Category: Monthly Articles

Indian literature is very broad and deep. There are many verses, dohas, and mantras that communicate the essence of Hinduism in short and concise ways. This year, we will cover some of the most common Hindu verses as part of our monthly assignments. Kids will study the following verse from Gita this month: karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana ma […]

As we discussed last month, kids will share their learnings about character building  by making a power point,  poster, skit, song or any form of presentation they interests them. All the assignments for this year are posted on hawan website www.hawan.net. There is no quiz this year instead we are looking forward to creativity from the kids. Kids will do […]

Swadhyaya is a compound word made of ‘swa’ and ‘dhyaya’. Swa means self and dhyaya means study. Swadhyaya means self-study. It is the study of the Self by oneself. In Hinduism, it has several meanings, including study of the Indian scriptures (the Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, Ramayana etc.), chanting of mantras, singing bhajan & kirtan, meditation, discourses, and chintan & manan […]

Purusharta is defined as working hard to achieve worthy goals in life. One of the basic principles of the Hindu thought is that every person is unique and free to enjoy life in a manner consistent with the natural laws that guide our actions. There are four aspirations or purushartas, in which all Hindus engage. They are Dharmas, Artha, Kama […]

WHAT IS CONTENTMENT: Contentment is a state of mind in which one remains satisfied even when subjected to various longings and temptations in day-to-day life. Contentment is the very basic nature of Soul (Atma). Stuff cannot make you happy. If you are unhappy, more stuff, more possessions will not make you happy. We should be thankful for what we have. […]

We’ve all heard of the saying “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. Cleanliness or purity  is one of the Niyam.  Niyams are second limb of Yoga. They are articles of personal discipline. There are two types cleanliness: External cleanliness and Internal purity. External cleanliness means cleanliness of body, clothes, surroundings, food and professional life specially the ways of earning money. Internal […]

The topic for this month is “Kindness / Namrata”. Kindness is one of the key values of Hindu culture. Please do research and define kindness in your own words. You can state the benefits of practicing kindness, significance of kindness in Hindu religion and give few examples of how you can be kind to your family, friends, community, other living […]

Courage is the confidence to keep trying when the odds seem against you. It is the heart of any successful man / women. Courage is looking past your personal goals and dedicating your life for the betterment of mankind. Courage is doing what you were born for, even if it is against the odds. Courage is taking the first step. […]

Forgiveness is to let go off the feelings of anger and resentment towards others. It is a vital skill for living in harmony with others. Forgiveness is the quality that separates humans from the animals. To preach forgiveness is a simple task but to practice it in real life is extremely difficult. It requires courage of kings and emperors to […]

In words of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Truth is to know a thing as it is, believe it to be as it is, speak of it as it is, and act in accordance with what it is. All People should speak truth at all times, in all the ways, and for the good of all. However you should not use the […]