BHARATA VARSHE -- BHARATA KHANDE

'Bharanath cha prajaanaam vai manur bharata uchyate' is the sentence taken from vayupurana by the great KOTA VENKATACHALAM GARU' in his 'Dhruvanivasa Khandanamu'. He explained it like this. The name of this extent of land was originally called as 'Ajanabhamu'. Aja means Brahman and Nabhi means novel.May be, as this serves as the novel of the Globe was called as that. When Satyavrata the first manu took charge of saving the people from the great deluge he became the first Bharata who held the responsibility of safeguarding the populi. Hence he became the first bharatha. The name was adopted by so many great people leaving doubt among the skeptic that the name of the country was named after them.

The giant land mass on earth was called Jambudvipa. Dvipa in Sanskrit means an Island.
This Jambudvipa was divided into nine varshas (geographical regions) of which one was Bharatha Varsha. The other eight varshas were Ketumoola Varsha, Hari Varsha, Ilavrita Varsha, Kuru Varsha, Hiranyaka Varsha, Ramyaka Varsha, Kimpurusha Varsha, Bhadrasva Varsha.Of these, Ilavrita Varsha was at the present North Pole (the Arctic Region)! More about this could be found in the fantastic research done by Lokamayna Bal Gangadhar Tilak in his book “The Arctic Home in the Vedas” North Pole was at the exact center of Ilavrita Varsha. To the west of Ilavrita varsha was said to be  Ketumula Varsha most of which is today under Atlantic Ocean. To the east of Ilvarita Varsha was Bhadrasva Varsha which is today under Pacific Ocean. On one side of the Ilavrita Varsha were Hari Varsha, Kimpurusha Varsha and Bharatha Varsha. On the other side of the Ilavrita Varsha were Ramyaka, Hiranyaka and Kuru Varsha. Kuru Varsha was hence on the opposite side of Bharatha Varsha on the globe.

It can be observed that in those times, most of South American continent, southern half of African Continent and entire Australia were submerged under water. On the other hand most of modern day Atlantic ocean and Pacific ocean, and the entire Arctic ocean were above sea level.

The Ancient Greater India – Bharatha varsha
In the Ancient Times India was called Bharatha varsha and it extended in the west including modern Egypt, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Iran, Sumeria upto Caspian Sea (which was called Kashyapa Samudra in those days). Bhratahvarsha was the Greater India while Bharatha Khanda referred to the Indian Subcontinent which lies at the heart of the Vedic Civilization and extended from Himalayas in the north to KanyaKumari in the South. This is supported by the following sloka which depicts the boundaries of this great soil as consolidated by Vikramaditya of Pramara Vamsa, whose name was sent to gloom by European Historians,during 1 B.E.C.

paschime sindhu nadyanthe setu bandhehi dakshine
uttare badari staane poorvecha kapilaanthake

But mlecchas invaded many provinces over a period of time and Salivahana who came to throne in 1C.E. could revert the situation by invading them and in fleeing them away to the other side of  Himalayas. Thus he established bharata khanda with Sri lanka  in the south, Himalayan range in the north Sindhu River in the west and up to Tibet in the east.

The aryan invasion theory of  migration of Aryans from Central Asia to modern northern India is a baseless theory, for the entire ancient aryan civilizational geography spanned across the above mentioned regions. The very term “arya” in Sanskrit refers not to any race, but actually means a “noble person”.

During the ancient times Arabian sea did not exist, and the land mass stretched continuously from modern India to Africa. The mighty Saraswati river born in the Himalayas flowed for over 4500 miles into Africa before entering the Oceans. This was the largest and longest river in those days.

There was no border security for a kingdom and border disputes were very rare. One king might conduct a military campaign (often designated as Digvijaya meaning victory over all the directions) and defeat another king in a battle, lasting for a day. The defeated king would acknowledge the supremacy of the victorious king. The defeated king might sometimes be asked to give a tribute to the victorious king. Such tribute would be collected only once, not on a periodic basis. The defeated king, in most cases, would be free to rule his own kingdom, without maintaining any contact with the victorious king. There was no annexation of one kingdom by another. Often a military general conducted these campaigns on behalf of his king. A military campaign and tribute collection was often associated with a great sacrifice (like Rajasuya or Ashvamedha) conducted in the kingdom of the campaigning king. The defeated king also was invited to attend these sacrifice ceremonies, as a friend and ally.

Things have changed now and we lost so much to Pakistan Bangladesh, China etc. and so many present day countries in the vicinity have detached from this Bharata Khanda for so many reasons. It is for the youth to take out and devote a little time on making this country's flag flutter sky high in all the areas of prosperity.

