Bad Karma / Karma, Benevolence, Bhagavad Gita, Bhairava,Lord,  Bhajan, Bhakti, Bhumidevi,Goddess,  Bhutas, Bilva, Brahma,Lord, Brahman,God,  Brahmin, Brihadeeshwarar Temple

Bad Karma / Karma: The law of cause and effect. The law of karma governs situations in our life. It states that whatever the consequences to an action one performs, he or she will recieve similar consequences in return in the present life or a future life. A simple way to understand karma is, if you do good, you get good. If you do bad, you get bad. Karma is our creation. If our actions are good we create good karma, or punniyam (in Tamil) for oneself. Bad action begets bad karma or pavam for oneself. We may reap our good or bad karmas in the present lifetime, or we may face them in a future lifetime. It is through creating karmas that we shape our future. 

Benevolence: To give joyously without thought of reward, said of God’s giving nature.

Bhagavad Gita: A central Scripture for Vaishnavites. It is part ot the epic story Mahabharata. It is a conversation between Lord Krishna and the Pandava Prince Arjuna at the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna about the goals of life and the importance of performing one’s duty, or dharma.

Bhairava, Lord: A form of Lord Shva as the destroyer. Lord Bhairava is seen as a protector and He is often worshiped in temples in the outskirts of villages or in forests.

Bhajan: A style of devotional singing and songs. Usually sung in groups with a leader leading groups usually during festivals or religious events to stir devotion among devotees. A percussion ensemble is often used in bhajans. The music and tunes are lively and the lyrics and their meanings are simple so everyone can easily participate in the singing.

Bhakti: Love of God. It also means expression of pure dedication or devotion toward God or a person, community or a cause. In the context of this site it mainly refers to God. Bhakti is a state of pure devotion. Pure or sincere devotion can be described as one of the highest expressions of love. It is unconditional love that involves care and affection but does not in anyway bind the object of love to any preconditions or contract. It is love for the sake of love. Parent's love for their children, a devotees love for God, God's love for all Creation are examples of bhakti. The expression of bhakti cannot be faked, feigned or forced. A devotee cultivates bhakti for God by living a virtuous life, through worship and realizing that God is the source of his or her life and is the compassionate Master and Creator of the Universe. One is able to express sincere devotion for God when one is free from the fear of God and realizes that God is love. Bhakti also names a stage of evolution of the soul toward God as in Bhakti Marga, the path of Bhakti. This state is a corner stone of the spiritual evolution of the soul. It a point in the evolution of the soul when its relationship with God is no more motivated by fear of God or the fear of unfortuante events in life. At this point the soul has an unshakable footing in dharma, or virtuous living and is seeking closeness to God propelled by the strong spiritual motivations of the soul.

Bhumidevi, Goddess: Mother Earth. A form of Goddess Shakti who represents Earth.

Bhutas: Astral beings that are connected to the natural elements of earth, including plants or animals. They are also known as nature spirits. Generally good beings, they are sometimes summoned to create mischief by unscrupulous black magicians. Animal sacrifices in temples attract bhutas to the worship. Scriptures do not recommend such worship.

Bilva: Cannon-ball fruit (or bael) tree, Aegle marmelos, sacred to Lord Shiva. Its leaves, naturally arranged in threes, are offered in the worship of the Shivalingam. The delicious fruit which tastes like a cross between an orange and a mango is used medicinally.

Brahma, Lord: In the Vedic Trinity, Lord Brahma is God as the Creator. Brahma is the four-faced Lord. Each of His faces gaze at the four directions, that are north, east, south and west. He holds in His hands Scriptures (for learning), a conch (for creation), a water vessel (for asceticism) and gestures the 'fear not' abhaya mudra. His vehicle is a white swan, Hamsa the wise. He wears white and is usually pictured seated or standing on a white lotus. In Hindu myth, Goddess Gayatri, who is also Goddess Saraswati is an emanate of Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma is not to be mistaken for Brahman, Who in the Vedas is descriped as the One Supreme Godhead. Lord Brahma is a reflection of Brahman as the Creator.

Brahman, God: In the Vedas, God in His or Her entirety, which includes The Three Aspects is Brahman. He is often addressed just as Brahman and sometimes as Ishwara. The word Brahman is not to be confused with Brahma, who is an attribute of Brahman as the Lord of Creation (Part of the Vedic Trinity–Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva).

Brahmin: The classification of people who are pious and of exceptional learning in religious scriptures and matters. They are generally the priest caste in a traditional Indian society.

Brihadeeshwarar Temple: The Big Temple of Tanjavur (Tanjavur Periya Koyil), is among the popular pilgrimage desitnation for Hindus. It is a majestic temple built in the 9th century by King Raja Raja Chola. The temple is an imposing edifice in the Tanjavur city landscape. The architectural beauty of this temple is awe inspiring as is the tangible spiritual vibrations that can be felt within this temple. The main deity of Brihadeeshwarar temple is the Shivalingam. It is also the biggest Shivalingam to be ever installed in a temple. This temple is maintained and protected by UNESCO as an ancient architectural wonder. One of the wonderment of this temple, among its other features, is the top stone or capstone (sthupi) that sits on the 200 feet temple tower, the vimanam. The single piece granite structure is estimated to weigh in at about a colossal 80 tons.