numerals of Sanskrit transformed into various ancient languages

See how the numerals of Sanskrit were transformed into various languages considered to be ancient during a course of time :

 Sanskrit        Zend              Greek         Latin       Gothic

Prat'hama    Frat'hema     prota            Prima           Fruma
Dwitiya         Bitya            Deutera     Altera           Ant'hara
Tritiya          Thritya         Trita           Tertia           Thridyo
Chaturtha     Tuirya          Tetarta        Quarta         Fidvordo
Panchama    Pugdha         Pempta       Quinta         Fimfto
Shasta          Cstva            Hekta         Sexta           Saishto
Saptama      Hapht'ha      Hebdoma    Septima       Sibundo
Ashtama      Astema         Ogdoa       Octava         Ahtudo
Navama       Nauma         Ennota      Nova             Niundo
Dasama       Dasema        Dekata      Decimate      Taihundo

The Tyrant Diaries

From the memoirs of a French adventurer who served at Tipu’s court

FRANCOIS GAUTIER

In December 8, 1988, an old trunk was discovered in the attic of the house of Elaine de la Taille Tretinville, who died at 91 in her 14th arrondissement flat in Paris.  She was a descendant of the family of Les Ripaud Montaudeverts. Among the contents was a manuscript in the hand of the most famous of the Montaudeverts—Francois Fidele Ripaud de Montaudevert. It starts with these words (in old French): “I, Francois Ripaud, am old today, but I want to tell you the true story of Tipu Sultan.”

Born in Saffre, northwestern France, in a middle-class family, Ripaud enrolled as a sailor, aged 11, on the Le Palmier. After many adventures, he settled in Mauritius, where he married and had two children. In 1797, hearing of Le Grand Tipu Sultan, he sailed from Mauritius (then called Ile de France) to Mangalore and sought a meeting with the sultan, promising “to raise a large force in Mau­ritius and put it at Tipu’s disposal”. Tipu, who had an early connection with the French, having been instructed in warfare by French officers in the employ of his father, jumped at the idea and gave Ripaud letters of credential. On August 19, 1798, Ripaud came back to Mauritius and made a proclamation seeking volunteers for an “expedition to travel to Mysore to assist Tipu in his resistance to British encroachment in south India”. It must be noted that, two months earlier, Napoleon had invaded Egypt and dreamt of establishing a junction with India against the British, so the governor of Mauritius received instructions to collaborate and Ripaud was able to sail to Mangalore with a shipload of French soldiers who were welcomed there like heroes.

Life at Tipu’s court was a dream for our hardy adventurer, but he began to have some misgivings. In his diary entry of January 14, 1799, he writes: “I’m disturbed by Tipu Sultan’s treatment of these most gentle souls, the Hindus. During the siege of Mangalore, Tipu’s soldiers daily exposed the heads of many innocent Brahmins within sight from the fort for the Zamorin and his Hindu followers to see.” Even so, he cast his doubts aside and put up for Tipu’s benefit a dem­onstration of the egalitarian political ideas of France: in 1799, a French paper entitled ‘Proceedings of a Jacobin Club formed at Seringapatnam by the French Soldiers in the Corps Commanded by Francois Ripaud’ was found in Tipu’s palace. It listed 59 Frenchmen in the pay of “citizen Tipu” and described a “primary assembly” of May 5, 1797, to elect a president (Ripaud) and other office-bearers. The ‘Rights of Man’ were proclaimed and the sultan formally received a small delegation from the club.

After this interval, we find another diary entry in which Ripaud is appalled at what he witnessed in Calicut (Kozhikode): “Most of the Hindu men and women were hanged...first mothers were hanged with their children tied to their necks. That barbarian Tipu Sultan tied the naked Christians and Hindus to the legs of elephants and made the elephants move around till the bodies of the helpless victims were torn to pieces.  Temples and churches were ordered to be burned down, desecrated and des­troyed. Christian and Hindu women were forced to marry Mohammedans, and similarly, their men (after conversion to Islam) were forced to marry Moha­mm­edan women. Christians who refused to be honoured with Islam were ordered to be killed by hanging immediately.” These events were corroborated by Father Bartholomew, a famous Portu­guese traveller, in his memoir, Voyage to East Indies.

Another diary entry of Ripaud says: “To show his ardent devotion and steadfast faith in the Mohammedan religion, Tipu Sultan found Kozhikode to be the most suitable place. Kozhikode was then a centre of Brahmins and had over 7,000 Brahmin families living there. Over 2,000 Brahmin families perished as a result of Tipu Sultan’s Islamic cruelties. He did not spare even women and children.”

A disgusted Ripaud left Seringapatnam and went back to France, where he obtained captainship of a fine fighting ship, the Shapho.On February 23, 1814, fighting an English frigate, Ripaud had his arm ripped off by a cannon ball. He died the same evening. Even the British, his arch enemies, gave a 21-cannon salute to this brave adventurer, once Tipu Sultan’s ‘Great White Hope’.