SRI CHITTOOR VUPPALADADIUM NAGAYYA GARU

A Very Great Actor and Pillonthropist 

SRI CHITTOOR VUPPALADADIUM NAGAYYA GARU

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2015/02/sri-chittoor-vuppaladadium-garu-great.html

Great actor in Telugu and Tamil of yester years Chitturu  V Nagaiah garu  had many human qualities rarely seen in human beings in this world. He had the habit of saluting every traffic constable he came across while going in his car. When he was asked about it he replied, “these people stand all day under the hot sun only to help us and guide us to drive safely… we do not pay or even tip them and the least we could do is to salute them." Such was his kind heart and concern for his fellow human beings.

While he was on the way back to his home after attending a Carnatic music concert by his car the rain started down pouring and he was to wait a nearby place to the present VANI MAHAL in T Nagar CHENNAI. He shared his idea of constructing a music hall there at to avoid long journey to Mylapore where all the Music Halls were situated to his companions who were then with him. his ambition fructified and when the question of naming the Hall came they suggested his own name but that great soul advised to dedicate it to VANI (GODDESS SARASWATI) duly naming it as VANI MAHAL.

One day while he was coming back from his shooting the power in T Nagar area went off and accidentally a dog came under his car and died. Though it was sudden and accidental, the next day he distributed food packets to all the stray dogs in T Nagar.

For the first time in Madras he started a Free Brahmin Marriage bureau in the name of MULAKANADU BRAHMANA VIVAHA VEDIKA (I am not sure about the name.) and was instrumental for thousands of Brahmin Marriages especially poor. He helped so many, very poor, Brahmin boys for their education.

Great actor in Telugu and Tamil of yester years Chitturu  V Nagaiah garu  had many human qualities rarely seen in human beings in this world. He had the habit of saluting every traffic constable he came across while going in his car. When he was asked about it he replied, “these people stand all day under the hot sun only to help us and guide us to drive safely… we do not pay or even tip them and the least we could do is to salute them." Such was his kind heart and concern for his fellow human beings.

While he was on the way back to his home after attending a Carnatic music concert by his car the rain started down pouring and he was to wait a nearby place to the present VANI MAHAL in T Nagar CHENNAI. He shared his idea of constructing a music hall there at to avoid long journey to Mylapore where all the Music Halls were situated to his companions who were then with him. his ambition fructified and when the question of naming the Hall came they suggested his own name but that great soul advised to dedicate it to VANI (GODDESS SARASWATI) duly naming it as VANI MAHAL.

One day while he was coming back from his shooting the power in T Nagar area went off and accidentally a dog came under his car and died. Though it was sudden and accidental, the next day he distributed food packets to all the stray dogs in T Nagar.

For the first time in Madras he started a Free Brahmin Marriage bureau in the name of MULAKANADU BRAHMANA VIVAHA VEDIKA (I am not sure about the name ) and was instrumental for thousands of Brahmin Marriages, especially poor. He helped so many, very poor, Brahmin boys for their education.

He was a multi-talented genius of film industry. He was a great actor, composer, singer, director and a producer of remarkable films. Above all he was a great philanthropist. His statue was erected in Panagal Park by Inturi Venkateswara Rao and Mana Satyam with great effort is now removed by the Tamilnadu Government.

When he had been to Delhi in Rashtrapati Bhavan ADC of President of India told about the Protocol I.e. when a soft drink is offered he should not tell the President too to have it, he should leave the after the appointment time. As advised he got up to leave the room, then the President asked him to have dinner with him. He said my appointment time is over. Then the President told him it is their duty. I may be President of India but your fan and learnt many good things from your movies. The President was Dr.S.Radha Krishnan.

 That is the regard he got from a scholar President.

A Great Man and I prostrate before his greatness.

Swasti.

BIG BANG THEORY

There are numerous theories regarding the origin of universe but the Big Bang model is the broadly accepted theory. But thousands of years before scientists came up with Big Bang model, did the sages of Upanishads knew about the cosmos wake up. In his long introductory essay in the book ‘The Big Bang and the Bhagavad Gita,’ R.A.S. Koacha suggests that the early saints of modern day Hinduism knew about this cosmic event through mystic insight.

Big Bang Theory postulates that 12 to 14 billion years ago, the portion of the universe we can see today was only a few millimeters across. It has since expanded from this hot dense state into the vast and much cooler cosmos we currently inhabit. (NASA)

Some of the conclusions from the book – ‘The Big Bang and the Bhagavad Gita,’ R.A.S. Koacha

Is Brahman an oblique reference of Big Bang?

The very name ‘Brahman’ representing the Ultimate Reality in Hindu religion appears to be nothing but an implicit reference to the ‘Big Bang’ itself. The word ‘Brahman’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘brh’ which means to ‘grow big’ without limit and can be an oblique reference to an explosion. Hence it is perhaps also called ‘Shabda Brahman’ in the scriptures as Brahman manifests itself as a ‘Sphota’ or explosion.

But Brahman is before and after Big Bang

However, Brahman being the one and only Reality, represents everything, including event the state of singularity before the Big Bang, as well as the whole manifested universe after it. As the point of singularity, Brahman is the impersonal absolute of pure timeless existence.

