Raja Yoga

Vidura counseled Dhritarashtra through 500 shlokas of wisdom about leadership, ethics, and self-control before the great war.

The only Kaurava brother who stood up against Draupadi disrobing, questioning the legality of the bet. Despite being on the losing side, he chose dharma over family loyalty.

When a buffalo destroyed a feast, guests were angry. Kabir was found hugging it, weeping, calling it Lord. He taught that God exists in all creatures, even the seemingly destructive.

Kabir chose to die in cursed Maghar to dispel superstition. Hindus wanted cremation, Muslims burial. His body vanished leaving only flowers - half cremated, half buried. The saint belongs to all.

Guru Nanak declared: Nanak is on the side of the lowest of the low castes. He identified with the poor, outcasts, untouchables, and lepers, raising them to dignity. Gods grace falls where the lowly are cherished.

Rai Bular, a Muslim chief, witnessed miracles around young Nanak - a cobra shading him, crops undamaged by his cattle. He became Nanaks first Muslim disciple, showing spiritual recognition transcends religion.

At Guru Nanaks death, Hindus wanted cremation, Muslims wanted burial. He asked them to place flowers on both sides - whichever stayed fresh would decide. Both remained fresh, but his body had disappeared. Unity beyond divisions.

A philosopher offered Ravidas a stone that turns iron to gold. Ravidas left it hanging untouched for years. He was completely content with what God gave him. Detachment from material wealth.

When a Brahmin struck untouchable Chokhamela, the statue of Vitthal at Pandharpur was found with a swollen cheek in the same place. Violence against devotees affects God himself.

Queen Jhali of Chittor sought spiritual knowledge and became disciple of Ravidas, a cobbler. Divine knowledge transcends caste - royalty learning from the lowly.

When Namdev was denied temple entry due to caste, he prayed with such intensity that the entire temple rotated to face him. Caste barriers mean nothing before true devotion.

As Brahmacharini, Parvati underwent extreme penance - surviving first on fruits, then leaves, then air alone, enduring all weather while living under open skies. Unlike warrior goddesses who destroy with weapons, Brahmacharini teaches that true conquest lies in mastering oneself.

A talkative tortoise asks geese friends to carry him by stick during a drought, warned to keep his mouth shut. When villagers mock the sight, he opens his mouth to respond and falls to his death. Self-control saves lives.

When Kalakeya demons hid in the ocean, Sage Agastya consumed all the waters in a single stretch, revealing the demons for destruction. This demonstrated the immense spiritual power earned through austerities.

Nagendra Nath Bhaduri (Bhaduri Mahasaya) was a saint who could levitate through mastery of pranayama. Despite having lived indoors for twenty years, he displayed no signs of age. He said his disciples would be living volumes proving the teachings.

Yogananda meets Ananda Moyi Ma, an illiterate yet profoundly wise woman saint who stunned intellectuals with her wisdom. Living in perpetual samadhi, she was so absorbed in God that disciples had to feed her by hand.

Goddess Parvati performed intense penance to marry Lord Shiva. When her father arranged her marriage to Lord Vishnu, her friend abducted her to a forest. There, Parvati made a Shivalinga from clay and worshipped it. Lord Shiva appeared and granted her wish.

Legend has it that Goddess Parvati herself observed the 16 Monday fast to attain Lord Shiva as her husband. Following her example, devotees, especially unmarried women seeking an ideal partner, observe this Vrat for 16 consecutive Mondays.

Demon brothers Vatapi and Ilvala killed Brahmins - Vatapi became a goat, was served as food, then burst from stomachs. When Agastya ate, he declared Vatapi Jeernobhava (be digested) and completely absorbed the demon.

The story of the immortal Mahavatar Babaji, who has retained his physical form for centuries in the Himalayan crags. He initiated Lahiri Mahasaya into Kriya Yoga and works in constant communion with Christ to send vibrations of redemption to humanity.