it was retrieved and placed inside the deity as the mysterious Brahma Padartha. While this dramatic legend makes for high-engagement internet clickbait, it is an absolute fabrication that distorts basic Vedic theology and misinterprets authentic śāstra.

In reality, the authentic origin of Lord Jagannath as a manifestation/form of Śrī Krishna / Viṣṇu and the sacred principle of Dāru-Brahma are documented in scriptures like the Skanda Purāṇa (Puruṣottama-Kṣetra-Māhātmya), Brahma Purāṇa, and Nārada Purāṇa. These sacred texts detail how Lord Jagannath manifested as Dāru-Brahma (the Supreme Being embodied in sacred timber) and how King Indradyumna was divinely instructed to retrieve a radiant log floating on the ocean shore to carve the deities, without a single mention of a burnt organ or floating heart anywhere in Puranic literature.

What makes this online narrative even more absurd is that it completely ignores the explicit statements of the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the unanimous consensus of Ācāryas across history. Saints, philosophers, and commentators across the entire breadth of Indian geography and spanning every major philosophical tradition whether Advaita, Dvaita, Śuddhādvaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, Dvaitādvaita, or Acintya-Bhedābheda stand united on this point:

Lord Śrī Krishna’s divine form is non-material (abhautika / aprākṛta), and as the Bhāgavata Purāṇa itself affirms, He ascended directly to His supreme abode in His selfsame divine body (svatanvā), leaving no physical corpse or unburnt remains/heart behind.

Below is the chain of authoritative commentaries spanning every major Vedāntic tradition that confirms this point:

1. Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

(Advaita Vedānta — Bhagavad Gītā Bhāṣya, Verses 4.6 & 4.9)

Sanskrit Snippet:

दिव्यम् अप्राकृतम् ऐश्वरम्... न मे जन्म कर्म वा प्राकृतम् अस्ति।

Translation & Commentary:

Commenting on Bhagavad Gītā 4.9 (janma karma ca me divyam...), Ādi Śaṅkarācārya explicitly expands  divyam as aprākṛtam (beyond the workings of material nature / prakṛti) for Krishna. Maintaining that birth is "as if" due to maya and not like real birth of human and activities and birth/form are from his divine aprakritk nature.

2. Śrīdhara Svāmī

(Advaita Vedānta — Bhavārtha-Dīpikā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.35–36 & 11.31.6)

Sanskrit Snippet:

यथा नटो निजरूपेण स्थितो रूपान्तराणि धत्ते ’न्तर्धत्ते च तथा तदपि कलेवरम् जहौ अन्तर्धाद् इत्याद्यर्थः॥ स्वतन्वा जहौ स्वतन्वैव वैकुण्ठारोहात्॥

Translation & Commentary:

"Just as an actor, remaining in his own true identity, assumes different roles and then makes them disappear, similarly, 'He left that body' means He simply made it disappear from sight (antardhāt). 'He left with His own body' (svatanvā jahau), because His ascension to Vaikuṇṭha occurred with His actual divine form (svatanvā-eva vaikuṇṭhārohāt)."

Canto 11 Commentary: Furthermore, commenting on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.31.6 (lokābhirāmāṁ svatanuṁ...), Śrīdhara Svāmī explicitly defines the word adagdhvā ("without burning"). He notes that while yogis consume their physical bodies through internal yogic fire (āgneyyā dhāraṇayā), Śrī Kṛṣṇa did not burn His form; He ascended directly into the spiritual realm in His eternal, divine form.

3. Vīrarāghavācārya

(Viśiṣṭādvaita / Śrī Vaiṣṇavism — Bhāgavata-Candrikā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.35–36)

Sanskrit Snippet:

यां मनुष्यसंस्थानस्थितां तनुं भूभारमपनेतुं जग्राह, तां तनुं तिरोधाय स्वासाधारणतन्वा जगामेत्यर्थः।

Translation & Commentary:

"Having concealed (tirodhāya) that humanlike form which He had assumed to remove the burden of the earth, He departed in His original, extraordinary, eternal divine form."

4. Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha

(Dvaita Vedānta / Mādhva Sampradāya — Pada-ratnāvalī, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.35–36 and 11.31.6)

Sanskrit Snippet:

यदा श्रवणीयसत्कथः मुकुन्दः स्वतन्वा स्वाभिमतया मूर्त्या इमां महीं जहौ त्यक्तवान्... आग्नेय्या योगधारणया जातेनाग्निना तनुमदग्ध्वैव परं पदं स्वकं धामाविशत्— "आग्नेय्या तन्वे धारण्या देहं दग्ध्वा परं पदम्। यान्ति देवाः समस्ताश्च तेषामन्यां तनुं हरिः॥ ... अदग्ध्वैव तनुं याति नित्यानन्दस्वरूपतः॥"

Translation & Commentary:

"Explaining the reason for His departure: 'When Mukunda left this earth in His own beloved form (svatanvā)... Without burning His body (adagdhvaiva) through internal yogic fire, He entered His supreme abode. As scriptural authority explicitly declares: All other demigods and yogis enter the supreme realm after burning their material bodies with yogic fire. But Hari enters His supreme realm completely without burning His form (adagdhvaiva tanuṁ yāti), in His eternal, blissful, intrinsic identity (nityānanda-svarūpataḥ).'"

5. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī

(Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism / Acintya-Bhedābheda — Krama-Sandarbha, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.35–36)

Sanskrit Snippet:

...सोऽयमजोऽपि येन मायिकेन लक्ष्यतां प्रापितेन रूपेण भूभाररूप असुरवर्गः क्षपितः... तच्च कलेवरं जहौ अन्तर्धापितवानित्यर्थः... त्यागोऽत्र स्वतनुकरणक इति न तु स्वतन्वा सह इति व्याख्येयम्... 'उपपदविभक्तेः कारकविभक्तिर्बलीयसी' इति न्यायाच्च॥

Translation & Commentary:

"The unborn Supreme Lord—having destroyed the demoniac class representing the earth's burden through that illusory appearance visible to them—'left that body' (kalevaraṁ jahau) simply means He made it disappear from sight (antardhāpitavān). The act of leaving (tyāgaḥ) here has His own divine form as the direct instrument (svatanu-karaṇaka); it should not be interpreted as 'along with a separate body.' This is because according to the grammatical maxim: 'the direct instrumental case (kāraka-vibhakti) is stronger than an adjunct prepositional relationship (upapada-vibhakti)'."

Key Takeaway: Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī proves that "leaving the body" simply means Kṛṣṇa withdrew His divine form from material vision (antardhāpitavān), leaving no physical corpse behind. Furthermore, by Sanskrit grammar rules (kāraka-vibhakti), the term svatanvā proves that His own eternal body was the direct agent of His ascension.

6. Vallabhācārya

(Śuddhādvaita / Puṣṭimārga — Subodhinī, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.34–36)

Sanskrit Snippet:

...यथा नटः स्वरूपमेव नानाविधक्रीडार्थं मत्स्यादिरूपेण प्रदर्शयति निवृत्ते च कार्ये तानि रूपाण्युपसंहरति एवमिदमपीत्यर्थः... यद्यपि भगवतः नित्यसम्बन्धात् क्वापि त्यागो नास्ति तथापि प्रकटितपरमानन्दरूपस्य परिच्छिन्नतया प्रदर्शनात् तन्वा जहौ तनुद्वारा जहावित्यर्थः। भूमित्यागस्य पूर्वमनुक्तत्वात् नटवत् तनुत्यागस्योक्तत्वात् त्यक्तस्य वस्तुत्वाभावात्...

Translation & Commentary:

"Just as an actor displays his own form in various guises for the sake of diverse play (krīḍā) and withdraws those forms when the task is finished, similarly does the Lord withdraw His forms. Although due to His eternal connection (nitya-sambandha) there is no actual abandonment anywhere, He simply withdrew the limited manifestation of His supreme bliss-form (tanvā jahau) from the world. Since His form is not a separate material object to be abandoned, there is no scope for interpreting svatanvā otherwise.

7. Śukadevācārya

(Dvaitādvaita Vedānta / Nimbārka Sampradāya — Siddhānta-Pradīpa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.35–36)

Sanskrit Snippet:

...कलेवरं स्वाभाविकं शरीरं... प्रशमाय प्रसादाय तत्रैवान्तर्दधे हरिरितिवज्जहौ प्रत्यक्षतां त्यक्त्वान्तर्हितोऽभूदित्यर्थः... यदा स्वतन्वा श्रीमूर्त्या इमां महीं जहौ...

Translation & Commentary:

"'He left that body' (kalevaraṁ jahau) simply means He relinquished visibility and became unmanifest (pratyakṣatāṁ tyaktvā antarhito 'bhūt), just as He previously vanished during the Rāsa-līlā. When He left this earth directly in His own divine form (svatanvā śrī-mūrtyā)..."