Big Bang is represented by Symbol OM

As all creation emerges from Brahman with the Big Bang, its symbol is the single syllable ‘OM’ (Shabda Brahman). The ‘OM’ is the only symbol used as a ‘Mantra’ (Invocation) by the seers of the Upanishads in meditation to attain oneness with the cosmos. It also represents the waking, dream and deep-sleep states of all living beings. Hence it is the appropriate symbol of Brahman in its transcendent as well as immanent aspects. Representing the primal sound of creation the ‘AUM’ symbolizes the manifesting sound (or vibration) of the ‘Big Bang’ which astronomers have detected as the residual cosmic emanation from that explosion.

Hindu Samkhya System Negates Creation Out of Nothing

In the Hindu Samkhya System we have the earliest refutation of the creation out of nothing (ex nihilo), and the first full-fledged theory of creation. According to Samkhya the effect preexists in the cause. There is nothing like a new creation but only a manifestation of what was already present in the cause in a potential form. Thus Prakriti or material nature is the primordial matrix or plenum out of which all material as well as psychic phenomena evolve. Mind and matter are but manifestations of the same principle. Prakriti is the homogenous universal field (Quantum field?) at first in a state of equilibrium, its three constituents the illuminating (Sattvic), activating (Rajasic) and restricting (Tamasic) being in a balanced state. When this balance is disturbed by the preponderance of one or the other of the constituents (Gunas) creation becomes inevitable.

The evolution of the manifold is succeeded by its involution and reabsorption back into the unitary state, only to be re-emitted after a period of potentiality. These processes are governed entirely by the tension between the forces among themselves and no extraneous agency is necessary to account for them.

The concepts of Narayana, Lila, Sankalpa are attempts by Upanishad Seers to simplify the complex Bing Bang Theory

The Upanishads are more cryptical in their description of creation. According to them the ONE (Brahman) wished to be many and creation is only an expression of its WILL (Sankalpa). Sometimes creation is depicted as divine play (LILA) of the Supreme Being. But any game will lose its meaning when the omniscient player knows all, from beginning to end. The scripture state that the universe originated from Narayana; Narayana is too difficult to interpret even in Sanskrit. He is very the Big Bang personified. (Jagat Narayanodbhavam)

The Bindu (dot) in Shaivism is the Few Millimeter Long Primordial Seed

The Kashmiri cult of Shaivism is more explicit in its account of creation. The whole universe was at first concentrated at one point or dot (Bindu). It is the Primordial Seed of creation. After a period of germination it undergoes an explosion (Sphota) resulting in the sound (Nada) of creation (OM). (Sound is used in the scriptures for all kinds of vibrations.) All creation (Kala) proceeds from this sound. Thus the doctrine of Nada, Bindu, and Kala is but an implied reference to the Big Bang theory of creation.

Varanasi Gangadhara Rao it the fortune of facebook readers to have your nice postings and accept my thanks

రాజును చూసిన కంట

The "clash of civilizations"

A clash of civilizations is occurring throughout in the world today, a war of cultures at various 

levels in both our personal and public lives. This clash is partly because of rising historical and 

cultural awareness on the part of newly-independent countries, beginning with India . The 

Western-European/North American culture is currently predominant and is strongly, if not 

rudely, trying to eliminate or subordinate the rest. Yet Western civilization is spreading itself 

not so much by force, as in the colonial era, but by subtle new forms of social manipulation. 

These include control of the media and news information networks, control of the 

entertainment industry, domination of commercial markets, continued missionary 

aggressiveness by Western religions, and – as important but sometimes overlooked – control of 

educational institutions and curricula worldwide.

This control of education has resulted in a Western-European/North-American view of history 

and culture in textbooks and information sources in most countries, including India . Naturally, 

people educated according to Western values will function as part of Western culture, whatever 

may be the actual country of their birth. They will experience an alienation from their native 

culture in which they have not really been raised. They easily become a fifth column for the 

Westernisation of their culture, which also means its denigration or, at best, its 

commercialisation. An authentic Indian or Indic perspective, a worldview coming out of the 

culture of India and its particular values and perceptions, is hardly to be found, even in India . 

The Western school of thought is taught in India , not any Indic or Indian school of thought. 

రాజును చూసిన కంట ..........

రాజును చూసిన కంట మొగుణ్ణి మొట్టబుద్ధయినదన్నది, బహుశ రాజులకాలము నాటి సామెత కావచ్చు. ఇప్పుడో 

'ఒబామా, ఓ భామా అంటే వస్తున్నా మామా' అనే కాలం. అంటే తన ప్రభావాన్ని 

మన అంతరంగాలలో అంతగా అమెరికా అమరిక చేసింది. మనసు దోమ వంటిది. అది ఎప్పుడూ పెంట కుప్పలనే 

వేదుకుతుంది. మనసును కవ్వించే మామిడిపండును చూసినా మచ్చ వున్న చోటనే  అది వాలుతుంది. ఆచెడ్డను 

పీల్చి మంచి చెడ్డ తేడా లేకుండా 'సమాజము' అనే మనిషి పై వాలి వ్యాధిగ్రస్తుణ్ణి చేస్తుంది. వ్యాధి వచ్చిన 

పిదప దానిని వదిలించుకొనుటకే సమయము సరిపోతుంది పుణ్యకాలము ముగిసి పోతుంది. అందుకే 

పెద్దలు బాగుపరచుకోనుట కంటే భద్రంగా వుండటం మంచిది అంటారు.

