Hindu Festivals

Subject: Hindu Calendar For 21 Years..!
A TREASURE FOR HINDUS…..

Hindu Calendar For 21 Years..!

Very useful Hindu Calendar
for next 21 years..
past… present… And Future
festivals rituals all !

FINALLY, A LINK FOR ALL HINDU FOLLOWERS…
EASY CALENDAR LOOK UP
SAVE THIS LINK.

http://www.hinduism.co.za/hindu.htm#Hindu%20Festivals2008

======= Understanding Hinduism

Hindu Festivals 2031
Hindu Festivals till the end of year 2031

Click on underscored words to click-jump

Hindu Festivals 2000 Hindu Festivals 2001

Hindu Festivals 2002 Hindu Festivals2003

Hindu Festivals 2004 Hindu Festivals 2005

Hindu Festivals 2006 Hindu Festivals 2007

Hindu Festivals 2008 Hindu Festivals 2009

Hindu Festivals 2010 Hindu Festivals 2011

Hindu Festivals 2012 Hindu Festivals 2013

Hindu Festivals 2014 Hindu Festivals 2015

Hindu Festivals 2016 Hindu Festivals 2017

Hindu Festivals 2018 Hindu Festivals 2019

Hindu Festivals 2020 Hindu Festivals 2021

Hindu Festivals 2022 Hindu Festivals 2023
Hindu Festivals 2024 Hindu Festivals 2025

Hindu Festivals 2026 Hindu Festivals 2027

Hindu Festivals 2028 Hindu Festivals 2029

Hindu Festivals 2030 Hindu Festivals 2031

(Vikram Year 2056)

Hindu Festivals 2000
Makarsankranti<;Click for info Friday 14-01-2000
Vasant Panchami <;click info Thursday 10-02-2000
Maha Shivaratri <;click for info Saturday 04-03-2000
Holi <;click for information Sunday 19-03-2000
Hindi New Year Wednesday 05-04-2000
Ramayana Week Wednesday 05-04-2000
To Wednesday 12-04-2000
Ramanavami <;click for info Wednesday 12-04-2000
Hanuman Jayanti <;click info Tuesday 18-04-2000
Raksha-Bandhan<;click info Tuesday 15-08-2000
Krishna Janmashthami<;info Wednesday 23-08-2000
Ganesh Chauth<;click for info Friday 01-09-2000
Pitr-paksha <;click for info Wednesday 13-09-2000
To Wednesday 27-09-2000
Navaratri <;click for information Thursday 28-09-2000
To Friday 06-10-2000
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Thursday 05-10-2000
Vijaya Dashami (Dasera)
click for info Saturday 07-10-2000
Deepavali – (Diwali) <;click for information Thursday 26-10-2000
Vikram New Year 2057 Friday 27-10-2000
Buddha Purnima
Guru Purnima

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.

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Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2057)

Hindu Festivals 2001
Makarsankranti <;click info Sunday 14-01-2001
Vasant panchami Monday 29-01-2001
Maha Shivaratri Wednesday 21-02-2001
Holi <;click for information Friday 09-03-2001
Hindi New Year Monday 26-03-2001
Ramayana Week Monday 26-03-2001
To Monday 02-04-2001
Ramanavami Monday 02-04-2001
Hanuman Jayanti Sunday 08-04-2001
Raksha-Bandhan Saturday 04-08-2001
Krishna Janmashthami<;info Sunday 12-08-2001
Ganesh Chauth<;click info Wednesday 22-08-2001
Pitr-Paksha Sunday 02-09-2001
To Monday 17-09-2001
Adhik Maas -Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Tuesday 18-09-2001
To Tuesday 16-10-2001
Navaratri Wednesday 17-10-2001
To Thursday 25-10-2001
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Thursday 25-10-2001
Vijaya Dashami (Dasera) Friday 26-10-2001
Deepavali – (Diwali) Wednesday 14-11-2001
Vikram New Year 2058 Thursday 15-11-2001
Buddha Purnima Monday 07-05-2001 Purnima Vaisakha
Guru Purnima Thursday 05-07-2001 Purnima Asadha

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.

Related Articles:
Moon Calendar

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Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2058)

Hindu Festivals 2002
Makarsankranti<;click info Monday 14-01-2002
Vasant panchami <;info Sunday 17-02-2002
Maha Shivaratri <; info Wednesday 13-03-2002
Holi <;click for information Thursday 28-03-2002
Hindi New Year Saturday 13-04-2002
Ramayana Week Saturday 13-04-2002
To Sunday 21-04-2002
Ramanavami <;information Sunday 21-04-2002
Hanuman Jayanti <;info Saturday 27-04-2002
Raksha-Bandhan <;info Thursday 22-08-2002
Krishna Janmashthami Friday (Smarta)
Saturday (Vaishnav)

30-08-2002
31-08-2002

Krishna Janmashthami Saturday 31-08-2002
Ganesh Chauth<;click info Tuesday 10-09-2002
Pitr-Paksha Saturday 21-09-2002
To Sunday 06-10-2002
Navaratri <;click for info Monday 07-10-2002
To Tuesday 15-10-2002
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Sunday 13-10-2002
Vijaya Dashami (Dasera) Tuesday 15-10-2002
Deepavali -(Diwali) <;info Monday 04-11-2002
Vikram New Year 2059 Tuesday 05-11-2002
Buddha Purnima Sunday 26-05-2002 Purnima Vaisakha
Guru Purnima Wednesday 24-07-2002 Purnima Asadha
Easter Sunday 31-03-2002

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.

Related Articles
Moon Calendar 2002

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Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2059)

Hindu Festivals
2003
Makarsankranti<;click information Tuesday 14-01-2003
Vasant panchami <;info Thursday 06-02-2003
Maha Shivaratri <; info Saturday 01-03-2003
Holi <;click for information Monday 17-03-2003
Hindi New Year Wednesday 02-04-2003
Ramayana Week Wednesday 02-04-2003
To Friday 11-04-2003
Ramanavami <;information Friday 11-04-2003
Hanuman Jayanti <;info Wednesday 16-04-2003
Raksha-Bandhan <;info Tuesday 12-08-2003
Krishna Janmashthami <;info Wednesday 20-08-2003
Ganesh Chauth <;click info Sunday 31-08-2003
Pitr-Paksha <;information Wednesday 10-09-2003
To Friday 26-09-2003
Navaratri <;click for info Saturday 27-09-2003
To Saturday 04-10-2003
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Thursday 02-10-2003
Vijaya Dashami (Dasera) <;info vSunday 05-10-2003
Deepavali -(Diwali) <;info Saturday 25-10-2003
Vikram New Year 2060 Sunday 26-10-2003
Buddha Purnima Friday 16-05-2003 Purnima Vaisakha
Guru Purnima <;info Sunday 13-07-2003 Purnima Asadha
Easter Sunday 20-04-2003

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.

Related Articles:
Moon Calendar

Top <;To top of this page
Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2060)

Hindu Festivals 2004
Makarsankranti Wednesday 14-01-2004
Vasant Panchami Monday 26-01-2004
Maha Shivaratri Wednesday 18-02-2004
Holi Saturday 06-03-2004
Hindi New Year Sunday 21-03-2004
Ramayana Week Sunday 21-03-2004
To Tuesday 30-03-2004
Ramanavami Tuesday 30-03-2004
Hanuman Jayanti Monday 05-04-2004
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Sunday 18-07-2004
To Monday 16-08-2004
Raksha-Bandhan Monday 30-08-2004
Krishna Jayanti Monday 06-09-2004
Ganesh Chauth Saturday 18-09-2004
Pitr-Paksha Tuesday 28-09-2004
To Wednesday 13-10-2004
Navaratri Thursday 14-10-2004
To Friday 22-10-2004
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Thursday 21-10-2004
Vijaya Dashami (Dasera) Friday 22-10-2004
Deepavali – (Diwali) Friday 12-11-2004
Vikram New Year 2061 Saturday 13-11-2004
Buddha Purnima Tuesday 04-05-2004 Purnima Vaisakha
Guru Purnima <;info Friday 02-07-2004 Purnima Asadha
Easter Sunday 11-04-2004

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.

Related Articles:
Moon Calendar

Top <;To top of this page
Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2061)

Hindu Festivals 2005
Makarsankranti Friday 14-01-2005
Vasant Panchami Sunday 13-02-2005
Maha Shivaratri Tuesday 08-03-2005
Holi Friday 25-03-2005
Hindi New Year Saturday 09-04-2005
Ramayana Week Saturday 09-04-2005
To Monday 18-04-2005
Ramanavami Monday 18-04-2005
Hanuman Jayanti Sunday 24-04-2005
Raksha-Bandhan Friday 19-08-2005
Krishna Jayanti Saturday 27-08-2005
Ganesh Chauth Wednesday 07-09-2005
Pitr-Paksha Sunday 18-09-2005
To Monday 03-10-2005
Navaratri Tuesday 04-10-2005
To Wednesday 12-10-2005
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Tuesday 11-10-2005
Vijaya Dashami (Dasera) Wednesday 12-10-2005
Deepavali – (Diwali) Tuesday 01-11-2005
Vikram New Year 2062 Wednesday 02-11-2005
Buddha Purnima Monday 23-05-2005 Purnima Vaisakha
Guru Purnima Thursday 21-07-2005 Purnima Asadha
Easter Sunday 27-03-2005

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.

Related Articles:
Moon Calendar

Top <;To top of this page
Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2062)

Hindu Festivals
2006
Makar Sakranti Saturday 14-01-2006
Vasant Panchami Thursday 02-02-2006
Maha Shivaratri Sunday 26-02-2006
Holi (Begins on Tuesday
Celebrations on Wednesday) Full Moon
Tuesday)
Wednesday
14-03-2006
15-03-2006
Hindi New Year Thursday 30-03-2006
Ramayana Week Thursday 30-03-2006
To Thursday 06-04-2006
Ramanavami Thursday 06-04-2006
Hanuman Jayanti Thursday 13-04-2006
Raksha Bandhan Wednesday 04-08-2006
Krishna Janmashthami Wednesday 16-08-2006
Ganesh Chaturthi Sunday 27-08-2006
Pitr-paksha Friday 08-09-2006
To Friday 22-09-2006
Navaratri Saturday 23-09-2006
To Sunday 01-10-2006
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Friday
Saturday 29-09-2006
30-09-2006
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Monday 02-10-2006
Deepavali (Diwali) Saturday 21-10-2006
Vikram New Year 2063 Sunday 22-10-2006
Buddha Purnima Saturday 13-05-2006 Purnima Vaisakha
Guru Purnima Tuesday 11-07-2006 or Purnima Asadha
" " Monday 10-07-2006
Easter Sunday 16-04-2006

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.

Related Articles:
Moon Calendar

Top <;To top of this page
Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2063)

Hindu Festivals
2007
Makar Sakranti Sunday 14-01-2007
Vasant Panchami Tuesday 23-01-2007
Maha Shivaratri Friday 16-02-2007
Holi (Begins on Sat.
Celebrations on Sunday)
Full Moon
Saturday
Sunday
03-03-2007
04-03-2007
Hindi New Year Monday 19-03-2007
Ramayana Week Monday 19-03-2007
To Tuesday 27-03-2007
Ramanavami Tuesday 27-03-2007
Hanuman Jayanti Monday 02-04-2007
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Thursday 17-05-2007
To Friday 15-06-2007
Raksha Bandhan Tuesday 28-08-2007
Krishna Janmashthami Tuesday 04-09-2007
Ganesh Chaturthi Saturday 15-09-2007
Pitr-paksha Thursday 27-09-2007
To Thursday 11-10-2007
Navaratri Friday 12-10-2007
To Saturday 20-10-2007
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Thursday
Friday 18-10-2007
19-10-2007
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Sunday 21-10-2007
Deepavali (Diwali) Friday 09-11-2007
Vikram New Year 2064 Saturday 10-11-2007
Buddha Purnima Wednesday 02-05-2007
Guru Purnima Sunday 29-07-2007
Easter Sunday 08-04-2007

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2064)

Hindu Festivals
2008
Makar Sakranti Monday 14-01-2008
Vasant Panchami Monday 11-02-2008
Maha Shivaratri Thursday 06-03-2008
Holi (Begins on Friday.
Celebrations on
Saturday) Full Moon
Friday
Saturday
21-03-2008
22-03-2008
Hindi New Year Sunday 06-04-2008
Ramayana Week Sunday 06-04-2008
To Monday 14-04-2008
Ramanavami Monday 14-04-2008
Hanuman Jayanti Sunday 20-04-2008
Raksha Bandhan Saturday 16-08-2008
Krishna Janmashthami Sunday 24-08-2008
Ganesh Chaturthi Wednesday 03-09-2008
Pitr-paksha Tuesday 16-09-2008
To Monday 29-09-2008
Navaratri Tuesday 30-09-2008
To Wednesday 08-10-2008
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Monday
Tuesday
06-10-2008
07-10-2008
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Thursday 09-10-2008
Deepavali (Diwali) Tuesday 28-10-2008
Vikram New Year 2065 Wednesday 29-10-2008
Buddha Purnima Monday 19-05-2008
Guru Purnima Friday 18-07-2008
Easter Sunday 23-03-2008

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2065)

Hindu Festivals
2009
Makar Sakranti Wednesday 14-01-2009
Vasant Panchami Saturday 31-01-2009
Maha Shivaratri Monday 23-02-2009
Holi Wednesday 11-03-2009
Hindi New Year Friday 27-03-2009
Ramayana Week Friday 27-03-2009
To Friday 03-04-2009
Ramanavami Friday 03-04-2009
Hanuman Jayanti Thursday 09-04-2009
Raksha Bandhan Wednesday 05-08-2009
Krishna Janmashthami Friday 14-08-2009
Ganesh Chaturthi Sunday 23-08-2009
Pitr-paksha Saturday 05-09-2009
To Friday 18-09-2009
Navaratri Saturday 19-09-2009
To Sunday 27-09-2009
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Friday
Saturday 25-09-2009
26-09-2009
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Monday 28-09-2009
Deepavali (Diwali) Saturday 17-10-2009
Vikram New Year 2066 Sunday 18-10-2009
Buddha Purnima Friday 08-05-2009
Guru Purnima Tuesday 07-07-2009
Easter Sunday 12-04-2009

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2066)

Hindu Festivals
2010
Makar Sakranti Thursday 14-01-2010
Vasant Panchami Wednesday 20-01-2010
Maha Shivaratri Friday 12-02-2010
Holi (Begins on Sunday
Celebrate on Monday) Sunday
Monday 28-02-2010
01-03-2010
Hindi New Year Tuesday 16-03-2010
Ramayana Week Tuesday 16-03-2010
To Wednesday 24-03-2010
Ramanavami Wednesday 24-03-2010
Hanuman Jayanti
Celebrate on Tuesday Monday
Tuesday 29-03-2010
30-03-2010
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Thursday 15-04-2010
To Friday 14-05-2010
Raksha Bandhan Tuesday 24-08-2010
Krishna Janmashthami Thursday 02-09-2010
Ganesh Chaturthi Saturday 11-09-2010
Pitr-paksha Friday 24-09-2010
To Thursday 07-10-2010
Navaratri Friday 08-10-2010
To Saturday 16-10-2010
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Thursday
Friday 14-10-2010
15-10-2010
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Sunday 17-10-2010
Deepavali (Diwali) Friday 05-11-2010
Vikram New Year 2067 Saturday 06-11-2010
Buddha Purnima Thursday 27-05-2010
Guru Purnima Sunday 25-07-2010
Easter Sunday 04-04-2010

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2067)

Hindu Festivals
2011
Makar Sakranti Friday 14-01-2011
Vasant Panchami Tuesday 08-02-2011
Maha Shivaratri Thursday 03-03-2011
Holi (Begins on Sat. Celebrate on Sunday) Saturday
Sunday 19-03-2011
20-03-2011
Hindi New Year Monday 04-04-2011
Ramayana Week Monday 04-04-2011
To Tuesday 12-04-2011
Ramanavami Tuesday 12-04-2011
Hanuman Jayanti
Celebrate on Monday Sunday
Monday 17-04-2011
18-04-2011
Raksha Bandhan Saturday 13-08-2011
Krishna Janmashthami Monday 22-08-2011
Ganesh Chaturthi Thursday 01-09-2011
Pitr-paksha Tuesday 13-09-2011
To Tuesday 27-09-2011
Navaratri Wednesday 28-09-2011
To Wednesday 05-10-2011
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Monday
Tuesday 03-10-2011
04-10-2011
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Thursday 06-10-2011
Deepavali (Diwali) Wednesday 26-10-2011
Vikram New Year 2068 Thursday 27-10-2011
Buddha Purnima Tuesday 17-05-2011
Guru Purnima Friday 15-07-2011
Easter Sunday 24-04-2011

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2068)

Hindu Festivals
2012
Makar Sakranti Saturday 14-01-2012
Vasant Panchami Saturday 28-01-2012
Maha Shivaratri Monday 20-02-2012
Holi Thursday 08-03-2012
Hindi New Year Friday 23-03-2012
Ramayana Week Friday 23-03-2012
To Sunday 01-04-2012
Ramanavami Sunday 01-04-2012
Hanuman Jayanti Friday 06-04-2012
Raksha Bandhan Thursday 02-08-2012
Krishna Janmashthami Friday 10-08-2012
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Saturday 18-08-2012
To Sunday 16-09-2012
Ganesh Chaturthi Wednesday 19-09-2012
Pitr- paksha Sunday 30-09-2012
To Monday 15-10-2012
Navaratri Tuesday 16-10-2012
To Tuesday 23-10-2012
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Sunday 21-10-2012
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Wednesday 24-10-2012
Deepavali (Diwali) Tuesday 13-11-2012
Vikram New Year 2069 Wednesday 14-11-2012
Buddha Purnima Sunday 06-05-2012 or
" " Saturday 05-05-2012
Guru Purnima Tuesday 03-07-2012

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2069)

Hindu Festivals
2013
Makar Sakranti Monday 14-01-2013
Vasant Panchami Friday 15-02-2013
Maha Shivaratri Sunday 10-03-2013
Holi Wednesday 27-03-2013
Hindi New Year Thursday 11-04-2013
Ramayana Week Thursday 11-04-2013
To Saturday 20-04-2013
Ramanavami Saturday 20-04-2013
Hanuman Jayanti Thursday 25-04-2013
Raksha Bandhan
or Wednesday
Tuesday 21-08-2013
20-08-2013
Krishna Janmashthami Wednesday 28-08-2013
Ganesh Chaturthi Monday 09-09-2013
Pitr-paksha Friday 20-09-2013
To Friday 04-10-2013
Navaratri Saturday 05-10-2013
To Sunday 13-10-2013
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Friday 11-10-2013
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Monday 14-10-2013
Deepavali (Diwali) Sunday 03-11-2013
Vikram New Year 2070 Monday 04-11-2013
Buddha Purnima Saturday 25-05-2013
Guru Purnima Monday 22-07-2013

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

Top <;To top of this page
Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2070)

Hindu Festivals
2014
Makar Sakranti Tuesday 14-01-2014
Vasant Panchami Tuesday 04-02-2014
Maha Shivaratri Friday 28-02-2014
Holi Monday 17-03-2014
Hindi New Year Monday 31-03-2014
Ramayana Week Monday 31-03-2014
To Tuesday 08-04-2014
Ramanavami Tuesday 08-04-2014
Hanuman Jayanti Tuesday 15-04-2014
Raksha Bandhan Sunday 10-08-2014
Krishna Janmashthami Sunday 17-08-2014
Ganesh Chaturthi Friday 29-08-2014
Pitr-paksha Tuesday 09-09-2014
To Wednesday 24-09-2014
Navaratri Thursday 25-09-2014
To Friday 03-10-2014
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Wednesday 01-10-2014
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Saturday 04-10-2014
Deepavali (Diwali) Thursday 23-10-2014
Vikram New Year 2071 Friday 24-10-2014
Buddha Purnima Wednesday 14-05-2014
Guru Purnima Saturday 12-07-2014

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

(Vikram Year 2071)

Hindu Festivals
2015
Makar Sakranti Wednesday 14-01-2015
Vasant Panchami Saturday 24-01-2015
Maha Shivaratri Tuesday 17-02-2015
Holi Friday 06-03-2015
Hindi New Year Saturday 21-03-2015
Ramayana Week Saturday 21-03-2015
To Saturday 28-03-2015
Ramanavami Saturday 28-03-2015
Hanuman Jayanti Saturday 04-04-2015
Raksha Bandhan Sunday 29-08-2015
Krishna Janmashthami Saturday 05-09-2015
Ganesh Chaturthi Thursday 17-09-2015
Pitr-paksha Monday 28-09-2015
To Monday 12-10-2015
Navaratri Tuesday 13-10-2015
To Wednesday 21-10-2015
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Tuesday 20-10-2015
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Thursday 22-10-2015
Deepavali (Diwali) Wednesday 11-11-2015
Vikram New Year 2072 Thursday 12-11-2015
Buddha Purnima Sunday 03-05-2015
Guru Purnima Friday 31-07-2015

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

Top <;To top of this page
Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2072)

Hindu Festivals
2016
Makar Sakranti Thursday 14-01-2016
Vasant Panchami Friday 12-02-2016
Maha Shivaratri Tuesday 08-03-2016
Holi Wednesday 23-03-2016
Hindi New Year Friday 08-04-2016
Ramayana Week Friday 08-04-2016
To Friday 15-04-2016
Ramanavami Friday 15-04-2016
Hanuman Jayanti Friday 22-04-2016
Raksha Bandhan Thursday 18-08-2016
Krishna Janmashthami Thursday 25-08-2016
Ganesh Chaturthi Monday 05-09-2016
Pitr-paksha Saturday 17-09-2016
To Friday 30-09-2016
Navaratri Saturday 01-10-2016
To Monday 10-10-2016
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Saturday 08-10-2016
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Tuesday 11-10-2016
Deepavali (Diwali) Sunday 30-10-2016
Vikram New Year 2073 Monday 31-10-2016
Buddha Purnima Saturday 21-05-2016
Guru Purnima Tuesday 19-07-2016

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

Top <;To top of this page
Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2073)

Hindu Festivals
2017
Makar Sakranti Saturday 14-01-2017
Vasant Panchami Wednesday 01-02-2017
Maha Shivaratri Saturday 25-02-2017
Holi Monday 13-03-2017
Hindi New Year Tuesday 28-03-2017
Ramayana Week Tuesday 28-03-2017
To Wednesday 05-04-2017
Ramanavami Wednesday 05-04-2017
Hanuman Jayanti Tuesday 11-04-2017
Raksha Bandhan Monday 07-08-2017
Krishna Janmashthami Tuesday 15-08-2017
Ganesh Chaturthi Friday 25-08-2017
Pitr-paksha Thursday 07-09-2017
To Wednesday 20-09-2017
Navaratri Thursday 21-09-2017
To Friday 29-09-2017
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Wednesday 27-09-2017
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Saturday 30-09-2017
Deepavali (Diwali) Thursday 19-10-2017
Vikram New Year 2074 Friday 20-10-2017

Buddha Purnima Wednesday 10-05-2017
Guru Purnima Saturday 08-07-2017

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

Top <;To top of this page
Index Alphabetical [Index to Pages]

(Vikram Year 2074)

Hindu Festivals
2018
Makar Sakranti Sunday 14-01-2018
Vasant Panchami Monday 22-01-2018
Maha Shivaratri Wednesday 14-02-2018
Holi Friday 02-03-2018
Hindi New Year Sunday 18-03-2018
Ramayana Week Sunday 18-03-2018
To Monday 26-03-2018
Ramanavami Monday 26-03-2018
Hanuman Jayanti Saturday 31-03-2018
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Wednesday 16-05-2018
To Wednesday 13-06-2018
Raksha Bandhan Sunday 26-08-2018
Krishna Janmashthami Monday 03-09-2018
Ganesh Chaturthi Thursday 13-09-2018
Pitr-paksha Tuesday 25-09-2018
To Monday 08-10-2018
Navaratri Tuesday 09-10-2018
To Thursday 18-10-2018
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Tuesday 16-10-2018
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Friday 19-10-2018
Deepavali (Diwali) Wednesday 07-11-2018
Vikram New Year 2075 Thursday 08-11-2018
Buddha Purnima Sunday 29-04-2018
Guru Purnima Friday 27-07-2018

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
===================

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(Vikram Year 2075)

Hindu Festivals
2019
Makar Sakranti Monday 14-01-2019
Vasant Panchami Sunday 10-02-2019
Maha Shivaratri Tuesday 05-03-2019
Holi Thursday 21-03-2019
Hindi New Year Saturday 06-04-2019
Ramayana Week Saturday 06-04-2019
To Sunday 14-04-2019
Ramanavami Sunday 14-04-2019
Hanuman Jayanti Friday 19-04-2019
Raksha Bandhan Thursday 15-08-2019
Krishna Janmashthami
Friday
Saturday 23-08-2019
24-08-2019
Ganesh Chaturthi Monday 02-09-2019
Pitr-paksha Saturday 14-09-2019
To Saturday 28-09-2019
Navaratri Sunday 29-09-2019
To Monday 07-10-2019
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Saturday 05-10-2019
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Tuesday 08-10-2019
Deepavali (Diwali) Sunday 27-10-2019
Vikram New Year 2076 Monday 28-10-2019
Buddha Purnima Saturday 18-05-2019
Guru Purnima Tuesday 16-07-2019

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
===================

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(Vikram Year 2076)

Hindu Festivals
2020
Makar Sakranti Tuesday 14-01-2020
Vasant Panchami Thursday 30-01-2020
Maha Shivaratri Saturday 22-02-2020
Holi Tuesday 10-03-2020
Hindi New Year Wednesday 25-03-2020
Ramayana Week Wednesday 25-03-2020
To Thursday 02-04-2020
Ramanavami Thursday 02-04-2020
Hanuman Jayanti Wednesday 08-04-2020
Raksha Bandhan Monday 03-08-2020
Krishna Janmashthami Wednesday 12-08-2020
Ganesh Chaturthi Saturday 22-08-2020
Pitr-paksha Thursday 03-09-2020
To Thursday 17-09-2020
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Friday 18-09-2020
To Friday 16-10-2020
Navaratri Saturday 17-10-2020
To Saturday 24-10-2020
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Thursday 22-10-2020
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Sunday 25-10-2020
Deepavali (Diwali) Saturday 14-11-2020
Vikram New Year 2077 Sunday 15-11-2020
Buddha Purnima Thursday 07-05-2020
Guru Purnima Sunday 05-07-2020

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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(Vikram Year 2077)

Hindu Festivals
2021
Makar Sakranti Thursday 14-01-2021
Vasant Panchami Tuesday 16-02-2021
Maha Shivaratri Friday 12-03-2021
Holi Monday 29-03-2021
Hindi New Year Tuesday 13-04-2021
Ramayana Week Tuesday 13-04-2021
To Wednesday 21-04-2021
Ramanavami Wednesday 21-04-2021
Hanuman Jayanti Tuesday 27-04-2021
Raksha Bandhan Sunday 22-08-2021
Krishna Janmashthami Monday 30-08-2021
Ganesh Chaturthi Friday 10-09-2021
Pitr-paksha Tuesday 21-09-2021
To Wednesday 06-10-2021
Navaratri Thursday 07-10-2021
To Thursday 14-10-2021
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Tuesday 12-10-2021
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Friday 15-10-2021
Deepavali (Diwali) Thursday 04-11-2021
Vikram New Year 2078 Friday 05-11-2021
Buddha Purnima Wednesday 26-05-2021
Guru Purnima Saturday 24-07-2021

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
===================

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(Vikram Year 2078)

Hindu Festivals
2022
Makar Sakranti Friday 14-01-2022
Vasant Panchami Saturday 05-02-2022
Maha Shivaratri Tuesday 01-03-2022
Holi Friday 18-03-2022
Hindi New Year Saturday 02-04-2022
Ramayana Week From Saturday 02-04-2022
To Sunday 10-04-2022
Ramanavami Sunday 10-04-2022
Hanuman Jayanti Saturday 16-04-2022
Raksha Bandhan Thursday 11-08-2022
Krishna Janmashthami Friday 19-08-2022
Ganesh Chaturthi Wednesday 31-08-2022
Pitr-paksha From Sunday 11-09-2022
To Sunday 25-09-2022
Navaratri From Monday 26-09-2022
To Tuesday 04-10-2022
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Sunday 02-10-2022
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Wednesday 05-10-2022
Deepavali (Diwali) Monday 24-10-2022
Vikram New Year 2079 Tuesday 25-10-2022
Buddha Purnima Monday 16-05-2022
Guru Purnima Wednesday 13-07-2022

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
===================
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(Vikram Year 2079)

Hindu Festivals
2023
Makar Sakranti Saturday 14-01-2023
Vasant Panchami Thursday 26-01-2023
Maha Shivaratri Sunday 19-02-2023
Holi Wednesday 08-03-2023
Hindi New Year Wednesday 22-03-2023
Ramayana Week From Wednesday 22-03-2023
To Thursday 30-03-2023
Ramanavami Thursday 30-03-2023
Hanuman Jayanti Thursday 06-04-2023
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Tuesday 18-07-2023
To Wednesday 16-08-2023
Raksha Bandhan Wednesday 30-08-2023
Krishna Janmashthami Thursday 07-09-2023
Ganesh Chaturthi Tuesday 19-09-2023
Pitr-paksha From Saturday 30-09-2023
To Saturday 14-10-2023
Navaratri From Sunday 15-10-2023
To Monday 23-10-2023
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Saturday 21-10-2023
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Tuesday 24-10-2023
Deepavali (Diwali) Sunday 12-11-2023
Vikram New Year 2080 Monday 13-11-2023
Buddha Purnima Friday 05-05-2023
Guru Purnima Monday 03-07-2023

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============
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(Vikram Year 2080)

Hindu Festivals
2024
Makar Sakranti Sunday 14-01-2024
Vasant Panchami Wednesday 14-02-2024
Maha Shivaratri Saturday 09-03-2024
Holi Monday 25-03-2024
Hindi New Year Tuesday 09-04-2024
Ramayana Week Tuesday 09-04-2024
To Wednesday 17-04-2024
Ramanavami Wednesday 17-04-2024
Hanuman Jayanti Tuesday 23-04-2024
Raksha Bandhan Monday 19-08-2024
Krishna Janmashthami Monday 26-08-2024
Ganesh Chaturthi Saturday 07-09-2024
Pitr-paksha Wednesday 18-09-2024
To Wednesday 02-10-2024
Navaratri Thursday 03-10-2024
To Saturday 12-10-2024
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Thursday 10-10-2024
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Sunday 13-10-2024
Deepavali (Diwali) Friday 01-11-2024
Vikram New Year 2081 Saturday 02-11-2024
Buddha Purnima Thursday 23-05-2024
Guru Purnima Sunday 21-07-2024

