Hindu Dharma[1]

The Dhaarmic Traditions Of Hinduism धािमर्क साम्ूदाय Edited and Compiled by Kosla Vepa PhD Indic Studies Foundation Preface This is a first attempt at providing the basics of the Hindu dharma to a select group of people. I have in mind second generation Americans of Indian descent as well as the members of the Hindu Diaspora residing in the English speaking world. Reliable sources of information even on a subject as widely recognized as the Hindu Dharma are hard to come by, and this book attempts to place at the youngsters fingertips basic information that they need to have, to remain a practicing Hindu. It is my hope that even though the target audience is a select group of people, a wider range of people will find this book a useful reference. This booklet is being disseminated under the rubric of the Indic Studies Foundation (ISF). ISF based in the San Francisco Bay Area, seeks to promote a comprehensive and more accurate realization of the Indian Civilizational experience in the world, particularly in the United States and India. While India regards herself as a Civilizational Power, the image that India evokes is far removed from that of the Indics as they see themselves. Every civilization owes the obligation to preserve her tenets and traditions against ever present threats(we will describe some of these threats below), so that future generations will not be denied the choices of their ancestors.It is our belief that the Sanatana Dharma is faced with a disproportionate number of such threats. It is Will Durant, the eminent and perceptive American Historian who empasizes in The Story of Civilization: "...the Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest 2 story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good, whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown by barbarians invading from without and multiplying from within…The bitter lesson that may be drawn from this tragedy is that eternal vigilance is the price of civilization. A nation must love peace, but keep its powder dry." We feel that a part of the process of keeping our powder dry is for the Indicsto be well armed with an accurate rendering of our traditions (which we have largely relegated to people other than of Indic origin in the last two centuries). This book is part of my humble endeavors to swing the pendulum back into the center and thereby, arm the Indic with accurate sources of his or her own tradition The situation is fraught with far more contradictions or as the social scientist would put it ‘cognitive dissonances’, than may appear at first sight. On the one hand inordinate attention is paid to preventing India from achieving a modicum of military power. No nation has suffered the plethora of sanctions and condemnation for such a length of time as has India, ostensibly for the crime of breaking the nuclear monopoly of the UN Security Council Permanent 5. In Greek Mythology Prometheus is the God of Fire, chained to a craggy rock in the Island of Scythia. His crime – Prometheus had shared the secret of fire with mankind, thereby giving them the means for sustenance, warmth and to provide 3 material goods with the metals that could be forged with fire. This so angered Zeus, that he had him chained to the rock in a barren Island. So also did the US try to punish India for trying to harness the fire of the nucleus in the service of the poorest of mankind and in the defense of its people. So blatant is the unique nature of the characterization of India and so lacking in Universality that the situation has been termed as a Nuclear Apartheid by Jaswant Singh, India’s erstwhile External affairs minister and aptly so in the view of substantial percentage of Indians. As we demonstrated in our first presentation, titled the South Asia File, some of the best minds in Europe have devoted their life to the study of the vast literature as well as the archaeology of India only to misinterpret it or even trash it in very unambiguous language. In those instances where Indologists like Max Mueller have made favorable statements about the contributions of the ancient Vedics, it turns out that their private views were greatly at variance with their public pronouncements and that in reality his contempt for the Vedas was total and scathing. Such is the honesty of Western scholarship, where the pronouncements of a man hired to denigrate the Indic civilization are so venerated that the dates he arrived at in a very cursory manner and which he himself repudiated later on in his life have become the foundation for the chronology of events in ancient Indian history, a chronology that we feel while being vastly incorrect is also misleading. Such scholarship today would almost certainly not qualify as a good term paper much less a PhD degree at any of the better schools in the West. 4 A great deal of attention is vouchsafed on denying the antiquity and extent of the Indic civilization and thereby granting India the respect ,which the Indics feel is rightfully hers, due as a consequence of her valuable contributions to human civilization. Further almost the entire western media starting from the Economist magazine to the Washington Post has been consistently critical of India’s economic performance and especially scathing in individual instances such as the liberation of the Portuguese enclave of Goa and the declaration that India would henceforth be a Nuclear weapons state. It is as if India could get nothing right. It is understandable that Europe would be antagonistic, particularly since the independence of India set the ball rolling for the dismantlement of the Colonial empire. There is however no apparent reason for America to take an anti Indian stand right from 1948, when they voted against India on the Kashmir issue. There is even less reason to depict the Sanatana Dharma in the demeaning light in which it is generally portrayed in the media today. In those instances where the Indics have sought to correct the record, such as in the case of the blatantly egregious conjuring of the Aryan Invasion Theory they have been accused of nationalistic bias. Never mind that when it was postulated by Max Mueller it was never put forth other than as a conjecture and a hypothesis, and as admitted by Max Mueller himself that ‘no power on earth will be able to determine the true age of the Vedas’. Never mind also that the original endeavor to study the ancient texts was explicitly in order to denigrate them and to demonstrate to the Indic all that was reprehensible in their tradition. 5 In other words the initial motivation to study these ancient texts was purely political and was by no stretch of the imagination, an academic exercise. So, to suggest now that the debate has turned political is to ignore the fact that it was always thus since its inception, when the British chose to use every means at their disposal to prolong their overlordship of the Indian subcontinent We have been perplexed and could not find adequate explanations between these seemingly contradictory viewpoints where on the one hand great attention is paid to ensure that India is not accepted within the first ranks of countries by virtue of her size, geography, Civilizational reach and even economic and military power while at the same time maintain with monotonous regularity that India is an inconsequential third world country with nothing of lasting value emerging from the Indic civilization. If indeed India was so inept and as some would maintain so hopelessly incompetent in governing herself, then surely she should be of no major threat to anybody much less a superpower . Therein lies the cognitive dissonance, and it is up to the Indic to recognize it as such and take steps to unravel the motivations for such a transparently contradictory posture. Kosla Vepa, Pleasanton,Ca 6 Thoughts and Emotions For the young couple embarked on a new journey as Grihasthya (the second stage of the Ashrama system that of householder or married couple) The Love that you carry today for each other, May it grow into respect with each passing year. The Dreams that you share with each other, May they become reality with each passing moment. The Honesty that you bring to each other, May that mature into trust with each passing day. The Openness that you admire today in each other, May that help you both realize your very best, The Happiness that you feel today being with each other, May that radiate in everything you do all your life. As you both share along life filled with, Health, Wealth, and Prosperity (from ’Vivaha’ by Meenal Atul Pandya) 7 What is Life (adapted from the Bhagavad Gita) Life is a challenge, meet it! Life is a gift, accept it Life is an adventure, dare it Life is sorrow, Overcome it Life is a tragedy, face it Life is a duty, perform it, Life is a game, play it! Life is mystery , Unfold it Life is a song, sing it Life is an opportunity, Seize it. Life is a journey, Complete it Life is a promise, Fulfill it. Life is Love, enjoy it Life is a beauty , Praise it. Life is a spirit, realize it, Life is a struggle, Fight it. Life is a puzzle, solve it, 8 Life is a goal, Achieve it 9 Contents Chapter 1 ……………………………………………………………………………………….7 Preface ................................................................................................................................... 2 Preface ................................................................................................................................... 2 Contents ............................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1 .............................................................................................................................. 15 FAQ on Hinduism ................................................................................................................ 15 Answers to FAQ ............................................................................................................................... 18 1. What is the meaning of the Om symbol ? ........................................................................ 18 2. What are the main scriptures (Shastra) of the Hindu ?.................................................. 19 "The Friendly Treatises ............................................................................................................... 25 Eighteen Puranas......................................................................................................................... 26 3. What do Hindus understand by religion and what do they call their religion?............ 31 4. Can you elaborate on the meaning of Dharma ............................................................. 36 5. Do Hindus pray to God and how do Hindus pray ........................................................... 37 6. What does a Hindu hope to attain when he prays ?What is meant by PurushArtha ? 37 7. Who composed the Hindu scriptures and when were they composed ....................... 39 8. What was the language in which the vast Vedic scriptures (Sruti and Smriti ) were composed ?................................................................................................................................... 39 9. What are the ethical values of the Hindu (see Chapter 2) .......................................... 40 10. Why are there so many Gods and Goddesses in the Sanataana Dharma ............ 40 11. How did the name Hindu originate ?............................................................................. 41 12. When did the Sanaatana Dharma originate and who was the founder of this faith. 43 13. Were the people who developed the tenets of the Dharma relatively prosperous in comparison to the poverty stricken conditions prevalent during much of the 20th century ........................................................................................................................................... 43 14. What is meant by the Smarta tradition and who are the Smartas ? What is the origin of the name ? What are the beliefs of the Smartas ? How distinct are they and what are the distinctions ............................................................................................................. 46 15. Does Hinduism expect or demand exclusive allegiance as some faiths do and does it take the approach of, 'unless you believe in Me you are damned to perdition' .... 49 10 16. You say sutras are aphorisms and were used in the interest of brevity. can you elaborate........................................................................................................................................ 50 17. What is the situation regarding the Caste system in Hindu society ? Was such a system endorsed by the ancient Vedics in any of the scriptures. Did the Hindu scriptures endorse Untouchability ? ........................................................................................................... 52 18. What are the central core tenets of the Sanatana Dharma ? If you had to pick the most important 5 among them which ones would you pick................................................... 52 19. Do Hindus have a Chief among all Swamis, like a Pope, sort of a Parama Rishi if you will ?........................................................................................................................................ 53 20. We have all heard of the great philosopher statesman of India ,and in modern times we have had such statesmen as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Can you name one such person from the ancient times?........................................................................................ 55 21. What are the methods of acquiring knowledge (pramAna) in the various Dhaarmic faiths............................................................................................................................. 55 22. What is Vairagya ? What role does it play in Hindu ethics........................................ 60 23. What if any are the obligatory duties of the Hindu ? ................................................. 60 Chapter 2 .............................................................................................................................. 63 The ethical value system and the Goals of the Hindu ...................................................... 63 2.1 The Goal and the means to get there .................................................................................... 63 2.2 The Indic tradition is a srautic tradition .................................................................................. 64 2.3 GuNAs......................................................................................................................................... 65 2.4 The cardinal Virtues according to Hinduism ......................................................................... 66 2.5 Paths to Self Realization .......................................................................................................... 67 2.6 A person’s karma can be classified as follows ..................................................................... 71 2.7 Sreyas and Preyas (The Path of the good and the Path of the pleasant)........................ 72 2.8 Acts versus Knowledge ............................................................................................................ 78 Chapter 3 .............................................................................................................................. 86 The Core Values .................................................................................................................. 86 Chapter 4 .............................................................................................................................. 88 Some important quotations ................................................................................................ 88 Chapter 5 .............................................................................................................................. 99 The Essential teachings of the Bhagavad Gita ........................................................................... 99 भगवद् गीता ......................................................................................................................................... 99 5.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 99 5.2 Dating of the text ................................................................................................................. 100 5.3 The Scripture of Yoga......................................................................................................... 101 5.4 The essential ideas for an integrated life according to the Bhagavad Gita................ 104 Chapter 6 ............................................................................................................................ 106 A Telugu Wedding ......................................................................................................................... 106 Telugu Wedding ............................................................................................................................. 106 11 Chapter 7 ............................................................................................................................ 112 Appendix A......................................................................................................................... 113 Central Core Beliefs of Sanatana Dharma....................................................................... 113 Appendix B......................................................................................................................... 114 Friendship: The Vedic Prescription for Hindu Weddings by Dr. A. V. Srinivasan *..... 114 About the author................................................................................................................ 120 Appendix C......................................................................................................................... 122 The Hindu Vedic Wedding ................................................................................................ 122 Post-Marriage Game Playing There are several regional variations to this ceremony. AekiBeki In the groom’s house a game called aeki-beki is played, by placing a ring and several coins in a tray of water which is colored by vermilion and milk. It is said that the person who finds the ring four times, will rule the house .............................................................................. 127 Appendix D......................................................................................................................... 130 The Riddle of Fate and Free-Will ...................................................................................... 130 Appendix E......................................................................................................................... 139 THE BHAGAVAD GITA................................................................................................................. 139 CHAPTER 2 : STANZAS 54 TO 72 ........................................................................................ 139 The woman of steady Wisdom ......................................................................................... 139 The characteristics of a self realized individual ............................................................. 139 (the Vedic Jeddi Knight).................................................................................................... 139 Bhagavad Gita 2.54 ........................................................................................................... 140 Bhagavad Gita 2.55 ........................................................................................................... 141 Bhagavad Gita 2.56 ........................................................................................................... 142 y> svRÇani-õehStÄt!àaPy zu-azu-m! । nai-nNdit n Öeiò tSy à}a àitióta ।। 2,57 ........................... 143 Bhagavad Gita 2.57 ........................................................................................................... 143 Bhagavad Gita 2.58 ........................................................................................................... 143 Bhagavad Gita 2.59 ........................................................................................................... 144 Bhagavad Gita 2.60 ........................................................................................................... 145 Bhagavad Gita 2.61 ........................................................................................................... 145 Bhagavad Gita 2.62 ........................................................................................................... 146 Bhagavad Gita 2.63 ........................................................................................................... 146 Bhagavad Gita 2.64 ........................................................................................................... 147 Bhagavad Gita 2.65 ........................................................................................................... 148 Bhagavad Gita 2.66 ........................................................................................................... 149 Bhagavad Gita 2.67 ........................................................................................................... 149 Bhagavad Gita 2.68 ........................................................................................................... 150 Bhagavad Gita 2.69 ........................................................................................................... 151 Bhagavad Gita 2.70 ........................................................................................................... 151 Bhagavad Gita 2.71 ........................................................................................................... 152 Bhagavad Gita 2.72 ........................................................................................................... 