8. Sant Eknath Maharaj

(Vārkarī and Advaita Vedānta — Eknāthī Bhāgavata, Canto 11, Chapter 31, Verses 64, 66–68)

Marathi Snippet:

कृष्णे देहो नेला ना त्यागिला। तो लीलाविग्रहे सचैला। भक्तध्यानीं प्रतिष्ठापिला। स्वयें गेला निजधामा॥ ६४॥

हो कां कृष्णमूर्ति जरी सगुण। तरी देहदाह न लगे जाण। कृष्णाश्रयें जग संपूर्ण। तेव्हा होईल दहन जगाचे॥ ६६॥

जेणे मायेसी निजपोटीं। दाखविल्या ब्रह्मांडांच्या कोटी। त्या कृष्णदेहदाहापाठीं। जगाची गोठी नुरवावी॥ ६७॥

ऐशियाही युक्ति विचारितां। अतिस्थूळ ते योग्यता। कृष्णदेहाची विदेहता। तेथ दाहकता ते कैची॥ ६८॥

Translation :

"Krishna neither carried away a physical body nor abandoned one behind. Attired in His divine play-form (līlā-vigraha), establishing Himself in the loving meditation of His devotees, He ascended directly to His supreme abode (nijadhāma). Know for certain that even though Krishna's form manifests with divine attributes (saguṇa), no burning of His body (deha-dāha) can ever take place! The entire cosmos rests supported within Krishna; if His body were burned, the entire universe itself would be burned to ashes! He who showed millions of universes resting inside His stomach to Mother Yaśodā—if His body were to burn, not a trace of the world would remain! Considering this through sound logic, claiming Krishna's body could burn is the grossest misconception. Where the body of Krishna is purely transcendental (videhatā), where is there any scope for fire to burn it?"

9. Ācārya Abhinavagupta

(Kashmir Shaivism — Gītārtha-saṁgraha, Commentary on Bhagavad Gītā 4.6-9)

An commentary from Tantric Shaivism master.

Sanskrit Snippet:

बहूनि इत्याद्यर्जुन इत्यन्तम्। श्रीभगवान् किल पूर्णषाड्गुण्यत्वात् शरीरसम्पर्कमात्ररहितोऽपि स्थितिकारित्वात् कारुणिकतया आत्मांशं सृजति। आत्मा पूर्णषाड्गुण्यः अंश उपकारकत्वेन अप्रधानभूतो यत्र तत्त्वात्मांशं शरीरं गृह्णातीत्यर्थः।

Translation & Explanation:

"The Lord, because He possesses full sixfold divine majesty (pūrṇa-ṣāड्guṇya), is entirely devoid of any contact with a physical body (śarīra-saṁparka-mātra-rahito 'pi). Nevertheless, because He is the cause of the world's sustenance and out of sheer compassion, He projects an aspect of Himself (ātmāṃśaṁ sṛjati). The Lord (Ātmā) is this full sixfold divine majesty (pūrṇa-ṣāḍguṇyaḥ), and He manifests a body/form that acts as the helper. Thus, the meaning is: He assumes a body (śarīraṁ gṛhṇāti) which is a direct projection/expression of His own Divine* Self (ātm*āṃśam), not a regular physical body."

Conclusion

Whether you consult the Bhāṣyas of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, the Sanskrit commentaries of Advaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, Dvaita, Śuddhādvaita, Dvaitādvaita, Gauḍīya Vaishnavism, the Vārkarī Advaita tradition, or Kashmir Shaivism, the verdict across centuries of Indian philosophy is unanimous: Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form/body is divine in incarnation (aprākṛta). And He ascended and/or withdrew that divine form into Himself when His avatāra-līlā concluded, leaving no body or unburnt remains behind.

There is a complete consensus across every major Vedāntic/Tāntrik tradition on this point.

Readers and seekers should always turn to authentic śāstric sources rather than sensationalist online narratives. Canonical texts like the Skanda Purāṇa and Brahma Purāṇa make it explicitly clear that Lord Jagannath is directly the sacred mūrti (vigraha) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu Himself, manifested as Dāru-Brahma out of supreme grace, not a wooden idol carved to house a mortal heart. Furthermore, in the living tradition of the Jagannath Temple, the Brahma Padartha is not a physical human organ or relic. Ritually and esoterically, it metaphorically symbolizes the caitanya-sattā transferred in complete secrecy during the periodic Nabakalebara ("New Body") ceremony, not a mortal organ or relic.

Next time you see a clickbait video pushing this AI-slop dramatic story sourced from random blogs, share the authentic śāstric sources and the unanimous words of our Ācāryas across sects and the entire length and breadth of Sanatana Dharma/India.

Jaya Jaya Sri MahaLakshmi🙏🏻🪷

Chandra Sahodari (Sister of Moon),

said to visit everyone with her brother Chandra dev whoever is awake on Kojgari ( ko/who+jagari/is awake) Poornima.