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============
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(Vikram Year 2081)

Hindu Festivals
2025
Makar Sakranti Tuesday 14-01-2025
Vasant Panchami Sunday 02-02-2025
Maha Shivaratri Wednesday 26-02-2025
Holi Friday 14-03-2025
Hindi New Year Sunday 30-03-2025
Ramayana Week From Sunday 30-03-2025
To Sunday 06-04-2025
Ramanavami Sunday 06-04-2025
Hanuman Jayanti Saturday 12-04-2025
Raksha Bandhan Saturday 09-08-2025
Krishna Janmashthami Saturday 16-08-2025
Ganesh Chaturthi Wednesday 27-08-2025
Pitr-paksha From Monday 08-09-2025
To Sunday 21-09-2025
Navaratri From Monday 22-09-2025
To Wednesday 01-10-2025
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Monday 29-09-2025
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Thursday 02-10-2025
Deepavali (Diwali) Tuesday 21-10-2025
Vikram New Year 2082 Wednesday 22-10-2025
Buddha Purnima Monday 12-05-2025
Guru Purnima Thursday 10-07-2025

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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(Vikram Year 2082)

Hindu Festivals
2026
Makar Sakranti Wednesday 14-01-2026
Vasant Panchami Friday 23-01-2026
Maha Shivaratri Monday 16-02-2026
Holi Tuesday 03-03-2026
Hindi New Year Thursday 19-03-2026
Ramayana Week Thursday 19-03-2026
To Friday 27-03-2026
Ramanavami Friday 27-03-2026
Hanuman Jayanti Wednesday 01-04-2026
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Sunday 17-05-2026
To Monday 15-06-2026
Raksha Bandhan Thursday 27-08-2026
Krishna Janmashthami Friday 04-09-2026
Ganesh Chaturthi Monday 14-09-2026
Pitr-paksha Sunday 27-09-2026
To Saturday 10-10-2026
Navaratri Sunday 11-10-2026
To Tuesday 20-10-2026
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Sunday 18-10-2026
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Wednesday 21-10-2026
Deepavali (Diwali) Sunday 08-11-2026
Vikram New Year 2083 Monday 09-11-2026
Buddha Purnima Friday 01-05-2026
Guru Purnima Wednesday 29-07-2026

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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(Vikram Year 2083)

Hindu Festivals
2027
Makar Sakranti Thursday 14-01-2027
Vasant Panchami Thursday 11-02-2027
Maha Shivaratri Saturday 06-03-2027
Holi Monday 22-03-2027
Hindi New Year Wednesday 07-04-2027
Ramayana Week Wednesday 07-04-2027
To Thursday 15-04-2027
Ramanavami Thursday 15-04-2027
Hanuman Jayanti Tuesday 20-04-2027
Raksha Bandhan Tuesday 17-08-2027
Krishna Janmashthami Wednesday 25-08-2027
Ganesh Chaturthi Saturday 04-09-2027
Pitr-paksha Thursday 16-09-2027
To Wednesday 29-09-2027
Navaratri Thursday 30-09-2027
To Friday 08-10-2027
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Wednesday 06-10-2027
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Saturday 09-10-2027
Deepavali (Diwali) Friday 29-10-2027
Vikram New Year 2084 Saturday 30-10-2027
Buddha Purnima Thursday 20-05-2027
Guru Purnima Sunday 18-07-2027

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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(Vikram Year 2084)

Hindu Festivals
2028
Makar Sakranti Friday 14-01-2028
Vasant Panchami Monday 31-01-2028
Maha Shivaratri Wednesday 23-02-2028
Holi Saturday 11-03-2028
Hindi New Year Monday 27-03-2028
Ramayana Week Monday 27-03-2028
To Monday 03-04-2028
Ramanavami Monday 03-04-2028
Hanuman Jayanti Sunday 09-04-2028
Raksha Bandhan Saturday 05-08-2028
Krishna Janmashthami Sunday 13-08-2028
Ganesh Chaturthi Wednesday 23-08-2028
Pitr-paksha Monday 04-09-2028
To Monday 18-09-2028
Navaratri Tuesday 19-09-2028
To Tuesday 26-09-2028
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Sunday 24-09-2028
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Wednesday 27-09-2028
Deepavali (Diwali) Tuesday 17-10-2028
Vikram New Year 2085 Wednesday 18-10-2028
Buddha Purnima Monday 08-05-2028
Guru Purnima Friday 06-07-2028

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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(Vikram Year 2085)

Hindu Festivals
2029
Makar Sakranti Sunday 14-01-2029
Vasant Panchami Friday 19-01-2029
Maha Shivaratri Sunday 11-02-2029
Holi Thursday 01-03-2029
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Friday 16-03-2029
To Friday 13-04-2029
Hindi New Year Saturday 14-04-2029
Ramayana Week From Saturday 14-04-2029
To Monday 23-04-2029
Ramanavami Monday 23-04-2029
Hanuman Jayanti Saturday 28-04-2029
Raksha Bandhan Thursday 23-08-2029
Krishna Janmashthami Saturday 01-09-2029
Ganesh Chaturthi Tuesday 11-09-2029
Pitr-paksha From Sunday 23-09-2029
To Sunday 07-10-2029
Navaratri From Monday 08-10-2029
To Monday 15-10-2029
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Saturday 13-10-2029
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Tuesday 16-10-2029
Deepavali (Diwali) Monday 05-11-2029
Vikram New Year 2086 Tuesday 06-11-2029
Buddha Purnima Sunday 27-05-2029
Guru Purnima Wednesday 25-07-2029

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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(Vikram Year 2086)

Hindu Festivals
2030
Makar Sakranti Monday 14-01-2030
Vasant Panchami Thursday 07-02-2030
Maha Shivaratri Saturday 02-03-2030
Holi Wednesday 20-03-2030
Hindi New Year Wednesday 03-04-2030
Ramayana Week From Wednesday 03-04-2030
To Friday 12-04-2030
Ramanavami Friday 12-04-2030
Hanuman Jayanti Wednesday 17-04-2030
Raksha Bandhan Tuesday 13-08-2030
Krishna Janmashthami Wednesday 21-08-2030
Ganesh Chaturthi Sunday 01-09-2030
Pitr-paksha From Thursday 12-09-2030
To Friday 27-09-2030
Navaratri From Saturday 28-09-2030
To Saturday 05-10-2030
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Thursday 03-10-2030
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Sunday 06-10-2030
Deepavali (Diwali) Saturday 26-10-2030
Vikram New Year 2087 Sunday 27-10-2030
Buddha Purnima Friday 17-05-2030
Guru Purnima Sunday 14-07-2030

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
==============

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(Vikram Year 2087)

Hindu Festivals
2031
Makar Sakranti Tuesday 14-01-2031
Vasant Panchami Monday 27-01-2031
Maha Shivaratri Thursday 20-02-2031
Holi Sunday 09-03-2031
Hindi New Year Sunday 23-03-2031
Ramayana Week From Sunday 23-03-2031
To Monday 01-04-2031
Ramanavami Monday 01-04-2031
Hanuman Jayanti Monday 07-04-2031
Raksha Bandhan Saturday 02-08-2031
Krishna Janmashthami Sunday 10-08-2031
Adhik Maas Extra Month Lunar Calendar
Adhik Maas From Tuesday 19-08-2031
To Tuesday 16-09-2031
Ganesh Chaturthi Saturday 20-09-2031
Pitr-paksha From Wednesday 01-10-2031
To Thursday 16-10-2031
Navaratri From Friday 17-10-2031
To Friday 24-10-2031
Saraswati Puja
(Forms part of Navaratri) Wednesday 22-10-2031
Vijay Dashami (Dasera) Saturday 25-10-2031
Deepavali (Diwali) Friday 14-11-2031
Vikram New Year 2088 Saturday 15-11-2031
Buddha Purnima Tuesday 06-05-2031
Guru Purnima Friday 04-07-2031

The above lists refer to Hindu festivals as celebrated in North India.
Hindu Festivals in South India can add additional days to the lists above.
============

Religion is not for the weak” – Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda (Photo credit: On Being)

“Religion is not for the weak” – Swami Vivekananda

via Atanu Dey on India‘s Development

An article on Swami Vivekananda in the Wall Street Journal of 30th March titled, “What Did J.D. Salinger, Leo Tolstoy, and Sarah Bernhardt Have in Common?”

makes for delightful reading. What they had in common was their devotion to Swami Vivekananda, the man who introduced Vedanta and yoga to America.

I did not know that. But anyway, it’s the sort of positive article about a Hindu monk that would give conniptions to the leftist “secular intellectuals” in India.

But the Wall Street Journal does not suffer from the knee-jerk negative reflex of the main stream English language media in India;

the latter would recoil with horror at the mere thought of publishing a laudatory piece about a proud Hindu. Wouldn’t that be tantamount to endorsing — horror of horrors — Hindutva?

Yoga is popular in the US and in many non-Muslim parts of the world. Why it is not popular in the Islamic world is interesting (and more about that later.) An excerpt from the WSJ article:

Although all but forgotten by America’s 20 million would-be yoginis, clad in their finest Lululemon, Vivekananda was the Bengali monk who introduced the word “yoga” into the national conversation.

In 1893, outfitted in a red, flowing turban and yellow robes belted by a scarlet sash, he had delivered a show-stopping speech in Chicago.

The event was the tony Parliament of Religions, which had been convened as a spiritual complement to the World’s Fair, showcasing the industrial and technological achievements of the age.

On its opening day, September 11, Vivekananda, who appeared to be meditating onstage, was summoned to speak and did so without notes.

“Sisters and Brothers of America,” he began, in a sonorous voice tinged with “a delightful slight Irish brogue,” according to one listener, attributable to his Trinity College–educated professor in India. “It fills my heart with joy unspeakable…”

Then something unprecedented happened, presaging the phenomenon decades later that greeted the Beatles (one of whom, George Harrison, would become a lifelong Vivekananda devotee).

The previously sedate crowd of 4,000-plus attendees rose to their feet and wildly cheered the visiting monk, who, having never before addressed a large gathering, was as shocked as his audience. “I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world,” he responded, flushed with emotion.

“I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.”

I feel a kinship to Swami Vivekananda–which arises not merely from my being a Bengali and a Hindu like he was. It’s more of an intellectual kinship that transcends space and time.

Swami ji had the power to move people spiritually and emotionally. I knew that George Harrison was influenced by Indian thought but I did not know that the path lay through Vivekananda:

“No doubt the vast majority of those present hardly knew why they had been so powerfully moved,” Christopher Isherwood wrote a half century later, surmising that a “strange kind of subconscious telepathy” had infected the hall, beginning with Vivekananda’s first words, which have resonated, for some, long after.

Asked about the origins of “My Sweet Lord,” George Harrison replied that “the song really came from Swami Vivekananda, who said, ‘If there is a God, we must see him. And if there is a soul, we must perceive it.’ ”

The teachings of Vedanta are rooted in the Vedas, ancient scriptures going back several thousand years that also inform Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.

The Vedic texts of the Upanishads enshrine a core belief that God is within and without—that the divine is everywhere.

The Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) is another sacred text or gospel, whereas Hinduism is actually a coinage popularized by Vivekananda to describe a faith of diverse and myriad beliefs.

Vivekananda’s genius was to simplify Vedantic thought to a few accessible teachings that Westerners found irresistible. God was not the capricious tyrant in the heavens avowed by Bible-thumpers, but rather a power that resided in the human heart.

“Each soul is potentially divine,” he promised. “The goal is to manifest that divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal.” And to close the deal for the fence-sitters, he punched up Vedanta’s embrace of other faiths and their prophets.

Christ and Buddha were incarnations of the divine, he said, no less than Krishna and his own teacher, Ramakrishna.

Swami Vivekananda was valued for what he represented — Indian thought — and recognized by some of the brightest minds in America. One of them was Nicola Tesla. A few years ago I came across a wonderful documentary on Tesla. (I will dig up the reference later.) There I got to know that Swami Vivekananda and Tesla had met.

[Sahah] Bernhardt, in fact, introduced him to the electromagnetic scientist Nikola Tesla, who was struck by Vivekananda’s knowledge of physics. Both recognized they had been pondering the same thesis on energy—in different languages.

Vivekanand was keenly interested in the science supporting meditation, and Tesla would cite the monk’s contributions in his pioneering research of electricity. “Mr. Tesla was charmed to hear about the Vedantic prana and akasha and the kalpas [time],”

Vivekananda wrote to a friend. “He thinks he can demonstrate mathematically that force and matter are reducible to potential energy. I am to go to see him next week to get this mathematical demonstration. In that case Vedantic cosmology will be placed on the surest of foundations.” For the monk from Calcutta, there were no inconsistencies between science, evolution and religious belief.

Faith, he wrote, must be based upon direct experience, not religious platitudes.

As I said before, the WSJ piece is quite delightful. But I have one tiny disagreement. It is this:

Vivekananda’s influence bloomed well into the mid-20th century, infusing the work of Mahatma Gandhi, Carl Jung, George Santayana, Jane Addams, Joseph Campbell and Henry Miller, among assorted luminaries.

And then he seemed to go into eclipse in the West. American baby boomers—more disposed to “doing” than “being”—have opted for “hot yoga” classes over meditation.

At some point, perhaps in the 1980s, an ancient, profoundly antimaterialist teaching had morphed into a fitness cult with expensive accessories.

The claim that Vivekananda “infusing the work of Mahatma Gandhi” is untenable. Swami Vivekananda exhorted people to be strong, while Gandhi’s call to Indians (and anyone else who would care to listen) was passivity and resignation. Gandhi told people to surrender passively in the face of evil. India has indeed followed Gandhi’s path and rejected Swamiji’s. Examples of that would fill volumes but let me just point out one simple instance.

Auranzeb was one of the many tyrannical rulers of India who slaughtered Indians wholesale. One of the major thoroughfares of the capital of India prominently bears his name.

One can understand that Pakistan celebrates those who invaded and subjugated India but it is absolutely puzzling to see India do so. Why?

The answer must be because Indians are weak. I believe that the day that Indians throw off the yoke of subjugation will be the day that India embarks on the path to emancipation and freedom.

Weak people don’t have the freedom to take what is best and what is good for them. Instead they are forced to take whatever is least threatening to their overlords.

The English language main stream media of India is what it is because it is filled with weak people doing what they are allowed to do by the neo-colonial rulers of India. An article praising Swami Vivekananda would be unthinkable in the Indian MSM.

Imagine if Vedanta and yoga were to be introduced as part of the curriculum in Indian schools. You bet there would be howls of protests from all corners of India.

Vedanta and yoga — what Swamiji meant by the word “religion” — are not for the weak. The intellectuals and seekers of the West who came in contact with Vivekananda and the message he embodied were strong. They freely drank deep from the well of Indian wisdom.

. . . Christopher Isherwood and his friend Aldous Huxley, who wrote the introduction to the 1942 English-language edition of “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna,” a firsthand account (originally published in India in 1898) described by Huxley as “the most profound and subtle utterances about the nature of Ultimate Reality.” Nikhilananda, Salinger’s guru, did the translation, with assistance from Huxley, Joseph Campbell and Margaret Wilson, the daughter of the late president.

Huxley and Isherwood were introduced to Vedanta in the Hollywood Hills in the late 1930s by their countryman, the writer Gerald Heard. In a fitting counterpart to the New York Center, the Hollywood Vedanta society was likewise run by a scholarly and charismatic monk, Prabhavananda, who initiated the English trio of writers.

Like Nikhilananda, Prabhavananda was a magnet for the intelligentsia, and his lectures often attracted the likes of Igor Stravinsky, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and W. Somerset Maugham (and led to his writing “The Razor’s Edge”). Inspired by Isherwood—who briefly lived at the center as a monk—Greta Garbo asked if she too might move in. Told that a monastery accepts only men, Garbo became testy. “That doesn’t matter!” she thumped. “I’ll put on trousers.”

Henry Miller, who made headlines with his torrid and banned “Tropic of Cancer,” visited with Prabhavananda at the Hollywood center, devoured a small library of Vedanta books and settled down in Big Sur in 1944. Throughout his memoir, “The Air Conditioned Nightmare,” Miller invokes Vivekananda as the great sage of the modern age and the consummate messenger to rescue the West from spiritual bankruptcy.

The supreme irony is that India itself needs rescuing from spiritual bankruptcy — all the while when India itself has the world’s largest stock of spiritual capital safely locked away. As they say in Hindi, दिये के नीचे अँधेरा (“it’s dark right under the lamp”.) Perhaps centuries of slavery has robbed Indians of the discriminating faculty and the intelligence to recognize true wealth and wisdom.

Isherwood’s commitment to Vedanta, like Salinger’s, was unswerving and lifelong. Over the next 20 years, he co-translated with Prabhavananda the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s “Yoga Aphorisms” and Shankara’s “Crest Jewel of Discrimination,” and was the author of several books and tracts on Vivekananda and Ramakrishna.

Alright, I have quoted enough from the WSJ piece. It’s a fairly long piece and I recommend it in its entirety. Here’s one last bit from it.

India has scheduled a yearlong party to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Vivekananda’s birth, beginning on January 12, 2013. There will be plenty of readings of his four texts on yoga as a spiritual discipline. Nine volumes chronicle his talks, writings and ruminations, from screeds against child marriage to Milton’s “Paradise Lost” to his pet goats and ducks. But if there were a single takeaway line that boils down his teachings to one spiritual bullet point, it would be “You are not your body.” This might be bad news for the yoga-mat crowd. The good news for beleaguered souls like Salinger was Vivekananda’s corollary: “You are not your mind.”

[Read more on Swami Vivekananda in this blog.]

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Lessons from the ghost, A Hindu Wisdom

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Lessons from the ghost

via Devdutt by Devdutt on 1/30/12

Published in First City,  January 2012  

A sorcerer once requested the legendary King Vikramaditya of Ujjain to fetch him a Vetal or ghost that hung upside down, like a bat, from the branches of a tree that stood in the middle of a crematorium. 

Not wanting to disappoint anyone who approached him, Vikramaditya immediately set out for the crematorium determined to fetch the Vetal.

“Make sure you do not talk to him. If you speak, he will slip away from your grasp,” warned the sorcerer.

Vikramaditya entered the crematorium, found the tree, and the Vetal hanging upside down from its branches. He caught the ghost, pulled it down and made his way back to the city when the ghost started chatting with him, telling him all kinds of things, annoying him, yelling into his ears, cursing him, praising him, anything to make him talk but Vikramaditya refused to succumb to these tricks.

Finally, the Vetal told Vikramaditya a story, a case study one might say, and at the end of it asked the king a question. “If you are indeed the wise Vikramaditya, as you claim to be, you should know the answer to the riddle. But how will I know if you are truly he, unless you speak? And if you choose to stay silent, I am free to assume I have been caught by a commoner, a pretender, a mimic!”

Too arrogant to be called a commoner, the king gave the answer. And it was a brilliant answer, one that made the Vetal gasp in admiration.

And then, he slipped away and went back to hang upside down from the branches of the tree in the middle of the crematorium.

So Vikramaditya had to walk back to the tree once again and pull the Vetal down once again.

Once again, the Vetal told him a story with a question at the end. Once again the Vetal told the king, “If you are indeed the wise Vikramaditya, as you claim to be, you should know the answer to the riddle. But how will I know if you are truly he, unless you speak? And if you choose to stay silent, I am free to assume I have been caught by a commoner, a pretender, a mimic!”

Once again, the arrogant king gave the answer. Once again the Vetal gasped in admiration.

And once again he slipped away.

This happened twenty-four times. The twenty-fifth time, a tired and exasperated Vikramaditya, sighed in relief.

He had succeeded.

“Have you really?” asked the Vetal, “How do you know the answers you gave the previous times were right? Each decision was subjective, not objective. You thought you were right, and so you spoke. Now you are not sure of the answer, and so remain silent. This silence will cost you dear. You will succeed in taking me to the sorcerer who will use his magic to make me his genie and do his bidding. His first order for me will be to kill you.

So you see, Vikramaditya, as long as you kept answering my questions, rightly or wrongly, you were doing yourself a favor. You had to keep chasing me, but you stayed king. Now that you doubt yourself, and stay silent, you are sure to end up dead.”

At the moment of decision-making, decisions are not right or wrong. They are right or wrong only in hindsight.

He who takes decisions proactively, he who is not afraid to let the Vetal slip away, he who knows that life is about solving one problem after another, is Vikramaditya.

To improve decision-making, Vikramaditya has to visit the crematorium where the past hangs upside down like ghosts and confront the Vetal.

This is where learning takes place. This is where he hones his skills.

The Vetal is the mentor, the trainer, the coach, the teacher, the guru, who presents the past as case studies and asks questions in the form of riddles and puzzles.

Does the Vetal know the answer?

Maybe yes, maybe no. It does not matter.

What matters is that Vikramaditya answers the questions and solves the problems.

Every answer, every solution, is subjective; only time will reveal if they are right and wrong.

If Vikramaditya refuses to answer, he will end up destroying himself and his kingdom.

A leader matters only as long as he seeks to solve problems.

Vikramaditya must always go to Vetal; the Vetal must never go to Vikramaditya.

Vetal is Saraswati. Unlike Lakshmi and Durga which can be given, Saraswati cannot be given. She has to be taken.

The crematorium is not a place where business happens, but it is here that the mind is expanded and beliefs are clarified.

It is a place of new ideas, new thoughts, new frameworks, that facilitate decision-making.

The more Vikramaditya visits the crematorium, the more he expands his mind, the more he gains Saraswati and the more attractive he becomes to power and prosperity, Durga and Lakshmi.

The process of gaining Saraswati is two fold.

There is the outer voice called Smriti and the inner voice called Shruti.

Smriti means that which can be remembered hence transmitted. Shruti means that which can only be heard but cannot be transmitted.

What a teacher teaches a student, what is passed on through texts and puzzles and riddles and questions and case studies, is just Smriti. These can be parroted and passed on. These can be mouthed to impress people.

But real learning happens when the aspirant listens to his own voice, the inner voice of his mind.

This is the only voice we hear. This is Shruti.

Only when Smriti provokes Shruti, do we internalize wisdom.

It becomes part of us. When this happens, we do not have to provide references for our knowledge (“This idea comes from that teacher”). We become the source of the knowledge (“This is my idea”).

Books and lectures are Smriti; they can be remembered and passed on.

The reader or listener can allow it to provoke Shruti.

Only when they listen to their inner voice and truly ‘get it’, will this knowledge of the past transform into timeless wisdom.

The way to this is to introspect on it, personalize it, rather than intellectualize it.

Frameworks appear when we see the mirror and are comfortable with the reflection.

As long as frameworks are meant to change the world, not ourselves, Saraswati will remain Vidya-Lakshmi, skill that grants prosperity, but not peace.

We will stay trapped in Swarga, like Indra, eternally on a shaky throne.

We will never find Vaikuntha, where Lakshmi sits at our feet, and we always enjoy the rhythmic swing of the waves.

Every king whose rule extends up to the horizon, the Chakravarti, is no different from the Kupmanduka, the frog in the well.

The walls of his kingdom define his well. However great the size may be, it is but a drop in the canvas of infinity.

 There is always scope to grow, outgrow the animal within, stop chasing Durga and Lakshmi, and make them chase him instead.

For this he has to cut his head.

Vetal cuts the head. Shruti cuts the head.

Cutting of the head is a metaphor for intellectual as well as emotional growth.

Intellectual growth may make us more skilled and less insecure, but it does not enable us to empathize. T

he point is not to be knowledgeable; the point is to be wise.

And in India, wisdom happens when knowledge combines with empathy, gyan with karuna.

Vedas became omniform for all periods of time

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By Prem Sabhlok

Via e-mail

Swami Viveknanda had said that religion is a spiritual science. Many contemporary gurus, swamis, pujaris and priests are not able to explain the concept of spiritual science. But most of them agree that the Vedas are the supreme scriptures of Hindus. The Bhagavad-Gita mentions that study of Vedas is the highest virtue. Adi Granth Sahib says Asankh grantha mukhi Vedpatha. There are innumerable scriptures but Vedic study is the supreme.

Sad-Darshana (six schools of Indian philosophy),  based on Vedic metaphysics and Vedic Ishta theory-paths, aim at welfare of mankind. They have made it amply clear that to know the concept of religion as spiritual science, the study of the Vedas is essential. To avoid spread of pious forgeries in the society, Swami Dayananda had suggested study and propagation of Vedic knowledge for the Aryans (noble people).

After the study of the Vedas through English translation of mantras, riks, hymns and even some verses, it was apparent the religion as spiritual science is dharma and it is an institution of social, moral, ethical and spiritual uplift of mankind. It is based on certain principles of spiritual science relating to Rta (cosmic laws of Nature), ideal mosaic society where people follow four divine professions (chatvar varnas) allotted through the Vedic education system based on merit, ability and aptitude and certainly not by birth.

The concept of guru —  Gu means darkness and Ru means to dispel —  dispeller of inner and outer darkness as a preceptor, the cosmic delusion (maya), the difference between soul, manifested soul, spirit and their respective roles, prakrti (divine Nature), the ineffable and formless Supreme Reality Brahman, the cosmic word “Om” (Shabd Brahma) cause of origin of the universe, physical sciences and scientific temper and many other subjects and concepts have been explained in the context of dharma as spiritual science.

In the social aspect of dharma, the Vedas refer to healthy community life through sabha and vidhta, local self-governance, iddm nan mmam — enlightened liberalism (nothing for self all for society), etc.

With regard to the moral aspect hydra-headed corruption with nine heads and 99 sources of entry in the human body is mentioned and solution thereof to eliminate corruption.

On the ethical aspect of dharma, trivarga (three kinds of value systems are explained) and as regard spiritual side of dharma harmonized divine, spiritual and material knowledge (para jnan) is explained in great details.

After study of the Vedas, I wrote Glimpses of Vedic Metaphysics as a part of Vedic spiritual science. Hence the book is by a commoner for the common human beings and seekers of Vedic knowledge, who may not have time to study over 17,000 mantras/riks in all the four Vedas, but are keen to know what these shrutis contain. The Atharva Veda clearly mentions when soul was provided to the human beings, the Vedas were revealed (hence shrutis).

Thus the Vedas became omniform for all periods of time. The study of the Vedas can save simple, honest and God-loving people from the pious forgeries of “leaders of hope” like miracles, breaking unity into diversity of cults/sects or even declaring Veda mantras have secret divine power.

Instead of publishing the book and commercially pricing it, I opted for putting it on the Internet for online reading and even taking print at no cost. It is available on http://www.sabhlokcity.com/metaphysics. The book can be accessed through google.com, yahoo.com, lulu.com search for the book or just Vedic Metaphysics.

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Interpretations on Gita: A scholarly study

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Interpretations on Gita: A scholarly study
By Dr Vaidehi Nathan
The Bhagavadgita in the Nationalist Discourse, Nagappa Gowda K, Oxford University Press, Pp 286(HB), Rs 695.00

BHAGAVAD Gita the eternal text has been explored and re-interpreted by men since it was originally penned by the great sage Vyasa. Each one has found his/her own meanings and answers from the Gita to quests and queries on life and beyond.

The Bhagavadgita in the Nationalist Discourse by Nagappa Gowda K. has analysed the contemporary understanding of Gita by leaders in 19th- 20th century. Six men have been selected who wrote dissertations on or referred extensively to Gita. They are Bankimchandra Chatterjee, Balgangadhar Tilak, Swami Vivekananda, Aurobindo Ghose, Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave and BR Ambedkar. These are all men who influenced the course of the nation — some politically, some spiritually. “The nationalist engagement with the Gita was both emotional and intellectual, since nationalism expressed itself, whether sui generis or as a response-product of engagement with colonialism, at those levels. Locating the source of nationalism in the Gita was a way of rejecting the Western claim that nationalist impulse and ideology were its exclusive gift” says Gowda.

While Bankimchandra saw the Gita as a call for action, for Tilak, as revealed in Gita Rahasya, the appeal was the notion of sthitaprajna, the rejection of sanyasa and a direction for active engagement with life. For Aurobindo, who turned into sage after rejecting active political life, Gita was a text of supreme spirituality, demanding nothing less than total surrender. Gandhi on other hand found in Gita “supreme endorsement of the notions such as non-violence, Swadeshi, Svadharma and Satyagraha.”

interpreted Gita as an embodiment of national culture in true sense. Vinoba Bhave found svadharma as the central theme of Gita. Ambedkar saw Gita in a very different light. He thought it was a text that was trying to revive and justify “the Old Order with a new set of arguments as emanating from the mouth of God.”

Nagappa Gowda says that the Gita came back as a much discussed text of Hinduism because of the interest shown by the westerners in it. According to him, the Europeans, triggered by their eagerness to explore the Indian culture and religion sought out the “native informants.” “The native informants were the Brahmins – a small, literate monopoly class in the country, who thus became the sole spokespersons of religion. Brahmanical religion became the Hindu religion, and Brahmanical texts became the official Hindu texts.

Of them Shree Krishna and his Song Celestial seemed to merit the Semitic notion of a revealed religion… Thus, in the eighteenth century, we see both the orientalist and missionary discourses nudging the Bhagavadgita and its author to the centrestage of attention and engagement.”

Tilak used Gita in the political context. He exalts an all-India-Hinduism, playing down the differences of sect and caste. For Vivekananda the message is beyond India, in a world canvas and it is apolitical. He regards the truth in Gita as universal and not historical, says Gowda adding nishkam karma was the essence of the monk’s message from Gita.

Sri Aurobindo has written extensively on Gita. He wrote 24 essays on the first six chapters, twelve essays on the next six chapters and twelve on the remaining six. The first six chapters, he felt dealt with the notion of karma and its relation with jnana.

Gandhi delivered 218 lectures on the Gita at the Satyagraha Ashram, Ahmedabad over a period of nine months in 1926. He was introduced to the Gita by Edwin Arnold, to an English translation called Song Celestial, when he was twenty years old.

He said, “Only he can interpret the Gita correctly who tries to follow its teaching in practice…it may be a profound one, but in my view the realisation of its profound quality depends on the depth of one’s sincerity in putting its teaching into practice.”

Ambedkar on the other hand saw it as a reiteration of the caste system. The reviving debate on it he said was an attempt at ‘replying’ to the Buddhist preaching, by re-establishing the ‘relevance’ of the caste categorisation. After reading the views on others on the Gita, reading Ambedkar’s gives a feeling of ‘let down.’

One wonders if there was any relevance for his inclusion into this book. For, Ambedkar takes a limited, narrow and constrained attitude towards the text that is widely seen as enlightening, egalitarian and ennobling.