153 12 Appendix F ......................................................................................................................... 163 Caste................................................................................................................................... 163 FAQ on Caste ................................................................................................................................. 163 What is Varna? What is the Varna Ashrama System? What is the Guna Varna Vyavastha? ..................................................................................................................................... 164 What are the GuNAs ..................................................................................................................... 165 Since there are three guNAs, why are there four varNAs? ..................................................... 166 Can you give references to the occurrences off the Guna Varna Vyavastha in the Sruti? 167 Why is the Varna Ashrama System called a Caste System and is there a rational for calling it such ? ........................................................................................................................................... 175 Appendix G ........................................................................................................................ 181 Illustrations ........................................................................................................................ 181 Figure1 2000 Year old image of Lakshmi from a gateway of a Buddhist stupa at Bharhut indicating her popularity amongst non Hindus too (from Devdutt Pattanaik “Lakshmi –the Goddess of Wealth and Fortune an Introduction, Vakils, Feffer and Simons, Mumbai,2003 ....................................................................................................... 182 Figure 2............................................................................................................................................ 183 Sarasvati at Happy Valley............................................................................................................. 183 ........................................................................................................ 183 Figure 3 .............................................................................................................................. 184 Vinayaka at......................................................................................................................... 184 Happy Valley ...................................................................................................................... 184 Figure 4 Gayatri.............................................................................................................................. 185 (vide the well known Gayatri Mantra) ......................................................................................... 185 Figure 5 Varaha, the Boar Avatar of Vishnu (from the Norton Simon Collection of Art from the Indian bcontinent).................................................................................................................... 186 .......................................................................................................................................................... 186 Figure 6 Shiva and Parvati from Andhra Pradesh, Figure 7 Inset sculpture from Mahabalipuram,TN, India.Shiva and Parvati with Skanda. Also one can recognize Nandi the bull............................................................................ 189 13 Figure 8 & 9 Mahabalipuram............................................................................................. 190 Figure 10 Mahabalipuram ................................................................................................. 191 Figure11 Avatars of Vishnu Vaishnavite architectural arch, ......................................... 191 Appendix H......................................................................................................................... 192 Glossary ............................................................................................................................. 192 14 Chapter 1 FAQ on Hinduism • What is the meaning of the Om symbol? • What are the main scriptures of the Hindu? • What do Hindus understand by religion and what do they call their religion? • Can you elaborate on the meaning of Dharma? • Do Hindus pray to God and how do Hindus pray ? • What does a Hindu hope to attain when he prays ?What is meant by PurushArtha ? • Who composed the Hindu scriptures and when were they composed ? 15 • What was the language in which the vast Vedic scriptures (Sruti and Smriti ) were composed ? • What are the ethical values of the Hindu ? • Why are there so many Gods and Goddesses in the Sanataana Dharma ? • How did the name Hindu originate ? • When did the Sanaatana Dharma originate and who was the founder of this faith.? • Were the people who developed the tenets of the Dharma relatively prosperous in comparison to the poverty stricken conditions prevalent during much of the 20th century ? • Does Hinduism demand or expect exclusive allegiance as some faiths do ? • You say sutras are aphorisms and were used in the interest of brevity. Can you elaborate ? • What is the situation regarding the Caste system in Hindu society ? Was such a system endorsed by the ancient Vedics in any of the scriptures. Did the Hindu scriptures endorse Untouchability ? 16 • What are the central core tenets of the Sanatana Dharma ? If you had to pick the most important 5 among them which ones would you pick 17 Answers to FAQ 1. What is the meaning of the Om symbol ? OM is the single most ubiquitous symbol in all of Hinduism The symbol Om, Ohm or Aum is believed to be the primordial sound that emanated during the creation of the Universe • It is made up of three separate sounds, and saying these together makes Om the ultimate mantra. • Saying the three sounds together in the right way helps to awaken the inner self, the atman, which is a spark from the divine Brahman. When said in this way, Om is called Pranava, the sacred sound (sacred humming). • It is the representation of Brahman, who is unreachable and unknowable. By using the symbol (or saying the word), Hindus can approach Brahman in both the mystical and earth-bound planes. • The symbol has enormous significance in Hindu life, appearing everywhere – on temples, on amulets worn by almost everyone and even painted onto the tongue of newborns using honey, to welcome them into life. 18 The Mandukya Upanishad has an excellent discussion on the significance of the Om sound. See the section on the Upanishads for an overview of the main Upanishads. 2. What are the main scriptures (Shastra) of the Hindu ? To those who are relatively unfamiliar with the Hindu Dharma, the vast panoply and canon of Hindu Shastras is both bewildering and overwhelming. Just as there is order in the cosmos, an order that needs effort and diligence to discover and comprehend, so also it is the case with the discovery of the ontology and structure of the Dharma, an effort which I might add is more than rewarding. Shastra is a Sanskrit word used to denote education/knowledge in a general sense. The word is generally used as a suffix in the context of technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice. For example, Astra shastra means, knowledge about "Handling of weapons", Astra means weapons, and Shastra is their knowledge The scripture of the Hindu is broadly divided into Shruti (Sanskrit ौुित , that which is heard) and Smriti (ःम्र्रुित,that which is remembered). Shruti , the main body of the Hindu canonical scripture, comprises the following The Veda or Vedas - the Rig-Veda, the Sama-Veda, the Atharva-Veda, the YajurVeda. The four Vedas comprise the Samhitas - texts of prayers and hymns, charms, invocations and sacrificial formulae. The Rig Veda is the Book of Devotional Verse, the Yajur Veda is the Book of Sacrificial Formulae, the Sama Veda is the Book of 19 Chants, and the Atharva Veda is the book of Mystico-therapeutic Priest craft. Their composition precedes their arrangement into the four Samhitas by a long period of oral transmission. The word Veda is derived from the root word Vid or Knowledge and is cognate with the English words wisdom, wit Then there are the 3 Vedic appendices The Aranyakas The Brahmanas The Upanishads The Bhagavad Gita (the Song Celestial) is actually a part of the Mahabharata epic (The Great Bharata epic) but by universal consent and acclaim has attained the status of Shruti over time because of the eternal verities that it espouses. The scene develops as a dialogue between Sri Krishna (the 7th Avatar of lord Vishnu) and Arjuna ,the Pandava prince and is set in the backdrop of the Mahabharata War (The Great Bharata War) which takes place in the battlefield of Kurukshetra not too far from the environs of present day Delhi. The iconic significance of this historic dialogue between the Lord (the manifestation of Brahman) and his disciple (a metaphor for all of humanity) to the Indic throughout the ages till the present day is so immense and so timeless and relevant in its message, that hyperbole would not suffice to describe the same. It remains indeed a stirring call to the observance of Dharma in one's own life. The date for the Mahabharata war remains unsettled to this day but compelling arguments can be made for dating it to the end of Kaliyuga circa 20 3100 BCE. We will describe some of the methodologies and the results of these attempts later in the FAQ Smriti comprises the rest of the scriptures There are eighteen main Smritis, each one named after its principal author 1 ; Manu Smriti Yajnavalkya Smriti Parasara Smriti Vishnu Smriti Daksha Smriti Samvarta Smriti Vyasa Smriti Harita Smriti Satapata Smriti Vasishtha Smriti Yama Smriti Apastamba Smriti Gautama Smriti Devala Smriti Sankha-Likhita Smriti Usana Smriti Atri Smriti Saunaka Smriti 1 Incidentally, the number 18 crops up ubiquitously in Vedic literature and Indian astronomy, and has special significance,as do other multiples of 9, such as 27,108,360,432 21 and can be broadly categorized into Dharma Shastra (the laws) Mahakavya (the Epics; they include Mahabharata and the Ramayana) Purana (the fables or writings) Sutra (proverbs or aphorisms) Agama (the philosophies; including Mantra, Tantra, and Yantra) Dyasana or Darshana (the philosophies; including the Vedanta) They can also be classified according to the following taxonomy The Upa-Vedas ArthaVeda (the sciences of Economics, Commerce, Geopolitics and Sociology) Dhanurveda (the science of War) GandharvaVeda (the science of Music) AyurVeda (the science of Medicine) 22 The Vedangas provide the infrastructure and disciplines needed to study the Veda Vyakarana ( the Grammar of Language and Sanskrit in particular was first codified by Panini in his Epoch making work , the Ashtadhyayi. We will have more to say about this extraordinary individual later under the topics of Mathematics and his possible discovery of Zero and the study of Linguistics. Panini was undoubtedly one of the earliest , if not the first among all grammarians in the history of the world) Jyotishi (Astronomy and Astrology) Nirukta (Etymology and Linguistics) Shiksha (Phonetics) Chandas (Meter, chanting of poetry) KalpaSutra (Ritual procedures) 23 The Darshanas The Agamas In Sanskrit 'agama' means acquisition of knowledge. In terms of religious significance, the Agamas are as important as the Vedas. They are also not derived from the Vedas. The Agamas are manuals of divine worship. They deal with such topics as the codes of temple building, image making, and the modes of worship. Saivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism have their own respective Agamas. Saivism recognizes 28 principal Agamas and 150 sub agamas. Some of them date back to 2nd Century AD. Various schools of Saivism such as the Saiva Siddhantha school, Tamil Saivism, Kashmiri Saivism and Vira Saivism follow these texts and base their religious activity upon them. The most prominent agama text in Saivism is the Kamika. These texts consider Siva as the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, the Highest Self, the Conscious Principle while Shakti is regarded as the unconscious or the natural principle who is the cause of bondage. The union of Shakti with Siva at the highest level leads to the freedom of the soul (pasu) from the Pasa or the attachment. The Followers of Shaktism follow 27 Agamas also called Tantras. Shaktism considers the Mother Goddess as the Supreme Self and relegates Iswara, the Divine Father, to a secondary position. In Shaktism the Divine Mother is both the cause of delusion (maya) and the source of liberation. Shaktism gave birth to the practice of Tantric forms of worship which were not generally acceptable to the followers of Vedic methods of worship. The Agamas of Shaktism deal with magical and occult knowledge, besides mechanical, ritualistic, devotional and spiritual aspects of Tantric forms of worship 24 The Vaishnava Agamas are grouped into four categories namely the Vaikhanasa, Pancharatra, Pratishthasara and Vijnanalalita. Of these, the Vaishanavites consider the Pancharatra Agama as the most important (Swami Sivananda). These Agamas are believed to have been revealed by Narayana Himself. The Pancharatra Agama is again subdivided into seven sub agamas namely, the Brahma, Saiva, Kaumara, Vasishtha, Kapila, Gautamiya and the Naradiya. The Pancharatra Agamas consider Vishnu as the Supreme Lord of the Universe and devotion to Vishnu as the sure path to liberation. According to another opinion, the Vaikhanasagama is the most ancient and most important Agama and all the Agamas practically and literally copied all their information from this sacred Agama. It is believed that the Vaikhanasa Agama was originally compiled under the guidance of sage Vaikhanasa during the early Vedic period. Sri Madhavacharya held Pancharatra texts in high esteem and equated them with the Vedas and the epics, while Sri Shankaracharya had a different opinion. According to another classification the Agamas are five types namely:Sakta Agamas, Soura Agamas, Ganapatya Agamas, Saiva Agamas and Vaikhanasa Agamas The Puranas Bhashyam (commentaries) such as Sankara's BhAshya of the Bhagavad Gita To quote Swami Sivananda "The Friendly Treatises The Puranas are of the same class as the Itihasas (the Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc.).They have five characteristics (Pancha Lakshana), namely, history, cosmology 25 (with various symbolical illustrations of philosophical principles), secondary creation, genealogy of kings, and of Manvantaras . All the Puranas belong to the class of Suhrit-Sammitas, or the Friendly Treatises, while the Vedas are called the Prabhu-Sammitas or the Commanding Treatises with great authority. Vyasa is the compiler of the Puranas from age to age; and for this age, he is KrishnaDvaipayana, the son of Parasara. The Puranas were written to popularize the religion of the Vedas. They contain the essence of the Vedas. The aim of the Puranas is to impress on the minds of the masses the teachings of the Vedas and to generate in them devotion to God, through concrete examples, myths, stories, legends, lives of saints, kings and great men, allegories and chronicles of great historical events. The sages made use of these parables to illustrate the eternal principles of religion. The Puranas were meant, not only for the scholars, but for the vast majority of the populace who found the Darshanas too abstract and who could not, for whatever reason, study the Vedas. The Darsanas or schools of philosophy are very abstract. They are meant mainly for those with an introspective temperament. The Puranas can be read and appreciated by everybody Religion is taught in a very easy and interesting way through the Puranas. Even to this day, the Puranas are popular. The Puranas contain the history of remote times. They also give a description of the regions of the universe not visible to the ordinary physical eye. They are very interesting to read and are full of information of all kinds. Children hear the stories from their grandmothers. Pundits and Purohits hold Kathas or religious discourses in temples, on banks of rivers and in other important places. It is the tradition for bards to recite these stories in song and poetry. Eighteen Puranas 26 There are eighteen main Puranas and an equal number of subsidiary Puranas or Upa-Puranas. The main Puranas are: Srimad Bhagavata Purana, The Srimad Bhagavata Purana chronicles the legends of the various Avataras of Lord Vishnu. There are ten Avataras of Vishnu. The aim of every Avatara is to save the world from some great danger, to destroy the wicked and protect the virtuous. The ten Avataras are: Matsya (The Fish), Kurma (The Tortoise), Varaha (The Boar), Narasimha (The Man-Lion), Vamana (The Dwarf), Parasurama (Rama with the axe, the destroyer of the Kshatriya race), Ramachandra (the hero of the Ramayana—the son of Dasaratha, who destroyed Ravana), Sri Krishna, the teacher of the Gita, Buddha (the prince-ascetic, founder of Buddhism), and Kalki (the hero riding on a white horse, who is to come at the end of the Kali-Yuga). In short the Bhagavata Purana is the chronicle of the Indic peoples since the dawn of history ever since the human species evolved into mammals from the oceans and waters of the planet. The object of the Matsya Avatara was to save Vaivasvata Manu from destruction by a deluge. The object of Kurma Avatara was to enable the world to recover some precious things which were lost in the deluge. The Kurma gave its back for 27 keeping the churning rod when the Gods and the Asuras churned the ocean of milk. The purpose of Varaha Avatara was to rescue, from the waters, the earth which had been dragged down by a demon named Hiranyaksha. The purpose of Narasimha Avatara, half-lion and half-man, was to free the world from the oppression of Hiranyakasipu, a demon, the father of Bhakta Prahlada. The object of Vamana Avatara was to restore the power of the gods which had been eclipsed by the penance and devotion of King Bali. The object of Parasurama Avatara was to deliver the country from the oppression of the Kshatriya rulers. Parasurama destroyed the Kshatriya race twenty-one times. The object of Rama Avatara was to destroy the wicked Ravana. The object of Sri Krishna Avatara was to destroy Kamsa and other demons, to deliver His wonderful message of the Gita in the Mahabharata war, and to become the centre of the Bhakti schools of India. The object of Buddha Avatara was to prohibit animal sacrifices and teach piety. The object of the Kalki Avatara is the destruction of the wicked and the reestablishment of virtue. Vishnu Purana, Naradiya Purana, Garuda (Suparna) Purana, Markandeya Purana, Linga Purana, Siva Purana, 28 Padma Purana, Varaha Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Skanda Purana and Agni Purana. Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Matsya Purana, Kurma Purana, Itihaasa (epic history) or Mahakavya Ramayana Mahabharata (the Bhagavad Gita is a part of this monumental epic) When one adds up all of the above, it constitutes a substantial corpus of the record of the Indic civilization ever since the mists of time and it can be safely asserted with a great deal of certitude that this is probably the largest body of extant work, assembled by man in the ancient era 29 Fables and allegories Panchatantra Popular literature in Prakrit Languages The Popular literature consists of the works produced in the Prakrit languages, other than Sanskrit, such as Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, and so on by eminent scholars over a period of more than three thousand years. Included in this category are both the translations from the Sanskrit and also original works. Since it is not possible to deal with the entire list we are mentioning a few important works. Tamil is the oldest of the South Indian languages and in terms of antiquity it may be as old as the Sanskrit itself. A lot of devotional literature was composed in Tamil by the Nayanars and Alvars in the early Christian era. The Sangam literature is a true reflection of the greatness of Tamil as an excellent medium of devotional literature. Any Telugu literature prior to Nannayya Bhattarakudu’s Andhra Mahabharatamu (1000 to 1100 CE) is not available, except by royal grants and decrees. So, Nannayya is known as Aadi Kavi (the first poet). The advanced and well-developed language used by Nannayya suggests that this may not be the beginning of Telugu literature. Andhra Mahabharatamu was later furthered by Tikanna Somayaji (1205 – 1288) , to be finally completed by Yerrapragada (14th century). Nannaya, Tikanna and Yerrapragada are known as the Kavitraya or the three great poets of Telugu for this mammoth effort. Other such translations like Marana’s Markandeya Puranam, Ketana’s Dasakumara Charita, Yerrapragada’s Harivamsam followed. Literary 30 activities flourished, during the rule of Vijayanagara dynasty. Krishnadevaraya’ s time (16th century) is considered the golden age in the history of Telugu literature. The king, a poet himself, introduced the Prabandha (a kind of love poetry) in Telugu literature with his Amukta Malyada. His court had the Ashtadiggajas (literal: eight elephants) who were the known to be the greatest of poets of that time. Tyagaraja (1767 – 1847) of Thanjavur composed devotional songs in Telugu, which form a big part of the repertoire of Karnatak music. In Kannada, another South Indian language, the Virasaiva movement led to the composition of Vachakam containing the sayings of Basava. In the north notable works in the vernacular languages included the Ramacharitmanas of Tulsidas and the Sursagar of Surdas, both in Hindi, Chatanyamrita of Sri Chaitanya and Mangal kavyas in Bengali, the devotional compositions of Namdev in Marathi, the poems of Mirabai in Gujrathi, the Gitagovinda of Jaidev and so on. Both the epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were translated into many local languages. 