EGO

EGO

There was a pot maker in a small village.

Once, during Durga Pooja, he made plenty of idols,

loaded them onto the back of his donkey, and

walked to the town to sell them. On the way, people

would see the idols and fold their hands. The

donkey was nonplussed, but after a while, began

standing still, proudly, whenever people would fold

their hands. This went on till the pot maker reached

the town. By the evening, the pot maker had sold

all his idols and began his trip back to the village.

Whenever someone would pass them, the donkey

would stand still proudly, expecting people to wish

him, but this did not happen. The donkey kept

stopping and wouldn't understand why no one was

paying obeisance to him. The pot maker was

irritated for he couldn't understand the strange

behavior of his donkey. After trying to cajole and

force him to move, the man began beating up the

donkey.

This story applies to all those who carry

bloated egos. We are only carriers, not the object

that we are carrying. Responsibilities are gifted

to all of us by God, but we can only carry those for

some time. Why then, have ego for luggage?

- Anonymous

May be, if I were to lose my ego and let go

my luggage I would be so much happier ! A little

bit of humility and a dose of self realization that

we are all the same, each one has a different ability

and each one has a different responsibility could

make our lives so much more fulfilling.

The name given to you by your parents accompanies you till you depart.The adamantine wall that shuts us in is egoism; we refer every thing to ourselves, thinking I do this,that and the other.If we get rid of this puny I and stick to not I but YOU feel it and live it the entire ego will get dismantled and your movement will be advanced towards HIM.
Age,Ability and Abdication of EGO brings you respect.That accompanies you till the end because you din't aspire for it but you deserved it. That is the tradition and custom of this Dharma.
To be on carpet or to be on velvet or to be under a cloud or to be ill at ease you are not the reason, HE is accomplishing you or testing you and nothing in your hands. The only thing you have is to shun
your EGO and surrender to HIM. He is the right person to give Right Things ar Right Time. To give up the world is to forget the EGO and that will enable you to live in the body and not of it.

So I have decided that I would rather be a human being

than the donkey in the story above.

Better late than never! What about you?

PLEASE HINDUS, DON’T SAY: “ALL RELIGIONS ARE THE SAME”

May 7, 2013 · by MW · in Uncategorized · 140 Comments 

Observations by someone who grew up in the stifling atmosphere of dogmatic Christianity and appreciates the freshness and freedom of undogmatic Hinduism– and wonders why a section of Hindus are so apologetic about their religion when it actually is the best bet for a fulfilling life.

Hindus used to say, “All religions are equal”. They did not want to see that the two biggies, Christianity and Islam, did not agree. Each of those religions claimed for itself, “We alone are the only true religion. Our God is the only true God.” They pitied Hindus that they might actually believe that by stating that all religions are equal, Hinduism would be elevated to their level. Of course, the ‘true religions’ will never allow this.

Now Hindus say, “We respect all religions. We teach it to our children. Our children hear a lot about Christianity and Islam and how good these religions are. We don’t want to offend anyone, so we teach very little about Hinduism and what we teach is only about superficial things, like festivals and customs and not about the deep philosophy and scientific insights which would portray Hinduism in a good light and might irritate other religions.”

Again, Hindus don’t want to see that Christianity and Islam do not respect Hinduism. The clergy of those religions don’t say it into their face, but to their own flock: “Hindus go to hell, if they don’t convert to the true religion. It is their own fault. We have told them about Jesus and his Father or the Prophet and Allah respectively. Still, they are so arrogant and foolish and hold on to their false gods. But God/Allah is great. He will punish them with eternal hellfire.”

 In a variation of “We respect all religions” Hindus also say, “All religions teach the human being to be virtuous and good and lead him to God, the creator. Hindus attend Inter Faith Dialogues and try to find the commonalities. Of course these are there. Hindus try to build on them. “Yes, all religions have good points. Yes, all religions have good people.” They keep repeating that all religions teach goodness, as if to convince themselves. However, deep down, Hindus know that this is not honest and lacks intellectual integrity. They know that Christianity and Islam have gone off track by preaching exclusiveness and hate to their flock. Those religions have encouraged persecution of others and brainwashed otherwise kind human beings into fighting for an imaginary god who supposedly hates all those ‘others’ who don’t believe, what they are told to believe. They have left a trail of bloodshed in history. But Hindus choose to ignore it. ‘Why provoke unnecessarily?’ they might feel, still betraying a psyche wounded by thousand years of oppression.

Is it not time that Hindus call a spade a spade? Swami Vivekananda has said that every Hindu who leaves his faith is not one Hindu less but one enemy more. He said this while India was ruled by the British, and Christians and Muslims were encouraged to feel superior to the “idol worshipping Hindu”. Hindus were not in a position to put the record straight, as their own elite put Hinduism down due to a malicious British education policy. Yet today, 66 years after independence, it is about time to tell the world loudly and boldly what Hinduism is about.

