Pratyakṣa
Pratyakṣa means perception. It is of two types in Vedic texts: external and internal. External perception is described as that arising from the interaction of five senses and worldly objects, while internal perception is described by this school as that of inner sense, the mind. The ancient and medieval Indian texts identify four requirements for correct perception:
Indriyarthasannikarsa (direct experience by one’s sensory organ(s) with the object, whatever is being studied),
Avyapadesya (non-verbal; correct perception is not through hearsay, according to ancient Vedic scholars, where one’s sensory organ relies on accepting or rejecting someone else’s perception),
Avyabhicara (does not wander; correct perception does not change, nor is it the result of deception because one’s sensory organ or means of observation is drifting, defective or suspect)
Vyavasayatmaka (definite; correct perception excludes judgements of doubt, either because of one’s failure to observe all the details, or because one is mixing inference with observation and observing what one wants to observe, or not observing what one does not want to observe)
The internal perception concepts included pratibha (intuition):
samanyalaksanapratyaksa (a form of induction from perceived specifics to a universal),
jnanalaksanapratyaksa (a form of perception of prior processes and previous states of a ‘topic of study’ by observing its current state).
In Indian yoga, intuition is the single greatest tool to finding happiness.
“Intuition is atma guidance or the inner voice”, wrote the great master Yogananda Paramahamsa. Intuition helps you stay in the present, like what is advocated in the Bhagavad Gita.
It has little to do with predicting the future. Intuition is a gift of crisis - it tells you the right thing to do when you don’t have time to figure it all out. Intuits are able to see possibilities and alternatives that aren’t immediately apparent. Your inner knowing comes from first your instincts, second your intellect, and third from your intuition.
Intuition is not pseudo-science. It is an essential psychological function like thinking, feeling and sensing. The divining power of intuition comes from inner self. It arises from very rapid processing of bits of information that are stored in our subconscious. Intuition thinks in terms of metaphor, feelings, pictures, and the spatial whole and doesn’t fit neatly into the cause-and-effect model. Your intuition will not force you to do things that are truly wrong for yourself or other people in contradiction with the laws of the universe. Intuition is listening to the inner voice or heeding the promptings from within. Intuition is an ability to cut through the thickness of surface reality. Intuition and confidence go hand in hand. Your sub-conscious, which operates a dozen times faster than your conscious mind, has picked up on signals that your conscious mind has not yet processed.
An individual functions through partial information, and intuition gives an overview, a whole sense of things. Intuition acts like a bridge between your logical reasoning and the sum total of your experience-based knowledge. Intuition is a knowing, a sensing that is beyond the conscious understanding - a gut feeling - flashes of spontaneous thought that are done apparently without relating to facts or logic. Intuition is fast, based on pattern matching. Very few people are good in pattern matching. The divining power of intuition comes from inner self - very rapid processing of bits of information that are stored in subconscious. We cannot command our gut feeling to use it at will. It just surfaces spontaneously when certain circumstances are present. Intuitive insights suddenly appear as ideas or feelings.
Intuition is now an EQ competency. It’s considered something necessary to successful living, and something to be respected and valued. Intuitive decisions are NOT guesswork. Intuition has an important role to play in decision making. Intuition is not limited to opinions but can encompass the ability to know valid solutions to problems. Intuition usually shows up in the areas where you have passion and talent - by logic that we prove, by intuition we discover. Intuition is a sudden and inexplicable knowing. It lies at the roots of spontaneity, humor, creativity, inspiration and even genius. Intuition has its own unique language for communicating with you through touch, sight, taste, sound, and smell. As you pay attention to your senses, you’ll begin to understand the “vocabulary” of your intuition.
Mental static and ego can get in the way of tapping into intuition. Intuition bubbles up from within and can be overwhelmed by old mental or emotional “tapes”. Intuition gone wild becomes “jumping to conclusions”. By going too far out on a limb, you risk misinterpreting the situation and start harming others. Intuition should not be overused. Your brain is a complex tapestry of interacting neurons, all working together to provide you with insights that guide you through life. It’s complicated. So complicated that your conscious brain cannot keep up with everything it’s trying to tell you.
So what exactly is intuition? It is the messages from your unconscious mind making contact with your consciousness and the uncanny ability, to detect patterns in the world around us and to extrapolate larger truths. Use it always, never ignore it. Our instincts and intuition are more reliable in a decision making, than our conscious brain. By listening to what our heart and Atma tells us to do - and then doing it - we can take ourselves anywhere we have ever dreamed of going. Your consciousness only uses a tiny proportion of your brainpower and your intuition accesses the residual power and communicates to your consciousness, the bank of wisdom and knowledge it has available. This is done subtly through thoughts, feelings, sensations, images, sounds or any combination of them. Just as animals have a natural survival instinct so humans are born with the natural ability to be intuitive; your human instinct.
Traits often found in those with high intuitive intelligence include: an awareness of one’s personal value system, a healthy awareness of one’s own feelings, an ability for self-direction and self-management, a powerful level of self-trust, a desire for innovation, a refined knowledge of one’s strengths and weaknesses, and a high degree of self-regard and freedom. Never ignore the inner spark, the gut feeling, the sixth sense or hunch that ignites vision and leads you to success. Intuitive insights motivate us to grow closer to the creative source, thereby igniting our own creative spark and expression, which is the essence of our true self. When you feel excited, about something that is a hint, about what to pursue. Decisions are made in the mind - choices are made in the gut. Choices come from your essence and attunement to your higher self.
Being in the zone is a state of mind - where you are free of thinking and negative emotions and in ‘a feeling mode’. The less you think, the more you achieve — for you own your destiny. Geniuses are ordinary people who can make conscious their unconscious perceptions. Remember, everything you do well without awareness, is done by the subconscious. When the left and right lobe of the brain works in harmony, the unleashed mysterious K force can make you achieve the extraordinary. Our intuition is like the weather vane, pointing us in the right direction. It does not take your decisions. Any idea or thought you yourself accept as true will be taken as a command by the subconscious mind, as it cannot distinguish between dreams and reality. You can program or harness or fool the subconscious mind by imagining, unrestrained by left lobe censorship and conventional inhibitions. Never squelch the hunches and perceptions spewed by your subconscious. Do not think inwards, think in feelings and images - if possible using all 5 senses - like texture, smells etc. Any problem if approached from a unpredictable angle can give unexpected creative results. This is called lateral thinking.
The subconscious responds to stimuli, not pressure. We have heard athletes describe the phenomenon of ‘Being in the Zone’. The frontal lobe is that part of the brain that allows us to be in the present moment. Arjuna saw only the eye of the fish before his shot of the arrow to win princess Draupadi - at that time the activity in the neocortex ceases and there is no thinking. The cerebellum takes over at that point. When the frontal lobe is activated you have focus, clarity, decisiveness, concentration, pro activeness and individuality. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an action, but a habit. Table Tennis players, high board divers – let the body do the work and tell the minds to rest. When the mind has repeatedly instructed the body to perform an action, the body will begin to remember the action better than the thinking brain. Communication between cells is faster than the speed of light. Nerve cells are called neurons. The face of a high board diver in the Olympics just before the jump for the gold medal is the face of a human being in the zone. The brain has surrendered to the body. Civilization has advanced by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them.
Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Very nice posts saar, keep them coming!
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Thank you Cyrano, hope it increased your knowledge or maybe you know about them already.
I am posting these topics (from my book material) as a means to federate knowledge amongst ourselves. This is very important to understand our own ancient concepts. You suddenly learn that the ancients were much superior to what is being bandied in the Western media, especially what the Britshits have been telling the world about India/Bharat. They secretly know it is superior but have been usurping ideas for themselves (Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge are at the forefront of usurping ideas/concepts from India) and painting the picture that they are the Uber super duper race. Baloney of the highest kind.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
In modern science everyone is exposed to propositions and proof. How did Ancient Vedic India proceed in such endeavors, read further ..
Panchavayavi Vakya contains: a) Pratidnya (Proposition) b) Hetu (Reason or Cause) c) Udaharana (Example) d) Upanaya (Justification) e) Nigamana (Conclusion). The method of inference has three steps: pratijna (hypothesis), hetu (a reason) and drshtanta (examples). The hypothesis is in two steps: sadhya (that idea which needs to be proven or disproven) and paksha (the object on which the sadhya is predicated). The inference is conditionally true if sapaksha (positive examples as evidence) are present, and if vipaksha (negative examples as counter-evidence) are absent. A conditionally proven hypothesis is called a nigamana (conclusion). Vedic epistemology requires Vyapti – the requirement that the hetu (reason) must necessarily and separately account for the inference in "all" cases, in both sapaksha and vipaksha. By inductive inference we open doors to new knowledge. This process necessitates the enlightened intelligence of the mind. The real guru is the pure intellect within you. You triangulate a truth from one or more observations and previous truths by applying reason. Vedanta gave importance to circumstantial implication (arthāpatti), which appeals to common sense (e.g., one does not see the sun move from minute to minute, but, as it is in a different place at different times of day, one must conclude that either earth or sun has moved).
In Vedanta, there is shortcut to the above process. Aptavakyam, is the direct perception of the Yogi (realized yogi is an apta), of those who have seen the truth. We, all of us, are struggling towards knowledge, but you and I have to struggle extra hard, and come to knowledge through a long tedious process of reasoning, but the Yogi, the pure one, has gone beyond all this!
Pramana
Pramana literally means "proof" and "means of knowledge". Pramāṇa forms one part of a tripuţi (trio) of concepts, which describe the ancient Vedic view on how knowledge is gained. The other two concepts are knower and knowable, each discussed in how they influence knowledge, by their own characteristic and the process of knowing. The two others are called Pramatŗ (the subject, the knower) and Prameya (the object, the knowable). The word Pramana also refers to a concept and field of Vedic philosophy. The concept is derived from the Sanskrit root, prama which means "correct notion, true knowledge, basis, foundation, accurate notion". The concept Pramana implies that which is a "means of acquiring prama or certain, correct, true knowledge". Pramana is a valid means of knowledge for revealing the corresponding objects.
It refers to epistemology in Vedic philosophies, and is one of the key, much debated fields of study in Sanatan Dharma. It is a theory of knowledge, and encompasses one or more reliable and valid means by which human beings gain accurate, true knowledge. The focus of Pramana is how correct knowledge can be acquired, how one knows, how one doesn’t, and to what extent knowledge pertinent about someone or something can be acquired. Pramaṇa refers to epistemology in Vedanta to Yukti, which means active application of epistemology or what one already knows, innovation, clever expedients or connections, methodological or reasoning trick, joining together, application of contrivance, means, method, novelty or device to more efficiently achieve a purpose. Yukti and Pramana are discussed together in some Indian texts, with Yukti described as active process of gaining knowledge in contrast to passive process of gaining knowledge through observation/ perception. In some texts such as by Vedavyasa, ten pramanas are discussed.
Ancient and medieval Vedic texts identify six pramanas as correct means of accurate knowledge and to truths: perception (Sanskrit pratyakṣa), inference (anumana), comparison and analogy (upamana), postulation, derivation from circumstances (arthapatti), non-perception, negative/cognitive proof (anupalabdhi) and word, testimony of past or present reliable experts (Śabda). Each of these is further categorized in terms of conditionality, completeness, confidence and possibility of error.
The texts on Pramana, particularly by Sankhya, Yoga and Advaita Vedanta schools of Hinduism, include in their meaning and scope "Theories of Errors". Human beings make errors and reach incorrect knowledge, how can one know if one is wrong, and if so, how can one discover whether one’s epistemic method was flawed, or one’s conclusion (truth) was flawed, in order to revise oneself and reach correct knowledge.
The Vedic text provides a technical definition to pramana. There are five conditions for a thing to be a pramana:
anadhigata, abadhita asandigdha phalavat jnana janakam pramanam
1) It has to produce knowledge.
2) It has to produce a new knowledge.
3) It has to produce uncontradicted knowledge.
4) It has to produce a doubtless knowledge.
5) It has to produce a useful knowledge.
The pramana should produce knowledge (jnana janakatvam). Mystic experiences or actions cannot produce knowledge, hence they are not pramanas. Upanishad statements do reveal the self and hence produce knowledge. What a pramana talks about should not be talked about by any other pramana (anadhigatatvam). It should be a new knowledge not gained in any other way. What a pramana reveals should not be contradicted by any other pramana (abadhitatvam). An example, the ear can never come up with a knowledge that says, the form reported by the eye is wrong.
Accepting Veda (sruti) as a pramana is the first step of Vedanta enquiry. Vedanta being a pramana, no experience can ever contradict it; since the definition says that a pramana can never be contradicted. We should have a similar trust in Vedanta because Vedanta is a Pramana for the truth about the Self. However, the Self is not available for perception. It cannot be grasped by the organs of perception, the mind, or words. The Self cannot be comprehended by any means of knowledge other than Vedanta. Shraddha is surrender to the Pramana so that the Pramana can operate.
Pratyakṣa means perception. You triangulate a truth from one or more observations and previous truths by applying reason. The method of inference has three steps: pratijna (hypothesis), hetu (a reason), and drshtanta (examples). The hypothesis is in two steps: sadhya (that idea which needs to be proven or disproven) and paksha (the object on which the sadhya is predicated).
Upamana
Upamaṇa means analogy. The word Upa means similarity and Maanam means to cognitively gauge. Analogy plays a significant role in problem solving such as, decision making, perception, memory, creativity, emotion, explanation, and communication. Analogy is important not only in ordinary language and common sense. Analogy is NOT a simile or a metaphor. An analogy is comparable to metaphor and simile in that it shows how two different things are similar, but it’s a bit more complex. An analogy is more of a conscious logical argument. Analogy is a cognitive process of transferring information or meaning from a particular subject (the analogue or source) to another (the target), or a linguistic expression corresponding to such a process. Analogy is an inference or an argument from one particular to another particular, as opposed to deduction, induction, and abduction, where at least one of the premises or the conclusion is general. The subject of comparison is formally called Upameyam, the object of comparison is called upamanam, while the attributes are identified as samanya. In various ancient texts of Vedic thought, 32 types of Upanama and their value in epistemology are debated.
One thing common to all cases of Upamana is the knowledge of the denotative relations, between a word and a certain class of objects. Thus Upamana is a process of reasoning by which we know that a word denotes a certain class of objects on the basis of some authoritative statement. Upamana is the source of our knowledge of the relation between a name and things so named or between a word and its denotation (sanjna-sanjni-sambandha).
There are main three characteristics of Upamana:
1. In Saharmaya- Upamana (when) the description of an unknown object given in terms of its similarity to a well known object by some authoritative person. A class concept to certain facts on the basis of some observed similarity between them and other known facts are applied here. The concept is given to us and the facts to which it applied are selected by us.
2. In Vaidharmaya-Upamana the objects denoted by a word are described in terms of their contrast or dissimilarity to some well known objects of experience. This negative description enables a man to recognize certain objects as denoted by a word or as belonging to a certain class in so far as he finds that they fit in the given description.
3. In Dharmamatra-Upamana the object denoted by a name is described in terms of its particular attributes to any combination of attributes which is particular to it. This description enables us to discriminate between the things denoted by the name from all other things and consequently apply the name to just that class of things.
Anumana
Anumaṇa means inference - an exact process of logical deduction. The word Anu means "to follow" and Maanam means "to gauge, guess or infer". Anumana (Inference) is used extensively as means to acquire knowledge. It is indirect knowledge based on reasoning. Anumana or Inference helps in establishing correlation between two factors or to establish cause-effect relationship between two variables. Various causes of non-perceptibility can create hurdles in direct perception. In this field, Anumana helps in acquiring knowledge. We engage in inference every day. Inference is part of being human. Anumana is a logical conclusion based on reasoning and prior perception. Inference is a conscious mental process by which we reach a conclusion based on specific evidence.
Inferences are the stock and trade of detectives examining clues, of doctors diagnosing diseases, and of car mechanics repairing engine problems. In Ayurveda brilliant diagnosis was done by inference. We infer motives, purpose and intentions. We interpret actions to be examples of behavior characteristics, intents, or expressions of particular feelings.
Anumāna can be of two types – inference for oneself (Svārthānumāna, where one does not need any formal procedure), and inference for others (Parāthānumāna, which requires a systematic methodology). Anumana can also be classified into 3 types: Pūrvavat (inferring an unperceived effect from a perceived cause), Śeṣavat (inferring an unperceived cause from a perceived effect) and Sāmānyatodṛṣṭa (when inference is not based on causation but on uniformity of co-existence). Each of these is further categorized in terms of conditionality, completeness, confidence and possibility of error, by each school of Vedic philosophies.
Anumana Pramana is the act of inferring i.e. knowledge of unknown from the known facts. It is indirect knowledge based on reasoning. Anumana is a logical conclusion based on reasoning and prior perception. Various causes of non-perceptibility can create hurdles in direct perception. In this field, Anumana helps in acquiring knowledge. It is of three types and is related to the three times:
a) Inference of the cause from the effect - relates to past (retrospective study)
b) Inference of the effect from the cause – relates to future (prospective study design)
c) The commonly observed events at present (time prevalence study).
Patanjali Yoga Sutra states:
1.07 प्रत्यक्षानुमानागमाः प्रमाणानि॥७
pratyakshanumanagamah pramanani
Direct perception, inference, and competent evidence, are proofs. Correct knowledge is based on three kinds of evidence – direct perception, correct inference or deduction, and testimony from authoritative sources or people.
Panchavayavi Vakya contains: a) Pratidnya (Proposition) b) Hetu (Reason or Cause) c) Udaharana (Example) d) Upanaya (Justification) e) Nigamana (Conclusion). The method of inference has three steps: pratijna (hypothesis), hetu (a reason) and drshtanta (examples). The hypothesis is in two steps: sadhya (that idea which needs to be proven or disproven) and paksha (the object on which the sadhya is predicated). The inference is conditionally true if sapaksha (positive examples as evidence) are present, and if vipaksha (negative examples as counter-evidence) are absent. A conditionally proven hypothesis is called a nigamana (conclusion). Vedic epistemology requires Vyapti – the requirement that the hetu (reason) must necessarily and separately account for the inference in "all" cases, in both sapaksha and vipaksha. By inductive inference we open doors to new knowledge. This process necessitates the enlightened intelligence of the mind. The real guru is the pure intellect within you. You triangulate a truth from one or more observations and previous truths by applying reason. Vedanta gave importance to circumstantial implication (arthāpatti), which appeals to common sense (e.g., one does not see the sun move from minute to minute, but, as it is in a different place at different times of day, one must conclude that either earth or sun has moved).
In Vedanta, there is shortcut to the above process. Aptavakyam, is the direct perception of the Yogi (realized yogi is an apta), of those who have seen the truth. We, all of us, are struggling towards knowledge, but you and I have to struggle extra hard, and come to knowledge through a long tedious process of reasoning, but the Yogi, the pure one, has gone beyond all this!
Pramana
Pramana literally means "proof" and "means of knowledge". Pramāṇa forms one part of a tripuţi (trio) of concepts, which describe the ancient Vedic view on how knowledge is gained. The other two concepts are knower and knowable, each discussed in how they influence knowledge, by their own characteristic and the process of knowing. The two others are called Pramatŗ (the subject, the knower) and Prameya (the object, the knowable). The word Pramana also refers to a concept and field of Vedic philosophy. The concept is derived from the Sanskrit root, prama which means "correct notion, true knowledge, basis, foundation, accurate notion". The concept Pramana implies that which is a "means of acquiring prama or certain, correct, true knowledge". Pramana is a valid means of knowledge for revealing the corresponding objects.
It refers to epistemology in Vedic philosophies, and is one of the key, much debated fields of study in Sanatan Dharma. It is a theory of knowledge, and encompasses one or more reliable and valid means by which human beings gain accurate, true knowledge. The focus of Pramana is how correct knowledge can be acquired, how one knows, how one doesn’t, and to what extent knowledge pertinent about someone or something can be acquired. Pramaṇa refers to epistemology in Vedanta to Yukti, which means active application of epistemology or what one already knows, innovation, clever expedients or connections, methodological or reasoning trick, joining together, application of contrivance, means, method, novelty or device to more efficiently achieve a purpose. Yukti and Pramana are discussed together in some Indian texts, with Yukti described as active process of gaining knowledge in contrast to passive process of gaining knowledge through observation/ perception. In some texts such as by Vedavyasa, ten pramanas are discussed.
Ancient and medieval Vedic texts identify six pramanas as correct means of accurate knowledge and to truths: perception (Sanskrit pratyakṣa), inference (anumana), comparison and analogy (upamana), postulation, derivation from circumstances (arthapatti), non-perception, negative/cognitive proof (anupalabdhi) and word, testimony of past or present reliable experts (Śabda). Each of these is further categorized in terms of conditionality, completeness, confidence and possibility of error.
The texts on Pramana, particularly by Sankhya, Yoga and Advaita Vedanta schools of Hinduism, include in their meaning and scope "Theories of Errors". Human beings make errors and reach incorrect knowledge, how can one know if one is wrong, and if so, how can one discover whether one’s epistemic method was flawed, or one’s conclusion (truth) was flawed, in order to revise oneself and reach correct knowledge.
The Vedic text provides a technical definition to pramana. There are five conditions for a thing to be a pramana:
anadhigata, abadhita asandigdha phalavat jnana janakam pramanam
1) It has to produce knowledge.
2) It has to produce a new knowledge.
3) It has to produce uncontradicted knowledge.
4) It has to produce a doubtless knowledge.
5) It has to produce a useful knowledge.
The pramana should produce knowledge (jnana janakatvam). Mystic experiences or actions cannot produce knowledge, hence they are not pramanas. Upanishad statements do reveal the self and hence produce knowledge. What a pramana talks about should not be talked about by any other pramana (anadhigatatvam). It should be a new knowledge not gained in any other way. What a pramana reveals should not be contradicted by any other pramana (abadhitatvam). An example, the ear can never come up with a knowledge that says, the form reported by the eye is wrong.
Accepting Veda (sruti) as a pramana is the first step of Vedanta enquiry. Vedanta being a pramana, no experience can ever contradict it; since the definition says that a pramana can never be contradicted. We should have a similar trust in Vedanta because Vedanta is a Pramana for the truth about the Self. However, the Self is not available for perception. It cannot be grasped by the organs of perception, the mind, or words. The Self cannot be comprehended by any means of knowledge other than Vedanta. Shraddha is surrender to the Pramana so that the Pramana can operate.
Pratyakṣa means perception. You triangulate a truth from one or more observations and previous truths by applying reason. The method of inference has three steps: pratijna (hypothesis), hetu (a reason), and drshtanta (examples). The hypothesis is in two steps: sadhya (that idea which needs to be proven or disproven) and paksha (the object on which the sadhya is predicated).
Upamana
Upamaṇa means analogy. The word Upa means similarity and Maanam means to cognitively gauge. Analogy plays a significant role in problem solving such as, decision making, perception, memory, creativity, emotion, explanation, and communication. Analogy is important not only in ordinary language and common sense. Analogy is NOT a simile or a metaphor. An analogy is comparable to metaphor and simile in that it shows how two different things are similar, but it’s a bit more complex. An analogy is more of a conscious logical argument. Analogy is a cognitive process of transferring information or meaning from a particular subject (the analogue or source) to another (the target), or a linguistic expression corresponding to such a process. Analogy is an inference or an argument from one particular to another particular, as opposed to deduction, induction, and abduction, where at least one of the premises or the conclusion is general. The subject of comparison is formally called Upameyam, the object of comparison is called upamanam, while the attributes are identified as samanya. In various ancient texts of Vedic thought, 32 types of Upanama and their value in epistemology are debated.
One thing common to all cases of Upamana is the knowledge of the denotative relations, between a word and a certain class of objects. Thus Upamana is a process of reasoning by which we know that a word denotes a certain class of objects on the basis of some authoritative statement. Upamana is the source of our knowledge of the relation between a name and things so named or between a word and its denotation (sanjna-sanjni-sambandha).
There are main three characteristics of Upamana:
1. In Saharmaya- Upamana (when) the description of an unknown object given in terms of its similarity to a well known object by some authoritative person. A class concept to certain facts on the basis of some observed similarity between them and other known facts are applied here. The concept is given to us and the facts to which it applied are selected by us.
2. In Vaidharmaya-Upamana the objects denoted by a word are described in terms of their contrast or dissimilarity to some well known objects of experience. This negative description enables a man to recognize certain objects as denoted by a word or as belonging to a certain class in so far as he finds that they fit in the given description.
3. In Dharmamatra-Upamana the object denoted by a name is described in terms of its particular attributes to any combination of attributes which is particular to it. This description enables us to discriminate between the things denoted by the name from all other things and consequently apply the name to just that class of things.
