Harsh Nevatia's Blog

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In 1975 a physicist named Fritjof Capra wrote a book The Tao of Physics, whose byline was “An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism”. In this book Capra described the interactions of subatomic particles as “a dynamic interplay in which particles are created and destroyed without end in a continual variation of energy patterns.” Capra likened this to the Hindu belief of the universe being created and destroyed in a cyclic manner without beginning or end, death and rebirth being an integral part of this process.

This cosmic dance finds manifestation in Nataraj, the King of Dancers. Nataraj is the most popular avatar of Shiva, one of the Hindu Trinity. Perfectly balanced on one leg and with his four arms and the other leg outstretched Nataraj represents the cosmic dance. The small drum that he holds represents the ticking way of time. The images obtained from particle collision experiments replicate the dynamism and energy of Nataraj.

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has been in the forefront of particle physics research since the late 1950s. About 8,000 scientists representing 500 universities and 80 countries are working for CERN. In 1984 the concept of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was officially agreed upon. Indians have contributed more than 100 man-years to the LHC project and have designed and built critical components.

The Indian Government presented CERN with a 2m high statue of Nataraj. This was in recognition of the long association Indian scientists have had with CERN. This statue gave concrete form to the metaphor of Shiva’s cosmic dance first mooted by Capra.

The LHC has gone on stream last week and the collisions are scheduled to take place in October. The idea is to simulate the conditions of the Big Bang and learn some more about the creation of the universe. Only time will tell whether Nataraj is willing to reveal his mysteries or not.

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The Brahmavaivarta Purana describes how Radha emerges from the aspect of Krishna in Rasamandala. There Krishna and Radha weave a magic that humans cannot even imagine. Then during Krishna avatar both Radha and Krishna descend to earth. Poets, artists and devotees have tried to imagine what their first meeting on earth would have been like.

According to folklore Radha was born just months ahead of Krishna to Vrishbhan and Kalavati in Barsana. She did not open her eyes since her birth. Then Nand and Yashoda with the infant Krishna came to visit them from Gokul. Radha sensed Krishna’s presence and opened her eyes so that the first thing she saw on earth was Krishna’s face.

K.M.Munshi, writer, educationist and administrator, rewrote Krishna’s story according to his perception. He imagined the first meeting of Krishna and Radha when they were much older. Radha had come to Gokul and she encountered Krishna tied to a mortar as punishment. Then followed a conversation that was poignant and saucy, something that can take place only between an innocent seven year boy and a girl of twelve who had just stepped over the threshold of maidenhood.

The Krishna and Radha of the television series “Kahani Humari Mahabharat Ki” are even older. Krishna is outside a temple when his peacock feather slips from his hand and is carried by the wind to Radha who is coming to the temple. The wind holds the peacock feather against Radha’s face for an eternity. It is a moment of magic - the first touch of first love; a reunion on earth after separation in Rasamandala; an anticipation of the divine love to follow. Unfortunately the moment in the television series could not capture any of the above despite the power of the medium.

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The Mahabharata War was over. Kunti, Gandhari and Dhritarashtra had retired to a forest to pass their last days. There Kunti encounters a Nishadin, a tribal female. The males of the tribe were Nishadas. The topic of conversation veers to the Lakshagrah and the Nishadin asks, “…You had to provide irrefutable proof that the six of you had been burned to death.” That irrefutable proof was the skeletons of a woman and five men found in the remains of the conflagration. The Nishadin reminds Kunti that the Nishadas were regular visitors at the Lakshagrah because they supplied timber. She points out though it was not common for Kunti to invite the Nishadas for meals, Kunti had once invited a Nishadin and her five sons and served them unlimited amount of wine. Then follows a chilling conversation.

Nishadin: And did you serve wine every time?

Kunti: No

Nishadin: Just that one time?

Kunti: Just that one time.

The insinuation is clear and Kunti does not deny it. The Nishadin and her five sons were knowingly and intentionally burned to death by the Pandavas so as to establish their deaths.

