Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 16,071
Date uploaded in London – 9 August 2026
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
xxxx
Sarayu
Sarayu most prominently refers to a sacred river in Hinduism featured in the Ramayana, flowing through Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh past the city of Ayodhya. It is also a female given name and a common reference for notable public figures. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Location: Originates in the Kumaon Himalayas (Uttarakhand) and flows into the Ghaghara or Sharda river.
- Significance: Deeply tied to the epic Ramayana and the city of Ayodhya; holy baths in its waters are believed to wash away sins.
Girls are named after this river until this day.
1) Sarayū (सरयू).—A river very famous in the Purāṇas. The most important things associated with the river are given below:
(i) Seven tributaries of Gaṅgā originate from the golden peaks of the Himālayas and Sarayū is one of them. Those who bathe in the river will be absolved from sins. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 169, Verse 20)
(ii) The river exists in Varuṇa’s court worshipping him. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 8).
(iii) Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna and Bhīma, on their way to Girivraja from Indraprastha crossed this river. (Sabhā Parva, Chapter 20, Verse 28).
(iv) It was at Gotāra (or Gopratara) in this river that Śrī Rāma drowned himself to death and attained Viṣṇupāda. (Vana Parva, Chapter 84, Verse 70).
(v) This river is the source of Agni (fire). (Vana Parva, Chapter 222, Verse 22).
(vi) Vasiṣṭha once blocked the course of Gaṅgā on its way to Kailāsa at Mānasasarovara. But, Gaṅgā broke the obstruction and flowed on, and Sarayū is the stream that started from there. (Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 155, Verse 23).
(vii) It is one of the rivers to be remembered both at dawn and dusk. (Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 165, Verse 21).
(viii) The city of Ayodhyā is situated on the banks of Sarayū. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, Canto 5, Verse 5).
2) Sarayū (सरयू).—Wife of the Agni Vīra. The couple had a son called Siddhi. (Vana Parva, Chapter 219, Verse
***
Sankaradeva
Srimanta Sankaradeva (1449-1568 CE), the founder of the Vaishnavite order Eka Sarana Nāma Dharmawas a multi-faceted person whose works had different dimensions
He was an important personality in the annals of Indian history. He was not only a religious preceptor, but also a social reformer, who had sanskritized the ethnic groups of the volatile North East India and assimilated them with the national main-stream. He is considered as the father of the modern Assamese race.
Srimanta Sankaradeva was a cultural maestro too. He created a classical dance form known both as Sankari dance and Satriya dance. The Sangeet Nâtak Akâdemi of India recognized it as a classical dance form in 2000 CE. Srimanta Sankaradeva also evolved a school of classical music, which is named after him. He created as many as 25 Râgas of his own. He was also the first playright in all modern Indian languages. Above all these, he was the first prose writer. He introduced dro Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva is considered by his followers as an incarnation of God because of his multi-faceted contribution to the mankind as well as his perfect life. He strides over the national life of Assam like a giant colossus even five centuries after passing away. He went on pilgrimage twice, the first time touring the entire length and breadth of the country for long twelve years. He gave up his royal power as a king in middle Assam and came down to the level of the commoners. He founded the Eka Sharana Nâma Dharma, which preached devotion to a single God, lord Krishna.. He was also a fine artist. His art works have been preserved in the Albert Museum of London.
Srimanta Sankaradeva founded a whole new school of art. He initiated a new form of painting with his epoch-making drama-festival Chihna-Yâtrâ held in 1468 CE, where he drew the imaginary pictures of heaven to be used as backdrop. authored ten plays in his life. These were Chihna Yâtrâ, Patni Prasâda, Kâliya Damana, Keli Gopâla, Rukmini Harana, Pârijât Harana, Janma Yâtrâ, Gopi Uddhava Sambâda, Kangsa Badha and Sri Râma Vijaya. The first of these, Chihna Yâtrâ had been staged in 1468 CE. The second play Patni Prasâda was written while the saint was living at Gajalasuti temporarily.
He always advised his disciples to be very cautious about where and what they ate. He said that food offered by a pious man could liberate one while the food offered by an unmeritorious person destroyed one’s merits. During pilgrimage, he guided his disciples to proper places and proper hosts only. The Eka Sharana Nâma Dharma preached by Srimanta Sankaradeva gradually received wide acceptance in the entire Brahmaputra valley. Even the administrative officials of the Ahom kingdom were gradually won over to this egalitarian religion. The Ahoms earlier had their own traditional religion, which was akin to the Shakti worship of the Hindus. Sacrifice of animals to appease their deities was a common thing in the Ahom religion.