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Sumanasa vandita sundari mādhavi, candra sahodari hemamaye II

Munigaṇa vandita mokṣapradāyani, mañjula bhāṣiṇi vedanute II

Paṅkajavāsini deva supūjita, sadguṇa varṣiṇi śāntiyute Ii

Jaya jaya he madhusūdana kāmini, ādilakṣmi paripālaya mām II

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Meaning - Golden hued, Sundari of Madhav and Sister of moon who is worshiped by good minded people/rishis.

She who is praised by Muni gana. She who bestows Moksha and speaks sweetly. She who is extolled in Vedas.

She who resides in Lotus, one who is worshipped by devas. She who showers good qualities. She who is filled with tranquility.

Victory to the one who enchants Narayan(slayer of madhu). O primodial mother please nuture me.

its been almost two years since i fell in love with krishna and became his devotee. since then, he's become a very important part of my life. but despite all the love and connection i feel for him, ive been facing some difficulties on my spiritual journey, and i wanted to vent a little..

krishna is part of my everyday life. i read the bhagavad gita, listen to bhajans, and think about him a lot. i'd love to visit the temple more often, but i live far away, and getting there takes time and planning. i also don't have a hindu community nearby, so most of my devotional life happens alone.

recently, i had a conflict with someone that ended up preventing me from going to the temple. i felt that this person had acted intentionally and indirectly made it difficult for me to go. he's catholic, and i'm not sure whether that detail matters. i was completely devastated and cried desperately that day. in the middle of that heartbreaking crying, i even found myself thinking that krishna hated me. i prayed desperately, in tears, and it's difficult to even put into words what i felt at that moment.

throughout my teenage years, i always considered myself agnostic. but i cant remember ever wishing so much for god to exist, to truly be there and hear me, as i did that day. i'd never felt such a deep need to be heard by something divine. the temple means so much to me, and all of this happened while i was already feeling discouraged and dealing with other personal struggles, including my doubts and feelings about eating meat.

another thing i've been noticing is how much envy, anger, jealousy, and ego i can carry within myself. i love krishna, but i'm still myself, with my sense of humor, my opinions, and my flaws. i don't want devotion to mean erasing my personality or becoming someone i'm not. at the same time, i'm troubled by some of the feelings i carry, and i wonder what to do with them within my spiritual life.

i've been comparing myself to a much older friend who discovered hinduism about a month ago. she's already bought a saree and visited the temple, experiencing things i've been longing for for almost two years. i know this isn't a competition and that we're at different stages of life, but i still feel envious, and i hate comparing myself to her like this.

there's also some resentment because when i opened up to her about my struggles, my discouragement, and the situation that prevented me from visiting the temple, i felt like she didn't genuinely care. later, she came to me for advice about a romantic situation involving someone from the temple. i ended up distancing myself, partly because that hurt. maybe i also had expectations of this friendship, but it's painful to feel that someone turns to you for advice and support without necessarily showing the same interest when you're the one who needs it.

separately, there's another person from a completely different friend group, who doesn't know my friend, and vice versa. this person used to belittle my faith. i experienced religious intolerance from them, as they compared hinduism to christianity and claimed that hinduism had copied christianity. because of these experiences, i've developed a very negative view of their opinions and character.

then, out of nowhere, i found out that this person had attended ratha yatra and started posting things related to hinduism, almost as if they'd become a completely different person. it brought up a lot of anger, confusion, and envy. i don't know what really motivated this change, and i recognize that i can't know their intentions. but part of me wonders whether they're trying to impress someone or cultivate an image of being spiritual and good vibes, as if nothing that happened before had ever existed.

i think there's also something bigger behind my reaction: sometimes, i'm genuinely perplexed by what hinduism seems to be becoming in the west, or at least by the way i've seen some people relate to it. i don't know how fair this perception is, but it bothers me to see something so sacred and meaningful to me presented, in certain contexts, as an aesthetic, an identity, or a trend, especially when it comes from people who once disrespected my faith. and then i feel guilty for feeling this way.

all of this has made me wonder whether i'll ever find close friendships with other devotees. sometimes, i feel like we're so different in personality that i'd have to change who i am to fit in. i don't want to pretend to be more serene, more delicate, or more spiritual than i really am just to belong in a community.

i also feel envious of christians here in brazil. they seem to have more opportunities to go to church together, talk about christ, and share both meaningful conversations and everyday nonsense. there's a sense of community and familiarity that i deeply miss. meanwhile, i have to deal with distance and complicated logistics just to visit a temple.