Kisari Mohun Ganguli’s translation has this to say. “Desirous of obtaining food, there came, as though impelled by fate, to that feast, in course of her wanderings, a Nishada woman, the mother of five children, accompanied by all her sons. O king, she, and her children, intoxicated with the wine they drank, became incapable. Deprived of consciousness and more dead than alive, she with all her sons lay down in that mansion to sleep.” (Jatugriha Parva)

The Mahabharata seems to indicate that the presence of the Nishadas was accidental. But would Vidur leave such an important piece in his plan to chance? The answer has to be in the negative.

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Yudhishthir had been appointed heir or Yuvaraja of Hastinapura. This angered Duryodhan and Shakuni. As a part of his duties Yudhishthir was to go to Varnavat, a kingdom outpost, to participate in religious festivities. Shakuni had a palace built there so that the Pandavas and their mother Kunti could stay in comfort. But he had the walls lined with lac so that the entire palace would light up with a single spark.

Vidur learnt of this plan but instead of exposing it there and then he put a counter plan in motion. He had an escape route built and told the Pandavas to set fire to the Lakshagrah themselves before leaving it. The Pandavas, presumed dead, were then to remain incognito till Vidur gave the signal.

What was Vidur hoping to gain? He knew that he would not be able to pin this intended criminal act on either Duryodhan or Shakuni. Some scapegoat would pay with his life. This was true but those who mattered would have read between the lines. Vidur thought that Duryodhan’s power-grabbing behavior after the event would betray his ambitions. But this was thought normal because he was now the only and rightful heir. Vidur thought that the Pandavas were not safe in the court till Duryodhan was exposed. But Duryodhan was not exposed and the Pandavas suffered at his hands after their eventual return.

And the Pandavas lost a lot. Yudhishthir was heir and would have become ruler of the entire kingdom after Dhritarashtra. Because of Vidur’s mistake he had to be contend with half the kingdom because the kingdom was therefore bifurcated when the Pandavas returned to court. Thus Yudhishthir lost half the kingdom. And the hardships that the Pandavas had to bear while living incognito were further pains that accrued from Vidur’s mistake.

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There were two reasons that the events immediately following the Lakshagrah incident were essential for Krishna. The first was Karna. Karna had been befriended by Duryodhan and would fight for him in the inevitable War. Karna had been given an invincible armor by his father Surya. As long as he wore that armor Arjun would be able to kill him in battle. And to get to Duryodhan Karna had to die. Karna was also a great believer in charity and would never let a mendicant go empty-handed. Krishna had planned to get hold of Karna’s armor by asking someone to beg for it. But ‘dharma’ demanded that Karna be given an invincible weapon in return. Krishna needed someone who would be the victim of that invincible weapon so that Arjun could then kill Karna. He needed someone with demonic powers who would trouble the Kaurava army so much that Karna would be forced to use that weapon he was saving for Arjun. After escaping from the Lakshagrah, Bhim met the demoness Hidamba and married her. Their son Ghatotkacha had demonic powers and would willingly sacrifice his life to his father’s cause. This would not have been possible had the Pandavas remained in court.

After escaping from the Lakshagrah the Pandavas eventually settled down as poor brahmins in the village of Ekachakra and mixed with the commoners there. When these commoners realized that the family living with them were none other than the princes of Hastinapura they were astounded. They recalled with pleasant surprise the congenial and humble behavior of the royal scions and their mother and even the help rendered by the Pandavas in the times of distress. It was this approval from the public at large that was essential to establish the righteousness of the Pandavas.

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Ekta Kapoor, the producer of Kahani Humari Mahabharat Ki, is deviating in detail from the storyline of Veda Vyasa. There are many who are complaining but I believe that there is no story re-teller worth his salt who has not twisted the original plots. What Ekta is doing is minor when compared to what Kalidas has done.

She has introduced an encounter between Kansa and an astrologer that I particularly liked. The astrologer tells Kansa that he will be killed in a few years. Kansa then asks the astrologer to predict his own longevity to which the astrologer replies, “ I have 45 years more to live”. Kansa immediately beheads him and proclaims himself God for being able to control destiny.

This serial is perhaps the first to depict Shakuni’s wife. I have seen and read several popular versions of the Mahabharata but have not come across her before. There are almost Shakespearian comic interludes in which Shakuni’s wife tries all sorts of rituals to get her to conceive. If only she was friendly with Kunti, she may have learned the secret incantation from the latter. After all Kunti did produce four sons using it. Ultimately Shakuni does sire a son named Uluk. Uluk plays a minor role in the epic when he goes as Duryodhan’s emissary to the Pandavas. In the war he is killed by Sahadeva.