***
Sarpa
Means snake; English words serpent snake are derived from Sanskrit. Sarpa worships is found in Rig Veda, later in Indus Valley sites. Now snakes are worshipped in most of the South Indian Temples. Thousands of stone snakes are installed in temples including Kuke Subrahmanya temple in Karnataka. In Kerala there are special shrines. Hindus believe that if they kill snakes, they wont have children. Naga Panchami is a special annual festival when live snakes are worshipped, particularly in Maharashtra. In the East India Snake goddess Manasa Devi is worshipped. Lord Vishnu is shown lying on a bed of snake, usually shown in statues with five, seven, nine heads.
***
Satakratu
Śatakratu (शतक्रतु).— Indra. śata a hundred, kratu sacrifice; a hundred Ashwa-Medhas or sacrifices of a horse, elevating the sacrificer to the place and title of Indra. This name is in the Rig Veda. More about him is under INDRA.
***
Satarudriya
Śatarudrīya (शतरुद्रीय):—It is said that gods are satiated if Śrī Rudram is chanted . Śatarudrīya means extolling one hundred ways of glorifying Rudra.
The Rudra-Adhyaya, known also as the Satarudriya, occurring in the Yajur Veda, is a soul-stirring hymn offered to the all-pervading Almighty, designated as Rudra-Siva. He is present in auspicious, benign forms by way of sustenance of all things created, and also as terrible forms which He assumes at the time of the dissolution and destruction of the cosmos at the end of time. A very intriguing aspect of God presented in this wondrous hymn is that God is both the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the right and the wrong, the positive and the negative, the high and the low, the conceivable and the inconceivable, the mortal and the immortal, existence and non-existence—every blessed notion of God and its correlative, or we may say the counter-correlative, the opposite, which also is included in the existence of God.
More about RUDRA and RUDRA HOMAM is under Rudra.
***
Sati
Sati has two primary meanings: the mythological goddess (or a virtuous wife) who immolated herself due to grief or insult, and the historical socio-religious custom where a widow burned on her husband’s funeral pyre,
Goddess Sati: The consort of Lord Shiva who cast her body into the fire because her father Daksha insulted Shiva.
Virtuous Woman: The literal Sanskrit root meaning a pure, chaste, and devoted wife who embodies supreme loyalty.
It is not mentioned in Rig Veda and Manu Smriti. It is optional and not compulsory. From Ramayana and Mahabharata we see not all queens died when their husbands died.
Evil people used this custom with bad motives to inherit the property. Later it was banned. Christian preachers who burnt millions of women including Joan of Arc branding them witches, used Sati pictures abroad to hide their criminal acts.
***
Satva guna
Sattva guna is the quality of purity, harmony, and balance. It is one of the three fundamental forces of nature (the trigunas) in Indian philosophy, alongside rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia). Sattva represents mental clarity, peace, truth, and inner goodness.
Characteristics of Sattva Guna
Purity: Cleanliness of body, speech, and mind.Clarity: Calm awareness, sharp focus, and truthfulness.Peace: Emotional stability, contentment, and lack of anger. Compassion: Selfless service, empathy, and love for all beings.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Sattva Guna (the mode of goodness, purity, and harmony) is primarily detailed in Chapter 14 (verses 5–18) and further categorized by daily habits like food, faith, and action in Chapter 17. Lord Krishna explains that Sattva illuminates the mind, brings deep inner peace, and creates a thirst for wisdom.Core Slokas on Sattva Guna (Chapter 14)Verse 14.5: Introduction to the three material modes (gunas), noting how Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas bind the eternal soul to the body.Verse 14.6: Defines Sattva as pure, illuminating, and healthy, noting that it binds the soul through attachment to happiness and knowledge.Verse 14.11: Describes the physical/mental symptom of Sattva: “When the light of wisdom shines through all the gates of the body, then know that sattva is predominant.”Verse 14.14: Explains the afterlife result: dying in dominant Sattva leads to the pure, stainless realms of the wise.Verse 14.18: Summarizes the trajectory: those in Sattva rise upward into higher states of spiritual evolution. Sattvik Expressions in Daily Life (Chapter 17)Faith (Verse 17.2–3): A person’s faith reflects their inner nature; a Sāttvik mind naturally leans toward divine and harmonious truths.Food (Verse 17.8): Sāttvik food increases life duration, purity, strength, health, joy, and satisfaction. It is juicy, smooth, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.Worship, Sacrifice, and Charity (Verses 17.11, 17.17, 17.20): Sāttvik actions are done according to scripture, with a steadfast mind, without selfish desire, and strictly as a matter of duty without expecting rewards.
***
Satyam Sivam Sundaram
Truth ; truth alone triumphs is the motto of India written in the national emblem of India. It is from the VUpanishads.