Nagappa Gowda says that the reason why Gita gelled well in the nationalist discourse is that it laid great stress on karma yoga and “undermined the asceticism of the Upanisadic persuasion and emotionalism and devotionalism of the bhakti persuasion.” And also it was seen as upholding a deep commitment to equality.

Gita has been a text of all times. From Adi Shankara, even before him and down the generations men have delved into this changeless doctrine and applied it and explained it as it revealed itself to them.

It has an appeal that has transcended time and space. Nagappa Gowda by contextualising the Gita on the matrix of national movement has given a new perspective worth pursuing. Gowda is Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Government Women’s First Grade College and Post Graduate Centre, Ajjarakadu, Udupi.

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SURPRISINGLY, A FOREIGNER OPENS OUR EYES!!!

Very interesting!!

IF THIS IS TRUE, NOW YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THE MONEY COLLECTED BY TEMPLES IN INDIA.
SURPRISINGLY, A FOREIGNER OPENS OUR EYES!!!
Believe or not, a Foreign writer opens our eyes… The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act of 1951 allows State Governments and politicians to take over thousands of Hindu Temples and maintain complete control of the money in any way they choose.

A charge has been made not by any Temple authority, but by a foreign writer, Stephen Knapp, in a book Crimes Against India and the Need to Protect Ancient Vedic Tradition, published in the United States that makes shocking reading.
 Hundreds of temples in centuries past have been built in India by devout rulers and the donations given to them by devotees have been used for the benefit of the (other) people. If, presently, money collected has ever been misused (and that word needs to be defined), it is for the devotees to protest and not for any government to interfere.

This letter is what has been happening currently under an intrusive law. It would seem, for instance, that under a Temple Empowerment Act, about 43,000 temples in Andhra Pradesh have come under government control and only 18 per cent of the revenues of these temples have been returned for temple purposes, the remaining 82 per cent being used for purposes unstated. Apparently even the world famous Tirumala Tirupati Temple has not been spared.

According to Knapp, the temple collects over Rs 3,100 crores every year and the State Government has not denied the charge that as much as 85 per cent of this is transferred to the State Exchequer, much of which goes to causes that are not connected with the Hindu community. Was it for that reason that devotees make their offering to the temples?

Another charge that has been made is that the Andhra Government has also allowed the demolition of at least ten temples for the construction of golf courses. Imagine the outcry, writes Knapp, if ten mosques had been demolished. It would seem that in Karanataka, Rs. 79 crores were collected from about two lakh temples and from that, temples received Rs seven crores for their maintenance, Muslim madrassahs and Haj subsidy were given Rs 59 crore and churches about Rs 13 crore.

Very generous of the government! Because of this, Knapp writes, 25 per cent of the two lakh temples or about 50,000 temples in Karnataka will be closed down for lack of resources, and he adds: The only way the government can continue to do this is because people have not stood up enough to stop it. Knapp then refers to Kerala where, he says, funds from the Guruvayur Temple are diverted to other government projects denying improvement to 45 Hindu temples. Land belonging to the Ayyappa Temple, apparently has been grabbed and Church encroaches are occupying huge areas of forest land, running into thousands of acres, near Sabarimala.

 A charge is made that the Communist state government of Kerala wants to pass an Ordinance to disband the Travancore & Cochin Autonomous Devaswom Boards (TCDBs) and take over their limited independent authority of 1,800 Hindu temples. If what the author says is true, even the Maharashtra Government wants to take over some 450,000 temples in the state which would supply a huge amount of revenue to correct the states bankrupt conditions.

And, to top it all, Knapp says that in Orissa, the state government intends to sell over 70,000 acres of endowment lands from the Jagannath Temple, the proceeds of which would solve a huge financial crunch brought about by its own mismanagement of temple assets. Says Knapp:
Why such occurrences are so often not known is that the Indian media, especially the English television and press, are often anti-Hindu in their approach, and, thus, not inclined to give much coverage, and certainly no sympathy, for anything that may affect the Hindu community. Therefore, such government actions that play against the Hindu community go on without much or any attention attracted to them. Knapp obviously is on record.

If the facts produced by him are incorrect, it is up to the government to say so. It is quite possible that some individuals might have set up temples to deal with lucrative earnings. But, that, surely, is none of the governments’ business? Instead of taking over all earnings, the government surely can appoint local committees to look into temple affairs so that the amount discovered is fairly used for the public good? Says Knapp: Nowhere in the free, democratic world are the religious institutions managed, maligned and controlled by the government, thus denying the religious freedom of the people of the country. But it is happening in India.

Government officials have taken control of Hindu temples because they smell money in them, they recognise the indifference of Hindus, they are aware of the unlimited patience and tolerance of Hindus, they also know that it is not in the blood of Hindus to go to the streets to demonstrate, destroy property, threaten, loot, harm and/or kill. Many Hindus are sitting and watching the demise of their culture.

They need to express their views loud and clear. Knapp obviously does not know that should they do so, they would be damned as communalists. But, it is time someone asked the Government to lay down all the facts on the table so that the public would know what is happening behind its back.
 Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not secularism. And temples are not for looting, under any name. One thought ….. that Mohammad of Ghazni has long been dead?????

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Sri Padmanabha Swami Hindu Temple

Sri Padmanabha Swami Hindu Temple
SOME TIMES BY : SANTOSH BHATT

Times of india wants all the wealth found to be distributed amongst poor. What a pathetic idea this dumb editor comes up.

Times Of India, Yellow Journalism..

” Unlike, say, Switzerland, India isn’t rolling in wealth. Even as we trip GDP figures off our tongue, a country is deemed wealthy not when it has plenty of rich people but when it has no one mired in poverty. Tough scenario for a country for a billion-plus people but with India home to enough

folks not getting a square meal a day, there is something awry about a temple in Kerala sitting on a treasure trove supposedly worth ‘Rs 1 lakh crore’ — that is Rs 1,000,000,000,000.
 Oh, we know the sanctity of the right to own your wealth and spend it (or not) in whatever manner you choose.

But the Sri Padmanabha Swami temple in Kerala, now unofficially considered the richest temple in the country, isn’t exactly just a fixed deposit that will take care of a family’s Bugatti bills, or even the local mandir or gurdwara providing succour to souls with a cash flow on the side.

In fact, such temples are gargantuan vaults of tax-free wealth. So how about dismantling what are essentially parallel economies by opening these vaults up and use the money to set up private schemes that can bring material comforts to the poor?

Sure, many of these religious institutions have social sch-emes already running. But clearly, much more needs to be done.

If the incentive for such a move is lacking from the trusts of these temples or mosques, why not consider taxing these institutions?

The purpose of taxing people much less wealthy than those who own the wealth of the Padmanabha Swami temple is to bring about some amount of redistribution of wealth through building public facilities such as roads and power stations.

With the temples having enough money to spare, surely being a charitable body won’t make them stingy about spreading the cash for public good?

Especially, since they should be happy to share their wealth in good faith for the purpose of making India a truly rich country.”

With views like these, there is no need of ghoris and Gaznis to break temples and loot when such people with such anti Hindu views are present in Hindusthan

Go after Muslim and Christian first who stole all the land and wealth from native Hindu and then talk about sharing Hindu wealth. Period no if no but and nothing less.

Why are people always after the temples and not after anyother worship places? you are speaking of taking the money from the temple and using it for public good……one fact that you have forgotten my friend is that the so called politicians of this country has more wealth than the worship places,.

The money that people paid as tax for the betterment of the country,was robbed by them and kept in forgein banks,don’t you have the guts to ask them to give it back.

They enter politics as just an average citizen,they go to their graveyard as millioners,leaving back millions for their decendents to live in lavishness………This money belongs to the God……it was donated by humble beleivers,

As a note of thanks giving…….it should stay in the temple,as temple property.

One thing forgotten,its not containers of hard currency which is found,its valuables worth crores,how are you going to use it?

Pave the roads with gold and diamonds?give one diamond to each person?one coin to each person?Sell the valuables?????????

It should be protected,try to generate a revenue from it,by building a museum inside the temple premises for the public to see the heritage,the forgotten era, and a minimal charge taken from them,the revenue of the temple is to increase now as devotees would be flowing in….and that money can be used in public interest.If we oblige to give away the treasure to the benefit of the country,

you would say the Idol is worth crores of rupees,lets sell it for the country……wont you?????

The MAHARAJA who saved this treasure from british rulers should be awarded by the best award(which is given after death) of our country. he was a REAL KING AND REAL DESHBHAKTA.
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हिन्दुओ के मंदिर तो खुदवा दिए ,,,  ….By: Neha Sharma

अतः इस लेख के माध्यम से मैं सुप्रीम कोर्ट से अपील करता हूँ कि वह “स्वयं संज्ञान” लेते हुए ताजमहल के नीचे स्थित 22 सीलबन्द कमरों को खोलने का आदेश दे, जिसकी निगरानी सुप्रीम कोर्ट की निगरानी में हो ताकि पता चले कि कहीं शाहजहाँ और मुमताज सोने की खदान पर तो आर…ाम नहीं फ़रमा रहे? इन सीलबन्द कमरों को खोलने से यह भी साफ़ हो जाएगा कि क्या वाकई ताजमहल एक हिन्दू मन्दिर था? इसी के साथ सुप्रीम कोर्ट में जनहित याचिका दायर करके यह माँग भी की जाना चाहिए कि ज्ञानवापी मस्जिद के नीचे, अजमेर दरगाह के नीचे एवं गोआ के विशाल चर्चों तथा केरल के आर्चबिशपों के भव्य मकानों की भी गहन जाँच और खुदाई की जाए ताकि जो सेकुलर-वामपंथी हिन्दू मन्दिरों के खजाने पर जीभ लपलपा रहे हैं, वे भी जानें कि “उधर” कितना “माल” भरा है। हिन्दुओं एवं उनके भगवान के धन पर बुरी नज़र रखने वालों को संवैधानिक एवं कानूनी रूप से सबक सिखाया जाना अति-आवश्यक है… वरना आज पद्मनाभ मन्दिर का नम्बर आया है, कल भारत के सभी मन्दिर इस “सेकुलर-वामपंथी” गोलाबारी की रेंज में आ जाएंगे

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What is Yantra (यन्त्र) ? The Sanskrit Word

What is Yantra (यन्त्र)  ? The Sanskrit Word

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  BY ; Sumy Aum Sharma

• Yantra (यन्त्र) is the Sanskrit word for “instrument” or “machine”. Much like the word “instrument” itself, it can stand for symbols.Yantra function as revelatory conduits of cosmic truths. Yantra, as instrument and spiritual technology,it is prototypical and esoteric concept mapping machines or conceptual looms. Certain yantra are he……ld to embody the energetic signatures of, for example, the Universe, consciousness, ishta-devata. Mantras, the Sanskrit syllables inscribed on yantras, are essentially “thought forms” representing divinities or cosmic powers, which exert their influence by means of sound-vibrations.

  Symbols employed in yantrasShapes and patterns commonly employed in yantra include squares, triangles, circles and floral patterns but may also include more complex and detailed symbols, for instance:

  The lotus flower typically represent chakras, with each petal representing a psychic propensity (or vritti) associated with that chakra
  A dot, or bindu, represents the starting point of creation or the infinite, unexpressed cosmos
  The şaţkoņa (Sanskrit name for a symbol identical to the star of David) composed of a balance between:
  An upwards triangle denoting action (or service), extroversion, masculinity or Shiva
  A downwards triangle denoting introversion, meditativeness, goddess energy or Shakti

  Geometric element meanings:

  Circle = Energy of the element water
  Square = Energy of the element earth
  Triangle = Energy of the element fire
  Diagonal lines = Energy of the element air
  Horizontal line = Energy of the element water
  Vertical line = Energy of the element fire
  Point = Energy of the element ether

  As an astrological deviceYantra may be used to represent the astronomical position of the planets over a given date and time. It is considered auspicious in Hindu{Sanatan Dharm} mythology. These yantras are made up on various objects i.e. Paper, Precious stones, Metal Plates and alloys. It is believed that constantly concentrating on the representation helps to build fortunes, as planets have their peculiar gravity which governs basic emotions and karma. These yantras are often made on a particular date and time according to procedures defined in the vedas.

  This one above is Shri Yantra

  

   

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Textual Corruption in Vedas

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Textual Corruption in Vedas

By : Agniveer                  

 

Once upon a time, cyberspace used to be dominated by fanatics. They included not only hackers and terrorists associations but also witchdoctors and scientists specializing in superstitions. They all had only one mission – to subdue all voices that don’t sing chorus with their own call of divine. Mortal remains of their deeds can still be witnessed in internet archives. In those times, they would proudly assert that only they has passport of heaven, and whosoever agrees even slightly shall not be forgiven – here and hereafter.

Their impact was spread across the world. But Indians – being the potentially most attractive population segment for their mission – were a special focus for them. Their witchdoctors thus created a lot of ready-made material which would be copy-pasted by the junior level missionaries across various discussion boards, social networking sites, blog sites, comments section of blog sites to dissuade Indians from their culture and its foundation towards the only way to achieve a virgins-ful heaven. The proof of their claim was visible to entire humanity through the marks on the moon that proved its splitting 14 centuries ago!

They were being very successful in their mission and this success made them proclaim that their dominance would increase with increasing penetration of internet among masses. By 2013, India was estimated to be fully dominated as per claims of their TV Channels. But then Agniveer came. And scenario changed. Now suddenly their copy-paste would get countered by similar copy-pastes from Agniveer site. Google would show up Agniveer site in Top 10 searches on most of the controversial topics that they would like Indians to be confused about.

Agniveer was a very humble small scale attempt without recourse to petro-dollars or millions of bucks. But it struck where it hurt the most. Agniveer did nothing great – it simply showed them the mirror. It proved to them that they have no logical basis to claim that only their belief system is perfect and everything else is a passport for hell. It showed them there is no evidence to prove that the holy scripture of theirs is indeed the same as provided by whom they claim to be their founder. And that blind belief devoid of reason is only a recipe to nurture terrorists. Agniveer also countered silly allegations on Indian culture through authoritative analysis and evidences.

Now suddenly their plans went awry. One witchdoctor in their team announced recently that he would not argue or debate with certain ‘sects’. Many others attempted to redefine their interpretations of their scriptures. But there are many who followed the deeds of the monkey of Panchatantra. In Pachatantra, there is a story of a monkey who was shivering in rain because he had no home. A sell-intentioned pigeon advised him to build a home so that he does not have to face such troubles again. The monkey got angry on this and destroyed the nest of the pigeon to ensure that even she does not have a home. This is what terrorist mind is all about – foolishness, anger, vindictiveness.

Similar minds have started countering Agniveer by denigrating the Vedas on most frivolous pretexts because they could not explain how they could demand the entire world to follow ONLY their book which was compiled only after 20 years of the murder of the founder by a gang which was itself murdered by yet another group. Even that book is not available fully today. But ‘Buffalo belongs only to one who has the stick’ seems to be their mantra.

A recent attempt has been by writing articles based on extremely outdated claims to prove that Vedas are also textually corrupted. We initially chose to ignore this long-rejected stupid research. We thought that someone else would counter it along with flat-earth theory while we focus on other prominent tasks. But considering the widespread promotion that is being provided to this viewpoint by petro-dollar power holders, we thought to have at least a short analysis debunking the myth. Because in an era of misinformation, truth is often nothing but a lie shouted thousand times!

We shall only provide brief concepts here that can be used by anyone to deduce the truth. We simply want to ensure that we do not act like pigeons to counter the terrorist monkey. Lets be gorillas instead!

To read the original allegation, you can simply type ‘Textual Corruption in Vedas’ in google and check the variants. We don’t want to provide a link and help popularize new names to replace old fanatics whose demise the world is celebrating today!

We shall provide brief summary of allegation and our analysis.

Here we start:

Prologue

1.

Even if someone conclusively proves that Vedas available today are textually corrupted/ incomplete or that an alien came in space-ship to replace original Vedas with a duplicate inferior variety it does not matter much. This is because:

– Vedas are not supposed to be merely mugged up and followed blindly or narrated like a parrot to invoke its divine powers or split the moon. The very word ‘Veda’ means knowledge. And hence Vedas have to be followed or adopted only to the extent that it is intuitive or reasonable to your own mind. So if you bring even the greatest scholar in the world to prove to me that Rigveda 1.1.5 means that “The one who claim to be a doctor, possesses a goat-beard but wear a suit-tie and tie, and asserts that all non-believers would go to Hell and apostates deserve being killed – should be greeted with footwear”, then I am not going to believe it. Because my own intellect and whatever I understood from Vedas so far tell me that fake should be countered with arguments and intellect, and not with symbolic gestures of frustrations that are insulting.

And by following my conscience in this manner to best of my abilities without bringing ego in picture, I would be following the Vedas.

– Vedas are supposed to be already encoded within our minds. What we read in books is merely a way to decode this knowledge. This is like the Laws of Motion. You don’t have to mug up what Newton wrote in Latin in Principia to understand the laws of motion. You approach the knowledge intuitively. And then to fulfill needs of further understanding, you may also learn Latin or whatever as situation demands. But you do so driven by logic and not guided by blind belief that mugging up will give to Heaven. We still refer to the texts because though technically it is possible for all of us to deduce the Laws of Motion and Theory of Relativity all by ourselves but it would become a very time-consuming process. We don’t take works of Newton or Einstein for mugging up blindly, we use them as check-posts to help us guide to right path in a manner that is intuitive/ logical to us.

So even if few pages of Principia are torn, or there are some misprints, or a few pages mixed up, it does not matter much because all that means is that for some parts, we will have to put a bit more extra effort to understand what exactly they meant. And especially if you are only a Class 1 student, these apparent mistakes would actually mean nothing at all for you.

In same vein, if an advanced scholar of Vedas complains of being stalled due to inaccessibility to certain portions of Vedas, it could still be understood. We are still puzzled on how Fermat’s Theorem could be elegantly solved because some pages of his diary are found missing! But if you asked after reading the last sentence – Who is Fermat? – then you don’t even need to bother about the missing pages!

2.

Those attempting to belittle the Vedas come with malevolent intent and not genuine intention to seek truth. While a Vedic follower would very clearly proclaim that we would reject any translation of Vedas that do not appeal to our conscience or is logically unsound, these fanatics would never ever say that they would follow the same standard for their text. They would never assert that there remains a scope that their text has been tampered with because it was written only 20 years after suspicious death of original founder by a murdering group of fighters.

They cannot do so because their cult has a rule – if someone turns apostate – kill him. So its a one way traffic – they shall never accept the truth and would continue to ridicule and decimate the non-believers. But the rest of us are supposed to accept their way merely because we are not taught to be fanatic!

3.

Proving textual corruption in Vedas will not result in the conclusion that any other text is divine. And even if corruption is proved in Vedas, that does not have much significance for reasons discussed above. So such attempts only showcase that the monkey of Panchatantra lives even today. I say this because the same sites and people that attempt to prove corruption in the Vedas are also the ones who openly promise permanent Hell for non-believers and defend those who justify death for apostates.

The goal of this article is merely to reassure that while we should keep caution of these dangerous monkeys, we should not take their monkey arguments seriously.

There is another story in Panchatantra about monkeys where a king and the minister went for a trip. They saw a lot of monkeys in a place. Every monkey was doing some monkey act – throwing stones, jumping, fighting each other, making noises etc. But there sat a monkey in one remote corner who was sitting in lotus position with eyes closed. The king said to the minister, “Look! This monkey looks like a saint. How peacefully is he sitting in meditation. Let us go and seek his blessings.” The minister replied, “O King! Don’t be duped by these acts of monkeys. Even this pretense of meditation by a monkey is a monkey-act. Lets move ahead.” The king refused, went to the monkey and bowed in front of him. Suddenly the monkey jumped, snatched the crown of the king, and ran away!

We hope the kings of this world would pay heed to this humble minister and protect their crowns.

Let me assure you that all these allegations on Vedas are baseless. There is always a remote possibility that Vedas are corrupted, or that there are 7 skies, or that moon was split into two when someone pointed finger, or that the hobbits of Lord of the Rings actually live in our cities, or that sun is smaller to earth and sets in a mud-pond, or that certain stones can snatch your clothes and run away, or that certain donkeys have face of a woman and can fly you to moon and 7 skies. And when we find reasonable evidences for these, we would be glad to not only accept these but promote them as well.

But for that to happen, more rational and plausible evidences have to be brought in light than these outdated frivolous ones.

Allegation 1: Different texts talk of different number of Vedas. No one is sure whether there is 1 Veda, or 3 or 4 or 5.

Agniveer:

1. Those who allege this should first read our article – http://agniveer.com/5090/fountainhead-philosophies-vedas/ that explains that its all about definitions. Just as I can define you as 1 person, or a group of 1 brain, 2 eyes, 2 nosetrils, 2 ears etc or as 2 different persons due to split personality causing confusion or whatever. But they all point to same thing.

Similarly, scholars have defined Vedas variously. If you consider only knowledge, Vedas is only 1. If you consider Para and Apara knowledge (liberating and mundane knowledge), then Vedas are 2. If you focus on Knowledge, Action and Contemplation, Vedas are 3. If you consider Rik, Yajuh, Sama, Atharva, Vedas are 4. If you consider each mandala of Rigveda as separate, then there are 10 Rigvedas. Similarly we have 40 Yajurvedas. If you take each mantra as a different Veda, you have more than 20,000 Vedas.

So number does not matter. They all point to same set of mantras.

2. Many Upanishads and Manu Smriti talk of Vedas coming from Agni, Vayu, Aditya, Angira. Some view these as Rishis in inception of human civilization. Others term them as innate sources of nature that inspired the Rishis. Whatever be the case, there is no denial that a select few Rishis got the knowledge of Vedas first and then they propagated in a manner that there remains perfect standardization since then.

Now these names Agni, Vayu, Aditya, Angira are nothing more than Unique IDs. These names depict their areas of specialization in same manner as Subhash Chandra Bose is called Netaji and Krishna is called Madhusudan. It is not that they were born with birth-certificates of these names on basis of which they were admitted in some schools or their Voter Cards were made. So just because Aditya is called Surya somewhere does not affect the Vedas in any manner. Atharvaveda is also called Angirasa because they depict characteristics of a particular Veda. Vedas are themselves called by different names depending upon what aspect of their property we want to focus upon.

The beauty of Vedic literature lies in the fact that words are not used with pre-decided arbitrary meanings to force the mind to think in specific directions. Instead words are derived from roots (which again are based on how each pronunciation impacts our minds) and hence verses allow the mind to think originally and discover new essence in a state of deep contemplation. So focus is on liberation and not imprisonment of intellect. And since it is already within you, you don’t simply mug up the meaning or even translate a meaning, you FEEL the meaning within. The very test of whether you understand a mantra or not is that whether you could intuitively FEEL the meaning from within. If not, don’t worry! Keep practicing, keep using your faculty of thinking and keep following your inner voice!

3. Vedas are very commonly classified into 3 because they represent 3 kinds of knowledge – Theory, Actions, Contemplation. Rigveda focuses more on theory, Yajurveda on actions and Samaveda on Contemplation. Note that they are not independent silos. They are merely overall themes. You cannot be expert in one unless you are also master of the other two. And that is why you would find a lot of repetition of verses in the different Vedas. It is just that the FEELING changes with change in context.

Now Atharvaveda is all about Practical Applications – integration of the wisdom of rest of the 3 Vedas. So often it is not referred separately. It is automatically included in the themes of rest of the 3 Vedas in same manner as Practical classes are assumed to be part of the subject of Physics along with Theory. So primarily Rik, Yajuh and Sama are mentioned in literature. Atharvaveda is also called Chhanda and mentioned wherever necessary.

4.

Q: Why Manu Smriti and Swami Dayanand talk of completing study of Vedas in 36 years by devoting 12 years on each Vedas? This means Vedas are only 3.

A: As explained earlier, Atharveveda is already included in the course curriculum. It is impossible to understand any Veda without referring to Atharvaveda for all of us except those who might have mastered all this in their previous birth and are born as Rishis since birth. For lesser mortals, when Rigveda or Yajurveda or Samaveda is to be mastered, the relevant portions of Atharvaveda have to be practiced to understand the applications. After all theory is incomplete without practicals.

This confusion comes in minds of those for whom study of a scripture only means becoming a Haafiz who could mug up and narrate the verses like a parrot. While mugging up is often useful and at times very necessary to preserve the Vedas, it is a very special course for very specific minds. For most of us, spending 12 years reading Physics will not mean spending time mugging the books. Further you don’t need to spend 12 years to mug up each Veda! Something like Yajurveda has less than 2000 mantras that can be completed in less than a year if mugging is all that has to be done.

In reality, even when you are mastering one particular Veda, you must study other Vedas as well and gain a reasonable proficiency in them. This is like Engineering Colleges having courses on Physics, Maths, English, Psychology, Economics etc as well.

So if you put 36 years on Vedas, don’t worry. Atharvaveda would automatically be taken care of.

5.

Q: What about 1131 branches/ shakhas of Vedas? Everyone knows that only a few of them remain today. All the other branches are lost.

A: Oh No. Not again. Branch refers to a particular recension style of Vedas to emphasize certain aspects and making it relevant to existing time and society. Branches or Shakhas are not eternal. But original Vedas have been preserved as they were even till today. Most Shakhas went extinct during a long period of misrule. But nonetheless our forefathers ensured that they did not allow the tradition of memorizing and preserving the original Vedas from generation to generation.

Now some fools argue that why are original Vedas are also called by name of Shakhas. The answer is that the name of Shakha is derived from the Rishi who ensured its preservation from generation to generation. Some Rishis chose to promote the variations so as to propagate their meaning among masses and specialized students. Some volunteered to continue preserving the original Vedas so that more Shakhas could be created in future. Why should we not acknowledge these Rishis? Hence Shaakal chose to preserve the Rigveda, Madhyandin chose to preserve Yajurveda, Shaunak chose to preserve Atharveveda and Kauthum chose to protect Samaveda. These refer not only to individuals but entire traditions.

None apart from misled fanatics ever had any disputes over these Shakhas and the originals. Even western indologists and detractors who were otherwise skeptic of Vedas and their meanings had to admit that original Vedas are available to us in same form as the oldest evidence available without any doubt.

Maxmuller announces in Origin of Religion (p 131): The texts of the Veda have been handed down to us with such accuracy that there is hardly a various reading in the proper sense of the word or even an uncertain accent in the whole of the Rig-Veda.

Maxmuller in Rigveda Vol 1, p XXX: As far we are able to judge at present, we can hardly speak of various readings in the Vedic hymns in the usual sense of that word. Various readings to be gathered from a collection of different manuscripts now accessible to us there are NONE.

Macdonell in A History of Sanskrit Literature (p 50): Extraordinary precautions soon began to be taken to guard the canonical text. Thus fixed against the possibility of any change or loss the result has been its preservation with a faithfulness unique in literary history.

Keigi in Rigveda (p 22): Since that time, nearly 3000 years ago, it (the text of the Vedas) has suffered no changes whatsoever, with a care such that the history of other literatures has nothing similar to compare with it.

Abinash Chandra Dass in Rigvedic India (p 5): These hymns, however, were not committed to writing on payrus, palm-leaves or baked clay-bricks, but to human memory carefully cultivated for the purpose and were handed down from generation to generation without the loss of even a single word or syllable.

Should we say more? Except that we don’t know the cure for paranoia.

Allegation 2: Some verses of Rigveda are missing. Nirukta 7.8 talks of a verse offering oblation to Vishnu and Agni in Rigveda but there is no such verse in current Rigveda. So the verse was lost.

Agniveer:

1. Nirukta wasn’t preserved in the way Rigveda was. So Rigveda is much more authoritative, especially after scrutiny by even the skeptics as mentioned above.

2. The Vishnu of Vedas is same as the Agni. Both refer to same Singular Supreme Entity. Only the misled see polytheism in Vedas. So joint oblation to Vishnu and Agni is applicable to any mantra that can be interpreted to imply those characteristics of Supreme that are common in meaning of Agni and Vishnu. This is a research subject for those who have skills to contemplate deeply on mantras. There is nothing conflicting in it. At best one can say that – Since I don’t know anything about Vedas because knowing that would put me in Hell, hence I cannot understand it.

3. Interestingly the very people who are currently raising this childish allegation are the ones who also attempt to prove that Vedas talk of only one Single God. But they use this argument when they want to prove that Vedas and their modern scripture both talk of the same Singular God, but because their scripture is latest, hence that latest version should be followed. Hence everyone should start believing in their religion to escape Hell.

But here, since the purpose is to create doubt, the exactly opposite argument is being propagated. Remember we talked about the monkeys? Now recall the advise of the minister.

Allegation 3: There is corruption in recitation of certain mantras. For example Rigveda 10.29.1 has a word that is pronounced as ‘Va +Yah’ in one Pada Patha and ‘Vayo’ somewhere. Scholars interpret the words differently and come with conflicting meanings. Another example is word ‘Mehanaasti’ which is interpreted as “Ma + Iha + Naasti’ in some Pada Patha.

Agniveer:

Whether we take the word as ‘Va + Yah’ or Vayo, they both are pronounced in exactly the same manner. Same is true for ‘Ma + Iha + Naasti’. However in Vedic mantras, these words come us Vayo and Mehanaasti. Scholars can have disputes over how the word should be interpreted. This is a research topic. Depending on their views, they can have different Pada Paatha or break-up of the words. Perhaps during Yaska’s time, someone broke the word in wrong manner and hence he had to counter it. Similar to the way even we have to counter the most outdated concepts even today despite the availability of thoroughly verified and edited Vedas!

Pada Paatha is NOT original Vedas. It is one way of preserving Vedas. There are 9 more. Refer http://agniveer.com/2697/no-textual-corruption-in-vedas/. If an error comes in Pada Patha, it is corrected by comparing with other methods. And hence today, there is no doubt over what the original Vedic mantras are. (Thanks to efforts of sages like Yaska from time to time.) I recommend looking at editions of Pt Damodar Satvalekar which is accepted widely as the most corrected published version.

Allegation 4: There are different versions of Rigveda available today each having a different number of mantras. Hence Rigveda is corrupted.

Agniveer:

So finally they discovered what even Max Muller and Macdonell could not discover. Like the splitting of moon in NASA images and blackholes in universe because their text says that certain starts disappear in daytime! But unfortunately, this one is also a very dated allegation that did not even stand for a few days when it first emerged. The difference in number comes only due to different methods of calculation. If I ask anyone to list those verses of Rigveda which are present in one version but not in another, no one can produce it. At least in last thousands of years of documented history no one could produce it.

This matter has been dealt in great detail in http://agniveer.com/3953/mantras-rigveda/ and final calculations have been provided.