3. What do Hindus understand by religion and what do they call their religion? The word religion as it is understood in the west and in the Judeo Christian Islamic world does not translate very easily into any Indian language because of the baggage of dogma and unquestioning belief that the word religion invokes in the west. The closest word to Religion is Dharma which roughly translates into responsibilities and duties of an individual to the society at large. These duties are accompanied by a set of ethical values, but the emphasis in Hinduism is on 31 introspection to determine the path most suitable for each individual . Hindus call their Dharma the Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Dharma to distinguish it from other Dharmas such as Buddhism and Jainism and Sikhism In the words of Sir John Woodruffe It has been asserted that there is no such thing as Indian Religion, though there are many Religions in India. This is not so. As I have already pointed out (Is India Civilized?) there is a common Indian religion which I have called Bharata Dharma, which is an Aryan religion (Aryadharma) held by all Aryas whether Brahmanic, Buddhist or Jaina. These are the three main divisions of the Bharata Dharma. I exclude other religions in India, namely, the Semitic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Not that all these are purely Semitic. Christianity became in part Aryanized when it was adopted by the Western Aryans, as also happened with Islam when accepted by such Eastern Aryans as the Persians and the Aryanized peoples of India. Thus Sufism is either a form of Vedanta or indebted to it. The general Indian Religion or Bharata Dharma holds that the world is an Order or Cosmos. It is not a Chaos of things and beings thrown haphazard together, in which there is no binding relation or rule. The world-order is Dharma, which is that by which the universe is upheld (Dharyate). Without Dharma it would fall to pieces and dissolve into nothingness. But this is not 32 possible, for though there is Disorder (Adharma), it exists, and can exist only locally, for a time, and in particular parts of the whole. Order however will and, from the nature of things, must ultimately assert itself. And this is the meaning of the saying that Righteousness or Dharma prevails. This is in the nature of things, for Dharma is not a law imposed from without by the Ukase of some Celestial Czar. It is the nature of things; that which constitutes them what they are (Svalakshana-dharanat Dharma). It is the expression of their true being and can only cease to be, when they themselves cease to be. Belief in righteousness is then in something not arbitrarily imposed from without by a Lawgiver, but belief in a Principle of Reason which all men can recognize for themselves if they will. Again Dharma is not only the law of each being but necessarily also of the whole, and expresses the right relations of each part to the whole. This whole is again harmonious, otherwise it would dissolve. The principle which holds it together as one mighty organism is Dharma. The particular Dharma calls for such recognition and action in accordance therewith. Religion, therefore, which etymologically means that which obliges or binds together, is in its most fundamental sense the recognition that the world is an Order, of which each man, being, and thing, is a part, and to which each man stands in a definite, established relation; together with action based on, and consistent with, such recognition, and in harmony with the whole cosmic activity. Whilst therefore the religious man is he who feels that he is bound in varying ways to all being, the irreligious man is he who egoistically 33 considers everything from the standpoint of his limited self and its interests, without regard for his fellows, or the world at large. The essentially irreligious character of such an attitude is shown by the fact that, if it were adopted by all, it would lead to the negation of Cosmos, that is Chaos. Therefore all Religions are agreed in the essentials of morality and hold that selfishness, in its widest sense, is the root of all sin (Adharma). Morality is thus the true nature of man. The general Dharma (Samanya Dharma) is the universal law governing all, just as the particular Dharma (Vishesha Dharma) varies with, and is peculiar to, each class of being. It follows from what is above stated that disharmony is suffering. This is an obvious fact. Wrong conduct is productive of ill, as right conduct is productive of good. As a man sows, so he will reap. There is an Immanent Justice. But these results, though they may appear at once, do not always do so. The fruit of no action is lost. It must, according to the law of causality, which is a law of reason, bear effect. If its author does not suffer for it here and now in the present life, he will do so in some future one. Birth and death mean the creation and destruction of bodies. The spirits so embodied are infinite in number and eternal. The material universe comes and goes. This in Brahmanism has been said (see Sanatana Vaidika Dharma by Bhagavan Das) to be "the Systole and Diastole of the one Universal Heart, Itself at rest -- the moveless play of Consciousness". The appearance and disappearance of the Universe is the nature or Svabhava of That which it ultimately is. Its immediate cause is Desire, which Buddhism calls Trishna -- or 34 Thirst, that is desire or thirst for world-enjoyment in the universe of form. Action (Karma) is prompted by desire and breeds again desire. This action may be good (Dharma) or bad (Adharma) leading to enjoyment or suffering. Each embodied soul (Jivatma) will be reborn and reborn into the world until it is freed from all desire. This involves the doctrine of Re-incarnation. These multiple births and deaths in the transmigratory worlds are called Samsara or Wandering. The world is a Dvandva, that is, a composite of happiness and suffering. Happiness of a transitory kind may be had therein by adherence to Dharma in following Kama (desire) and Artha (the means) by which lawful desires may be given effect. These constitute what Brahmanism calls the Trivarga of the PurushArtha, or three aims of sentient being. But just as desire leads to manifestation in form, so desirelessness leads away from it. Those who reach this state seek Moksha or Nirvana (the fourth PurushArtha), which is a state of Bliss beyond the worlds of changing forms. For there is a rest from suffering which Desire (together with a natural tendency to pass its right limits) brings upon men. They must, therefore, either live with desire in harmony with the universal order, or if desireless, they may (for each is master of his future) pass beyond the manifest and become That which is Moksha or Nirvana. Religion, and therefore true civilization, consists in the upholding of Dharma as the individual and general good, and the fostering of spiritual progress, so that, with justice to all beings, true happiness, which is the immediate and ultimate end of all Humanity, and indeed of all being, may be attained. 35 Anyone who holds these beliefs follows the Bharata Dharma or common principles of all Indic beliefs. Thus as regards God we may either deny His existence (Atheism) or affirm it (Theism) or say we have no sufficient proof one way or another (Agnosticism). It is possible to accept the concept of an eternal Law (Dharma) and its sanctions in a self-governed universe without belief in a personal Lord (Ishwara). So Samkhya, which proceeds on intellectual proof only, does not deny God but holds that the being of a Lord is "not proved". I am in general agreement with the postulation of Indic Dharma by Sir John Woodruff, although I would balk at the use of words such as Aryan or Brahmanism neither if which is precisely defined . There is generally no need to invent such new words when there are perfectly good words available such as Vedic and the Hindu Dharma . 4. Can you elaborate on the meaning of Dharma Surely, here is an excellent essay by Dr S .Kalyanaraman 36 5. Do Hindus pray to God and how do Hindus pray There is a lot of latitude in the manner in which one prays to ones God but this is one way 2 6. What does a Hindu hope to attain when he prays ?What is meant by PurushArtha ? PurushArtha or ManushyArtheha is the pursuit of the four kinds of human aspirations, which are dharma, artha, kAma and moksha. The four pursuits in which humans may legitimately engage, also called chaturvarga, "four-fold good" , is a basic principle of Hindu ethics. - dharma: "Righteous living." The fulfillment of virtue, good works, duties and responsibilities, restraints and observances - performing one's part in the service of society. This includes pursuit of truth under a guru of a particular Parampara and sAmpradaya. Dharma is of four primary forms. It is the steady guide for artha and kAma. - artha: "Wealth." Material welfare and abundance, money, property, possessions. Artha is the pursuit of wealth, guided by dharma. It includes the basic needs - food, money, clothing and shelter - and extends to the wealth required to maintain a comfortable home, raise a family, fulfill a successful career and perform religious duties. The broadest concept of wealth embraces financial independence, freedom from debt, worthy children, good friends, leisure time, faithful servants, trustworthy employees, and the joys of giving, including tithing (dashamamsha), feeding the poor, supporting religious mendicants, worshiping devoutly, protecting all creatures, 2 http://indicethos.org./Hinduism/worship.html 37 upholding the family and offering hospitality to guests. Artha measures not only riches but quality of life, providing the personal and social security needed to pursue kama, dharma and moksha. It allows for the fulfillment of the householder's five daily sacrifices, pancha mahayajna: to God, ancestors, devas, creatures and men. - kAma:Emotional needs "Pleasure, love; enjoyment." Earthly love, aesthetic and cultural fulfillment, pleasures of the world (including sexual), the joys of family, intellectual satisfaction. Enjoyment of happiness, security, creativity, usefulness and inspiration. - moksha: "Liberation." Freedom from rebirth through the ultimate attainment, realization of the Self God, PArasiva. The spiritual attainments and superconscious joys, attending renunciation and yoga leading to Self Realization. Moksha comes through the fulfillment of dharma, artha and kAma (known in Tamil as aram, porul and inbam, and explained by Tiruvalluvar in Tirukural) in the current or past lives, so that one is no longer attached to worldly joys or sorrows. It is the supreme goal of life, called paramartha. Among these, dharma and the attainment of a DhArmic life style takes precedence and is the gateway to moksha or immortality and eternal bliss. Practice of proper Dharma gives an experience of peace, joy, strength and tranquility within ones-self and life becomes thoroughly disciplined. It is classified as [ i ] Samanya dharma or the general and Universal Dharma and [ ii ] Visesha dharma or specific personal dharma. Samanya dharma includes contentment, forgiveness, self-restraint, spiritual knowledge, absence of anger, non-greediness, non-stealing, truthfulness, purity, non-violence, control of senses and desire, discrimination between right and wrong and between real and unreal. Visesha or specific dharma includes duties due to one's birth, age and family and duties to society and family, due to one's career and job and spiritual life. They also include the specific dharmas for the four ashramas and 38 four varnas. These are the regular duties including the rituals and services to the family, community, ancestors and God that every one is expected to perform. . 7. Who composed the Hindu scriptures and when were they composed There were many composers of the Veda. It was not unusual for the brother of the King to become the Rishi Chronicler of that reign and compose the relevant Mandala of the Veda. We will compile the names of these composers and make these available in Tabular form. It is difficult to ascribe an individual to each and every one of the texts, but if there is any one individual that had a major part in writing the later texts it must have been VedaVyaasa or Krishna Dvaipayana. Veda Vyasa (or Baadaarayana) which was also one of his names composed the Mahabharata and the Brahma Sutras. Veda Vyasa was born of the union of a fisherwoman and the sage Parasara. There is as yet no consensus on an accepted date for the composition of the scriptures. If one accepts the end of Kaliyuga as a marker for the Great Bharata War, then the logical date for the chronicling of the Mahabharata war is around 3139 BCE. The Vedas predate the Epics by about 2 millennia. 8. What was the language in which the vast Vedic scriptures (Sruti and Smriti ) were composed ? The language in which they were written was Sanskrit. More specifically the Vedas and many of the earlier texts were written in Vedic Sanskrit before it was codified by Panini. At that time the scripts were not fully developed and the transmission of knowledge was primarily oral. The transition to a likhita Parampara (scriptural tradition) from a srauta Parampara was of course not instantaneous but took several centuries. It took several more centuries for a standardized script to evolve from the proto scripts (Brahmi and Kharosthi) 39 9. What are the ethical values of the Hindu (see Chapter 2) 10. Why are there so many Gods and Goddesses in the Sanataana Dharma This is a question that frankly had never occurred to me till I left India and lived in the West and to this day I remain somewhat puzzled as to the reasons why somebody should ask this question in the first place. What difference should it make, i would respond with a touch of asperity. Here is how the sage Yajnavalkya responded to a query in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. We will meet Yajnavalkya later in this Chapter Then Vidaghdha, son of Shakala, asked him, "How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" Yajnavalkya, ascertaining the number through a group of mantras known as the Nivid, replied, "'As many as it says in the invocation of the hymn to the Visvedevas of the gods: three hundred and three, and three thousand and three." "Very good," said the son of Shakala, "and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" "Thirty-three." "Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" "Six." "Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" "Three." "Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" "Two." "Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" "One and a half." "Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" 40 "One." There is an excellent discussion of this topic in Arvind Sharma's "An introduction to Classical Hindu Thought", Oxford University Press, 2000 in Chapter 1.In short, a person can choose a deity that suits his mix of guNAs (Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva). Hinduism does not subscribe to a one size fits all theory when it comes to personal worship. 11. How did the name Hindu originate ? This is a very pertinent question. In the very distant past (about 7 to 8000 years ago) when there were major cities and towns along the river valleys of the Saraswathi and Sindhu Rivers and the Doab surrounded by their tributaries , the people were known either by the regional appellations or by their lineage of the royal house that was ruling the land at that period in history. I have been referring to the people in the aggregate as the Vedics. There were many tribes or clans among the Vedics who went by names such as Bharatas, Panchalas, Yadus, Druhyus, Anus, etc... These tribes or clans were very much like the Scottish clans of much more recent vintage. Many of these clans inhabited an area that came to be known as the Sapta Sindhu area, the Sapta standing for the 7 tributaries of the Indus river at that period in history. Eventually some of these clans moved westward towards the area we know now as Iran. Their dialect was slightly different from those that were left behind. They got into the habit of pronouncing a 's' as an 'h'. Thus Sapta Sindhu eventually came to be known as Hepta Hendu or Hindu for short and the people who inhabited the area came to be known as Hindus. During that era there was no religious connotation for the word Hindu. It was simply a geographic connotation. As the millennia rolled 41 on, the word Hindu took on a life of its own. The Arabs began referring to the whole peninsula as al-Hind. The Latinized version of this was used by the Greeks (Indikos) and Romans in its present form as India. So also did the Chinese refer to India and its inhabitants as Yindu. The use of Hindu purely as a reference to those who practiced the Sanaatana Dharma is a relatively recent development fostered by the British in their zeal and obsession to invent distinctions even when the differences were of a secondary nature. Even as late as 1857 the Mughal emperor called himself the Emperor of Hindustan, referring to the Geographical area, rather than as a home for Hindus. 42 12. When did the Sanaatana Dharma originate and who was the founder of this faith. The date when the Dharma was founded is lost in the mists of antiquity, but it can be assumed very safely that by the time the Vedas were written, there was already well established a system of beliefs. Consequently, the origin of the belief system predates the composition of the sacred texts by at least a millennium ,so that we can say that the basic ideas of the Dharma began to coalesce around 6000 BCE. There was no single founder of the faith, but there were a collection of Rishis and sages who composed the various mandalas of the Rg. 13. Were the people who developed the tenets of the Dharma relatively prosperous in comparison to the poverty stricken conditions prevalent during much of the 20th century If we invoke the notion of the hierarchy of needs most recently postulated by Abraham Maslow, we can infer that the Vedics must have satisfied most of their basic needs relating to physiological wellbeing and those relating to security before they could begin contemplating their needs for self realization or self actualization as Maslow terms these higher needs Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. 43 What are some of the characteristics of a self actualized person according to Maslow; Truth, rather than dishonesty. Goodness, rather than evil. Beauty, not ugliness or vulgarity. Unity, wholeness, and transcendence of opposites, not 44 arbitrariness or forced choices. Aliveness, not deadness or the mechanization of life. Uniqueness, not bland uniformity. Perfection and necessity, not sloppiness, inconsistency, or accident. Completion, rather than incompleteness. Justice and order, not injustice and lawlessness. Simplicity, not unnecessary complexity. Richness, not environmental impoverishment. Effortlessness, not strain. Playfulness, not grim, humorless, drudgery. Self-sufficiency, not dependency. Meaningfulness, rather than senselessness. While these qualities are for the most part universally acclaimed as desirable ,there are some that appear to be quintessentially Vedantic, especially those dealing with qualities such as Unity, wholeness, transcendence of opposites, and self sufficiency. There are quite a few who have remarked on the relationship of the Vedantic, in particular the Non dualistic approach, to the transpersonal psychology espoused by Maslow. 45 We will have more to say on the congruence between Non-dualist conceptions and the Maslow taxonomy of hierarchical needs. 14. What is meant by the Smarta tradition and who are the Smartas ? What is the origin of the name ? What are the beliefs of the Smartas ? How distinct are they and what are the distinctions see for instance the Wiki encyclopedia some excerpts "The Smarta tradition is a denomination of the Hindu religion. This term is usually used to denote a certain category of Brahmanas. Smartas consider the Vedas supreme. The majority of members of Smarta community are followers of Advaita. In practicality, Smarta and Advaita have become almost synonymous because of the prevalence of Advaita philosophy among Smarta Brahmanas. But not all believers in Advaita are Smartas. In ancient times, all Brahmanas who specialized in the Karma Kanda of the Vedas, and who followed the Vedas and Sastras (both Smriti and Shruti) came to be known as Smartas. They therefore should not be confused with followers of Advaita philosophy who may not or need not come from this family tradition." In reality substantial percentage of Smartas no longer 46 practice the profession of Brahmana for a living and have migrated to other professions such as Engineering, Law, teaching, research, academics, and Medicine. They are doing reasonably well despite draconian laws of reverse discrimination directed specially against Brahmanas. Many have migrated to other countries Definition of Smartha In Sanskrit smarta has several meanings including one who remembers, a teacher, and smārta means "relating to memory, recorded in or based on the smrti, based on tradition, prescribed or sanctioned by traditional law or usage, (etc)", from the root smr ("remember"). Distinction from others The Smartas consider themselves followers and propagators of Smriti or religious texts derived from Vedic scriptures. It is from this that the name is derived. This term is used with respect to a certain specialized category of Brahmanas. Not all Brahmanas specialized in this Smriti tradition. Some were influenced by Buddhism, Jainism or Charvaka tradition and philosophy. This did not mean that all these people rejected the authority of Vedas, but only that their tradition of worship and philosophy was based not on smriti texts. In time, Shankaracharya brought all the Vedic communities together. He tried to remove the non-smriti aspects that had crept into the Hindu communities. He also endeavored to unite them by arguing that any of the different Hindu gods could be worshipped, according to the prescriptions given in the smriti texts. He established that worship of various deities are compatible with 47 Vedas and is not contradictory, since all are different manifestations of one nirguna Brahman. Shankaracharya was instrumental in reviving interest in the smritis, and the entire Vedic community rallied around him and are known as Smartas. Also, his philosophy of Advaita was also followed by all the Smartas. And even those Smartas who did not follow the Advaita philosophy considered Shankaracharya as a guiding light for reviving the smriti texts and tradition. Thus, a bedrock of Smartas who also follow Advaita philosophy, is their belief in the essential sameness of all deities, the unity of Godhead, and their conceptualization of the myriad deities of India as various manifestations of the one divine power. Smartas accept and worship the six manifestations of God, (Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu, Surya and Skanda) and the choice of the nature of God is up to the individual worshipper since different manifestations of God are held to be equivalent. Thus, it is false to say that Hinduism has 330 million gods, which are more correctly devas or celestial beings; even the liberal Smarta denomination only considers six forms of God to be objects of worship and consider it to be derived from one nirguna Brahman; where as other denominations of Hinduism, such as Vaishnavism and Shaivism follows worship of a single manifestation of God, but both are ultimately monotheistic." It is our view that a taxonomy based on mono/polytheism is not suitable for the Dharma where the multiplicity of the deities is not central to the belief or value system and the choice of deity by and large is left to the individual so as to act as a suitable symbol for his daily worship. This is a source of much misunderstanding and bewilderment for the west which refuses to recognize the multiple identities of a person and insists on a one size fits all taxonomy and as a consequence insists on pigeon holing a person as a mono or polytheist and then having done so insists that he or she is a child of a lesser God (or worse). 