Anumana
Anumaṇa means inference - an exact process of logical deduction. The word Anu means "to follow" and Maanam means "to gauge, guess or infer". Anumana (Inference) is used extensively as means to acquire knowledge. It is indirect knowledge based on reasoning. Anumana or Inference helps in establishing correlation between two factors or to establish cause-effect relationship between two variables. Various causes of non-perceptibility can create hurdles in direct perception. In this field, Anumana helps in acquiring knowledge. We engage in inference every day. Inference is part of being human. Anumana is a logical conclusion based on reasoning and prior perception. Inference is a conscious mental process by which we reach a conclusion based on specific evidence.
Inferences are the stock and trade of detectives examining clues, of doctors diagnosing diseases, and of car mechanics repairing engine problems. In Ayurveda brilliant diagnosis was done by inference. We infer motives, purpose and intentions. We interpret actions to be examples of behavior characteristics, intents, or expressions of particular feelings.
Anumāna can be of two types – inference for oneself (Svārthānumāna, where one does not need any formal procedure), and inference for others (Parāthānumāna, which requires a systematic methodology). Anumana can also be classified into 3 types: Pūrvavat (inferring an unperceived effect from a perceived cause), Śeṣavat (inferring an unperceived cause from a perceived effect) and Sāmānyatodṛṣṭa (when inference is not based on causation but on uniformity of co-existence). Each of these is further categorized in terms of conditionality, completeness, confidence and possibility of error, by each school of Vedic philosophies.
Anumana Pramana is the act of inferring i.e. knowledge of unknown from the known facts. It is indirect knowledge based on reasoning. Anumana is a logical conclusion based on reasoning and prior perception. Various causes of non-perceptibility can create hurdles in direct perception. In this field, Anumana helps in acquiring knowledge. It is of three types and is related to the three times:
a) Inference of the cause from the effect - relates to past (retrospective study)
b) Inference of the effect from the cause – relates to future (prospective study design)
c) The commonly observed events at present (time prevalence study).
Patanjali Yoga Sutra states:
1.07 प्रत्यक्षानुमानागमाः प्रमाणानि॥७
pratyakshanumanagamah pramanani
Direct perception, inference, and competent evidence, are proofs. Correct knowledge is based on three kinds of evidence – direct perception, correct inference or deduction, and testimony from authoritative sources or people.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Some of these concepts I knew as a child, not sure how, from elders in conversations, sometimes when Puranas being recited by learned people who delved into these concepts while explaining a shloka or a verse, even while learning Telugu grammar which is derived from sanskrit grammar.
As I grew, modern English education left no room for any such concepts though I was lucky to attend an Arya Samaj school, which at least taught me some basics of sanskrit etc.
Even in those days, I couldn't help marvelling at the depth of meaning, joyous wondering about the creation we live in, and positivity of our morning prayer from Rig Veda, a famous one you probably know.
II "Vishwani deva savitr duritaani parashuva...
... kasmai devaya havisha vidhema II
My mom taught in a catholic school and I once got into an argument with the principal there, a "Father" who said we are all sinners. I rejected his pessimistic views and recited a few of the above verses, gave the meaning and asked him if he had an equivalent in his Bible and left him dumb founded. But he was one of the better ones and didn't get angry. I was may be 10 years old then.
Anyways, over the years, western education, living in a foreign land, and hardly anyone to talk to on these concepts, your posts are great to refresh lost lessons and learn a lot more that I didn't explore.
As I grew, modern English education left no room for any such concepts though I was lucky to attend an Arya Samaj school, which at least taught me some basics of sanskrit etc.
Even in those days, I couldn't help marvelling at the depth of meaning, joyous wondering about the creation we live in, and positivity of our morning prayer from Rig Veda, a famous one you probably know.
II "Vishwani deva savitr duritaani parashuva...
... kasmai devaya havisha vidhema II
My mom taught in a catholic school and I once got into an argument with the principal there, a "Father" who said we are all sinners. I rejected his pessimistic views and recited a few of the above verses, gave the meaning and asked him if he had an equivalent in his Bible and left him dumb founded. But he was one of the better ones and didn't get angry. I was may be 10 years old then.
Anyways, over the years, western education, living in a foreign land, and hardly anyone to talk to on these concepts, your posts are great to refresh lost lessons and learn a lot more that I didn't explore.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Ashtanga Yoga
The ultimate goal of practicing yoga is to achieve transcendence and to break this cyclic existence. Ashtanga series has its origins in an ancient text called the Yoga Korunta, compiled by Vamana Maharirishi. The eight rungs or limbs of Yoga are exponded in Patanjali’s yoga sutras. The art and science of Yoga is systematically described in eight (ashta) rungs, steps, or limbs (anga). Thus, this section of the Yoga Sutras is also called Ashtanga Yoga. The eight angas of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra are:
1. Yama (morality for daily living)
2. Niyama (ethics for the self)
3. Asana (firm and comfortable posture - this is practiced all over the world)
4. Pranayama (control of vital energy - not just breathing but all body vital energies)
5. Pratyahara (withdrawal from the senses)
6. Dharana (one pointed concentration or single focus of the mind)
7. Dhyana (state of meditation)
8. Samadhi (absolute oneness)
The reason for practicing the eight rungs of Yoga is to develop attention as the tool for discriminative knowledge, which is the means to discriminative enlightenment and liberation. It means using razor-like attention to separate the seer and the seen, so as to break the alliance of karm, and to get past the four mistakes of ignorance, or avidya, which are:
1) Confusing the temporary for the eternal,
2) Impure for the pure,
3) Misery for happiness, and
4) False self for the true Self.
The first five Angas of Yoga are intended to purify the body, Prana and the senses. The last three practices purify the mind. They constitute the very basis of Yoga. With the help of these three, the Yogi dives deep within and brings out the pearl of knowledge of anything. Samyama is bringing together the last three stages of the practices, namely, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
Samyama is an advanced yogic technique, one that is based on principles which utilize the operative powers of some of the more subtle and universal facets of consciousness (‘prajnalokah’ - inner illumination); facets which many of us are not aware even exist, but which are available to all of us, with a certain amount of practice. When this begins to happen we can apply samyama to many other things; the ecstasy confirms the connection with the greater field of awareness, and we know we are engaged in living samyama. It is quite different from any other knowledge that we are acquainted with in this world. It is not learning. It is not ordinary education. It is something superb and transcendent to all that the mind can conceive in its relational life, in its phenomenal existence. This is precisely the essence of spirituality.
When one has succeeded in making this Samyama, all powers come under his control. This is the great instrument of the Yogi. Patanjali really does not hold any bars when it comes to the kind of psychic powers you can develop. If the Yogi can make a Samyama on past impressions in the mind, he will begin to remember all his past lives. When a Yogi makes a Samyama on his own Karma, upon those impressions in his mind which are now working, and those which are just waiting to work, he knows exactly by those that are waiting when his body will fall. When a Yogi has attained this Samyama and wants strength, he makes a Samyama on the strength of the elephant and gets it. When a man is very hungry, if he can make Samyama on the hollow of the throat, hunger ceases. If the Yogi makes a Sanyama on this Akasha material of his body, it acquires the lightness of Akasha, and he can levitate. The ancient sage had attained the eight powers (siddhas). He conquers everything he wants; even a lion will sit at his feet like a lamb. He can have poisonous cobras all over him, and all his desires will be fulfilled at will. The body becomes indestructible. Nothing can injure it. Nothing can destroy it until the Yogi wishes. "Breaking the rod of time he lives in this universe with his body". In the Vedas it is written that for that man there is no more disease, death or pain. When the Yogi has seen all these wonderful powers, and rejected them, he reaches the goal.
The Ashtanga Yoga starts with an invocation mantra in Sanskrit.
vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde saṁdarśita svātma sukhāvabodhe
niḥ śreyase jāṅ̇galikāyamāne saṁsāra hālāhala mohaśāntyai
ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ śaṅ̇khacakrāsi dhāriṇam
sahasra śirasaṁ śvetam praṇamāmi patañjalim OM
I bow to the lotus feet of the gurus, the awakening happiness of one's own self revealed,
Beyond better, acting like a jungle physician, pacifying delusion, the poison of samsara.
Taking the form of a man to the shoulders, holding a conch, a discus, and a sword,
One thousand heads white, to Patanjali, I salute.
The Yoga class closes after chanting the Mangala Mantra, with gratitude:
svasti prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṁ nyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṁ mahīśāḥ
gobrāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubhamastu nityaṁ lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu
May prosperity be glorified, May rulers rule the world with law and justice,
May divinity (brahman) and Dharma be protected.
May all beings be happy and prosperous.
The breathing style used in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is Ujjayi which is a relaxed diaphragmatic style of breathing, characterized by an ocean sound which resonates in the practitioner's throat. The opening sequence begins with 10 Sun Salutations and then several standing asanas. Practice always ends with savasana, where you lie down relaxed and think of the calm ocean.
“If you can breathe, you can practice Yoga”. What does Ashtanga Yoga do for you? It improves the feel good factor giving you a natural high, reduces stress, increases vitality, improves strength and flexibility, improves immune system function, improves blood and lymph circulation, eliminates body toxins, strengthens the cardiovascular system, improves digestion, metabolism and hormone production, gets rid of depression and anxiety, reduces mind chatter, improves concentration, builds patience, gets rid of obesity and sloth, balances body - mind - spirit, and keeps diseases away.
Ashtanga Yoga stimulates the Vagus nerve and the Amygdala to cure many disorders conveniently branded as genetic disorders by modern medicine. The Vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the human body. It extends from within the brain on a winding road throughout the body down through the intestine. The vagus nerve supplies motor parasympathetic fibers to all the organs except the suprarenal (adrenal) glands, from the neck down to the second segment of the transverse colon. Vagus nerve regulates the chemical levels in the digestive system so that the intestines can process food and keep track of what types of nutrients are being gained from the food that is taken in. It keeps the digestive tract in working order, contracting the muscles of the stomach and intestines to help process food, and sending back information about what is being digested and what the body is getting out of it. Vagus nerve acts as the mind-body connection, and it is the cabling behind your heart’s emotions and gut instincts.
Vagus Nerve can be activated and stimulated by Yoga and worked energetically through chanting mantras, divine geometry like Sri Yantra and longitudinal wave frequency. You can stimulate your vagus nerve by practicing diaphragmatic breathing with the glottis partially closed, which is a popular Yoga, promoted by Swami Ramdev, called Bhastrika Pranayama (kapal bhatti). The amygdala is the seat of emotion. Pranayama affects the amygdala. The amygdala has a substantial role in mental states, and is related to many psychological disorders.
Resulting from this systematic discrimination, the seer or Self is eventually experienced in its true nature. If it is razor-like attention that is the tool for discrimination, then it is the first five rungs of the Yoga Sutras which are honing the edge of that razor. Then, the finer, sharpened tool is the last three rungs, which are concentration, meditation, and samadhi, which are collectively called samyama. Discrimination is a process of sorting out between this and that. This sorting out process may begin at the most external level of our relationship with the world, such as in practicing principles such as non-injury or truthfulness. It may include purifying the gross colorings of the mind, or the more subtle colorings. Over and over, this razor sharp discrimination cuts ever deeper into the levels of false identities habitually clouding the true Self. Through the repeated process of attaining discriminative knowledge through those many gross, subtle, and subtler levels of our being, comes discriminative enlightenment. It is an ongoing process of discriminating between Self and non-Self, until the Self is seen to stand alone.
As that discriminative knowledge unfolds, there is a tremendous amount of insight or wisdom that comes to a person. Though it is not realistic to count them all, Patanjali states that seven types of ultimate insight come as a result of the intense practice of discrimination through the rungs of Yoga. Yoga is rooted in the notion of developing a positive personality. Therefore, ethical discipline or the practice of correct conduct is necessary for success in yoga.
The ultimate goal of practicing yoga is to achieve transcendence and to break this cyclic existence. Ashtanga series has its origins in an ancient text called the Yoga Korunta, compiled by Vamana Maharirishi. The eight rungs or limbs of Yoga are exponded in Patanjali’s yoga sutras. The art and science of Yoga is systematically described in eight (ashta) rungs, steps, or limbs (anga). Thus, this section of the Yoga Sutras is also called Ashtanga Yoga. The eight angas of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra are:
1. Yama (morality for daily living)
2. Niyama (ethics for the self)
3. Asana (firm and comfortable posture - this is practiced all over the world)
4. Pranayama (control of vital energy - not just breathing but all body vital energies)
5. Pratyahara (withdrawal from the senses)
6. Dharana (one pointed concentration or single focus of the mind)
7. Dhyana (state of meditation)
8. Samadhi (absolute oneness)
The reason for practicing the eight rungs of Yoga is to develop attention as the tool for discriminative knowledge, which is the means to discriminative enlightenment and liberation. It means using razor-like attention to separate the seer and the seen, so as to break the alliance of karm, and to get past the four mistakes of ignorance, or avidya, which are:
1) Confusing the temporary for the eternal,
2) Impure for the pure,
3) Misery for happiness, and
4) False self for the true Self.
The first five Angas of Yoga are intended to purify the body, Prana and the senses. The last three practices purify the mind. They constitute the very basis of Yoga. With the help of these three, the Yogi dives deep within and brings out the pearl of knowledge of anything. Samyama is bringing together the last three stages of the practices, namely, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
Samyama is an advanced yogic technique, one that is based on principles which utilize the operative powers of some of the more subtle and universal facets of consciousness (‘prajnalokah’ - inner illumination); facets which many of us are not aware even exist, but which are available to all of us, with a certain amount of practice. When this begins to happen we can apply samyama to many other things; the ecstasy confirms the connection with the greater field of awareness, and we know we are engaged in living samyama. It is quite different from any other knowledge that we are acquainted with in this world. It is not learning. It is not ordinary education. It is something superb and transcendent to all that the mind can conceive in its relational life, in its phenomenal existence. This is precisely the essence of spirituality.
When one has succeeded in making this Samyama, all powers come under his control. This is the great instrument of the Yogi. Patanjali really does not hold any bars when it comes to the kind of psychic powers you can develop. If the Yogi can make a Samyama on past impressions in the mind, he will begin to remember all his past lives. When a Yogi makes a Samyama on his own Karma, upon those impressions in his mind which are now working, and those which are just waiting to work, he knows exactly by those that are waiting when his body will fall. When a Yogi has attained this Samyama and wants strength, he makes a Samyama on the strength of the elephant and gets it. When a man is very hungry, if he can make Samyama on the hollow of the throat, hunger ceases. If the Yogi makes a Sanyama on this Akasha material of his body, it acquires the lightness of Akasha, and he can levitate. The ancient sage had attained the eight powers (siddhas). He conquers everything he wants; even a lion will sit at his feet like a lamb. He can have poisonous cobras all over him, and all his desires will be fulfilled at will. The body becomes indestructible. Nothing can injure it. Nothing can destroy it until the Yogi wishes. "Breaking the rod of time he lives in this universe with his body". In the Vedas it is written that for that man there is no more disease, death or pain. When the Yogi has seen all these wonderful powers, and rejected them, he reaches the goal.
The Ashtanga Yoga starts with an invocation mantra in Sanskrit.
vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde saṁdarśita svātma sukhāvabodhe
niḥ śreyase jāṅ̇galikāyamāne saṁsāra hālāhala mohaśāntyai
ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ śaṅ̇khacakrāsi dhāriṇam
sahasra śirasaṁ śvetam praṇamāmi patañjalim OM
I bow to the lotus feet of the gurus, the awakening happiness of one's own self revealed,
Beyond better, acting like a jungle physician, pacifying delusion, the poison of samsara.
Taking the form of a man to the shoulders, holding a conch, a discus, and a sword,
One thousand heads white, to Patanjali, I salute.
The Yoga class closes after chanting the Mangala Mantra, with gratitude:
svasti prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṁ nyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṁ mahīśāḥ
gobrāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubhamastu nityaṁ lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu
May prosperity be glorified, May rulers rule the world with law and justice,
May divinity (brahman) and Dharma be protected.
May all beings be happy and prosperous.
The breathing style used in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is Ujjayi which is a relaxed diaphragmatic style of breathing, characterized by an ocean sound which resonates in the practitioner's throat. The opening sequence begins with 10 Sun Salutations and then several standing asanas. Practice always ends with savasana, where you lie down relaxed and think of the calm ocean.
“If you can breathe, you can practice Yoga”. What does Ashtanga Yoga do for you? It improves the feel good factor giving you a natural high, reduces stress, increases vitality, improves strength and flexibility, improves immune system function, improves blood and lymph circulation, eliminates body toxins, strengthens the cardiovascular system, improves digestion, metabolism and hormone production, gets rid of depression and anxiety, reduces mind chatter, improves concentration, builds patience, gets rid of obesity and sloth, balances body - mind - spirit, and keeps diseases away.
Ashtanga Yoga stimulates the Vagus nerve and the Amygdala to cure many disorders conveniently branded as genetic disorders by modern medicine. The Vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the human body. It extends from within the brain on a winding road throughout the body down through the intestine. The vagus nerve supplies motor parasympathetic fibers to all the organs except the suprarenal (adrenal) glands, from the neck down to the second segment of the transverse colon. Vagus nerve regulates the chemical levels in the digestive system so that the intestines can process food and keep track of what types of nutrients are being gained from the food that is taken in. It keeps the digestive tract in working order, contracting the muscles of the stomach and intestines to help process food, and sending back information about what is being digested and what the body is getting out of it. Vagus nerve acts as the mind-body connection, and it is the cabling behind your heart’s emotions and gut instincts.
Vagus Nerve can be activated and stimulated by Yoga and worked energetically through chanting mantras, divine geometry like Sri Yantra and longitudinal wave frequency. You can stimulate your vagus nerve by practicing diaphragmatic breathing with the glottis partially closed, which is a popular Yoga, promoted by Swami Ramdev, called Bhastrika Pranayama (kapal bhatti). The amygdala is the seat of emotion. Pranayama affects the amygdala. The amygdala has a substantial role in mental states, and is related to many psychological disorders.
Resulting from this systematic discrimination, the seer or Self is eventually experienced in its true nature. If it is razor-like attention that is the tool for discrimination, then it is the first five rungs of the Yoga Sutras which are honing the edge of that razor. Then, the finer, sharpened tool is the last three rungs, which are concentration, meditation, and samadhi, which are collectively called samyama. Discrimination is a process of sorting out between this and that. This sorting out process may begin at the most external level of our relationship with the world, such as in practicing principles such as non-injury or truthfulness. It may include purifying the gross colorings of the mind, or the more subtle colorings. Over and over, this razor sharp discrimination cuts ever deeper into the levels of false identities habitually clouding the true Self. Through the repeated process of attaining discriminative knowledge through those many gross, subtle, and subtler levels of our being, comes discriminative enlightenment. It is an ongoing process of discriminating between Self and non-Self, until the Self is seen to stand alone.
As that discriminative knowledge unfolds, there is a tremendous amount of insight or wisdom that comes to a person. Though it is not realistic to count them all, Patanjali states that seven types of ultimate insight come as a result of the intense practice of discrimination through the rungs of Yoga. Yoga is rooted in the notion of developing a positive personality. Therefore, ethical discipline or the practice of correct conduct is necessary for success in yoga.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
When Yoga happens, the individual achieves liberation and enters into the immortal world of ParamAtma. The Atma is bound to Prakriti (with gunas) whilst ParamAtma is without guna (nirguna) and thus the Atma cannot itself promote actual Union, it requires the grace of ParamAtma.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad, 2.5, 3.8, 3.9
शृण्वन्तु विश्वे अमृतस्य पुत्रा आ ये धामानि दिव्यानि तस्थुः ॥ ५॥
वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तमादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ।
तमेव विदित्वातिमृत्युमेतिनान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय ॥
Shrinwantu Vishwe Amritasya PutraAa Ye Dhamani Dibyani Tasthu
Vedam ayetam purusham mahantam aditya varanam tamasa parasthath
Tvameva vidhithva atimrityu methi, nanyah pantha vidyathe ayanaya
Hear, ye children (putra) of immortal bliss (Amritasya)! even ye that reside in higher spheres! I have found/known that Ancient Great Infinite Brilliant One, who is beyond all darkness, all delusion/ignorance: Through His mercy alone we cross this ocean of life and knowing Him alone (there is no other way) you shall be saved from birth and death over and over again.
The entry of Nirguna Brahman into the universe is by definition Hiranyagarbha, the consciousness associated with the subtle creation. It is in the living creatures that ParamAtma manifests in a special way with the subtle body equipment (yantras) of mind, prana and senses. In a way, ParamAtma invades the entire universe.
Nirguna Brahman associated with (or reflected in) mAyA (full of) of sat, rajas and tamas, is Ishvara. It is Ishvara that is primarily denoted by the word 'That' in 'That thou art' (तत्त्वमसि Tat tvam asi That Thou art from Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the SamaVeda). Ishvara identified with the totality of subtle bodies is known as hiranyagarbha.
BhagavadGita: 18.61
ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति |
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ||
īśhvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛid-deśhe ‘rjuna tiṣhṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
O Arjuna, the Supreme Lord dwells in the hearts of all living beings. According to their karmas, he directs the wanderings of the atmas, who are seated on a machine made of material energy.
BhagavadGita 6.29
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि |
ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शन: ||
sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni chātmani
īkṣhate yoga-yuktātmā sarvatra sama-darśhanaḥ
A yogi united in consciousness with Brahman sees everywhere with equal vision (समदर्शन:) that Supreme ParaBrahman is situated in all beings.
Though theoretically it is conceded that Brahman is everywhere, the mind cannot conceive this everywhereness. Even when we agree that Brahman is everywhere, the idea of Brahman being everywhere will be a kind of externalisation of form. Even if we think of Brahman as the universal Virat Himself, when we think of the Virat, He will appear to be an object which we are cognising. Within the Advaita schools it is held that the human mind needs a concrete form to understand the divine that ultimately can never be defined. Just as one can understand the abstract concept of color only after one has seen a concrete form, one can only realize the deity through a form of Murthi. The advaita Brahman of brahmAn cannot be picked up by the 5 human senses. Clearly Nirguna Brahman cannot be conceptualized by the Human mind.
Openness is the essence of Hinduism and gratitude is inherent in the devotee for the Supreme sacrifice of man’s existence on earth. Hinduism is based on reason and not blind faith. The Hindu spirituality tradition, unlike other religions, has always concerned itself with the "human" situation rather than the "religion" situation. Hinduism is about the practice of spirituality by elevating human consciousness in the personal quest for truth.
In Vedic thought, the greatest flexibility provided to the individual is the IshtaDevata (Deva that one likes) concept, by allowing any form to be worshipped. The word "ishta" means desired or preferred and "devata" means a deity. Ishta Devata thus refers to one’s deity of choice. The human mind requires a concretized form for worship to understand the divine. The necessity to visualise Brahman as an object, or an ishta devata, arises on account of the difficulty of the mind in transcending space and time.
An IshtaDevata is our own Brahman, whom we worship and adore. The Vedics have delineated Nirguna Brahman and Ishvara (Saguna (all qualities) Brahman). Ishta Devata is the personal Deity who will guide the atma to its real home, Moksha. The IshtaDevata Deity can be visualized when a mantra to the deity is chanted with total devotion and ardor. Ishta Devta can be found out from your horoscope, though in modern times IshtaDevata is your free choice. The IshtaDevata becomes, for our purposes, a conceptual ideal that we have placed before us, on which we foist all the greatest qualities of Brahman. We consider the IshtaDevata as an all-pervading essence concretised in one form. Brahman is brahman (morphogenetic consciousness field) which cannot be picked up by the 5 senses. Remembering the deity and internally building a relationship with (or through) them is considered essential to the yogic practise.
A mere statue made by a sculptor does not make it a Hindu idol. Prana pratistha rite and certain sanskrit mantra chants make it an idol. Pratiṣṭha means consecrated. Pran Prathista mantra in Sanskrit to be invoked is found in the Rig Veda. For doing pranaprathishta one must know the moola mantra. Prana pratishthha gives divine powers to an ordinary stone statue. Statue becomes Vigraha or Embodiment of devta when we do Prana Pratishta.
Kula Devata is the Brahman/Brahmandness worshipped by the family, by tradition. This Kula Devata is the Brahman to whom the family would do prayer before any auspicious occasion is done at home: like marriage, upanayan sanskar etc. Kula Devata cannot be substituted by Ishta Devata as Ishta Devata can be specific to each person, even in a family.