Finally it is great to see Duryodhan being called by his given name Suyodhan. Suyodhan means good warrior. He came to be called Duryodhan because of his misdeeds. But no child is born evil and the young prince has every right to be called by his correct name. It remains to be seen how and when Ekta makes the transition from Suyodhan to Duryodhan.

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Yesterday 150 pilgrims died at the shrine of Naina Devi, which is one of the Shakti Peeths formed where the eyes of Sati fell following the tragedy at Kankhal. The deaths resulted from a stampede that had been set off by rumors of a landslide. It is said that there were about 30,000 pilgrims who had gathered on the festive occasion.

The frenzied reaction of a section of the Hindu community on the Internet was expected. They have immediately blamed the Government of India for not providing sufficient safeguards. They have called on the Government to ensure adequate facilities at all Hindu shrines. And they have cited the Government’s readiness to concede to such demands from Muslims. That this tragedy has taken place while the protest against the Amaranth issue is at pitch has evoked stronger reactions.

These people unfortunately do not realize that there can be no protection against rumormongering. Railings meant to protect individuals cannot withstand the pressure of thousands of people. Due to the growth in population and the religious resurgence the crowds at Hindu shrines are continuing to grow. I am not aware of the topography of the Naina Devi shrine but I know of several shrines that can be reached only through narrow alleys, where organizing for better logistics would entail bringing down existing buildings and this again would be unacceptable.

One part of the grouse voiced on such occasions is unfortunately true. The Government of India continues to pander to minority religions because they make excellent vote banks. And this hurts the Hindus who then raise the ante. Currently the Haj committee has applied for doubling the number of Haj pilgrims citing an increase in the Muslim population. Elections are round the corner. Let us see how the Government responds.

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Hindu mythology is replete with births as a result of the blessings of sages and deities. These have been generally interpreted as divine conceptions devoid of any sexual contact, perhaps because there has been an element of the supernatural involved.

But Niyog Pratha is a legitimate social custom that allows the brother of a deceased male to impregnate the widow. There is nothing supernatural in it. Hence when Kahani Humari Mahabharat Ki, a new television serial retelling the story of Mahabharata, portrayed the conception of Pandu and Dhritarashtra in an asexual nature it came as a surprise.

Kahani Humari Mahabharat Ki has a fresh approach to the portrayal. The ornate costumes and sets typical in Indian mythological presentations have been replaced with minimalist designs. The women characters who have appeared thus far are not one dimensional cardboard characters but have been endowed with sensuousness. Hence seeing divine rays emerging from Veda Vyasa eyes and penetrating the wombs of Ambika, Ambalika and the female slave appeared unpalatable.

This event is described in Section CVI of the Sambhava Parva of Adi Parva, the first book of the Mahabharata. I am referring to the translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, which is well accepted. While describing the impregnation of Ambika the translation reads, “The princess, seeing his (Veda Vyasa) dark visage, his matted locks of copper hue, blazing eyes, his grim beard, closed her eyes in fear. The Rishi, from desire of accomplishing his mother’s wishes, however knew her.” This beyond doubt indicates that sexual intercourse took place.

Ekta Kapoor, the producer of the serial, is neither prudish nor squeamish as her several television products testify. Perhaps it is the religious and the family nature of the serial that has led to this prudish interpretation.

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Saint Paul’s Publications released The New Community Bible (Catholic Edition) in India on June 28, 2008. The objective was to make it easier for the Indians Christian community to understand the Bible. The cultural background of the Christians in India is very different from those in the West and therefore it was felt that this Indianisation was needed.

The Indianised Bible is illustrated and the Biblical characters are shown in traditional Indian clothing. This is one aspect of Indianisation. The other is to juxtapose relevant Hindu concepts in the commentary. This has been done only in a positive way without denigrating Hinduism, a welcome departure from the stand the Catholic Church in India usually takes. An example is the explanation of the Vedic interpretation of light when discussing the Christian concept as in the Genesis.