48 15. Does Hinduism expect or demand exclusive allegiance as some faiths do and does it take the approach of, 'unless you believe in Me you are damned to perdition' No. The Dharma does not take an exclusivist 'one size fits all' approach. The Dharma recognized the immense diversity in the human species and that different paths to self realization are appropriate depending on the many factors surrounding the individual human being. There are many potential paths that are prescribed, including Naastik belief systems , which do not recognize the primacy of the Vedas and their central place as the 'Sruti'. The emphasis in the Dharma is on one's behavior and one's actions. There is implicit in the teaching of the Dharma , the belief that certain behaviors and actions are more efficacious in attaining one's Moksha and that others are harmful to the realization of the true Self, but it does not ask the aspirant to abandon his/her set of beliefs and start with a clean slate. There is definitely no DhArmic sanction to say for instance, you are the child of a lesser God ,merely because you do not call yourself a Hindu, a belief that is very explicit in some other faiths. This is a major distinction between Hinduism and the other great religions of the world.. Hinduism is not merely tolerant of other faiths, but it embraces the diversity inherent in the many ideologies inherent in a civilization. 49 It is probably true to say that throughout the ages it has been the most accepting of all major faiths, so much so that competing ideologies like Communism have sought to portray this as a weakness of the Hindu and have sought to take undue advantage of it. It is however a grave mistake to assume that this is a sign of docility on the part of the Hindu. History indicates otherwise. For instance, the Sassanian Persian empire succumbed within a period of two years to the onslaught of the followers of Mohammad, whereas it took them 500 years to reach the gates of Delhi. The Indic civilization remains the only extant civilization in the modern world, to survive from an ancient era, and it has done so in the face of incredible odds. Today, the tradition is under siege from a wide array of formidable adversaries of whom the most formidable are the children and descendants of our fellow Hindu brothers and sisters. If you accept what i have said so far , I would entreat you my fellow Hindus never to denigrate your tradition publicly (or even privately for that matter). That in fact is what most adherents of other faiths are already doing and it remains merely a matter of emulating a sound strategy. 16. You say sutras are aphorisms and were used in the interest of brevity. can you elaborate Posted by Poster Sunder in India-Forum.com The Ability to conceive and keep up with a technique of documentation called 50 Sutras is surely a technological and linguistic marvel of high order. Sutras are compilation of major works where very few words are used. (If it's not readily interpreted without proper background needed for the subject, Sutras may seem confusing.) Some of the Famous sutras are (*) Yoga Sutra - Patanjali. (*) Brahma Sutra - Baadaarayana. (*) Bhakti Sutra - Naradha. (*) Kama Sutra - Vatsyayana. (*) Neethi Sutras - Chanakya. Here is the definition of a Sutra. alpaaksharam asandigdham saaravath vishvatho mukham, asathobham anavadhyam cha sutram sutravidho viduh. Those who know the definition of a sutra define it as possessing the following qualities.. Alpa aksharam = With bare minimum (use of) alphabets. 51 Asannigdham = Free from doubts and ambiguities; clear and accurate. Saravad = like the essence; devoid of unnecessary pulp. Viswatho mukham = Universal; applicable anywhere and everywhere. [Not limited by time, space, cultures etc.] Asathobham = Shining, Illuminating, highlighting the point at hand, never diminishing in radiance/value. Anavadyam = Without any bugs, errors, mistakes or shortcomings; perfect. 17. What is the situation regarding the Caste system in Hindu society ? Was such a system endorsed by the ancient Vedics in any of the scriptures. Did the Hindu scriptures endorse Untouchability ? Because of the social stratifications resulting from 800 years of alien domination, this needs an answer along with its historical context. Please refer to the section on Caste for a complete discussion on Caste 18. What are the central core tenets of the Sanatana Dharma ? If you had to pick the most important 5 among them which ones would you pick Central Core Beliefs of Sanatana Dharma Belief in a Supreme Brahman and the relationship between the Atman and the Brahman (the essential divinity of the human spirit) 52 Freedom to choose an Ishta Devata( personal Deity) realizing such freedom could result in different choices of deities Belief in Free Will and its relationship to Karma( personal responsibility and accountability) Freedom to pursue PurushArtha or Chaturvarga (the four goals of life dharma, artha, kama and moksha) on the path to Self Realization Freeedom to choose the appropriate path (Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga) or combination thereof toachieve Self Fulfillment depending on onesVasanas Observe the ethical responsibilities enjoined by the Dharma (Ethics, integrity and building of character) 19. Do Hindus have a Chief among all Swamis, like a Pope, sort of a Parama Rishi if you will ? No. The Dharma does not believe in interposing another entity between the Atman and the ParamAtman, another individual however learned though he may be. The Guru points the path, lights the way, and may even suggest the appropriate goals, but no other person can dictate these to any individual. The Freedom to choose is the single most important characteristic of the Hindu faith. Hinduism does not believe in a one size fits all doctrine, and does not demand a uniformity in worship, 53 a catechism. There are thousands of appropriate slokas to choose from or if one so desires one can write ones own sloka. It is recommended however that there be a disciplinary approach and that a certain time be set aside for meditation and prayer, preferably at the same time and place everyday, and that the same prayer be chanted until it can be repeated by rote. This is where a Guru's guidance is highly recommended. One cannot become a Doctor before writing the board exams. Remember ,the Dharma reminds us all we are potentially divine and it is our own Avidya that creates a veil and blurs the vision of where we ought to go. The absence of a real or even a titular head of the Hindu faith has had unintended consequences. One of these is the fact that rival theologies, have assumed that the absenceof a head implies vulnerability and weakness and that they can be especially aggressive when it comes to the Dharma. As a consequence they feel they can make any kind of unsubstantiated allegation and get away with it , since there is nobody of sufficient stature to rebut such statements, which they would not make even against another faith like islam , that also has no titular head. However, the Mullah in Islam has greater authority and the organizational structure of Islam is far more hierarchical than that of the Hindu faith, which has hardly any organizational structure to speak of. But the same adversaries do not realize that once unleashed the democratic power of almost 1 Billion adherents is formidableand is growing in strength as more and 54 more Hindus realize the nature and extent of the egregious allegations that are being leveled against their faith. The window of opportunity to send the Hindu Dharma into Museums and make it a historical curiosity has now closed 20. We have all heard of the great philosopher statesman of India ,and in modern times we have had such statesmen as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Can you name one such person from the ancient times? The most famous of the philosopher statesman of India was by far Chanakya. But there is one who was less well known especially amongst western audiences and he is Bhartrihari. In an era when Indics with versatile interests were relatively abundant, Bhartrihari stands out as a genius of great versatility. Linguist, philosopher, king, this man did it all .we will put together a collage of Bhartrihari who was a contemporary of Varahamihira . in the meantime here is a snapshot of his life and times 21. What are the methods of acquiring knowledge (pramAna) in the various Dhaarmic faiths I. JAINISM: 3 pramANas 55 1. pratyaksha (perception) 2. anumAna (inference) 3. JinashAsana (Teachings of the 24 TIrthankaras) II. BUDDHISM: 3 pramANas 1. pratyaksha 2. anumAna 3. Buddhavacana (Teachings of the Buddha) (shruti) III. NYAAYA-VAISHESHHIKA: 4 pramANas 1. pratyaksha 2. anumAna 3. upamAna (analogy) 4. shabda (testimony--sacred [shruti and smRti] & secular) * Perception, called PratyakŞha, occupies the foremost position in the Nyaya epistemology. Perception is defined by sense-object contact and is unerring. Perception can be of two types: o Ordinary (Laukika or Sadharana), of six types, viz., visual-by eyes, olfactory-by nose, auditory-by ears, tactile-by skin, gustatory-by tongue and mental-by mind. o Extra-ordinary (Alaukika or Asadharana), of three types, viz., Samanyalakshana 56 (perceiving generality from a particular object), Jñanalakshana (when one sense organ can also perceive qualities not attributable to it, as when seeing a chili, one knows that it would be bitter or hot), and Yogaja (when certain human beings, from the power of Yoga, can perceive past, present and future and have supernatural abilities, either complete or some). Also, there are two modes or steps in perception, viz., Nirvikalpa, when one just perceives an object without being able to know its features, and Savikalpa, when one is able to clearly know an object. All laukika and alaukika pratyakshas are savikalpa. There is yet another stage called Pratyabhijñā, when one is able to re-recognise something on the basis of memory. * Inference, called AnumAna, is one of the most important contributions of Nyaya. It can be of two types - inference for oneself (Svarthanumana, where one does not need any formal procedure, and at the most the last three of their 5 steps), and inference for others (Parathanumana, which requires a systematic methodology of 5 steps). Inference can also be classified into 3 types: Purvavat (infering an unperceived effect from a perceived cause), Sheshavat (infering an unperceived cause from a perceived effect) and Samanyatodrishta (when inference is not based on causation but on uniformity of co-existence). A detailed anaysis of error is also given, explaining when anumAna could be false. * Comparison or Analogy, which is the rough translation of Upamana. It is the 57 knowledge of the relationship between a word and the object denoted by the word. It is produced by the knowledge of resemblance or similarity, given some pre-description of the new object beforehand. * Word, or Shabda are also accepted as a pramana. It can be of two types, Vaidika (Vedic), which are the words of the four sacred Vedas, and are described as the Word of God, having been composed by God, and Laukika, or words and writings of trustworthy human beings. IV. SANKHYA-YOGA: 3 pramANas 1. pratyaksha 2. anumAna 3. shabda (shruti) V. PRABHAKARA MIIMAMSA: 5 pramANas 1. pratyaksha 2. anumAna 3. upamAna 4. arthApatti (implication) 5. shabda (shruti) 58 VI. KUMARILA MIIMAMSA: 6 pramANas 1. pratyaksha 2. anumAna 3. upamAna 4. arthApatti 5. shabda (shruti) 6. anupalabdhi (non-apprehension) VII. SANKARA (ADVAITA) VEDANTA: 6 pramANas (same as the 6 of KumArila MImAmsA). "vyAvahAre bhATTanayaH". VIII. RAMANUJAM (VISHISHT ADVAITA) VEDANTA: 3 pramANas 1. pratyaksha 2. anumAna 3. shabda (shruti) IX. MADHAVA (DVAITA) VEDANTA: 3 pramANas 1. pratyaksha 2. anumAna 3. shabda (shruti) 59 Thus there is an underlying congruence among all the Indic belief systems at least as far as the acquisition of knowledge goes, which is why i use the term Indic ethos to indicate a homogeneity among all faiths originating in the Indian subcontinent. We will have more to say on the various approaches to knowledge acquisition a little later. This is not to say that there are not significant differences, but the fundamental postulates that they make about the universe are not dissimilar 22. What is Vairagya ? What role does it play in Hindu ethics Read for yourself and make up your own mind Are Brahmanas the Dalits of today ? 23. What if any are the obligatory duties of the Hindu ? What is meant by Samskaaras ? Are Samskaaras the only obligatory duties ? And if so, isn't there too much emphasis on ritual and less on helping those in need . Hindu samskaras are like other daily practices of the Hindus , of great antiquity. An excellent discussion of the origin, meaning and significance of the Samskaras is given by Rajbali Pandey in a monograph titled' Hindu Samskaaras", published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi. What follows is a synopsis of some of the essential ideas which are treated in much greater detail in the book. The word Samskara has uncertain etymology, as far as we are aware, and there does not exist an exact English equivalent. The word ceremony or Latin caeremonia does not convey an exact sense of the word. It s in fact related to the word Karma in Sanskrit. Samskaara does not mean "mere outward religious rite ,polite observances, empty form, stately usage, formal qualities and punctilious behavior" which is the meaning of the word ceremony in the oxford dictionary, and as it is falsely understood in many circles. A more closer rendering of the word SamskAram is contained in the word sacrament "religious ceremony or act regarded as outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace" applied by the Eastern, pre-reformation Western and Roman Catholic church to the seven rites of baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist , penance, extreme unction , orders and matrimony. 60 A Samskaara is that which refines and purifies the performer. There are 52 Samskaaras meant to uplift the Jivaatma to the Paramaatma, out of which some rishis have recommended 10. These are prescribed by the Smritis, based on Vedas. For the purification of mind, these karmas have to be performed sincerely. The purified mind can then undertake Atma Vichaaram to attain Moksha. Sl. No 01 Name Details Vivaaha (Marriage) Entry into the Grihastha the second of the asramas of life (Brahmachari, Grihastha, Vaanavasi and Sannyasa) Garbhaa Dhaanam Physical union is consecrated through prayer. This is done prior to the 'Shaanti Muhurtam'. Pumsavanam Done during the 3rd month of pregnancy. This is also called "Garbharakshan". Garbharakshana is performed to assure that the infant is not miscarried. Done during the 6th or 8th month. This rite is primarily social and festival in nature, intended to keep the pregnant woman in good spirits. Done just after birth.. Gifts are offered to people. Naming ceremony on the 11th day First feeding of solid food during 6th month 02 03 04 Seemantham 05 06 07 08 Jaata Karmam Naama Karanam Anna Praasanam Chaulam (Kudumi) Special hair-dressing done along with Mantras 61 Chudakarma 09 Upanayanam (Poonal) Starting of Brahmacharya. This ceremony initiates the child into an intellectual and spiritual journey. 'Yagyopaveet' (sacred thread) indicates that the child is qualified to perform all the traditional Vedic rites including Pitra Kriya and Tarpan for his forefathers. 10 11 Samavartam conclusion of Brahmachari period Antyesti,shraddha funeral rites to be performed by the son Sl. Nos. 01 to 09 are to be done by the parents. The parents should see that their children do not blame them later for not doing these Samskaaras. Sl. Nos. 10 is to be done by the Brahmacharies during Gurukulavaasam. This duration is about 12 years. A final word about samskaras; as with everything else about Hinduism, it is up to the individual to decide whether a particular Samskaara has relevance. It is easy to dismiss them as being of no relevance to the age we live in, but if after reading , research and contemplation (sravanam, mananam, nididhyasanam) such is the conclusion, It is understandable one follows ones dictates on the choice of which Samskaara to follow. 62 Chapter 2 The Ethical Values of the Dharma The ethical value system and the Goals of the Hindu The Vedantic Paradigm Brahmavidya and Yogasastra 2.1 The Goal and the means to get there It is the goal of every Hindu to attain Self Realization and Salvation (Moksha). Vedanta (literally the end of the Veda), the essence of the Sanatana Dharma is concerned essentially with 2 aspects of higher human knowledge Metaphysics Brahmavidya or PAraVidya or higher knowledge Ethics and Yoga Sastra or the means to attain Brahmavidya Discipline 63 2.2 The Indic tradition is a srautic tradition The foundations and origins of this Meta knowledge are lost in antiquity and are considered eternal and do not depend on any one prophet or Sage. A distinction is made by the Indic between Sruti; a revelation, from the Supreme Spirit or Brahman nascent in all life, that is transmitted to us through the Rishis (from rsh to know) and Smrti that which is heard (from man). Thus the Indic tradition was not a likhita Parampara (written tradition) but an oral one, at least for several millennia until the Vedas were codified by Veda VyAsa around 3100 BCE, by which time the Brahmi script was in vogue. Veda, Mantra and Sruti are thus termed Apaurusheya Pramaanam. They are the first record we humans have of the questions that were asked in antiquity, questions we continue to ask today. Questions like – Who am I, why am I here, what makes me unique as a species and as an individual, how was the Universe created and what is my place in it . But as far as we are aware it was Vyaasa (BAdArayAna, Krishna DvaipArayana) who expounded on this knowledge in a tangible form to humans in the form of Brahma Sutras. Sutras are aphorisms characterized primarily their terseness and the depth of meaning associated with each aphorism. Brevity was essential, as the primary means of transmittal of knowledge was oral and vast amounts of knowledge had to be memorized and had to be recited in a particular meter (Chandas) to assist in harmonizing the mind while engaged in the process of learning. Thus all Indic tradition can be classified into the following Veda Sutra Smrti Purana Itihasa Bhashyam The primordial sacred books of the Indic Vedic tradition Aphorisms That which is remembered Literally the story of the ancients The story of the past or History Commentaries 64 2.3 GuNAs Sattva Rajas Tamas Individuals who are predominantly Sattvic are attached to happiness and to knowledge Rajasic individuals are filled with a desire and passion to undertake new projects and goad others into action. Many leaders exhibit a Rajasic temperament Tamas is inertia born of ignorance. It enshrouds the discrimination of man and inclines him to indolence, sleep and renders him inert. By nature it is destructive Every individual exhibits three GuNAs in varying proportions. Chapter 14 of the Bhagavad Gita deals with their function, and indicates the means for the individual to transcend them. The path that an individual needs to take is dependent on the relative proportion of these GuNAs that reside in him. The 3 GuNAs are, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. The relative proportion of each in the total determines the essential nature of the individual. It follows that at any given time an individual, may exhibit different modes of behavior as his personality matures and develops. The son of a Brahmana may choose not to follow the priestly vocation and may elect to go into law. As a general rule of thumb one elects to be in a profession which utilizes his GuNAs fully. For example Brahmanas tend to cluster around intellectual pursuits (teaching, legal, corporate management, administration etc. In the past the choice of professions available to Brahmanas were limited to priestly duties and the services he could render as a Minister to the Maharaja including mundane tasks such as accounting and cooking. In recent years substantial numbers of Brahmanas faced with increasing discrimination from their own government have elected to go into Business, so that his varna is that of a Vaisya, unless he maintains his competency and knowledge of the Vedic scripture and adheres to the injunctions of a Brahmana. Most Indian philosophers accept this view originally propounded in the Samkhya philosophy, that the whole of nature is composed of 3 forces or GuNAs as above. 