ఇక అసలు విషయానికి వస్తాము.ఒకానొక కాలములో ప్రపంచమంతటా ఈ వైదిక నాగరికత విలసిల్లేది. కాలము 

మారిపొయినది. ఓడలు బండ్ల పాలు బండ్లు ఓడల పాలు అయినాయి. దేశ విదేశ నాగరికతలు ప్రచండ మార్తాండ 

కీలలు ప్రసరింపజేస్తూ వుంటే ఆ తాకిడికి అందరూ లోను కావలసినదే. కానీ ఆ వేదినికూడా తమకనుకూలముగా 

మలచుకొనే బుద్ధిమంతులు వుంటారు. మనమూ వారిలో ఒకరైతే సమస్యే లేదు. కాకుంటేనే కష్టకాలము 

కొనితేచ్చుకోవలసి వస్తుంది.ఇప్పుడు ప్రపంచములో నాగరికత అన్నపేరుతో దేశ విదేశాల నడుమ సంకుల 

సమరములు, కత్తి కటారు ఈతే బాకు తుపాకులు లేకుండానే జరుగుతూ వున్నాయి. వెలసిన ఎన్నో కొత్త దేశాలతో 

ఈ సంపన్న దేశాల నాగరికతలను ముఖ్యముగా వేషము, భాష ,ఘోష (Accent ) మనము నకలు చేస్తున్నాము. 

మరి ఒకటి పొంధవలెనంటే ఒకటి పోగొట్టుకోనవలసినదే కదా ! అంటే కోట్ల సంవత్సరాల నాగరికతలోని మంచిని 

మంచినీళ్ళ  ప్రాయంగా వాడి ఈ రోజు మంచినీళ్ళు కూడా 'మనీ' తో కొనవలసి వస్తూవుంది.నేడు పాశ్చాత్య, ఉత్తర 

అమెరికాల నాగరికత అతిశయముగా అనుకరించుతున్నారు. మంచి నిజానికి ఎక్కడునా తీసుకోన వలసినదే. 

ప్యాంట్లు వాడుతున్నాము మంచిదే కానీ జీన్స్ వాడుటవల్ల శరీర అవయవములకు తగిన గాలిని 

సమకూర్చగాలుగుచున్నామా ? మాసిన మసక బారిన చినిగిన జీన్సు ఫాషన్ పేరుతో వేసుకొంటున్నాము. కొందరు 

అస్తర్లు ( అంటే చినిగిన చోట వేరే బట్ట చింపిని అంటించి కుట్టుట ) వేసిన జీన్స్ ప్యాంట్లు తొడుగుతారు. ఆ 

దేశాలలో చలి ఎక్కువ, పైగా ఏదయినా దేహ కష్టము చేయునపుడు వేసుకొని కార్యాలయాదులకు పోవునపుడు 

చక్కని ఉడుపులను వేసుకుపోతారని విన్నాను. మరి వారి శీతోష్ణ స్థితులు మనకు లేవుకదా ! ఈ విధమైన 

తాకిడులతో మనకున్న మంచిని వదలివేస్తున్నాము. నేత పంచ ఇంటనున్నప్పుడు కట్టుట చాలా ఆరోగ్య 

దాయకము రాను రానూ పెద్దపంచాలు పోయి అడ్డ పంచలు, అవిబోయి లుంగీలు , ఇప్పుడవి కూడా పోయి 

తోదలవరకో మోకాళ్ళ వరకో పిక్కల వరకో గొట్టాలు వేసుకొంటున్నాము. ఇవన్నీ మగవారిని గూర్చి మాత్రమె 

తెలిపినవి. నేటి మహిళా యువతను గూర్చి ఎంత తక్కువ చెబితే అంత మంచిది. ముందు కాలములో బ్రిటీషు 

వారు తమ ఆచారవ్యవహారాలను మనపై బలవంతంగా రుద్దేవాళ్ళు. ఇప్పుడు వారి గమ్యమదే అయినా 

దారి మార్చినారు. దూరదర్శని,గణిని (computer),వార్తా పత్రికా సముదాయము,వినోద ప్రదాన పరిశ్రమ, వస్తు 

సముదాయ విపణి, మత కూటముల విశృంఖల మతాంతరీకరణ ,విద్యా విధానము పై ప్రభుత్వ ఉదాసీనత, 

అతుకులబొంతయగు పాశ్చాత్యులేర్పరచిన చరిత్ర పాఠాలు, ఐరోపా దేశాలసంస్కృతులకు సంబంధించిన 