You concentrate on the Deva (the magical power associated with it) by using your conscience will and intense prayer - including mantras/chanting helps with the vibration connection - to the Deva of choice and thereby you connect with the cosmic conscience and merge into oneness with it. The darshan provides a means for Deva and Devotee to become one. Thoughts, intent and earnestness are key ingredients for communication via the Deva to that Brahman. It is an intense personal experience tailored specifically for you and you don’t need a priest or religious head of some mutt/organization to guide you. The priests in Hindu temples are there to provide the ambience, chanting of mantras/shlokas, burning camphor, ringing the bell, offerings to the Deva and other activity that aids you to concentrate on your powerful connection with the conscience of the cosmos.
The three forces that help shape the universe are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - Brahma the creator, Shiva the destroyer and Vishnu the preserver/maintainer/transformer/sustainer. Each of them has two aspects – the initiator and the raw underlying power or energy. They are depicted as the male and female consort, together and inseparable - Brahma and Sarasvati, Vishu and Lakshmi and Shiva and Parvati. These forces are at constant play in the universe and work in unison, some parts created, some destroyed and others allowed to grow and sustain. The opposing forces Tamas/Rajas (Brahma/Shiva), really does not matter as who is who, is the principle of Dvaita Hinduism. Vedanta has recorded that energy transforms from one to another - it can neither be created nor destroyed. These two opposing forces are natural and transform each other, in perfect harmony. If the restraining balance or equilibrium is lost by the mediator (Vishnu), the universe will spiral out of control and end. Kalpavriksha in Atharva Veda, the banyan tree, symbolizes Trimurti – Lord Vishnu as the trunk, Lord Brahma the roots, and Lord Shiva the branches. Beautiful system model!
The Bhagavad Gita states that Avatars are sent periodically to Earth to preserve dharma and since the preserver is Vishnu they are deemed as Vishnu Avatar. Rama and Krishna are avatars of Vishnu but in reality they are NirgunaBrahman’s force on Earth with all powers (of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) to restore dharma! The word avatar means to descend and the Lord visits the earth periodically to restore Dharma. There are several types of avatars - avesh, prabhav, vaibhav and paravastha. Avesh avatars like Buddha, Narada receive divine shaktis. The prabhav avatars like Hansa, Ved Vyasa receive a few shaktis from the divine. The vaibhav avatars like matsya, kurma, varaha, kachap receive some more shaktis from the divine. However the paravastha avatars have all shaktis of the divine, like Krishna, Rama and Narasimha.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad, 2.5, 3.8, 3.9
शृण्वन्तु विश्वे अमृतस्य पुत्रा आ ये धामानि दिव्यानि तस्थुः ॥ ५॥
वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तमादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ।
तमेव विदित्वातिमृत्युमेतिनान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय ॥
Shrinwantu Vishwe Amritasya PutraAa Ye Dhamani Dibyani Tasthu
Vedam ayetam purusham mahantam aditya varanam tamasa parasthath
Tvameva vidhithva atimrityu methi, nanyah pantha vidyathe ayanaya
Hear, ye children (putra) of immortal bliss (Amritasya)! even ye that reside in higher spheres! I have found/known that Ancient Great Infinite Brilliant One, who is beyond all darkness, all delusion/ignorance: Through His mercy alone we cross this ocean of life and knowing Him alone (there is no other way) you shall be saved from birth and death over and over again.
The entry of Nirguna Brahman into the universe is by definition Hiranyagarbha, the consciousness associated with the subtle creation. It is in the living creatures that ParamAtma manifests in a special way with the subtle body equipment (yantras) of mind, prana and senses. In a way, ParamAtma invades the entire universe.
Nirguna Brahman associated with (or reflected in) mAyA (full of) of sat, rajas and tamas, is Ishvara. It is Ishvara that is primarily denoted by the word 'That' in 'That thou art' (तत्त्वमसि Tat tvam asi That Thou art from Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the SamaVeda). Ishvara identified with the totality of subtle bodies is known as hiranyagarbha.
BhagavadGita: 18.61
ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति |
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ||
īśhvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛid-deśhe ‘rjuna tiṣhṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
O Arjuna, the Supreme Lord dwells in the hearts of all living beings. According to their karmas, he directs the wanderings of the atmas, who are seated on a machine made of material energy.
BhagavadGita 6.29
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि |
ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शन: ||
sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni chātmani
īkṣhate yoga-yuktātmā sarvatra sama-darśhanaḥ
A yogi united in consciousness with Brahman sees everywhere with equal vision (समदर्शन:) that Supreme ParaBrahman is situated in all beings.
Though theoretically it is conceded that Brahman is everywhere, the mind cannot conceive this everywhereness. Even when we agree that Brahman is everywhere, the idea of Brahman being everywhere will be a kind of externalisation of form. Even if we think of Brahman as the universal Virat Himself, when we think of the Virat, He will appear to be an object which we are cognising. Within the Advaita schools it is held that the human mind needs a concrete form to understand the divine that ultimately can never be defined. Just as one can understand the abstract concept of color only after one has seen a concrete form, one can only realize the deity through a form of Murthi. The advaita Brahman of brahmAn cannot be picked up by the 5 human senses. Clearly Nirguna Brahman cannot be conceptualized by the Human mind.
Openness is the essence of Hinduism and gratitude is inherent in the devotee for the Supreme sacrifice of man’s existence on earth. Hinduism is based on reason and not blind faith. The Hindu spirituality tradition, unlike other religions, has always concerned itself with the "human" situation rather than the "religion" situation. Hinduism is about the practice of spirituality by elevating human consciousness in the personal quest for truth.
In Vedic thought, the greatest flexibility provided to the individual is the IshtaDevata (Deva that one likes) concept, by allowing any form to be worshipped. The word "ishta" means desired or preferred and "devata" means a deity. Ishta Devata thus refers to one’s deity of choice. The human mind requires a concretized form for worship to understand the divine. The necessity to visualise Brahman as an object, or an ishta devata, arises on account of the difficulty of the mind in transcending space and time.
An IshtaDevata is our own Brahman, whom we worship and adore. The Vedics have delineated Nirguna Brahman and Ishvara (Saguna (all qualities) Brahman). Ishta Devata is the personal Deity who will guide the atma to its real home, Moksha. The IshtaDevata Deity can be visualized when a mantra to the deity is chanted with total devotion and ardor. Ishta Devta can be found out from your horoscope, though in modern times IshtaDevata is your free choice. The IshtaDevata becomes, for our purposes, a conceptual ideal that we have placed before us, on which we foist all the greatest qualities of Brahman. We consider the IshtaDevata as an all-pervading essence concretised in one form. Brahman is brahman (morphogenetic consciousness field) which cannot be picked up by the 5 senses. Remembering the deity and internally building a relationship with (or through) them is considered essential to the yogic practise.
A mere statue made by a sculptor does not make it a Hindu idol. Prana pratistha rite and certain sanskrit mantra chants make it an idol. Pratiṣṭha means consecrated. Pran Prathista mantra in Sanskrit to be invoked is found in the Rig Veda. For doing pranaprathishta one must know the moola mantra. Prana pratishthha gives divine powers to an ordinary stone statue. Statue becomes Vigraha or Embodiment of devta when we do Prana Pratishta.
Kula Devata is the Brahman/Brahmandness worshipped by the family, by tradition. This Kula Devata is the Brahman to whom the family would do prayer before any auspicious occasion is done at home: like marriage, upanayan sanskar etc. Kula Devata cannot be substituted by Ishta Devata as Ishta Devata can be specific to each person, even in a family.
You concentrate on the Deva (the magical power associated with it) by using your conscience will and intense prayer - including mantras/chanting helps with the vibration connection - to the Deva of choice and thereby you connect with the cosmic conscience and merge into oneness with it. The darshan provides a means for Deva and Devotee to become one. Thoughts, intent and earnestness are key ingredients for communication via the Deva to that Brahman. It is an intense personal experience tailored specifically for you and you don’t need a priest or religious head of some mutt/organization to guide you. The priests in Hindu temples are there to provide the ambience, chanting of mantras/shlokas, burning camphor, ringing the bell, offerings to the Deva and other activity that aids you to concentrate on your powerful connection with the conscience of the cosmos.
The three forces that help shape the universe are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - Brahma the creator, Shiva the destroyer and Vishnu the preserver/maintainer/transformer/sustainer. Each of them has two aspects – the initiator and the raw underlying power or energy. They are depicted as the male and female consort, together and inseparable - Brahma and Sarasvati, Vishu and Lakshmi and Shiva and Parvati. These forces are at constant play in the universe and work in unison, some parts created, some destroyed and others allowed to grow and sustain. The opposing forces Tamas/Rajas (Brahma/Shiva), really does not matter as who is who, is the principle of Dvaita Hinduism. Vedanta has recorded that energy transforms from one to another - it can neither be created nor destroyed. These two opposing forces are natural and transform each other, in perfect harmony. If the restraining balance or equilibrium is lost by the mediator (Vishnu), the universe will spiral out of control and end. Kalpavriksha in Atharva Veda, the banyan tree, symbolizes Trimurti – Lord Vishnu as the trunk, Lord Brahma the roots, and Lord Shiva the branches. Beautiful system model!
The Bhagavad Gita states that Avatars are sent periodically to Earth to preserve dharma and since the preserver is Vishnu they are deemed as Vishnu Avatar. Rama and Krishna are avatars of Vishnu but in reality they are NirgunaBrahman’s force on Earth with all powers (of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) to restore dharma! The word avatar means to descend and the Lord visits the earth periodically to restore Dharma. There are several types of avatars - avesh, prabhav, vaibhav and paravastha. Avesh avatars like Buddha, Narada receive divine shaktis. The prabhav avatars like Hansa, Ved Vyasa receive a few shaktis from the divine. The vaibhav avatars like matsya, kurma, varaha, kachap receive some more shaktis from the divine. However the paravastha avatars have all shaktis of the divine, like Krishna, Rama and Narasimha.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
@bala gaaru
Hats off. I am enjoying your posts.
Hats off. I am enjoying your posts.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Vayutuvan ji, glad you are enjoying the posts, please share/edu with friends and family the vast Bharathiya heritage.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
In Yoga we noted that samyama, advanced yogic technique, can unlock untold powers in the person. The cosmic play by the Brahman is way too complex and intricate in nature for humans to comprehend. However glimpses of such working are revealed from time to time. One of them is about creation and destruction of the universe. Actually in Sankhya, there is no destruction, no creation, it is transformation from one form to another. Then there is the notion that creation and destruction happen in cycles, which are never ending.
Those who understand the cosmic laws know that the Day of Brahma ends after a thousand yugas and the Night of Brahma ends after a thousand yugas. When the day of Brahma dawns, forms are brought forth from the Unmanifest; when the night of Brahma comes, these forms merge in the Formless again. This multitude of beings is created and destroyed again and again in the succeeding days and nights of Brahma.
Shristi and Pralaya
In each cycle of creation, Purusha (Brahman) enters into Prakriti (Shakti) and this union unfolds as the cosmos. In the pralaya or dissolution at the end of the cosmic cycle or Kalpa, all creation withdraws into the formless Prakriti. Unlike Prakriti, the Purusha is only a Drashta or Sakshi (witness) of events in this universe. It merely plays the role of a spectator and does not create anything. Purusha is always unchanging in nature and hence, it is Achala or static. Prakriti, on the contrary, constantly creates changes in this universe, hence is the dynamic one.
The word pra-laya comes from Sanskrit meaning 'dissolution' by inhalation or by extension 'reabsorption, destruction, annihilation or death'. Vedas states the fact that creation and its ending is a repetitive cycle, like exhalation and inhalation.
Manvantara is a Sanskrit word, a compound of manu and antara, literally meaning the lifespan of a Manu. Manu creates the world, and all it’s species during that period of time, each Manvantara lasts the lifetime of a Manu, upon whose death, Brahma creates another Manu to continue the cycle of Creation or Shristi. In the sankalpa for any Hindu ritual performed we mention the year of the seventh Manu, Vaivasvata. The past Manus were Svayambhuva Manu, Svarocisha Manu, Uttama Manu, Tapasa Manu, Raivata Manu and Cakshusha Manu. If we go back to the first Manu, Svayambhuva, we arrive at a date for the origin of the human species which agrees with the view of modern science. The life-span of the fourteen Manus put together make one day (daytime) of Brahma and the night of Brahma has the same length. One daytime of Brahma lasts a thousand caturyugas, one manvantara is approx 71 caturyugas. Now running is the 28th caturyuga, of the Vaivasvata manvantara.
Brahma’s exhalation is creation. Brahma opens his eyes (exhales) and a world comes into being. Brahma closes his eyes (inhales), and a world goes out of being. Brahma's one year is 360 such days and his life-span is 100 such years. When Brahma’s life comes to an end the Brahman alone will remain and there will be no cosmos. Then another Brahma will start creation all over again. Half of Brahma’s allotted life-span is over. This life-span is divided into seven "kalpas". Now we have come more than half way of the fourth kalpa, “Svetavaraha”.
At the end of Brahma’s life of 100 years, the entire universe is dissolved. This is brahma’s inhalation or pralaya. Brahma opens his eyes (exhales) and a world comes into being, Brahma closes his eyes (inhales), and a world goes out of being. A day and night of Brahma who breathes in and out is the creation and dissolution (pralaya) cycle. Vishnu the mediator decides the time of pralaya. Lord Vishnu is said to rest in the coils of Ananta, the great serpent of Infinity, while he waits for the universe to recreate itself. Shiva adorns a garland of skulls each of which represent the destruction of the universe.
Bhagawad Gita
At the end of the night of the time all things return to my nature;
and when the new day of time begins I bring them again into light.
Thus through my nature I bring forth all creation and this rolls around in the circles of time.
But I am not bound by this vast work of creation. I am and I watch the drama of works.
I watch and in its work of creation nature brings forth all that moves and moves not:
and thus the revolutions of the world go around.
The Vedas list four pralayas (dissolutions):
Nitya Pralaya: This is the daily dissolution of our consciousness that takes place when we fall into deep sleep.
Naimittik Pralaya: This is the dissolution of all the abodes up to Mahar Lok at the end of Brahma’s day. At that time, the atmas residing in these abodes become unmanifest. They reside in a state of suspended animation in the body of Vishnu. Again when the Brahma creates these lokas, they are given birth according to their past karmas.
Mahā Pralaya: This is the dissolution of the entire universe at the end of Brahma’s life. At this time, all the atmas in the universe go into a state of suspended animation in the body of Maha Vishnu. Their gross (sthūl śharīr) and subtle (sūkṣhma śharīr) bodies dissolve, but the causal body (kāraṇ sharīr) remains. When the next cycle of creation takes place, they are again given birth, according to their sanskārs and karmas stored in their causal body.
Ātyantik Pralaya: When the atma finally attains Deva, it gets released from the cycle of birth and death forever. Ātyantik Pralaya is the dissolution of the bonds of Maya, which were tying the atma since eternity.
As per our puranas, during the cosmic deluge, the Supreme Lord Narayana takes the form of a little baby floating on a banyan leaf over the dangerous torrents of pralaya jalam, the waters of cosmic dissolution. He protects the entire universe and its beings by swallowing them in His tiny stomach and rests them there, while contemplating about their creation once again after the deluge by releasing the Universe and its beings from the safe storage place. This was pralaya, the final dissolution of the world, before its regeneration. The sole witness to this cosmic deluge was Markandeya Rishi, a great saint. It is stated by the Lord in the Vedas: “Oh, Human! This village of yours is balanced on the banyan leaf and your lifespan is just alike a drop of water running down that leaf, which may fall any minute.”
The Markandeshwar Mahadev temple is located in the town of Shahbad Markanda, Kurukshetra district of Haryana and is one of the oldest temples of India, more than 6500 years old. It was on the banks of the river Markanda, a tributary of the Ghaggar, a tributary of the mighty river Saraswati which dried up around 4000 BC. The Markandeya Purana is a dialogue between Maharishi Markandeya and Rishi Jaimini. Even the Bhagavata Purana contains his dialogues and prayers. Maharishi Markendeya wrote the Markendeya Purana by the Markandeya Tirtha, near Yamunotri Shrine in the Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand.
How the cosmos is created is mentioned in the verses of Nasadiya Sukta of the RigVeda.
Nasadiya means “not the non-existent”. How the cosmos is created is mentioned in the verses of Nasadiya Sukta. They go deep into the cause of the events taking place in the cosmos and unveil the facts. Even verses, which start from ‘no time, no space’ mode, gradually reaches the center of deep darkness, surrounded by smooth, unending ether. Out of shapeless nothing, matter with shape emerges. The whole description is amazingly picturesque. These hymns take us to the loftiest heights of philosophy. It is doubtful whether the human mind will ever surpass these heights.
Varahamihira the great Astrologer and Astronomer wrote in the opening of his Samhita, “It has been said in Vedas that the first primeval thing was darkness, which is not identical with the black colour, but a kind of non-existence like the state of a sleeping person.”
RIG VEDA 10.129
Verse 1
नासदासीन्नो सदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत् ।
किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् ॥१॥
nasadasinno sadasittadanim | nasidrajo no vyoma paro yat |
kimavarivah kuhakasya sharmann | ambhah kimasidgahanam gabhiram ||1||
There was NO existence then, nor non-existence.
No realm of air ye, nor etheric aakasha beyond.
What cloaked all, where, by whose maya?
Did not the cosmic waters pervade dark and deep!
Verse 2
न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः ।
आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किं चनास ॥२॥
na mrutyurasidamrutam na tarhi | na ratrya ahna asitpraketah |
anidavatam svadhaya tadekam | tasmaddhanyannaparah ki~jchanasa || 2 ||
There was no cycle of birth or decay
Nor a mediator for darkness and light
The field of consciousness breathed, self sustaining.
Apart from morphogenetic Brahman, there was none!
Verse 3
तम आसीत् तमसा गूळमग्रेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमाइदम्
तुच्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत् तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकम्
tama asittamasa guhlamagre praketam | salilam sarvamaidam |
tuchchenabhvapihitam yadasit | tamasastanmahina jayataikam || 3 ||
Dark energy concealed in darkness
A continuum of dark cosmic ocean
Then That which lay in void thus covered
Burst forth in glory self excited by intent
Verse 4
कामस्तदग्रॆ समवर्तताधि मनसॊ रॆत: प्रथमं यदासीत् ।
सतॊबन्धुमसति निरविन्दन्हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयॊ मनीषा ॥४॥
kamastadagre samavartatadhi | manaso retah prathamam yadasit |
sato bandhumasati niravindanna | hrudi pratishya kavayo manisha || 4 ||
In the great cosmic mind all pervading
Vibrations of Kama sprout from conscious thought
The seers who have searched within with wisdom
Have witnessed the conscious equation between matter and energy
The quantum field or pure consciousness is influenced by intention and desire. Consciousness is the intelligent force that started the blueprint which ultimately manifested itself as a particular form. There is a consciousness in every molecule of matter. All atoms in the entire universe are capable of mind reading and communicating with other atoms. The expanded abilities of self awareness, is abstract reasoning, free will, creativity, foresight etc.
Verse 5
तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः स्विदासी दुपरिस्विदासी
रेतोधाआसन् महिमान आसन् स्वधा अवस्तात् प्रयतिः परस्तात्
tirashchino vitato rashmireshamadhah | svidasi duparisvidasi |
retodha asanmahiman asanna | svadho avastat prayatih parastat || 5 ||
An oblique ray cut Being from Non-being.
What was described above and what below this screen?
Above was the power of conscious intent,
Below was the strength of creative discipline
Verse 6
को अद्धा वेद क इह प्र वोचत् कुत आजाता कुत इयंविसृष्टिः
अर्वाग् देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यतआबभूव
ko addha veda ka iha pravochat | kut ajata kut iyam visrushtih |
arvagdeva asya visarjanaya | atha ko veda yata ababhuva || 6 ||
Who really knows? Who in this world may declare it!
When was this holographic exhalation, whence will be the pralaya inhalation?
Only after this holographic projection (Advaita) came the field Brahman
Who move nature’s opposites (Dvaita). Who truly can say!
Verse 7
इयं विसृष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न
यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे व्योमन् सो अङ्ग वेद यदि वा नवेद
iyam visrushtiryata ababhuva | yadi va dadhe yadi va na |
yo asyadhyakshah parame vyomann | so amga veda yadi va na veda || 7 ||
He from whom this creation arose,
He may hold the reins, or he may not (for no one else can!)
He who surveys it all from his highest heaven,
He verily knows it, or perhaps even he does not? (What say you?)
There is no text on earth that can match the RigVeda's Nasadiya Sukta. Bharat was/is the Vishwa Guru.
Those who understand the cosmic laws know that the Day of Brahma ends after a thousand yugas and the Night of Brahma ends after a thousand yugas. When the day of Brahma dawns, forms are brought forth from the Unmanifest; when the night of Brahma comes, these forms merge in the Formless again. This multitude of beings is created and destroyed again and again in the succeeding days and nights of Brahma.
Shristi and Pralaya
In each cycle of creation, Purusha (Brahman) enters into Prakriti (Shakti) and this union unfolds as the cosmos. In the pralaya or dissolution at the end of the cosmic cycle or Kalpa, all creation withdraws into the formless Prakriti. Unlike Prakriti, the Purusha is only a Drashta or Sakshi (witness) of events in this universe. It merely plays the role of a spectator and does not create anything. Purusha is always unchanging in nature and hence, it is Achala or static. Prakriti, on the contrary, constantly creates changes in this universe, hence is the dynamic one.
The word pra-laya comes from Sanskrit meaning 'dissolution' by inhalation or by extension 'reabsorption, destruction, annihilation or death'. Vedas states the fact that creation and its ending is a repetitive cycle, like exhalation and inhalation.
Manvantara is a Sanskrit word, a compound of manu and antara, literally meaning the lifespan of a Manu. Manu creates the world, and all it’s species during that period of time, each Manvantara lasts the lifetime of a Manu, upon whose death, Brahma creates another Manu to continue the cycle of Creation or Shristi. In the sankalpa for any Hindu ritual performed we mention the year of the seventh Manu, Vaivasvata. The past Manus were Svayambhuva Manu, Svarocisha Manu, Uttama Manu, Tapasa Manu, Raivata Manu and Cakshusha Manu. If we go back to the first Manu, Svayambhuva, we arrive at a date for the origin of the human species which agrees with the view of modern science. The life-span of the fourteen Manus put together make one day (daytime) of Brahma and the night of Brahma has the same length. One daytime of Brahma lasts a thousand caturyugas, one manvantara is approx 71 caturyugas. Now running is the 28th caturyuga, of the Vaivasvata manvantara.
Brahma’s exhalation is creation. Brahma opens his eyes (exhales) and a world comes into being. Brahma closes his eyes (inhales), and a world goes out of being. Brahma's one year is 360 such days and his life-span is 100 such years. When Brahma’s life comes to an end the Brahman alone will remain and there will be no cosmos. Then another Brahma will start creation all over again. Half of Brahma’s allotted life-span is over. This life-span is divided into seven "kalpas". Now we have come more than half way of the fourth kalpa, “Svetavaraha”.
At the end of Brahma’s life of 100 years, the entire universe is dissolved. This is brahma’s inhalation or pralaya. Brahma opens his eyes (exhales) and a world comes into being, Brahma closes his eyes (inhales), and a world goes out of being. A day and night of Brahma who breathes in and out is the creation and dissolution (pralaya) cycle. Vishnu the mediator decides the time of pralaya. Lord Vishnu is said to rest in the coils of Ananta, the great serpent of Infinity, while he waits for the universe to recreate itself. Shiva adorns a garland of skulls each of which represent the destruction of the universe.
Bhagawad Gita
At the end of the night of the time all things return to my nature;
and when the new day of time begins I bring them again into light.
Thus through my nature I bring forth all creation and this rolls around in the circles of time.
But I am not bound by this vast work of creation. I am and I watch the drama of works.
I watch and in its work of creation nature brings forth all that moves and moves not:
and thus the revolutions of the world go around.
The Vedas list four pralayas (dissolutions):
Nitya Pralaya: This is the daily dissolution of our consciousness that takes place when we fall into deep sleep.
Naimittik Pralaya: This is the dissolution of all the abodes up to Mahar Lok at the end of Brahma’s day. At that time, the atmas residing in these abodes become unmanifest. They reside in a state of suspended animation in the body of Vishnu. Again when the Brahma creates these lokas, they are given birth according to their past karmas.
Mahā Pralaya: This is the dissolution of the entire universe at the end of Brahma’s life. At this time, all the atmas in the universe go into a state of suspended animation in the body of Maha Vishnu. Their gross (sthūl śharīr) and subtle (sūkṣhma śharīr) bodies dissolve, but the causal body (kāraṇ sharīr) remains. When the next cycle of creation takes place, they are again given birth, according to their sanskārs and karmas stored in their causal body.