65 2.4 The cardinal Virtues according to Hinduism Purity Self Control Detachment Truth Non Violence Sattva, Suddhi Sama/Dama Vairagya Satyam Ahimsa One of the first steps is to master the eight characteristics or Atma guNAs Compassion Forgiveness or patience Absence of jealousy Cleanliness Not feeling mental strain or doing work with effortless ease Auspiciousness Non-miserliness Non-grasping or non-desiring nature Daya shanty nausea shaucham anabas man gala akarpanya asprha 66 2.5 Paths to Self Realization There are many paths to Self realization, but many of these paths can be categorized into four main Yogas or means to attain the goal. They are Karma Yoga Bhakti Yoga Jnana Yoga Raja Yoga Work and Action, subject of Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita Yoga of Devotion, Chapter 12 of Bhagavad Gita Yoga of Knowledge, yoga of pure discrimination, Chapter 4 of Bhagavad Gita, summarized in Chapter 2 Yoga of meditation, summarized in Chapter 6 of Bhagavad Gita For most individuals a balanced combination of all four Yogas is most appropriate, the proper balance depending on the individual’s vasanas or svabhava and the stage of his journey through life. There is no intent to convey that any particular Yoga is superior to the other. For an introduction to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras see for instance “Practical Yoga , ancient and modern” by Earnest E Wood or Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda Yoga is the control of ideas in the Mind. Yoga means the establishment of perfect harmony between the everyday self and its spiritual source. Five Kinds of ideas or modifications (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras) Right Knowledge Wrong Knowledge or indiscrimination Fancy or verbal delusion Sleep Memory 67 Special qualifications demanded of a student of Vedanta (Sadhana Chatusthaya) or the fourfold pre-requisites of philosophical discipline (Mandukya Upanishad). See also Viveka Chudamani by Adi Sankara English Samskrtam Discrimination Viveka (between the Real and the Unreal) Non-attachment Vairagya – dispassion for all enjoyments here and in hereafter , uncolored ness Self Control Sama(tranquility of mind), Dama(restraint of senses), Uparathi(renunciation of desires), thithiksha(endurance), sraddha,(faith) samadhan (self control) Uparathi – renunciation of superstition and dependence on the idea that his/her advance can be helped or impeded by others (Vivekachudamani) Thithiksha – endurance – acceptance of the idea that he/she must endure what comes and make the most of it without complaining (whining in modern parlance) - forbearance Irrepressible hankering for truth Mumukshutwa a burning the desire to realize the Self within, which is the Self within us all 68 Efficacy of Chanting Shanti 3 times – The purpose is removal of 3 possible obstacles to the study of scriptures Adhi-daivika – God sent like lightning , thunder etc. Adhi-Bauthhika – phenomenon such as fire, floods, landslides etc. Adhi-atmika or Adhyatmika – purely subjective and self inflicted, such as inertia, lack of faith, insincerity, and such arise from our own negative attitudes 69 The Eight Angas (limbs) of Yoga Yama Discipline, ahimsa (abstinence from doing injury), Satyam (truthfulness) ,Asteya(honesty), Brahmacharya(celibacy during the first 25 years, chastity), Apar Graha (non acquisitiveness,poverty) Self restraint, shaucha (cleanliness, purity), santosh (contentment), Tapas (ascetism), Swadhyaya (study), ishwarpranidhana(devotion to God) Sitting in the right place and with the correct bodily attitude Regulation of breath suppression concentration meditation absorption Niyama Asanam Pranayama Pratyahara Dharana Dhyanam Samadhi 70 2.6 A person’s karma can be classified as follows PrArabda karma That part of a Man’s accumulated karma which has begun to bear fruit in the present life. It is entirely predetermined and cannot be avoided, e,g, sex, parentage, color of skin. Man is a creature of circumstance Accumulated karma of previous actions/habits of individual. As a result of past actions he acquires a certain character and certain tendencies. Unlike prarabda karma it can be totally destroyed and it is possible to uproot evil habits by persistence and plant good habits in their place Is the Karma which is being created now. It’s fruits will come to us possibly in a future life. It is entirely in our own hands Sanchita karma Agami karma Discussion of Cognate Ideas Exercise of Free Will – see for instance the dialog between a disciple and His Holiness Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Swaminah, reproduced elsewhere in this monograph The four proximate Goals of life or Purushartha Dharma See for instance here,duties,responsibilities to family,society,spiritual preceptors and the nation Acquisition of wealth and satisfaction of material needs (vide Maslow hierarchy) Satisfaction of emotional and sensory needs, music, art, sex, etc. Realization of the self, the goal of all human endeavors Artha Kama Moksha or PurushArtha 71 2.7 Sreyas and Preyas (The Path of the good and the Path of the pleasant) Every individual is faced with a choice. The choice is usually between the path of least resistance (or the path of the pleasant) and the path involving a degree of difficulty, a path involving either sustained effort or an intellectually demanding one. The tendency is to choose the path that is well trodden, safe, and less risky and involves less effort or some combination of some of these. Even Arjuna the Knight Templar of the Mahabharata is not above the desire to cut corners and choose the easy path. One is reminded of the poem by Robert Frost, The Road not taken I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. In the 2nd chapter (2.7) Arjuna said to Bhagavan kapR{ydae;aephtSv-av> p&CDaim Tva< xmRs SyaiÚiít< äUih tNme iz:ySte=h< zaix ma< Tva< àpÚm! ,, 7 ,, 72 Transliteration kArpanya dosaphahata svabhAvaha prcchami tvAm dharmasamudha chethAha I ysc chreyah syAnnischitam brUhi tanme, shishyas te ham sAdhimam tvAm prapannam II kapR{y dae; %phtSv-av> - kayrtaêp dae; se AaCDaidt Svavvala with my being overtaken by weakness p&CDaim - pUDta ø< Tvam! - Aapkae - you I ask xmRs - xmR ke iv;y me maeihticÄ ÷Aa with a mind in confusion about duty - yt! - jae - which good may be ïey> - ACDa Syat! - hae äUih - kihye tt! - vh - iniítm! - iníy ikya ÷Aa tell me that - decisively 73 me - mere il@ iz:y> - iz:y ø< te - Aapka Ahm! - mE< mam! - muHe I for me - disciple your zaix - iz]a dIijye me - teach Tvam! - Aapke in you àpÚm! - zr[ ÷@ - taken refuge maeihticÄ ÷Aa mE< Aapkae pUDta ø< jae k…D iníy ikya ÷Aa #sil@ Aapke zr[ ÷@ muHe iz]a dIijye , kayrtaêp dae; se AaCDaidt Sv-avvala AaEr xmR ke iv;y me< kLya[kark saxn hae vh muHse kih@ Kyae iSwtà}StdaeCyte ।। 2,55 ïI-gvanuvac Bhagavad Gita 2.55 sri-bhagavan uvaca prajahaati yada kaamaan sarvaan partha mano-gataan atmany evatmana tustah sthita-prajnas tadocyate Sri Bhagavan said: O Partha, when a person gives up all varieties of desire for sense gratification, which arise from a less than peaceful state of mind, and when her mind, thus purified, finds satisfaction in the Self alone, then is she said to be one stable in wisdom or transcendentally wise. 141 vItrag-y³aex> iSwtxImuRinéCyte ।। 2,56 Ê:oe:vnuiÖ¶mna:suoe;u ivgtSp&h>। Bhagavad Gita 2.56 duhkhesv anudvigna-manaah sukheshu vigata-sprhah vita-raaga-bhaya-krodhah sthita-dhiir munir ucyate One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst adversity or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind. 142 y> svRÇani-õehStÄt!àaPy zu-azu-m! । nai-nNdit n Öeiò tSy à}a àitióta ।। 2,57 Bhagavad Gita 2.57 yah sarvatraanabhisnehas tat tat prapya shubhaashubham naabhinandati na dvesti tasya prajnaa pratisthita "In the material world, one who is unaffected by good fortune or misfortune, treating neither with elation nor dejection, is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge." yda s। #iNÔya[IiNÔyawˆR_yStSy à}a àitióta ।। 2,58 Bhagavad Gita 2.58 yada samharate chaayam kuurmo ’ngaaniiva sarvasah indriyaanindriyarthebhyas tasya prajnaa pratisthita One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness. 143 iv;ya ivinvtRNt inraharSy deihn> । 2,59 rsvj¡ rsae=PySy pr< †òœva invtRte ।। Bhagavad Gita 2.59 vishaya vinivartante niraahaarasya dehinah rasa-varjam raso ’py asya param drishtva nivartate The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness. yttae ýip kaENtey puê;Sy ivpiít> । 2,60 #iNÔyai[ àmawIin hriNt às-< mn> ।। 144 Bhagavad Gita 2.60 yatato hy api kaunteya purushasya vipascitah indriyani pramathiini haranti prasabham manah The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of wisdom and discrimination who is endeavoring to control them." tain svaRi[ s । vze ih ySyeiNÔyai[ tSy à}a àitióta ।। 2,61 Bhagavad Gita 2.61 tani sarvaani samyamya yukta aasita mat-parah vashe hi yasyendriyani tasya prajna pratisthita One who restrains his senses, keeping them under full control, and fixes his consciousness upon Me, is known as a man of steady intelligence. 145 Xyaytae v;yaNpu s¼Ste;Upjayte । s¼aTs kamaT³aexae=i-jayte ।।2,62 Bhagavad Gita 2.62 dhyaayato visayaan pumsah sangas tesupajayate sangaat sanjaayate kaamah kaamaat krodho ’bhijaayate While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment develops desire, and from desire springs anger. ³aexaÑvit s s । Sm&itæ zaiNtrzaNtSy k…t> suom! ।।2.66 148 Bhagavad Gita 2.66 nasti buddhir ayuktasya na cayuktasya bhavana na cabhavayatah shantir asantasya kutah sukham One who is not connected with the Supreme can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace? #iNÔya[a< ih crta< yNmnae=nuivxIyte । tdSy hrit à}a< vayunaRvimvaM-is ।। Bhagavad Gita 2.67 indriyanam hi charataam yan mano ’nuvidhiyate tad asya harati prajnaam vayur naavam ivaambhasi "As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a person’s intelligence." 2,67 149 tSma*Sy mhabahae ing&hItain svRz> । #iNÔya[IiNÔyawˆR_yStSy à}a àitióta ।।2,68 Bhagavad Gita 2.68 tasmaad yasya maha-baaho nigrhitaani sarvashah indriyaanindriyarthebhyas tasya prajna pratisthita "Therefore, O mighty-armed, one whose senses are restrained from their objects is certainly of steady intelligence." ya inza svR-Utana< tSya< jagitR s àivziNt yÖt! । tÖTkama y< ivziNt svˆR s zaiNtmaßaeit n kamkamI ।। Bhagavad Gita 2.70 2,70 aapuryamaanam acala-pratishtham samudram apah pravishanti yadvat tadvat kama yam pravishanti sarve sa shantim apnoti na kama-kami A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still—can alone achieve peace, and not the individual who strives to satisfy such desires. 151 ivhay kamaNy> svaRNpuma<írit in:Sp&h> । inmRmae inrh s zaiNtmixgCDit ।। 2,71 Bhagavad Gita 2.71 vihaaya kaamaan yah sarvaan pumaams charati nihsprhah nirmamo nirahankaarah sa shaantim adhigacchati A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego—she alone can attain real peace. @;a äaüI iSwit: pawR nEna< àaPy ivmuýit । iSwTvaSyamNtkale=ip äüinvaR[m&CDit ।। 152 2,72 Bhagavad Gita 2.72 esa brahmi sthitih partha nainam prapya vimuhyati sthitvasyam anta-kale ’pi brahma-nirvanam rcchati That is the way of the spiritual and Dhaarmic life, after attaining which an individual is neither bewildered nor deluded. If one is thus situated even at the hour of death, one can attain the grace of Brahman" #it ïImÑgvÌItasUpin;Tsu äüiv*aya< yaegzaôe । ïIk«:[ajuRns ।। 153 This is the end of Chapter II of the Bhagavad Gita Upanishad on Samkhya Yoga or Yoga of Knowledge, and forms part of the discourse between Sri Krishna and Arjuna on Brahma Vidya and Yoga sastra. Attaining the status of a sthitha prajna is a key teaching of the Gita as well as being a key ingredient in the process of attaining Moksha. The essential elements of an integrated life according to the Gita are as follows Know the reality of the world we live in Know the reality of one self and the relationship of the self with the supreme spirit or Brahman Know the causes of instability of the mind, keeping in mind the goal of stability of the mind or equanimity (the key to the ultimate goal of realization of Brahman or realization of the supreme self) Nurture the practice of true knowledge (pAra vidya) , of discrimination (Viveka) and of detachment (vairagya) While action is important and needed for survival and prosperity it is the spirit of the action and the manner in which it Is invoked that is key to remaining unbound to the action by expectations and desires. Know the nature of the Supreme Self and identify ones own Atman with Brahman Know the true nature of devotion, surrender and sacrifice Notes 154 ,, 68 ,, à}a - buiÏ knowledge is steady àitióta - iSwr haetI hE he mhabahae #sil@ ijs pué; kI #iNÔya< sb àkar #iNÔyae< ke iv;yae< se vz me< kI ÷$ haetI hE %skI buiÏ iSwr haetI hE , Therefore, O mighty armed one (Arjuna), he, whose senses are completely restrained from their objects, is said to be of steady knowledge. (68) ,, 69 ,, ya - jae which night of all beings inza - raiÇ tSyam! - %sme< svR-Utanam! - sb àai[yae< ke in that - jagitR - jagta hE s - tTv kae jannevale mune> - muin kI - of the Seer ijsme< smSt àa[I jagte hE< vh tTv kae jannevale muin kI raiÇ hE, That which is night to all beings, is the the time when the self-controlled one is awake. And that which is day when all beings are awake, is night to the seer. (69) ,, 70 ,, jae smSt àai[yae< kI raiÇ hE %sme< yaegI pué; jagta hEAaEr 156 AapUyRma[m! - sb Aaer se pirpU[R Aclàitóm! - Acl àitóavale smuÔm! - smuÔ ke àit Aap> - jl yÖt! - jEse tÖt! - vEse ym! - ijs svˆR - sMpU[R s> - vh - - filled from all sides unaltered ocean waters enter àivziNt - sma jate hE< as so desires whom kama> - -aeg àivziNt - sma jate hE< he all - enter zaiNtm! - zaiNt kae Aaßaeit - àaÝ haeta hE peace attains 157 n - n ik - not seeker of desires kamkamI - -aegae< kae cahnevala jEse sb Aaer se pirpU[R Acl àitóavale smuÔ ke àit nana nidyae< ke jl sma jate hE< vEse hI ijs iSwrbuiÏ pué; ke haeta hE n ik -aegae< kae cahnevala , As the waters of different rivers enter it from all sides, the ocean remains unaltered, likewise, he who remains unmoved by pleasures, remains at peace; not he who hankers after pleasures. (70) ,, 71 ,, ivhay - Tyagkr abandoning desires àit sMpU[R -aeg sma jate hE< vh pué; prm zaiNt kae àaÝ kaman! - kamnaAae< kae y> - jae that all svaRn! - sb puman! - pué; man 158 crit - ivcrta hE in>Sp&h> - Sp&hariht inmRm> - mmtariht s> - vh - moves about free from longing devoid of ownership without egoism inrh - Ah - iSwit hE pawR - he pawR n - nhI @nam! - #skae - äaüI - äü kae àaÝ ÷@ pué; kI state O Partha not this having obtained is deluded ivmuýit - maeiht haeta hE iSwTva - iSwt haekr ASyam! - #s iSwit me< ANtkale - ANtkal me< Aip - -I even äüinvaR[m! - äüanNd kae \CDit - àaÝ hae jata hE - àaPy - àaÝ haekr being established in this at the end of life - oneness with Brahman attains 160 he pawR yh äü kae àaÝ ÷@ pué; kI iSwit hE #skae àaÝ haekr maeiht nhI haeta hE AaEr ANtkal me< -I #s iSwit me< iSwt haekr äüanNd kae àaÝ hae jata hE , Partha (Arjuna), such is the Brahmic state, and he who has reached this state, overcomes delusion. And established in this state, even at the last moment of his life, he attains to Brahman. (72) #it ïImÑgvÌItasUpin;Tsu äüiv*aya< yaegzaôe O ïIk«:[ajuRns #it - #it ïImÑgvÌIta thus runs Srimad Bhagavad Gita Upanishad Knowledge of Brahman Science of Yoga - Krishna and Arjuna 161 %pin;Tsu - %pin;dœ me< äüiv*aya< - äüiv*a me< yaegzaôe - yaegzaô me< - ïImÑgvÌIta - ïIk«:[AjuRn - ïIk«:[ AaEr AjuRn s - Ësra AXyay #it ïImÑgvÌItaêpI %pin;d @v< äüiv*a twa yaegzaôiv;yk ïIk«:[ AaEr AjuRn ke sMvad me< sarajas Kshatriya - rajas-->Sattva-->Tamas Vaisya - rajas-->Tamas-->Sattva Shudra - Tamas In other words, one cannot term himself a Brahmana or a Sudra unless the person is endowed the right characteristics. This is not the situation today where the caste system is primarily an ethnic classification with racial connotations Can you give references to the occurrences off the Guna Varna Vyavastha in the Sruti? Let us look at a few examples to see what the scriptures say. The following verse in the Rg. Mandala X, hymn 90-11, is usually quoted, to bolster the assertion that the caste system is sanctioned by the Vedas. This is what the verse actually says ॄाह्मणो.अःय मुखमासीद बाहू राजन्यः कतर्ः | ऊरू तदःय यद वैँयः पद्भ्यां शूिो अजायत || X,90-11 167 brāhmano.asya mukhamāsīd bāhū rājanyaha kartaha | ūrūtadasya yad vaiśyaha padbhyāha śūdro ajāyata || This verse is usually translated into English as follows The Brahmana was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rajanya made. His thighs became the Vaisya; from his feet the Sudra was produced. The verse also occurs in the Yajurveda, 31.11 But, what is this meant to convey. It is actually an answer to the previous verse which asks the following question यत मुखं पुरुषं िकमःय कौ वयदधुः बाहू का कितधा ऊरू पादा वयकल्पयन उच्येते | || X,90-10 When they divided Purusa how many portions did they make? What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet? These verses are from the famous Purusa Suktam , the hymn in praise of the cosmic Purusa or the cosmic self (Viraat Purusa) and it is an analogy between the 168 limbs of the cosmic self and the occupations in each of the varnas based on their mix of GuNAs. In the first verse of the Purusa Suktam the gigantic being that comprises the cosmic self is described as having a thousand heads, thousand eyes and a thousand feet. It is clearly a metaphor for the Viraat Purusa (VP). There is no reference to his arms. The VP is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. There is also the clear implication of interdependence between the various parts of the cosmic self. No (wo) man is an Island unto himself and specialization of skills leads to division of Labor where every one in theory does what he or she is best suited for. In this Indic societies were and are no different from other societies in the west where the son of a blacksmith almost always opted to become a Blacksmith. It is by no means an endorsement of a hereditary caste system based on race, as the question of race rarely enters into the discourse anywhere in the Gita. There is a clear implication that within the same person there dwells the tendency to be any one of the Castes depending on the stage in one’s life and the circumstances and challenges faced by the individual at various stages on one’s life. Hindu Renaissance has brought out a special issue on the topic which takes a parallel view of the topic. 5 5 The Hindu Renaissance; Issues of jati and Varna, Vol.4, no.2, Varshapratipada Yugabda 5108 169 The use of analogy is termed UpamAna in Sanskrit epistemology. It is one of the six instruments of the mind used to gather pAra Vidya. Clearly the analogy has failed in its purpose which was to educate the public on the role of guNAs in the 'division of labor' paradigm as embodied in the Varna Ashrama system, and it is probably time to discard such an analogy which does not fit with the politically correct temper of the times. But merely because it is politically incorrect is hardly reason enough to misinterpret it as a system based on Race as the British did with the obvious motive of driving a divisive wedge in the society and make their own job of ruling autocratically all the more easier. Thus it was, and the evident glee with which the British went about embellishing and reinventing the Caste system is obvious for all to read Equally obvious is the fact that they would not have succeeded if there was no exploitation of weaker sections of society by fellow human beings. There are several points to note about the verse 1. The tenth Mandala of the Rg. was probably the last one written, even though it is generally accepted that the Mandalas are not in chronological order. Despite that the antiquity of the Rg. according to astronomical dating is circa 5000 BCE. Vedantic ideas had not evolved as yet, as exemplified in the Brahma sutras. The concept of Purusha (as opposed to Prakriti the material universe) was the first glimpse of an ontological principle at work. 170 2. This is probably the first evidence of an organized division of Labor based on aptitudes. In other words it was a meritocracy. It was not intended to be a hereditary system. The system unfortunately degraded into a hereditary system. Sudra; This (in the Purusha Suktam) is probably the first occurrence o f the word Shudra in the Sruti Shudra or Sudra is the fourth varna (See Appendix H, the glossary) in the traditional four section division of labor in Indic society. Their assigned and expected role of the Sudra in Vedic India was that of artisans and laborers. The four varnas are Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya, (see Glossary) and Shudra. Whilst the origins of the other varnas can be traced to Indo-Iranian or even Proto Indo-European words, the root of the word Sudra is not clear at all. A threefold division of societies can be found in ancient Iran that matches the Brahmana, Kshatriya and Vaisya varnas. Although linguistically related Nuristani people in neighboring Afghanistan have a class equivalent to the Shudras amongst them. It has been proposed ,mistakenly it turns out that the Shudras were same as Dasas and Dahyus, who are portrayed as enemies of the Aryans in the Vedas, and who it is said were enslaved by the Aryans. But the latter groups are also encountered in the Avestan texts and no subjugation is mentioned, though enmity is. The ancient texts of India betray no such subjugation by conquest resulting in servile group of people, but merely assume that the Shudras are part of society, even if not the most exalted. There is no 171 etymology of the word Sudra as well; it just emerges suddenly in the Purusa Suktam of Rig veda. The numerical strength of this varna is also not clear from the Vedic corpus as tasks attributed to Shudras later are done by Vaisyas in the era represented by these texts. Bhagavan Sri Krishna takes responsibility for the creation of the 4 Varnas according to a person’s relative mix of GuNAs catuvR{y¡ mya s&ò< gu[kmRiv-agz> । tSy ktaRrmip ma< ivÏ(ktaRrmVyym! ।। 