Allegation 5: There are different versions of Yajurveda as well. There is Black and White Yajurveda which have significant differences. Ishopanishad was an Upanishad later inserted in Yajurveda as 40th Chapter.

Agniveer:

1. Black or Krishna Yajurveda is a branch (Shakha) and not original Yajurveda. It contains original mantras modified along with historical and explanatory descriptions to suit research interests of specific kind. Shukla or White Yajurveda refers to those branches of Yajurveda that modify the original mantras if required but do not add additional texts. The Madhyandini Yajurveda of Shukla Branch is the original Yajurveda and rest are its variations.

So in case you do not have access to original Yajurveda, start with a branch. That would be much more easy to approach due to explanations and simplifications. And when you have mastered them, you can have the taste of the original. The keen minds who are less paranoid and more zealous can approach the original directly as well!

2. Ishopanishad is nothing but the 40th Chapter of Yajurveda as it appears in a particular branch of Black Yajurveda with some modifications. Because this is the greatest text on spiritualism and philosophy and mother of all other texts like Geeta, other Upanishads and even Darshans, it has a special place in Vedic literature. Being mother of all Upanishads, it is called Isha Upanishad. Only a paranoid can explain why he or she thinks that Isha Upanishad cannot be part of Yajurveda.

Allegation 6: Swami Dayanand added an additional word “Gamyaat” in Yajurveda 9.20 while explaining the mantra. Hence Yajurveda is corrupted.

Agniveer:

1. Did Swami Dayanand add the word in the mantra? No. The word is found only in Hindi translation in some editions. Now Swami Dayanand used to dictate meaning in Sanskrit to his pundits who would then translate it in Hindi as well as transcribe what he said.

But even if he or his pundit added the word in explanation, then you should be thankful to him for attempting to simplify things instead of taking exceptions.

2. Even if Swami Dayanand added the word in the mantra, that does not make Yajurveda corrupted. It only means that Swami Dayanand made an error. When did Vedas or Agniveer or Swami Dayanand claim that humans are fully perfect?

Allegation 7: Arya Samaj translation of Vedas has an additional mantra at the end of Yajurveda Chapter 25. Hence Yajurveda is corrupted.

Agniveer:

1. So your anger is towards additional bonus that Arya Samaj translation gives you, if I understand properly. This means that you admit original Vedas to be a subset of existing Vedas with one less mantra. Hence there is no loss of information at least.

2. Now if we review this mantra, is it against rest of the Vedas in its message? If not, then what is the cause of concern. If you get one additional sentence in Einstein’s text on relativity that was written later by an editor but only emphasizes what Einstein says in rest of the paper, how is that a problem?

3. This is an objection only for those who think that if they mug up the book of divine and say a big sorry for all their misdeeds and laziness to Supreme Lord, they would easily get Heaven full of virgins. But for Vedic followers, there are no shortcuts to success. You have to practice what you learn in actions and keep exploring the truth within. And when you have liberated yourself from ignorance significantly, you would well have re-ignited the Vedas within. So one harmless mantra in one edition makes absolutely no difference. The only cause of concern could have been if the verse misled you, which it does not.

4. By the way, the 25th Chapter has only 47 mantras and that is accepted by one and all. Some publishers publish an additional mantra due to relevance of context. Perhaps someone inserted it years ago and then no printer bothered to or rather was not competent enough to scrutinize it. Please send us the name of the publisher and we shall write to him to correct the mistake. Or even you can write so referring to this article.

Allegation 8: Yajurveda 26.26 has a word ‘Ayohate’ which is used as ‘Apohate’ in Arya Samaj version. Hence Yajurveda is corrupted.

Agniveer:

1. This is a printing mistake. Real word is Ayohate (अयोहते). Now in Devanagri script, Ya (य) and Pa (प) appear almost similar. Such errors are found in several places in Vedas because the first time they were being printed, they were being typeset from hand-written manuscripts. However Pt Damodar Satvalekar did a great job of scrutinizing all published mantras with manuscripts and manuscripts with various Paatha methods to give to us extremely authentic editions of Rigveda.

2. But thankfully, the meaning does not change because that was based on actual word.

So yes, printed versions may have corruptions. But neither the original Vedas, nor the potential of humans to discover the Vedas from within and compare with those outside has been corrupted.

Allegation 9: Yajurveda 39.5 has a word “Vishyandane” which is used as “Vishpandane” in Arya Samaj version. Hence Yajurveda is corrupted.

Agniveer:

Refer previous allegation.

Allegation 10: Yajurveda 13.58 has a phrase “Lokam Taa Indram” that is missing in Arya Samaj version. Hence Yajurveda is corrupted.

Agniveer:

It does not matter whether this text is there or not. The meaning of the phrase is implied in overall meaning of the mantras continued from Chapter 12 itself up to this last mantra of Chapter 13. So for sake of completion of meaning you can put the phrase, and for sake of brevity you can skip it. A conservative approach would be to keep it. but if focus is to understand meaning alone, it can be skipped. We suggest having the phrase for sake of completeness.

Allegation 11: Samaveda has Kauthum and Jaimini branches having different number of verses as well as songs. Hence Samaveda is corrupted.

Agniveer:

We have already mentioned that Kauthum Rishi preserved the original Samaveda. Refer the previous discussion on branches.

Further, Samaveda songs make no sense for the disturbed mind. They represent the melodies that generate from within when one reaches a high level of enlightenment and exalted state. Jaimini branch offers more variety and you can experiment with them to find what melody touches you the most. However keep caution – avoid spicy food, meat, alcohol, anger, frustration, hatred etc, study other Vedas as well and practice meditation. Without foundation of this, you may be simply wasting your time.

Allegation 12: Atharvaveda 20.127.3 is different in different versions. Arya Samaj has word “Rishaye” and Gayatri Pariwar has word “Ishaya”. Hence Atharvaveda is corrupted.

Agniveer:

Again a case of printing mistake due to bad handwriting in Devanagri manuscript or error by typist. The correct word is ‘Ishaya’. Printing mistakes are not attributable to original texts.

Allegation 13: Shatpath Brahman 13.4.3.4-8 states that young men should listen to Atharvaveda and young ladies to Angirasaveda on consecutive days. Before that Rigveda and Yajurveda should be listened. This means that:

– There is no mention of Samaveda and hence Samaveda is not a Veda.

– Atharvaveda and Angirasveda are different. Rishi Angiras was 4th generation from Rishi Atharva.

Agniveer:

I shall not comment on what exactly this reference from Shatpath means. But even if we take it at face value:

1. Samaveda is not mentioned because Samaveda cannot be simply listened like other Vedas. Samaveda is all about emotions and meditation. Further, bulk of mantras in Samaveda are already in Rigveda. So there is no purpose of listening them again. However if the same mantras are meditated upon with emotions and sung, new revelations would come. But this is not in context of the ritual described. You need to separately practice this art.

2. Even if Rishi Angiras was born 4th generation from Rishi Atharva (I shall not comment on authenticity of this history), how does it matter? Names of Rishis depict their deeds and specializations and not the names in their Class X pass certificate. So a specialist in Atharvaveda can name himself Rishi Atharva. Similarly another Rishi can use synonym of Atharva ie Angiras and use as his name. This is similar to we using Agniveer as our name. Now just because we call ourselves Agniveer, it does not mean that we are the author of all the mantras in Vedas that have word ‘Agni’.

3. Refer http://agniveer.com/3937/who-wrote-vedas/ to understand authorship of Vedas as per available evidences and claims.

4. Atharvaveda and Angirasveda refer to same text. They are also called Chhanda in some places. Atharvaveda has the privilege of multiple names because it is an all-rounder. It adopts from Rik, Yajuh and Sama Vedas are brings forth their applied aspects. To there are multiple dimensions to it deserving multiple names.

But if this be the argument for Vedas being corrupted then Quran is perhaps the most corrupted text in the world. Because Quran is referred by a huge number of names in Quran itself. The word Quran was later adopted for the text by fighting followers long after death of the peace-loving founder. The founder never knew that this book would be called Quran. Quran is also referred by names reserved for Jewish and Christian texts in Quran itself! That is why some scholars conclude that original Quran refers to Bible or Old Testament or some unchangeable text which was existing ever prior to Testaments and was much bigger in size. This a matter of scholarly debate and we shall leave it to scholars.

But we believe that such frivolous means should not be adopted to claim corruption in any text. There should be something more substantial, reasonable and rational.

Final countdown

There are various versions of the article floating in cyberspace that allege corruption in Vedas. However all end with one single conclusion which we reproduce below:

“The above analysis proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that Vedas have suffered heavy interpolations and changes. Talking strictly, even if one accusation of the above analysis stands, the entire Vedic literature will be unacceptable as a genuine inspired document.”

Agniveer:

1. This exposes the motive of the author(s). They just want to throw 100 arrows blindly in the hope that at least one will hit the bull’s eye.

2. They term their assertions regarding Vedas as ‘accusations‘ that speaks volumes about their terrorism-inspired mindset. Truth-seeking is only a warfare for them. The author inspired by the Panchatantra monkey only wants the crown of the king. This also shows their desperation and insecurity complex arising out of the recent depletion of fanatic dominance over cyberspace and elsewhere as well.

3. Unfortunately none of the arrows came even close to hitting the dart-board. The reason is simple – they were hitting at completely opposite direction. And since earth is perhaps not round as per the scriptures they blindly believe in, there is no chance of the arrows even making a full circle to hit from the back! We hope next time, when they ‘accuse’ someone, they would do a more thorough and unbiased research. But that would demand rejection of company and idol-worship of fanatics.

4. To take this argument to an extreme, let us state something. Even if all the allegations…sorry ‘accusations’ stand, still that would NO WAY AFFECT the Vedic religion. This is because the very essence of Vedic religion is to not blindly and literally translate any text as recipe for life. Instead it is all about opening the minds and discovering the Vedas within. The amount of Vedas we know from available benevolent literature is sufficient for us to make a head-start. And as we progress is practice of accepting truth by rejecting falsehood without bringing ego, laziness, frustration, fear etc in picture, the Law of Karma would automatically ensure that we would get the right tools and texts that we need for further progress. And until we make ourselves eligible in this manner, the most immaculately preserved Vedas would also be nothing different from tonnes of books in the libraries that no one ever issued. So instead of raising frivolous paranoia about what we don’t even understand, all we have to do is to promise the following:

‘I promise to accept truth through a continuous process of rejecting falsehood every moment to best of my abilities in the most sincere manner.’

And let Law of Karma manage the rest.

Vedic texts are like Science textbooks for us and not a roadside Mantra-Tantra book that promises to help us getting job, marriage, money, destruction of enemy, mesmerism over lover, invisibility, control of Jinna and ghosts etc by blankly reciting certain mantras on microphone and moving some bones.

Sorry, if you think Vedas are akin to Jhaad Phoonk of Pagla Baba Banarasi, or Ajmer Sharif ka Jaadu, or Shahdara Wale Miyanji ke Totke or something similar, you are at a wrong place. Get these addresses from any Railway Station rather than daring to open the minds to think honestly. Or perhaps your own scripture might be a good replacement for these Babas and Miyans.

For rest of us, please understand what Vedic religion is all about by reviewing http://agniveer.com/series/universal-religion-for-all/ and firmly understand that even if someone proves us that Vedas have vanished in thin air, nothing is going to change. Vedas would still remain a genuine inspired document and Law of Karma would still work!

Don’t worry though! Vedas remain as preserved as they were always.

But yes, be wary of monkeys snatching away your crown! After all you are a king!

Related articles

• Textual Corruption in Vedas (santoshbhatt.wordpress.com)
• Vedic Verses- 8th April 2011 (aramitsharma.wordpress.com)
• Sikh Gurus, Vedas and Hinduism (santoshbhatt.wordpress.com)
• Vedas : Rks and Samans (ancientindians.wordpress.com)
• Veda (michelletells.wordpress.com)
• Bhagavad-Gita on Om Tat Sat (prophet666.com)
• वेदों में गोमांस? (santoshbhatt.wordpress.com)

Hindu are eliminated Pakistan.

Guys,

Interesting, This is the article from Pakistani newspaper. Read it carefully… Now we have only 40 temples across the Pakistan. The media in our country still talks about the 2002 Gujarat Riots. SHAME……
The forgotten prayers of a people

DAWN.COM
January 5, 2011 (4 weeks ago)
Related News

Al-Qaeda under most pressure since 2001: Obama Beautiful from this Angle Three US drone strikes kill 13 in North Waziristan

A Hindu woman arranges earthern lamps near to Hindu Goddesses to celebrate ‘Diwali’ the festival of lights, at her home in Lahore, Pakistan on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Hindus living in Pakistan are celebrating Diwali where people decorate their homes with light. – AP Photo

KARACHI: The legend is almost as old as the Indus River, Lord Shiva and his consort Sati, daughter of King Dakhsha, were vexed by Sati’s father for not inviting them for a ceremony. Sati went to the ceremony uninvited and in return was ignored. She was hurt by the behavior that she sacrificed herself in the fires and was burnt alive. Upon hearing the fate of his love, Lord Shiva went mad and began chaos on earth.
In order to help Lord Shiva deal with his grief, Lord Vishnu cut Sati’s body in 12 pieces and scattered them across the earth where her head fell upon Hingol. Wherever the pieces of Sati’s body fell became Shakti Peethas, holy places of cosmic power, for all gods and worshippers.
Hingol is not a legend – as a matter of fact – today it is known as Hingol National Park and lies almost 170 km outside of Karachi in Balochistan. Sati’s head fell by Hinglaj Matajee Temple located inside a natural cave of a hill which is a holy pilgrimage site for the 2.5 million Hindus in Pakistan, although many feel the numbers have doubled in the last decade, and more than 90 per cent of them live in the Sindh province.
Hindus are the third religious group, after Muslim and Christians, and Hinduism is considered the indigenous religion of the sub-continent by local and international historians, which is not far from the truth.
There are over 40 Hindu temples across Pakistan, and in Sindh alone there are almost 30 temples in Karachi and interior Sindh.
Many Hindu families are indigenous to the land and some claim to have been for centuries. Over the centuries, empire after empire, some families facing persecution converted to Islam but others have remained Hindus.
“The Hindu community is not protected here,” said Dr. Raj Motwani, a general physician who sits as the Vice President for Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Welfare Shewa Mandly, a committee for the Hindu community in Karachi. “I remember that Lee Market, Bolton Market, Nagam Colony, and Food Street belonged to Hindu families that lived there for decades before Pakistan’s existence.”
“We never left this land – people migrated here,” he said. “We are still here – fighting for what we deserve as humans.”
During the 1947 partition, almost 15 million Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims left Pakistan for India and vice versa but some families stayed behind because they considered the land in Pakistan their home. More than half a million people died during the migration.
“Everyone knows the truth, but we cannot speak it out loud,” he said. “The minute that we speak up – we are automatically accused of being part of an enemy intelligence agency and we can get questioned without any legal support.”
Most Hindus families come from lower class backgrounds and those that live in rural areas like interior Sindh are forced into bonded labour by influential landlords. In the past few years, kidnappings have increased among the Hindus, for ransom and women, who are kidnapped and then convert to Islam, have been reported but with no real legal repercussions from the local government.
“The Hindu community is not protected here,” repeated Dr. Motwani. “The converting is explainable; once a girl is kidnapped the men have their way with her and she knows that she won’t be accepted back into her community so she converts and becomes a servant- girl for the men or the family that kidnapped her – tragic but the culture in interior Sindh is traditional, especially when it comes to women.”
The constitution clearly states that religious minorities have many rights and freedom however in the political system Hindus, Christians and Sikhs are still treated as second-class citizens.
After General Pervez Musharraf took power, he wanted to remove the separate electorate system put in place by the former dictator General Ziaul-Haq.
The separate electorate system limited non-Muslims to only vote for candidates from their own religion – the government had a reserved number of seats for minorities in the provincial and national assemblies.
General Musharraf and many others felt that it limited Muslim candidates from reaching out to minority groups to solve the major problem in their communities. He was thwarted in his efforts and many minorities felt that the removal of the policy would not have made a difference in their communities.
“I have friends of all faiths in Pakistan – friendships made up of decades,” mentioned Dr. Motwani. “But that is not the problem – the system is the problem; a small example, the Hindu Gymkhana has finally been given back to us after so many years spent in court yet the management is Muslim and we still do not have a safe place to congregate and celebrate our holidays. Who do I go to for help? a MPA or an MNA – not possible.”
Since the recent attack on the Shah Ghazi Shrine, the security at mandirs across Karachi has tightened but it has not stopped Hindu worshippers from making their offerings to their gods and goddesses who wait patiently for their prayers of better days ahead.

Burma (Myanmar) (BrahmDesh ) A Hindu Empire.

BY ; Jyoti Prakash Mitra

Hinduism in Burma (Myanmar)

 Burma was known as Indra-Dvipa. Hindu settlements began to be established in Burma before the first century A.D. 

Horace Hayman Wilson who used to be professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University, says:

 “The civilizations of the Burmese and the Tibetans is derived from India.”

(source: Hindu Superiority – By Har Bilas Sarda  p. 180). 

 It is contended that this relationship can be traced back to the time of the Buddha. Hindu settlements were set up in Arakan, Tagaung, Srikshetra, Thaton and Pegu at a very early period. Literary and archaeological evidence shows that the entire culture and civilization of Burma was borrowed from India and not from China.

Ptolemy, the geographer, tells us that in the 2nd century A.D. many places in Burma had Sanskrit names. Indian religions flourished in Burma. Many religious structures having the images of Indian gods and goddesses have also been found from Burma. 

Burmese history had been buried for a century or more as part of “Farther India.”

 The Burmese who are most Hinduised are the Mons. Some of their places have Pali names. The Mon kingdom in the 6th century A.D. was known as Dvaravati. The rulers of this kingdom had mostly Indian names. The Mon settlements of the Hindus were known as Ramanna-desa.

 (Note: Considered the national epic of Myanmar, the Yama Zatdaw, an adaptation of Ramayana, has been influenced greatly by Thai, Mon, and Indian versions of the play. The Burmese name for the story itself is Yamayana, while zatdaw refers to the acted play).

 The Yama Zatdaw was introduced by oral tradition during King Anawratha’s reign. It was influenced greatly by Ayutthaya Kingdom, during which various Konbaung Dynasty kings invaded the kingdom.

 The invasions often brought back spoils of war, including elements of Ramakien (Thai version of Ramayana) into the epic. The characters of Yama Zatdaw share the same features and characteristics as those in the original story. However, in acting, the costumes are a mixture of Bamar and Thaielements.

The names of the characters, in general, are Burmese transliterations of the Sanskrit names. Rama is known as Yama;Sita is known as Thida; Ravana is known as Dat-thigiri).

Ramayana and Mahabharata the two ancient Sanskrit epics of India exerted a profound impact upon the cultures of South East Asia and have played no small role in the Indianisation of the major portion of that region.

Out of ASEAN TEN at least seven nations Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia have received the influence of Hindu culture since the early days of Indian colonisation. 

(source: Ramayana in Myanmar).  Refer to Rama or Ramchandra.

The Pali literature of Burma on law is based on the Dharamsastras of Manu, Narada and Yajnavalkya. The art of Burma was also influenced by the Indian art.  

 In Burma, the finest temple is the Ananda at Pagan. It occupies the center of a spacious courtyard which is 564 ft square. There is no doubt of its derivation from Indian type. Temples of the same type existed in Bengal and most probably suggested the model of the Ananda temple. 

Charles Duroiselle, pioneer of Burmese Studies in France, who composed the Epigraphia Birmanica, says on the Ananda temple: 

” There can be no doubt that the architects who planned and built the Ananda temple were Indians.

Everything in this temple from Sikhara to the basement as well as the numerous stone sculptures found in its corridors and the terra-cotta…adoring its basement and terraces, bear the indubitable stamp of Indian genius and craftsmanship…In this sense, we may take it, therefore, that the Ananda, though built in the Burmese capital, is an Indian temple.”

(source: Ancient India – By R. C. Majumdar p. 497).

 Michael Symes author of An Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava in the Year 1795 p. 326 says: “The Burmans, we are told, call their Code generally, Dharmasath or Shastra; it is one among the many commentaries of Manu. Mr. Syme speaks in glowing terms of the Code.”

(source: Hindu Superiority – By Har Bilas Sarda p. 180-181).

 The names of its rivers are Sanskrit names – Irrawati, Brahmaputra and Chindwin. Her head of state is also known as Adipadi, which is the Sanskrit Adhaipati, referring to the chief executive. 

Indian-Hindu influences must certainly have been the strongest if not the earliest influence upon that countryside. The Sarabha Gate, still standing, is commonly associated with 9th century King Pyinbya.

It is the frontispiece to what will become Pagan a century and half later. It is Hindu in design and structure. This great out reach of Indian-Hindu style is also evident in some 9th century ruins surrounding Angkor Wat. This Hindu push through India, Burma, Thailand, Indochina and Indonesia must have been an extraordinary one, certainly equal to the Graeco-Roman thrust on the Mediterranean cultures.

 It left behind an indelible imprint upon the civilizations of those two peninsulas of Asia stretching deep into the Indian Ocean. The mark of its art, architecture, and its religion are still to be found in these Buddhist and Moslem countries.

***

A paltry 2 per cent of the Burmese population amounting to 240,000 accounts for Hindus that too happen to be Burmese Indians. But Hinduism held a major sway over Burmese history and thereupon its literature. 

Yama Zatdaw is Burmese rendition of the Ramayana. The dominant ethnic group, Bamar living mostly in countryside follow Nat worship which has several adaptations of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The Burmese God Thagyamin, King of the Nats rides a three-headed elephant is identified with Indra, the king of Hindu Gods. Burmese Buddhists are devout of Thuyathadi, counterpart of Goddess Saraswati.

 As the Goddess of knowledge, She is avidly worshipped by students before examinations. Some other Gods are as well worshipped by Burmese Buddhists.

Burmese language as such contains plethora of loanwords from Sanskrit and Pali, many being connected with religion. In Burmese culture several Hindu traditions are still perceived especially on the Burmese New Year festival, Thingyan and also during weddings.

 Hinduism along with Buddhism greatly influenced the royal courts of Burmese monarchs including their formal royal titles. The coronation ceremonies were also Hindu in origin. The architecture seen at places like Pagan reflect profound Hindu influence.

 (source: Hinduism throbbing high in South East Asia (Part II of III) – By Ratnadeep Banerji).

 

Nan Paya temple at Myinkaba, Near Pagan, Burma

Om or Aum or ॐ or ओम् or ओ३म्

Om Therapy-  SOME TIMES BY ; SAM HINDU

OM

The greatest treasure of humanityOctober 3, 2010 By Agniveer 1 CommentKindly review What does Agniveer stand for to understand the overall perspective behind any article on Agniveer site. Thanks.

Self-Help

Part 1 – Vedic Self-Help Part 2 – The First Principle Part 3 – The Second Principle Part 4 – The Corollary Part 5 – The Third Principle Part 6 – Why other methods fail? Quick transformation with Gayatri Mantra Why did God create us? – Know Vedas FAQ on Theory of Karma The power of Now! – Know Vedas Om Therapy- The greatest treasure of humanity

Q: What do you consider as the greatest word in all human dictionaries?

A: Om or Aum or ॐ or ओम् or ओ३म् (For pronunciation click the audio below)

Q: Oh, the Hindu chant of Om?

A: There is nothing Hindu or Muslim or Christian about it. Om – in its variants – forms part of all major cultures. It symbolizes goodness or power or meditation or respect.

Hindus use it as a chant for all mantras and bhajans and are more popularly associated with Om.

Christians and Jews use it as ‘Amen’ to denote strong affirmation.

Our Muslim brothers and sisters use it as ‘Aamin’.

Buddhists use it as Om Mani Padme Hum.

Sikhism is based on fundamental tenet of ‘Ik Omkar’ or One Om.

Omni which  forms root of so many words implies infinity or ubiquity or tremendous presence. For example, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient etc.

Thus Om – like its source Vedas – is beyond all later day religious or cultural divisions and is for entire humanity just as air, water, sunlight, blessings of Ishwar, love of mother, compassion for fellow beings.

Q: Is Om found in Vedic texts?

A: Yes, it is derived from Vedas and commended in other Vedic texts.

For example, Om is mentioned in following Mantras – Yajurveda 2.13, 40.15, 40.17, Rigveda 1.3.7

It is praised in several Upanishads and Geeta. Mandukyopanishad is dedicated to glory of Om.

Q: What does this Om mean?

A: The Vedic culture unequivocally states that Om is the best name of Ishwar. Refer Yoga Darshan 1.27-28

Om is made from three syllables – A (अ), U (उ), M (म्)

Now each of these syllables represent various characteristics of Ishwar or Allah or God or Supreme.

For example,

A represents vast, universal, worth being worshipped

U represents brilliant, minute, source, controller

M represents infinite, undying, knowledgeable, caring

These are just few examples. However in essence, Om summarizes essence of all other names of Ishwar.

Here is a summary of meanings:

Q: But how can A, U, M mean such things? It sounds so arbitrary!

A: To untrained mind, yes, it sounds very arbitrary. It is difficult to see a needle-hole while in a bumpy ride!

But this is the Vedic concept of origin of language:

To a mind in perfect tranquility, each pronunciation generates some feelings. During inception of civilization, Rishis characterized each such word (combination of pronunciations) to represent certain specific concepts.

The meanings for A, U, M are also derived from those feelings that each of these pronunciations produce in a tranquil mind.

An important note:

In fact this is how Vedas are to be interpreted. And this is the reason why most indologists fail to interpret Vedas correctly. One cannot understand Vedas until one is Yogi having perfect control over mind. Till we reach that level, we have to rely on other authoritative interpretations and logic.

Now since most people cannot have such control over mind, Rishis, classified some of the meanings of certain pronunciations in other texts like Nighantu. Based on this more coarser meanings of Vedic mantras were derived for less endowed people. Then they simplified them even further into simpler texts and so on. Most of us will have to use this texts, along with our own intellect to deduce the meaning of Vedic mantras.

But while other texts provide clues to Vedas, Vedas themselves remain the ultimate benchmark that can be comprehended fully only in perfect state of tranquility. However the very process of trying to understand Vedas help us reach that level of mental capability. This forms the entire philosophy of studying and applying Vedas.

And that is why a reader of Vedas should be clear that Vedas can be understood only as per root essence of each word and possibly each syllable and not later day meanings. For example, ‘Go’ has the root essence of something that moves or provided progression.

 But fools try to interpret ‘Go’ in Vedic mantras to mean ‘cow’ everywhere and hence misinterpret Vedas. So Vedas demand understanding of root words, and ‘feeling’ the mantras rather than mechanical interpretations.

 And since its an evolutionary process for each of us, Vedic philosophy is quite liberal about those who believe in Vedas and to whatever extent as per Laws of Karma.

Q: Could you be more clear about this concept of meaning from pronunciation of each syllable in case of A U M? Give an example.

A: Clarity can come only with perfect tranquility of mind. But lets take an example to explain how different sounds evoke different feelings or meanings – ‘M’ denotes emotional and caring aspect of Paramatma/ Ishwar.

 And you would see that even among normal human beings, there is a strong common thread across almost all cultures when it comes to ‘caring love’. So the word to signify Mother in almost all languages and cultures has the sound of ‘M’. Some cultures use a close sibling ‘N’ which comes under the same family of sounds.

 This is the sound that most children utter first for physiological reasons and develop an emotional relation with. Ishwar’s language and His creation all go in sync.

Since this motherly love is one of the strongest emotions, we find it common across entire humanity in form of M. Same is case with other syllables which form part of Om.

Q: OK, I understand that Om has a great meaning. But why should I chant it?

A: Chanting of Om has several benefits – therapeutic, psychological and spiritual. Even if you don’t know the meaning of Om or are otherwise skeptic about it, you can still avail the therapeutic benefits from it.

Some people stay away from Om considering that it belongs to a particular religion. But as we have seen, there is nothing religious about Om. It existed much before these new religions came into existence and is in any case part of all major cultures.

To deny oneself of benefit of Om simply because it existed before their religion emerged is akin to refusing to use one’s hands, legs, air, water, horses, vehicles, food items, medicines etc simply because these also existed before their religion emerged.

Further, there is nothing in the meaning and essence of Om that is against the definition of God/Ishwar/Allah in any religion. Thus one should not be hesitant in embracing ‘Om’.

Om is supposed to be the primordial sound of universe and its reverberations are the most natural experience for all souls. This Om through its reverberations forms the connect between us and the Supreme Entity. Buddhists call it Inevitable Laws of Nature designed to benefit us, and we call it Existent, Conscious, Blissful Ishwar.

Q: So what are the therapeutic or health benefits?

A: Om is a foolproof method to add healthy years to your life.

a. Chanting of Om several times would relax your entire body and regulate your hormonal system.

b. If you have disorders due to anxiety or worry, or you tend to lose temper, there can be no better remedy.

c. It acts like a detoxifying agent for entire body. If your environment is polluted, you MUST use it.

d. It strengthens heart and circulatory system.

e. It will make your digestion stronger.

f. It will bring youthfulness in body and face.

g. If you are tired and exhausted, it can serve as a great rejuvenator.

h. It can solve most worrisome sleep disturbance patterns, in case you suffer from it. You would wake up alert from sleep if you practice it in night.

i. It strengthens your lungs with some practice.

etc etc

Q: What are psychological benefits of Om?

A: Om can become a life changing experience:

a. It can make you much more relaxed to face the world around comfortably.

b. It can help you control your anger and frustration. If you have been chanting Om regularly, it is unlikely that you get angry.

c. It can help you be in resonance with nature. Thus you would find yourself much more intuitive and in control of things. Your gut feel will become much higher.

d. Your interpersonal relationships will improve. You would be able to develop rapport with people much better and make friends from enemies.

e. You will find life much more meaningful and purposeful and carry that natural smile.

f. You will find a jump in your enthusiasm and activity level. Your alertness would increase.

g. You can never feel depressed if you are into Om therapy.

h. If you have a friend suffering from depression and having suicidal thoughts, make him read this article and Gayatri Mantra therapy. Soon all depressing thoughts will vanish away.

Q: What are spiritual benefits of Om?

A: Meditation upon Om is the best spiritual exercise on earth.

a. It helps you develop emotional connect with Ishwar and realize your relation with Ishwar.

b. It helps you realize your purpose in life and how Ishwar is helping you.

c. It helps you realize your identity beyond this temporary hustle-bustle of the world around and develops a sense of how to make best use of this world for the bigger goal.

d. It provides a sense of security that is unmatched. You realize how you are constantly under protection of Ishwar every moment.

e. It helps you feel the Law of Karma and how each thought of yours is shaping the next moment of life and how Ishwar is managing this Law of Karma meticulously for your benefit alone.