Ātyantik Pralaya: When the atma finally attains Deva, it gets released from the cycle of birth and death forever. Ātyantik Pralaya is the dissolution of the bonds of Maya, which were tying the atma since eternity.
As per our puranas, during the cosmic deluge, the Supreme Lord Narayana takes the form of a little baby floating on a banyan leaf over the dangerous torrents of pralaya jalam, the waters of cosmic dissolution. He protects the entire universe and its beings by swallowing them in His tiny stomach and rests them there, while contemplating about their creation once again after the deluge by releasing the Universe and its beings from the safe storage place. This was pralaya, the final dissolution of the world, before its regeneration. The sole witness to this cosmic deluge was Markandeya Rishi, a great saint. It is stated by the Lord in the Vedas: “Oh, Human! This village of yours is balanced on the banyan leaf and your lifespan is just alike a drop of water running down that leaf, which may fall any minute.”
The Markandeshwar Mahadev temple is located in the town of Shahbad Markanda, Kurukshetra district of Haryana and is one of the oldest temples of India, more than 6500 years old. It was on the banks of the river Markanda, a tributary of the Ghaggar, a tributary of the mighty river Saraswati which dried up around 4000 BC. The Markandeya Purana is a dialogue between Maharishi Markandeya and Rishi Jaimini. Even the Bhagavata Purana contains his dialogues and prayers. Maharishi Markendeya wrote the Markendeya Purana by the Markandeya Tirtha, near Yamunotri Shrine in the Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand.
How the cosmos is created is mentioned in the verses of Nasadiya Sukta of the RigVeda.
Nasadiya means “not the non-existent”. How the cosmos is created is mentioned in the verses of Nasadiya Sukta. They go deep into the cause of the events taking place in the cosmos and unveil the facts. Even verses, which start from ‘no time, no space’ mode, gradually reaches the center of deep darkness, surrounded by smooth, unending ether. Out of shapeless nothing, matter with shape emerges. The whole description is amazingly picturesque. These hymns take us to the loftiest heights of philosophy. It is doubtful whether the human mind will ever surpass these heights.
Varahamihira the great Astrologer and Astronomer wrote in the opening of his Samhita, “It has been said in Vedas that the first primeval thing was darkness, which is not identical with the black colour, but a kind of non-existence like the state of a sleeping person.”
RIG VEDA 10.129
Verse 1
नासदासीन्नो सदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत् ।
किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् ॥१॥
nasadasinno sadasittadanim | nasidrajo no vyoma paro yat |
kimavarivah kuhakasya sharmann | ambhah kimasidgahanam gabhiram ||1||
There was NO existence then, nor non-existence.
No realm of air ye, nor etheric aakasha beyond.
What cloaked all, where, by whose maya?
Did not the cosmic waters pervade dark and deep!
Verse 2
न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः ।
आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किं चनास ॥२॥
na mrutyurasidamrutam na tarhi | na ratrya ahna asitpraketah |
anidavatam svadhaya tadekam | tasmaddhanyannaparah ki~jchanasa || 2 ||
There was no cycle of birth or decay
Nor a mediator for darkness and light
The field of consciousness breathed, self sustaining.
Apart from morphogenetic Brahman, there was none!
Verse 3
तम आसीत् तमसा गूळमग्रेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमाइदम्
तुच्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत् तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकम्
tama asittamasa guhlamagre praketam | salilam sarvamaidam |
tuchchenabhvapihitam yadasit | tamasastanmahina jayataikam || 3 ||
Dark energy concealed in darkness
A continuum of dark cosmic ocean
Then That which lay in void thus covered
Burst forth in glory self excited by intent
Verse 4
कामस्तदग्रॆ समवर्तताधि मनसॊ रॆत: प्रथमं यदासीत् ।
सतॊबन्धुमसति निरविन्दन्हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयॊ मनीषा ॥४॥
kamastadagre samavartatadhi | manaso retah prathamam yadasit |
sato bandhumasati niravindanna | hrudi pratishya kavayo manisha || 4 ||
In the great cosmic mind all pervading
Vibrations of Kama sprout from conscious thought
The seers who have searched within with wisdom
Have witnessed the conscious equation between matter and energy
The quantum field or pure consciousness is influenced by intention and desire. Consciousness is the intelligent force that started the blueprint which ultimately manifested itself as a particular form. There is a consciousness in every molecule of matter. All atoms in the entire universe are capable of mind reading and communicating with other atoms. The expanded abilities of self awareness, is abstract reasoning, free will, creativity, foresight etc.
Verse 5
तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः स्विदासी दुपरिस्विदासी
रेतोधाआसन् महिमान आसन् स्वधा अवस्तात् प्रयतिः परस्तात्
tirashchino vitato rashmireshamadhah | svidasi duparisvidasi |
retodha asanmahiman asanna | svadho avastat prayatih parastat || 5 ||
An oblique ray cut Being from Non-being.
What was described above and what below this screen?
Above was the power of conscious intent,
Below was the strength of creative discipline
Verse 6
को अद्धा वेद क इह प्र वोचत् कुत आजाता कुत इयंविसृष्टिः
अर्वाग् देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यतआबभूव
ko addha veda ka iha pravochat | kut ajata kut iyam visrushtih |
arvagdeva asya visarjanaya | atha ko veda yata ababhuva || 6 ||
Who really knows? Who in this world may declare it!
When was this holographic exhalation, whence will be the pralaya inhalation?
Only after this holographic projection (Advaita) came the field Brahman
Who move nature’s opposites (Dvaita). Who truly can say!
Verse 7
इयं विसृष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न
यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे व्योमन् सो अङ्ग वेद यदि वा नवेद
iyam visrushtiryata ababhuva | yadi va dadhe yadi va na |
yo asyadhyakshah parame vyomann | so amga veda yadi va na veda || 7 ||
He from whom this creation arose,
He may hold the reins, or he may not (for no one else can!)
He who surveys it all from his highest heaven,
He verily knows it, or perhaps even he does not? (What say you?)
There is no text on earth that can match the RigVeda's Nasadiya Sukta. Bharat was/is the Vishwa Guru.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Meditation
Meditation is an exercise of the mind and is a part of yoga. Meditation (dhyana) is the fixing of the intellect (buddhi) on the Divine. What physical exercise is to the body, meditation is to the mind. Meditation abstracts the self from conscious thought, and frees the mind from feelings that cause stress and suffering. It fosters creative intelligence, raises consciousness and enables fuller use to be made of mental potential. Silencing the body is easy, but silencing the mind is difficult in this modern age. Silencing is about grace, harmony and tranquility. Exhaustion is not tranquility.
People get stressed, and they need to still the mind - the chattering monkey, which remains entangled in the past and the imagined future, but never in the present. Meditation is about holding your mind to the present. The aim of every form of meditation is to still the mind, or you can’t purify it and get rid of deep rooted negativities, which affect your health and even give you severe migraines. Meditation is a surgical operation of your subconscious mind to remove and discard negativity/ego and improve tolerance, grace and kindness. If you practice calm acceptance during meditation, you will develop a brain that is more resilient to stress. If you meditate while cultivating feelings of love and compassion, your brain will develop in such a way that you spontaneously feel more connected to others. Experienced meditators and yoga experts feel greater compassion.
Negative thoughts create negative feelings and hence stress and illness. Our inner voice evaluates, judges, compares and worries. When your ego powered mind is chattering like a monkey or the angry sea, you miss the truth. Most people live with such a tormentor in their head draining them of energy. When you are stressed your hands feel cold, your heart rate, breathing, and muscle tension increases. The result is that your immune system goes for a toss and you get depressed or burnt out. Depression is a weird feeling of loss. Truth can be communicated only in silence. For this deep silence you need to have harmony between the mind, body and spirit.
Meditation teaches you to look inwards, with awareness, within yourself and know the true nature of all sensations, and loosen the stranglehold of habits and vices. 7.83 HZ or the ALPHA frequency is the gateway that leads into deeper states of consciousness. Most people are in an alpha state during the short time immediately before they fall asleep and when the conscious nervous system switches over to the subconscious. The "alpha state" is where meditation starts and you begin to access the wealth of creativity that lies just below our conscious awareness. Emotional stability and level headed approach to problems which confront the individual in a drug-free method of stimulating neural pathways in the brain is Meditation. Brahma muhurtam begins 1 hour and 36 minutes before sunrise, and ends 48 minutes before sunrise. If sunrise is at 6am, Brahma Muhurtam begins at 4:24am and ends 5:12am. This period is good for meditation.
VipaShayna meditation existed thousands of years before Buddha was born. The Rig Veda, written in ancient times, talks about Vipashyana meditation. Vipasana is Buddha’s term. Vipasana Meditation - mind does not control, rather the person controls the mind. It is a universal remedy for all universal ills. Find a quiet place to sit for 15 minutes, a place where you can sit comfortably, undisturbed, for at least 20 minutes. Wear loose clothing and be bare feet. Sit with your back and head held straight. Keep your eyes closed. Simply be mindful of in-and-out breathing. When you become distracted, gently refocus your attention on your breathing. Just breathe. Just keep watching the rising-falling movements. You don't have to do anything to them. Just know the movements without judging or describing them. Restrict your attention to what is occurring in the immediate present moment. Don't think about the past or future, don't think about anything at all. Let go of worries, concerns, and memories. Empty your mind of everything except the movements occurring right now. But don't think about the motions; just know them.
In insight meditation the aim is not to think, but only to know. A relaxed and unhurried attitude is important, since slowing down and observing the mind to see how it works is central to the philosophy behind meditation. During meditation thinking is separated from perceiving, so that the individual can stand apart from the emotional self. Pure awareness is a simple experience, a small gap in your thinking when you are without ego, a small space of nothing (shuniata), while in a FIELD OF CONSCIOUSNESS. Deep peace is the side effects of this experience of "no-thing" or "no-thought". It is the realization that you are more than your thoughts. Something is there beyond your mind. Seeker does "nothing", yet everything gets done by simply allowing pure awareness to suffuse consciousness within and then the magic begins. Effectively heals the body, mind, emotions, and spirit and centers you. Closing eyes and ears with OM CHANT and an audible MMMMMMM at the end helps. Please do this exercise 5 times a day. You must NOT have a full stomach. You can drink some water before you do this.
Healing is not a physical process, rather it is mental. Mind can wipe mistakes off the DNA blueprint and destroy any disease that has disturbed the design. DNA's ability to repair itself is affected adversely when a person is in depression. Meditation experiences silence, and is devoid of drives, wishes, fears, thoughts and emotions. Afterwards when the mind returns to its usual level of consciousness, it has acquired some freedom to move.
Vedic meditation is used as a non-religious technique for relaxation and stress reduction for long-term psychological improvements. Meditation is done to purify the mind and gain insight. It abstracts the self from conscious thought, and frees the mind from feelings that cause stress and suffering. It fosters creative intelligence, raise consciousness, and enables fuller use to be made of mental potential. The spiritual aims are peace of mind, wisdom, and, ultimately, a state of enlightenment or self-realization. It is a form of natural healing, and helps people cope with anxiety, depression, and drug dependence.
Use meditation to purify the mind and gain insight. Meditation again, is a detached observation of one's own mind, and its processes, after squelching the 5 senses. Meditation abstracts the self from conscious thought, and frees the mind from feelings that cause stress and suffering. It fosters creative intelligence, raise consciousness, and enables fuller use to be made of mental potential.
Using the mantra technique, the meditator concentrates on a mantra to banish intrusive thoughts and thus achieve progressively quieter levels of thinking until thought itself is transcended. Mantras are essentially in Sanskrit being a divine language. It does a fantastic job of stopping hyperventilating, and slowing down your breathing. Next time you hyperventilate out of panic just try a simple mantra. Happiness is then stable and established. At the heart of Hinduism remains mans' essential quest for union with the Absolute supreme the Brahman.
Gherand Samhita (Hatha Yoga)
घेरंड संहिता
शांभवी मुद्रिकाः कृत्वा आत्मप्रत्यक्षमानयेत।
बिन्दु ब्रह्ममयम दृष्टवा मनस्तत्र नियोजयेत॥
सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं सत्यामाह महेश्वरहः।
शांभवी यो विज्ञानियात्स च ब्रह्म न चान्यथा॥
By assuming the position of Shambhavi Mudra a Yogi should see the self. When the Brahma is seen in the form of a dot he should fix his mind on it and nowhere else. A Yogi who knows the science of Shambhavi he himself becomes Brahma and none else. I, Lord Maheshwara (Shiva), am telling this again and again that this is truth.
Lord Shiva is the first Yoga teacher. Shiva’s first student whom he gave the secrets of yoga was Maharishi Shukracharya, when he got pleased with his severe penance. Lord Shiva gave Shukracharya the Sanjeevani vidya.
Meditation is an exercise of the mind and is a part of yoga. Meditation (dhyana) is the fixing of the intellect (buddhi) on the Divine. What physical exercise is to the body, meditation is to the mind. Meditation abstracts the self from conscious thought, and frees the mind from feelings that cause stress and suffering. It fosters creative intelligence, raises consciousness and enables fuller use to be made of mental potential. Silencing the body is easy, but silencing the mind is difficult in this modern age. Silencing is about grace, harmony and tranquility. Exhaustion is not tranquility.
People get stressed, and they need to still the mind - the chattering monkey, which remains entangled in the past and the imagined future, but never in the present. Meditation is about holding your mind to the present. The aim of every form of meditation is to still the mind, or you can’t purify it and get rid of deep rooted negativities, which affect your health and even give you severe migraines. Meditation is a surgical operation of your subconscious mind to remove and discard negativity/ego and improve tolerance, grace and kindness. If you practice calm acceptance during meditation, you will develop a brain that is more resilient to stress. If you meditate while cultivating feelings of love and compassion, your brain will develop in such a way that you spontaneously feel more connected to others. Experienced meditators and yoga experts feel greater compassion.
Negative thoughts create negative feelings and hence stress and illness. Our inner voice evaluates, judges, compares and worries. When your ego powered mind is chattering like a monkey or the angry sea, you miss the truth. Most people live with such a tormentor in their head draining them of energy. When you are stressed your hands feel cold, your heart rate, breathing, and muscle tension increases. The result is that your immune system goes for a toss and you get depressed or burnt out. Depression is a weird feeling of loss. Truth can be communicated only in silence. For this deep silence you need to have harmony between the mind, body and spirit.
Meditation teaches you to look inwards, with awareness, within yourself and know the true nature of all sensations, and loosen the stranglehold of habits and vices. 7.83 HZ or the ALPHA frequency is the gateway that leads into deeper states of consciousness. Most people are in an alpha state during the short time immediately before they fall asleep and when the conscious nervous system switches over to the subconscious. The "alpha state" is where meditation starts and you begin to access the wealth of creativity that lies just below our conscious awareness. Emotional stability and level headed approach to problems which confront the individual in a drug-free method of stimulating neural pathways in the brain is Meditation. Brahma muhurtam begins 1 hour and 36 minutes before sunrise, and ends 48 minutes before sunrise. If sunrise is at 6am, Brahma Muhurtam begins at 4:24am and ends 5:12am. This period is good for meditation.
VipaShayna meditation existed thousands of years before Buddha was born. The Rig Veda, written in ancient times, talks about Vipashyana meditation. Vipasana is Buddha’s term. Vipasana Meditation - mind does not control, rather the person controls the mind. It is a universal remedy for all universal ills. Find a quiet place to sit for 15 minutes, a place where you can sit comfortably, undisturbed, for at least 20 minutes. Wear loose clothing and be bare feet. Sit with your back and head held straight. Keep your eyes closed. Simply be mindful of in-and-out breathing. When you become distracted, gently refocus your attention on your breathing. Just breathe. Just keep watching the rising-falling movements. You don't have to do anything to them. Just know the movements without judging or describing them. Restrict your attention to what is occurring in the immediate present moment. Don't think about the past or future, don't think about anything at all. Let go of worries, concerns, and memories. Empty your mind of everything except the movements occurring right now. But don't think about the motions; just know them.
In insight meditation the aim is not to think, but only to know. A relaxed and unhurried attitude is important, since slowing down and observing the mind to see how it works is central to the philosophy behind meditation. During meditation thinking is separated from perceiving, so that the individual can stand apart from the emotional self. Pure awareness is a simple experience, a small gap in your thinking when you are without ego, a small space of nothing (shuniata), while in a FIELD OF CONSCIOUSNESS. Deep peace is the side effects of this experience of "no-thing" or "no-thought". It is the realization that you are more than your thoughts. Something is there beyond your mind. Seeker does "nothing", yet everything gets done by simply allowing pure awareness to suffuse consciousness within and then the magic begins. Effectively heals the body, mind, emotions, and spirit and centers you. Closing eyes and ears with OM CHANT and an audible MMMMMMM at the end helps. Please do this exercise 5 times a day. You must NOT have a full stomach. You can drink some water before you do this.
Healing is not a physical process, rather it is mental. Mind can wipe mistakes off the DNA blueprint and destroy any disease that has disturbed the design. DNA's ability to repair itself is affected adversely when a person is in depression. Meditation experiences silence, and is devoid of drives, wishes, fears, thoughts and emotions. Afterwards when the mind returns to its usual level of consciousness, it has acquired some freedom to move.
Vedic meditation is used as a non-religious technique for relaxation and stress reduction for long-term psychological improvements. Meditation is done to purify the mind and gain insight. It abstracts the self from conscious thought, and frees the mind from feelings that cause stress and suffering. It fosters creative intelligence, raise consciousness, and enables fuller use to be made of mental potential. The spiritual aims are peace of mind, wisdom, and, ultimately, a state of enlightenment or self-realization. It is a form of natural healing, and helps people cope with anxiety, depression, and drug dependence.
Use meditation to purify the mind and gain insight. Meditation again, is a detached observation of one's own mind, and its processes, after squelching the 5 senses. Meditation abstracts the self from conscious thought, and frees the mind from feelings that cause stress and suffering. It fosters creative intelligence, raise consciousness, and enables fuller use to be made of mental potential.
Using the mantra technique, the meditator concentrates on a mantra to banish intrusive thoughts and thus achieve progressively quieter levels of thinking until thought itself is transcended. Mantras are essentially in Sanskrit being a divine language. It does a fantastic job of stopping hyperventilating, and slowing down your breathing. Next time you hyperventilate out of panic just try a simple mantra. Happiness is then stable and established. At the heart of Hinduism remains mans' essential quest for union with the Absolute supreme the Brahman.
Gherand Samhita (Hatha Yoga)
घेरंड संहिता
शांभवी मुद्रिकाः कृत्वा आत्मप्रत्यक्षमानयेत।
बिन्दु ब्रह्ममयम दृष्टवा मनस्तत्र नियोजयेत॥
सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं सत्यामाह महेश्वरहः।
शांभवी यो विज्ञानियात्स च ब्रह्म न चान्यथा॥
By assuming the position of Shambhavi Mudra a Yogi should see the self. When the Brahma is seen in the form of a dot he should fix his mind on it and nowhere else. A Yogi who knows the science of Shambhavi he himself becomes Brahma and none else. I, Lord Maheshwara (Shiva), am telling this again and again that this is truth.
Lord Shiva is the first Yoga teacher. Shiva’s first student whom he gave the secrets of yoga was Maharishi Shukracharya, when he got pleased with his severe penance. Lord Shiva gave Shukracharya the Sanjeevani vidya.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Nada Brahman
The fundamental structure of the universe is based on Nada or sound vibrations. Primal sound is referred to as Shabda Brahman – "Brahman as word". Closely related is the concept of Nada Brahman – "Brahman as sound". Just in case you are wondering what is SHABDA and what is NADA – the former is masculine connoting artha (meaning) while the latter is feminine signifying the voiced sound. The word Nada is derived from the Sanskrit root nad, meaning "union through sound". Nada refers to the vibrations which make up the sound. Shabda refers to a discreet sound, separate from the meaning it conveys. Shabda and Nada manifested in the cosmic energy of sound gives rise to the energies of heat, light and other basic streams of energy existing in the universe. The Nada (cosmic vibration) of the Shabda (eternal sound) is the originator of everything that exists in nature.
The cosmos is vibrant with a mystic melody comprising planetary chimes as well as the plaintive song of atoms, unknown to us and unheard by us. And unheard by us is the strident crescendo of the universal orchestration in which galaxies, stars and planets whirl around perpetually in spirals, cycles, whirls and vortices causing incessant resonance, was the incessant boom of the damaru of Lord Shiva during his frenzied tandav or cosmic dance. Puranas narrate how Shiva performed the Thandava Nrutya and transformed into Nataraja, then sounded his Damaru 14 times. Scientists have found that the sound emanating from planets is pitched twenty octaves below man’s hearing, while the song of the atom is sung a complementary twenty octaves above it, leaving us “musically midway” between the trebles and basses of the micro and macro-cosmic worlds.
Nada yoga is an ancient Indian metaphysical system which is based on the premise that the entire cosmos and all that exists in the cosmos, including human beings, consists of sound vibrations, called nada. The Yoga Shiksha Upanishad says: "That indestructible transcendent vibrating sound is Shabda-Brahman". This concept holds that it is the sound energy in motion rather than of matter and particles which form the building blocks of the cosmos. The longitudinal sound wave or scalar wave creates the cosmos. Matter is created by vibrations. On a macro scale everything is longitudinal sound. On a micro scale every disease is musical disharmony. This cosmos is a grand orchestra of divine music, there can be no false tones or notes. It existed at man’s creation and even before it and will stay for ever after the destruction to serve as an EXCITER for the next creation. Nada Yogis claim that Paraa Nada is a high frequency sound, so high that it does not stir or produce any vibrations. Sounds having a very high frequency are transformed into silence.
"That indestructible transcendent vibrating sound is Shabda-Brahman" – Shiksha Upanishad. There is a verse in the Vedas (Kathaka Samhita, 12.5, 27.1; Yajurveda, Kathakapisthala Samhita, 42.1): ‘Prajapathi vai idam agra asit’ (In the beginning was Prajapathi, the Brahman): ‘Tasya vak dvitiya asit’ (With whom was the Word): ‘Vag vai Paraman Brahma’ (And the Word was verily the Supreme Brahman). The entire cosmic creation began with sound: "By His utterance came the universe" (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.2.4). Taithiriya Upanishad says that "with OM, Brahma begins creation". It means the whole creation comes out of sound. In Tantra, Shiva told his wife Shakti, "The Universe was set in motion by the primordial throb (adya-spanda) and that all objects of the Universe are created by sound - ‘artha-srsteh puram sabda-srstih’ (sound precedes the formation of objects)". A cosmic creative vibration (called sphota or explosion) arises between Shiva and Shakti called Nada. "There are two Bramhans to be realized, Shabda and Param Bramhan: one who has realized and well versed in Shabda Bramhan will realize Param BramhAn" - Amrta Bindu Upanishad.
Rig Veda 10.129.4:
कामस्तदग्रॆ समवर्तताधि मनसॊ रॆत: प्रथमं यदासीत् ।सतॊबन्धुमसति निरविन्दन्हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयॊ मनीषा ॥४॥
kamastadagre samavartatadhi | manaso retah prathamam yadasit |sato bandhumasati niravindanna | hrudi pratishya kavayo manisha || 4
In the great cosmic mind all pervading vibrations of Kama sprout from conscious thought. The seers who have searched within with wisdom, have witnessed the conscious equation between matter and energy
Rig Veda 1.164.45
चत्वारि वाक्परिमिता पदानि तानि विदुर्ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः । गुहा त्रीणि निहिता नेङ्गयन्ति तुरीयं वाचो मनुष्या वदन्ति ॥
catvari vak parimita padani tani vidur brahmana ye minishinah, guha trini nihita neengayanti turiyam vaco manushya vadanti
The cognoscenti know of the Vak that exists in four forms. Three are hidden and the fourth is what men speak.
Nada also contains sounds beyond the human audible range. Nada is the sound that exists in all Kundalini Chakras. In the heart it exists as Anahata (unstruck sound). This Nada then gets consolidated into Shabda Brahman (differentiated sound energy), the universal cosmic resonance, symbolized by OM. From this arises cosmic intelligence that is responsible for the creation. This unheard, dynamic vibrato is recognized in the Vedas as the sound-vehicle of the power of Brahman permeating the cosmos as the forces of creation and destruction. It is called the Shabda Brahman that is the Ultimate Reality in its aspect of sound.