Several members have called this Indianisation a sacrilege against Christianity. They particularly resent Hindu concepts given in the Bible. The radical Hindus have also not taken to this very kindly. They see this as an attempt to step up the conversions of Hindus to Christianity. They state that the cultural differences cited by the editor of the Bible. Fr. Augustine Kanachikizhy, always existed. The rate of conversions among the educated classes has died down because Christianity is believed to be an alien concept incongruous with Indian culture. The Hindus claim that the Indianised Bible will break this cultural barrier and result in increased conversions.

Fortunately the Catholic leadership is firmly backing the Indianised Bible. Fr. Anthony Charanghat, spokesperson for the Archbishop of Bombay, says, “The narrow-minded will misunderstand but we shouldn’t fear explaining our religion using other (non-Christian) concepts”.

The Indianised Bible comes close on the heels of the Indianisation of the Churches.

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I have recently encountered two different arguments concerning the wagering of Draupadi by Yuddhishthir, her husband and the eldest of the Pandavas.

The anti-Hindu argued that the Pandavas were righteous therefore everything they did had to be praiseworthy. They wagered their wife in a dice game. Therefore in Hinduism wagering of wives is a praiseworthy practice.

The pro-Hindu replied that the wagering of Draupadi was not a willful act. The Pandavas were invited to the dice game by their King and uncle, Dhritarashtra. Being obedient nephews they had no choice but to agree. Everything that took place thereafter was given tacit agreement by Dhritarashtra. And the Pandavas were helpless because they were bound by duty to obey their elder. Therefore in Hinduism obedience of elders is the praiseworthy practice. Dhritarashtra was on the side of the evil. And therefore compelling someone to wager his wife is an evil practice.

The assumption by the anti-Hindu that the personages in Hindu scriptures are either totally good or totally evil is flawed. All human beings have a combination of good and evil. When the good dominates we say that they are good and vice versa. Yuddhishthir was basically a righteous person, with one flaw. He loved gambling. The conclusion cannot be that gambling is good. The conclusion has to be that a good person can have flaws.

The pro-Hindu person argued that Yuddhishthir wagered his wife out of compulsion and not out of choice and therefore was not accountable for it. This is blind rationalization. If Yuddhishthir could not refuse the game of dice he could definitely refuse to wager his wife because she was not his property. Yuddhishthir’s act was at best one of misplaced righteousness and at worst the desire to win back his losses of the earlier wagers.

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I had mentioned in my last blog that too many people are visiting Amarnath and this will spell doom for the shrine. I was referring to the ecology but even the logistics are becoming unmanageable. There are two routes for the shrine – one from Baltal and the other from Pahalgam. Each route can cater to a maximum of 6,000 pilgrims a day. Some news channels reported that there were over 36,000 devotees on the opening day itself. When the army, which manages the logistics, tried to release only 6,000 persons from the camp at Baltal the assembled pilgrims almost twice that number created a furor and forced their way to Amarnath. There are reports of over 25,000 pilgrims assembling at the shrine daily. The living and food arrangements have been made for a throughput of 6,000 and there have been reports of pilgrims going hungry. There have also been reports of some of the pilgrims being physically unfit for the arduous journey. After the stampede the army has been able to halt the Yatra at the various camps in order to ensure that only 6,000 pilgrims leave from Pahalgam and Baltal.

Meanwhile the Shrine Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) that manages the shrine has denied that there has been a stampede. They have stated that only one person has died and that too of cardiac arrest. It is difficult to believe that over half a dozen news channels have got it wrong, unless they are cutting and pasting news from each other’s web sites.

Let us not forget that this Yatra is extremely sensitive to terrorist attack as well. And above all let us hope that sense will prevail before a major untoward incident takes place.

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The first batch of pilgrims is on their way to the Amarnath cave. I wish this was not so. There are certain sites in the Himalayan regions that are suffering extensive ecological damage. One of the reasons is that these sites cannot absorb the increasing influx of pilgrims. Amarnath, Gangotri and Kailash Mansarovar are some of them. The ice Shiva ling at Amarnath has been naturally made for centuries. In 2006 the priests patched up the Shiva ling with ice because the naturally made Shiva ling was found to be much smaller in size that year. This created a furor, but for the priests it had been a damned if you do and damned if you don’t choice. Nothing was reported last year but this does not mean nothing untoward happened. Lessons have to be learnt and pilgrimages to Amarnath have to be stopped otherwise we fill find that the natural Shiva ling will become smaller and smaller in successive years.