4,13 , Chaturvarnyam maya srshtamGuna karma vibhagha saha I Tasya kartAramapimAm, VdyakartAram avyayam II catuvR{yRm! - carae< v[R - the fourfold caste mya - mere Öara - by me 172 s&òm! - rce gye hE< - has been created gu[kmRiv-agz>gu[ AaEr kmaˆR< ke Anusaraccording to their qualities and skills tSy - %nke - thereof ktaRrm! - ktaR kae - the author Aip - -I - also mam! - muH - me iviÏ - jan - know AktaRrm! - AktaR - passive AVyym! - AivnazI - immutable gu[ AaEr kmR ke iv-ag se carae< v[R ( äaü[, ]iÇy, vEZy, 173 zUÔ ) mere Öara rce gye hE< , %nka ktaR haene pr -I muH AivnazI prmeñr kae tum AktaR hI jan , The four orders the of society and the (viz., Sudra) to the Brahman, were the created the by and Kshatriya, Me, Vaisya classifying them in according each am and qualities skills,predominant duties know to apportioning corresponding of to this be creation, passive them; thoughI the the author Lord, (4,13) Me, immortal and immutable. The following is a verse from the Rg. also, exemplifying the fact that different members of the same family pursued different professions and that there was no one to one mapping between Varna and professions 174 कारुरहं ततो गा िभषगुपलूिक्षणी इव तिःथमेन्िायेन्दो नना पिर सरव | || नानािधयोवसूयवो.अनु Rg.IX,112,3 kāruraham tato bhishaghu palaprakshiNī nanā | nānādhiyovasūyavo.anu ghā iva tasthimendrāyendo pari srava I am a poet, my father is a physician, and my mother grinds corn on stone. Being engaged in different occupations, we seek wealth and happiness, as cows seek food in different pastures. May Thy bounties flow for our happiness, 0 God.” We need not multiply quotations, as even European scholars now reluctantly admit that hereditary Castes did not exist in the Vedic era Why is the Varna Ashrama System called a Caste System and is there a rational for calling it such ? If there were not a multiplicity of Varnas in the ancient times,how did we end up having so many castes in the last 100 years "The word caste is not a word that is indigenous to India. It originates in the 175 Portuguese word Casta which means race, breed, race or lineage. However, during the 19th century, the term caste increasingly took on the connotations of the word race6. Thus, from the very beginning of western contact with the subcontinent European constructions have been imposed on Indian systems and institutions. To fully appreciate the caste system one must step away from the definitions imposed by Europeans and look at the system as a whole, including the religious beliefs that are an integral part of it. To the British, viewing the caste system from the outside and on a very superficial level, it appeared to be a static system of social ordering that allowed the ruling class or Brahmins, to maintain their power over the other classes. What the British failed to realize was that Hindus existed in a different cosmological frame than did the British. .." "Today, people think that the rigid caste system operated in India is the result of ancient requirements of religion. But just how much of this rigidity was due to their religion? Or how much was it due to a conscious direction by the British to create artificial divisions in order to make it easier to divide and rule the subcontinent and its people?" "Moreover, as will be seen later in this paper, it appears that the caste system extant in the late 19th and early 20th century has been altered as a result of British actions so that it increasingly took on the characteristics that were ascribed to by the British." The 1901 census of India contains a wealth of detail that reflects some of the preoccupations of its age. It contains exhaustive treatments of issues related to population change and religion and civil condition and the other matters normally recorded in the census reports. A major Kevin Hobson The Indian Caste System and The British - Ethnographic Mapping and the Construction of the British Census in India 6 176 introduction in this census report, not seen in the previous census reports, was the study of the "anthropometric" readings of racial characteristics which is introduced into its discussion of "Caste, Tribe, and Race" in chapter eleven of the work. There is also a very extensive discussion of the origins of caste in the census report which has provoked much controversy 7 . Sir Herbert Risley also wrote a major work on Indian Castes called The People of India which he published in 1908. No indigenous equivalent to the word Caste in India. The English word Caste was derived from Portuguese word Casta which meant race, breed or lineage. Quite distinct from Varna The Brits institutionalized the word Caste, using the decennial Census of India as a tool for ethnographic mapping and conjured up 100’s of new castes the Census acted as a catalyst for an increased consciousness of caste as caste status became an increasingly significant factor in attaining material status. See for instance Nicholas Dirks ‘Castes of Mind’ “In any case, the British administrators were, understandably overwhelmed by these figures and felt obliged to find a way to compartmentalize chunks of population into manageable groups. The most obvious way to do so was through the use of India's unique caste system “Ethnographic Mapping and the Construction of the British Census in India Kevin Hobson This is a relatively charitable explanation. The more plausible one is that they needed an idea of the diversity of India in order to exploit it for the prolongation of their rule by use of an important dictum that went back to Roman times and to Julius Caesar, namely Divide et Impera (divide and rule). 7 177 Caste and the Colonialist Enterprise Caste (as we experience it today in India) is neither an unchanged survival of ancient India nor a single system that reflects a core cultural value. Rather than a basic expression of Indian tradition, caste is a modern phenomenon – the product of a concrete historical encounter between India and British colonial rule Nicholas Dirks Castes of Mind, Colonialism and the Making of Modern India Herbert. H. Risley, Commissioner of the 1901 census, also bared his underlying British prejudices in an 1886 publication which stated that race sentiment, far from being: a figment of the intolerant pride of the Brahman, rests upon a foundation of fact which scientific methods confirm, that it has shaped the intricate grouping of the caste system, and has preserved the Aryan type in comparative purity throughout Northern India. The interesting inference we can make from this statement, is that while he brands the Brahmana as being intolerantly proud, he reveals his strong belief in the existence of an Aryan racial prototype. The zeal and efficacy with which the British segregated themselves from the middle class Indian for over a hundred 178 years, and the extraordinary extent to which they opposed democracy and free elections in India speaks louder than any words that they believed in the Caste system, and that they considered themselves to be part of the ruling caste 8 Is the Guna Varna System a valid paradigm for the 21st century, and if so should we defend and retain it. It is time to redefine it or better yet if possible, discard it altogether. I say so not because i deem the system to be devoid of the very qualities and virtues which have propelled its existence for several millennia but because it has become a source of divisiveness for the republic and a weapon in the hands of those who would like to see the extinction of the Dharma. It is best if there were no references to caste in any public document such as application forms for employment or loans, or any affirmative action based solely on caste. Given the dynamics of the social system as we inherited it from the British, and the entrenched vested interest (of those who oppose Hinduism) in its prolongation, this is unlikely to happen. Hence in all likelihood the system will limp along kept alive by bureaucrats, the Hinduphobics, rival 8 When you examine this statement,it reveals 1.Dislike of the Brahmana –that he is intolerantly proud (meaning the Brits whohad fcompletely segregated themselves into ghettos called cantonments, were the only ones entitled to be proud and intolerant). That such a dislike was propelled by the need of the colonial master to dethrone the existing elite of India , is indeed obvious today. Despite this glaring motive, the Indics of today by and large have accepted the British version of Indic history,and it would take a massive effort on the part of any Government to undo the resulting damage. 2.That he believes in the racial purity of the Aryan 3.That the caste system was based on race 179 theological camps and last but not least the communists to provide them a strawman to belabor. What should be done about the Caste system , the terminology and the practice? There is no question it should be discarded. It has neither traditional sanction in the Sruti, nor is it appropriate for our times. 180 Appendix G Illustrations 181 Figure1 2000 Year old image of Lakshmi from a gateway of a Buddhist stupa at Bharhut indicating her popularity amongst non Hindus too (from Devdutt Pattanaik “Lakshmi –the Goddess of Wealth and Fortune an Introduction, Vakils, Feffer and Simons, Mumbai,2003 Bharhut or Barhut, is a location in Madhya Pradesh, Central India, known for its famous Buddhist stupa. The Bharhut stupa may have been established by the Maurya king Asoka in the 3rd century BCE, 182 Figure 2 Sarasvati at Happy Valley 183 Figure 3 Vinayaka at Happy Valley 184 Figure 4 Gayatri (vide the well known Gayatri Mantra) 185 Figure 5 Varaha, the Boar Avatar of Vishnu (from the Norton Simon Collection of Art from the Indian bcontinent) 186 Figure 6 &7 Shiva and Parvati from Andhra Pradesh,circa 11th century CE.Bronze, 16” This one is missing the figure of Skanda ttheir son ,synonymous with Kumara or Murugan as he is known in TN. These sculptures are known as Soma Skanda. This Sanskrit expression literally means Shiva with Uma and Skanda. Skanda is always shown as an infant or child. Ganesha their other son is never shown in this particular style of depiction. 187 188 Figure 7 Inset sculpture from Mahabalipuram,TN, India. Shiva and Parvati with Skanda. Also one can recognize Nandi the bull. Dharmaraja Ratha: It measures 29 by 27 by 35 feet and is shaped as a pyramid. Narasimha Varman I am considered by Hultzzen to be the author of this monument. The figures of Gods and men sculptured in the niches of the first three storeys of this Ratha, and the lonely words inscribed in bold and flowery letters, attract our attention. The first floor of the Ratha contains the familiar Somaskandha group (Siva with Parvati and Subrahmanya). One special feature about the treatment of the figure of Parvati is that she is looking at Siva instead of at the spectator as in other similar groups. The external face of the Ratha holds in its rectangular niches images of divinities, some of which are unfinished and some unidentifiable. 189 Figure 8 & 9 Mahabalipuram 190 Figure 10 Mahabalipuram Figure11 Avatars of Vishnu Vaishnavite architectural arch, 59 inches, Rajasthan, India, 11th, 12th century 191 Appendix H Glossary 192 Indic Studies Foundation (a California non-Profit Organization) www.indicethos.org www.indicstudies.us www.vepa.us Kaushal's blogger index Disclaimer Glossary of Sanskrit and Indic terms and phrases No. 1 Word or phrase Abhijit, अिभिजत Meaning Abhijit Nakshatra: Abhijit Nakshatra is called the intercalary(IC) Nakshatra as it appear as a small (smaller duration as compared to normal duration of Nakshatra 13d 20m) Nakshatra between Uttarashadha and Sravana. The duration of Uttarashadha is divided into four parts and the first three paadas are assigned to Uttarashadha, which makes the duration of Uttarashadha to be 10deg with each paada to be 2d 30m. The remaining one paada of Uttarashadha is assigned to Abhijit, the intercalary Nakshatra. Similarly beginning 1/15th part of Sravana is given to Abhijit, making its total length to be 253.33 min, i.e., 4d 13m 20s. The remaining 14/15th part of Sravana is assigned to the four padas of Sravana, making the total duration of Sravana to be 12d 26m 40s a spiritual guide or teacher. See Sankaracharya absence of righteousness,edisorder,,evil,immorality first, primordial as in Adi Sankara In Hinduism, Aditi (Sanskrit - limitless) is a goddess of the sky, consciousness, the past, the future and fertility. She is an ancient goddess, mother of Agni and the Adityas with Kashyapa. She is associated with cows, a very holy animal in Hindu beliefs. Aditi is the 2 3 4 5 Acharya,आचायर् Adharma,अधमर् Adi,आिद Aditi, आिदित 6 Aditya, आिदत्य 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 adhyasa,अद्यासा adrishta advaita,अद्वै त Agama,आगाम Ahimsa,अिहम्स amAvasya, daughter of Daksha and Veerni. She gave birth to the Devas who were beautiful, intelligent and pious to the Almighty.Although the goddess aditi is mentioned nearly eighty times in the rg-veda, it is difficult to get a clear picture of her nature. she is usually mentioned alongwith other gods and goddesses, there is no one hymn addressed exclusively to her, and unlike many other vedic deities, she is not obviously related to some natural phenomenon. compared to usas and prithvi, her character seems ill defined. she is virtually featureless physically. perhaps the most outstanding attribute of aditi is her motherhood. she is preeminently the mother of the adityas, a group of 7 or 8 gods which include mitra, aryaman, bhaga, varuna, daksha and ams. (2.27.1) aditi is also said to be the mother of the great god indra, the mother of kings (2.27), and the mother of gods (1.113.19). unlike prithvi, however, whose motherhood is also central to her nature, aditi does not have a male consort in the rg-veda. as a mothering presence, aditi is often asked to guard the one who petitions her (1.106.7 ; 8.18.6) or to provid In Hinduism, the Adityas are a group of solar deities, sons of Aditi and Kashyapa. In the Rigveda, they are seven deities of the heavens, chief of these being Varuna, followed by Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Daksha, and Ansa, the seventh Aditya was probably the Sun, Surya or Savitar. As a class of gods, the Rigvedic Adityas were distinct from the Vishvedevas. In the Yajurveda (Taittariya Samhita), their number is given as eight. In the Brahmanas, their number is expanded to twelve, corresponding to the twelve months:Ansa ,Aryman, Bhaga ,Daksha ,Dhatri, Indra, Mitra, Ravi, Savitar, Surya , Varuna, Yama Aditya in the (Chāndogya-Upanishad) is also a name of Vishnu, in his Vamana (dwarf) Avatar.Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0500510881) by Anna Dhallapiccola used to refer to the 'mistake' that we make when we 'superimpose' a false appearance upon the reality or mix up the real and the unreal. opposite of drishta or Unseen,a metaphor for the consequences of past actions,which may be unanticipated not two (dvaita) Ancient Sanskrit religious text abstention from injury to all life forms new moon anumaana or inference is one of the most importrant contributions of the system of metaknowledge known as Nyaya (which translates as Logic) अमावःय़ अनुमान AnumAna, 14 Apastambha अपःतम्भ 15 16 17 18 19 20 Artha, अा Arjava, आजर्व Aryabhatta, Apastambha was an ancient Vedic savant ,who composed the Sulvasutra named after him, credited with approximation for square root of two. His goal was among others to design ritual altars and to conform to the rules of Vastu Sastra,circa 2500 BCE. Apastambha predates Aryabhatta since Aryabhatta refers to the Sulvasutras in his magnum opus Aryabhattium Object, purpose, aim, significance, import. Attainment of worldly riches, prosperity, wealth, one of the goals of life prescribed by the Vedics in the Brahma Vidya straightforwardness at all times ancient Indian mathematician the astronomer laureate of India , who lived in the Post Vedic period. His dating is controversial but could be as early as 2500 BCE and if so is contemporaneous with Babylonian mathematicians, see Aryabhatta I is an adjective, meaning noble such as in Arya Putr, noble son or noble prince A term connoting the fictitious Aryan race, see also Vedics, should not be used synonymously with Aryan which has a racial connotation. Arya is purely a behavioral adjective and nothing more. A fictitious classification without any scientific basis used by the Europeans to distinguish themselves from the semitic speaking people of the world. A word that has been foisted upon the Vedics who used the adjective Arya meaning of noble behavior. there was no racial connotation as there is now in Europe the state of ignorance which needs to be dispelled at the outset , before one can begin the journey in earnest towards self fulfillment and Moksha. 'Ignorance is bliss ' or so the satire goes. Ignorance most certainly is not bliss. It is one of the greatest sins a Hindu can commit. Avidya (pAra or apAra) is an unpardonable excuse and as soon as a person determines he/she is in a state of Avidya, they should take steps to remedy the situation An approach to worship and spiritual practice in the Hindu tradition characterized by personal devotion to a divinity , often mediated by a holy person or teacher somewhat akin to the relationship with Christ among certain sects and adherents of Christianity Bhartrihari along with Panini and Patanjali who preceded him by several centuries is regarded as one of the main contrbutors to the field of linguistics in ancient India. He introduced the notion of shabda tattwa or shabda pramaanam, namely "the notion of the originary word (shabda) as transcending the bounds of spoken and written language and meaning. Understood as shabda tattva-the "word principle," this complex idea explains the nature of consciousness, the awareness of all forms of phenomenal appearances, and posits an identity obtains between these, which is none other than Brahman. It is thus language as a fundamentally ontological principle that accounts for how we are able to conceptualize and communicate the awareness of objects. The metaphysical notion of आयर्भठ Arya,आयर् Aryan,आयर्न Aryan Race 21 Avidya, अिवद्य 22 23 Bhakti Yoga, भिक्त Bhartrihari, भतर्िरहिर 24 25 26 BhAshya, भाँय Brahmacharya Brahmana,◌ॄ◌ाह्मण (the correct pronounciation includes a short 'a' vowel at the end, the first 'a' is a long vowel while the second is a short one 27 28 29 Brahmana,◌ॄ◌ाह्मण Brahmavidya,◌ॄिम वद्य Brahminism shabda Brahman posits the unity of all existence as the foundation for all linguistically Designated individual phenomena"Commentary on a celebrated or scriptural work (e.g. Adi Sankara's BhAshya on the Bhagavad Gita) or student life,when a boy lives with his teacher(Guru) and receives both religious and secular instruction.The youth is trained in self control, and acquires such virtiues as chastity, truthfulness, faith, and self surrender One who attains Brahman is a BrAhmana - Brahavit Brahaiva bhavati - is the sruti and is the strict definition of a Brahmana.In this day and age it is dfficult to fathom in a short period of time whether a particular person has realized Brahman or not . In such a circumstance one looks for adherence to the ethical values of the Hindu and whether the person has the qualities mentioned therein. One of the 4 varnas of society possessing a predominantly sattvic guna amongst the three gunas (Traigunya) rajas,tamas and satvaThe Sanaatana Dharma is a meritocracy and recognizes everybody is not capable of meeting the same challenges. It is not a one size fits all ideology. The Dharma also recognizes there is diversity in the human species that not everybody can become a doctor or a a star football player and that the person by reason of his gunas may not have the inclination, fortitude and desire to put in the long years of training necessary to become a doctor. These differences are not necessarily related to ones appearance or even heredity but have to do with whether a person has the discipline, the single minded focus and fortitude to undertake the arduous task of becoming a doctor or a vedic priest or a star football player. Ev texts associated with each Veda Brahmavidya or Paravidya (metaphysics metaknowledge or higher knowledge) is the vehicle for attaining Moksha in the path known as Jnana Yoga and Yogasastra(the means to attain the same) is the practical discipline needed to attain Brahmavidya Brahminism is an ersatz terminology used to describe Sanatana Dharma that has become popular in certain circles in the west. It is clear that the Dharma is a whole family of beliefs and darshanas. It has been thus since a very long time. The vedic texts have survived several millennia of wars and natural disasters, but it is quite possible other texts have been lost. It has never been the contention of hindus that the Vedas are the only canon to have originated in the Indian subcontinent . But it is clear that they are among the few to survive over the millennia. Furthermore the implication that Brahmanas had exclusive control over the content and practice of the faith is demeaning and insulting to the Sanatana Dharma which has had a longline of Rishis and Sages who have expounded on the faith few of whom have been Brahmanas. Belief systems that did not subscribe to the Vedic canon have been extant for a very long time and have been known as Nastik Dharmas and include among others Charvaka , Jainism and Buddhism. It is therefore unnecessary to invent a new word Brahminism to describe an ancient faith 30 31 32 which has a perfectly good name namely Sanatana Dharma. To use the word Rabbi-ism to describe the faith taught in Synagogues simp Brahmi script Brahmi is a "syllabic alphabet", meaning that each sign can be either a simple consonant or a syllable with the consonant and the inherent vowel /a/. Other syllabic