In Tantric mantra, the practitioner needs to know its rishi (seer), devata (deific power), channdas (rhythm), svara (accentuation), prayogya (application), beej (seed power), shakti (a fraction of itself that expresses its power), kavacha (armour), kilaka (recitation of which prevents the mantra’s power from moving away from the practitioner) and nyasa (the process by which various sounds in the mantra are identified with the energy in particular limbs). Sound is that which conveys the idea of an object. The exact word used in this connection is “artha-ashraya” or "the shelter of the meaning". In the Vedic conception the aksharas (letters) are bijas, or seeds of existence. The audible sound is categorized into 54 alphabets of Sanskrit. Akshara is also a synonym for pranava (OM), the sum of all syllables and source of all Vedic hymns.
Shabda brahmAn manifests through his power of maya first as para vani in the mooladhara chakra at the perineum, then as pasyanti in the manipura chakra at the navel, next as madhyama in the heart and then eventually as vaikhari in the throat and mouth. This is the divine descent of voice. The first three are internal and yogic can only be experienced by seers. The fourth stage is Vaikhari is the audible speech, which is used by all human beings. The general perception of a layman is that when we speak, sound comes from the throat. But what actually happens is when we have the urge or the thought to speak, our life force in the form of vaayu, starts from the root chakra and brings Paraa, the subtle sound, then travels up to the navel, heart chakras as Pasyanti and Madhyamaa respectively, then comes to the throat, mouth, teeth and tongue as Vaikhari to come out as speech or sound at the gross level.
According to Rigveda Pratisakhya, the union of breath (svasa) and sound (nada) becomes the cause (prakrtayah = mula karana) for the syllables (varnanam). From different combinations of such sound-syllables, ‘words’ (pada) are formed; and from words, ‘sentences’ (vakya) are created, with the help of ‘internal effort’ (abhyantara prayatna) and ‘external effort’ (bahya prayatna). The prakrta-dhvani (physical sound) arising in vocal chords while passing through different places (sthanat) in the vocal cavity gets modified (vikrta dhvani or Nada) into the speech-sounds.
The fundamental structure of the universe is based on Nada or sound vibrations. Primal sound is referred to as Shabda Brahman – "Brahman as word". Closely related is the concept of Nada Brahman – "Brahman as sound". Just in case you are wondering what is SHABDA and what is NADA – the former is masculine connoting artha (meaning) while the latter is feminine signifying the voiced sound. The word Nada is derived from the Sanskrit root nad, meaning "union through sound". Nada refers to the vibrations which make up the sound. Shabda refers to a discreet sound, separate from the meaning it conveys. Shabda and Nada manifested in the cosmic energy of sound gives rise to the energies of heat, light and other basic streams of energy existing in the universe. The Nada (cosmic vibration) of the Shabda (eternal sound) is the originator of everything that exists in nature.
The cosmos is vibrant with a mystic melody comprising planetary chimes as well as the plaintive song of atoms, unknown to us and unheard by us. And unheard by us is the strident crescendo of the universal orchestration in which galaxies, stars and planets whirl around perpetually in spirals, cycles, whirls and vortices causing incessant resonance, was the incessant boom of the damaru of Lord Shiva during his frenzied tandav or cosmic dance. Puranas narrate how Shiva performed the Thandava Nrutya and transformed into Nataraja, then sounded his Damaru 14 times. Scientists have found that the sound emanating from planets is pitched twenty octaves below man’s hearing, while the song of the atom is sung a complementary twenty octaves above it, leaving us “musically midway” between the trebles and basses of the micro and macro-cosmic worlds.
Nada yoga is an ancient Indian metaphysical system which is based on the premise that the entire cosmos and all that exists in the cosmos, including human beings, consists of sound vibrations, called nada. The Yoga Shiksha Upanishad says: "That indestructible transcendent vibrating sound is Shabda-Brahman". This concept holds that it is the sound energy in motion rather than of matter and particles which form the building blocks of the cosmos. The longitudinal sound wave or scalar wave creates the cosmos. Matter is created by vibrations. On a macro scale everything is longitudinal sound. On a micro scale every disease is musical disharmony. This cosmos is a grand orchestra of divine music, there can be no false tones or notes. It existed at man’s creation and even before it and will stay for ever after the destruction to serve as an EXCITER for the next creation. Nada Yogis claim that Paraa Nada is a high frequency sound, so high that it does not stir or produce any vibrations. Sounds having a very high frequency are transformed into silence.
"That indestructible transcendent vibrating sound is Shabda-Brahman" – Shiksha Upanishad. There is a verse in the Vedas (Kathaka Samhita, 12.5, 27.1; Yajurveda, Kathakapisthala Samhita, 42.1): ‘Prajapathi vai idam agra asit’ (In the beginning was Prajapathi, the Brahman): ‘Tasya vak dvitiya asit’ (With whom was the Word): ‘Vag vai Paraman Brahma’ (And the Word was verily the Supreme Brahman). The entire cosmic creation began with sound: "By His utterance came the universe" (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.2.4). Taithiriya Upanishad says that "with OM, Brahma begins creation". It means the whole creation comes out of sound. In Tantra, Shiva told his wife Shakti, "The Universe was set in motion by the primordial throb (adya-spanda) and that all objects of the Universe are created by sound - ‘artha-srsteh puram sabda-srstih’ (sound precedes the formation of objects)". A cosmic creative vibration (called sphota or explosion) arises between Shiva and Shakti called Nada. "There are two Bramhans to be realized, Shabda and Param Bramhan: one who has realized and well versed in Shabda Bramhan will realize Param BramhAn" - Amrta Bindu Upanishad.
Rig Veda 10.129.4:
कामस्तदग्रॆ समवर्तताधि मनसॊ रॆत: प्रथमं यदासीत् ।सतॊबन्धुमसति निरविन्दन्हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयॊ मनीषा ॥४॥
kamastadagre samavartatadhi | manaso retah prathamam yadasit |sato bandhumasati niravindanna | hrudi pratishya kavayo manisha || 4
In the great cosmic mind all pervading vibrations of Kama sprout from conscious thought. The seers who have searched within with wisdom, have witnessed the conscious equation between matter and energy
Rig Veda 1.164.45
चत्वारि वाक्परिमिता पदानि तानि विदुर्ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः । गुहा त्रीणि निहिता नेङ्गयन्ति तुरीयं वाचो मनुष्या वदन्ति ॥
catvari vak parimita padani tani vidur brahmana ye minishinah, guha trini nihita neengayanti turiyam vaco manushya vadanti
The cognoscenti know of the Vak that exists in four forms. Three are hidden and the fourth is what men speak.
Nada also contains sounds beyond the human audible range. Nada is the sound that exists in all Kundalini Chakras. In the heart it exists as Anahata (unstruck sound). This Nada then gets consolidated into Shabda Brahman (differentiated sound energy), the universal cosmic resonance, symbolized by OM. From this arises cosmic intelligence that is responsible for the creation. This unheard, dynamic vibrato is recognized in the Vedas as the sound-vehicle of the power of Brahman permeating the cosmos as the forces of creation and destruction. It is called the Shabda Brahman that is the Ultimate Reality in its aspect of sound.
In Tantric mantra, the practitioner needs to know its rishi (seer), devata (deific power), channdas (rhythm), svara (accentuation), prayogya (application), beej (seed power), shakti (a fraction of itself that expresses its power), kavacha (armour), kilaka (recitation of which prevents the mantra’s power from moving away from the practitioner) and nyasa (the process by which various sounds in the mantra are identified with the energy in particular limbs). Sound is that which conveys the idea of an object. The exact word used in this connection is “artha-ashraya” or "the shelter of the meaning". In the Vedic conception the aksharas (letters) are bijas, or seeds of existence. The audible sound is categorized into 54 alphabets of Sanskrit. Akshara is also a synonym for pranava (OM), the sum of all syllables and source of all Vedic hymns.
Shabda brahmAn manifests through his power of maya first as para vani in the mooladhara chakra at the perineum, then as pasyanti in the manipura chakra at the navel, next as madhyama in the heart and then eventually as vaikhari in the throat and mouth. This is the divine descent of voice. The first three are internal and yogic can only be experienced by seers. The fourth stage is Vaikhari is the audible speech, which is used by all human beings. The general perception of a layman is that when we speak, sound comes from the throat. But what actually happens is when we have the urge or the thought to speak, our life force in the form of vaayu, starts from the root chakra and brings Paraa, the subtle sound, then travels up to the navel, heart chakras as Pasyanti and Madhyamaa respectively, then comes to the throat, mouth, teeth and tongue as Vaikhari to come out as speech or sound at the gross level.
According to Rigveda Pratisakhya, the union of breath (svasa) and sound (nada) becomes the cause (prakrtayah = mula karana) for the syllables (varnanam). From different combinations of such sound-syllables, ‘words’ (pada) are formed; and from words, ‘sentences’ (vakya) are created, with the help of ‘internal effort’ (abhyantara prayatna) and ‘external effort’ (bahya prayatna). The prakrta-dhvani (physical sound) arising in vocal chords while passing through different places (sthanat) in the vocal cavity gets modified (vikrta dhvani or Nada) into the speech-sounds.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
There are several schools of thought that claims that Vedas are not from India. The AIT folks firmly believe that it came from outside of India but up until today no place has been found other than India for such a claim. Is there proof within the Vedas for claiming India as the place of origin? Read further...
Vedas are from Indian Subcontinent
The Vedas are the theoretical framework of spiritual knowledge of the ancient Vedics of India. Its origin is unknown. Many scholars studying the Vedas do not associate the texts with any specific geographic locations in India nor a time period. However, the Vedas contain a lot of rituals which is the essence of Hindu Vedic culture. The ancients believed that the entire cosmos is under some massive ritual and supreme sacrifice. The per-chance existence of this world and its beings, so far unique in the entire cosmos, is an expression of that supreme sacrifice. Rituals are practiced by man as "a thanks" to the supreme sacrifice. In the Vedas there is a ritual which is specific to the geography of India.
Author Mrugendra Vinod, whose background is in Computer Science and later indulged in the study of Vedas reveals this ritual.
Now imagine for yourself a pastoral life of the past along some fertile rich soil, with plenty of available fresh water. Besides the mundane existence, you begin to deeply contemplate the meaning of your existence and devote yourself in understanding of nature. Many of the inhabitants along the river Sarasvati (a rain fed river) established the Hindu Vedic culture in an area which is modern day Kurukshetra, Harayana. They studied the sky, sun and outer stars / planets. They came up with fascinating observations and originated many ideas which are the foundation of today’s scientific disciplines - trigonometry, math, cosmology, astronomy and much more. They understood at a very early stage relative motion, the need to fix references like the Sun and distant Stars. In fact many of the descriptions are relative to such fixed references.
Even distances had independent references. One such distance measure is Deva-Rathanhya (roughly 9.6 km). How do we get Deva-Rathanhya? It is based on the curvature of the earth to any observer based on the visible edge of Sun’s rays in the 180 degree horizon. The Vedas refer to this measure and postulate the boundaries of existing Vedic culture which is quite accurate with current day Indian geography.
Furthermore the extent of description of an area wherein a certain ritual was practiced based on the geography of the land is quite precise with practical know-how steps. There are other units of measure like Yojana, Ashvina, and Ahanya.
The geographical based ritual is fascinating in its description. If one were to undertake the ritual then the manual is accurate and precise. It starts at a certain point of time in the year in a region called Vinashana, near Anupgarh Rajastan (considered the Western boundary of the Vedics), on the banks of the river Sarasvati. The ritual undertaker is on a platform with wheels and progresses along the banks in a series of deliberate steps, eastward. A stick is used to throw at a distance and wherever if falls to the ground the platform is progressed forward to the spot. Eventually the platform reaches a confluence (Parinat) of two rivers, Sarasvati and Drishavati approximately 72km (8 Yojanas from the start, a Yojana is roughly 9km) away from Vinashana. Sarasvati is mentioned as a perennial river whereas Drishavati is seasonal.
The ritual undertaker, Vedi-on-wheels, takes the path along the Sarasvati bank and reaches a place called Plaksha Prasravana (roughly 36km from modern day Kurukshetra), the ground water origin/source of the river Sarasvati. Shivalik Himalayas are a few km northeast of the source. The entire exercise could take 18yrs after which the Vedi-on-wheels is asked to go 30km southeast to the river Yamuna and take a bath in the river. Interestingly the ritual includes a nature oriented phenomena. 100 cows (female) with 1 male bull is left to graze the verdant fields and by the end of the exercise it would multiply 10-fold to 1000 cows, which is donated back into society.
Vedas are from Indian Subcontinent
The Vedas are the theoretical framework of spiritual knowledge of the ancient Vedics of India. Its origin is unknown. Many scholars studying the Vedas do not associate the texts with any specific geographic locations in India nor a time period. However, the Vedas contain a lot of rituals which is the essence of Hindu Vedic culture. The ancients believed that the entire cosmos is under some massive ritual and supreme sacrifice. The per-chance existence of this world and its beings, so far unique in the entire cosmos, is an expression of that supreme sacrifice. Rituals are practiced by man as "a thanks" to the supreme sacrifice. In the Vedas there is a ritual which is specific to the geography of India.
Author Mrugendra Vinod, whose background is in Computer Science and later indulged in the study of Vedas reveals this ritual.
Now imagine for yourself a pastoral life of the past along some fertile rich soil, with plenty of available fresh water. Besides the mundane existence, you begin to deeply contemplate the meaning of your existence and devote yourself in understanding of nature. Many of the inhabitants along the river Sarasvati (a rain fed river) established the Hindu Vedic culture in an area which is modern day Kurukshetra, Harayana. They studied the sky, sun and outer stars / planets. They came up with fascinating observations and originated many ideas which are the foundation of today’s scientific disciplines - trigonometry, math, cosmology, astronomy and much more. They understood at a very early stage relative motion, the need to fix references like the Sun and distant Stars. In fact many of the descriptions are relative to such fixed references.
Even distances had independent references. One such distance measure is Deva-Rathanhya (roughly 9.6 km). How do we get Deva-Rathanhya? It is based on the curvature of the earth to any observer based on the visible edge of Sun’s rays in the 180 degree horizon. The Vedas refer to this measure and postulate the boundaries of existing Vedic culture which is quite accurate with current day Indian geography.
Furthermore the extent of description of an area wherein a certain ritual was practiced based on the geography of the land is quite precise with practical know-how steps. There are other units of measure like Yojana, Ashvina, and Ahanya.
The geographical based ritual is fascinating in its description. If one were to undertake the ritual then the manual is accurate and precise. It starts at a certain point of time in the year in a region called Vinashana, near Anupgarh Rajastan (considered the Western boundary of the Vedics), on the banks of the river Sarasvati. The ritual undertaker is on a platform with wheels and progresses along the banks in a series of deliberate steps, eastward. A stick is used to throw at a distance and wherever if falls to the ground the platform is progressed forward to the spot. Eventually the platform reaches a confluence (Parinat) of two rivers, Sarasvati and Drishavati approximately 72km (8 Yojanas from the start, a Yojana is roughly 9km) away from Vinashana. Sarasvati is mentioned as a perennial river whereas Drishavati is seasonal.
The ritual undertaker, Vedi-on-wheels, takes the path along the Sarasvati bank and reaches a place called Plaksha Prasravana (roughly 36km from modern day Kurukshetra), the ground water origin/source of the river Sarasvati. Shivalik Himalayas are a few km northeast of the source. The entire exercise could take 18yrs after which the Vedi-on-wheels is asked to go 30km southeast to the river Yamuna and take a bath in the river. Interestingly the ritual includes a nature oriented phenomena. 100 cows (female) with 1 male bull is left to graze the verdant fields and by the end of the exercise it would multiply 10-fold to 1000 cows, which is donated back into society.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Very Useful Sirjee - Thanks!!bala wrote: ↑05 Nov 2023 10:16 Meditation
Meditation is an exercise of the mind and is a part of yoga. Meditation (dhyana) is the fixing of the intellect (buddhi) on the Divine. What physical exercise is to the body, meditation is to the mind. Meditation abstracts the self from conscious thought, and frees the mind from feelings that cause stress and suffering. It fosters creative intelligence, raises consciousness and enables fuller use to be made of mental potential. Silencing the body is easy, but silencing the mind is difficult in this modern age. Silencing is about grace, harmony and tranquility. Exhaustion is not tranquility.
People get stressed, and they need to still the mind - the chattering monkey, which remains entangled in the past and the imagined future, but never in the present. Meditation is about holding your mind to the present. The aim of every form of meditation is to still the mind, or you can’t purify it and get rid of deep rooted negativities, which affect your health and even give you severe migraines. Meditation is a surgical operation of your subconscious mind to remove and discard negativity/ego and improve tolerance, grace and kindness. If you practice calm acceptance during meditation, you will develop a brain that is more resilient to stress. If you meditate while cultivating feelings of love and compassion, your brain will develop in such a way that you spontaneously feel more connected to others. Experienced meditators and yoga experts feel greater compassion.
Negative thoughts create negative feelings and hence stress and illness. Our inner voice evaluates, judges, compares and worries. When your ego powered mind is chattering like a monkey or the angry sea, you miss the truth. Most people live with such a tormentor in their head draining them of energy. When you are stressed your hands feel cold, your heart rate, breathing, and muscle tension increases. The result is that your immune system goes for a toss and you get depressed or burnt out. Depression is a weird feeling of loss. Truth can be communicated only in silence. For this deep silence you need to have harmony between the mind, body and spirit.
Meditation teaches you to look inwards, with awareness, within yourself and know the true nature of all sensations, and loosen the stranglehold of habits and vices. 7.83 HZ or the ALPHA frequency is the gateway that leads into deeper states of consciousness. Most people are in an alpha state during the short time immediately before they fall asleep and when the conscious nervous system switches over to the subconscious. The "alpha state" is where meditation starts and you begin to access the wealth of creativity that lies just below our conscious awareness. Emotional stability and level headed approach to problems which confront the individual in a drug-free method of stimulating neural pathways in the brain is Meditation. Brahma muhurtam begins 1 hour and 36 minutes before sunrise, and ends 48 minutes before sunrise. If sunrise is at 6am, Brahma Muhurtam begins at 4:24am and ends 5:12am. This period is good for meditation.
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Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
64 Kala (Arts) for girls
Every girl in ancient Vedic Hindu Bharat, were trained by her parents and by teachers to be proficient in the following 64 kalas:
1-Geet vidya – art of classical singing
2-Vadya vidya – art of playing on classical musical instruments
3-Nritya vidya – art of classical dancing
4-Natya vidya – art of theatricals
5-Alekhya vidya – art of painting
6-Viseshakacchedya vidya – art of facial makeup / figure upkeep
7-Tandula-kusuma-bali-vikara – art of Hindu ritual offerings using rice and flowers
8-Pushpastarana – art of decorating with fragrant flowers
9-Dasana-vasananga-raga – art of attractive personal grooming, finer things
10-Mani-bhumika-karma – art of decorative mosaic
11-Sayya-racana – art of bedroom arrangements and home science
12-Udaka-vadya – art of playing on scale music with part liquid filled tumblers
13-Udaka-ghata – art of fluid mechanics
14-Citra-yoga – art of mixing colors and dyes
15-Malya-grathana-vikalpa – art of floral designs
16-Sekharapida-yojana – art of attractive head adornments
17-Nepathya-yoga – art of fashion dressing
18-Karnapatra-bhanga – art of jewel decorating the ear
19-Sugandha-yukti – art of practical application of aromatics
20-Bhushana-yojana – art of using jeweled ornaments
21-Aindra-jala – art of entertainment by magic
22-Kaucumara – art for exuding charm, social grace
23-Hasta-laghava – art of manual dexterity
24-Citra-sakapupa-bhakshya-vikara-kriya – art of preparing varieties of delicious food
25-Panaka-rasa-ragasava-yojana – art of beverage and colourful desserts
26-Suci-vaya-karma – art of needlework and handloom weaving
27-Sutra-krida – art of fashion embroidery
28-Vina-damuraka-vadya – art of playing on veena and small drum
29-Prahelika – art of making and solving riddles
30-Durvacaka-yoga – art of poetry games
31-Pustaka-vacana – art of reading and reciting verses
32-Natikakhyayika-darsana – art of enacting short plays and entertaining anecdotes
33-Kavya-samasya-purana – art of solving enigmatic verses
34-Pattika-vetra-bana-vikalpa – art of canework
35-Tarku-karma – art of spinning fine threads by spindle
36-Takshana – art of carpentry
37-Vastu-vidya – art of vastu architecture
38-Dhatu-vada – art of metallurgy
39-Raupya-ratna-pariksha – art of testing ornaments and jewels
40-Mani-raga jnana – art of charming by tinkling jewels
41-Akara jnana – art of mineralogy
42-Vrikshayur-veda-yoga – art of medicinal herb horticulture
43-Mesha-kukkuta-lavaka-yuddha-vidhi – art of training animals and birds
44-Suka-sarika-prapalana (pralapana) – art of training parrots and mynas to speak
45-Utsadana – art of aroma therapy
46-Kesa-marjana-kausala – art of fashion hair dressing
47-Akshara-mushtika-kathana – art of coded communication
48-Mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa – art of speaking in code language
49-Desa-bhasha-jnana – art of knowing provincial dialects
50-Nirmiti-jnana – art of conscious predictions and gut feelings
51-Yantra-matrika – art of mechanics
52-Dharana-matrika – art of memorising
53-Samvacya – art of tactful conversation, host /guest manners
54-Manasi kavya-kriya – art of composing extempore verse
55-Kriya-vikalpa – art of perceptive decoding and diagnosis
56-Chalitaka-yoga – art of puja room and spiritual etiquette
57-Abhidhana-kosha-cchando-jnana – art of the use of lexicography and meters
58-Vastra-gopana – art of artful dressing apt for the occasion
59-Dyuta-visesha – art of playing dice for social entertainment
60-Akarsha-krida – art of use of magnets
61-Balaka-kridanaka – art of making dolls and toys
62-Vainayiki vidya – art of etiquette and personal discipline
63-Vaijayiki vidya – art of dharmic winning
64-Vaitaliki vidya – art of physical culture, self carriage
These arts provide a practical and useful outlet for creativity and flowering of the individual in a harmonious society. Such skills, though specifically for the female, can be practised by the male too. Those who were proficient in singing and dance gave public performances and the temple was the venue for meeting of the public. Appreciation of the arts and crafts was integral to the way of living in ancient India. Today we see many of these arts and crafts carried over from generations ago. The female in ancient India was viewed with dignity and respect, in fact, the Hindu pantheon of murthies/vigrahas celebrates the female form much more.
Bharat Family cohesion, made the quintessential Bharatiya Naari to view herself in gratitude to her husband and children and being fulfilled by seeing them thrive and receiving their love, respect and gratitude. Timeless rituals like Karva Chauth aid in this. Grateful wives experience very deepest levels of happiness. Karva Chauth festival falls on the 4th day after full moon, in the Hindu luni-solar month of Kartik. The devotion and spirit of sacrifice of the Indian woman to her beloved husband has not wavered. Karva Chauth is the day that symbolizes this love and devotion of an Indian woman towards her husband. Gratitude in a wife is not only her greatest virtue, but is is the parent of all her other virtues. Grateful wives experience very deep levels of happiness. The Vedic way of life is about equilibrium or dynamic balance between your SPIRIT, MIND and MATTER.
