Hindu Power Video Download

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ShaktiDevanagari: शक्त, IAST: Śakti; lit. 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability')[1] in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. In Hindu theological view, Shakti is "pure consciousness" and the energizing power of Hindu Gods. Conceived of as feminine in essence, Shakti is generally personified as the wife of a particular Hindu deity, especially of Shiva.

Shakti and Shiva are held as the feminine and masculine principles that are complementary to each other. Shakti, as prakriti ('nature'), is believed to have brought the primal male (purusha) into existence. The feminine Shakti comes into being as part of the lila ('divine play') with the masculine (Shiva), who is considered a passive complementary to the all-powerful active feminine. The God Shiva being "nonactivated Eternity", while the Shakti "activated Time". "Shiva without Shakti is but a corpse, it is said." The God Shiva says: "O Goddess I am the body (deha) and you are the conscious spirit within the body (dehin)". In Jungian psychological view, the concept of Anima/animus that animates all humans, is considered the "spiritual equivalent" of Shakti.

In the Hindu denomination of Shaktism, Shakti is worshipped exclusively as the Brahman. The concept of the Brahman in Hinduism is considered the same as Shakti, it is said "Brahman is static Shakti and Shakti is dynamic Brahman." The term Shakta is used for the description of people and customs associated with Shakti worship.The Shakta pithas are shrines, which are believed to be the sacred seats of Shakti.

Relatedly, the term Shakta (Sanskrit: शक्त, Śakta) is used for people and customs associated with Shakti worship.[2] The term Shakta became popular from the ninth-century onwards, before that the term Kula or Kaula, which referred to clans of female ancestory, besides to the menstrual and sexual fluids of females, was used to describe Shakti followers.[2]

The worship of Shakti receded during the Vedic period, but became prominent from the classical period of Hinduism, during which she was personified as Devi, a goddess.[3] Scriptural texts such as Devi Bhagavata Purana, Kalika Purana, Markandeya Purana, and Mahabhagavata Purana held Shakti as the supreme over all deities and promoted her worship.[3]

In Hinduism, Shakti (Śakti), the Sanskrit word for "energy" or "power", is the "energizing material power" of the Hindu Gods.[7] As the energy corresponding with Vishnu, she is Lakshmi. As the Goddess, or Devi, Shakti is "Universal Power".[8] Shakti is generally personified as the wife of a specific Hindu god, particularly Shiva, for whom she took forms as Durga, Kali, and Parvati.[9][10] In Hindu custom, the wife of a man is considered his Shakti. In the Ramayana, Sita, the wife of Rama was his Shakti; in the Mahabharata, Draupadi was the Shakti of the Pandavas.[8]

The Markandeya Purana conceived Shakti as "pure consciousness" overseeing creation, preservation, and destruction; and identified Shakti with nature or prakriti.[3] As prakriti (nature), Shakti is believed to had brought the primal male (purusha) into existence.[8] The feminine (shakti) is believed to come into being as part of the "lila" (divine play) with the masculine (shiva).[11] Shakti and Shiva are considered complementary principles to each other.[11] Shakti being "activated Time", while shiva being "nonactivated Eternity".[8]

In the Hindu tantric view, Shakti correlates with the Kundalini energy.[12] Shakti is considered the "creative dynamic energy" that permeates and "animates" all existence.[13][14] In the Brihannila Tantra, the God Shiva says: "O Goddess I am the body (deha) and you are the conscious spirit within the body (dehin)".[15] "Shiva without Shakti is but a corpse, it is said."[16] In the Jungian analytical psychology, the concept of Anima/animus that animates all humans, is considered the "spiritual equivalent" of Shakti.[8]

The Devi Bhagavata Purana considers the nature of Shakti as being made up of three existential qualities: Sattva (calm and balanced), Rajas (passionate and active), and Tamas (lethargic and inactive).[3]

Animated and inanimated objects like rivers, stones, trees, mountains are worshipped as embodiments of shakti.[16] Women are believed to be inherently divine; coalescence of the menstrual cycle with the moon's lunar cycle is held important.[16] The menstrual blood (Kula) is revered and is offered in rituals to propitiate the deities. In some cases, Animal sacrifices have replaced menstrual blood offerings, however female animals are not sacrificed.[16]

