The bitter taste in Ayurveda is known in Sanskrit as tikta rasa. It is one of the shad rasa or 6 tastes in Ayurveda. Bitter is comprised of the elements of air (vayu) and ether (akasha). The bitter taste in Ayurveda increases Vata dosha and decreases Pitta and Kapha doshas. In terms of virya or […]
The Salty Taste in Ayurveda
Ayurveda classifies foods by their rasa or initial taste on the tongue. There are six tastes in Ayurveda, known as shad rasa. They are: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Salty taste is comprised of the water and fire elements. With regard to the doshas, the salty taste (lavana rasa) in Ayurveda decreases Vata […]
Saturn in Scorpio
Om Sham Shri Shanischaraya Namah An astrological event which many people with their Moons in Virgo and Libra in Vedic astrology have been anticipating is happening on November 2. We will transition from having Saturn in Libra in Vedic astrology, or Jyotish, to Saturn in Scorpio. Saturn has been exalted in Libra since August, 2012. […]
Kali Chaudas 2014
Diwali is a five day festival in India. The first day is Dhanteras, followed by Kali Chaudas or Naraka Chaturdashi. Kali is the powerful dark goddess (one meaning of “kala” is black) who is an avatar of Goddess Durga. In Indian mythology, Kali was a slayer of demons, including Narakasura. As a lunar based system, […]
Dhanteras 2014
The festival of Diwali is actually comprised of five days of rituals in India. Given the varying time zones and the solar eclipse, there has been some confusion about what is happening and when. We begin the celebration of Diwali 2014 with the festival of Dhanteras. According to mypanchang.com, Dhanteras 2014 is on October 20 […]
Sour Taste in Ayurveda
The amla rasa or sour taste in Ayurveda is one of the shad rasa or six tastes. Sour decreases Vata dosha and increases Pitta and Kapha doshas. Sour is comprised of the earth and fire elements. The sour taste in Ayurveda kindles the agni or the digestive fire by stimulating acid secretions and increasing circulation. […]
Why cows are sacred in India
(This story was recounted by Vedamurti Shri Vivek Shastri Godbole, who is the Acharya (the head Brahmin) of the Shri Krishna Yajurveda Pathshala in Satara, Maharsahstra, India. He comes from a lineage of 15 generations of learned practitioners of the Krishna Yajur Veda.) We often feed cows in Vedic rituals and they are always given […]
Sweet Taste in Ayurveda
One of the beautiful aspects of Ayurveda is the concept of shad rasa, or the six tastes. Ayurveda says that each food contains at least one of the six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. It is important for us to get all six tastes in our diet. Rasa is the first short-term […]
Mars and Saturn Planetary War in Libra
The stage is set for the biggest battle of the year in Vedic astrology, or Jyotish. This will be a Mars and Saturn planetary war in Libra tomorrow. In Western astrological terms, this is a Mars and Saturn conjunction or planetary alignment. A planetary war, or graha yuddha, is when two planets are within one […]
Prakruti and Vikruti in Ayurveda
Ayurveda teaches that each us of is born with a unique constitutional balance. This is known as our prakruti. Prakruti is determined by our parents’ nature, as well as the circumstances of our birth. Our mother’s emotional and physical state, the season, and location of our birthplace are all determining factors in our prakruti. Then […]