Every girl in ancient Vedic Hindu Bharat, were trained by her parents and by teachers to be proficient in the following 64 kalas:
1-Geet vidya – art of classical singing
2-Vadya vidya – art of playing on classical musical instruments
3-Nritya vidya – art of classical dancing
4-Natya vidya – art of theatricals
5-Alekhya vidya – art of painting
6-Viseshakacchedya vidya – art of facial makeup / figure upkeep
7-Tandula-kusuma-bali-vikara – art of Hindu ritual offerings using rice and flowers
8-Pushpastarana – art of decorating with fragrant flowers
9-Dasana-vasananga-raga – art of attractive personal grooming, finer things
10-Mani-bhumika-karma – art of decorative mosaic
11-Sayya-racana – art of bedroom arrangements and home science
12-Udaka-vadya – art of playing on scale music with part liquid filled tumblers
13-Udaka-ghata – art of fluid mechanics
14-Citra-yoga – art of mixing colors and dyes
15-Malya-grathana-vikalpa – art of floral designs
16-Sekharapida-yojana – art of attractive head adornments
17-Nepathya-yoga – art of fashion dressing
18-Karnapatra-bhanga – art of jewel decorating the ear
19-Sugandha-yukti – art of practical application of aromatics
20-Bhushana-yojana – art of using jeweled ornaments
21-Aindra-jala – art of entertainment by magic
22-Kaucumara – art for exuding charm, social grace
23-Hasta-laghava – art of manual dexterity
24-Citra-sakapupa-bhakshya-vikara-kriya – art of preparing varieties of delicious food
25-Panaka-rasa-ragasava-yojana – art of beverage and colourful desserts
26-Suci-vaya-karma – art of needlework and handloom weaving
27-Sutra-krida – art of fashion embroidery
28-Vina-damuraka-vadya – art of playing on veena and small drum
29-Prahelika – art of making and solving riddles
30-Durvacaka-yoga – art of poetry games
31-Pustaka-vacana – art of reading and reciting verses
32-Natikakhyayika-darsana – art of enacting short plays and entertaining anecdotes
33-Kavya-samasya-purana – art of solving enigmatic verses
34-Pattika-vetra-bana-vikalpa – art of canework
35-Tarku-karma – art of spinning fine threads by spindle
36-Takshana – art of carpentry
37-Vastu-vidya – art of vastu architecture
38-Dhatu-vada – art of metallurgy
39-Raupya-ratna-pariksha – art of testing ornaments and jewels
40-Mani-raga jnana – art of charming by tinkling jewels
41-Akara jnana – art of mineralogy
42-Vrikshayur-veda-yoga – art of medicinal herb horticulture
43-Mesha-kukkuta-lavaka-yuddha-vidhi – art of training animals and birds
44-Suka-sarika-prapalana (pralapana) – art of training parrots and mynas to speak
45-Utsadana – art of aroma therapy
46-Kesa-marjana-kausala – art of fashion hair dressing
47-Akshara-mushtika-kathana – art of coded communication
48-Mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa – art of speaking in code language
49-Desa-bhasha-jnana – art of knowing provincial dialects
50-Nirmiti-jnana – art of conscious predictions and gut feelings
51-Yantra-matrika – art of mechanics
52-Dharana-matrika – art of memorising
53-Samvacya – art of tactful conversation, host /guest manners
54-Manasi kavya-kriya – art of composing extempore verse
55-Kriya-vikalpa – art of perceptive decoding and diagnosis
56-Chalitaka-yoga – art of puja room and spiritual etiquette
57-Abhidhana-kosha-cchando-jnana – art of the use of lexicography and meters
58-Vastra-gopana – art of artful dressing apt for the occasion
59-Dyuta-visesha – art of playing dice for social entertainment
60-Akarsha-krida – art of use of magnets
61-Balaka-kridanaka – art of making dolls and toys
62-Vainayiki vidya – art of etiquette and personal discipline
63-Vaijayiki vidya – art of dharmic winning
64-Vaitaliki vidya – art of physical culture, self carriage
These arts provide a practical and useful outlet for creativity and flowering of the individual in a harmonious society. Such skills, though specifically for the female, can be practised by the male too. Those who were proficient in singing and dance gave public performances and the temple was the venue for meeting of the public. Appreciation of the arts and crafts was integral to the way of living in ancient India. Today we see many of these arts and crafts carried over from generations ago. The female in ancient India was viewed with dignity and respect, in fact, the Hindu pantheon of murthies/vigrahas celebrates the female form much more.
Bharat Family cohesion, made the quintessential Bharatiya Naari to view herself in gratitude to her husband and children and being fulfilled by seeing them thrive and receiving their love, respect and gratitude. Timeless rituals like Karva Chauth aid in this. Grateful wives experience very deepest levels of happiness. Karva Chauth festival falls on the 4th day after full moon, in the Hindu luni-solar month of Kartik. The devotion and spirit of sacrifice of the Indian woman to her beloved husband has not wavered. Karva Chauth is the day that symbolizes this love and devotion of an Indian woman towards her husband. Gratitude in a wife is not only her greatest virtue, but is is the parent of all her other virtues. Grateful wives experience very deep levels of happiness. The Vedic way of life is about equilibrium or dynamic balance between your SPIRIT, MIND and MATTER.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Approx 1000 years ago gypsy (mistaken for Egypt) culture of Europe and central asia was established. The gypsy people were from India and taken as slaves by the foreign invaders of India. The people taken as slaves were well versed in music and dance and other art/craft skills. Being enterprising, they fled from initial captivity and spread out to other lands. Their music and dance also influenced the Islamic rulers where such activity were forbidden (by religion) amongst common people. These people created the various musical and dance systems that flourished in the far of lands, often incorporating some of the folk practices prevalent in those lands. Various modern dance forms originated like the Flamenco, a form of song, dance, and instrumental (mostly guitar - from geet) music commonly associated with the Andalusian Roma (Gypsies) of southern Spain. In Andalusia, the Roma people are called Gitanos. Paso Doble is a theatrical Latin dance with Spanish and French influences. It is a dramatic dance that tells a story through sharp, staccato movements, striking body poses, and flamenco style footwork. The gypsy culture was the main creator of such dance forms.
The original single string instrument of India, ravana hasta veena, or ravanahaththa, made from a halved coconut shell or gourd. The ravanahatha is particularly popular among street musicians in Rajasthan, India. The Sangit tradition of Rajasthan further helped in popularizing ravanhatta among women. Many other stringed instruments follow from this initial concept. Modern day Violin instrument looks very similar to nepali sarangi. The initial concept of music and notes are of Indian origin going back to the Vedas - Sama veda. Clearly India's major influence from ancient dance and music is felt all across Europe and central asia. Many new and original systems sprang forth.
The invaders of India were also influenced by the dance and music of India. They hacked and destroyed temples and some of the performers were forcibly taken away by them. These temple musicians and dancers were mistreated, abused and enslaved. To keep the rulers entertained they adapted their style of music and dance to their customs and taste. Some of the more enlightened ones allowed the practice of temple dance and music, so that they can swoop in and take away the best.
When the Britshits came to India they co-mingled with the islamic invader ruler class, some of them adopted their customs and were privy to their inner working style. Over time the Britshits took over and regularized the temple musicians and dancers calling them as DevaDaasi. The Britshits abused these women just like the previous invader class. This term became a connotation for "loose Hindu women" and became the norm. The Britshit soldiers employed in the battle on behalf of the Crown had a field day with Indian women. How else can you explain the huge Anglo Indian population left behind after the Brits left India. The Britshits created all kinds of falsehood concepts like the Sati. This was not a prevalent practice but only resorted to as a last choice by women of honor who did not want to accept their future on earth with the tyrannical foreign despot ruler.
The original single string instrument of India, ravana hasta veena, or ravanahaththa, made from a halved coconut shell or gourd. The ravanahatha is particularly popular among street musicians in Rajasthan, India. The Sangit tradition of Rajasthan further helped in popularizing ravanhatta among women. Many other stringed instruments follow from this initial concept. Modern day Violin instrument looks very similar to nepali sarangi. The initial concept of music and notes are of Indian origin going back to the Vedas - Sama veda. Clearly India's major influence from ancient dance and music is felt all across Europe and central asia. Many new and original systems sprang forth.
The invaders of India were also influenced by the dance and music of India. They hacked and destroyed temples and some of the performers were forcibly taken away by them. These temple musicians and dancers were mistreated, abused and enslaved. To keep the rulers entertained they adapted their style of music and dance to their customs and taste. Some of the more enlightened ones allowed the practice of temple dance and music, so that they can swoop in and take away the best.
When the Britshits came to India they co-mingled with the islamic invader ruler class, some of them adopted their customs and were privy to their inner working style. Over time the Britshits took over and regularized the temple musicians and dancers calling them as DevaDaasi. The Britshits abused these women just like the previous invader class. This term became a connotation for "loose Hindu women" and became the norm. The Britshit soldiers employed in the battle on behalf of the Crown had a field day with Indian women. How else can you explain the huge Anglo Indian population left behind after the Brits left India. The Britshits created all kinds of falsehood concepts like the Sati. This was not a prevalent practice but only resorted to as a last choice by women of honor who did not want to accept their future on earth with the tyrannical foreign despot ruler.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
The Britshits have introduced various erroneous accounts of history, mainly due to Brits being not too bright but are loud mouths who make up stuff on the fly, e.g., Darwin theory is full of nonsense about evolution of species. Dimwit Darwin does not understand the Vedic Brahman and consciousness in the universe and consequently the design of life on earth.
In the 1790s, British philologist and founder of the Asiatic Society of India, William Jones made an erroneous correlation between the Indian kings Xandrames and Sandracottus mentioned in Greek historical accounts during Alexander’s invasion of India in 323 BCE, with Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire. This correlation came to be established as a sheet anchor in Indian History and the monumental blunder caused the erroneous identification of many historical figures with dates of the modern era. Traditional Indian historians bitterly contested the historical sheet anchor of Jones’ identification of Xandrames with Chandragupta Maurya as flawed, as it did not match with the much older and elaborate chronological accounts found in the Puranas from the times of the Mahabharata till the period of the Guptas.
Xandrames and Sandracottus mentioned in Greek historical accounts during Alexander’s invasion of India in 323 BCE has been properly correlated to the king Sadachandra Chandramsha of the Naga dynasty who was a very powerful king who ruled all the way from Bahlika to Banga of the Indian sub-continent. Author and Vedantic Researcher, Shri Mrugendra Vinod researched the correct and authentic identification of Xandrames and Sandrocottus found in Greek accounts. He examined the ancient Indian Puranic chronology of various epochs and using bilateral identification of contemporary Greek and Indian figures come up with king Sadachandra Chandramsha of the Naga dynasty. Xandrames the Greek word is a close cognate of Chandramsha the Indian word.
Indian historians need to ditch William Jones sheet anchor. All the stories made up on behalf of Alexander and Chandragupta Maurya are fairy tales based on the improper correlation of yet another not bright Brit.
In the 1790s, British philologist and founder of the Asiatic Society of India, William Jones made an erroneous correlation between the Indian kings Xandrames and Sandracottus mentioned in Greek historical accounts during Alexander’s invasion of India in 323 BCE, with Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire. This correlation came to be established as a sheet anchor in Indian History and the monumental blunder caused the erroneous identification of many historical figures with dates of the modern era. Traditional Indian historians bitterly contested the historical sheet anchor of Jones’ identification of Xandrames with Chandragupta Maurya as flawed, as it did not match with the much older and elaborate chronological accounts found in the Puranas from the times of the Mahabharata till the period of the Guptas.
Xandrames and Sandracottus mentioned in Greek historical accounts during Alexander’s invasion of India in 323 BCE has been properly correlated to the king Sadachandra Chandramsha of the Naga dynasty who was a very powerful king who ruled all the way from Bahlika to Banga of the Indian sub-continent. Author and Vedantic Researcher, Shri Mrugendra Vinod researched the correct and authentic identification of Xandrames and Sandrocottus found in Greek accounts. He examined the ancient Indian Puranic chronology of various epochs and using bilateral identification of contemporary Greek and Indian figures come up with king Sadachandra Chandramsha of the Naga dynasty. Xandrames the Greek word is a close cognate of Chandramsha the Indian word.
Indian historians need to ditch William Jones sheet anchor. All the stories made up on behalf of Alexander and Chandragupta Maurya are fairy tales based on the improper correlation of yet another not bright Brit.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
I'm not saying you're wrong, but what would be the time period of Kautilya/ Chanakya in that case? Should Kautilya not be associated with Chandragupta Maurya at all?
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My personal theory on yet another British fabrication regarding India - that Indian mothers threw their newborn babies into the Ganga river because of "Hindu superstitions:"
From reading the works of Jabez Sunderland, I got to know of the extent of opium addiction in British India (all legalized by the British). Indian mothers - both Hindu and Muslim - found themselves unable to feed their infant babies, since a. they were too busy working to make ends meet, and b. they weren't getting enough to eat themselves, so were unable to produce enough milk. So they resorted to doping their infant babies with opium for the first two years. My notion is that some of these poor desperate women, being disgusted with the prospect of poisoning their babies, simply threw them into the river in the hope that the babies would attain salvation. And that fed the British tropes about how the superstitious Hindus needed to be civilized.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
^^^ I think the stories if Indian mothers dropping their babies to crocodiles (a variation of what you have written above) are a complete fabrication; done by religious missionaries to denigrate India and Hinduism. Vivekananda had to respond to these stories by reporters in the US (on many occasions) and denied it in clear, categorical terms. He was a contemporary of that period and traveled far and wide in India and would know better. It is mentioned in his written works somewhere. If you are writing this up and need a reference I'll try to look it up.
-Edited a couple of times.
The original story of babies and Ganga sounds suspiciously like the original mythological of Ganga and Santanu (Bheeshma was the only one to survive).
-Edited a couple of times.
The original story of babies and Ganga sounds suspiciously like the original mythological of Ganga and Santanu (Bheeshma was the only one to survive).
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
I never thought about that. Yes, the stories could well be complete fabrication. I'd appreciate the reference which you mentioned, if you can get to it quickly (else don't worry about it).
There was also a report which somebody had posted right here in BRF a while back, about a British account from colonial times - the man was gloating about how they used to bait crocodiles in Sri Lanka with "brown babies." The babies mostly survived, but some, "unfortunately," didn't make it - and it made for an amusing sight, watching the crocodiles having a nice snack.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Many people like VedVeer Arya (he has many YT) have shown that all the dates as published in Wiki are patently wrong about India. The AIT theory required dates to be fudged. For example the original Buddha (not the fake Nepali Buddha pushed by the West) was around 1800 BC. Chandragupta Maurya according to VedVeer Arya is around 1600 - 1700 BC. VedVeer Arya also points out that the Bethlehem star configuration as noted in the Bible during Jesus birth is around 660 BC according to modern astronomy. The original Adi Shankara (there are several shankara) is around 500 BC. Also note Nilesh Oak's Mahabharata dates are way back 5561 BC for the war and I believe he has solid evidence which cannot be refuted. Indians had puranas and kept track of the various kings that ruled. The disruption of the Saraswati river might have caused a hickup in the tracking.
M. Vinod ji has read the Greek accounts as well as the Indian ones and cross-correlated them, which is what any historian worth his/her salt should do. So, I have better faith in M. Vinod ji's assertion.
Kautilya needs to be studied more by Indic researchers.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
sudarshan- you can follow this up.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Comp ... Country%3F
Vivekananda responds to a reporter's question, from what I understand. Crocodile story is mentioned.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Comp ... Country%3F
Vivekananda responds to a reporter's question, from what I understand. Crocodile story is mentioned.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Thanks. From the above:SriKumar wrote: ↑18 Nov 2023 20:41 sudarshan- you can follow this up.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Comp ... Country%3F
Vivekananda responds to a reporter's question, from what I understand. Crocodile story is mentioned.
Pretty remarkable - Bernier says the same, almost word for word, back in 1650: 200+ years before Swami Vivekananda. It was the women themselves who insisted on burning themselves on the pyres of their dead husbands. The Brahmins would do their utmost to dissuade the women from doing that. But if the women were insistent, then the Brahmins would make the preparations. Once the preparations were made, if the women had second thoughts, then the Brahmins would not allow them to go back on their word. That goes counter to the British narrative.Vivekananda denied that people burned widows. It was true, however, that widows had burned themselves. In the few cases where this had happened, they had been urged not to do so by holy men, Who were always opposed to suicide. Where the devoted widows insisted, stating that they desired to accompany their husbands in the transformation that had taken place, they were obliged to submit themselves to the fiery tests. That is, they thrust Her hands within the flames, and if they permitted them to be consumed, no further opposition was placed in the way of the fulfilment of their desires. But India is not the only country where women, who have loved, have followed immediately the beloved one to the realms of immortality; suicides in such cases have occurred in every land. It is an uncommon bit of fanaticism in any country — as unusual in India as elsewhere.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Interestingly America also has crocodile stories where whites are accused of using black babies as Alligator bait.
https://medium.com/history-street/the-s ... c7ddc5cc1c
https://medium.com/history-street/the-s ... c7ddc5cc1c
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Vivekananda is as much a chronicler of his times as he is known for his spiritual message. He had great logic, great memory, traveled widely in India and was thoroughly engaged with the society (in India and in the US, and in UK). He spoke to reporters in US who interviewed him and the interviews were carried in papers and magazines. So there is a clear record about his observations.sudarshan wrote: ↑18 Nov 2023 20:50 Pretty remarkable - Bernier says the same, almost word for word, back in 1650: 200+ years before Swami Vivekananda. It was the women themselves who insisted on burning themselves on the pyres of their dead husbands. The Brahmins would do their utmost to dissuade the women from doing that. But if the women were insistent, then the Brahmins would make the preparations. Once the preparations were made, if the women had second thoughts, then the Brahmins would not allow them to go back on their word. That goes counter to the British narrative.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
I know, I'm just saying, that India has stayed remarkably consistent over the centuries. Reading Fa Hien, Hsuan Tsang, Tavernier, Bernier - some things had simply not changed, all the way from about 200 AD to 1650 AD (some things of course changed a lot - like the transition to Buddhism and back). But core Hindu India seems to have been steady and stable.SriKumar wrote: ↑18 Nov 2023 22:30 Vivekananda is as much a chronicler of his times as he is known for his spiritual message. He had great logic, great memory, traveled widely in India and was thoroughly engaged with the society (in India and in the US, and in UK). He spoke to reporters in US who interviewed him and the interviews were carried in papers and magazines. So there is a clear record about his observations.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
One of the oft repeated claim is Hinduism has 33 koti deities, which others have translated to crores or 10 million. However, the Vedas talk about 33 koti (type, not crore) deities - these 33 deities are amazing allegories of 12 Adityas, 11 Rudras, 8 Vasus and 2 Ashwins. These 33 types are really the internal and external affects that human kind is subjected to in their daily lives and are referred to deities.
In the Bhagavata Purana, the names of 12 Adityas are given. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the eleven Rudras are represented by ten vital energies (rudra-prana) in the body and the eleventh one being the Atman (the atma). The Rudras are within all of us. They are meant as the senses and the mind within an individual. The two ASHWINS (Nāsatyas), twin solar deities and they are the sons of Surya. Eight vasus (deities of material elements) are: varuna (water), prithvi (earth), vayu (wind), agni (fire), nakshatra (dhruv - pole star), dyaus (akasha - ether), aditya (sun), chandra (moon).
Atharva Veda (X:7:13)
yásya tráyastriṃśad devā́ áṅge sárve samā́hitāḥ | skambháṃ táṃ brūhi katamáḥ svid evá sáḥ ||
In whose one limb all the Devas, three and thirty (33) in number, are affixed, tell me of that Support - who may He be?
Who out of many, tell me, is that Skambha He in whose body are contained all three-and-thirty (33) Deities?
The 33 Supreme Deities are:
Adityas 12 (Dwadasa Adityas)
Rudras 11 (Ekadasa Rudras)
Vasus 8 (Ashta Vasu)
Aswini Devas 2
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.2
स होवाच, महिमान एवैषामेते, त्रयस्त्रिंशत्त्वेव देवा इति; कतमे ते त्रयस्त्रिंशदिति; अष्टौ वसवः, एकादश रुद्राः, द्वादशादित्याः, ते एकत्रिंशत्, इन्द्रश्चैव प्रजापतिश्च त्रयस्त्रिंशाविति ॥ २ ॥
sa hovāca, mahimāna evaiṣāmete, trayastriṃśattveva devā iti; katame te trayastriṃśaditi; aṣṭau vasavaḥ, ekādaśa rudrāḥ, dvādaśādityāḥ, te ekatriṃśat, indraścaiva prajāpatiśca trayastriṃśāviti || 2 ||
These are but the manifestations of them, but there are only thirty-three devas.
The eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras and the twelve Ādityas - these are thirty-one, and Indra and Prajāpati make up the thirty-three.
Bhagavad Gita 11.6
पश्यादित्यान्वसून् रुद्रानश्विनौ मरुतस्तथा |
बहून्यदृष्टपूर्वाणि पश्याश्चर्याणि भारत || 6||
paśhyādityān vasūn rudrān aśhvinau marutas tathā
bahūny adṛiṣhṭa-pūrvāṇi paśhyāśhcharyāṇi bhārata
Behold in me, O scion of the Bharatas, the (twelve) sons of Aditi, the (eight) Vasus, the (eleven) Rudras, the (twin) Ashwini Kumars, as well as the (forty-nine) Maruts and many more marvels never revealed before.
So whenever you see nonsense about 330 million deities of Hinduism, laugh at their ignorance and understand that the 33 mentioned are types of internal and external affects for human kind. The 33 delineated factors are not obvious but honed over centuries of careful scientific study by ancient Vedics.
The Vedics were very logical and scientific in their thinking, nothing arbitrary or silly stuff. The Westerners never understood the carefully thought out, mind boggling inner examination which culminated in the priceless Vedas of India. They dismissed it of in their haughty manner. To date, the Vedas have been flawless in understanding the Universe and its purpose and more importantly the significance of human kind - an atma fullfilling its karmic mission on a machine made of material stuff.
In the Bhagavata Purana, the names of 12 Adityas are given. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the eleven Rudras are represented by ten vital energies (rudra-prana) in the body and the eleventh one being the Atman (the atma). The Rudras are within all of us. They are meant as the senses and the mind within an individual. The two ASHWINS (Nāsatyas), twin solar deities and they are the sons of Surya. Eight vasus (deities of material elements) are: varuna (water), prithvi (earth), vayu (wind), agni (fire), nakshatra (dhruv - pole star), dyaus (akasha - ether), aditya (sun), chandra (moon).
Atharva Veda (X:7:13)
yásya tráyastriṃśad devā́ áṅge sárve samā́hitāḥ | skambháṃ táṃ brūhi katamáḥ svid evá sáḥ ||
In whose one limb all the Devas, three and thirty (33) in number, are affixed, tell me of that Support - who may He be?
Who out of many, tell me, is that Skambha He in whose body are contained all three-and-thirty (33) Deities?
The 33 Supreme Deities are:
Adityas 12 (Dwadasa Adityas)
Rudras 11 (Ekadasa Rudras)
Vasus 8 (Ashta Vasu)
Aswini Devas 2
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.2
स होवाच, महिमान एवैषामेते, त्रयस्त्रिंशत्त्वेव देवा इति; कतमे ते त्रयस्त्रिंशदिति; अष्टौ वसवः, एकादश रुद्राः, द्वादशादित्याः, ते एकत्रिंशत्, इन्द्रश्चैव प्रजापतिश्च त्रयस्त्रिंशाविति ॥ २ ॥
sa hovāca, mahimāna evaiṣāmete, trayastriṃśattveva devā iti; katame te trayastriṃśaditi; aṣṭau vasavaḥ, ekādaśa rudrāḥ, dvādaśādityāḥ, te ekatriṃśat, indraścaiva prajāpatiśca trayastriṃśāviti || 2 ||
These are but the manifestations of them, but there are only thirty-three devas.
The eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras and the twelve Ādityas - these are thirty-one, and Indra and Prajāpati make up the thirty-three.
Bhagavad Gita 11.6
पश्यादित्यान्वसून् रुद्रानश्विनौ मरुतस्तथा |
बहून्यदृष्टपूर्वाणि पश्याश्चर्याणि भारत || 6||
paśhyādityān vasūn rudrān aśhvinau marutas tathā
bahūny adṛiṣhṭa-pūrvāṇi paśhyāśhcharyāṇi bhārata
Behold in me, O scion of the Bharatas, the (twelve) sons of Aditi, the (eight) Vasus, the (eleven) Rudras, the (twin) Ashwini Kumars, as well as the (forty-nine) Maruts and many more marvels never revealed before.
So whenever you see nonsense about 330 million deities of Hinduism, laugh at their ignorance and understand that the 33 mentioned are types of internal and external affects for human kind. The 33 delineated factors are not obvious but honed over centuries of careful scientific study by ancient Vedics.
The Vedics were very logical and scientific in their thinking, nothing arbitrary or silly stuff. The Westerners never understood the carefully thought out, mind boggling inner examination which culminated in the priceless Vedas of India. They dismissed it of in their haughty manner. To date, the Vedas have been flawless in understanding the Universe and its purpose and more importantly the significance of human kind - an atma fullfilling its karmic mission on a machine made of material stuff.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Thanks, always wondered about this. There is also a Thiruppavai pasuram which starts as "Muppathu moovar amarar" - 33 deities. But interpreted by many as 33 crore deities.bala wrote: ↑21 Nov 2023 11:09 One of the oft repeated claim is Hinduism has 33 koti deities, which others have translated to crores or 10 million. However, the Vedas talk about 33 koti (type, not crore) deities - these 33 deities are amazing allegories of 12 Adityas, 11 Rudras, 8 Vasus and 2 Ashwins. These 33 types are really the internal and external affects that human kind is subjected to in their daily lives and are referred to deities...
There was an episode of the "Asterix" comics, set in India, where the sage/ fakir and his opponent were blasting each other with curses derived from 330 million Vedic Gods (similar to "By Belenos" or "By Toutatis," but times N*N*N).