alphabets ॄःिम outside of South Asia include Old Persian and Meroïtic. However, unlike these two system, Brahmi (and all subsequent Brahmi-derived scripts) indicates the same consonant with a different vowel by drawing extra strokes, called matras, attached to the character. Ligatures are used to indicate consonant clusters. The Brahmi script was first deciphered by James Princep although I find it difficult to believe that they could not find a single Indian who was capable of deciphering the Brahmi script Caste Derived from Portuguese Casta, Caste has a meaning quite distinct from Varna which has been accepted as being part of the tradition. Caste according to the Portuguese means a race or a breed. Varna makes no such distinction and to ascribe racial motivations for a system based on division of labor depending on individual inclinations and which is a meritocracy to boot, is totally unconscionable, but that is exactly what the colonial power did with great success . The Sanatana Dharma makes no apologies for being a meritocracy based on competency and character and it is only after the advent of colonial rule that it took on the character of a racial and ethnic division based on birth. It is a tribute to the tenacity and persistence of the British that their viewpoint has prevailed and has been internalized by the Indic population for the most part. Yet it behooves those of us who know better to keep reminding everybody that the colonial viewpoint reflects a conjured up reality that has no relation to a core value nor is it derived from core beliefs held since antiquity. see also Varnashrama dharma. Celestial the most commonly used astronomical coordinate system for indicating the positions of (Equatorial)Coord stars or other celestial objects on the celestial sphere . The celestial sphere is an inate System imaginary sphere with the observer at its center. It represents the entire sky; all celestial objects other than the earth are imagined as being located on its inside surface. If the earth's axis is extended, the points where it intersects the celestial sphere are called the celestial poles; the north celestial pole is directly above the earth's North Pole, and the south celestial pole directly above the earth's South Pole. The great circle on the celestial sphere halfway between the celestial poles is called the celestial equator; it can be thought of as the earth's equator projected onto the celestial sphere. It divides the celestial sphere into the northern and southern skies. An important reference point on the celestial equator is the vernal equinox, the point at which the sun crosses the celestial equator in March. To designate the position of a star, the astronomer considers an imaginary great circle passing through the celestial poles and through the star in question. This is the star's hour circle, analogous to a meridian of longitude on earth. The astronomer then measures the angle between the angle between the vernal equinox 33 Celestial equator,नािडोुत्त, and the point where the hour circle intersects the celestial equator. This angle is called the star's right ascension and is measured in hours, minutes, and seconds rather than in the more familiar degrees, minutes, and seconds. (There are 360 degrees or 24 hours in a full circle.) The right ascension is always measured eastward from the vernal equinox. Next the observer measures along the star's hour circle the angle between the celestial equator and the position of the star. This angle is called the declination of the star and is measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds north or south of the celestial equator, analogous to latitude on the earth. Right ascension and declination together determine the location of a star on the celestial sphere. The right ascensions and declinations of many stars are listed in various reference tables published for astronomers and navigators. Because a star's position may change slightly (see proper motion and precession of the equinoxes ), such tables must be revised at regular intervals. By definition, the vernal equinox is located at right ascension 0 h and declination 0 degrees. The great circle on the celestial sphere halfway between the celestial poles is called the celestial equator Nadivruth 34 35 decimal system see also place value system, decimal system [Latin= of tenths], numeration system based on powers of 10. A number is written as a row of digits, with each position in the row corresponding to a certain power of 10. A decimal point in the row divides it into those powers of 10 equal to or greater than 0 and those less than 0, i.e., negative powers of 10. Positions farther to the left of the decimal point correspond to increasing positive powers of 10 and those farther to the right to increasing negative powers, i.e., to division by higher positive powers of 10. For example, 4,309=(4x10**3)+(3x10**2)+(0x10**1)+(9x10**0)=4,000+300+0+9, and 4.309=(4x10**0)+(3x10**-1)+(0x10**-’2)+(9x10**-’3)=4+3/10+0/100+9/1000. It is believed that the decimal system is based on 10 because humans have 10 fingers and so became used to counting by 10s early in the course of civilization. The decimal system was introduced into Europe c.1300. It greatly simplified arithmetic and was a much-needed improvement over the Roman numerals, which did not use a positional system. A number written in the decimal system is called a decimal, although sometimes this term is used to refer only to a proper fraction written in this system and 36 37 38 Dasa Dharma one of the four kinds of human aspirations, which are dharma, artha, kAma and moksha. dharma: "Righteous living." The fulfillment of virtue, good works, duties and responsibilities, restraints and observances - performing one's part in the service of society. This includes pursuit of truth under a guru of a particular Parampara and sAmpradaya. Dharma is of four primary forms. It is the steady guide for artha and kama. The word dharma is pregnant with meaning and is used synonymously with the English word religion although its meaning is quite different, with a degree of overlap. 39 40 Dravidian languages Druhyu One of 5 clans Anus, Druhyus, Turvashas, Puru, Yadu, the sons of Yayati. Druhyu is the 3rd son of Yayati. His dynasty is listed in Chapter 23 of the Bhagavata Puraana.The descendants of Druhyu eventually went on to become Zarathushtrans , followers of Zarathushtra and subsequently formed the Aryamanush (Greek corruption Achaemenid) empire, e.g. Darius = Druhyu,Daryavahyu . For other Old Persian Sanskrit names see for instance, http:/indicstudies.us/Archives/Linguistics/Persian names.html. I recommend all the readers of Indic origin (and others) use Sanskritic names for Iranian kings. That will force us into a thought process that they were all a part of the Vedic civilization. the great circle on the celestial sphere that lies in the plane of the earth's orbit (called the plane of the ecliptic). Because of the earth's yearly revolution around the sun, the sun appears to move in an annual journey through the heavens with the ecliptic as its path. The ecliptic is the principal axis in the ecliptic coordinate system . The two points at which the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator are the equinoxes . The obliquity of the ecliptic is the inclination of the plane of the ecliptic to the plane of the celestial equator, an angle of about 23 1/2 °. The constellations through which the ecliptic passes are the constellations of the zodiac . Ekadasi is the eleventh lunar day (Tithi) of the Shukla (bright) or Krishna (dark) Paksha (fortnight) respectively ,of every lunar month in the Hindu calendar (Panchanga).In Hinduism and Jainism, it is considered spiritually beneficial day. Scriptures recommend observing an (ideally waterless) fast from sunset on the day prior to Ekadasi until 48 minutes after sunrise on the day following Ekadasi. Ekadasi is a Sanskrit word, which means 'the eleventh'. It refers to the eleventh day of a fortnight belonging to a lunar month. There are two fortnights in a lunar month—the bright and the dark. So, Ekadasi occurs twice in a month, in the bright fortnight and the dark fortnight. The special feature of Ekadasi, as most people know it, is a fast, abstinence from food. This is how it is usually understood. In fact, the fast is only a practical expression and a symbol of something else that we are expected to do, which is of special significance to our personality. thegreatcircleonthecelestialspherethatliesintheplaneoftheearth'sorbit(calledtheplaneofth eecliptic).Becauseoftheearth'syearlyrevolutionaroundthesun,thesunappearstomoveinana 41 42 ecliptic क्तांतीोुत 43 Ekadasi, एकादिस 44 epicycles 45 nnualjourneythroughtheheavenswiththeeclipticasitspath.Theeclipticistheprincipalaxisint heeclipticcoordinatesystem.Thetwopointsatwhichtheeclipticcrossesthecelestialequatorar etheequinoxes.Theobliquityoftheeclipticistheinclinationoftheplaneoftheecliptictotheplane ofthecelestialequator,anangleofabout231/2°.Theconstellationsthroughwhichthe ecliptic passes are the constellations of the zodiac . equinox, vernal either of two points on the celestial sphere where the ecliptic and the celestial equator equinox intersect. The vernal equinox, also known as “the first point of Aries,” is the point at which the sun appears to cross the celestial equator from south to north. This occurs वसंतसंपत about Mar. 21, marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. At the ,(Vasanth autumnal equinox, about Sept. 23, the sun again appears to cross the celestial equator, Sampat),autumna this time from north to south; this marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. On the date of either equinox, night and day are of equal length (12 hr each) l equinox in all parts of the world; the word equinox is often used to refer to either of these dates. The equinoxes are not fixed points on the celestial sphere but move westward along the ecliptic, passing through all the constellations of the zodiac in 26,000 years. This motion is called the precession of the equinoxes . The vernal equinox is a reference point in the equatorial coordinate system . 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 Gaudapada Proponent of Advaita Vedanta and well versed in Buddhism. His most celebrated work is the Kaarika (Gloss) on the Mandukya Upanishad A term applied to a clan, a group of families, or a lineage - exogamous and patrilineal whose members trace their descent to a common ancestor, usually a The second stage of the varna Ashrama system, namely that of a householder or married man or woman. There are 3 Gunas , Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas and these three Gunas occur in each and every individual in varying degrees. The relative proportion of each in the total determines the essential nature of the individual. It follows that at any given time a individual, may exhibit different modes of behavior as his personality matures and develops. The son of a Brahmana may choose not to follow the priestly vocation and may elect to go into law. As a general rule of thumb one elects to be in a profession which utilizes his Gunas fully. For example Brahmanas tend to cluster around intellectual pursuits (teaching, legal, corporate management, administration etc. In the past the choice of professions available to Brahmanas were limited to priestly duties and the services he could render as a Minister to the Maharaja including mundane tasks such as accounting and cooking. In recent years substantial numbers of Brahmanas faced with increasing discrimination from their own government have elected to go into Business, Gotra Grihastya Gunas 53 54 55 56 57 58 so that his varna is that of a Vaisya, unless he maintains his competency and knowledge of the Vedic scripture and adheres to the injunctions of a Brahmana. Most Indian philosophers accept the view of the Samkhya philosophy Guna varna The Varna system, namely Guna Varna Vyavastha, that produced the Varnashrama Vyavastha Dharma was conscious of the fact that this was the world's early attempt at a meritocracy. That the system was eminently successful in its own way , I have no doubt because the resulting civilization flourished for well over 5 millennia, until its very foundations were attacked by barbarians from both within and without; by barbarians, whose notion of entertainment was to build a pyramid of skulls, in order to terrorize the local population to capitulate. The current system in place after the colonial power was done reinventing and reshaping it to its own specifications, and which goes by the name Caste, is so utterly different in all significant ways, that we can safely say it has little to do with the Hindu faith or Hindu traditions such as the Guna Varna Vyavastha. The vedic division of people into 4 Varnas (Brahmana, Rajanya, Vaisya and Shudra) is by Guna and Guna only and is known as the Guna Varna Vyavastha. The Asrama system refers to the four stages of one's life, namely Brahmacharya (life of an unmarried student), Grihasthya (life of a householder), Vanaprasthaya (life of a retired householder), sannyasa (life of a monk) Hinduism Also known as Sanaatana Dharma, the eternal faith; there are roughly 850 million Hindus in the world as of 2006 (see Dharma) Indo-Aryan A family of languages spoken over a large area of the Eurasian land mass;see Indolanguages European Languages Indo-European A family of languages spoken over a vast geographical area from India to most parts of languages Europe. Indo-Iranian the Indo Iranian branch of the Indo Europrean language family , spoken in central languages asia,iran and the Indian subcontinent Indology Indology is a name given by Indologists to the academic study of the history, languages, and cultures of the Indian subcontinent. Strictly speaking it encompasses the study of the languages, scripts of all of Asia that was influenced by Indic culture It may be surprising to learn that the first pioneer in Indology was the 12th Century Pope, Honorius IV. The Holy Father encouraged the learning of oriental languages in order to preach Christianity amongst the pagans. Soon after this in 1312, the Ecumenical Council of the Vatican decided that-“The Holy Church should have an abundant number of Catholics well versed in the languages, especially in those of the infidels, so as to be able to instruct them in the sacred doctrine.” The result of this was the creation of the chairs of Hebrew, Arabic and Chaldean at the Universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris and Salamanca. A century later in 1434, the General Council of Basel returned to this theme and decreed that –“All Bishops must sometimes each year send men well-grounded in the divine word to those parts where Jews and other infidels live, to preach and explain the truth of the Catholic faith in such a way that the infidels who hear them may come to recognize their errors. Let them compel them to hear their preaching.” 1. Centuries later in 1870, during the First Vatican Council, Hinduism was condemned in the “five anathemas against pantheism” according to the Jesuit priest John Hardon in the Church-authorized book, The Catholic Catechism. However, interests in Indology only took shape and concrete direction after the British came to India, with the advent of the discovery of Sanskrit by Sir William Jones in the 1770’s. Other names for Indology are Indic studies or Indian studies or South Asian studies. Political motivations have been always dominant in the pursuit of Indological studies right from the outset since the time of Sir William Jones, when he discovered the existence of Sanskrit. In fact the British presence in India was steadily increasing long before the Battle of Plassey in 1757 CE, but so great was the insularity of the colonial overlord that it took almost almost three hundred years for a scholar like Sir William to show up in India after Vasco da Gama landed of the cost of Goa in 1492 CE, and notice the similarities between Sanskrit and the european languages 59 60 61 Indus script As yet undeciphered. Most Indics believe that this was the forerunner of the Brahmi script…The brahmi script is the progenitor of almost all of the languages and scripts of India and most of the rest of South East Asia .The BrahmI script has all of the phonetic characteristics to be found in all the successor scripts of Asia. To suggest a semitic origin for a Brahmi script is highly problematical since semitic scripts (including all the Roman scripts of Europe) do not have the characteristic Vowel strokes that Brahmi scripts have whenever a vowel is appended to a consonant such as in आचायर् (the long 'a' vowel is represented by a vertical stroke) 62 63 64 Indus Valley AKA Saraswathi Sindhu Civilization, the civilization that endured for several millennia in Civilization the Saraswathi and Sindhu (Indus) river valleys the people who inhabited these valleys also known as the Vedic Harappans by Bhagwan Singh. Most of the recent excavations indicate a heavy preponderance of settlements on the banks of the dried up Saraswathi river. Mohenjo Daro and Harappa represent a late phase of the civilization. European Indologists go to extraordinary lengths to make a distinction between the Vedic civilization and the SSC despite the fact they are located spatially and temporally in the same place and time. That they got away with this subterfuge for such a long time (it is still the official version of History in Indian text books) is a tribute to the farsightedness and tenacity of successive British administrators and scholars who always put British national interest before every other criterion including the truth. 65 66 Iranian peoples The ancient Iranians or Avestans, the people who composed the Avesta, have much in common with the Vedics. In fact it is believed by some that the Iranians are descended from the Druhyus. The language of the Avesta is easily discernible to those familiar with Sanskrit and the names of Persian Kings (the original names not the Greek version we learned in English history books ) For instance the Sanskrit or Iranian version of Darius is Druhyu. the path of knowledge Jñāna (also spelled "Gyāna"; Devanagari घ्यान) is the Sanskrit term for knowledge. In Hinduism it means true knowledge, PAra Vidya, the knowledge that one's self atman is Ultimate Reality Brahman. In Buddhism, it refers to pure awareness that is free of conceptual encumbrances, and is contrasted with Vijnana, which is a moment of 'divided knowing'. Jnana yoga is one path (marga) towards moksha (liberation), while Yoga offers different paths for different temperaments such as Bhakti and Karma Yoga. Adi Sankara gives the true definition of a Jivanmukta - The great souls he says , calm and tranquil, live, regenerating the world like the spring; and themselves having crossed the ocean of embodied existence, and death, help those who struggle, for the same end, without thew least trace of personal motives or advantage one of the 6 Vedangas, also known as the science of light .It includes the study of the motion of Celestial Objects or Astronomy and the effects of the forces arising from these bodies and their effects on the human mind. It is the hypothesis of Vedic Astrology that such effects can be predicted by studying the relative location of the planets and the stars . Jyotisha is often discussed as the instructional element of the Rig Veda, and as such is a Vedangas, or "body part" of the Vedas. Jyotisha is called the Eye of the Veda, for its believed ability to view both phenomenal reality and wisdom itself. Part of a larger Vedic curriculum including mathematics, architecture, medical and military applications. 67 Jnana Yoga ज्नान 68 Jivanmukta 69 Jyotisha 72 Kalpasutras constitutes part of the Vedanga consists of Grhyasutras, Dharmasutras, Sulvasutras, Srautasutras. 