The first lesson in Vedic School is Satayam Vada- Speak Truth.
No where in the world we can see this syllabus.
Truth is God is the saying in India.
Taittiriya Upanishad (2.1.1): States “Satyam jnanam anantam brahma“—meaning Brahman is Truth, Knowledge, and Infinite.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.3.6): Calls Brahman “Satyasya Satyam”—the Truth of truth, meaning the absolute base behind life forces.
Mundaka Upanishad (3.1.6): Famously states “Satyam eva jayate nanritam“—Truth alone triumphs, not falsehood.
In Tamil Nadu State Government emblem “Satyam eva jayate is translated as VAAYMAIYE VELLUM.
No culture in the world has given SATYAM that much importance.
Whether it is Tamil Tirukkural or Sanskrit Niti Satakam of Bhartruhari, Truth occupies important place.
“Satyam Shivam Sundaram” is a profound philosophical Sanskrit phrase meaning “Truth, Goodness (Auspiciousness), and Beauty”. Shivam also means Lord Siva.
Satyam Shivam Sundram
which means Shiva is the truth, Shiva is
the divine joy and Shiva is beauty.
This phrase and Satyan Jnanam Anantham Brahma were popularised by Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Before that only Vedanti students knew these dictums.
***
Shyamantaka
The Syamantaka Diamond handled by Lord Krishna and his relatives led to violence and several murders. The full story is in the Bhagavad Purana. My view is that Syamantaka corrupted into Diamantaka. My second view is that the murderous Syamantaka changed hundreds of hands and got the name Hope Diamond which is in an American museum now. Hope diamond became Hopeless diamond during the course of time and at last landed in America.
S=T interchangeability is seen in hundreds of English words we use everyday
Some examples :
condition, education, ambition- in hundreds of words with TION, the pronunciation is SION.
So Syamantaka + Tiamanthaka= DIAMOND is linguistically possible.
Story of Syamanataka:
Satrajit was a Yadava leader. He was a worshipper of Sun God. Sun God gave him a powerful diamond called Syamantaka (The hidden meaning is that he found it on the ground when he went to worship in the Sun Temple). It will emit red light and dazzle like sun. A lot of people eyed this diamond and conspired to get it. When Krishna asked him to give it to Ugrasena, he refused and gave it to his own brother Prasen. When Prasen went on a hunting expedition he was killed by a lion and the diamond was taken by a tribal group known as Jambhavans. They were called Bear people because they wore the bear (Jambhavan) symbol.
Everybody suspected Krishna and thought he stole the diamond from Prasen and disposed him off. Krishna wanted to clear his name and so went in search of Prasen. He found his mauled body in the forest and traced the footsteps. When he saw Jambhavan’s children playing with the diamond, he tried to get it from them, but ended in a fight. The fight with Jambhavan went for a month and at last he reached an agreement with Jambhavan, the tribal leader and got his daughter Jambhavati in marriage. As a marriage gift he got the diamond.
Krishna returned to his kingdom and gave Syamantaka back to Satrajit. Satrajit thanked Krishna wholeheartedly and gave his daughter Satyabhama in marriage to Krishna. When Krishna made an urgent visit to Hastinapura , another person by name Satadhanwa killed Satrajit and took the diamond. So far the diamond caused two murders and two marriages !! It did not stop there.
When Krishna returned to Dwaraka ,his wife told him that his father was murdered for the diamond. Krishna and Balarama went on a mission to get the diamond. They chased Satadhanwa for nearly a thousand mile and killed him near Mithila in Bihar. A dangerous diamond caused three deaths and three fights and thousand mile trip from Gujarat to Bihar!! But only after killing him, they came to know the diamond was given to Akrura for safe custody by Satadhanwa.
Akrura had already escaped with the diamond to Kasi. He ran away for a thousand mile just because of the diamond. Krishna brought him back and Akrura returned the diamond to Krishna. Knowing that it was a murderous diamond, Krishna gave it back to Akrura and asked him to stay in Dwaraka. The diamond was attributed with magical qualities like bringing lot of gold like the goose that lays golden eggs.
This is the end of the Syamantaka story in our Hindu scriptures. My research shows that it caused more fights and murders and went to USA after passing several hands in India, France and Britain.
Syamantaka went to foreign countries in the name of HOPE diamond. Knowing that it was a HOPELESS diamond, at last it was sent to a museum in the USA.
To be continued……………………
Tags- Sarayu, Sankaradeva, Sati, Satarudriya, Satyam , Syamantaka, Diamond, HINDU DICTIONARY IN ENGLISH AND TAMIL 95; இந்து மத கலைச்சொல் அகராதி-95
Tamil and Vedas 