పాఠాలు, మాతృభాష పై ఉదాసీనత మరియు ఇంగ్లీషు పై ఎనలేని వ్యామోహమును కలిగించు వ్యూహములు పన్ని, 

బాలుర, యువకుల మేధను అతలాకుతలము జేసి ఆడుకోనుచున్నారు. చదువును ధాత్రీకరణ (Globalisation = 

ప్రపంచీకరణ)మొనర్చి తాము విలువలనుకొనే తమ దేశ సంస్కారములను మన విద్యార్థులపై రుద్ది తప్పుదారి 

పట్టించి దేశమునే ప్రచ్చన్నముగా ఏలే ప్రయత్నములో సఫలీకృతులగుచున్నారు. ప్రీ.కేజీ, యల్.కేజీ, 

యు.కేజీ అని అతి చిన్నవయసులో బడికి పసి పిల్లలను లాగి వారి లేత బుర్రలో తమ భాష ప్రతిష్ఠించుచున్నారు. 

తల్లిదండ్రులుకూడా దానికి తందాన తాన పాడుచున్నారు. తల్లిదండ్రులు మనసు పెట్టి ఆలోచించితే జ్ఞానము 
భాషవల్ల కాదు మనము వారికి నేరిపించే విషయములపై ఆధారపడి యుంటుంది. ఈ జగత్తుకే తల్లి భాషయైన సంస్కృతమునకు ముద్దు బిడ్డయైన తెలుగును నేర్పించితే ఇటు సంస్కృతము అటు ఆంగ్లము అవలీలగా నేర్చుకొనవచ్చు. ' అమరకోశము' ప్రతి రోజూ తల్లిదండ్రులైన మీ బాధ్యతగా పిల్లలకు చెప్పించండి. 'మమ్మీ డాడీ లు ఆంటీ అంకుళ్ళు' అనే కుళ్ళు మాటల కన్నా ' అమ్మ, నాన్న, బాబాయి, పిన్ని, మామయ్యా అత్తయ్య,పెద్దప్ప, పెద్దమ్మ , వదినె, అక్క, చెల్లి, మొదలైన అనుబంధాలతో పిలుచుకొంటే ఎంత కమ్మగా వుంటుంది. మన సంస్కారము మన దేశము,మన ప్రాంతము మన భాష మన అనుబంధము మన అంతఃకరణలలో వుంటాయి. విజాతి భాషలలో ఎక్కడనుడి మనదైన సంస్కారము రాగలుగుతుంది. విదేశీ సంస్కారము వారి మహిళల ఉడుపులవలెనే ఉంటుంది. మేల్కొనండి. కళ్ళు పులుముకొని వాస్తవాలను గమనించండి.  ఇప్పటికే ఎంత పోగొట్టుకోన్నామో గుర్తించండి. ఈ జాతి పురావైభావమునకు నడుము కట్టండి. ఈ దేశపు ఉనికిని కాపాడండి.

ధర్మ ఎవ హతోహంతి ధర్మో రక్షతి రక్షితః

తస్మాద్ధర్మో నహన్తవ్యో మానోధర్మో హతోవధీత్ 

మన ధర్మాన్ని మనము రక్షించితే అది మనలను రక్షిస్తుంది. శిక్షిస్తే శిక్షిస్తుంది. వధించితే వధిస్తుంది. అంటే 

ధర్మమూ అద్దము లాంటిది మనమేమి చూపిస్తే అదే కనబరచుతుంది.

Hindus are Tribals, Hindus are Pagans

KOENRAAD ELST

Before going to know what his unflinching thoughts are on our sanathana dharma

meaning of sanaathana is eternal, perennial,perpetual, for ever and not OLD ), this is a

small introduction about him.

Koenraad Elst (°Leuven 1959) distinguished himself early on as eager to learn and to

dissent. After a few hippie years he studied at the KU Leuven, obtaining MA degrees in

Sinology, Indology and Philosophy. After a research stay at Benares Hindu University he

did original fieldwork for a doctorate on Hindu nationalism, which he obtained magna cum 

laude in 1998. As an independent researcher he earned laurels and ostracism with his 

findings on hot items like Islam, multiculturalism and the secular state, the roots of Indo-

European, the Ayodhya temple/mosque dispute and Mahatma Gandhi's legacy. He also 

published on the interface of religion and politics, correlative cosmologies, the dark side of 

Buddhism, the reinvention of Hinduism, technical points of Indian and Chinese 

philosophies, various language policy issues, Maoism, the renewed relevance of Confucius 

in conservatism, the increasing Asian stamp on integrating world civilization, direct 

democracy, the defence of threatened freedoms, and the Belgian question. Regarding 

religion, he combines human sympathy with substantive skepticism.