On a related note - the word "sahasra" in Sanskrit literally means "one thousand." However, it seems that often, it is to be interpreted as simply "many," rather than "thousand."
Folks who studied at the IITs would be familiar with the slang term "hajaar" which also literally means "one thousand," but in hostels in IIT it simply means "many." Very similar to that.
Nilesh Oak has talked about this, and how western "scholars" messed up when interpreting Indian texts literally, when it comes to the meaning of "sahasra."
For example: one interpretation is that Dasharatha, father of Sri Rama, had 16,000 wives, in addition to his 3 main wives. Apparently this comes from some text in the Ramayana which goes roughly as "sahasra shodasha" or something (I'm not familiar with the exact verse). Interpreted literally, this would mean 16,000. Nilesh Oak says - not so. "Shodasha" simply refers to a young girl - in the sense of "sweet sixteen" and "sahasra" is to be interpreted as "many." So the verse is actually talking about the many young female attendants of Dasharatha's 3 wives, not 16,000 additional wives!
In the same vein, apparently the word "sixty" in Sanskrit could be a proxy for "old" (just like "sixteen" is a proxy for "young"). So when the text talks about the 60,000 sons of Sagara (who were revived by Bhageeratha's penance), it could simply be referring to the many sons of Sagara, who weren't exactly spring chickens.
People performing penance for "thousands" of years simply becomes "many years." "Sahasraksha," "sahasrahastha," etc. simply mean - many eyed, many armed/ handed. And so on.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Nithi in Bharat
Natural cosmic order (Rta, succeeded later by the concept Dharma) that regulates the universe and provides the basis for its growth, flourishing and sustenance – be that of the Isvars, human beings, animals and eco-formations. Hindu texts included Dharma, which include Atmanastushti (satisfaction of one's conscience), Sadachara (local norms of virtuous individuals).
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 1.4.14
धर्मः तस्माद्धर्मात् परं नास्त्य् अथो अबलीयान् बलीयाँसमाशँसते धर्मेण यथा राज्ञैवम् ।
यो वै स धर्मः सत्यं वै तत् तस्मात्सत्यं वदन्तमाहुर् धर्मं वदतीति धर्मं वा वदन्तँ सत्यं वदतीत्य् एतद्ध्येवैतदुभयं भवति ।।
Nothing is higher than Dharma. The weak overcomes the stronger by Dharma, as over a king. Truly that Dharma is the Truth (Satya); Therefore when a man speaks the Truth, they say, "He speaks the Dharma"; and if he speaks Dharma, they say, "He speaks the Truth!" For both are one.
The Brahmanas (Vedas part 2) and the Aranyakas (Vedas part 3) contain numerous precepts which propound rules governing behavior. In ancient Hindu jurisprudence texts, a number of Sanskrit words refer to aspects of law. Some of these include Niyama (Sanskrit: नियम, rule or law), Nyaya (न्याय, legal proceeding, judicial sentence), Yuktata (युक्तता, justice), Samya (साम्य, equality and impartiality in law), Vidhi (विधि, precept or rule), Vyavastha (व्यवस्था, agreement, arrangement or regulation), Sambhasa (सम्भाषा, contract or mutual engagement), Prasamvida-patra (प्रसंविदा-पत्र, written contract),Vivadayati (विवादयति, litigate or dispute), Adhivakta (अधिवक्ता, lawyer), Nyayavadi (न्यायवादी, male lawyer), Nyayavadani (न्यायवादिनी, female lawyer), Nyayadata (न्यायदाता, judge), Danda (दण्ड, punishment, penalty or fine), among others.
The Sanskrit text Vivadarnavasetu, in Chapter 3, states:
If the plaintiff or defendant have any excuse for not attending the court, or for not pleading their own cause, or, on any other account, excuse themselves, they shall, at their own option, appoint a person as their lawyer; if the lawyer gains the suit, his principal also gains; if the lawyer is cast, his principal is cast also.
In a cause where the accusation is for murder, for a robbery, stealing etc, the principals shall plead and answer in person; but a woman, a minor, an insane, or a person lacking mental competency may be represented by a lawyer.
Vivadarnavasetu, include theories of fair punishment: (1) the texts set a standard of right, in order to define a violation that warrants punishment; (2) they discuss the possibility of a violation thereby defining a wrongdoing; (3) they discuss a theory of responsibility and assign-ability of a wrongdoing; (4) the texts discuss degrees of guilt, and therewith the form and severity of punishment must match the transgression; (5) they discuss approved and authorized forms of punishments and how these may be properly administered. The goal of punishment, in Hindu law, has been less retributive and more reformative.
Hinduism and India provided the whole planet with laws. Hindu law fused with local norms and practices, gave rise to legal texts. Hindu law was created on the basis of selective appropriation of the Dharmasastras, especially the Smrtis and to some extent the Nyaya-Mimamsa tradition (the tradition of logic and interpretation) as the methodological tool. Nyaya in Sanskrit literally means justice as per rules. Nyaya school's epistemology accepts four out of six Pramanas as reliable means of gaining knowledge – Pratyakṣa (perception), Anumaṇa (inference), Upamaṇa (comparison and analogy) and Śabda (word, testimony of past or present reliable experts).
Britisher Warren Hastings appointed a team of eleven Pundits to compile a code on Hindu law in 1772. Vivādārṇavasetu is a digest of Hindu law in 21 sections (taraṅga) compiled for Warren Hastings by the pandits. Vivadarnavasetu, the original Sanskrit version was later on rendered in Persian and then into English under the title - A Code of Gentoo Laws from the Persian rendering by Nathaniel Brassey Halhed. It was first published in 1776 followed by several editions and reprints in different European languages. Translations into French and German were published in 1778. This text was repeatedly referred and described in the contemporary documents as the 'standard handbook on Hindu law'. There was an institution of lawyers in ancient India from which King Solomon adopted 2950 years ago.
In ancient India, Nyaya Panchayat were headed by a village Sarpanch. It heard minor civil and criminal cases. There was one Nyaya Panchayat for every three or four villages. Each village Panchayat elected a member to the Nyaya Panchayat. Nyaya panchayats guided by local traditions, culture and behavioural patterns of the village community instills confidence in the people towards the administration of justice. Nyaya Panchayat is a simple system of dispute resolution at village level in India. India has had a long history of resolving disputes through the mediation of respected village elders. These village elders know the pulse of the people and have hindsight. They also know the rotten eggs of the village.
Because the modern justice system is too tardy, ineffective and unreliable, India has gone back to the ancient system of Nyaya Panchayats. This is a system of dispute resolution at village level in India. Nyaya Panchayats can be endowed with functions based on broad principles of natural justice and can tend to remain procedurally as simple as possible. They can be given civil and minor criminal jurisdiction. But they should never follow civil and criminal procedure code in toto. Since a forum for the resolution of disputes with the participation of people in local justice administration is the goal envisaged by Article 39A of the Constitution of India, it is strongly felt by jurists and social scientists that it is incumbent on the government to take immediate steps to activate Nyaya panchayats, given that it might not be possible to render and access justice in rural areas simpler and quicker. They would dispose of a large number of cases and thus relieve the burden of regular courts. They would succeed in getting a large number of cases compromised through peaceful conciliation using principles of natural justice. Here the justice is not blind, the way the West corrupted Indian regular judiciary. Appeals and revisions from these decisions would be small in number. The litigants and witnesses who are mostly agriculturists can conveniently attend the courts and thus there would be no interference with agricultural activities in the village. They don’t have to travel far. Witnesses are treated with respect. The Panchayat could bring justice nearer to the villager without involving the expenditure which would otherwise have to be incurred in establishing regular courts, hiring expensive lawyers who are usually Judases in cahoots with the lawyer of the opposite camp.
Panchayat would have an educative value. Local courts acquainted with the customs of the neighborhood and nuances of the local idiom are better able to understand why certain things are said or done. All conversations are in local dialect or language not some alien language. The people concerned can talk directly to the "judges" – unlike today where the judge will speak onto to the middle man lawyer. There is NO "contempt of court" for incorrect reason like "standing on one leg". The audience is not alien but people in the village who have a stake. People in a village are so closely known to each other that the parties to a dispute would not be able to conceal or produce false evidence easily and those who tell lies before the Nyaya Panchayat face the risk of being looked down upon and even boycotted or ex-communicated by others. Panchayat being drawn from among simple village folk strive at decisions which are fair and at the same time consistent with the peculiar conditions of the parties. Panchayats are held under a banyan tree which remembers everything and liars will have the burden of their karma.
Panchayats, the age-old institution has found new vigour with the introduction of the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution, and most accordingly to be considered another pillar in the edifice that symbolizes justice. This is despite the Collegium judiciary, Benami media and Foreign funded NGOs trying their best to discredit this beautiful traditional system by branding it a "Devil’s Workshop". Strengthening the institution of Panchayats and empowering people at the grass-root level to resolve their disputes amicably would solve many of the problems that are faced by conventional justice dispensation machinery in its attempts to percolate to the lowest levels. This would provide a, solution to the problems of access to those living in remote regions and illiterate tribal community.
The rationale behind setting up the Nyaya Panchayat are:
Fair justice system
Democratic decentralisation,
Easy access to justice,
Speedy disposal of cases,
Inexpensive justice system,
Revival of traditional village community life,
Combination of judicial system and local self government,
Reduction in pressure on Civil Courts.
Procedures followed in Nyaya Panchayats is very simple and informal. The procedure codes like Code of Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act apply to the Nyaya Panchyats. But, they have power to call witnesses and the parties for recording their evidence or producing any relevant document or fact. Unlike courts, they have the power to investigate the facts to find out the truth and at the same time they have the power to punish for its REAL contempt. Lawyers cannot appear before a Nyaya Panchyat in any of its proceedings. Thank Isvara. The advantages of Nyaya Panchayats over the regular courts are priceless. They provide justice at the door steps for the village folks. They provide relief to the ordinary courts as they lift the part of burden of judicial work on their shoulders. In a way, they are emerged on solution to the problem of mounting arrears of cases before the courts. Local culture and traditions are not sidelined. Panchayat System has a great educative value for the villagers.
Regular Courts should be dealing with serious criminal offences, not with petty cases. There must be more labs for DNA evidence. There must be secrecy - to prevent corruption by lab operators, must not know names. There must be code numbers. Justice delayed is justice denied is an axiom that all of us in India understand as we see thousands of cases hanging on without justice for decades. People who abused the system and kept the breadwinner under trials in jail for too long must be punished.
Natural cosmic order (Rta, succeeded later by the concept Dharma) that regulates the universe and provides the basis for its growth, flourishing and sustenance – be that of the Isvars, human beings, animals and eco-formations. Hindu texts included Dharma, which include Atmanastushti (satisfaction of one's conscience), Sadachara (local norms of virtuous individuals).
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 1.4.14
धर्मः तस्माद्धर्मात् परं नास्त्य् अथो अबलीयान् बलीयाँसमाशँसते धर्मेण यथा राज्ञैवम् ।
यो वै स धर्मः सत्यं वै तत् तस्मात्सत्यं वदन्तमाहुर् धर्मं वदतीति धर्मं वा वदन्तँ सत्यं वदतीत्य् एतद्ध्येवैतदुभयं भवति ।।
Nothing is higher than Dharma. The weak overcomes the stronger by Dharma, as over a king. Truly that Dharma is the Truth (Satya); Therefore when a man speaks the Truth, they say, "He speaks the Dharma"; and if he speaks Dharma, they say, "He speaks the Truth!" For both are one.
The Brahmanas (Vedas part 2) and the Aranyakas (Vedas part 3) contain numerous precepts which propound rules governing behavior. In ancient Hindu jurisprudence texts, a number of Sanskrit words refer to aspects of law. Some of these include Niyama (Sanskrit: नियम, rule or law), Nyaya (न्याय, legal proceeding, judicial sentence), Yuktata (युक्तता, justice), Samya (साम्य, equality and impartiality in law), Vidhi (विधि, precept or rule), Vyavastha (व्यवस्था, agreement, arrangement or regulation), Sambhasa (सम्भाषा, contract or mutual engagement), Prasamvida-patra (प्रसंविदा-पत्र, written contract),Vivadayati (विवादयति, litigate or dispute), Adhivakta (अधिवक्ता, lawyer), Nyayavadi (न्यायवादी, male lawyer), Nyayavadani (न्यायवादिनी, female lawyer), Nyayadata (न्यायदाता, judge), Danda (दण्ड, punishment, penalty or fine), among others.
The Sanskrit text Vivadarnavasetu, in Chapter 3, states:
If the plaintiff or defendant have any excuse for not attending the court, or for not pleading their own cause, or, on any other account, excuse themselves, they shall, at their own option, appoint a person as their lawyer; if the lawyer gains the suit, his principal also gains; if the lawyer is cast, his principal is cast also.
In a cause where the accusation is for murder, for a robbery, stealing etc, the principals shall plead and answer in person; but a woman, a minor, an insane, or a person lacking mental competency may be represented by a lawyer.
Vivadarnavasetu, include theories of fair punishment: (1) the texts set a standard of right, in order to define a violation that warrants punishment; (2) they discuss the possibility of a violation thereby defining a wrongdoing; (3) they discuss a theory of responsibility and assign-ability of a wrongdoing; (4) the texts discuss degrees of guilt, and therewith the form and severity of punishment must match the transgression; (5) they discuss approved and authorized forms of punishments and how these may be properly administered. The goal of punishment, in Hindu law, has been less retributive and more reformative.
Hinduism and India provided the whole planet with laws. Hindu law fused with local norms and practices, gave rise to legal texts. Hindu law was created on the basis of selective appropriation of the Dharmasastras, especially the Smrtis and to some extent the Nyaya-Mimamsa tradition (the tradition of logic and interpretation) as the methodological tool. Nyaya in Sanskrit literally means justice as per rules. Nyaya school's epistemology accepts four out of six Pramanas as reliable means of gaining knowledge – Pratyakṣa (perception), Anumaṇa (inference), Upamaṇa (comparison and analogy) and Śabda (word, testimony of past or present reliable experts).
Britisher Warren Hastings appointed a team of eleven Pundits to compile a code on Hindu law in 1772. Vivādārṇavasetu is a digest of Hindu law in 21 sections (taraṅga) compiled for Warren Hastings by the pandits. Vivadarnavasetu, the original Sanskrit version was later on rendered in Persian and then into English under the title - A Code of Gentoo Laws from the Persian rendering by Nathaniel Brassey Halhed. It was first published in 1776 followed by several editions and reprints in different European languages. Translations into French and German were published in 1778. This text was repeatedly referred and described in the contemporary documents as the 'standard handbook on Hindu law'. There was an institution of lawyers in ancient India from which King Solomon adopted 2950 years ago.
In ancient India, Nyaya Panchayat were headed by a village Sarpanch. It heard minor civil and criminal cases. There was one Nyaya Panchayat for every three or four villages. Each village Panchayat elected a member to the Nyaya Panchayat. Nyaya panchayats guided by local traditions, culture and behavioural patterns of the village community instills confidence in the people towards the administration of justice. Nyaya Panchayat is a simple system of dispute resolution at village level in India. India has had a long history of resolving disputes through the mediation of respected village elders. These village elders know the pulse of the people and have hindsight. They also know the rotten eggs of the village.
Because the modern justice system is too tardy, ineffective and unreliable, India has gone back to the ancient system of Nyaya Panchayats. This is a system of dispute resolution at village level in India. Nyaya Panchayats can be endowed with functions based on broad principles of natural justice and can tend to remain procedurally as simple as possible. They can be given civil and minor criminal jurisdiction. But they should never follow civil and criminal procedure code in toto. Since a forum for the resolution of disputes with the participation of people in local justice administration is the goal envisaged by Article 39A of the Constitution of India, it is strongly felt by jurists and social scientists that it is incumbent on the government to take immediate steps to activate Nyaya panchayats, given that it might not be possible to render and access justice in rural areas simpler and quicker. They would dispose of a large number of cases and thus relieve the burden of regular courts. They would succeed in getting a large number of cases compromised through peaceful conciliation using principles of natural justice. Here the justice is not blind, the way the West corrupted Indian regular judiciary. Appeals and revisions from these decisions would be small in number. The litigants and witnesses who are mostly agriculturists can conveniently attend the courts and thus there would be no interference with agricultural activities in the village. They don’t have to travel far. Witnesses are treated with respect. The Panchayat could bring justice nearer to the villager without involving the expenditure which would otherwise have to be incurred in establishing regular courts, hiring expensive lawyers who are usually Judases in cahoots with the lawyer of the opposite camp.
Panchayat would have an educative value. Local courts acquainted with the customs of the neighborhood and nuances of the local idiom are better able to understand why certain things are said or done. All conversations are in local dialect or language not some alien language. The people concerned can talk directly to the "judges" – unlike today where the judge will speak onto to the middle man lawyer. There is NO "contempt of court" for incorrect reason like "standing on one leg". The audience is not alien but people in the village who have a stake. People in a village are so closely known to each other that the parties to a dispute would not be able to conceal or produce false evidence easily and those who tell lies before the Nyaya Panchayat face the risk of being looked down upon and even boycotted or ex-communicated by others. Panchayat being drawn from among simple village folk strive at decisions which are fair and at the same time consistent with the peculiar conditions of the parties. Panchayats are held under a banyan tree which remembers everything and liars will have the burden of their karma.
Panchayats, the age-old institution has found new vigour with the introduction of the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution, and most accordingly to be considered another pillar in the edifice that symbolizes justice. This is despite the Collegium judiciary, Benami media and Foreign funded NGOs trying their best to discredit this beautiful traditional system by branding it a "Devil’s Workshop". Strengthening the institution of Panchayats and empowering people at the grass-root level to resolve their disputes amicably would solve many of the problems that are faced by conventional justice dispensation machinery in its attempts to percolate to the lowest levels. This would provide a, solution to the problems of access to those living in remote regions and illiterate tribal community.
The rationale behind setting up the Nyaya Panchayat are:
Fair justice system
Democratic decentralisation,
Easy access to justice,
Speedy disposal of cases,
Inexpensive justice system,
Revival of traditional village community life,
Combination of judicial system and local self government,
Reduction in pressure on Civil Courts.
Procedures followed in Nyaya Panchayats is very simple and informal. The procedure codes like Code of Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act apply to the Nyaya Panchyats. But, they have power to call witnesses and the parties for recording their evidence or producing any relevant document or fact. Unlike courts, they have the power to investigate the facts to find out the truth and at the same time they have the power to punish for its REAL contempt. Lawyers cannot appear before a Nyaya Panchyat in any of its proceedings. Thank Isvara. The advantages of Nyaya Panchayats over the regular courts are priceless. They provide justice at the door steps for the village folks. They provide relief to the ordinary courts as they lift the part of burden of judicial work on their shoulders. In a way, they are emerged on solution to the problem of mounting arrears of cases before the courts. Local culture and traditions are not sidelined. Panchayat System has a great educative value for the villagers.
Regular Courts should be dealing with serious criminal offences, not with petty cases. There must be more labs for DNA evidence. There must be secrecy - to prevent corruption by lab operators, must not know names. There must be code numbers. Justice delayed is justice denied is an axiom that all of us in India understand as we see thousands of cases hanging on without justice for decades. People who abused the system and kept the breadwinner under trials in jail for too long must be punished.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
The Dispute Resolution system in India (both Commercial, Family and Criminal) is completely broken and corrupt and needs significant change to improve quality of life, building of trust and lubrication of commerce
Panchayat style elected Jury System is needed and the British unelected / conflict of interest ridden Judge based Jurisprudence needs to chucked out.
Panchayat style elected Jury System is needed and the British unelected / conflict of interest ridden Judge based Jurisprudence needs to chucked out.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
This is a valuable YT on bharatiya chronology by Vedveer Arya
Vedveer Arya's lecture on bharatiya chronological history. Shri Vedveer Arya is a 1997 batch officer of 'Indian Defence Accounts Service' (IDAS). He obtained his Master Degree(Sanskrit) from Hindu College (DU) and was awarded the Dr. Radhakrishnan Memorial Gold Medal and CD Deshmukh Memorial Gold Medal by Delhi University. He has authored five books on India's Chronology.
The Historical chronology and it's span back in time is so ingrained in our academia, as it is dictated by a group of historians (all of them commy I might add). But there are evidences that proves otherwise. Findings in archaeology, inscriptions, foreign accounts like that of the Greeks, shows how the very backbone of history, which is the chronology is wrong.
Confusion on Chandragupta Maurya and Alexander is explained! Then there is Ashoka - two of them Kalashoka and Maurya Ashoka!
e.g.
Two Saka Eras confused on in 583 BCE and the other called Sakanta in 78 CE
Buddha and Mahavira were not contemporaries
year of Birth of Jesus is a mess
Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s46eUf8zFkM
// Mahabharata date is in conflict with Nilesh Oak's date!
Vedveer Arya's lecture on bharatiya chronological history. Shri Vedveer Arya is a 1997 batch officer of 'Indian Defence Accounts Service' (IDAS). He obtained his Master Degree(Sanskrit) from Hindu College (DU) and was awarded the Dr. Radhakrishnan Memorial Gold Medal and CD Deshmukh Memorial Gold Medal by Delhi University. He has authored five books on India's Chronology.
The Historical chronology and it's span back in time is so ingrained in our academia, as it is dictated by a group of historians (all of them commy I might add). But there are evidences that proves otherwise. Findings in archaeology, inscriptions, foreign accounts like that of the Greeks, shows how the very backbone of history, which is the chronology is wrong.
Confusion on Chandragupta Maurya and Alexander is explained! Then there is Ashoka - two of them Kalashoka and Maurya Ashoka!
e.g.
Two Saka Eras confused on in 583 BCE and the other called Sakanta in 78 CE
Buddha and Mahavira were not contemporaries
year of Birth of Jesus is a mess
Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s46eUf8zFkM
// Mahabharata date is in conflict with Nilesh Oak's date!
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Tri-Kona-mithi i.e. Trigonometry is originally a Vedic/Hindu concept.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Of course! Even the modern western term sounds like a rip off!
A very laudable effort by Rajiv Malhotra. We need to buy these books to fund more translations and reclaim our intellectual heritage and benefit from it.
A very laudable effort by Rajiv Malhotra. We need to buy these books to fund more translations and reclaim our intellectual heritage and benefit from it.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Temples (Mandhir) Matter
Discover the significance of temples, not just as places of faith but as pillars of openness within Hindu Dharma. Uncover the analogy of Abhimanyu and understand the deeper connection between Tirtha Yatra and Pravachan Parampara. Embrace the wisdom embedded in our granths and itihasa.
In this enlightening talk which delves into the rich tapestry of ancient Vedic heritage and history, exploring why temples matter. In this introduction, the stage for a profound journey into self discovery and sense of peace with the connection of the Devalaya of worship, aided by the purohit performing aarthi and mantras anchors one in an ancient Vedic tradition/ritual which is time tested and proven over centuries. That brief connection with the super consciousness that pervades this universe is self healing and provides everything for the jivatma with shraddha.
00:57 Introduction
01:55 Why should Temples Matter At All?
06:33 Openness Of Hindu Dharma
08:40 Making Temples Socio-Cultural Economic Hub
15:00 Tapping The Needs Of The People
20:05 State Should Be Kept Out Of Temple
25:29 Why Should Only Hindu Temples Suffer
29:48 Temples Should Be Publicly Listed
34:05 Many Dimensions Of Hindu Temples
39:48 Multiple Roles That A Temple Played
45:55 How Does Our Knowledge System Survived ?
50:00 Temples Are Markers Of Our Civilisational Memory
53:35 What Is A Temple?
57:50 Tirtha And Tirtha Purohit
01:04:04 Temples Are A Place Of Faith
01:09:10 We Are All Abhimanyu
01:15:01 We Are The Oldest Survivors
01:17:50 Two Types Of People In India
01:20:56 Tirtha Yatra And Pravachan Parampara
01:27:14 Horrors Of The Invasion And Resistance
01:29:27 Problems In Hindu Society
01:34:23 Non-Congregational Nature Of Hindus
01:40:26 The Resilience, Comeback And Faith
01:47:53 Temples Inside Purana-Qila
01:51:18 Why ASI Is Funding Jama Masjid
01:54:43 Conclusion
Discover the significance of temples, not just as places of faith but as pillars of openness within Hindu Dharma. Uncover the analogy of Abhimanyu and understand the deeper connection between Tirtha Yatra and Pravachan Parampara. Embrace the wisdom embedded in our granths and itihasa.