 You understand why and how Ishwar is just and compassionate at the same time. How in his justice alone lies his pardon! How he loves you! How he is caring for you! How he is pampering you!

Q: How to derive these benefits? What is the method of Om therapy?

A: The complete therapy would be detailed and require separate coverage. Also, depending upon individual stage and requirements, it can be customized.

After all its not a mechanical exercise but a direct one-to-one interaction between you and He, without any other entity in between.

But here is a standard procedure:

1. Sit down with backbone straight in a position where you need not worry about bodily discomfort. If you are unwell, you can do it lying down.

But otherwise, always prefer to be seated. Close your eyes. Take some relaxed deep breaths to release any body tensions.

2. Four times are best for Om therapy – one immediately after waking up, one after morning cleansing, one in evening during sunset and finally before sleep.

 You can also do it when you have nothing else to do better – traveling in a bus (make sure you are not driving!), waiting for someone, feeling the need to get rid of negative emotions or having the relaxed morning walk in park. (Though make sure you are not into something that demands alertness)

3. Listen to the method of chant as provided in audio in beginning of article. You can prolong the duration of each chant depending on your comfort. In general, longer the better but if done with comfort.

4. Now do at least 3-5 chants each time. If chanting loud is an issue, you can do it silently.

5. During each chant, FEEL the Ishwar and his love around. Keep a slight smile and flow into the reverberations of the sound inside. This is not the time to think about Ishwar but to FEEL the Ishwar.

 We want to work at emotional level and not at logical level right now. (Rest of the day is for logic and if that be insufficient, we have enough material to counter and debate at Agniveer.com and hone these skills )

6. Continue the vocal chants as long as you enjoy, and then start chanting silently. You can also focus on rhythmic breath patterns for some time. Then you can switch to Gayatri Therapy and then again switch to silent Om Therapy.

7. After you have completed all this, you can switch to Shanti Mantra and conclude. Shanti Mantra basically prays for peace everywhere.

8. After this, if you wish you can continue this meditative stage as long you enjoy and pray to Ishwar in whatever way you desire or whatever name you want to take with a thankful attitude. If you are an atheist, you can replace thought of Ishwar with sense of comfort and peace (Its one and same with difference in semantics alone)

Thats it!

I have just shared a trade secret in plain simple terms that otherwise has become a multi-billion dollar industry and bread and butter of many a self-help gurus! Only that this would be much more practical and effective! And that it has been provided without redundant jargon and packaging!

Q: But I am a Muslim and you abuse Muslims on your site. Why should I follow what you say?

A:

1. As I said there is nothing Hindu, Muslim or Christian about Om or Gayatri Mantra. Do you refuse to eat mangoes because it is not mentioned in Quran? The only things that a Muslim is prohibited from is what goes against Quran. But there is nothing in Om or Gayatri that is against any theist or even atheist belief.

2. What you are referring to as abuses to Muslims is merely an intellectual debate on books and has nothing to do with being insulting to anyone. Do you refuse to have food from mother merely because you have different viewpoints? Once should never mix intellectual differences with emotional bonding.

3. See, despite whatever we may have written that you may have objections to, we still openly claim to be proud of calling ourselves ‘Muslim’ because it has a great meaning. We proudly hail Genius Muhammad as our role model. And we proudly sit in Vajrasana which is nothing but Namaaz position because it is good for digestion and general health. Thus while we may differ, we are still one family!

4. Even if you hate us, why should you refuse to take benefits from Om Therapy? Do you refuse to receive your father’s letter because you do not like the postman? Agniveer is just a postman – a carrier. So even if you hate us, you should not stop yourself from imbibing good things that are compliant even with your own interpretation of Islam.

5. See, all these debates are superficial and merely tools to explore true wisdom. We may have different beliefs due to our different experiences in life and we should definitely discuss and debate to learn from each other. But beyond all these debates and arguments, which even get hot at times, we are still humans.

And to love fellow beings is our innate nature – gift of Ishwar. After all we are one single family! But why prohibit yourself from deriving benefits from something which is neither Agniveer’s copyright, nor against Islam, nor can do any harm at all? Good things should be imbibed even from enemies!

6. So let us keep our intellectual differences aside, use other forums to sort those out. And if you are too angry with our other posts, feel free to scold or abuse us to your heart’s content through comments. We shall not delete them. But please make best use of Om Therapy. It can change your life!

Same logic we adopted for Christians and all other people who otherwise differ from us.

Q: I still have a doubt. In a world demanding actions, how can chanting do wonders? Is this not an escape mechanism to run away from challenges of life?

A:

1. Any form of meditation or Om therapy or whatever is not a replacement for rest of the duties of life. It is on contrary a catalyst to increase the efficiency of our overall life. Thus one is not expected to run away from duties and chant Om. 

On contrary, one is supposed to do it for a limited period of time in general. It won’t take more than 15-20 minutes in entire day if you do it 4 times. You can increase the duration for specific objectives.

2. Chanting is nothing but a commitment. Its a promise you give to Ishwar/ Allah or God that you would cooperate with Him. That you would justify all his caring and love showered upon you.

That you would try to imbibe the qualities that are expected from you. That you would try to emulate Ishwar in those qualities where you can – justice, compassion, discipline, consistency etc.

Chanting in this manner is a commitment at subconscious level. And hence it works! Those who chant with this overall theme, derive the best benefits.

However those who chant even mechanically would at least derive the health benefits. Even if you don’t believe in benefits of desi cow’s milk, it would still benefit you if you consume. Same is the case here. But when done with FEELINGS, benefits multiply!

Q: There are some more doubts. How do I address them?

A: Proof of the pudding is in the eating. Simply practice for a month and all doubts would be dissolved. However if you still have some really valid doubts or specific requirements, you can Contact us or comment here. But remember, we can show you the path. It is you who will have to walk across! And believe us, it would indeed be greatest fun!

So just get going into Om Therapy!

 
Series Navigation«The power of Now! – Know Vedas
 

Abandon all varieties of religion : SHREE KRISHNA

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Lord Shree Krishna )

 

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 18.66)

This means that devotion to Krishna is the highest form of religion, superior to furtive activity, mental speculation, and mystic yoga. Though Krishna gave this instruction to Arjuna, His invitation is open to anyone. This means that any person of any faith, any country, race, nationality, etc., they can surrender unto Krishna and be delivered.

Krishna’s Universal Darshan

Krishna’s final instruction in the Gita is that Arjuna should abandon all varieties of religion and simply surrender unto Him. This was told to Arjuna only after the entire Vedic system was described in great detail.

Related articles

• Yoga and the Gita (confessionsfromthemat.wordpress.com)

Brahmin bashing is Good For Congress Business

Image via Wikipedia

Please stop Brahmin bashing

by Shiva Trinetra on Monday, September 20, 2010 at 6:17pm

Please stop Brahmin bashing.

 What is BRAHMIN ? Brahmasya Janami  Iti Brahmin. ( One who Understand meaning of Brahma ( Universe ) is called Brahmin and it has nothing to do with Caste.

 Those  Islamic terrorist  who historically murdered, looted, raped and pillaged and destroyed our culture, civilization and Sanatan DHARMA are  forgiven in modern India in the name of forgetting the past.

What’s more those who destroyed our cultural heritage are provided with all luxuries and comforts in India. But Brahmins who historically gave their lives for the sake of dharma and the welfare of the society, are persecuted in modern India for their falsely alleged sins of the past.

 Indian Brahmins, we are taught by the modern historians, have been oppressing the lower caste population in India.VARNA VYAVASTHA / CAST ARRANGEMENTS. written in webdunia.com 

 Brahmins are described as cunning, parasitic exploiters and creators of the iniquitous caste system. The theory of  “5000 years of Brahmin oppression” is used to include every other caste in the backward classes list, provide them unrestrained reservation, and justify that. This story is repeated so loudly and so frequently that it is also treated as the truth.

 Much scholarship and intellectual labor was put into this thesis before it acquired its present momentum and currency. Anti-Brahmanism was a construct of the last two centuries.  They say Brahmins never allowed others to read and write.  The word “Brahmin” reminds every one of arrogant, dis-respective, communal and abusive extremists who whip the lower caste people or dalits till they die.  That’s a vivid picture that paints your mind when you hear that word. 

 The anti-Brahmin movement gained momentum when leftists, priests and religious leaders from hostile religions, separatists and casteism of different hues took this from Britishers.

 Academia has always held the position that Brahmins exploited and continue to exploit everyone else, that they authored the Hindu scriptures just to ensure their own highest position in the social hierarchy, and that they are responsible for so many problems in India.

But these arguments lack historical validity and logical consistency. It is merely a case of “repeat a lie a hundred times and it will become the truth”.

Let’s think without any inhibitions and conditions. Let’s look at real facts founded upon truth. Should we lend our thinking facility to others?

 If you have open mind and if you can think with clarity and logically, you would understand that 95 % of Brahmins were innocent  and gentle.

 It is amazing to see that how fiction can become truth in course of time. You don’t need big brain to make out that anti-Brahmin story was planned and planted by hostile religious invaders, colonialist and missionaries of conversion and by politicians to keep the public blind and at the same time rob Indians off everything.

 The fact is that Brahmins were neither rich nor powerful at any point of time in history. They are not the samurai of India. Every animal in the forest wants to hunt deer and eat them.

The Indian Brahmins are like deer(stag) in the forest.  Indian Brahmin community has become like Jews of Nazi times. Is this acceptable? The destitution of Hindu Brahmins has moved none, not even the parties known for Hindu sympathy.

 – For many past centuries, mostly Christians and Muslims were ruling India. Do we have to blame Brahmins for everything that went wrong in India? Brahmins have never ruled India.

 -Can you quote any historical evidence to prove that Brahmins were kings or ruled any Indian kingdom. (Chanakya had helped Chandragupta Maurya to build a united Hindustan ( BHARAT )  India.After becoming the emperor of India, Chandragupta fell in the feet of Chanakya and requested him to be Rajaguru and stay in the palace with all luxuries.

 Chanakya’s reply: ” I am a Brahmin. My karma is to teach students and live on what they get by begging. So I am going back to my village.”)

 – Can you find any single instance or story of rich Brahmins in history or in the mythology (purana) ?  Which purana mentions about a rich Brahmin? The story of Sudama (Kuchela), the poor Brahmin, is a well-known episode from Lord Krishna’s life.

 Incidentally, Krishna (the most popular deity of Hindus) belonged to the Yadava sub-caste. The Yadavas are currently enumerated amongst the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in India.

 – If Brahmins were so arrogant as they pictured to be, how come they worship Gods from lower caste? As in the case of Sri Krishna,  Lord Shiva (Highest Hindu God) is often termed as a  Kirata in the Puranas. The Kiratas would currently fall in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category in modern India.

 – To be able to oppress others requires positions of power. The Brahmin’s traditional occupation was that of temple priest or purohit officiating religious functions.

There sole income was Biksha (alms) given by righ land-lords(non-Brahmins). And another section of Brahmins were teachers (guru) without salary. Were those the most powerful positions?

 – And have your forgotten the term: ‘Garib Brahmin’ (=Poor Brahmin). Pick up any Indian story book, you will see that term quoted as a virtue. The highest stature of the society was occupied by the Brahmin ascetics and their only way of survival was alms given by people.

 [Of course there are exceptions, but it can not be denied that poor Brahmins were honoured. Brahmins were asked to live at a minimum and devote themselves to pursue knowledge. Ref: Alvin Toffler, an American writer and futurist, “Hinduism propagated poverty as a virtue.”]

 – As a matter of fact, most of the oppression of dalits (lower caste Hindus) was committed by the land-owning class (Zamindars) and not by Brahmins. OBCs also oppressed the dalits. But Brahmins became the scapegoat.

 – Do you know the priestly class among Brahmins are only 20% of Brahmin population?  Some of them might have been greedy or villains, as the priests in any other community/religion. (However, in the small state of Kerala, Namboodiri Brahmins were rich due to a different sociopolitical system.)

 – Nobody asked non-Brahmins not to read. Brahmins by and large are in pursuit of knowledge. This made them powerful (not in material way). This stems jealousy among others. Whose fault is it anyway?

If the reading and writing was confined to Brahmins or if education were open only to the Brahmins then how do you have Valmiki composing Ramaayana or Thiruvalluvar composing Thirukkural? Or the numerous works on bhakti by non-Brahmin bhakti saints etc? Brahmins never prevented others from learning.

-The most powerful of the dharma shaastra is the Manusmriti written by Manu. It is the only scripture that gives Brahmins a high status. But Manu was not a Brahmin – he was a kshatriya.

 Gita, that describes caste system, was written by Vyasa, who was born to a backward caste fisherwoman. Brahmins and Gotra All ancient literature give highest position to Brahmins, because of the virtue and ethics they upheld.

 The poor helpless Brahmins were beheaded by Arabian invaders, crucified in Goa by the Portuguese Inquisition, vilified by British missionaries, and morally crucified today by their own brothers and sisters. Did anybody fight back?

 In modern India, Pundits, the original inhabitants of Kashmir were tortured and driven out of their dwellings in Kashmir by Islamic militants trained in Pakistan. Genocide of Kashmiri Pundits has reached its climax with  terrorism succeeding in ‘CLEANSING’ the valley of this ancient ethno-religious community.

 To escape persecution, more than 500,000 Kashmiri pundits had to leave their homes in the Valley and out of that, more than 50,000 are still languishing in uninhabitable refugee camps in Jammu and Delhi.

Militants killed a lot of pundits and raped their women. Can you show me a single pundit who involved in violence to fight back?

 – Dr. Ambedkar, the father of Indian constitution, quoting Muslim historians, says the first act of religious zeal by Mohammad bin Qasim, the first Arab invader, was circumcision of Brahmins. “But, after they objected, he put all above the age of seventeen to death.

” During invasions, forced conversions and Mughal periods, hundreds and thousands of Brahmins were beheaded. Can you show a single instance of a Brahmin killing a human being in any other religions?

 – When the Portuguese came to India, St. Xavier wrote to the king of Portugal, his patron, “If there were no Brahmins, all pagans would be converted to our faith.” He hated them with a hatred that evangelists alone are capable of. He called them a “most perverse people.” Brahmins became a persecuted people.

 Thousands of Konkani Brahmins (Gauda Saraswat Brahmins) were persecuted and left Goa. They lost everything. Was there any GS Brahmin to fight back?

 -Did you also know that most rickshaw pullers in Banaras are Brahmins? Did you know that you also stumble upon a number of Brahmins working as coolies at Delhi’s railway stations? 50 per cent of Patel Nagar’s (New Delhi) rickshaw pullers are Brahmins.

75 per cent of domestic help and cooks in Andhra Pradesh are Brahmins. There is no reason to believe that the condition of Brahmins in other parts of the country is different. The percentage of Brahmins that live below poverty line is almost 60.

 – Thousands of Brahmins kids immigrating to US for jobs and they make good software engineers or scientists. Why didn’t the government of India think about such brain drain that too when India lacks manpower?

 – The per capita income of various communities as stated by the Karnataka state finance minister in the state assembly sometime back: Christians Indian Rupees (Rs) 1,562, Vokkaligas Rs 914, Muslims Rs 794, Scheduled castes Rs 680, Scheduled Tribes Rs 577 and Brahmins Rs 537.

 – At Tamil Nadu’s Ranganathaswamy Temple, a priest’s monthly salary is Rs 300 (Census Department studies) and a daily allowance of one measure of rice some time ago. The government staff at the same temple receive Rs 2,500 plus per month. But these facts have not modified the priests’ reputation as ‘haves’ and  ‘exploiters.’

 Even if we agree hypothetically what we had learnt under the colonial-missionary aegis that Brahmins were oppressors, can a civilized society accept the way politicians behave with Brahmins? If your forefather had committed a crime why should you be punished?

Some Brahmins certainly would have manipulated caste system. It may be true that the past is not a clean tale for entire Brahmin community. A minority Brahmins hands may have covered in blood as it can be. And yes, it’s a closed community who don’t allow easily outsiders inside their homes and don’t maintain any sort of interactive relationships outside the community.

 But should we generalize the whole community for the mistakes done by a small section among them? Didn’t we forgive those foreign invaders from Arabia who killed hundreds and thousands of Indians and destroyed entire ancient Vedic  culture and looted the rich India? (Remember India was the richest nation before foreign invaders reached here)

 How long do we stereotype people? Why the hatred? An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.

 Being a Brahmin in India seems to be a double-edged sword. If a Brahmin succeeds, then his entire caste will be perceived as privileged and not in need of assistance.

 But if a Brahmin commits any aberrant deed, his faults will be projected onto his entire community, leading to more public condemnation of the entire Brahmin caste. The moment Brahmins were able to do something about it, the whole society turns and gangs up on them to prevent them from getting what they deserve claiming that Brahmins suppressed them in the past – as if as miniscule and non-violent a community as the Brahmins could have kept these horrors away from wealth and power or anything leading to it.

 The world has a very short memory. The world has forgotten the contribution made by Brahmins to our society. It was not just learning Vedas, Maths, Astronomy and political science, but the sacrifice they have done for entire human kind by developing Ayurveda, Pranayama, Kamasutra, Natyasastra and Yoga. If Brahmins were selfish, they would have patented all those things.

 If Brahmins were selfish, they would have put at least their byline below those thousands of ancients scripts. Brahmins sacrificed their life for the well-being of human being with a single motto that: “Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavantu” ( May all the beings in all the worlds be happy)

 In turn, the world is trying to crucify them, for no fault of them.

 The intended or actual meaning of Brahmin is one who has knowledge about Brahman, the ultimate and impersonal divine reality of the universe from which all being originates and to which it returns.

The very concept of Brahmanism is so noble and attractive that it is time that we decided to keep it above dispute. There have always been deliberate attempts to confuse the concept of Brahmanism with the caste of Brahmins in India. Let us understand the simple fact that all members of the Brahmin caste are NOT Brahmins. Similarly, all Brahmins need not necessarily belong to the Brahmin caste.

 Going by our classics and epics, it is very clear that the original Brahmins were definitely the ones that would command respect in any society. Brahmanism had a clear belief that the knowledge is power in the real sense.

Brahmacharya which means a discipline followed with specific purpose of understanding the senses and thus taking control of the senses. Brahmanism also wanted that the peace should be all-encompassing, all creatures and all belief systems and all regions.

Modern Brahmins having abandoned their traditional way of life and being cut off from their traditions, suffer from an unjustified guilt complex and have swallowed this suppression propaganda uncritically.

Caught between the greed of the masses, the unscrupulousness of the politicians and the malice of the real exploiters, they are persecuted mercilessly in modern India.

 Are Brahmins not humans? Don’t Brahmins desire comforts, luxury and wealth for themselves and their near and dear ones, the way all people do?                           

 

BHAGAVAD GITA IN PORUGUESE / Gita in Samba Land

BY ; PRIYADERSHINI S.                              

The Bhagawad Gita in Portuguese? Well, why not? Gloria Arieira, a Brazilian and an authority in Sanskrit has translated the Bhagawad Gita and parts of the Vedas to Portuguese, enabling her students across Brazil and Portugal to access the depths of this great philosophy. So if you are seeking spirituality in the holiday resort of Copacabana, Rio, then you will find it at Vidya Mandir, a school of Vedanta studies founded and run by Gloria.  

Gloria, who is visiting Kalady, with a group of 28 students, has been to Kerala before. A disciple of Swami Chinmayananda and of Swami Dayananda, Gloria’s entry into the world of spirituality was after she heard Swami Chinmayananda’s talk on Vedanta in Rio. That was in 1973. Gloria felt that her search for the greater meaning to lifewas answered. With her curiosity aroused she wished to delve deeper into the philosophy of the Vedas and found her way to an ashram in Mumbai (Powai).   

Here she studied the Vedas and lived the ashram way of life. “It was a simple life and I felt at ease,” recalls Gloria who began teaching the Vedas when she went back to Rio in 1979. It was five years later that she started Vidya Mandir on land donated by one of her students. From eight students to start with, the numbers kept increasing. Soon the school became a centre where people came seeking spirituality.  

Raised in a western way of life, what exactly drew Gloria to this foreign philosophy and way of life? “I was looking for answers to life itself. I thought it could not be only for pleasure, nor could it be only for ‘dharma’. There had to be something else.”  

Drawn to Vedic ways  

Dissatisfied with her search in other philosophies she was drawn towards Vedic ways. Was this attraction to another completely new way of thought strange? Gloria believes that at the start of this journey itself she was able to identify with the food, people and life in the ashram.  

Gloria learnt Sanskrit because it was the only way she could reach the depths of knowledge that she was seeking. The Bhagvad Gita and the Upanishads had to be read in the language they were written in. Once having mastered Sanskrit, Gloria translated the books into Portuguese so as to propagate the meaning of the text to her group of students. The number of her students increased as she could now reach out to them in Sanskrit, Portuguese and English.  

“I could find a change in my students. They were all beginning to enjoy the goodness and greatness in these books. Vedanta studies had become popular,” she says. Her student group comprises office goers, married couples, twenty year olds and also people who are in their eighties. “There’s this 80 year old gentleman who was my student once but comes daily to hear the talk on Vedanta.”  

Gloria dresses like an Indian. Her teacher-mother-guru charm comes from her kind face, her thick neatly plaited salt and pepper hair, a gentle, slightly accented voice and a winning smile. She carries an aura of compassion and understanding of the complexities of life.  

Commentaries on Gita  

The course followed at the school is an initial study on Tatthva Boddha of Sree Sankara and then the Bhagwad Gita, with Gloria quoting high and low from the texts and explaining them to her enthusiastic students. She has done two commentaries on Gita in Portuguese.      Earlier in 1996 she had visited the char dhams, along with her group. Later in 2007 they took a pilgrimage to Gangotri, Gomukh and Badrinath. This time she plans to visit Kedarnath, Yamunothri, Kalady and Kanyakumari.  

Gloria, 57, is married and has three children, a lawyer, an engineer and one studying social sciences. Her husband is a yoga teacher. Does her family practise her way of life? She says that there is no compulsion to change. “The Vedic dharma does not ask for conversion. But the understanding of the Vedas changes life completely.” Her children are proud of her work and value the Vedic tradition.  

Has her Indian inspired spirituality taken her away from Brazil? “How can it? I am a Brazilian except that I see the logic, the higher order behind my learning Vedanta and teaching it to students in Brazil”, she says.  

Gloria in a strange way belongs to the ‘parampara’ or lineage of the women Vedic experts- the great lineage of Gargi, Ghosha, Lopamudra and Maitreyi.  

Keywords: Vedanta studies, spirituality studies, translation  

nskrit scholar and Vedanta teacher Gloria Arieria

 

Hinduism: Age of the earth according to Vedic chronology

 

by Sam Hindu on Friday, July 30, 2010 at 6:36am

Hinduism:
Age of the earth according to Vedic chronology
“The Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long. Longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang. And there are much longer time scales still.”

“A millennium before Europeans were willing to divest themselves of the Biblical idea that the world was a few thousand years old, the Mayans were thinking of millions and the Hindus billions.”
Dr. Carl Sagan, (1934-1996) famous astrophysicist
According to Vedic chronology, Hinduism describes the age of the earth in detail. Details can be found in the Bhagwat Maha Purana or Bhagwatam.

Our earth is part of a material manifestation called a BRAHMANDA, a group of interrelated but separate regions or abodes called lokas, each conditioned by its respective quality of material time and space. In other words, what would be equivalent to one year in one of these lokas may be correspond to 12,000 of our earth years.

Most of our brahmandais subtle and imperceptible to us. Our earth planet is part of this configuration. A brahmanda is basically comprised of one planetary system with an earth inhabited by living beings, a sun and the above described regions.

According to the chronology of Hinduism, the divine personality who creates this with God‘s grace and who oversees it is called “Brahma” (the creator). This is a seat or position located in the subtle or celestial regions of a brahmanda (Brahma – name of the creator), anda – his spherical creation, literally ‘egg’.)

In one galaxy, there is an inestimable number of brahmandas (earth planet + other interrelated and subtle abodes) and their corresponding Brahmas.

The supreme creator or original inspiration for the creation of the entire universe is God.

How old is the earth? The earth came into existence with Brahma and will exist as long as he does. As long as Brahma lives, his creation continues to exist. When his term ends, this brahamanda will enter into absolute dissolution.

In between, there are periodic episodes of dissolution and creation of a lesser order, in which the earth enters a period of dormancy, when all life ends, but is again restored. Brahma is the personality that observes and maintains this schedule.

A soul incarnates in a particular brahmanda and remains there until its end. After this, that soul will enter another brahmanda. This has happened eternally for all the souls and will continue eternally. Only the soul who becomes liberated from maya is exempted from this.

We can calculate the age of the earth from the age of Brahma. The Vedic chronology of Hinduism uses a base unit of calculation called a chaturyugi. This is comprised of 4 yugas (periods of time). Their lengths and corresponding names are:

1,728,000 years = sat yuga

1,296,000 = treta yuga

864,000 = dwapar yuga

432,000 = kali yuga

——————————————————————————–

4,320,000 years = one charturyugi (one 4-yuga cycle)

——————————————————————————–

1000 chaturyugis = one day of Brahma

1000 chaturyugis = one night of Brahma

8,640,000,000 years = one full day (24 hours) of Brahma

100 celestial years = age that Brahma lives to

50 celestial years = Brahma’s current age, or,

155.5 trillion years = the current age of this earth. bold

OM

ઈસ્લામ ધર્મના અનુયાયીઓએ વિશ્વના ઘણા દેશોને ગુલામ બનાવી ત્યાંની પ્રજા પર અકલ્પનીય અત્યાચાર ગુજારી સદીઓ સુધી ત્યાં શાસન કરી તેઓની તમામ ધન-સંપત્તિ લુંટીને સહુને બેહાલ કર્યા છે.



(1)
તમે પગની આંટી વાળીને ઉભેલા, મુખેથી વાંસળી વગાડતા કૃષ્ણને જોયા છે? એ કૃષ્ણની પાછળ ઉભેલી ગાયને તમે જોઈ છે? કૃષ્ણની વાંસળીથી માત્ર ગોપીઓ જ નહિ, ગાયો પણ ઘેલી થઈને ખેંચાઈ આવતી. પ્રેમભાવથી ઘેલા થઈને નાચવું એ આપણો સ્વભાવ છે. જ્યાં નિર્ભયતા હોય છે ત્યાં ઉમંગ-ઉલ્લાસ જોવા મળે છે. અને નિર્ભય વાતાવરણનો સર્જક એવો આપણો ક્ષત્રિય ‘ગો-બ્રાહ્મણ પ્રતિપાળ’ કહેવાય છે. શું ક્ષત્રિય આ દેશમાં પોતાનો ધર્મ પાળી શકે છે? ગાયને કપાતી રોકી શકે છે?

(2)
જે દેશમાં દસ-દસ વાર ભગવાને અવતાર લઈને માનવજાતને જીવન જીવવાનું માર્ગદર્શન આપ્યું એ દેશના રાષ્ટ્રધ્વજમાં રામ-કૃષ્ણ કે સંસ્કૃતિના મહાસપૂતો એવા મહારાણા પ્રતાપ કે છત્રપતિ શિવાજીને રાખવાને બદલે સફેદ-લીલા-ભૂરા રંગો રાખવામાં આવ્યા હોય, રાષ્ટ્રના કોઈપણ માનદંડ(રાષ્ટ્રધ્વજ, રાષ્ટ્રીય મુદ્રા, રાષ્ટ્રગીત)માં કરોડો હિન્દુ ભારતીયોની શ્રદ્ધાનું એક પણ પ્રતિક(મોરપીંછ, વાંસળી, સુદર્શન ચક્ર, સુર્ય, ધનુષ્ય-બાણ, શંખ, ગદા, કમળ વગેરે) ન રાખવામાં આવ્યું હોય, અને જે ધર્મને જગદ્ગુરુ શ્રીમદ આદ્ય શંકરાચાર્યે ભારતભરમાંથી મારી હટાવ્યો એ ધર્મના પ્રતીક એવા અશોકચક્રને રાષ્ટ્રધ્વજમાં સ્થાન અપાયું હોય એ દેશમાં આપણું કહી શકાય એવું શું છે? આપણા દેશમાં આપણે જ પરાયા?

(3)
આઝાદી મળ્યે સાઠ-સાઠ દાયકાઓ વીતી ગયા છતાં આપણા બાળકોને ભારતીય સંસ્કૃતિ મુજબનું તપોવન પદ્ધતિનું શિક્ષણ આપણે આપી શકતા નથી. આપણી સંસ્કૃતિના અભ્યાસવિષયો કેટલા બધા સમૃદ્ધ છે! સત્તર-સત્તર પ્રકારની રાજ્યવ્યવસ્થાનો ઉલ્લેખ આપણે ત્યાં જોવા મળે છે. આપણા અર્થશાસ્ત્રમાં ઉપાર્જનની સાથે-સાથે જોવા મળતા વિનિમયના સિદ્ધાંતો પણ વિચારણીય છે. ભ્રષ્ટ ઈતિહાસકારોએ લખેલો હોવાથી આપણો સાચો ઈતિહાસ પણ આપણે ભણાવી શકતા નથી. શું અર્થ છે આવી આઝાદીનો?

જગતની અડતાલીસ સંસ્કૃતિઓમાંની એક માત્ર ભારતીય સંસ્કૃતિ, જે 80 હજાર વર્ષ જુની હોવા છતાં આજે અસ્તિત્વમાં છે. બાકીની તમામ સંસ્કૃતિઓ જન્મી ને કેટલીક શતાબ્દિઓ સુધી જીવીને કાળના પેટમાં દટાઈ ગઈ. ભારત દેશ આર્યોનું મુળ વતન વિશ્વસ્તરે સાબિત થઈ ચુક્યો છે. જમીનસીમા વધારવા કે કોઈની ધન-સંપત્તિ લુંટવા આર્યોએ ક્યારેય કોઈ દેશ કે રાજ્ય પર આક્રમણ કર્યું નથી. ખ્રિસ્તી તેમજ ઈસ્લામ ધર્મના અનુયાયીઓએ વિશ્વના ઘણા દેશોને ગુલામ બનાવી ત્યાંની પ્રજા પર અકલ્પનીય અત્યાચાર ગુજારી સદીઓ સુધી ત્યાં શાસન કરી તેઓની તમામ ધન-સંપત્તિ લુંટીને સહુને બેહાલ કર્યા છે. આ ધર્મોના અનુયાયી શાસકોની એક હજાર વર્ષની ગુલામીમાંથી મુક્ત થયા બાદ ફરીથી આપણને આઝાદી મળી એનો અર્થ એવો નથી કે વૈદિક ધર્મ અને સંસ્કૃતિએ પોતાની દિવ્ય-ભવ્ય પરંપરાનો ગર્વ ભુલીને હજી હમણા જ જન્મેલા અને રક્તરંજિત ઈતિહાસ ધરાવતા ખ્રિસ્તી-ઈસ્લામ ધર્મની સાથે સમાન બનીને જીવવું. જ્યાં સુધી ભારતદેશ આર્યાવર્ત તરીકે પોતાના પુન:ગૌરવને પ્રાપ્ત ન કરે ત્યાં સુધી આપણે આઝાદ થયાનો કોઈ અર્થ નથી.

