All Article by Varanasi Rama Murthy

• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 9 Mar 2017
  The chant of ‘Haribol’ which became the signature of Chaitanya soon attracted devotees, some of whom were prominent people of Nadia.
   
• Swami Ramananda Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 9 Feb 2015
  Swami Ramananda (1299-1410 CE) changed the spiritual landscape of northern India. He propagated the worship of Rama and Sita among the masses. Raidas, Tulsidas, Kabir and Mirabai were among his numerous followers.
   
• Namadev, the Saint-Poet Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 9 Dec 2014
  Namadev belonged to Pandharpur, the nursery of saints. He established rapport with God at a young age. He was a contemporary of Jnaneshvar.
   
• Tulasidas (Part 2) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 22 May 2014
  Tulasidas faced opposition from the traditional scholars for propagating Ramkatha (discourses on Ram) in a vernacular tongue, in this case the Vraj dialect, instead of Sanskrit. Their fears have come true, since Valmiki’s classic in Sanskrit has been pushed to the background.
   
• Tulasidas (Part 1) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 10 May 2014
  Tulasidas was a prominent Bhakti poet of the medieval period (8th to 16th centuries CE). Considered as an avatar of Valmiki, he preferred Hindi to propagate devotion to Bhagwan Ramachandra. His Ramacharitamanas and Hanuman Chalisa are popular throughout the Hindi-speaking world.
   
• Surdas (Part 2) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 22 Jan 2014
  Surdas raised the status of Hindi by writing a religious book in Hindi. Before this, most of the books on religious topics used to be written in Sanskrit. His Sur Sagar is the Bhagvat Puran in Braj language. It celebrates the exploits of Bal Krishna and highlights his lila.
   
• Surdas (Part 1) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 8 Jan 2014
  Surdas, like Homer, was born blind. He is reputed to have composed many thousands of bhajans; only 8,000 of them have come down to us.
   
• Kavi Kalidasa (Part 3) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 23 Dec 2013
  Seven works of Kalidasa have come down to us. Of these, three are plays: Vikramoryasiyam, Malavikagnimitra and Abhignana Shakuntalam. Two are epics: Raghuvamsham and Kumarasambhavam. The first epic is Vaishnavite, the second Shaivite. Kalidasa thus showed impartiality in tackling the religious distinctions of his day.
   
• Kavi Kalidasa (Part 2) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 9 Dec 2013
  He reportedly locked himself up in a Kali mandir and refused to open the door till the Goddess agreed to transform him into a learned man. Kali then wrote a consecrated word on it; he thus became a scholar. From then onwards he came to be known as Kalidasa (the servant of Kali).
   
• Kavi Kalidasa (Part 1) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 22 Nov 2013
  Kalidasa is acclaimed as 'Kavikula Shiromani' - the crest jewel amongst the family of poets. This eminent poet and dramatist has been a source of inspiration for centuries. His compositions are as fresh today as when they first appeared.
   
• Tukaram - The Great Saint-poet of Maharashtra (Part 3) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 22 Oct 2013
  The news spread through the village, and people came tumbling over each other. “We will pay you later on,” they said. “Very good,” said Tukaram, “I will trust you.”
   
• Tukaram - The Great Saint - poet of Maharashtra (Part 2) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 9 Oct 2013
  Mahipati is reputed to be a highly reliable biographer of Tukaram. His Bhakta Vijaya and Bhakta Lilamrita contain the story of the saint’s life.
   
• Tukaram - The Great Saint - poet of Maharashtra (Part 1) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 23 Sep 2013
  The name of Tukaram brings to one’s mind the murti of Panduranga Vithal (Krishna) of Pandharpur. They are inseparable. In one of the thousands of abhangas (the word means ‘indestructible’) or bhajans by Tukaram, he has written, “To praise anyone except Panduranga is to me a crime equivalent to killing a Brahmin… If I swerve from my single-minded devotion to Vishnu, may my tongue be torn into thousands of pieces.’’
   
• Valmiki - The First Poet (Part 2) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 23 Jan 2013
  Ramayan is regarded as adi kavya – the oldest epic. Valmiki was brooding over a hunter's killing of a crane, until one day Brahma appeared before the sage and inspired him to compose the epic in the metre in which he had expressed his grief. That is how the story of Ram came to be composed in verse by the sage.
   
• Valmiki- The First Poet (Part 1) Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 8 Jan 2013
  Valmika’ means an anthill in Sanskrit. The sage, who composed the great epic, Ramayan, under the inspiration of Lord Brahma and Brahmarshi Narad, got the name after intense austerities.
   
• Andal Part- 2 Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 9 Jul 2012
  Tiruppavai (the Holy vow), Andal’s celebrated work, is used in daily worship during Maghshar (December-January). In this work she imagines herself to be one of the gopis of Vrindavan.
   
• Andal Part- 1 Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 25 Jun 2012
  Andal is to the South what Mira is to the North. They belonged to the top league of Krishna devotees and loved him with an ecstasy that is evergreen. The only difference: Andal praised Krishna in words, whereas Mira composed bhajans and also danced in front of her Girdhar Gopal.
   
• Damodar Bhakta of Ahmedabad Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 8 Nov 2011
  The name of that devotee was Damodar. He was a Patidar from Ahmedabad. Since Shri Hari began visiting Ahmedabad, he had become a satsangi.
   
• Mirabai A Great Krishna Bhakta Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 22 Oct 2011
  Mirabai is one of the brightest stars in the star-filled spiritual firmament of our country. We are too near history to either add to her greatness or detract from it.
   
• Pride for India Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 22 Dec 2006
  Nowadays we have “Experts”, who give us gratuitious advice without any expertise...
   
• Think Your Way to Success Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 8 Jul 2006
  Dream, plan and realise the master keys to success in life.
   
• Achieving Goal Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 22 Apr 2006
  Anthony Robbins, in his book 'Unlimited Power', elabourates upon the process of achieving goals.
   
• Jiva Joshi of Jetpur Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 8 Feb 2006
  Jiva Joshi's scarifice and steadfastness for Satsang is inspiring. Despite the opposition he faced in his local town of Jetpur, Jiva did not give up the disciplines of Satsang...
   
• Yogiji Maharaj's Spirit of Service Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 8 Dec 2003
  Yogiji Maharaj's spirit of service reflected his humility and saintliness.
   
• Yogiji Maharaj's Spirit Of Service Written By: Varanasi Rama Murthy Published On: 22 May 2001
  His spirit to serve was monumental. Whatever the seva at whatever hour of night or day, Yogiji Maharaj was always ready and happy to serve. His name became a synonym for ideal service