There are those who disagree and their argument needs to be stated for the purpose of fairness. They believe that the major cause of the damage is the universal global warming over which India has no control. The contribution of the pilgrims to the local warming of these areas is insignificant. Hence they feel that the pilgrims cannot be deprived of their right to worship at these places.

How significant or insignificant is the contribution of the pilgrims cannot be easily assessed. But no chances should be taken. I suggest that the pilgrimages be stopped for 5 years. If the damage continues unabated then the situation may be reviewed. In this context the Chinese stopping the pilgrimage to Mansarovar over the issue of Tibet may be viewed as a blessing in disguise.

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The third quarter issue of Hinduism Today is out and as ever the content and presentation are excellent. I would like to react to some of the content. This is by no means a judgment on the views expressed by the learned writers; it is simply a statement of my experiences.

The first concerns the article from the Publisher’s Desk “Who is the Greatest God?” The article outlines four views on who is greater Vishnu or Shiva. Historically and academically this has been a pertinent question as explained by Satguru Veylanswamy. But in my interaction with Hindus (most of whom do not profess any academic or sectarian leanings) this question is non-existent. While each of them has their favorite deity, or ishta deva, they are not preoccupied with the position of prominence of their ishta deva. Whether they believe that all deities are manifestations of the same Supreme Being or they have equal respect for other viewpoints I do not know, because the issue has not come up. The issue has, however, been raised in several of the cyberspace forums I participate in and the threads have soon turned bitter, dogmatic and even abusive. It is very unfortunate that today vested interests are using religion to divide humanity. In such circumstances issues that divide are best ignored.

The long article on Madhavacharya “Difference Is Real” by Jeffrey Armstrong is a masterpiece. It details Madhavacharya’s argument that the difference between the jiv atma and the param atma is real as opposed to Shankaracharya’s argument that the difference is illusionary. (Advaita, Vishishta Advaita, Dvaita) As my writings demonstrate, I look for similarities and not differences. Therefore the best line in the article for me was “…Madhav and Shankar agree that liberating the soul from matter is the goal of Vedanta.”

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Last week a new Hindu temple was consecrated in New York’s Staten Island amid much celebration. Outside India, the Hindu diaspora have to work hard to build a temple. The organization of the permissions and the funds take years. In the absence of a proper temple worship is conducted privately at homes or in makeshift meeting halls, which are much less satisfying.

The opening of the temple in Staten Island illustrated a very important aspect of Hindu worship. That is the need to consecrate a place of worship according to the methods laid out in the scriptures. This act of consecration breathes life into the idols. Just before the consecration ceremony Mr. Ram Nair, a trustee of the temple, said, “The power isn’t invoked in them yet. In a couple of hours, it will be.”

In the ritual of consecration 108 golden vessels, filled with water and each containing a coconut, were tied with red threads. The other end of many of these threads went to the mini-shrines called mandaps, which housed statues of gods. The prayers of the devotees travel through the threads and into the idols, breathing life into them. The water represents the infinite element of God and the idols are the visible manifestations. This process transfers the divine power of the infinite God to the idols. When Hindus stand in front of idols to pray, it is this divine power that has been received by the idols in the consecration ceremony that blesses them. Durga, Saraswati and Hanuman were some of the deities represented in the temple.

This temple will cater to the 500 odd Hindu families from different parts of India who live on Staten Island. Earlier they had to travel to Queens or Edison to worship in a temple.

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The Ramayana: Love and Valor in India’s Great Epic is the title of the exhibition put up by the British Library in London. The exhibition portrays the retelling of the Ramayana across centuries and cultures.This is one of my favorite themes (Refer to Different Versions of the Ramayana) and I wish I could be there. The exhibition opened on the 16th of May at the Library and will run till the 14th of September.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is the 120 rare, lavishly illustrated, 17th century Ramayana paintings from the collection of Rana Jagat Singh of Mewar. These grand paintings with vivid, bright colors are replete with narrative detail and dramatic imagery and cover all major episodes of the Ramayana. Two of the volumes have been painted by Sahib Din. The other volumes have been presumably painted by his assistants. All except one volume is in the Mewar style. The exception is the volume depicting episodes set in the kingdom of Kishkindha, which has been influenced by paintings from the Deccan. These exhibits have been designed by Tara Arts Theatre Company and have been patronized by K. K. Birla, British Library Patrons and the Friends of the British Library. Some of the paintings, in a digitized format, can be seen at the website of the British Library.