(5)
આપણા દરેક ઈષ્ટદેવના હાથમાં સ્વરક્ષા માટે તેમજ દુષ્ટોને દંડ દેવા માટે હંમેશા હથિયાર હોય છે. ભારતીય સંસ્કૃતિની વિશિષ્ટ વિચારધારા ટકે એ માટે શંકરે ત્રિપુરાસુરને બાળ્યો, રામચંદ્રે રાવણને તેમજ ગણેશે સિંદુરાસુરને માર્યો. ભગવાન વિષ્ણુએ અનંત રાક્ષસોનું હનન કર્યું. ભારતને આઝાદી મળ્યા બાદ ચાર નાદાન અને મુર્ખ છોકરાઓની બિનસાંપ્રદાયિકતા જેવી સ્વકપોળ કલ્પનાઓ વૈદિક વિચારધારા સામે કેટલું ટકી શકવાની છે, એ આપણા આર્યોના બાહુબળ પર આધારિત છે. ભારતની આઝાદીનો યશ ભલે ગાંધીજીની અહિંસાને મળ્યો, પરંતુ આઝાદીના રહસ્યો જાણી લેવા જરુરી છે. બીજા વિશ્વયુદ્ધમાં બુરી રીતે હારી ચુકેલા ઈંગલેંડને પોતાના બાહુબળથી જીતાડનાર અને ભારતને કોઈ પણ સંજોગોમાં આઝાદી ન આપવાનું વ્રત લેનાર ચર્ચિલ, યુદ્ધ બાદ તરત ઈંગલેંડમાં આવેલી ચુંટણીમાં, અગાઉ એક પણ વાર ન હાર્યો હોવા છતાં પ્રથમ વાર હારી કેમ ગયો? અને ભારતને આઝાદી આપવાના મતનો લિબરલ પક્ષ ઈંગલેંડના ઈતિહાસમાં પ્રથમ વાર ચુંટણી જીતી કેમ ગયો? ભારતને આઝાદ કરવાનું કાર્ય કર્યા બાદ તરત જ લિબરલ પક્ષ સત્તા ગુમાવી બેઠો અને ચર્ચિલનો હારી ચુકેલો કોંઝર્વેટીવ પક્ષ ફરીથી ચુંટણી જીતી ગયો. ત્યારબાદ પચાસ વર્ષ સુધી લિબરલ પક્ષ સત્તા પર આવ્યો નથી. ત્યારે કહેવાનું મન થાય કે ભારતને ભગવાને આઝાદી અપાવી છે, કોઈ વ્યક્તિએ નહિ. આજે પણ આર્યાવર્તના દેશભક્ત સપૂતો દુ:ષ્ટોને હણીને વૈદિક વિચારધારાને પુન: પ્રસ્થાપિત કરવા, આપણા ઈષ્ટદેવને અનુસરવા થનગની રહ્યા છે.

(6)
આતંકવાદીઓ, દેશદ્રોહીઓ પકડાય, સુપ્રીમકોર્ટમાં તેઓને સજા થાય છતાં એ સજાનો અમલ કરવાને બદલે એ ગુનેગારોના પરિવારજનોને મળીને તેઓની માફી માગનારાઓ આ દેશમાં ટોચની સત્તા પર બિરાજ્યા હોય ત્યાં આપણે આઝાદ તો નથી જ, પરંતુ સુરક્ષિત પણ નથી. દેશનું સર્વોચ્ચ માનદંડ એવી સંસદગૃહ પર હુમલો કરનાર અફઝલગુરુ હોય કે સેંકડો નિર્દોષ નાગરિકોનું લોહી વહાવનાર અજમલ કસાબ હોય, એ રીઢા ગુનેગારોને અન્યાય ન થઈ જાય એ બાબતનું ધ્યાન રાખવા, એને સાચવવા વર્ષોના વર્ષો સુધી કરોડોનો ખર્ચ એ દુ:ષ્ટો પાછળ કરવામાં આવે ત્યારે કાયદાકીય ગુંચવાળી ન્યાયની પ્રક્રિયા નિરર્થક અને વ્યર્થ કસરત જણાય છે. કોર્ટમાં સાબિત થયેલા ગુનેગારની વધુ એક પળ માટેની હસ્તી સમાજ માટે પ્રાણઘાતક જોખમ ધરાવતી હોય ત્યારે એ ગુનેગારને વધુ ને વધુ જીવીત રાખવો યોગ્ય ગણાય કે એને ત્વરિત ગતિએ ફાંસીએ ચઢાવી દેવો યોગ્ય ગણાય?

(7)
કાશ્મીરના વિદ્વાન પંડીત પરિવારો દસકાઓથી નિરાશ્રીત બનીને ન્યાયની આશાએ દિલ્હીના ફુટપાથ પર વિચરતી જાતિની જેમ જિંદગી ગુજારી રહ્યા હોય, આ દેશના કયા ભાગમાં કોણે રહેવું કે ના રહેવું એ આતંકવાદીઓ-ત્રાસવાદીઓની એ.કે.56 બંદુકની અણી નક્કી કરતી હોય ત્યાં આપણે સ્વતંત્ર કેવી રીતે કહેવાઈએ?

(8)
હિન્દુ દેવી-દેવતાઓના અશ્લિલ ચિત્રો ચીતરીને આપણી ધાર્મિક લાગણી દુ:ભવવામાં આવતી હોય, અભિવ્યક્તિ-સ્વાતંત્ર્ય તેમજ કલાના નામે દુષ્ટ ચિત્રકારોને આવા કામ માટે સરકાર તેમજ ન્યાયતંત્ર તરફથી છુટ આપવામાં આવતી હોય એટલું જ નહિ પરંતુ તેઓના ચિત્રો મોંઘા ભાવે ખરીદીને સમાજમાં આ નાલાયકોને સન્માનવામાં આવતા હોય ત્યારે તેઓને સજા અપાવવા આપણે કંઈ જ ન કરતા છાના-માના બેસી રહેવાનું હોય એવી આપણી આઝાદી શું કામની?

(9)
દાણચોરો તેમજ ડ્રગ્સના સોદાગરો પાસેથી ફાયનાંસ લઈને બનતી હિન્દી ફિલ્મોમાં મોટે ભાગે હિન્દુ ગોરમહારાજ, પુજારીની ઠઠ્ઠા-મશ્કરીઓ કરવામાં આવે, મુસ્લિમ ફકીર તો હંમેશા ઉચ્ચ કક્ષાનો અલ્લાહનો બંદો હોય, મા-બાપને દગો દઈને લુખ્ખા-મવાલી જોડે ભાગી જાય એ છોકરી જ સાચો પ્રેમ કરે છે એમ પ્રતિપાદીત કરીને મુગ્ધાવસ્થાની છોકરીઓને ગેરમાર્ગે દોરી, ભરમાવીને એનો ગેરલાભ એમના જ મવાલીઓ, ટપોરીઓ લેતા રહે, ઉચ્ચ પોલીસ અધિકારીના યુનિફોર્મમાં રહેલા પાત્રને ફટકારતા સડક છાપ રોમીયોનું દૃશ્ય બતાવીને મવાલીઓને કાયદાનો ડર ન રાખવાનો સંદેશ આપવામાં આવે, અને એવું દર્શાવીને આપણી આ દેશના સાચા નાગરિક તરીકેની કાયદાપાલનની ભાવનાને ચુંથી-મસળી નાંખવામાં આવતી હોય ત્યારે આ દેશમાં આપણે સ્વસ્થ કેવી રીતે રહી શકીએ?

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મુસ્લિમો શરિયત(તેઓના ધર્મના કાયદા પાળવા)નું પાલન કરવા માંગે છે ત્યારે તેઓને એવી છૂટ શાસન તેમજ ન્યાયાલય તરફથી આપવામાં આવે છે(શાહબાનો કેસ). જેમ કે, મુસ્લિમ ચાર બીબી રાખી શકે, માત્ર ત્રણ વખત ‘તલાક’ બોલીને પોતાની બીબીને છુટાછેડા આપી શકે વગેરે. શું આપણે હિન્દુ આપણા ધર્મશાસ્ત્રનું પાલન કરી શકીએ છીએ ખરા? આપણું ધર્મશાસ્ત્ર(ગીતા) આતતાયી(આપણું ઘર બાળનાર, પત્ની સાથે બળજબરી કરનાર, આપણું ધન લુંટનાર, મૃત્યુ નીપજાવવા આપણા પર હુમલો કરનાર વગેરે)ને વિના વિચાર્યે તત્કાલ મારી નાખવાનો આદેશ કરે છે. શું આપણે એના પાલન માટે મુક્ત છીએ ખરા? શરિયતનો કાનુન અને ભારતીય કાનુનમાંથી કોઈ એકનું પાલન કરવાનું થાય તો મુસલમાનો કયો કાનુન પાળશે? એ અંગે તેઓ પોતાનો મત જાહેર કરશે? દેશનો કાનુન પાળતી વખતે હિન્દુ પોતાના ધર્મના કાનુનને યાદ પણ ન કરતો હોય તો આ દેશમાં વધુ સેક્યુલર કોણ ગણાય? હિન્દુ કે મુસલમાન?

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હિન્દુ વિસ્તારમાં ઘુસીને ગુપ્ત રીતે કોઈ મુસલમાન મકાનમાલિક ન બની જાય એ માટે સરકાર તરફથી કાયદો કરવામાં આવતો હોય ત્યારે કોઈ કેવી રીતે કહી શકે કે આ દેશમાં આપણે ભય તેમજ આતંકથી મુક્ત આઝાદીની હવામાં શ્વાસ લઈ રહ્યા છીએ? મુસલમાનોની એવી ફરિયાદ છે, કે હિન્દુઓ એમના વિસ્તારમાં મુસલમાનને મકાન ખરીદવા નથી દેતા. એનો અર્થ એ થયો કે મુસલમાનને હિન્દુ તરફથી કોઈ તકલીફ નથી. હિન્દુઓની નિર્દોષતા અંગેનું આથી મોટું પ્રમાણપત્ર બીજું કયું હોઈ શકે? છતાં સ્થિતિ એવી છે, કે હિન્દુઓને ન ગમતી બાબત જેવી કે, ગાય-વાછરડાને કાપીને ખાવા, ધર્માંતરણને ઈસ્લામનો આદેશ ગણીને એ બહાને હિન્દુ છોકરીઓ પર જાતીય અત્યાચાર કરવા, બોમ્બવિસ્ફોટ તેમજ આતંકી હુમલાઓ કરીને મૂર્તિપૂજકોને મારવાનો અલ્લાહનો આદેશ ગણીને ત્રાસવાદીઓ-આતંકવાદીઓ દ્વારા હિન્દુઓને ખતમ કરવામાં આવતા હોય ત્યારે તેઓનો સક્રિય વિરોધ ન કરવો, અજાણ્યા જાતભાઈની પુરતી તપાસ કર્યા વિના એને રહેવા કે નાનકડો ઉદ્યોગ કરવા માટે આશ્રય આપી એની ખુફિયા પ્રવૃત્તિ અંગે અજાણ રહેવું, શરુઆતમાં પોલીસ આવા શકમંદોને પકડે એટલે ‘હમકુ ખાલીપીલી પરેશાન કરતે હે’ એવા બુમબરાડા પાડવા અને શકમંદો વિરુદ્ધ જાનના જોખમે પોલીસ નક્કર પુરાવાઓ શોધી કાઢે ત્યારે ‘હમકુ ક્યા માલુમ થા?’ કહીને પાણીમાં બેસી જવું વગેરે કાર્યો મુસલમાનો દ્વારા થયા જ કરે છે.

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માતૃભુમિને સલામ કરવાનો ઈંકાર કરનારની આ દેશ પ્રત્યેની નિષ્ઠા કેવી અને કેટલી? રાષ્ટ્ર એટલે શું જમીનનો એક ટુકડો માત્ર? જમીનના ટુકડા પ્રત્યે કોઈ દિવસ નિષ્ઠા ઉભી કરી શકાય ખરી? રાષ્ટ્ર એટલે તો એ સ્થળની હજારો વર્ષ જુની દિવ્ય અને ભવ્ય સંસ્કૃતિ અને તેની તેજસ્વી આધ્યાત્મિકતા, ત્યાગ અને સંયમની ઋષિમુનિઓની ગૌરવપૂર્ણ પરંપરા. અવતારો જે ભૂમિમાં જન્મ લઈને નાચ્યા-કુદ્યા ને હસતા-રમતા માનવજાતને જીવન જીવવાનો સચોટ રાજમાર્ગ બતાવ્યો. આ તમામ બાબતોના પાયામાં રહેલા સંસ્કાર તેમજ મુલ્યો પ્રત્યેની નિષ્ઠા એટલે રાષ્ટ્રનિષ્ઠા. આમ રાષ્ટ્રભક્તિ, નિષ્ઠા વગેરે ખ્યાલો ધર્મના ક્ષેત્રમાં જ સમાવિષ્ટ થાય છે. રાષ્ટ્રનિષ્ઠા ક્યારેય ધર્મનિષ્ઠાથી સ્વતંત્ર હોઈ જ શકતી નથી.

મોટા ભાગના વિદેશી ભારતીયો તેમજ એક વાર વિદેશ જઈ આવેલા આપણા લોકોની હંમેશની ફરિયાદ રહી છે, કે ભારતના નાગરિકો દેશ પ્રત્યે તદ્દન બિનજવાબદારીપૂર્વક વર્તે છે. એમનામાં સિવિક સેંસ જેવું કંઈ નથી. એના મૂળમાં જોઈએ તો ત્યાં પણ દેશભક્તિની ભાવનાનો અભાવ જ જોવા મળશે. કોઈ એક ધર્મનિષ્ઠા વિનાના દેશ પ્રત્યે ત્યાંના નાગરિકોમાં દેશનિષ્ઠાનો અભાવ રહેવાનો જ. પશ્ચિમના દેશોમાં કાયદાના ડરથી જ બધા સીધા ચાલે છે, એવું નથી. એક ધર્મનિષ્ઠા ધરાવતા હોવાથી તેઓમાં પોતાના દેશ માટે ગૌરવની લાગણી વધુ કાર્ય કરતી હોય છે. ધર્મનિરપેક્ષતા લાદીને દસકાઓ સુધી ભારતના એક કાળના મુર્ખ નેતાઓએ કરોડો હિન્દુઓની ધર્મભાવના દેશ સાથે જોડીને દેશના વિકાસમાં એનો ઉપયોગ કરવાને બદલે એમ ને એમ પડી રહેવા દીધી છે.

વિશ્વમાં પાંચસોથી વધુ દેશો છે. દરેક દેશનો કોઈ ને કોઈ ધર્મ છે અને એ ધર્મનું માન્ય પુસ્તક રાષ્ટ્રીય પુસ્તક ગણાય છે. આપણે જાણીએ છીએ કે વિશ્વમાં ઈસ્લામિક રાષ્ટ્રો છે, ખ્રિસ્તી દેશો પણ છે. કોઈ પણ દેશનો ધર્મ એ દેશની પરંપરા, સાંસ્કૃતિક તેમજ આધ્યાત્મિક વારસાને ગૌરવવાન બનાવી રાખે છે. એ ધર્મના કારણે ઊભી થતી અસ્મિતા જે-તે દેશના નાગરિકમાં ખુમારી ભરી દે છે. એથી એ રાષ્ટ્ર કોઈ સામે ઝુકતુ નથી. પતિવ્રતા સ્ત્રીને જેમ પતિભક્તિની ખુમારી હોય છે એમ એ રાષ્ટ્રનો નાગરિક દેશ માટે મરવા તૈયાર થઈ જાય છે. કોઈ સ્ત્રી પોતાના પતિ અને પાડોશી પ્રત્યે સમભાવ રાખી શકે? જે સ્ત્રી પતિ અને પાડોશી પ્રત્યે સમાન વ્યવહાર કરતી હોય એને તમે શું કહેશો? આઝાદી મળ્યા બાદ ભારતના તમામ નાગરિકો પર સર્વધર્મસમભાવની નીતિ લાદવામાં આવી. પતિવ્રતાની જેમ પોતાના ધર્મ સાથે જોડાયેલા હિન્દુને ઈસ્લામ કે ખ્રિસ્તી ધર્મ પ્રત્યે સમભાવ કેવી રીતે હોઈ શકે? વેશ્યા જેમ તમામ પુરુષો પ્રત્યે સમભાવ રાખતી હોય છે એમ બધા ધર્મો પ્રત્યે સમભાવ રાખનારનું આવા દેશમાં પૂજન થતું હોય છે. પતિવ્રતા સ્ત્રી પ્રેમ મેળવવા તેમજ પ્રેમ આપવા પોતાના પતિ પ્રત્યે એકનિષ્ઠ હોવી જોઈએ કે તમામ પુરુષો પ્રત્યે આસક્ત હોવી જોઈએ? એ સ્ત્રીની પોતાના પતિ પ્રત્યેની એકનિષ્ઠાને શું કટ્ટરતામાં ખપાવશું?

જેમ ઈંગલેંડ-અમેરિકાનું નાગરિકત્વ મેળવેલો હિન્દુ ભારત પ્રત્યે નિષ્ઠાવાન રહેશે તેમ ભારતનો કે દુનિયાના કોઈ પણ દેશનો મુસલમાન નાગરિક ઈસ્લામિક રાષ્ટ્રો પ્રત્યે ઢળતો રહેવાનો જ! આથી રાષ્ટ્રનો કોઈ એક ધર્મ હોવો અનિવાર્ય છે. અને રાષ્ટ્રનો એ ધર્મ ન પાળનારા નાગરિકો એ રાષ્ટ્ર માટે દ્વિતીય કક્ષાના નાગરિકો તરીકેની જ સગવડો પામે, જેમ આપણા હિન્દુઓ વિદેશમાં એ બાબતથી ટેવાઈ ગયા છે તેમ.

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શું આપણે બળજબરી કરીને કે લાલચ આપીને કોઈ મુસ્લિમ કે ખ્રિસ્તીનું ધર્માંતરણ કરીને તેઓને હિન્દુ બનાવ્યા? કેટલાક મુસ્લિમ છોકરાઓ હિન્દુ નામ રાખીને પહેલા હિન્દુ છોકરીઓને પટાવે છે. પછી બળજબરી કરીને લગ્નના બહાના હેઠળ એનું ધર્માંતરણ કરે છે. તેઓના આ કૃત્યને ધાર્મિક ગણાવીને મુસ્લિમ ધર્મના કેટલાક કહેવાતા ધર્મગુરુઓ કથિત રીતે મસ્જીદ જેવા પાક સ્થાનોમાં અનુયાયીઓને આવા કામ કરવા ઉશ્કેરે છે. આથી કહી શકાય કે બહાર ગયેલી પોતાની દીકરી ઘરે પરત ન આવે ત્યાં સુધી હિન્દુ મા-બાપો આજે પણ આ દેશમાં મોગલોનું શાસન હોય એ રીતે ગભરાયેલા રહે છે. આપણા હિન્દુ ધર્મગુરુઓ પણ આપણમાં રહેલું શૌર્ય-વીરત્વ જાગ્રત કરે છે, પરંતુ અન્યાયનો પ્રતિકાર કરવા માટે, મુસલમાનોને અન્યાય કરવા માટે નહિ.

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આ દેશ કોનો છે? સાતસો પચાસ વર્ષ મુસ્લિમ ગુંડાઓએ અને બસો પચાસ વર્ષ અંગ્રેજ ગુંડાઓએ આ દેશ પર રાજ્ય કર્યું. એ લોકોનું એમ કહેવું હતું, કે તેઓ ભારતમાં આવ્યા એ પહેલા આર્યો પણ લુંટફાટના ઈરાદે ભારતમાં આવ્યા હતા અને અહિં રહી ગયા. વાસ્તવમાં આર્યો મુળ ભારતના છે.(ઐતિહાસિક પ્રમાણો છે.) તેથી આપણા ઘરમાં કોઈ ગુંડો ઘુસી જાય તો એને મારીને હાંકી કાઢવો એ આપણું કર્તવ્ય બને છે અને એ ગુંડો આપણા ઘરમાં જ આપણને મારે તો એ ત્રાસવાદ છે. આપણે એ ગુંડાઓને તો હાંકી કાઢ્યા. છતાં એમણે મોકલેલા ફિદાયીનો(ત્રાસવાદી-આતંકવાદીઓ) અને એમના કૃત્ય પ્રત્યે પૂર્ણ મઝહબી ભાવ ધરાવનારા આ દેશના ગદ્દારો આપણા દેશમાં છુપી રીતે રાષ્ટ્રદ્રોહની પ્રવૃત્તિ કરી રહ્યા છે. સામસામેના યુદ્ધમાં આપણા હાથના બે-ત્રણ વાર તમાચા ખાધા પછી તેઓ પ્રોક્સીવૉરની લડત આપી રહ્યા છે. અને તેઓ પ્રત્યે કેન્દ્રિય શાસન તેમજ ભ્રમિત બુદ્ધિવાળા હિન્દુઓ(માનવાધિકારવાદીઓ, સેક્યુલરો) સહાનુભૂતિ ધરાવતા હોય ત્યારે કેવી રીતે આપણે આઝાદીની ઉજવણીનો ઉમંગ માણી શકીએ?

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મુસ્લિમ ધર્મના અનુયાયીઓ હિન્દુને ‘કાફર’ ગણે છે. અને ‘કાફિરો કો કાટ ડાલો’ એ જગતભરના મુસલમાનોનું પ્રિય સૂત્ર છે. કાફરને મારવાથી અલ્લાહ રાજી થાય છે અને મર્યા પછી જન્નતમાં ‘ગાઝી’ની પદવી(સ્વર્ગમાં ઈન્દ્ર જેવી શ્રેષ્ઠ પદવી) મળે છે, એવી મુસલમાનની દૃઢ શ્રદ્ધા છે. કોઈ એક મુસલમાન પાસે ‘આ વાત ખોટી છે.’ એવું તમે જાહેરમાં બોલાવી શકશો? છતાં આ દેશનો મુર્ખ વડાપ્રધાન હિન્દુઓની બહુમતિ ધરાવતા આ દેશમાં કહે છે, કે ‘આ દેશના સંસાધનો પર મુસલમાનોનો પ્રથમ હક્ક છે.’ ત્યારે હિન્દુઓએ શું આત્મહત્યા કરવાની?

ભારતના આજના મુસલમાનો કે ખ્રિસ્તીઓ તો એક કાળના વટલાયેલા હિન્દુઓ જ છે. એ સમયે તેઓને હિન્દુ ધર્મમાં પાછા ફરવું હતું પરંતુ હિન્દુ ધર્મની રુઢિચુસ્તતાને કારણે તેઓ એમ કરી શક્યા નહિ. આજે હિન્દુ ધર્મ તેઓને ગૌરવભેર અપનાવવા તૈયાર થયો છે ત્યારે નીચ અને હલકટ રાજકારણીઓની શૈતાની ચાલબાજીમાં આવીને તેઓ પોતાની મુસ્લિમ તેમજ ખ્રિસ્તી તરીકેની ઓળખને વળગી રહ્યા છે. પાંચ-સાત પેઢીઓથી વિદેશી મુસ્લિમ-ખ્રિસ્તી ઘેટાં-બકરાંના ટોળામાં રહ્યા હોવાથી આજે પણ તેઓ બેં-બેં કરતા મુસ્લિમ-ખ્રિસ્તી રાષ્ટ્રો તરફ મુખ કરીને બેઠા છે. તેઓ જાતે સમજીને પુન: સિંહ જેવા હિન્દુ ધર્મમાં પાછા ફરશે ત્યારે આ દેશ પોતાની ખરી આઝાદી ઉજવશે.

દરેક ચિંતકને ભવિષ્યવાણી કરવાની ઝંખના હોય છે. એમાં વેદવ્યાસથી લઈને કાર્લમાર્ક્સ સુધીના કોઈ બાકી નથી રહ્યા. આથી હું પણ એક ભવિષ્યવાણી કરવાની ઈચ્છા રાખુ છું. યુરોપ અને અમેરિકા જેવા ખ્રિસ્તી રાષ્ટ્રો અને મધ્યપૂર્વના ઈસ્લામિક રાષ્ટ્રો વચ્ચે નાનકડા યુદ્ધોની શરુઆત થઈ ચુકી છે. લિબિયા, કુવૈત, ઈરાક, અફઘાનિસ્તાન વગેરે રાષ્ટ્રોને સંપૂર્ણ રીતે કચડી નાંખવામાં આવ્યા છે. પાકીસ્તાન અમેરિકન પેટ ડોગ સિવાય કોઈ ખાસ વજુદ ધરાવતું નથી. આથી જ તો ઈસ્લામિક રાષ્ટ્રોમાં મુસલમાનોની દયનીય હાલત જોઈને ભારતીય મુસલમાનો ભારતમાં વધુ હુંફ અનુભવતા થયા છે! રશિયા તો ક્યારનું ખલાસ થઈ ગયું છે. જાપાન સ્વભાવથી જ ઈસ્લામ વિરોધી છે. ચીનને ઈસ્લામ અને ખ્રિસ્તી રાષ્ટ્રો લડે એથી કોઈ ફર્ક પડતો નથી. ભવિષ્યમાં ઈસ્લામિક તેમજ ખ્રિસ્તી રાષ્ટ્રો વચ્ચે મોટા યુદ્ધો થવાના જ. પરિણામે બન્ને ધર્મો પણ ઈતિહાસ બનીને રહી જશે. તે સમયે ભારતીય હિન્દુમાંથી વટલાઈને મુસલમાન કે ખ્રિસ્તી બનેલાઓને પોતાનો હિન્દુ ધર્મ યાદ આવશે. (26મી જાન્યુઆરીએ ફરી આ વિષય પર વિચાર કરીશું.)

http://vicharo.com/ KALPESH SONI

Brahmins and Gotra

SOME TIMES BY ; SANTOSH  BHATT

  In general, Gotra denotes any person who traces descent in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor.

Panini defines Gotra for grammatical purposes as '' apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram'' (IV. 1. 162),

Which means 'the word Gotra comes as progeny (of a sage) beginning with the son's son. When a person says ' I am Kashypasa-gotra, ' he means that he traces his descendt from the ancient sage Kashyapa.
By unbroken male descent. According to the Baudhâyanas'rauta-sûtra Viśvāmitra, Jamadagni, Bharadvâja, Gautama, Atri, Vasishtha, Kashyapa and Agastya are 8 sages;

the progeny of these eight sages is declared to be gotras. This enumeration of eight primary gotras seems to have been known to Pānini. These gotras are not directly connected to Prajapathy or latter brama.

The offspring (apatya) of these eight are gotras and others than these are called ' Gotrâvayava '.[24]

The Gotras are arranged in groups, e. g. there are according to the Âsvalâyana-srautasûtra four subdivisions of the Vasishtha gana, viz. Upamanyu, Parāshara, Kundina and Vasishtha (other than the first three).

Each of these four again has numerous sub-sections, each being called gotra. So the arrangement is first into Ganas, then into Pakshas, then into Individual gotras.

The first has survived in the Bhrigu and Āngirasa gana. According to Baudh., the principal eight gotras were divided into pakshas. The pravara of Upamanyu is Vasishtha, Bharadvasu, Indrapramada;

The pravara of the Parâshara gotra is Vasishtha, Shâktya, Pârâsharya; the pravara of the Kundina gotra is Vasishtha, Maitrâvaruna, Kaundinya and the pravara of Vasishthas other than these three is simply Vasishtha. It is therefore that some define pravara as the group of sages that distinguishes the founder (lit. the starter) of one gotra from another.

There are two kinds of pravaras, 1) sishya-prasishya-rishi-parampara, and 2) putrparampara. Gotrapravaras can be ekarsheya, dwarsheya, triarsheya, pancharsheya, saptarsheya, and up to 19 rishis. Kashyapasa gotra has at least two distinct pravaras in Andhra Pradesh: one with three sages (triarsheya pravara) and the other with seven sages (saptarsheya pravara).

This pravara may be either sishya-prasishya-rishi-parampara or putraparampara. When it is sishya-prasishya-rishi-parampara marriage is not acceptable if half or more than half of the rishis are same in both bride and bridegroom gotras. If it is putraparampara, marriage is totally unacceptable even if one rishi matches.[25] sandilya gotra one a gotra of brahmins.about a month ago · 

Gotra 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 sage of ancient times.

A gotra is of immense importance to a Hindu for it shores up his identity. All Hindu ceremonies require a statement of the gotra. A devout Hindu speaks out his gotra and pravara every day in the morning. Gotra also comes of use during the performance of the rites of passage or sanskaras. People of the same gotra (sagotra) are not allowed to marry, to prevent inbreeding. At weddings, the gotra of the bride and the groom are proclaimed aloud to establish that they are not breaking this socially ordained genetic precaution. Marriages between certain gotras are also not allowed; for instance, marriages between those of the Vasishtha and Vishvamitra gotras are not permitted. This is because these two sages were opponents and their descendants are traditional foes.

In olden times, every gotra had a definite task to perform. Thus every Veda had priests of specific gotras for their narration and teaching. Certain sacrifices require priests of a specific gotra only.

There are 49 established Hindu gotras. All members of a particular gotra are believed to possess certain common characteristics by way of nature or profession. Many theories have been propounded to explain this system. According to the brahminical theory, the Brahmins are the direct descendants of seven or eight sages who are believed to be the mind-born sons of Brahma. They are Gautama, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra, Jamadagni, Vasishtha, Kashyapa and Atri. To this list, Agastya is also sometimes added. These eight sages are called gotrakarins from whom all the 49 gotras (especially of the Brahmins) have evolved. For instance, from Atri sprang the Atreya and Gavisthiras gotras. According to this theory, the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas do not have a gotra and are to Gotraspeak out the gotras of their Purohita during the various ceremonies. However according to some Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, they are also descendants of these sages. Because of this, many a time a Brahmin, Kshatriya and a Vaishya claim the same gotra. The members of a gotra however need not necessarily be blood relations, but could be spiritual inheritors or descendants of a guru’s pupils.