Hindus are Tribals, Hindus are Pagans

 

At the 5th Gathering of the Elders (Mysore, 1-4 February 2015), I was originally only present as an observer. But when a Hindu lady speaker had addressed the social philosophy of the Gond tribe, I felt it necessary to give a fitting reply, as it was contrary to the whole aim and spirit of the conference. To my good fortune, the next speaker failed to show up, so the chair asked me if I could improvise a lecture.

How deep the Christian missionary influence has penetrated the Hindu psyche, was shown by this rendering of their worldview. The first aim of the missionaries is to convince the tribals that they are not Hindus. (After that, they will tell them that their religion is very close to Christianity, that their self-acknowledgment as Hindus would constitute a “conversion” while their baptism would only constitute a “fulfilment” of their natural religion.) So, the lecture on the Gonds taught us that their religion is the very opposite of Hinduism because:

·         1. they worship Barâ Dev while Hindus worship Ishwar;

·         2. They consider the North auspicious; Hindus, the South;

·         3. They bury their dead; Hindus cremate them;

·         4. They believe in service to others (“jai seva!”), Hindus only in their own Liberation;

·         5. They believe the world is real, Hindus believe it is Maya (illusion).

·         6. They are divided in 12 exogamous phratries, Hindus in endogamous castes.

Against this, we notice that:

·         1. Barâ Dev, “great god”, is modern Indo-Aryan for Sanskrit Mahadeva, same meaning and a name for Shiva (“the benefactor”, which itself is a flattering name for the fearsome god Rudra, “furious”), for whom another name is Ishwar (“lord”). Within Hinduism, it is perfectly normal for a god to have different names, and for different divine personalities to overlap. There is simply no opposition between Barâ Dev and Mahadeva.

·         2. In Vastu Shatra, a front-door should not be built in the south, as it is deemed inauspicious, which is the same valuation of the south as among the Gonds. (For now, I take the speaker’s word for what exactly constitutes Gondi culture.) Even if it was different, it wouldn’t constitute a meaningful contrast: in China, the local habitat edology (fengshui) holds the south as positive and as the correct location of the front-door, due to a different climate: I the cold Yellow River valley, warmth was welcome, so the sunny south was good, whereas in hot India, men shield themselves against the sun. Yet, nobody derives therefrom a meaningful contrast between Indian and Chinese traditions, least of all the missionaries. Whether Chanakya or Confucius, all non-Christians are going to hell.

·         3. Hindus since Vedic times have known both cremation and burial. Infants and saints are still buried. In some corners, Hindu burials persist, e.g. among the Gonds.

·         4. Hindu society has always believed in social responsibility (Dharma, ca. “taking up your role as a specific part of the whole”), including the need for Seva, “service”, a genuine and ancient Sanskrit word (in contrast with Adivasi, “aboriginal”, which is a neologism devised by the missionaries in the colonial period). This was not put in the centre, and rightly so, but it was fully accepted. This duty was not discharged by clerics, as in Christianity, where hospitals were traditionally manned by nuns, but by laymen, mostly in the extended family. Ascetics, by contrast, were freed from social duty because they had taken up another duty, viz. pursuing Liberation, which to the laymen is mostly but a theoretical goal which they don’t actively pursue. Liberation is not “selfish” but impersonal, and requires a great deal of self-abnegation, even more than Seva.

·         5. Only a small percentage of the Hindus even know about Mayavad, the doctrine that the world is a fata morgana created by the magic power of the gods. It is a specific philosophy of Shankara, conditioned by his struggle against Buddhist idealism (Shunyavad, “doctrine of Emptiness”), which in turn is also not the whole of Buddhism (indeed, the Buddha himself would not have recognized it as his own teaching). Shankara is widely appreciated as a great debater and as the founder of the ascetic Dashanami order, but his philosophy has few takers. Gonds too are free to follow Mayavad, nothing prohibits that, but they too would by and large accept the world as real. And anyway, even if there were a difference in worldview pitting all Gonds against all Hindus, that would not save them: as long as they don’t believe in Jesus, they are all going to hell.

·         6. The Gonds are, like most tribes, an endogamous group, and this group is internally divided in twelve exogamous groups, which anthropologists have called phratries. Hindu castes are by definition endogamous groups, Jati-s or “castes”, and are divided in exogamous groups called Gotra-s. If you consider each caste separately, you could, by this logic, start saying that they “don’t have caste”, because internally they are not divided in endogamous groups, only in exogamous groups. So, the situation among the Gonds is exactly like in Hindu castes. Tribals are just as endogamy-conscious as Hindus. When a Flemish Jesuit in Chotanagpur ca. 1890 wanted to put his converts to the test, he had them sit together across tribal lines for a joint meal, a very small matter compared to intermarriage, and even this they found scandalous, so that most invitees did not show up and 7000 converts in the region defected. It is one of the many myths professed by the secularists to spite the Hindus that tribals are “noble savages” practising Ur-communism and not afflicted by social divides like caste.