The Shakta pithas, located across the Indian subcontinent, are believed to be the sacred seats of Shakti. At the altars in these shrines, Shakti is often worshipped in the form of a stone, which is painted red, considered the colour of Shakti, and is decorated with anthropomorphic features like eyes.[17]

Shaktism regards Shakti as the Supreme Brahman.[18] According to V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar (Professor of Indian history), in Shakta theology: "Brahman is static Shakti and Shakti is dynamic Brahman."[19] The Shakta Upanishads and the Shakta Tantras equated Brahman with Shakti, and held them as inseparable.[3]

In the details of its philosophy and practice, Shaktism resembles Shaivism. However Shaktas focus most or all worship on Shakti as the dynamic feminine aspect of the Supreme Divine.[20] According to this tradition, all Hindu goddesses are manifestations of the same goddess, Mahadevi, also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti. Vaishnavas consider her to be Lakshmi; whereas Shaivas consider her to be Parvati, Durga, Lalita and Kali; while Shaktas believe her to be Durga, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, and Kali.[21]

"We never imagined that we would get power in such a way," said Ambalal Koshti, 76, who says he first brought Modi into the political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the late 1960s in their home state, Gujarat.

At 73, Modi is campaigning for a third term in a general election, which starts Friday. He and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party are expected to win. He's challenged by a broad but divided alliance of regional parties.

Between deep breaths under the night sky in western India a few weeks ago, a group of boys recited an RSS prayer in Sanskrit: "All Hindus are the children of Mother India ... we have taken a vow to be equals and a promise to save our religion."

He's meticulously built his reputation. In a nod to his Hinduism, he practices yoga in front of TV crews and the U.N., extols the virtues of a vegetarian diet and preaches about reclaiming India's glory. He refers to himself in the third person.

Setting the guitar aside, I grabbed the controller from him and took his place in front of the TV. Waiting for the game to load, I suddenly felt a pair of headphones slide over my head and onto my ears.

I had listened to music while playing video games before, but almost always in the background as a tool of ambiance. This was the first time I had actually played while listening through a pair of high-quality headphones, and man was it different.

The bass, rhythm, and flow of the hip hop track that kicked off as the game commenced immediately entranced me. I could pick up on all of the subtle sounds and vibrations that normally bypassed my usual absentminded listening, and the immersiveness of the experience put both my body and mind into a zone that enabled me to play better than I ever had. By the time the match was over, the music had worked a minor miracle: I had actually won.

I was aware that all religions extolled the power of sound, as followers of each employed various forms of hymns and chants as a means of connecting to God. Having myself grown up in a Hindu tradition that emphasized, above all other methods, the importance of connecting to the Divine through spiritual sound, I was often told about this power.

I discovered that, from the Hindu perspective, the universe is actually created from sound. The quality of the first element of creation, known as ether or space, is sound. As creation expands, the second element, air, comes into being, possessing the qualities of both sound and touch; the third element subsequently produced is fire, possessing sound, touch, and form; the fourth element is water, possessing sound, touch, form, and flavor; and the last element, earth, possesses sound, touch, form, flavor, and aroma.

This is why even those who are hearing impaired listen to music, as they can enjoy the vibrations generated from a song. Beethoven himself, after losing his hearing, continued to write and produce music by putting a pencil in his mouth and touching the other end of it to the soundboard of an instrument to feel the vibration of the note.

According to Hindu texts, more subtle even than space, is the atman, or the spiritual living force that inhabits our bodies. Covered by all the elements of creation, including the mind, intelligence, and ego, the atman has a tendency to get caught up in the dualities of life, like hot/cold, ugly/beautiful, and old/young. Lost in a consciousness of attraction and aversion that is solely based on material designations, the atman forgets its original spiritual nature.

As such, the main goal of many types of Hindu musical expression is to help stir us out of our spiritual slumber by evoking feelings of love and connection that help us to better perceive the presence of the Divine within all. This, in turn, ignites our desire to further pursue that awareness. Examples of such expressions within Hinduism include shlokas (verse, or poem), mantras (sacred syllables repeated in prayer), kirtans congregational singing of mantras), and bhajans (devotional songs).

Though the experience can be quite mystical, the process, in essence, is rather simple. Just as the hip hop track I listened to that day put my body, mind, and consciousness in a zone that enabled me to have Halo success, spiritual sound and music has the ability to put one in a zone to attain spiritual success.

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