Among the Kshatriyas, Rajputs claim to be the direct descendants of the Sun (Suryavanshi), the moon (Chandravanshi) or the fire (Agnikula). They are also divided into numerous clans, each bearing the name of some great ancestor. Similarly every caste and class of the Hindus is divided into many clans.

In olden times the members of the brahminical gotras had certain characteristic features distinguishing them from the others: the Bhargavas had their heads shaven, the Angirasas wore five braids and so on.

Gotra closely connected with the concept of gotra is that of pravara which is the invocation of Agni by the name of the ancestral sage of whichever Brahmin consecrates the sacrificial fire. As a rule, there are not more than four or five sages in one pravara. Two gotras having a common pravara are not allowed to marry. For instance those of the Kashyapa and Shandilya gotras cannot intermarry because they share the same sage, Asita, in their pravaras.

Abhivada, the formal proclamation of one’s ancestry, is only enjoined upon ‘twice-born’ (see also Upanayanam) males. It includes not just the gotra and pravara but, for a Brahmin, the Veda to which he ‘belongs’, the Sutra or Vedic interpretation favored by his gotra and finally his own name. It is said with the thumb behind the ears, in the traditional gesture of invoking ancestors. Today’s great classical musicians invoke their gurus similarly before beginning a concert.

Vasishtha, Maitra – Varuna, Kaundinya Trayarishiya gotre, Apastambha sutra, Yajushtagadhyayi, Sri Parashuraman Sharmana aham asmiboho. In the Rig-Veda (see Veda), the word gotra means a ‘cowpen’. In the Vedic period, marriage within the family was a common occurrence. The term gotra was used in its present sense for the first time in the Brahmanas. It was systematised by about the 4th century BC to accommodate changed social rules and laws and by the time of the Sutras, it was a well-established system. Even today almost all families abide by its rules.

 Now on Modern day thinking if I add my 2 cents worth of opinion on subject is If we take 1 and divide in to Half i.e 1/ .5 what we get after ten generation is negligible portion.

Let me describe it in detail. One man and One woman. who tie holy matrimony and start Family, They have Kids either Baby Boy or Baby Girl who marries now let us go back to original man who mixed his blood or lineage with Woman, In modern time X and Y and new generation is born.

Now if you divide like that what is significance of Gotra after 10 generation ? is a Million Dollar question to be asked.

Any one wants to throw light on subject and enlighten me. I shall really appreciate it..

We Brahmins are Educated clan and have always been smart in our out of Box thinking and approach.

Isn't it time to have modern aproch so our society can benefit and we can progress.

Please read my article on VARNA VYAVASTHA / CAST ARRANGEMENTS. written in webdunia.com which is English translation of original Hindi article on subject.

આ લેખ બ્રાહ્મણો માટે છે . ૮૪ બ્રાહ્મણોની યાદી (૧) સીધ્ધપુરા ઔદીચ્ય (૨) સીહોરા ઔદીચ્ય (૩) ટોળકીયા ઔદીચ્ય (૪) વડનગરા નાગર (૫) વીસનગરા નાગર (૬) સાઠોદરા નાગર (૭) પ્રશ્નોલા નાગર (૮) ક્રષ્ણોરા નાગર (૯) સાચોરા (૧૦) ઉદમ્બરા (૧૧) નરસાધરા (૧૨) વલાદરા (૧૩) પંગોરા (૧૪)નાંદોદરા(૧૫) ગીરનારા (૧૬) સોમપરા (૧૭) હરસોરા (૧૮) સજોધરા (૧૯) ગંગાપુત્રા (૨૦) મોઢમીત્રા (૨૧) ગૌમીત્રા (૨૨) ચીત્રોદા નાગર (૨૩) શ્રીગોડા (૨૪) ગુર્જર ગોડા (૨૫) કરોડા (૨૬) ્વાયકા (૨૭) ભટ્ટ મેવાડા (૨૮) ત્રીવાડી મેવાડા (૨૯) દ્રાવીડા (૩૦) દેશાવાલ (૩૧) રાયકવાલ(૩૨) રોઢવાલ (૩૩) ખેડાવાળ (૩૪) સિંધુવાલ (૩૫) પલ્લીવાલ (૩૬) ગોમતીવાલ(૩૭) ઇટાવાલ (૩૮) મેડતાવાલ (૩૯) ગયાવાલ (૪૦) અગસ્ત્યાવાલ (૪૧) પ્રેતવાલ (૪૨) યાજ્ઞિક્વાલ (૪૩) ઘોડવાલ (૪૪) પુડવાલ (૪૫) ઉનેવાળ (૪૬) રજવાલ (૪૭) કનોજીયા (૪૮) સરવરીયા (૪૯) કંડોલીયા (૫૦) કરખડીયા (૫૧) પટવાલીયા (૫૨) સોરઠીયા (૫૩) તંગમોડિયા (૫૪) સણોઠિયા (૫૫) વંશવઘા (૫૬) મોતારા (૫૭) ઝારોળા (૫૮) રામપુળા (૫૯) કપીળા (૬૦) અક્ષયમંગળા (૬૧) ઘુગરી (૬૨) નાયલ (૬૩) અનાવળા (૬૪) શ્રીમાળી (૬૫) ત્રીવેદી મોઢ (૬૬) ચતુર્વેદી મોઢ (૬૭) વાલ્મીક (૬૮) વારદીક (૬૯) કલીંગા (૭૦) તિલિંગા (૭૧) ભાર્ગવ (૭૨) માલવી (૭૩) નંદુઆણા (૭૪) ભરથાણા (૭૫) પુષ્કર્ણા (૭૬) સારસ્વત (૭૭) ખડાયતા (૭૮) મારુ (૭૯) દાહીમા (૮૦) ચોવીસા (૮૧) જાંબુ (૮૨) મરેઠા મહારાષ્ટ્ર(૮૩) દધીચ (૮૪) લલાટ ઉનાગામના રહેવાસી ઉનેવાળ .વીભાગ ૧૮ છે.ઇ .સ .૧૩૦૪ માં સોમનાથ ઉપર અલ્લાઉદીન તથા અહમદશાહના વખતમાં લડાઇ થઇ તે વખતે ઉનેવાળ બ્રાહ્મણોને સહન કરવુ પડ્યુ .મહંમદ ગઝનીએ ૧૦૨૬ માં સોમતાથ પર ચઢાઇ કરી ત્યારે મુસ્લીમ લશ્કરનો સામનો કરી સહન કર્યુ .પરીણામે ઉનેવાળોને ઉના છોડવુ પડ્યુ અને કોડીનાર પાસે છારા ગામમાં વસ્યા તે છારીયા .ખેડા જીલ્લામાં બાજ -બાજવા તરફ ગયા તે બાજિયા નાથળ ગામમાં વસ્યા તે નાથળીયા ઉનેવાળ બ્રાહ્મણ કહેવાયા- નાથેર પંથકમાં સોરઠ પંથકમા વસ્યાતે નાથેરવાસી સોરથવાસી બ્રાહ્મણ કહેવાયા તે જ રીતે વલાદરાઓને વલાદ છોડવુ પડ્યુ અને વલાદ્રા કહેવાયા અને દરેકના ઇસ્ટ્દેવ -દેવી અલગ અલગ નામ હોવા છતા દરેકનો ઇતીહાસ ક્યાંકને ક્યાંક સરખો છે જેમ સાંચોરમાંથી સાંચેરા બ્રાહ્મણ તેમનો ઇતીહાસ માતાજીનો બાલામાતા જેવોજ છે જે અમે ગયા હતા અને દર્શન પણ કરેલા .સુર્યના ચાર સ્વરુપ બાલાર્ક .તરુણાર્કવ્રુધ્દાર્ક.સીધ્ધાર્ક …જ્યારે કોટ્યાર્ક પ્રભુનુ મંદીર પણ છે .કાઠી લોકો પણ સુર્યની પુજા કરતા અને આજે સુર્યના મંદીરો ઘણા છે .
ब्राह्मणों की वंशावली भविष्य पुराण
ब्राह्मणों की वंशावली भविष्य पुराण के अनुसार ब्राह्मणों का इतिहास है की प्राचीन काल में महर्षि कश्यप के पुत्र कण्वय की आर्यावनी नाम की देव कन्या पत्नी हुई.ब्रम्हा की आज्ञा से दोनों कुरुक्षेत्र वासनी सरस्वती नदी के तट पर गये और कण् व चतुर्वेदमय सूक्तों में सरस्वती देवी की स्तुति करने लगे एक वर्ष बीत जाने पर वह देवी प्रसन्न हो वहां आयीं और ब्राम्हणो की समृद्धि के लिये उन्हें वरदान दिया .वरदान के प्रभाव से कण्वय के आर्य बुद्धिवाले दस पुत्र हुए जिनका क्रमानुसार नाम थाउपाध्याय, दीक्षित, पाठक, शुक्ला, मिश्रा, अग्निहोत्री, दुबे, तिवारी, पाण्डेय,और चतुर्वेदी . इन लोगो का जैसा नाम था वैसा ही गुण. इन लोगो ने नत मस्तक हो सरस्वती देवी को प्रसन्न किया. बारह वर्ष की अवस्था वाले उन लोगो को भक्तवत्सला शारदा देवी ने अपनी कन्याए प्रदान की. उनके क्रमशः नाम हुए उपाध्यायी, दीक्षिता, पाठकी, शुक्लिका, मिश्राणी, अग्निहोत्रिधी, द्विवेदिनी, तिवेदिनी पाण्ड्यायनी,और चतुर्वेदिनी कहलायीं. फिर उन कन्याओं के भी अपने-अपने पति से सोलह-सोलह पुत्र हुए हैं वे सब गोत्रकार हुए जिनका नाम –
कष्यप, भरद्वाज, विश्वामित्र, गौतम, जमदग्रि, वसिष्ठ, वत्स, गौतम, पराशर, गर्ग, अत्रि, भृगडत्र, अंगिरा, श्रंगी, कात्याय,और याज्ञवल्क्य। इन नामो से सोलह-सोलह पुत्र जाने जाते हैं.
मुख्य 10 प्रकार ब्राम्हणों ये हैं-
(1) तैलंगा, (2) महार्राष्ट्रा, (3) गुर्जर, (4) द्रविड, (5) कर्णटिका, यह पांच "द्रविण" कहे जाते हैं, ये विन्ध्यांचल के दक्षिण में पाय जाते हैं.तथा विंध्यांचल के उत्तर मं पाये जाने वाले या वास करने वाले ब्राम्हण
(1) सारस्वत, (2) कान्यकुब्ज, (3) गौड़, (4) मैथिल, (5) उत्कलये, उत्तर के पंच गौड़ कहे जाते हैं. वैसे ब्राम्हण अनेक हैं जिनका वर्णन आगे लिखा है. ऐसी संख्या मुख्य 115 की है. शाखा भेद अनेक हैं . इनके अलावा संकर जाति ब्राम्हण अनेक है .यहां मिली जुली उत्तर व दक्षिण के ब्राम्हणों की नामावली 115 की दे रहा हूं. जो एक से दो और 2 से 5 और 5 से 10 और 10 से 84 भेद हुए हैं फिर उत्तर व दक्षिण के ब्राम्हण की संख्या शाखा भेद से 230 के लगभग है . तथा और भी शाखा भेद हुए हैं. जो लगभग 300 के करीब ब्राम्हण भेदों की संख्या का लेखा पाया गया है. उत्तर व दक्षिणी ब्राम्हणां के भेद इस प्रकार है 81 ब्राम्हाणां की 31 शाखा कुल 115 ब्राम्हण संख्या
(1) गौड़ ब्राम्हण, (2)मालवी गौड़ ब्राम्हण, (3) श्री गौड़ ब्राम्हण, (4) गंगापुत्र गौडत्र ब्राम्हण, (5) हरियाणा गौड़ ब्राम्हण, (6) वशिष्ठ गौड़ ब्राम्हण, (7) शोरथ गौड ब्राम्हण, (8) दालभ्य गौड़ ब्राम्हण, (9) सुखसेन गौड़ ब्राम्हण, (10) भटनागर गौड़ ब्राम्हण, (11) सूरजध्वज गौड ब्राम्हण(षोभर), (12) मथुरा के चौबे ब्राम्हण, (13) वाल्मीकि ब्राम्हण, (14) रायकवाल ब्राम्हण, (15) गोमित्र ब्राम्हण, (16) दायमा ब्राम्हण, (17) सारस्वत ब्राम्हण, (18) मैथल ब्राम्हण, (19) कान्यकुब्ज ब्राम्हण, (20) उत्कल ब्राम्हण, (21) सरवरिया ब्राम्हण, (22) पराशर ब्राम्हण, (23) सनोडिया या सनाड्य, (24)मित्र गौड़ ब्राम्हण, (25) कपिल ब्राम्हण, (26) तलाजिये ब्राम्हण, (27) खेटुवे ब्राम्हण, (28) नारदी ब्राम्हण, (29) चन्द्रसर ब्राम्हण, (30)वलादरे ब्राम्हण, (31) गयावाल ब्राम्हण, (32) ओडये ब्राम्हण, (33) आभीर ब्राम्हण, (34) पल्लीवास ब्राम्हण, (35) लेटवास ब्राम्हण, (36) सोमपुरा ब्राम्हण, (37) काबोद सिद्धि ब्राम्हण, (38) नदोर्या ब्राम्हण, (39) भारती ब्राम्हण, (40) पुश्करर्णी ब्राम्हण, (41) गरुड़ गलिया ब्राम्हण, (42) भार्गव ब्राम्हण, (43) नार्मदीय ब्राम्हण, (44) नन्दवाण ब्राम्हण, (45) मैत्रयणी ब्राम्हण, (46) अभिल्ल ब्राम्हण, (47) मध्यान्दिनीय ब्राम्हण, (48) टोलक ब्राम्हण, (49) श्रीमाली ब्राम्हण, (50) पोरवाल बनिये ब्राम्हण, (51) श्रीमाली वैष्य ब्राम्हण (52) तांगड़ ब्राम्हण, (53) सिंध ब्राम्हण, (54) त्रिवेदी म्होड ब्राम्हण, (55) इग्यर्शण ब्राम्हण, (56) धनोजा म्होड ब्राम्हण, (57) गौभुज ब्राम्हण, (58) अट्टालजर ब्राम्हण, (59) मधुकर ब्राम्हण, (60) मंडलपुरवासी ब्राम्हण, (61) खड़ायते ब्राम्हण, (62) बाजरखेड़ा वाल ब्राम्हण, (63) भीतरखेड़ा वाल ब्राम्हण, (64) लाढवनिये ब्राम्हण, (65) झारोला ब्राम्हण, (66) अंतरदेवी ब्राम्हण, (67) गालव ब्राम्हण, (68) गिरनारे ब्राम्हण
सभी ब्राह्मण बंधुओ को मेरा नमस्कार बहुत दुर्लभ जानकारी है जरूर पढ़े। और समाज में शेयर करे इस तरह ब्राह्मणों की उत्पत्ति और इतिहास के साथ इनका विस्तार अलग अलग राज्यो में हुआ और ये उस राज्य के ब्राह्मण कहलाये। ब्राह्मण बिना धरती की कल्पना ही नहीं की जा सकती
Shri Suktam Rug Ved…Fal shruti… वरांकुशौ पाशमभीतिमुद्रां करैर्वहन्तीं कमलासनस्थाम्
बालार्क कोटि प्रतिभां त्रिणेत्रां भजेहमाद्यां जग।दीश्वरीं ताम् ॥ 30॥
આવો આપણે બ્રાહ્મણોની અવટંક-અટક વીશે જાણીએ પ્રારંભમાં બ્રાહ્મણોમાં અટક ન હતી .ઋગ્વેદાદી ગ્રંથોમાં તેઓ નામથી ઓળખાતા જેમકે વીસ્વામીત્ર.વસીષ્ઠ.જમદજ્ઞી .આ ૠષીઓની અટક મલતી નથી .અહી એ પણ નોધવુ જરુરી છે કે ક્ષત્રીય -વૈષ્ય વર્ણમાં પણ અટક ન હતી . આ બધા નામથી ઓળખાતા કાળાન્તરે સ્વીકારેલ વ્યવસાયના આધારે તેની તે "ઓળખ" થઇ .પછીથી તે સંબંધીત વ્યક્તીની અવટંક-અટક બની .અટકને પ્રારંભમાં ઉપનામ કે પદવી કહેવાતી .બ્રાહ્મણોના આરંભ-વીકાસનો અભ્યાસ જરુરી છે .અહી થોડીક માહીતી પ્રપ્ત છે તે સમજવુ જરુરી છે
I will list down here some Brahmin surnames I have come across over the years -note that there are some surnames which are shared across castes – they denote place of origin (like the -kar surnames of Maharashtra), occupation amongst other things, and are not exclusive to a caste. Also, the list is heavily biased to
1. Bhatt
2. Joshi
3. Pandit
4. Kulkarni (not exclusive, but common)
5. Dwivedi, Trivedi, Chaturvedi and Tripathy
6. Pant, Sharma, Mishra, Dixit, Tiwari/Tewari, Jha, Bahuguna
7. Fadnavis, Phadnis or Phadnavis (again common but not exclusive)
8. Acharya, Upadhyay, Shastri, Pandey, Panda
9. Bhattacharya Bannerjee, Bonnerjee, Chatterjee, Mukherjee& Ganguly(Bengali Brahmin surnames)Kaul, Raina, Haksar, Tikoo, Mattoo, Dhar, Kak, Sapru,Sopori, Razdan (Kashmiri Pandit surnames)
10. Bhargava, Vashishta, Rasgotra
11. Assamese Brahmins list of SurnamesBaruah .Bez Baruah .Bujar Barua .Chandra BaruaRam Barua Prasad Barua .Gobinda BaruaAcharya / Acharjee .Bhattacharya / BhattacharjeeBhagavati .Bardalai .Gain .Goswami .Sharma
Siddhanta .Thakur .Pathak
Brahmin (/ˈbrɑːmənə/; ब्राह्मण) is a varna (class, caste) in Hinduism specialising as priests of sacred learning across generations.[1][2][3] Brahmins used to survive on the donations they used to earn fromreligiousrituals called "Daan" by following the religion ie. "Dharma".They were traditionally responsible for religious rituals in temples, as intermediaries between temple deities and devotees, as well as rite of passage rituals such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers.[3][4] However Indian texts suggest that Brahmins were often agriculturalistsin medieval India.[4][5]
the following rules of conduct for a Brahmin
• Be always truthful
• Conduct himself as an Aryan
• Teach his art only to virtuous men
• Follow rules of ritual purification
• Study Vedas with delight
• Never hurt any living creature
• Be gentle but steadfast
• Have self-control
• Be kind, liberal towards everyone
વ્યવસાય ——- અટક – – ધર્મોપદેશ કરનાર —— આચાર્ય – સમીપ બેસી અધ્યાય વાંચનાર ——— ઉપાદ્યાય – જ્યોતીશશાસ્ત્રનો જ્ઞાતા —— — જોશી-જોષી યજ્ઞ કરનાર -કરાવનાર ——– યાજ્ઞીક -જાની -[ ગામનો પ્રમુખ અધીકારી ———— ઠક્કુર-ઠાકર — બે વેદનો પાઠ કરનાર ——– દ્વીવેદી -દવે — ત્રણ વેદનો પાઠ કરનાર ——— ત્રીવેદી -તરવાડી — ચાર વેદનો પાઠ કરનાર ———– ચતુર્વેદી — શાસ્ત્ર ભણેલ-ભણાવનાર ——— પંડીત -પંડ્યા — દીક્ષા આપનાર ———– દીક્ષીત — ગામના ગુરુ-ગોર ———– પુરોહીત — વેદશાસ્ત્રનુ પારાયણ કરનાર ———- પાઠક — સરકારી કામ કરનાર ——— મહત્પદા-મહેતા — યુધ્ધશાસ્ત્રમાં હોશીયાર -બહાદુર —— —- ભટ્ટ — પુરાણ વાંચનાર(પુરાણી) ——– વ્યાસ — શુધ્ધ ઉપજીવીકા કરનાર ———- શુક્લ —- રાજ્યના ગુરુ ———- — રાજગુરુ-રજ્યકુલ્ય-રાવલ ——-
— હુ માનુ છુ કે આ લેખ આપને ગમશે -.

Taj Mahal – A Hindu Shiva Temple-Palace TEJO MAHAL (via Santosh Bhatt’s Blog)

By now you all know through my previous articles, the irrefutable facts and deductive logic which prove that Islam is evil right at its very foundation. It is not a religion, but a means to legalize rape, murder, loot and destruction! Given what I have shown in these previous weeks, no one should have the slightest doubt that the true followers of such a “religion” can only be called dacoits! These dacoits have looted and raped many countries, bu … Read More

via Santosh Bhatt’s Blog

Taj Mahal – A Hindu Shiva Temple-Palace TEJO MAHAL

By now you all know through my previous articles, the irrefutable facts and deductive logic which prove that Islam is evil right at its very foundation. It is not a religion, but a means to legalize rape, murder, loot and destruction! Given what I have shown in these previous weeks, no one should have the slightest doubt that the true followers of such a “religion” can only be called dacoits!

These dacoits have looted and raped many countries, but no country can tell a bloodier tale of muslim oppression than India! The muslim dacoits started their rule over India in 712 A.D. with the invasion of Mohammed Qasem and looking at the present situation of our country it still continues on today!

During their rule they looted and destroyed hundereds of thousands of Hindu temples. Aurangzeb himself destroyed 10,000 Hindu temples during his reign! Some of the larger temples were converted into mosques or other Islamic structures. Ram Janmbhoomi(at Ayodhya) and Krishna Temple(at Mathura) are just two examples. Many others exist!

The most evident of such structures is Taj Mahal–a structure supposedly devoted to carnal love by the “great” moghul king Shah Jahan to his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. Please keep in my mind that this is the same Shah Jahan who had a harem of 5,000 women and the same Shah Jahan who had a incestuous relationship with his daughter justifing it by saying, ‘a gardner has every right to taste the fruit he has planted’! Is such a person even capable of imagning such a wondrous structure as the Taj Mahal let alone be the architect of it?

The answer is no. It cannot be. And it isn’t as has been proven. The Taj Mahal is as much a Islamic structure as is mathematics a muslim discovery! The famous historian Shri P.N. Oak has proven that Taj Mahal is actually Tejo Mahalaya– a shiv temple-palace. His work was published in 1965 in the book, Taj Mahal – The True Story. However, we have not heard much about it because it was banned by the corrupt and power crazed Congress government of Bharat who did not want to alienate their precious vote bank–the muslims.

After reading Shri Oak’s work which provides more than adequate evidence to prove that Taj Mahal is indeed Tejo Mahalaya, one has to wonder if the government of Bharat has been full of traitors for the past 50 years! Because to ban such a book which states only the truth is surely a crime against our great nation of Bharat.

The most valuable evidence of all that Tejo Mahalaya is not an Islamic building is in the Badshahnama which contains the history of the first twenty years of Shah Jahan’s reign. The writer Abdul Hamid has stated that Taj Mahal is a temple-palace taken from Jaipur’s Maharaja Jaisigh and the building was known as Raja Mansingh’s palace. This by itself is enough proof to state that Tejo Mahalaya is a Hindu structure captured, plundered and converted to a mausoleum by Shah Jahan and his henchmen. But I have taken the liberty to provide you with 109 other proofs and logical points which tell us that the structure known as the Taj Mahal is actually Tejo Mahalaya.

There is a similar story behind Every Islamic structure in Bharat. They are all converted Hindu structures. As I mentioned above, hundereds of thousands of temples in Bharat have been destroyed by the barbaric muslim invaders and I shall dedicate several articles to these destroyed temples. However, the scope of this article is to prove to you beyond the shadow of any doubt that Taj Mahal is Tejo Mahalaya and should be recognized as such! Not as a monument to the dead Mumtaz Mahal–an insignificant sex object in the incestous Shah Jahan’s harem of 5,000.

Another very important proof that Taj Mahal is a Hindu structure is shown by figure 1 below. It depicts Aurangzeb’s letter to Shah Jahan in Persian in which he has unintentionally revealed the true identity of the Taj Mahal as a Hindu Temple-Palace. Refer to proofs 20 and 66 stated below.

Figure 1.
Aurangzeb’s letter to his father Shah Jahan written in
Persian. (Source: Taj Mahal – The True Story, pg. 275)

Take the time to read the proofs stated below and know to what extent we have been lied to by our own leaders. These proofs of Shri P.N. Oak have been taken from the URL: http://rbhatnagar.ececs.uc.edu:8080/hindu_history/modern/taj_oak.html I would like to commend the creator of the above mentioned web site for taking the time to put up the proofs given by Shri P.N. Oak.

For more information you can order the book, Taj Mahal – The True Story authored by Shri P.N. Oak. The ISBN number of the book is ISBN 0-9611614-4-2. The book is available through A. Ghosh (Publisher), 5720 W. Little York, #216, Houston, Texas 77091. Visit Sword Of Truth – Online Magazine for more information

Proofs follow below:

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Name

1.The term Tajmahal itself never occurs in any mogul court paper or chronicle even in Aurangzeb’s time. The attempt to explain it away as Taj-i-mahal is therefore, ridiculous.

2.The ending “Mahal” is never muslim because in none of the muslim countries around the world from Afghanistan to Algeria is there a building known as “Mahal”.

3.The unusual explanation of the term Tajmahal derives from Mumtaz Mahal, who is buried in it, is illogical in at least two respects viz., firstly her name was never Mumtaj Mahal but Mumtaz-ul-Zamani and secondly one cannot omit the first three letters “Mum” from a woman’s name to derive the remainder as the name of the building.

4.Since the lady’s name was Mumtaz (ending with ‘Z’) the name of the building derived from her should have been Taz Mahal, if at all, and not Taj (spelled with a ‘J’).

5.Several European visitors of Shahjahan’s time allude to the building as Taj-e-Mahal is almost the correct tradition, age old Sanskrit name Tej-o-Mahalaya, signifying a Shiva temple. Contrarily Shahjahan and Aurangzeb scrupulously avoid using the Sanskrit term and call it just a holy grave.

6.The tomb should be understood to signify Not A Building but only the grave or centotaph inside it. This would help people to realize that all dead muslim courtiers and royalty including Humayun, Akbar, Mumtaz, Etmad-ud-Daula and Safdarjang have been buried in capture Hindu mansions and temples.

7.Moreover, if the Taj is believed to be a burial place, how can the term Mahal, i.e., mansion apply to it?

8.Since the term Taj Mahal does not occur in mogul courts it is absurd to search for any mogul explanation for it. Both its components namely, ‘Taj’ and’ Mahal’ are of Sanskrit origin.
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Temple Tradition

9.The term Taj Mahal is a corrupt form of the sanskrit term TejoMahalay signifying a Shiva Temple. Agreshwar Mahadev i.e., The Lord of Agra was consecrated in it.

10.The tradition of removing the shoes before climbing the marble platform originates from pre Shahjahan times when the Taj was a Shiva Temple. Had the Taj originated as a tomb, shoes need not have to be removed because shoes are a necessity in a cemetery.

11.Visitors may notice that the base slab of the centotaph is the marble basement in plain white while its superstructure and the other three centotaphs on the two floors are covered with inlaid creeper designs. This indicates that the marble pedestal of the Shiva idol is still in place and Mumtaz’s centotaphs are fake.

12.The pitchers carved inside the upper border of the marble lattice plus those mounted on it number 108-a number sacred in Hindu Temple tradition.

13.There are persons who are connected with the repair and the maintainance of the Taj who have seen the ancient sacred Shiva Linga and other idols sealed in the thick walls and in chambers in the secret, sealed red stone stories below the marble basement. The Archaeological Survey of India is keeping discretely, politely and diplomatically silent about it to the point of dereliction of its own duty to probe into hidden historical evidence.

14.In India there are 12 Jyotirlingas i.e., the outstanding Shiva Temples. The Tejomahalaya alias The Tajmahal appears to be one of them known as Nagnatheshwar since its parapet is girdled with Naga, i.e., Cobra figures. Ever since Shahjahan’s capture of it the sacred temple has lost its Hindudom.

15.The famous Hindu treatise on architecture titled Vishwakarma Vastushastra mentions the Tej-Linga amongst the Shivalingas i.e., the stone emblems of Lord Shiva, the Hindu deity. Such a Tej Linga was consecrated in the Taj Mahal, hence the term Taj Mahal alias Tejo Mahalaya.

16.Agra city, in which the Taj Mahal is located, is an ancient centre of Shiva worship. Its orthodox residents have through ages continued the tradition of worshipping at five Shiva shrines before taking the last meal every night especially during the month of Shravan. During the last few centuries the residents of Agra had to be content with worshipping at only four prominent Shiva temples viz., Balkeshwar, Prithvinath, Manakameshwar and Rajarajeshwar. They had lost track of the fifth Shiva deity which their forefathers worshipped. Apparently the fifth was Agreshwar Mahadev Nagnatheshwar i.e., The Lord Great God of Agra, The Deity of the King of Cobras, consecrated in the Tejomahalay alias Tajmahal.

17.The people who dominate the Agra region are Jats. Their name of Shiva is Tejaji. The Jat special issue of The Illustrated Weekly of India (June 28,1971) mentions that the Jats have the Teja Mandirs i.e., Teja Temples. This is because Teja-Linga is among the several names of the Shiva Lingas. From this it is apparent that the Taj-Mahal is Tejo-Mahalaya, The Great Abode of Tej.
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Documentary Evidence

18.Shahjahan’s own court chronicle, the Badshahnama, admits (page 403, vol 1) that a grand mansion of unique splendor, capped with a dome (Imaarat-a-Alishan wa Gumbaze) was taken from the Jaipur Maharaja Jaisigh for Mumtaz’s burial, and the building was known as Raja Mansingh’s palace.

19. The plaque put the archealogy department outside the Tajmahal describes the edifice as a mausoleum built by Shahjahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, over 22 years from 1631 to 1653 That plaque is a specimen of historical bungling. Firstly, the plaque sites no authority for its claim. Secondly the lady’s name was Mumtaz-ulZamani and not Mumtazmahal. Thirdly, the period of 22 years is taken from some mumbo jumbo noting by an unreliable French visitor Tavernier, to the exclusion of all muslim versions, which is an absurdity.