In this enlightening talk which delves into the rich tapestry of ancient Vedic heritage and history, exploring why temples matter. In this introduction, the stage for a profound journey into self discovery and sense of peace with the connection of the Devalaya of worship, aided by the purohit performing aarthi and mantras anchors one in an ancient Vedic tradition/ritual which is time tested and proven over centuries. That brief connection with the super consciousness that pervades this universe is self healing and provides everything for the jivatma with shraddha.
00:57 Introduction
01:55 Why should Temples Matter At All?
06:33 Openness Of Hindu Dharma
08:40 Making Temples Socio-Cultural Economic Hub
15:00 Tapping The Needs Of The People
20:05 State Should Be Kept Out Of Temple
25:29 Why Should Only Hindu Temples Suffer
29:48 Temples Should Be Publicly Listed
34:05 Many Dimensions Of Hindu Temples
39:48 Multiple Roles That A Temple Played
45:55 How Does Our Knowledge System Survived ?
50:00 Temples Are Markers Of Our Civilisational Memory
53:35 What Is A Temple?
57:50 Tirtha And Tirtha Purohit
01:04:04 Temples Are A Place Of Faith
01:09:10 We Are All Abhimanyu
01:15:01 We Are The Oldest Survivors
01:17:50 Two Types Of People In India
01:20:56 Tirtha Yatra And Pravachan Parampara
01:27:14 Horrors Of The Invasion And Resistance
01:29:27 Problems In Hindu Society
01:34:23 Non-Congregational Nature Of Hindus
01:40:26 The Resilience, Comeback And Faith
01:47:53 Temples Inside Purana-Qila
01:51:18 Why ASI Is Funding Jama Masjid
01:54:43 Conclusion
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Assam prof finds 1500-year-old sculptures in Mizoram village
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 852040.cms
Assam Univ team discovers 1500-year-old sculptures on Mizoram border
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDis ... ID=1147838
According to Nandi, the artistic style of these sculptures is reminiscent of the Gupta and Paul eras (750–1200 CE).
Nandi and Paul claimed that although the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other researchers missed this site, the villagers were guarding the stone structures because they believed that they were sacred to them.
"The locals from the Reang community told us when we arrived that no one had ever gone there for research. These sculptures are without a doubt the oldest examples of this type of art in Barak Valley's history, based on our research," Nandi said.
The Kolalian locals claimed that there were numerous pieces of art across the entire hill, but now there are just a few that remain.
Pitaram Reang, a local, said, "We believe in the Hindu religion and we have been offering Puja to these idols as Hindu Gods and Goddesses for generations."
According to Pradip Kumar Reang, another local, there were forts and numerous other stone structures associated with Reang tribal monarchs in Kolalian, Rengdil, and the surrounding districts. However, the majority of these structures were demolished by foreign invaders.
He said that they were constantly contacting journalists, scholars, and residents of mainland India to draw attention to these pieces because they thought doing so would have preserved the remaining sculptures.
"We honour them as Ganesh, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, and Durga. The notion that surrounds our entire civilization is this one. For many years, the priest's family has been carrying out their obligations. Although we are weak, exposed, and less protected, our principles will never waver," the local added.
Jayanta Bhushan Bhattacharjee, a senior researcher and former vice-chancellor of Assam University Silchar, stated that despite working on the historical sites of Barak Valley for decades, no one realised that such significant efforts were made in this region.
Regarding the geographical history of this region, Bhattacharjee stated that throughout the early centuries, this place had a thriving civilization and a triangle connecting Tripura, Srihatta (Sylhet), and the Dimasa kingdom.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 852040.cms
Assam Univ team discovers 1500-year-old sculptures on Mizoram border
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDis ... ID=1147838
According to Nandi, the artistic style of these sculptures is reminiscent of the Gupta and Paul eras (750–1200 CE).
Nandi and Paul claimed that although the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other researchers missed this site, the villagers were guarding the stone structures because they believed that they were sacred to them.
"The locals from the Reang community told us when we arrived that no one had ever gone there for research. These sculptures are without a doubt the oldest examples of this type of art in Barak Valley's history, based on our research," Nandi said.
The Kolalian locals claimed that there were numerous pieces of art across the entire hill, but now there are just a few that remain.
Pitaram Reang, a local, said, "We believe in the Hindu religion and we have been offering Puja to these idols as Hindu Gods and Goddesses for generations."
According to Pradip Kumar Reang, another local, there were forts and numerous other stone structures associated with Reang tribal monarchs in Kolalian, Rengdil, and the surrounding districts. However, the majority of these structures were demolished by foreign invaders.
He said that they were constantly contacting journalists, scholars, and residents of mainland India to draw attention to these pieces because they thought doing so would have preserved the remaining sculptures.
"We honour them as Ganesh, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, and Durga. The notion that surrounds our entire civilization is this one. For many years, the priest's family has been carrying out their obligations. Although we are weak, exposed, and less protected, our principles will never waver," the local added.
Jayanta Bhushan Bhattacharjee, a senior researcher and former vice-chancellor of Assam University Silchar, stated that despite working on the historical sites of Barak Valley for decades, no one realised that such significant efforts were made in this region.
Regarding the geographical history of this region, Bhattacharjee stated that throughout the early centuries, this place had a thriving civilization and a triangle connecting Tripura, Srihatta (Sylhet), and the Dimasa kingdom.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
In this YT M L Raja talks about Science behind Temple Architecture and how astronomy is used.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8EkICHmIB8
One interesting fact is Angkor Wat, the largest Sri Vishnu temple of the world in Cambodia. In 1996, research done by Univ of Hawaii, 1996 by Eleanor Mannikka (around 49:33) claims:
Angkor Wat depicted the ancient Draco constellation, when it was built. The ground plan of the massive Angkor complex - the terrestrial placement of its principal temples - mirrors the stars in the constellation of Draco, at the time of spring equinox in 10,500 BC. BTW Angkor Wat is situated 13.41 degree N latitude and multiples of 13.41 were used for measurement.
Angkor Wat temple was built to depict Vishnu’s first avatar matsya (sisumara - dolphin) and the second avatar, kurma (part of samudra manthan episode). Vedic texts declare that devout people who know the 14 stars of Sisumara constellation are blessed. This is why after marriage in India, the couple, before consummating the marriage, have to see Thuban star together, as a rite of passage, Vivaha Samskara. Thuban was the North Pole star from 3942 to 1793 BC.
Is there mention of Draco (Sisumara) in Indian texts. Yes.
Vedas say that Sisumara is like the clay in the middle of the potter’s wheel. It moves slowly sitting at the navel, Dhruva rotates on this navel. Dhruva moves in circles day and night consisting of 30 muhurtas in the middle of the two directions (north and south).
Sisumara is explained in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (II.19) Vedas. This hymn names all the 14 stars and also names the last star Abhaya and Dhruva; that is fearless and fixed.
The 14 stars of Sisumara are: 1. Dharma 2.Uttanapada 3.Kratu 4.Narayana 5.Samvatsara 6-7 Ashvins 8-9. Aryama-Varuna 10.Mitra 11.Agni 12.Indra 13.Kashyapa 14.Dhruva. The last four stars ending with Dhruva are circumpolar and can be seen thoughout the year from Bharat.
Srimad Bhagavadam has a chapter that describes how all the planetary systems take shelter of the polestar, Dhruvaloka. It also describes the totality of these planetary systems to be Śiśumāra, another expansion of the external body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhruvaloka is the abode of Lord Viṣhṇu within this universe.
In the planetary system of Dhruvaloka are the planets of the fire-god, Indra, Prajāpati, Kaśyapa and Dharma, all of whom are very respectful to the great devotee Dhruva, who lives on the polestar. Like bulls yoked to a central pivot, all the planetary systems revolve around Dhruvaloka, impelled by eternal time.
Those who worship the virāṭ-puruṣa, the universal form of the Lord, conceive of this entire rotating system of planets as an animal known as śiśumāra. This imaginary śiśumāra is another form of the Lord. The head of the śiśumāra form is downward, and its body appears like that of a coiled snake. On the end of its tail is Dhruvaloka, on the body of the tail are Prajāpati, Agni, Indra and Dharma, and on the root of the tail are Dhātā and Vidhātā. On its waist are the seven great sages. The entire body of the śiśumāra faces toward its right and appears like a coil of stars.
On the right side of this coil are the fourteen prominent stars from Abhijit to Punarvasu, and on the left side are the fourteen prominent stars from Puṣyā to Uttarāṣāḍhā. The stars known as Punarvasu and Puṣyā are on the right and left hips of the śiśumāra, and the stars known as Ārdrā and Aśleṣā are on the right and left feet of the śiśumāra. Other stars are also fixed on different sides of the Śiśumāra planetary system according to the calculations of Vedic astronomers. To concentrate their minds, yogīs worship the Śiśumāra planetary system, which is technically known as the kuṇḍalini-chakra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8EkICHmIB8
One interesting fact is Angkor Wat, the largest Sri Vishnu temple of the world in Cambodia. In 1996, research done by Univ of Hawaii, 1996 by Eleanor Mannikka (around 49:33) claims:
Angkor Wat depicted the ancient Draco constellation, when it was built. The ground plan of the massive Angkor complex - the terrestrial placement of its principal temples - mirrors the stars in the constellation of Draco, at the time of spring equinox in 10,500 BC. BTW Angkor Wat is situated 13.41 degree N latitude and multiples of 13.41 were used for measurement.
Angkor Wat temple was built to depict Vishnu’s first avatar matsya (sisumara - dolphin) and the second avatar, kurma (part of samudra manthan episode). Vedic texts declare that devout people who know the 14 stars of Sisumara constellation are blessed. This is why after marriage in India, the couple, before consummating the marriage, have to see Thuban star together, as a rite of passage, Vivaha Samskara. Thuban was the North Pole star from 3942 to 1793 BC.
Is there mention of Draco (Sisumara) in Indian texts. Yes.
Vedas say that Sisumara is like the clay in the middle of the potter’s wheel. It moves slowly sitting at the navel, Dhruva rotates on this navel. Dhruva moves in circles day and night consisting of 30 muhurtas in the middle of the two directions (north and south).
Sisumara is explained in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (II.19) Vedas. This hymn names all the 14 stars and also names the last star Abhaya and Dhruva; that is fearless and fixed.
The 14 stars of Sisumara are: 1. Dharma 2.Uttanapada 3.Kratu 4.Narayana 5.Samvatsara 6-7 Ashvins 8-9. Aryama-Varuna 10.Mitra 11.Agni 12.Indra 13.Kashyapa 14.Dhruva. The last four stars ending with Dhruva are circumpolar and can be seen thoughout the year from Bharat.
Srimad Bhagavadam has a chapter that describes how all the planetary systems take shelter of the polestar, Dhruvaloka. It also describes the totality of these planetary systems to be Śiśumāra, another expansion of the external body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhruvaloka is the abode of Lord Viṣhṇu within this universe.
In the planetary system of Dhruvaloka are the planets of the fire-god, Indra, Prajāpati, Kaśyapa and Dharma, all of whom are very respectful to the great devotee Dhruva, who lives on the polestar. Like bulls yoked to a central pivot, all the planetary systems revolve around Dhruvaloka, impelled by eternal time.
Those who worship the virāṭ-puruṣa, the universal form of the Lord, conceive of this entire rotating system of planets as an animal known as śiśumāra. This imaginary śiśumāra is another form of the Lord. The head of the śiśumāra form is downward, and its body appears like that of a coiled snake. On the end of its tail is Dhruvaloka, on the body of the tail are Prajāpati, Agni, Indra and Dharma, and on the root of the tail are Dhātā and Vidhātā. On its waist are the seven great sages. The entire body of the śiśumāra faces toward its right and appears like a coil of stars.
On the right side of this coil are the fourteen prominent stars from Abhijit to Punarvasu, and on the left side are the fourteen prominent stars from Puṣyā to Uttarāṣāḍhā. The stars known as Punarvasu and Puṣyā are on the right and left hips of the śiśumāra, and the stars known as Ārdrā and Aśleṣā are on the right and left feet of the śiśumāra. Other stars are also fixed on different sides of the Śiśumāra planetary system according to the calculations of Vedic astronomers. To concentrate their minds, yogīs worship the Śiśumāra planetary system, which is technically known as the kuṇḍalini-chakra.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
वेदवीर आर्य Vedveer Arya puts to rest the controversy (created by the West and Stupid Wiki pedia like sources which dumbly regurgitate nonsense) about आदि शंकराचार्य (Adi Shankarcharya) chronology.
Since Adi Shankarcharya was a venerated guru in Santana Dharm, there were other archaryas named after him, in fact at least 4 more per Kanchi Sources - Adi Shankarcharya, Kripa Shankarcharya, Ujjwala (Sarwajnatman) Shankarcharya, Muka Shankarcharya, Abhinava Shankarcharya.
The birth of आदि शंकराचार्य is 568 BC and his death occurred 532 BC. Some of the stories of Adi, e.g. debates etc are by other Shankarcharya since Mandana Misra was 60 BC - 20 CE/AD are falsely attributed to the original. One of the later Shankarcharya revived the four mathas at Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri and Badrinath.
Based on the accurate book keeping and chronology, वेदवीर आर्य dates Gautama Buddha to 1944 BC - 1864 BC.
The ICHR (council of historical research) of India should be doing such research, instead we have gasbag commys who know no history, no sanskrit, no brains, no original research, infesting such institutes. They regurgitate common western notions of agreed upon dates by racists, brain-dead conclusion people and pooh pooh any contribution by Indians.
One of the celebrated authors of linguistics is Bhartrihari who was author of Vakyapadiyam and lived 935 BC - 860 BC. There were other Bhartrihari based on the practice of naming children after famous people (e.g. we have a Stalin in TN). Bhartrihari II was 610 BC - 530 BC and Bhartrihari III was 100 BC - 20 BC. All the contributions of the later get mixed up with the original.
Since Adi Shankarcharya was a venerated guru in Santana Dharm, there were other archaryas named after him, in fact at least 4 more per Kanchi Sources - Adi Shankarcharya, Kripa Shankarcharya, Ujjwala (Sarwajnatman) Shankarcharya, Muka Shankarcharya, Abhinava Shankarcharya.
The birth of आदि शंकराचार्य is 568 BC and his death occurred 532 BC. Some of the stories of Adi, e.g. debates etc are by other Shankarcharya since Mandana Misra was 60 BC - 20 CE/AD are falsely attributed to the original. One of the later Shankarcharya revived the four mathas at Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri and Badrinath.
Based on the accurate book keeping and chronology, वेदवीर आर्य dates Gautama Buddha to 1944 BC - 1864 BC.
The ICHR (council of historical research) of India should be doing such research, instead we have gasbag commys who know no history, no sanskrit, no brains, no original research, infesting such institutes. They regurgitate common western notions of agreed upon dates by racists, brain-dead conclusion people and pooh pooh any contribution by Indians.
One of the celebrated authors of linguistics is Bhartrihari who was author of Vakyapadiyam and lived 935 BC - 860 BC. There were other Bhartrihari based on the practice of naming children after famous people (e.g. we have a Stalin in TN). Bhartrihari II was 610 BC - 530 BC and Bhartrihari III was 100 BC - 20 BC. All the contributions of the later get mixed up with the original.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
In post on Brit William Jones' idiotic conclusion of Sandrakottus with Chandragupta Maurya, many tales were spun by the Britshits (e.g. Col Wilford) with no scholarship. This is a general trend of Britshits. Those with some iota of brains became rulers (ICS, gov general, etc) whose singular goal was looting India and at the same time committing the world's largest holocaust in Bharat.
Actually one brit Horace Heyman Wilson as secretary of Asiatic society, pointed out in a book that WIlliam Jones' assumption was "imperfectly acquainted with his authorities" {kya colorful language yaar!} but in the end he accepts William Jones' assertion. So much calisthenics on a rigged subject with an idiotic conclusion which has no proof.
Watch Dr. M L Raja take down these Britshits systematically ..
One conclusion is that in Bharat, universities like Taxilla, Nalanda, Sharda, etc., were at least 3500 yrs or older. None of the western university can claim such a status since they were uncouth and living on trees or caves.
BTW, Megasthenes, a greek traveller came to India after Alexander of Macedonia. He mentions Sandrokottas, Xandrames and Amitrochedes (son of Sandrokottos). However Strabo another greek says that Megasthenes was a liar par excellence and none of his writing should be taken as factual.
Actually one brit Horace Heyman Wilson as secretary of Asiatic society, pointed out in a book that WIlliam Jones' assumption was "imperfectly acquainted with his authorities" {kya colorful language yaar!} but in the end he accepts William Jones' assertion. So much calisthenics on a rigged subject with an idiotic conclusion which has no proof.
Watch Dr. M L Raja take down these Britshits systematically ..
One conclusion is that in Bharat, universities like Taxilla, Nalanda, Sharda, etc., were at least 3500 yrs or older. None of the western university can claim such a status since they were uncouth and living on trees or caves.
BTW, Megasthenes, a greek traveller came to India after Alexander of Macedonia. He mentions Sandrokottas, Xandrames and Amitrochedes (son of Sandrokottos). However Strabo another greek says that Megasthenes was a liar par excellence and none of his writing should be taken as factual.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
The Notion of Sanatan Dharma Brahman is not the Western notion of "God"
People in English/Angrez interchangeably equate "God" and Brahman of Sanatan Brahman. However these concepts are orthogonal to each other. In this write up the western "God" term came from the misunderstanding of Sanatan dharma Brahman.
BhagavadGita 4.24
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् |
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना || 24||
brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā
Some history:
हुतम् hutam (offered) became gutam in german and gott in dutch and finally god in Angrez.
Bra in sanskrit is to expand. Brahman is truly unknown and beyond material considerations. In Vedic philosophy Brahman is truly unknown and cannot be expressed by human intelligence. But by universal consciousness we can infer the presence of such entity. It is considered Nirguna i.e. without attributes because attributes are for strictly objects. Brahman is considered both infinity and shunyam in Vedic times. However since Brahman is truly unknown and nirguna, the human mind can only conjure up objects and the great thing Vedic practice provided is to have any object of worship.
Therefore, Sanatan Dharma allows each individual to imagine its own Deva/Devi (these are effectively powers given by human understanding). Bharat has many worship murthis, which is confused with "god". Since human understanding is involved, the three gunas - satva, rajas and tamas are present always. In Sanatan Dharma, the human evolves from the three gunas over many lifetimes, there is goodness, badness in all measures. Frailities and goodness exists in all humans, the amounts vary but you cannot get away from having both (actually three).
The ultimate aim of humans in sanatan dharma is to realize they are a part of Brahman sent as Jiva in this universe and the ultimate goal is reunion back to that Brahman. The Jiva struggles in this realization due to maya which clouds everything. Jiva is an "anga"(part) of brahman in Sanatan Dharma and because of maya it is lost in material pursuits.
The Muṇḍakopaniṣhad states:
द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते ।
तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभिचाकशीति ॥ १ ॥ (3.1.1)
dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṁ vṛikṣhaṁ pariṣhasvajāte
tayoranyaḥ pippalaṁ svādvattya-naśhnannanyo abhichākaśhīti
समाने वृक्षे पुरुषो निमग्नोऽनिशया शोचति मुह्यमानः ।
जुष्टं यदा पश्यत्यन्यमीशमस्य महिमानमिति वीतशोकः ॥ २ ॥
samāne vṛikṣhe puruṣho nimagno-’nīśhayā śhochati muhyamānaḥ
juṣhtaṁ yadā paśhyatyanyamīśha-masya mahimānamiti vītaśhokaḥ (3.1.2)
Two birds are seated in the nest (heart) of the tree (the body) of the living form. They are the jīvātmā (individual atma) and Paramātmā (Supreme Atma). The jīvātmā has its back toward the Paramātmā, and is busy enjoying the fruits of the tree (the results of the karmas it receives while residing in the body). The Paramātmā is a friend of the jīvātmā, but He does not interfere; He simply sits and watches. The jīvātmā has been bestowed with free will.
The BhagvadGita verse 15.7 defines the jīvātma:
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: |
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति || BG15v7||
mamaivānśho jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣhaṣhṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛiti-sthāni karṣhati
The embodied atmas in this material world are My eternal fragmental parts (dhatu). But bound by material nature, they are struggling with the six senses including the mind.
BhagavadGita 18.61
ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति |
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया || 61||
īśhvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛid-deśhe ‘rjuna tiṣhṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
The Supreme Lord dwells in the hearts of all living beings, O Arjun. According to their karmas, He directs the wanderings of the souls, who are seated on a machine made of material energy.
Abrahamic faiths have condemned the human as a "sinner" whose salvation is acceptance of their notion of "God". This is a completely different notion and hence their notion of "God" is very different than the Sanatan Dharma's Brahman. Man and God are not the at the same level, they are very different in Abrahamic faiths.
Based on the above I do not use term "God" in any writing on Sanatan Dharma.
People in English/Angrez interchangeably equate "God" and Brahman of Sanatan Brahman. However these concepts are orthogonal to each other. In this write up the western "God" term came from the misunderstanding of Sanatan dharma Brahman.
BhagavadGita 4.24
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् |
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना || 24||
brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā
Some history:
हुतम् hutam (offered) became gutam in german and gott in dutch and finally god in Angrez.
Bra in sanskrit is to expand. Brahman is truly unknown and beyond material considerations. In Vedic philosophy Brahman is truly unknown and cannot be expressed by human intelligence. But by universal consciousness we can infer the presence of such entity. It is considered Nirguna i.e. without attributes because attributes are for strictly objects. Brahman is considered both infinity and shunyam in Vedic times. However since Brahman is truly unknown and nirguna, the human mind can only conjure up objects and the great thing Vedic practice provided is to have any object of worship.
Therefore, Sanatan Dharma allows each individual to imagine its own Deva/Devi (these are effectively powers given by human understanding). Bharat has many worship murthis, which is confused with "god". Since human understanding is involved, the three gunas - satva, rajas and tamas are present always. In Sanatan Dharma, the human evolves from the three gunas over many lifetimes, there is goodness, badness in all measures. Frailities and goodness exists in all humans, the amounts vary but you cannot get away from having both (actually three).
The ultimate aim of humans in sanatan dharma is to realize they are a part of Brahman sent as Jiva in this universe and the ultimate goal is reunion back to that Brahman. The Jiva struggles in this realization due to maya which clouds everything. Jiva is an "anga"(part) of brahman in Sanatan Dharma and because of maya it is lost in material pursuits.
The Muṇḍakopaniṣhad states:
द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते ।
तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभिचाकशीति ॥ १ ॥ (3.1.1)
dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṁ vṛikṣhaṁ pariṣhasvajāte
tayoranyaḥ pippalaṁ svādvattya-naśhnannanyo abhichākaśhīti
समाने वृक्षे पुरुषो निमग्नोऽनिशया शोचति मुह्यमानः ।
जुष्टं यदा पश्यत्यन्यमीशमस्य महिमानमिति वीतशोकः ॥ २ ॥
samāne vṛikṣhe puruṣho nimagno-’nīśhayā śhochati muhyamānaḥ
juṣhtaṁ yadā paśhyatyanyamīśha-masya mahimānamiti vītaśhokaḥ (3.1.2)
Two birds are seated in the nest (heart) of the tree (the body) of the living form. They are the jīvātmā (individual atma) and Paramātmā (Supreme Atma). The jīvātmā has its back toward the Paramātmā, and is busy enjoying the fruits of the tree (the results of the karmas it receives while residing in the body). The Paramātmā is a friend of the jīvātmā, but He does not interfere; He simply sits and watches. The jīvātmā has been bestowed with free will.
The BhagvadGita verse 15.7 defines the jīvātma:
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: |
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति || BG15v7||
mamaivānśho jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣhaṣhṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛiti-sthāni karṣhati
The embodied atmas in this material world are My eternal fragmental parts (dhatu). But bound by material nature, they are struggling with the six senses including the mind.
BhagavadGita 18.61
ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति |
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया || 61||
īśhvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛid-deśhe ‘rjuna tiṣhṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
The Supreme Lord dwells in the hearts of all living beings, O Arjun. According to their karmas, He directs the wanderings of the souls, who are seated on a machine made of material energy.
Abrahamic faiths have condemned the human as a "sinner" whose salvation is acceptance of their notion of "God". This is a completely different notion and hence their notion of "God" is very different than the Sanatan Dharma's Brahman. Man and God are not the at the same level, they are very different in Abrahamic faiths.
Based on the above I do not use term "God" in any writing on Sanatan Dharma.
Re: Tradition, Culture, Religion & Law in Indian Society
Interesting factoid on trigonometry and the related etymology
https://mathisonian.github.io/trig/etym ... 20499%20CE.
https://mathisonian.github.io/trig/etym ... 20499%20CE.