The Fifth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as SkandaMata - the Mother of Skanda (Kartikeya), one of the foremost of our War Gods. He takes after His Mother in that regard 😀 Of course, before situating SkandaMata within the overarching context of the NavaRatri Cycle, it is necessary to briefly introduce Lord Skanda, … Continue reading SkandaMata – 5th of the NavaDurgas, 5th Night of NavRatri
Hindu Mythohistory
Kushmanda – 4th Navadurga, The 4th Night of NavRatri
The Fourth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Kushmanda - the Power of the Sun. Now, this is my own somewhat figurative rendering of the name; with a more direct translation working out something like "Warmth of the Cosmic Egg". And while it might be tempting, I suppose, to think of the Sun … Continue reading Kushmanda – 4th Navadurga, The 4th Night of NavRatri
ChandraGhanta – Third of the NavaDurgas, The Third Night of NavRatri
The Third Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as ChandraGhanta - She Who Is Crowned With The Half-Moon In The Shape Of A Bell, to render it somewhat figuratively. Now, before going further (and for that matter, picking up the narrative thread where we left off with last night's Brahmacharini post), it is necessary … Continue reading ChandraGhanta – Third of the NavaDurgas, The Third Night of NavRatri
Brahmacharini – The Second of the NavaDurgas, The Second Night of NavRatri
The Second Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Brahmacharini - the Seeker of the Absolute. This is a rather direct rendering of Her theonym, as can be seen from the constituent parts: Brahman, and Charya (Charini is the feminine form of this noun). But what is actually meant by these terms, and what … Continue reading Brahmacharini – The Second of the NavaDurgas, The Second Night of NavRatri
Navratri – The Nine Nights of Goddess Durga
Tonight marks the start of NavRatri - the Nine Nights of Goddess Durga. In North Indian tradition, we mark each one of the Nine as being dedicated to a particular NavaDurga Aspect of MataDI; whereas in South India, it is more common to regard it as three sets of three days apiece - one for … Continue reading Navratri – The Nine Nights of Goddess Durga
BHARAT MATA AND THE INDO-EUROPEAN DEIFIC OF NATIONAL IDENTITY
August 15th is India's National Day - the hallowed anniversary of Independence. And for that, we have prepared something a little bit different for publication here at AA. Now, you may be wondering why we are posting to mark a civic, political observance rather than something which is prima facie a religious one of ancient … Continue reading BHARAT MATA AND THE INDO-EUROPEAN DEIFIC OF NATIONAL IDENTITY
Kala Bhairava Jayanti
[Author's note: this piece was penned on the night of the 10th-11th of November 2017 in the course of an all-night devotional vigil] Tonight marks the Hindu observance of KalaBhairava Jayanti - the Creation, but also the Victory [same word - जयन्ति ] of Kala Bhairava, a Fearsome Destroyer emanation of Lord Shiva Whose name … Continue reading Kala Bhairava Jayanti
Tripurantaka
Today is Kartik Poornima, a religious observance marking Lord Shiva's mighty deed as Tripurantaka ("Destroyer of the Three Cities"), which brought to a decisive and victorious end one of the Gods' wars against the Asuras. It's probably the second most significant Shaivite observance after MahaShivRatri ("The Great Night of Shiva"), which occurs in February/March. The … Continue reading Tripurantaka
arya-akasha 