 It is not about ruling the world. It is not about believing in unverifiable dogmas. It is not about being nice to those of one’s own faith and not nice to those of other faiths. But it is about discovering what we really are, apart from the ever-changing body and mind. The ancient rishis have discovered the oneness underlying the apparent multiplicity, long before western scientists did. This conscious, blissful oneness is not somewhere out there. It is permeating everyone (and everything) and can be felt as one’s own essence. This essence can be called by different names, but the main thing is, that it is within everyone and within everyone’s reach. So, we truly are all children of the same infinite divine Presence. We all belong to one big family. Vasudhaiva Kutumbhakam. This truth provides the basis for a harmonious world and it makes sense, or does it not?

by Maria Wirth

Paramapada sopana patamu

Paramapada sopana patamu

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2017/03/paramapada-sopana-patamu-game-had-its.html

The game had its origin in India and was called Parama Pada sopana patamu or Mokshapatam. It was used to teach Hindu Dharma and Hindu values to children. The British renamed it as Snakes and Ladders.

 

The game was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dice. Later through time, the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e. good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births. There are certain references which take the game back to 2nd century BC.

 

Indian-snakes-n-ladders.jpg

Indian Snakes and Ladders game (1700’s AD)

In the original game square 12 was faith, 51 was Reliability, 57 was Generosity, 76 was Knowledge, and 78 was Asceticism. These were the squares were the ladder was found. Square 41 was for Disobedience, 44 for Arrogance, 49 for Vulgarity, 52 for Theft, 58 for Lying, 62 for Drunkenness, 69 for Debt, 84 for Anger, 92 for Greed, 95 for Pride, 73 for Murder and 99 for Lust. These were the squares were the snake was found. The Square 100 represented Nirvana or Moksha.

There are a hundred squares on a board; the ladders take you up, the snakes bring you down. The difference here is that the squares are illustrated. The top of the ladder depicts a God, or one of the various heavens (kailasa, vaikuntha, brahmaloka) and so on, while the bottom describes a good quality. Conversely, each snake’s head is a negative quality or an asura (demon). As the game progresses, the various karma and samskara, good deeds and bad, take you up and down the board. Interspersed are plants, people and animals.

The game serves a dual purpose: entertainment, as well as dos and don’ts, divine reward and punishment, ethical values and morality. The final goal leads to Vaikuntha or heaven, depicted by Vishnu surrounded by his devotees, or Kailasa with Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and Skanda, and their devotees. In this age of moral and ethical degeneration, this would be a good way of teaching values to children who think they already know more than their parents.

The British took the game to England in 1892 and named it Snakes and Ladders and changed it according to Victorian values.

Swasthi.

KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE

The bookish knowledge that many feverishly acquire is relevant only for the day of the exam. As you enter your professions armed with this knowledge, you will soon discover that you only have superficial knowledge on any subject and your general knowledge is almost zero. Without general knowledge and practical wisdom, you cannot discriminate. World today needs practical knowledge. Water is formed from two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen. You can prove this in the laboratory. But when you sit for lunch, do you mix two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen to drink water? By sipping just a drop, you can even comment on the purity of the water and its taste. Thus discrimination and general knowledge is very essential to make sure your daily life and behavior does not have any lapses. You must experience the enjoyable life in the right way at the right time.

CHERUKU RAMA MOHAN RAO

Why do we need a museum for colonial atrocities?

Why do we need a museum for imperial crimes?

I recently wrote to the government of India to propose that one of India’s most renowned heritage buildings, the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, be converted into a museum that displays the truth of the British Raj—a museum, in other words, to colonial atrocities.

This famous monument, built between 1906 and 1921, stands testimony to the glorification of the British Raj in India. It is time, I argued, that it be converted to serve as a reminder of what was done to India by the British, who conquered one of the richest countries in the world (27 percent of global gross domestic product in 1700) and reduced it to, after over two centuries of looting and exploitation, one of the poorest, most diseased and most illiterate countries on Earth by the time they left in 1947.

It is curious that there is, neither in India nor in Britain, any museum to the colonial experience. London is dotted with museums that reflect its imperial conquests, from the Imperial War Museum to the India collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum itself.

But none says anything about the colonial experience itself, the destruction of India’s textile industry and the depopulation of the great weaving centres of Bengal, the systematic collapse of shipbuilding, or the extinction of India’s fabled wootz steel.

Nor is there any memorial to the massacres of the Raj, from Delhi in 1857 to Amritsar in 1919, the deaths of 35 million Indians in totally unnecessary famines caused by British policy, or the “divide and rule” policy that culminated in the horrors of Partition in 1947 when the British made their shambolic and tragic Brexit from the subcontinent. The lack of such a museum is striking.

Surprisingly, large sections of both Indians and British still remain unaware of the extent of these imperial crimes against humanity.

Shashi Tharoor