73 KAma ,काम 74 75 Kaarika Karma Yoga 76 Kshatriya, क्षिऽय 77 78 79 80 81 82 Kurgan Kushana Empire "Pleasure,desire,wish, love; enjoyment." Earthly love, aesthetic and cultural fulfillment, pleasures of the world (often used in the sense of sexual desire, but not necessarily so), the joys of family, intellectual satisfaction. Enjoyment of happiness, security, creativity, usefulness and inspiration. An essential ingredient for the emotional health of an individual and recognized as such by the ancient Vedics. Kama is one of the four Purusharthas or goals of life, the others being dharma , artha and moksha. Gloss or explanatory text of an original text, such as the Kaarika of the Mandukya Upanishad by Gaudapada Karma yoga, or the "discipline of action" is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a holy scripture of Hinduism. One of the four pillars of yoga, Karma yoga focuses on the adherence to duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. It states that one can attain Moksha (salvation) by doing his duties in an unselfish manner. A great portion of the Bhagavad Gita is engaged in discussing the efficacy of various Yogas towards the goal of self realization or Moksha. Initially Arjuna is bewildered, when Bhagavan says that the Yoga of Knowledge is superior to the Yoga of action , even though desireless it may be. Why then do you ask me to fight asks an exasperated Arjuna of his friend and mentor, if such be the case. The answer by Bhagavan and elucidated by Adi Sankara in his Bhashya is one of the major insights of this lovely Celestial song. As explained by Adi Sankara, Karma Yoga consists of 4 principles 1. Giving up an egoistic attitude (BG 18-46),2. Giving up the hankering for the fruits or results of one's action (BG 2-39), 3. Maintaining equalimity in the face of desirable andhappy circumstances as well as undesirable and not so pleasant situations (BG 2-48)4. Surrendering of all actions as an offering to the Lord (Ish the varna identified in the classical Indic tradition as those entitled to exercise military power and perform sacrifices, the dominant Guna in the Kshatriya varna is one of Rajas, and a passion for action. It is your Dharma to engage in action protect the aged and infirm and the children and women in your protection. It is better to follow ones own Dharma (dictated by ones Gunas) admonished Sri Krishna to Arjuna than to try something, however beguiling, which is not so suited a region in Europe from where the putative immigration of the mythical Aryan race took place mananam Metonic cycle part of the process of gathering of kowledge using techniques such as sravanam,mananam and nididhyasanam. Mananam means to ponder over the material that one has read or heard a cycle whereby every three years a lunar month is added to bring the lunar cycle in 83 Mitanni 84 Moksha 85 86 87 mumukshutwa sunchronization with the solar cycle. It turns out that it takes nineteen years to bring the two cycles in synchronization , so that a new moon occurs exactly on the same solar day that it did 19 years ago. when the Hittite and the Mitanni ( 2 neighboring kingdoms in Anatolia, present day Turkey signed a treaty they invoked the blessings of their Gods . The invocation is addressed to the Nasatyas, Mitra and Varuna,Hindu Vedic deities from a distant past "Liberation." Freedom from rebirth through the ultimate attainment, realization of the Self God, PArasiva. The spiritual attainments and superconscious joys, attending renunciation and yoga leading to Self Realization. Moksha comes through the fulfillment of dharma, artha and kAma (known in Tamil as aram, porul and inbam, and explained by Tiruvalluvar in Tirukural) in the current or past lives, so that one is no longer attached to worldly joys or sorrows. It is the supreme goal of life, called paramartha. This is a distinction between the DhArmic traditions originating in the Indian subcontinent from the very earliest time periods in history and other religious belief systems. The propensity to cater to the higher needs (in the Maslow hierarchy) from the very inception of the tradition is a uniquely Indic development. Merely to emphasize this as a spiritual characteristic is to mnimize the Pragmatic and psychological needs of the human species which is a distinctive characteristic of Indic dharma. An intense thirst for Brahmavidya or higher knowledge (Paara Vidya) The concept of positing 27 Nakshatras in the sidereal zodiac goes back to antiquity at least in India. the ancients divided the sky in 27 or 28 lunar mansions or Nakshatras, characterized by asterisms (apparent groups of stars), one for each day that the Moon follows its track among the stars. the final step of the 3 step process of sravanam, mananam, nididhyasanam, involves deep meditation and requires mumukshutwa and titiksha this treatise was authored by Yaska and deals with Etymology , a branch of Linguistics, the study of the roots of all words, made simpler by the intentional highlighting of Dhaatu in sanskrit. Yaska is one of the bright galaxy and plethora of broad spectrum philosophers among the ancient Vedics, who counted numerous skills in their repertoire linguistics being just one of their many fields of expertise Yaska's Vedic Glossary,Nirukta is a commentary on the Nighantu blown out or extinguished as in the case of a lamp. Nirvana is generally used to refer to a material life that has been extinguished, i..e. for one who has achieved freedom from rebirth. The term Nirvana is commonly used in Buddhism as the final stage a practitioner Nakshatras 88 89 90 nididhyasanam Nirukta 91 92 Nighantu Nirvana 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 Nischitaaartham, िनिःचताथर्म strives for . The word does not mean heaven and is analogous to Moksha in the Sanaatana dharma Engagement ceremony prior to a wedding. Literally means ‘firming up’ of the relationship and is usually commemorated with a Puja and an exchange of rings, gifts and invitations to the wedding ceremony Pancha – Paramparaपरं परा sanskrit term for five e.g. Panchabana,panchatantra tradition,as in likhita Parampara (written tradition), srauta Parampara (oral tradition), guru Parampara, (the guru-disciple tradition) Place Value the most common sanskrit word for this is sthana which literally means place System,◌ःतान Poornima,पूिनर्म Purana,पुराण full moon literally means the ancients. Traditional sanskrit texts dealing with diverse topics such as the creation of the world ,legends, genealogy of sovereigns, In the Indic context, puranas have special significance both from a temporal stand point and from a historical perspective In Hinduism, Purusha ("Cosmic Man") is the "self" which pervades the universe. The Vedic divinities are considered to be the human mind's interpretation of the many facets of Purusha. According to the Rigvedic Purusha sukta, Purusha was dismembered by the devas -- his mind is the moon, his eyes are the sun, and his breath is the wind.In Samkhya, a school of Hindu philosophy, Purusha is pure consciousness. It is thought to be our true identity, to be contrasted with Prakrti, or the material world, which contains all of our organs, senses, and intellectual faculties.Amore restrcted meaning of purusha is youth or human (paurusheya).Hinduism in that sense is an Apaurusheya belief system as opposed to the revealed or prophetic faiths such as Judaism,Christianity or Islam which would therefore come under the category of paurusheya religions PurushArtha or ManushyArtheha is the pursuit of the four kinds of human aspirations, which are dharma, artha, kAma and moksha. The four pursuits in which humans may legitimately engage, also called chaturvarga, "four-fold good" , is a basic principle of Hindu ethics. the process of gaining knowledge, sometimes used to express the goal as well as the means to attain knowledge, as in Apaurusheya PramAnam Prasthanatrayi, literally, three points of departure, (IAST Prasthānatrayī) refers to the three canonical texts of Hindu philosophy, especially the Vedanta schools. It consists of: the anishads, known as Upadesha prasthana (injunctive texts),the Brahma Sutras, 101 Purusha,Paurush eya,Apaurusheya 102 PurushArtha 103 104 PramAnam, ूमाणम Prasthanatrayi 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 known as Nyaya prasthana (logical text),the Bhagavad Gita, known as Sadhana prasthana (practical text) Precession of the see also equinox.The earth revolves around the Sun once in 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes Equinoxes and 46 seconds. Considered from the earth, the Sun appears to complete one round of the ecliptic during this period. This is called a tropical year .In the span of a tropical year, the earth regains its original angular position with the Sun. It is also called the year of seasons since on this Earth-Sun cycle depends the occurrence, and timing, of seasons. If we consider the revolution of the Sun around the earth from one vernal equinox (around 21st March, when the day and night all over the globe are equal) to the next vernal equinox, it takes one tropical year to do so.However, if at the end of a tropical year from one vernal equinox to the next, we consider the position of the earth with reference to a fixed star of the zodiac, the earth appears to lie some 50.26 seconds of celestial longitude to the west of its original position. In order for the earth to attain the same position with respect to a fixed star after one revolution, it takes a time span of 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes and some 9.5 seconds. This duration of time is called a sidereal year .The sidereal year is just over 20 minutes longer than the tropicaEach year, the Vernal equinox will fall short by 50.26 seconds along the zodiac reckoned along the fixed stars. This continuous receding of the Vernal equinox along the zodiac is call Proto-IndoPIE for short is a constructed language for which there is no existence theorem . It is European based on unproven hypothesis Proto Dravidian the alleged hypothetical ancestor language to the modern languages of Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. Again there is no proof that a single human ever spoke the language. There is no reference to such a language in any of the vast literary works of India south or north. R Rajas Raajasik individuals are filled with a desire and passion to undertake new projects and goad others into action. Many leaders exhibit a Raajasik temperamen Raja Yoga Raja Yoga, as outlined by Patanjali, describes eight "limbs" of spiritual practices, half of which might be classified as meditation. Underlying them is the assumption that a yogi should still the fluctuations of his or her mind: Yoga cittavrrti nirodha. Ramayana a Hindu epic in which Rama, avatar of Vishnu vanquishes Ravana and is reunited with his spouse Seetha Rig Veda The earliest and the most prominent of the Vedas, the compositions of the Ancient Indics who we will refer to also as the Vedics,held to be sacred and termed Sruti by many Hindus, the chief characteristic was their oral tradition Roma_people The name that the Gypsies are known by in Europe, reflecting their large numbers in Romania 115 Sampradaya, सांूूदाय 116 117 118 Sankaracharya, संकराचायर् सांख्य In Hinduism, a SAmpradaya is a tradition encompassing a common philosophy but embracing many different schools, groups, or guru lineages (called parampara). By becoming initiated (diksha) into a parampara one automatically belongs to its proper sAmpradaya. The great proponent of Advaita Vedanta. Bhagavatpada Acharya Sankara was a veritable institution masquerading as an individual There is controversy over the date of his birth, ranging from 509 BCE to 788 CE Saankhya, Sanskrit, Samskrtam Sanskrit (संःबतम saṃskṛtam).The adjective saṃskṛta- means "refined, consecrated, sanctified". The language referred to as saṃskṛtā vāk "the refined language" has by definition always been a 'high' language, used for religious and scientific discourse and contrasted with the languages spoken by the people. Individuals who are predominantly sattvik are attached to happiness and to knowledge संःबतम 119 120 121 Sattva,सत्व 122 123 satya,shuddhi truthfulness in thought and speech Shaastra or ShAstra is a Sanskrit word used to denote education/knowledge in a general sense. The ShAstra or sastra word is generally used as a suffix in the context of technical or specialised knowledge in a defined area of practice. For example, Astra shastra means, knowledge about "Handling of weapons", Astra means weapons, and Shastra is their शास्तर् knowledge.Extending this meaning, the shastra is commonly used to mean a treatise or text written in explanation of some idea, especially in matters involving religion. In Buddhism, a shastra is often a commentary written at a later date to explain an earlier scripture or sutra.In the Indonesian language, 'sastra' is a word meaning 'literature'. shabda pramaanam (Bhartrihari) Shatapatha Shatapatha Brahmana (शतपथ ॄाह्मण, Brahmana of one-hundred paths) is one of the Brahmana,शतपथ ॄःमण prose texts describing the Vedic ritual. It belongs to the vājasaneyi madhyandina shakha of the White Yajurveda. It survives in two recensions, Madhyandina and Kanva, with the former having the eponymous 100 brahmanas in 14 books, and the latter 104 brahmanas in 17 books. Linguistically, it belongs to the Brahmana period of Vedic Sanskrit, dated to the first half of the 1st millennium BC.Hindu scholars have dated it to around 1800 BC, based on the reference in it of migration from the Sarasvati river area to east India, because the river is said to have dried up around 1900 BC. The 14 books of the Madhyandina recension can be divided into two major parts. The first 9 books have close textual commentaries, often line by line, of the first 18 books, of the corresponding Samhita of the Yajurveda. The following 5 books cover supplementary and ritualistically newer material, besides including the celebrated Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad as most of the 14th and last book. The Shatapatha Brahmana was translated into English by Prof. Julius Eggeling, in the late 19th century, in 5 volumes published as part of the Sacred Books of the East series. Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatapatha_Brahmana" 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 Shakti,िशक्त Shaanti Shaucha Sidereal Day Sidereal Month the female energy principle, in the Indic tradition ,the primordial icon of strength and energy is associated with the feminine gender peace of mind attained through the disciplines of Raja Yoga A mean sidereal day is about 23h56m in length. Due to variations in the rotation rate of the Earth, however, the rate of an ideal sidereal clock deviates from any simple multiple of a Sidereal month The actual period of the Moon's orbit as measured in a fixed frame of reference is known as a sidereal month, because it is the time it takes the Moon to return to the same position on the celestial sphere among the fixed stars (Latin: sidus): 27.321 661 days (27 d 7 h 43 min 11.5 s) or about 27 ⅓ days. This type of month has appeared among cultures in the Middle East, India, and China in the following way: they divided the sky in 27 or 28 lunar mansions, characterized by asterisms (apparent groups of stars), one for each day that the Moon follows its track among the stars. During the course of one day, the earth has moved a short distance along its orbit around the sun, and so must rotate a small extra angular distance before the sun reaches its highest point. The stars, however, are so far away that the earth's movement along its orbit makes a generally negligible difference to their apparent direction (see, however parallax), and so they return to their highest point in slightly less than 24 hours. A mean sidereal day is about 23h56m in length. Due to variations in the rotation rate of the Earth, however, the rate of an ideal sidereal clock deviates from any simple multiple of a civil clock. In order for the earth to attain the same position with respect to a fixed star after one revolution, it takes a time span of 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes and some 9.5 seconds. This duration of time is called a sidereal year .The sidereal year is just over 20 minutes longer than the tropical year; this time difference is equivalent to 50.26 seconds of celestial longitude.Each year, the Vernal equinox will fall short by 50.26 seconds along the zodiac reckoned along the fixed stars. 131 Sidereal Time 132 Sidereal Year 133 134 smrti,ःॆित 135 136 137 138 139 that which is remembered, . There are a number of texts that are specifically classed as smrti and are mostly named after the name of the rshi expounded on the smrti such as Parashara smrti, Manu smrti and Yajnavalkya smrti Solar Day Solar time is measured by the apparent diurnal motion of the sun, and local noon in solar time is defined as the moment when the sun is at its highest point in the sky (exactly due south in the northern hemisphere and due north in the southern hemisphere). The time taken for the sun to return to its highest point is exactly 24 hours, or a solar day. Sramana tradition A śramaṇa is one who performs acts of mortification or austerity. According to the definition, a being is himself responsible for his own deeds. Salvation, therefore, can be achieved by anybody irrespective of caste, creed, color or culture. The cycle of rebirth to which every individual is subject is viewed as the cause and substratum of misery. The goal of every person is to evolve a way to escape from the cycle of rebirth, namely by discounting ritual as a means of an emancipation and establishing from the misery of Saṃsāra, through pious religious activities.. The term has been used in the past as a synonym for the Baudhik tradition Srautasutras Srauta is the adjectival form of Sruti (that which is heard)and is one of the 4 constituent sutras in the Kalpasutra (see also Sulvasutra) sravanam comes from the same root as sruti. Essentially means learning by listening. Sravanam, mananam, nididhyasanam is the 3 step process towards Brahma vidya and self realization that which is heard as opposed to that which is remembered (smrti). The smrti were sruti, ◌ः◌ॆ◌ि◌त ु composed by famous rishis and we have Sulvasutras The Sulvasutras (or Sulbasutras) or aphorisms of the cord (measurements were made using a string stretched between 2 pegs). The resulting mathematical manipulations needed to solve the problems of finding areas and volumes of reasonably complex shapes formed the subject matter of the sulvasutras.The Sulvasutras were part of the Kalpasutra appendices to the Veda.Kalpasutras consisted of Grhyasutras ,Srautasutras,Dharmasuturas and sulvasutras. The Kalpasutras in turn are part of theVedanga (limbsof the Veda)comprising of Chandas (metere).Nirukta(etymology), Vyakarana Grammar, Jyotisha (Astronomy and astrology) and Kalpasutras.0ne set of such Sutras are the Kalpa Sutras which consisted of Srauta Sutras, Dharma Sutras, Grihya Sutras and Sulva Sutras. The Srauta Sutras give elaborate rules for the performance of Vedic sacrifices; the Grihya Sutras deal with domestic religious ceremonies; the Dharmasutras contain the rudiments of Hindu Law and the Sulva Sutras form the earliest source of Hindu Mathematics 140 141 142 Tamas Tiithi Tamas is inertia born of ignorance. It enshrouds the discrimination of man and inclines him to indolence, sleep and renders him inert. By nature it is destructive Tithi/ Lunar Day - The area covered by the Moon in its transit away from Sun, computed for the moment of its conjunction with Sun to its true longitude at the moment of the epoch. It is obtained by subtracting the Longitude of Sun from the longitude of Moon. A tithi is completed when the longitude of Moon gains exactly 12 degrees or its multiple on that of Sun and therefore there are 30 tithis in a lunar month http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tithi Titiksha titiksa (Sanskrit) [from the verbal root tij to urge, incite to action, be active in endurance or patience] 143 titiksha Patience, resignation, endurance; not mere passive resignation, but an active attitude of patience in supporting the events of life. Mystically, the fifth state of raja yoga -- "one of supreme indifference; submission, if necessary, to what is called 'pleasures and pains for all,' but deriving neither pleasure nor pain from such submission -- in short, the becoming physically, mentally, and morally indifferent and insensible to either pleasure or pain" (VS 93). The meaning however is not of a cold, heartless, impassive attitude towards the sufferings of others, but an active positive attitude, so far as one's individual pleasures or pains are considered, but likewise involving an active attitude of compassion for the tribulations and sufferings of others. The same thought is involved in the title Diamond-heart, given to adepts: as hard and indifferent to one's own sorrows as the diamond is hard and enduring, yet like the diamond reflecting in its facets as in mirrors the sufferings and sorrows of all around. Also personified as a goddess, the wife of Dharma (divine law) and daughter of Daksha. 145 Upanishads 146 Urheimat Of the one hundred and eight extant Upanisads sixteen were recognized by Adi Sankara as authentic and authoritative. In his commentary on the Vedanta Aphorisms he included quotations from six. On the other ten he wrote elaborate commentaries. It is these ten which...have come to be regarded as the principal Upanisads: Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Chandogya, Brhadaranyaka, Aitareya, and Taittiriya." A postulate that the Proto Indo European people (another postulate) originally lived in a common homeland or Urheimat at some distant past. While this is a very beguiling assumption, there is absolutely no evidence in Archaeology of such a Urheimat. It is purely a hypothetical construct only of academic interest. See the translations of the passages from the Rg quoted in the section on AIT, in the context of the discussion on the debate of the origin of the Vedic people. 147 148 149 150 151 152 Tocharians Vaisya A people who lived in the Tarim basin of current day China, and who spoke a Indo European language 153 154 155 156 One who benefits humanity by his effortsand specialization in trade, commerce and agriculture. The commercial sector of society Varna asrama The system,namely Guna Varna Vyavastha, that produced the Varnashrama Dharma was dharma conscious of the fact that this was the worlds early attempt at a meritocracy. That the sytem was eminently successful in its own way , I have no doubt because the resulting civilization flourished for well over 5 millennia, until its very fouundations were attacked by barbarians from both within and without by Barbarians, whose notion of entertainment was to build a pyramid of skulls, in order to terrorize the local population to capitulate. The current system in place after the colonial power was done reinventing and reshaping it to its own specifications, and which goes by the name Caste, is so utterly different in all Significant ways that we can safely say it has little to do with the Hindu faith or Hindu traditions such as the Guna Varna Vyavastha Vedic civilization the civilization of the people who composed the Vedas and the vast literature of cosmic proportions associated with the SanAtana Dharma Vedics or the the people who composed the Vedas and their Universe of allies and adversaries Vedic people Vedic River Saraswati The Saraswati river is mentioned in several verses in the Rg at least 50 times as a river flowing from the mountains to the sea. Satelllite data has shown evidence of a dried up river bed. Some examples of these quotations are given in the AIT page,http://www.indicethos.org/AIT/. All the AIT and their progeny ignore this significant fact.It is as if the relevance of the reference to the Saraswati is of no significance at all Vernal Equinox see equinox sustainer of the Universe, whose Avatars came down to earth from time to time to Vishnu,िवश्नु reestablish order in the universe.the Srimad Bhaagavatam is a chronicle of the avatars of Vishnu marriage ceremony Vivaaha,िववाह 157 158 159 160 161 162 Yogasastra, योगशास्तर् Yuezhi The means to attain Moksha or Self Realization , a knowledge of Metaphysical aspects of the human consciousness the Chinese name for the Kushans who invaded India. The conventional date for this invasion is an era of the world Yuga,युग