1000 Hindu Quotations for Speakers and Students

By London Swaminathan

This is a Book of Quotations with a difference. I have selected over one thousand quotations mainly from Hindu scriptures. I have included books from Sanskrit and Tamil languages. Most of the quotation books have more foreign quotations than Hindu quotes. It is very rare to see Kalidasa or Tamil Tiruvalluvar in such books. I have given quotations from Dr. Radhakrishnan, Vedas, Upanishads and Tamil ethical works.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pustaka Digital Media
• Release date: Jan 14, 2023
• ISBN: 6580553509453

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1000 Hindu Quotations for Speakers and Students

Author:

London Swaminathan

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Table of Contents

Foreword

1.Gandhiji on Hinduism

2. Beautiful Quotations of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

3. Beautiful Quotations from Philosopher Dr Radhakrishnan

4.Quotations on Religion and Philosophy from DR S Radhakrishnan’s Books

5. What is Religion? What is Philosophy? Dr S. Radhakrishnan explains

6.Is Hinduism a Museum of Beliefs, Medley of Rites, Name Without any Content?

7.Upanishad Quotes in Good Thoughts Calendar April 2014

8.Forty Important Quotations from the Atharva Veda!

9.More Gems from the Atharva Veda

10.Good Thoughts on Character

11.Great Men Think Alike: about Rebirth

12.Great Men Think Alike about Wealth

13.Hindu Quotations on Food

14.Hindu Thinker on Marxism, Jesus and Advaita

15.One Hundred Quotations on God!—Part 1

16.God forgives sins, otherwise heaven would be empty!

17.One Hundred Quotations on Love, Affection and Kindness—Part 1

18.One Hundred Quotations on Love, Affection and Kindness—Part 2

19.Quotations from Rig Veda- Fourth Mandala

20.Quotations on Fame and Honour

21.More Quotations on Love

22.An Ounce of Mother is worth a Ton of Priest!

23.Quotes on Time

24.More Beautiful Quotations from Mahatma Gandhi

25.Beautiful Quotes on Omkara (Aum)

26.Good Quotations on Wife!

27.Beautiful Quotations from Kalhana’s Rajatarangini

28.Quotes on Pride and Self Respect

29.Quotes on Purity

30.Swami Chinmayananda Quotations

31.Golden Sayings from Kautilya’s Artha Shastra

32.More Quotations from Poet Kalhana

33.Quotations from Tirukkural of Tiruvalluvar

34.Fortune, Fate, Fear, Fatality- Valluvar and Kalhana Agree!

35.Quotations from Tamil Epic Silappadikaram

Foreword

This is a Book of Quotations with a difference. I have selected over one thousand quotations mainly from Hindu scriptures. I have included books from Sanskrit and Tamil languages. But there may be quotations from other languages if they are translated into Tamil or English. From 2014, I posted these quotations in my monthly Good Thoughts Calendars, both in Tamil and English. That means there were at least 365 quotations in Tamil and 365 quotations in English every year. We don’t find many quotations from Vedas or Upanishads or from Tamil books like Tirukkural or Silappadikaram in other quotation books. Even if they are found, they don’t have the precise details such as from what chapter or what number of verse etc they are taken. Most of the quotation books have more foreign quotations than Hindu quotes. It is very rare to see Kalidasa or Tamil Tiru Valluvar in such books. I have given quotations from Dr Radhakrishnan, Vedas, Upanishads and Tamil ethical works. The date of first posting in my blogs and the serial number are in all the posts. Last but not the least, I have divided them topic wise or subject wise. This is only the first part of quotations I posted . There will be more parts in the coming months. It will be very useful to writers, speakers and the students. Your comments are welcome. Enjoy reading.

London Swaminathan

December 2022

1.Gandhiji on Hinduism

2nd October is Gandhiji’s Birth Day (Gandhi Jayanthi). I have compiled his quotations on Hinduism and religion. Given below are his interesting quotes:

1.Hinduism is a relentless pursuit of Truth. Truth is God and if today it has become moribund, inactive, irresponsive to growth, it is because we are fatigued; and as soon as the fatigue is over, Hinduism will burst upon the world with a brilliance perhaps unknown before.

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2.I am a Hindu because it is Hinduism which makes the world worth living. I am a Hindu hence I Love not only human beings, but all living beings.

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3.Hinduism has made marvellous discoveries in things of religion, of the spirit, of the soul. We have no eye for these great and fine discoveries. We are dazzled by the material progress that Western science has made. Ancient India has survived because Hinduism was not developed along material but spiritual lines.

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4.Belief in Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma): I call myself a Sanatani Hindu, because I believe in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, and all that goes by the name of Hindu scripture, and therefore in avataras and rebirth; I believe in the varnashrama dharma in a sense, in my opinion strictly Vedic but not in its presently popular crude sense; I believe in the protection of cow … I do not disbelieve in murti puja. (Young India: June 10, 1921)

***

On Bhagavad Gita

5.The Teachings of the Gita: Hinduism as I know it entirely satisfies my soul, fills my whole being … When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and when I see not one ray of light on the horizon, I turn to the Bhagavad Gita, and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. My life has been full of tragedies and if they have not left any visible and indelible effect on me, I owe it to the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. (Young India: June 8, 1925)

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6.It is my firm opinion that Europe does not represent the spirit of God or Christianity but the spirit of Satan. And Satan’s successes are the greatest when he appears with the name of God on his lips.

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7.Hindu Dharma is like a boundless ocean teeming with priceless gems. The deeper you dive the more treasures you find.

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8.BY RAMARAJYA I do not mean Hindu Raj. I mean by Ramarajya Divine Raj, the Kingdom of God. For me Rama and Rahim are one and the same deity. I acknowledge no other God but the one God of truth and righteousness.

Whether Rama of my imagination ever lived or not on this earth, the ancient ideal of Ramarajya is undoubtedly one of true democracy in which the meanest citizen could be sure of swift justice without an elaborate and costly procedure. Even the dog is described by the poet to have received justice under Ramarajya. (YI, 19-9-1929, p. 305)

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9.My Hinduism teaches me to respect all religions. In this lies the secret of Ramarajya. (H, 19-10-1947, p. 378)

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10.Christ: I regard Jesus as a great teacher of humanity, but I do not regard him as the only begotten son of God. That epithet in its material interpretation is quite unacceptable. Metaphorically we are all sons of God, but for each of us there may be different sons of God in a special sense. Thus for me Chaitanya may be the only begotten son of God … God cannot be the exclusive Father and I cannot ascribe exclusive divinity to Jesus. (Harijan: June 3, 1937)

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11.Conversion: I believe that there is no such thing as conversion from one faith to another in the accepted sense of the word. It is a highly personal matter for the individual and his God. I may not have any design upon my neighbour as to his faith, which I must honour even as I honour my own. Having reverently studied the scriptures of the world I could no more think of asking a Christian or a Musalman, or a Parsi or a Jew to change his faith than I would think of changing my own. (Harijan: September 9, 1935)

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12.All Religions are True: I came to the conclusion long ago … that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu … But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian. (Young India: January 19, 1928)

2. Beautiful Quotations of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

There are pearls in the deep sea, but you must hazard all the perils to get them. If you fail to get at them by a single dive, do not conclude that the sea is without them. So also in the quest for the Lord, if your first attempt to see him proves fruitless, do not lose heart. Persevere in the attempt, and you are sure to realise Him at last.

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As a lamp, does not burn without oil, so a man cannot live without God.

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As the water of the ocean is now calm and next agitated into waves, so are Brahman and Maya. Th e ocean in the tranquil state is Brahman, and in the turbulent state, Maya.

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The snake