The Mother’s Presence and Her Grace (Poem)
This poem reminds us powerfully of the truth that all is indeed possible with the Grace of the Mother.
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Do We Really Believe in God? (Transl. by Narendra Murty)
In this extract translated from original Bengali, Rabindranath Tagore speaks of how his mother’s love made him aware of the Divine Grace in his life.
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Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri and Vyasa’s Savitri – 3
In continuation of the first two parts of this essay published in the last issue, read here about some of the deep symbolism found in Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri.
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Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri and Vyasa’s Savitri – 4
Satyavan symbolizes the aspiring human spirit caught in the mesh of ignorance and death. Savitri is the Divine’s Grace, the Divine’s love which has come down.
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Sri Aurobindo on Symbolism in the Veda
After exploring the theme of Yoga of Indian Nation, we do a deep dive into the soul of India, the Sanatana Dharma. The Veda, Sri Aurobindo tells us, is the bed-rock of Indian civilisation, and is the creation of an early intuitive and symbolic mentality. Inspired by this we explore in this issue the theme of symbolism in Sanatana Dharma.
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The Angirasa Legend in the Veda
Sri Aurobindo summarizes the symbolism behind the legend of Angiras Rishis from the RigVeda, and touches upon who is truly an Aryan in the Veda.
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The Legend of the Lost Cows
The legend of the lost Cows helps us understand the deeper secret of the Veda. For this we first must know the symbolism behind the word ‘go’.
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Of Dogs, Gods and Elements: Symbolism in the Upanishads
From the original essay titled ‘Upanishadic Symbolism’ we take up three aspects – about the Five Elements, Triple Agni and Number of Gods.
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Deva and Asura in the Bhagavad Gita
The psycho-spiritual interpretation of Daivic and Asuric natures as described in the Bhagavad Gita finds its origin in the ancient Vedic symbolism.
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Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri and Vyasa’s Savitri – 1
Under the title of his epic poem, Savitri, Sri Aurobindo added “A Legend and a Symbol”. What is this legend? And what does the poem symbolize?
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Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri and Vyasa’s Savitri – 2
Aswapati’s quest is a symbolic quest: it is the quest of humanity as a whole. This is a first change that one finds that Sri Aurobindo has made in Savitri.
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Of Pratīka and Pratimā: Why Do We Need Images and Symbols?
Three excerpts from Swami Vivekananda’s addresses on Bhakti Yogain in which he speaks of the significance and the symbolism of images and forms for a devotee.
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The Gods and Goddesses of the Veda – 1
This 2-part article summarizes Sri Aurobindo’s explanations of the deeper symbolism of Vedic Gods and Goddesses, powers and names of the One Supreme.
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The Gods and Goddesses of the Veda – 2
Read in this part about the deeper symbolism of several Vedic goddesses such as Saraswati, Ila, Mahi, Dakshina and Usha.
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Daksha and Kali – Decoding the Symbols
The author helps us understand the deep symbolism behind the story of Daksha Prajapati’s head being severed, and his acquiring the head of a goat.
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The Inner Truth of Mūrti Pūjā
The author speaks of the deeper symbolism behind the mūrti pūjā, and reminds of the truth of the Finite Form, which is a mūrti or a picture created to express some specific aspect of the Formless Infinite.
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Reverential Pranāms to Vāgdevi Saraswati (Video)
As a follow-up to the article on Mūrti Pūjā, the author here describes the deep symbolism behind the form of Devi Saraswati.
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Vaishnava Symbolism and the Future of Symbols
Read about a delightful and profound aphorism of Sri Aurobindo. The author also speaks of the future of spiritual symbolism in artistic expression.
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The Upanishads Elucidated – The Seekers of Light
The key characters in the story are the children of four different kinds of light, Soma, Agni, Vajra and Surya, invoking the symbolism of these Vedic deities.
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India, the Spiritual Battlefield of the World
In our ongoing series – Streams of Sadhana, we turn our attention to collective yoga this time – Yoga of the Indian Nation. India today is politically free. But is she also on her way to rediscover her unique temperament, her true role and mission? Are we as a people working toward a true Indian renaissance that is grounded in India’s eternal spirit and truths? The current issue explores some of these questions and more.
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