20. Prince Aurangzeb’s letter (Refer to Figure 1 above) to his father, emperor Shahjahan, is recorded in atleast three chronicles titled Aadaab-e-Alamgiri, Yadgarnama, and the Muruqqa-i-Akbarabadi (edited by Said Ahmed, Agra, 1931, page 43, footnote 2). In that letter Aurangzeb records in 1652 A.D itself that the several buildings in the fancied burial place of Mumtaz were seven storeyed and were so old that they were all leaking, while the dome had developed a crack on the northern side. Aurangzeb, therefore, ordered immediate repairs to the buildings at his own expense while recommending to the emperor that more elaborate repairs be carried out later. This is the proof that during Shahjahan’s reign itself that the Taj complex was so old as to need immediate repairs.

21. The ex-Maharaja of Jaipur retains in his secret personal KapadDwara collection two orders from Shahjahan dated Dec 18, 1633 (bearing modern nos. R.176 and 177) requestioning the Taj building complex. That was so blatant a usurpation that the then ruler of Jaipur was ashamed to make the document public.

22. The Rajasthan State archives at Bikaner preserve three other firmans addressed by Shahjahan to the Jaipur’s ruler Jaisingh ordering the latter to supply marble (for Mumtaz’s grave and koranic grafts) from his Makranna quarris, and stone cutters. Jaisingh was apparently so enraged at the blatant seizure of the Tajmahal that he refused to oblige Shahjahan by providing marble for grafting koranic engravings and fake centotaphs for further desecration of the Tajmahal. Jaisingh looked at Shahjahan’s demand for marble and stone cutters, as an insult added to injury. Therefore, he refused to send any marble and instead detained the stone cutters in his protective custody.

23. The three firmans demanding marble were sent to Jaisingh within about two years of Mumtaz’s death. Had Shahjahan really built the Tajmahal over a period of 22 years, the marble would have needed only after 15 or 20 years not immediately after Mumtaz’s death.

24. Moreover, the three mention neither the Tajmahal, nor Mumtaz, nor the burial. The cost and the quantity of the stone also are not mentioned. This proves that an insignificant quantity of marble was needed just for some supercial tinkering and tampering with the Tajmahal. Even otherwise Shahjahan could never hope to build a fabulous Tajmahal by abject dependence for marble on a non cooperative Jaisingh.
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European Visitor’s Accounts

25. Tavernier, a French jeweller has recorded in his travel memoirs that Shahjahan purposely buried Mumtaz near the Taz-i-Makan (i.e.,`The Taj building’) where foriegners used to come as they do even today so that the world may admire. He also adds that the cost of the scaffolding was more than that of the entire work. The work that Shahjahan commissioned in the Tejomahalaya Shiva temple was plundering at the costly fixtures inside it, uprooting the Shiva idols, planting the centotaphs in their place on two stories, inscribing the koran along the arches and walling up six of the seven stories of the Taj. It was this plunder, desecrating and plunderring of the rooms which took 22 years.

26. Peter Mundy, an English visitor to Agra recorded in 1632 (within only a year of Mumtaz’s death) that `the places of note in and around Agra, included Taj-e-Mahal’s tomb, gardens and bazaars’. He, therefore, confirms that that the Tajmahal had been a noteworthy building even before Shahjahan.

27. De Laet, a Dutch official has listed Mansingh’s palace about a mile from Agra fort, as an outstanding building of pre shahjahan’s time. Shahjahan’s court chronicle, the Badshahnama records, Mumtaz’s burial in the same Mansingh’s palace.

28. Bernier, a contemporary French visitor has noted that non muslim’s were barred entry into the basement (at the time when Shahjahan requisitioned Mansingh’s palace) which contained a dazzling light. Obviously, he reffered to the silver doors, gold railing, the gem studded lattice and strings of pearl hanging over Shiva’s idol. Shahjahan comandeered the building to grab all the wealth, making Mumtaz’s death a convineant pretext.

29. Johan Albert Mandelslo, who describes life in agra in 1638 (only 7 years after mumtaz’s death) in detail (in his Voyages and Travels to West-Indies, published by John Starkey and John Basset, London), makes no mention of the Tajmahal being under constuction though it is commonly erringly asserted or assumed that the Taj was being built from 1631 to 1653.
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Sanskrit Inscription

30. A Sanskrit inscription too supports the conclusion that the Taj originated as a Shiva temple. Wrongly termed as the Bateshwar inscription (currently preserved on the top floor of the Lucknow museum), it refers to the raising of a “crystal white Shiva temple so alluring that Lord Shiva once enshrined in it decided never to return to Mount Kailash his usual abode”. That inscription dated 1155 A.D. was removed from the Tajmahal garden at Shahjahan’s orders. Historicians and Archeaologists have blundered in terming the insription the Bateshwar inscription when the record doesn’t say that it was found by Bateshwar. It ought, in fact, to be called The Tejomahalaya inscription because it was originally installed in the Taj garden before it was uprooted and cast away at Shahjahan’s command.

A clue to the tampering by Shahjahan is found on pages 216-217, vol. 4, of Archealogiical Survey of India Reports (published 1874) stating that a “great square black balistic pillar which, with the base and capital of another pillar….now in the grounds of Agra, …it is well known, once stood in the garden of Tajmahal”.
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Missing Elephants

31. Far from the building of the Taj, Shahjahan disfigured it with black koranic lettering and heavily robbed it of its Sanskrit inscription, several idols and two huge stone elephants extending their trunks in a welcome arch over the gateway where visitors these days buy entry tickets. An Englishman, Thomas Twinning, records (pg.191 of his book “Travels in India A Hundred Years ago”) that in November 1794 “I arrived at the high walls which enclose the Taj-e-Mahal and its circumjacent buildings. I here got out of the palanquine and…..mounted a short flight of steps leading to a beautiful portal which formed the centre of this side of the Court Of Elephants as the great area was called.”
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Koranic Patches

32. The Taj Mahal is scrawled over with 14 chapters of the Koran but nowhere is there even the slightest or the remotest allusion in that Islamic overwriting to Shahjahan’s authorship of the Taj. Had Shahjahan been the builder he would have said so in so many words before beginning to quote Koran.

33. That Shahjahan, far from building the marble Taj, only disfigured it with black lettering is mentioned by the inscriber Amanat Khan Shirazi himself in an inscription on the building. A close scrutiny of the Koranic lettering reveals that they are grafts patched up with bits of variegated stone on an ancient Shiva temple.
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Carbon 14 Test

34. A wooden piece from the riverside doorway of the Taj subjected to the carbon 14 test by an American Laboratory and initiated by Professors at Pratt School of Architecture, New York, has revealed that the door to be 300 years older than Shahjahan,since the doors of the Taj, broken open by Muslim invaders repeatedly from the 11th century onwards, had to b replaced from time to time. The Taj edifice is much more older. It belongs to 1155 A.D, i.e., almost 500 years anterior to Shahjahan.
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Architectural Evidence

35. Well known Western authorities on architechture like E.B.Havell, Mrs.Kenoyer and Sir W.W.Hunterhave gone on record to say that the TajMahal is built in the Hindu temple style. Havell points out the ground plan of the ancient Hindu Chandi Seva Temple in Java is identical with that of the Taj.

36. A central dome with cupolas at its four corners is a universal feature of Hindu temples.

37. The four marble pillars at the plinth corners are of the Hindu style. They are used as lamp towers during night and watch towers during the day. Such towers serve to demarcate the holy precincts. Hindu wedding altars and the altar set up for God Satyanarayan worship have pillars raised at the four corners.

38. The octagonal shape of the Tajmahal has a special Hindu significance because Hindus alone have special names for the eight directions, and celestial guards assigned to them. The pinnacle points to the heaven while the foundation signifies to the nether world. Hindu forts, cities, palaces and temples genrally have an octagonal layout or some octagonal features so that together with the pinnacle and the foundation they cover all the ten directions in which the king or God holds sway, according to Hindu belief.

39. The Tajmahal has a trident pinncle over the dome. A full scale of the trident pinnacle is inlaid in the red stone courtyard to the east of the Taj. The central shaft of the trident depicts a Kalash (sacred pot) holding two bent mango leaves and a coconut. This is a sacred Hindu motif. Identical pinnacles have been seen over Hindu and Buddhist temples in the Himalayan region. Tridents are also depicted against a red lotus background at the apex of the stately marble arched entrances on all four sides of the Taj. People fondly but mistakenly believed all these centuries that the Taj pinnacle depicts a Islamic cresent and star was a lighting conductor installed by the British rulers in India. Contrarily, the pinnacle is a marvel of Hindu metallurgy since the pinnacle made of non rusting alloy, is also perhaps a lightning deflector. That the pinnacle of the replica is drawn in the eastern courtyard is significant because the east is of special importance to the Hindus, as the direction in which the sun rises. The pinnacle on the dome has the word `Allah’ on it after capture. The pinnacle figure on the ground does not have the word Allah.
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Inconsistencies

40. The two buildings which face the marble Taj from the east and west are identical in design, size and shape and yet the eastern building is explained away by Islamic tradition, as a community hall while the western building is claimed to be a mosque. How could buildings meant for radically different purposes be identical? This proves that the western building was put to use as a mosque after seizure of the Taj property by Shahjahan. Curiously enough the building being explained away as a mosque has no minaret. They form a pair af reception pavilions of the Tejomahalaya temple palace.

41. A few yards away from the same flank is the Nakkar Khana alias DrumHouse which is a intolerable incongruity for Islam. The proximity of the Drum House indicates that the western annex was not originally a mosque. Contrarily a drum house is a neccesity in a Hindu temple or palace because Hindu chores,in the morning and evening, begin to the sweet strains of music.

42. The embossed patterns on the marble exterior of the centotaph chamber wall are foilage of the conch shell design and the Hindu letter OM. The octagonally laid marble lattices inside the centotaph chamber depict pink lotuses on their top railing. The Lotus, the conch and the OM are the sacred motifs associated with the Hindu deities and temples.

43. The spot occupied by Mumtaz’s centotaph was formerly occupied by the Hindu Teja Linga a lithic representation of Lord Shiva. Around it are five perambulatory passages. Perambulation could be done around the marble lattice or through the spacious marble chambers surrounding the centotaph chamber, and in the open over the marble platform. It is also customary for the Hindus to have apertures along the perambulatory passage, overlooking the deity. Such apertures exist in the perambulatories in the Tajmahal.

44. The sanctom sanctorum in the Taj has silver doors and gold railings as Hindu temples have. It also had nets of pearl and gems stuffed in the marble lattices. It was the lure of this wealth which made Shahjahan commandeer the Taj from a helpless vassal Jaisingh, the then ruler of Jaipur.

45. Peter Mundy, a Englishman records (in 1632, within a year of Mumtaz’s death) having seen a gem studded gold railing around her tomb. Had the Taj been under construction for 22 years, a costly gold railing would not have been noticed by Peter mundy within a year of Mumtaz’s death. Such costl fixtures are installed in a building only after it is ready for use. This indicates that Mumtaz’s centotaph was grafted in place of the Shivalinga in the centre of the gold railings. Subsequently the gold railings, silver doors, nets of pearls, gem fillings etc. were all carried away to Shahjahan’s treasury. The seizure of the Taj thus constituted an act of highhanded Moghul robery causing a big row between Shahjahan and Jaisingh.

46. In the marble flooring around Mumtaz’s centotaph may be seen tiny mosaic patches. Those patches indicate the spots where the support for the gold railings were embedded in the floor. They indicate a rectangular fencing.

47. Above Mumtaz’s centotaph hangs a chain by which now hangs a lamp. Before capture by Shahjahan the chain used to hold a water pitcher from which water used to drip on the Shivalinga.

48. It is this earlier Hindu tradition in the Tajmahal which gave the Islamic myth of Shahjahan’s love tear dropping on Mumtaz’s tomb on the full moon day of the winter eve.
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Treasury Well

49. Between the so-called mosque and the drum house is a multistoried octagonal well with a flight of stairs reaching down to the water level. This is a traditional treasury well in Hindu temple palaces. Treasure chests used to be kept in the lower apartments while treasury personnel had their offices in the upper chambers. The circular stairs made it difficult for intruders to reach down to the treasury or to escape with it undetected or unpursued. In case the premises had to be surrendered to a besieging enemy the treasure could be pushed into the well to remain hidden from the conquerer and remain safe for salvaging if the place was reconquered. Such an elaborate multistoried well is superflous for a mere mausoleum. Such a grand, gigantic well is unneccesary for a tomb.
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Burial Date Unknown

50. Had Shahjahan really built the Taj Mahal as a wonder mausoleum, history would have recorded a specific date on which she was ceremoniously buried in the Taj Mahal. No such date is ever mentioned. This important missing detail decisively exposes the falsity of the Tajmahal legend.

51. Even the year of Mumtaz’s death is unknown. It is variously speculated to be 1629, 1630, 1631 or 1632. Had she deserved a fabulous burial, as is claimed, the date of her death had not been a matter of much speculation. In an harem teeming with 5000 women it was difficult to keep track of dates of death. Apparently the date of Mumtaz’s death was so insignificant an event, as not to merit any special notice. Who would then build a Taj for her burial?
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Baseless Love Stories

52. Stories of Shahjahan’s exclusive infatuation for Mumtaz’s are concoctions. They have no basis in history nor has any book ever written on their fancied love affairs. Those stories have been invented as an afterthought to make Shahjahan’s authorship of the Taj look plausible.
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Cost

53. The cost of the Taj is nowhere recorded in Shahjahan’s court papers because Shahjahan never built the Tajmahal. That is why wild estimates of the cost by gullible writers have ranged from 4 million to 91.7 million rupees.
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Period Of Construction

54. Likewise the period of construction has been guessed to be anywhere between 10 years and 22 years. There would have not been any scope for guesswork had the building construction been on record in the court papers.
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Architects

55. The designer of the Tajmahal is also variously mentioned as Essa Effendy, a Persian or Turk, or Ahmed Mehendis or a Frenchman, Austin deBordeaux, or Geronimo Veroneo, an Italian, or Shahjahan himself.
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Records Don’t Exist

56. Twenty thousand labourers are supposed to have worked for 22 years during Shahjahan’s reign in building the Tajmahal. Had this been true, there should have been available in Shahjahan’s court papers design drawings, heaps of labour muster rolls, daily expenditure sheets, bills and receipts of material ordered, and commisioning orders. There is not even a scrap of paper of this kind.

57. It is, therefore, court flatterers, blundering historians, somnolent archeologists, fiction writers, senile poets, careless tourists officials and erring guides who are responsible for hustling the world into believing in Shahjahan’s mythical authorship of the Taj.

58. Description of the gardens around the Taj of Shahjahan’s time mention Ketaki, Jai, Jui, Champa, Maulashree, Harshringar and Bel. All these are plants whose flowers or leaves are used in the worship of Hindu deities. Bel leaves are exclusively used in Lord Shiva’s worship. A graveyard is planted only with shady trees because the idea of using fruit and flower from plants in a cemetary is abhorrent to human conscience. The presence of Bel and other flower plants in the Taj garden is proof of its having been a Shiva temple before seizure by Shahjahan.

59. Hindu temples are often built on river banks and sea beaches. The Taj is one such built on the bank of the Yamuna river an ideal location for a Shiva temple.

60. Prophet Mohammad has ordained that the burial spot of a muslim should be inconspicous and must not be marked by even a single tombstone. In flagrant violation of this, the Tajamhal has one grave in the basement and another in the first floor chamber both ascribed to Mumtaz. Those two centotaphs were infact erected by Shahjahan to bury the two tier Shivalingas that were consecrated in the Taj. It is customary for Hindus to install two Shivalingas one over the other in two stories as may be seen in the Mahankaleshwar temple in Ujjain and the Somnath temple raised by Ahilyabai in Somnath Pattan.

61. The Tajmahal has identical entrance arches on all four sides. This is a typical Hindu building style known as Chaturmukhi, i.e.,four faced.
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The Hindu Dome

62. The Tajmahal has a reverberating dome. Such a dome is an absurdity for a tomb which must ensure peace and silence. Contrarily reverberating domes are a neccesity in Hindu temples because they create an ecstatic dinmultiplying and magnifying the sound of bells, drums and pipes accompanying the worship of Hindu deities.

63. The Tajmahal dome bears a lotus cap. Original Islamic domes have a bald top as is exemplified by the Pakistan Embassy in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, and the domes in the Pakistan’s newly built capital Islamabad.

64. The Tajmahal entrance faces south. Had the Taj been an Islamic building it should have faced the west.
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Tomb is the Grave, not the Building

65. A widespread misunderstanding has resulted in mistaking the building for the grave.Invading Islam raised graves in captured buildings in every country it overran. Therefore, hereafter people must learn not to confound the building with the grave mounds which are grafts in conquered buildings. This is true of the Tajmahal too. One may therefore admit (for arguments sake) that Mumtaz lies buried inside the Taj. But that should not be construed to mean that the Taj was raised over Mumtaz’s grave.

66. The Taj is a seven storied building. Prince Aurangzeb also mentions this in his letter to Shahjahan (Refer to the Figure 1 above). The marble edifice comprises four stories including the lone, tall circular hall inside the top, and the lone chamber in the basement. In between are two floors each containing 12 to 15 palatial rooms. Below the marble plinth reaching down to the river at the rear are two more stories in red stone. They may be seen from the river bank. The seventh storey must be below the ground (river) level since every ancient Hindu building had a subterranian storey.

67. Immediately bellow the marble plinth on the river flank are 22 rooms in red stone with their ventilators all walled up by Shahjahan. Those rooms, made uninhibitably by Shahjahan, are kept locked by Archealogy Department of India. The lay visitor is kept in the dark about them. Those 22 rooms still bear ancient Hindu paint on their walls and ceilings. On their side is a nearly 33 feet long corridor. There are two door frames one at either end ofthe corridor. But those doors are intriguingly sealed with brick and lime.

68. Apparently those doorways originally sealed by Shahjahan have been since unsealed and again walled up several times. In 1934 a resident of Delhi took a peep inside from an opening in the upper part of the doorway. To his dismay he saw huge hall inside. It contained many statues huddled around a central beheaded image of Lord Shiva. It could be that, in there, are Sanskrit inscriptions too. All the seven stories of the Tajmahal need to be unsealed and scoured to ascertain what evidence they may be hiding in the form of Hindu images, Sanskrit inscriptions, scriptures, coins and utensils.

69. Apart from Hindu images hidden in the sealed stories it is also learnt that Hindu images are also stored in the massive walls of the Taj. Between 1959 and 1962 when Mr. S.R. Rao was the Archealogical Superintendent in Agra, he happened to notice a deep and wide crack in the wall of the central octagonal chamber of the Taj. When a part of the wall was dismantled to study the crack out popped two or three marble images. The matter was hushed up and the images were reburied where they had been embedded at Shahjahan’s behest. Confirmation of this has been obtained from several sources. It was only when I began my investigation into the antecedents of the Taj I came across the above information which had remained a forgotten secret. What better proof is needed of the Temple origin of the Tajmahal? Its walls and sealed chambers still hide in Hindu idols that were consecrated in it before Shahjahan’s seizure of the Taj.
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Pre-Shahjahan References to the Taj

70. Apparently the Taj as a central palace seems to have an chequered history. The Taj was perhaps desecrated and looted by every Muslim invader from Mohammad Ghazni onwards but passing into Hindu hands off and on, the sanctity of the Taj as a Shiva temple continued to be revived after every muslim onslaught. Shahjahan was the last muslim to desecrate the Tajmahal alias Tejomahalay.

71. Vincent Smith records in his book titled `Akbar the Great Moghul’ that `Babur’s turbulent life came to an end in his garden palace in Agra in 1630′. That palace was none other than the Tajmahal.

72. Babur’s daughter Gulbadan Begum in her chronicle titled Humayun Nama refers to the Taj as the Mystic House.

73. Babur himself refers to the Taj in his memoirs as the palace captured by Ibrahim Lodi containing a central octagonal chamber and having pillars on the four sides. All these historical references allude to the Taj 100 years before Shahjahan.

74. The Tajmahal precincts extend to several hundred yards in all directions. Across the river are ruins of the annexes of the Taj, the bathing ghats and a jetty for the ferry boat. In the Victoria gardens outside covered with creepers is the long spur of the ancient outer wall ending in a octagonal red stone tower. Such extensive grounds all magnificently done up, are a superfluity for a grave.

75. Had the Taj been specially built to bury Mumtaz, it should not have been cluttered with other graves. But the Taj premises contain several graves atleast in its eastern and southern pavilions.

76. In the southern flank, on the other side of the Tajganj gate are buried in identical pavilions queens Sarhandi Begum, and Fatehpuri Begum and a maid Satunnisa Khanum. Such parity burial can be justified only if the queens had been demoted or the maid promoted. But since Shahjahan had commandeered (not built) the Taj, he reduced it general to a muslim cemetary as was the habit of all his Islamic predeccssors, and buried a queen in a vacant pavillion and a maid in another idenitcal pavilion.

77. Shahjahan was married to several other women before and after Mumtaz. She, therefore, deserved no special consideration in having a wonder mausoleum built for her.

78. Mumtaz was a commoner by birth and so she did not qualify for a fairyland burial.

79. Mumtaz died in Burhanpur which is about 600 miles from Agra. Her grave there is intact. Therefore, the centotaphs raised in stories of the Taj in her name seem to be fakes hiding in Hindu Shiva emblems.

80. Shahjahan seems to have simulated Mumtaz’s burial in Agra to find a pretext to surround the temple palace with his fierce and fanatic troops and remove all the costly fixtures in his treasury. This finds confirmation in the vague noting in the Badshahnama which says that the Mumtaz’s (exhumed) body was brought to Agra from Burhanpur and buried `next year’. An official term would not use a nebulous term unless it is to hide some thing.

81. A pertinent consideration is that a Shahjahan who did not build any palaces for Mumtaz while she was alive, would not build a fabulous mausoleum for a corpse which was no longer kicking or clicking.

82. Another factor is that Mumtaz died within two or three years of Shahjahan becoming an emperor. Could he amass so much superflous wealth in that short span as to squander it on a wonder mausoleum?

83. While Shahjahan’s special attachment to Mumtaz is nowhere recorded in history his amorous affairs with many other ladies from maids to mannequins including his own daughter Jahanara, find special attention in accounts of Shahjahan’s reign. Would Shahjahan shower his hard earned wealth on Mumtaz’s corpse?

84. Shahjahan was a stingy, usurious monarch. He came to throne murdering all his rivals. He was not therefore, the doting spendthrift that he is made out to be.

85. A Shahjahan disconsolate on Mumtaz’s death is suddenly credited with a resolve to build the Taj. This is a psychological incongruity. Grief is a disabling, incapacitating emotion.

86. A infatuated Shahjahan is supposed to have raised the Taj over the dead Mumtaz, but carnal, physical sexual love is again a incapacitating emotion. A womaniser is ipso facto incapable of any constructive activity. When carnal love becomes uncontrollable the person either murders somebody or commits suicide. He cannot raise a Tajmahal. A building like the Taj invariably originates in an ennobling emotion like devotion to God, to one’s mother and mother country or power and glory.

87. Early in the year 1973, chance digging in the garden in front of the Taj revealed another set of fountains about six feet below the present fountains. This proved two things. Firstly, the subterranean fountains were there before Shahjahan laid the surface fountains. And secondly that those fountains are aligned to the Taj that edifice too is of pre Shahjahan origin. Apparently the garden and its fountains had sunk from annual monsoon flooding and lack of maintenance for centuries during the Islamic rule.

88. The stately rooms on the upper floor of the Tajmahal have been striped of their marble mosaic by Shahjahan to obtain matching marble for raising fake tomb stones inside the Taj premises at several places. Contrasting with the rich finished marble ground floor rooms the striping of the marble mosaic covering the lower half of the walls and flooring of the upper storey have given those rooms a naked, robbed look. Since no visitors are allowed entry to the upper storey this despoilation by Shahjahan has remained a well guarded secret. There is no reason why Shahjahan’s loot of the upper floor marble should continue to be hidden from the public even after 200 years of termination of Moghul rule.

89. Bernier, the French traveller has recorded that no non muslim was allowed entry into the secret nether chambers of the Taj because there are some dazzling fixtures there. Had those been installed by Shahjahan they should have been shown the public as a matter of pride. But since it was commandeered Hindu wealth which Shahjahan wanted to remove to his treasury, he didn’t want the public to know about it.

90. The approach to Taj is dotted with hillocks raised with earth dugout from foundation trenches. The hillocks served as outer defences of the Taj building complex. Raising such hillocks from foundation earth, is a common Hindu device of hoary origin. Nearby Bharatpur provides a graphic parallel. Peter Mundy has recorded that Shahjahan employed thousands of labourers to level some of those hillocks. This is a graphic proof of the Tajmahal existing before Shahjahan.

91. At the backside of the river bank is a Hindu crematorium, several palaces, Shiva temples and bathings of ancient origin. Had Shahjahan built the Tajmahal, he would have destroyed the Hindu features.

92. The story that Shahjahan wanted to build a Black marble Taj across the river, is another motivated myth. The ruins dotting the other side of the river are those of Hindu structures demolished during muslim invasions and not the plinth of another Tajmahal. Shahjahan who did not even build the white Tajmahal would hardly ever think of building a black marble Taj. He was so miserly that he forced labourers to work gratis even in the superficial tampering neccesary to make a Hindu temple serve as a Muslim tomb.

93. The marble that Shahjahan used for grafting Koranic lettering in the Taj is of a pale white shade while the rest of the Taj is built of a marble with rich yellow tint. This disparity is proof of the Koranic extracts being a superimposition.

94. Though imaginative attempts have been made by some historians to foist some fictitious name on history as the designer of the Taj others more imaginative have credited Shajahan himself with superb architechtural proficiency and artistic talent which could easily concieve and plan the Taj even in acute bereavment. Such people betray gross ignorance of history in as much as Shajahan was a cruel tyrant ,a great womaniser and a drug and drink addict.

95. Fanciful accounts about Shahjahan commisioning the Taj are all confused. Some asserted that Shahjahan ordered building drawing from all over the world and chose one from among them. Others assert that a man at hand was ordered to design a mausoleum amd his design was approved. Had any of those versions been true Shahjahan’s court papers should have had thousands of drawings concerning the Taj. But there is not even a single drawing. This is yet another clinching proof that Shahjahan did not commision the Taj.

96. The Tajmahal is surrounded by huge mansions which indicate that several battles have been waged around the Taj several times.

97. At the south east corner of the Taj is an ancient royal cattle house. Cows attached to the Tejomahalay temple used to reared there. A cowshed is an incongruity in an Islamic tomb.

98. Over the western flank of the Taj are several stately red stone annexes. These are superflous for a mausoleum.

99. The entire Taj complex comprises of 400 to 500 rooms. Residential accomodation on such a stupendous scale is unthinkable in a mausoleum.

100. The neighbouring Tajganj township’s massive protective wall also encloses the Tajmahal temple palace complex. This is a clear indication that the Tejomahalay temple palace was part and parcel of the township. A street of that township leads straight into the Tajmahal. The Tajganj gate is aligned in a perfect straight line to the octagonal red stone garden gate and the stately entrance arch of the Tajmahal. The Tajganj gate besides being central to the Taj temple complex, is also put on a pedestal. The western gate by which the visitors enter the Taj complex is a camparatively minor gateway. It has become the entry gate for most visitors today because the railway station and the bus station are on that side.

101. The Tajmahal has pleasure pavillions which a tomb would never have.

102. A tiny mirror glass in a gallery of the Red Fort in Agra reflects the Taj mahal. Shahjahan is said to have spent his last eight years of life as a prisoner in that gallery peering at the reflected Tajmahal and sighing in the name of Mumtaz. This myth is a blend of many falsehoods. Firstly, old Shajahan was held prisoner by his son Aurangzeb in the basement storey in the Fort and not in an open, fashionable upper storey. Secondly, the glass piece was fixed in the 1930’s by Insha Allah Khan, a peon of the archaelogy dept.just to illustrate to the visitors how in ancient times the entire apartment used to scintillate with tiny mirror pieces reflecting the Tejomahalay temple a thousand fold. Thirdly, a old decrepit Shahjahan with pain in his joints and cataract in his eyes, would not spend his day craning his neck at an awkward angle to peer into a tiny glass piece with bedimmed eyesight when he could as well his face around and have full, direct view of the Tjamahal itself. But the general public is so gullible as to gulp all such prattle of wily, unscrupulous guides.

103. That the Tajmahal dome has hundreds of iron rings sticking out of its exterior is a feature rarely noticed. These are made to hold Hindu earthen oil lamps for temple illumination.

104. Those putting implicit faith in Shahjahan authorship of the Taj have been imagining Shahjahan-Mumtaz to be a soft hearted romantic pair like Romeo and Juliet. But contemporary accounts speak of Shahjahan as a hard hearted ruler who was constantly egged on to acts of tyranny and cruelty, by Mumtaz.

105. School and College history carry the myth that Shahjahan reign was a golden period in which there was peace and plenty and that Shahjahan commisioned many buildings and patronized literature. This is pure fabrication. Shahjahan did not commision even a single building as we have illustrated by a detailed analysis of the Tajmahal legend. Shahjahn had to enrage in 48 military campaigns during a reign of nearly 30 years which proves that his was not a era of peace and plenty.

106. The interior of the dome rising over Mumtaz’s centotaph has a representation of Sun and cobras drawn in gold. Hindu warriors trace their origin to the Sun. For an Islamic mausoleum the Sun is redundant. Cobras are always associated with Lord Shiva.
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Forged Documents

107. The muslim caretakers of the tomb in the Tajmahal used to possess a document which they styled as Tarikh-i-Tajmahal. Historian H.G. Keene has branded it as a document of doubtful authenticity. Keene was uncannily right since we have seen that Shahjahan not being the creator of the Tajmahal any document which credits Shahjahn with the Tajmahal, must be an outright forgery. Even that forged document is reported to have been smuggled out of Pakistan. Besides such forged documents there are whole chronicles on the Taj which are pure concoctions.

108. There is lot of sophistry and casuistry or atleast confused thinking associated with the Taj even in the minds of proffesional historians, archaelogists and architects. At the outset they assert that the Taj is entirely Muslim in design. But when it is pointed out that its lotus capped dome and the four corner pillars etc. are all entirely Hindu those worthies shift ground and argue that that was probably because the workmen were Hindu and were to introduce their own patterns. Both these arguments are wrong because Muslim accounts claim the designers to be Muslim, and the workers invariably carry out the employer’s dictates.

The Taj is only a typical illustration of how all historic buildings and townships from Kashmir to Cape Comorin though of Hindu origin have been ascribed to this or that Muslim ruler or courtier.

It is hoped that people the world over who study Indian history will awaken to this new finding and revise their erstwhile beliefs.

Those interested in an indepth study of the above and many other revolutionary rebuttals may read Shri P.N. Oak’s other research books.

——————————————————————————–Tejo Mahal Images ( Pictures ) Link

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