Children of the Sun
This son of Mother Kunti and Surya Deva was her firstborn, and grew up to be a rival to her other sons, the Pandavas.
Who is Karna?
Before taking Sanyasa Diksha, Gurudev was called by this name.
What is Balakrishna Menon or Balan?
The most famous of the stories related to the festival of Deepavali/Diwali is that of the return of this great hero and his family to his home kingdom, after years of exile.
Who is Lord Rama?
This name of Lord Shiva, which means "Lord of the Moon", is also the name of a nearby Chinmaya Mission center.
What is Somnath?
Lord Krishna's lessons to his friend Arjuna, before the start of the Kurukshetra War, were immortalized in this song.
What is the Bhagavad Gita?
This son of Surya Deva appears many times in the Upanishads and in the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata, he appears in the form of a crane to his own son, King Yudhisthira.
Who is Lord Yama Dharmaraj
When working as a journalist, Swami Chinmayanada went to the ashram of this great Swamiji, initially to expose him as a fraud. But by the end, Gurudev became his disciple.
Who is Swami Sivananda?
The festival of Holi gets its name from this demoness, who was burned when she tried to hurt Prahlada.
Who is Holika?
This name of Lord Shiva is derived from the color of his neck, which was stained after drinking the Halahala poison during the churning of the ocean.
What is Neelakantha?
This childhood friend of Lord Krishna found himself in desperate circumstances as an adult, which Lord Krishna relieved once they reunited.
Who is Sudama?
King Bhagiratha, an ancestor of Lord Rama, prayed to this Devi to come down to Earth and bless the lands with her waters in order to free the souls of his cursed ancestors.
Who is Mother Ganga?
In this year, on May 8th, Gurudev was born! (We are celebrating a significant birthday for him this year!)
What is 1916?
Mahashivaratri, an auspicious day of worship of Lord Shiva, has many legends centered around it. In one of them, this is the night Lord Shiva performs this heavenly dance of creation, preservation, and destruction.
What is the Tandava Dance?
This name of Lord Shiva comes from the faith of his great devotee, Lord Rama.
What is Rameshwara?
Lord Krishna was great friends with this woman and would come to her rescue, whenever she thought of him with deep faith.
Who is Draupadi?
This famous ancestor of Lord Rama was known for always telling the truth and never lying, even giving up his kingdom without a second thought to keep his word.
Who is King Harischandra?
After Gurudev finished his studies under Swami Tapovan Maharaj, he left the Himalayas to start teaching Hindus Hinduism. His first discourses (Jnana Yajna) were in this Indian city at a Ganesha Temple.
What is Pune?
When the Sun moves into the Northern Hemisphere, the period of Uttarayanam begins, marked by the festival of Sankranti/Pongal/many more names. It is said those who pass on during this period are blessed, which is why this legendary warrior waited until this time to pass on.
Who is Bhishma?
This name of Lord Shiva means "The Lord of Animals". The name of the Astra Lord Shiva grants Arjuna in the Mahabharata comes from this specific name.
What is Pashupathi?
Lord Krishna honored a friendship from his past life by wrestling with this friend of Lord Rama for one month.
Who is Jambavan?
During the Ramayana, this non-human ally of Lord Rama also claimed lineage from the Sun God.
Who is King Sugriva?
After high school, Swami Chinmayanada had a significant spiritual encounter with this famous saint, when visiting Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. This saint graced Gurudev with just one look, which Gurudev said left him feeling opened, cleaned, healed, and emptied.
Who is Ramana Maharshi?
Guru Purnima, celebrated usually in July, is also the birthday of this legendary sage and great teacher of our Guru Parampara.
Who is Veda Vyasa?
This name of Lord Shiva refers to him possessing three eyes.
What is Trilochana?
Lord Krishna sent this friend of his to learn what the meaning of Bhakti (devotion) is from his childhood companions, the Gopis of Brindavan.
Who is Uddhava?