sometimes, i wonder whether sanatana dharma, at least as i've experienced it so far, has more to do with solitude, meditation, and inner work than with the kind of companionship i long for. i know this is just my personal impression and doesn't necessarily represent hinduism as a whole. i just wish my spiritual life had more community, more time spent together, more people i could talk to about krishna and also about completely mundane things.

i don't think i'm a better devotee than anyone else, and i don't want to judge who belongs in hinduism based on when they discovered krishna, their appearance, or how they express their devotion. i don't want to nurture resentment either. but i can't simply switch off my feelings, and sometimes it seems that, on top of dealing with life's difficulties, i also have to deal with the guilt of not being the devotee i'd like to be.

for those of you who've struggled with envy, anger, or resentment in your devotional life, how do you deal with these feelings without considering yourselves terrible devotees? how do you reconcile your love for krishna with your own imperfections without feeling like you have to erase who you are?

and for those of you who live far away from temples, how do you cope with the isolation? have you managed to build devotional friendships despite having very different personalities??

idk...sometimes, all i really want is to feel that i'm not alone on this journey. i'd be grateful for any advice, if you feel like sharing. im genuinely asking with an open heart, and i hope to learn from your experiences.

so many people are stealing hindu traditions while rebranding it without giving us culture. they also mock us and always talk about their hatred towards religion while always looking at every religion through an abrahamic lense. the list could go on and on about the hate we receive and the credit we don’t, but how do we deal with this hate when it breaks us and makes us so sad?

i understand that every religion is a path to God and sanatana dharma is for everyone, but i always just have the urge to stand up for the lies people have made about our religion as well as stand up for the hate we have received. it just genuinely breaks my heart and also when people talk about how religion in bad ways, i just always want to tell them about hinduism and correct them but no one ever gives credit and no one will ever know 💔 i just wish we were given credit and recognition as well as got less hatred

how do i not feel sad or affected by this? i try to obviously maintain my connection with Bhagwan and ignore the negative things, but it’s really hard to just ignore it when you know it’s just false information that’s not true and pure hatred.

And when questioned about why they grant such boons in the first place, the answer is that the gods are impartial. That’s just stupidity, or maybe a loophole in the story :p

Namaste everyone. 🙏

I'm writing this because I genuinely don't know whom to turn to anymore, and I would really appreciate some help from fellow Hindus.

I have never asked Lord Hanuman for anything materialistic. All I have ever wanted from my devotion is peace of mind, strength to endure life's difficulties, His blessings, and the feeling that I am protected.

I have undertaken two Hanuman Sankalps in my life. I completed the first one, but the only wish I had prayed for, selection in an interview, never came true.

During my second Sankalp, someone extremely close to me passed away. Despite that loss, I continued my Sankalp and completed the Hanuman Chalisa every morning during Brahma Muhurta.

I never stopped believing in Him.

But something has been hurting me for a long time.

Whenever I listen to the Hanuman Chalisa or Sundarkand, especially when I play them to calm my mind, I somehow end up feeling worse. Whenever I recite the Hanuman Chalisa in the evening, it seems like things at home turn chaotic, with arguments, fights, and personal problems. This has happened so many times that I have started feeling afraid and confused about something that is supposed to bring me peace.

Last night, I was struggling with sleep anxiety. I played a slow Sundarkand recording and prayed to Hanuman Ji, asking for just one thing: please help me sleep peacefully. I wasn't asking for success, money, or anything else. I just wanted some rest.

Within five minutes, I was frightened, wide awake, and experiencing palpitations. My anxiety kept getting worse, and I had to stop the recording.

I don't know how to explain what this does to me emotionally.

I am tired of suffering. I genuinely cannot bear the constant struggles in my life anymore. I just want peace of mind. I want to feel safe. I want to feel that someone is protecting me.

That is the only reason I turn to Hanuman Ji. When I recite His Chalisa, I do it because I want His protection and blessings. I want to feel that I am not alone in this world.

But after everything that has happened, I have started feeling as though He doesn't like me at all. I know this might sound irrational to some people, and I am not claiming that He is causing these things. I just cannot understand why I feel this way despite my sincere devotion.

I don't want to disrespect Him. I don't want to lose my faith. I just want to understand what I am going through and find some peace.

Please, if anyone has experienced something similar or has any genuine guidance from the perspective of Hinduism, I would be grateful to hear it. I am not looking for explanations involving curses or negative energies. I just need some reassurance, understanding, and help from people who might understand what it feels like to struggle with their faith while already struggling with life.

I pray to Hanuman Ji because I want to feel protected, not frightened. I want to feel peace, not more fear.

I genuinely need help understanding this. 🙏