The whole discourse on tribals is warped by the Aryan invasion theory. As a consequence of the hypothesis that speakers of proto-Sanskrit entered India ca. 1500 BC, the American situation is projected onto India: in both cases, a European population came to dominate the natives. Then, just like the European conquerors of America were considered civilized and Christian, while the Amerindians counted as tribal and Pagan, this cultural equation was projected onto India: the Vedic conquerors were non-tribal and non-Pagan, while the natives count as tribal and Pagan. So, working inside this paradigm, the missionaries tell the scheduled tribes to maximize their differences with the Vedic backbone of Hinduism, and the secularists have written a few times that Hindus cannot count as Pagans and that tribals who get “sanskritized” into the Vedic mainstream are “converts to Hinduism”.

The picture becomes very different when, as all evidence indicates, the Vedic Aryans were native to India. This implies that there simply were different tribes, including the Veda-composing Paurava tribe, some of which became more “civilized” than others, e.g. some became literate, others only later, yet others not until the modern state foisted literacy upon them; or some developed business acumen while others remained economically naïve. This is a normal development found on all inhabited continents.  

That is why many features deemed tribal and contrasting with the image a foreigner gets of Hinduism when the taxi brings him from the airport to his hotel in the metropolis, also appear in Vedic tradition when you go and see it in the countryside, or when you study how it was in the past. Thus, worship in the open air is not a tribal feature contrasting with Hindu temple worship: in Vedic society, worship was equally in the open air. The tribal feature of aniconic nature worship, always contrasted with the Hindu worship of idols, was just as much in evidence in Vedic society and is still seen in the “primitive” layers of Hinduism, where you fing snake worship, tree worship, sun worship, etc.

Yet, even if  there had been an Aryan invasion, that would not have made the Vedic Hindus any less demonic.  We have heard here testimonies from Latvian and Lithuanian Pagans, who take pride in their language being closely akin to Sanskrit. They are not Indian, yet they are just as much Pagan. If the Vedic Aryans had contrasted with the native Indian tribals, if they had been different in all objects and practical details of worship and of mores, that would still not have saved either the one or the other from hellfire. For that is ultimately the criterion for being Pagan or not, regardless of all the distinctions invented to confuse matters. You are a Pagan if you do not partake of Christian salvation, i.e. if you go to hell. And that is where they belong: being to a smaller or larger extent fire-worshippers, Pagans must feel most at home in the endless fires of hell.

Misconceptions about Hinduism and lack of Dharma education

There are widespread misconceptions or misunderstandings about Hinduism all around the world, especially, in the West. Ironically, many followers of Hinduism also do not have complete understanding about the concepts of Hinduism. In this section, we will give a few such examples.

A. Hinduism is all about performing pujas, rituals

In the initial stages of sadhana, ritualistic worship helps in developing bhav (spiritual emotion) unto God. However, due to lack of understanding, most Hindus, especially the younger generation, defy ritualistic worship. They forget that in order to graduate from University, one has to start in Grade school. Hinduism has prescribed sadhana for every stage of a seeker so everyone can attain Moksha (Final liberation). and one of the beginning stages of sadhana is ritualistic worship. So Hinduism is not all about performing pujas and rituals. These are but a stage in the entirety of Dharma or Hinduism.

B. Ignorance about sadhana ( Spiritual Practice)

A majority of Hindus are not aware that the aim of our birth is to do sadhana and attain Moksha. They believe that visits to temples, holy places, performing puja, etc. are sufficient. Many Hindus are stuck at the stage of Karmakand sadhana, which is actually a primary stage of sadhana. Hindus, who are living outside Bharat, especially the younger generation, may not be even paying obeisance to Deities in the morning and evening. Working class Hindus may not even find time to do puja at home. Therefore, the opportunity to do the basic sadhana of doing puja, lighting incense sticks, etc. at home is being lost.

C. Lack of knowledge about the basics of Hinduism

Majority of Hindus have not read Bhagwadgita, Ramayan or other Scriptures of Hinduism. Thus they have very little knowledge about the basics of Hinduism. Concepts such as, Moksha (Final Liberation), karma, give-and-take accounts, destiny, Avatars, various Deities, etc. are either not understood well or Hindus are completely ignorant about them. Some Hindus read texts about Hinduism but get confused about what they need to practice. There are some Hindus who are well versed with Holy Scriptures; but they lack in practical implementation of the teachings.

D. All religions are equal or one

The concept of ‘all religions are equal or one’ is very popular amongst most Hindus. However, this concept is almost non-existent in the followers of other religions, as they believe their religion or God is the only God. Due to this belief, Hindus are adopting concepts that originated in other religions and cultures for example, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, etc. Such festivals have no spiritual meaning or benefits, on the contrary, they lead to adharma; accruing demerits. 

Unless the youth evince trust and concern in  their ancestors who envisaged truth,righteousness,moderate living that includes dana and dharma   the fate of this country can not see the bright side. 

Achievements of Ancient Indian Science...

       

Achievements of Ancient Indian Science...

 (A brilliantly eloquent piece of writing by Shashi Tharoor)

 "Shashi Tharoor explains his tweets on ancient Indian Science"

NDTV - January 05, 2015

The unseemly controversy over ancient Indian science at the ongoing Indian Science Congress reflects poorly on all the parties involved, including the conference itself, which is now in its 102nd year without ever having discussed the ancient roots of our indisputable national scientific tradition till yesterday.

First, it reflects poorly on the traditionalists, who have turned revivalism into a form of revisionism with their outlandish claims of improbable Vedic accomplishments. The victory of Narendra Modi in the general elections this year has propelled a number of true believers of Hindutva into positions of unprecedented influence, including in such forums as the Indian Council for Historical Research, the University Grants Commission, and, it now seems, the programme committee of the Indian Science Congress, which scheduled a talk on "Vedic Aviation Technology" that elicited howls of protest from many delegates.

It has also given a license to unqualified voices who gain in authority from their proximity to power - none more significant than the Prime Minister himself, who suggested in a speech at a hospital, no less, that Lord Ganesha's elephant head on a human body testified to ancient Indians' knowledge of plastic surgery. Such ideas, because they are patently absurd, except in the realm of metaphor, have embarrassed those who advance them, as well as those who cite them in support of broader, but equally unsubstantiated, claims to past scientific advances, from genetic science to cloning and inter-stellar travel. Petty chauvinism is always ugly, but never more so than in the field of science, where knowledge must be uncontaminated by ideology, superstition or irrational pride.

But the controversy also discredits the modernists who, in their contempt for such exaggerated and ludicrous claims, also dismiss the more reasonable propositions pointing to genuine Indian accomplishments by the ancients. As I pointed out on Twitter yesterday, it is not necessary to debunk the genuine accomplishments of ancient Indian science in order to mock the laughable assertions of the Hindutva brigade.

As I have been repeatedly saying, not everything from the government-sponsored right is necessarily wrong. A BJP government choosing to assert its pride in yoga and Ayurveda, and seeking to promote them internationally, is, to my mind, perfectly acceptable.

Not only are these extraordinary accomplishments of our civilization, but they have always been, and should remain, beyond partisan politics. It is only if the BJP promoted them in place of fulfilling its responsibility to provide conventional health care and life-saving modern allopathic medicines to the Indian people, that we need object on policy grounds.

Similarly, in asserting that ancient Indians anticipated Pythagoras, Dr Harsh Vardhan was not incorrect and should not have been ridiculed. In fact he could have added Newton, Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo as well, every single one of whom had been beaten to their famous "discoveries" by an unknown and unsung Indian centuries earlier.

The Rig Veda asserted that gravitation held the universe together 24 centuries before the apple fell on Newton's head. The Siddhantas are amongst the world's earliest texts on astronomy and mathematics; the Surya Siddhanta, written about 400 A.D., includes a method for finding the times of planetary ascensions and eclipses. The notion of gravitation, or gurutvakarshan, is found in these early texts. Lost Discoveries, by the American writer Dick Teresi, a comprehensive study of the ancient non-Western foundations of modern science, spells it out clearly: "Two hundred years before Pythagoras," writes Teresi, "philosophers in northern India had understood that gravitation held the solar system together, and that therefore the sun, the most massive object, had to be at its centre."

Aryabhata was the first human being to explain, in 499 A.D., that the daily rotation of the earth on its axis is what accounted for the daily rising and setting of the sun (his ideas were so far in advance of his time that many later editors of his awe-inspiring "Aryabhatiya" altered the text to save his reputation from what they thought were serious errors). Aryabhata conceived of the elliptical orbits of the planets a thousand years before Kepler, in the West, came to the same conclusion (having assumed, like all Europeans, that planetary orbits were circular rather than elliptical). He even estimated the value of the year at 365 days, six hours, 12 minutes and 30 seconds; in this he was only a few minutes off (the correct figure is just under 365 days and six hours). The translation of the Aryabhatiya into Latin in the 13th Century taught Europeans a great deal; it also revealed to them that an Indian had known things that Europe would only learn of a millennium later.

The Vedic civilisation subscribed to the idea of a spherical earth at a time when everyone else, even the Greeks, assumed the earth was flat. By the Fifth Century A.D., Indians had calculated that the age of the earth was 4.3 billion years; as late as the 19th Century, English scientists believed the earth was a hundred million years old, and it is only in the late 20th Century that Western scientists have come to estimate the earth to be about 4.6 billion years old.

India invented modern numerals (known to the world as "Arabic" numerals because the West got them from the Arabs, who learned them from us!). It was an Indian who first conceived of the zero, shunya; the concept of nothingness, shunyata, integral to Hindu and Buddhist thinking, simply did not exist in the West. Modern mathematics would have impossible without the zero and the decimal system; just read a string of Roman numbers, which had no zeros, to understand their limitations. 

Swasthi.