The exhibition also displays paintings, textiles and sculptures from other collections such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum. A unique display consists of shadow puppets and dance costumes from the Horniman Museum. The exhibition also features recordings of readings various versions of the Ramayana, the singing of related devotional hymns and dramatic and dance music from India and South-East Asia. A must see is the event featuring shadow-puppetry from Bali and Java.

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By the end of May 2008 the monarchy in Nepal will be dissolved. The present monarchy is the only surviving Hindu monarchy. Nepal was a Hindu state till 2006, when it was declared secular.

The monarchy begins with Dravya Shah who founded the Gorkha Kingdom in the 16th century. In the 18th century Prithvi Narayan Shah unified Nepal. In the reign of Rajendra Shah the conflict between the royal family and the prime minister escalated and the king was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, who became a puppet of the prime minister. Thereafter for a hundred years the power rested with the Rana family who provided the prime ministers on a hereditary basis. The position of the monarch became titular.

In the mid 20th century, the people of Nepal began to rally against the despotic rule of the Rana family. The then monarch, Tribhuvan Shah supported this movement, but was forced to flee to India with most of his family. The Ranas placed the king’s infant grandson, Gyanendra, on the throne but the population reacted strongly. Tribhuvan was called back and the rule of the Ranas ended. Tribhuvan then initiated the democratization process in Nepal. However his son Mahendra was against democracy and undid the good work his father had begun.

Mahendra’ son, Birendra was pro-democracy and is considered the best king Nepal had. The king and most of the members of his family were massacred allegedly by his son Dipendra, who also shot himself. However conspiracy theories abound. Dipendra was crowned while in coma but died without recovering consciousness. He was succeeded by Birendra’s brother Gyanendra, the same person who had earlier ruled for a few months. Soon King Gyanendra will be known as the last Hindu monarch of Nepal.

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A gentleman, Pita brought this news item to our notice at a social networking site. The item was posted under the heading “Slokas on the Mount” in India View.

The article says that the Vatican has sanction the ‘inculturation’ of churches meaning the indigenisation of churches through “assimilating local culture and symbols in construction, layout, interior design, …”. This should not have come as a surprise but it did.

It should not have come as a surprise because Christianity itself took roots in an indigenisation process. All major festivals of Christianity coincide with the pagan festivals that were being celebrated by the early Roman society. It did surprise me because after that initial step of ‘inculturation’ Christianity for the last 2000 years has taken a rigid stand in even making minor adjustments to its set beliefs.

The article states that the process will be implemented in the 168 Catholic dioceses in India, and is already under way in 45 churches. One of the obstacles in the spread of Christianity has been its identification as a part of “Western” culture and therefore alien to Oriental indigenous cultures. Hence this move of the Christian Church is welcome. Many Indian Christians have a sense of belonging neither here nor there, and hopefully future generations of Indian Christians will not face this dilemma. The ‘inculturation’ also involves performing aarti in churches and this should go a long way in bridging the artificially created current religious divides.

The article quotes Nitya Chaitanya Guru as saying, “It is not totally baseless if Hindu leaders fear that ‘Indianisation of Christianity’ is meant to bring about ‘Christianisation of India’. I could not disagree with Nitya Chaitanya Guru more. Not only is this statement totally unfounded but it is meant to increase the existing religious divides.

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Mixing politics with religion is undesirable but it inevitably happens. Religion affects an overwhelmingly large number of people and politicians cannot resist the temptation to manipulate the masses or to score brownie points using religion. The latest case is China’s refusal to issue visas to Hindus who wanted to visit Kailash Mansarovar this summer.

Mount Kailash is where Shiva resides. This mountain lies on the shore of the equally holy Mansarovar Lake. Since these sites lie high in the Himalayas they can be visited only in summer. Every year 12,000 Hindus make this pilgrimage in batches. Kailash and Mansarovar lie in Tibet, which was annexed by China in the 1960s and subsequently has been recognized by the international community as a part of China. Therefore China has to issue visas to the Hindu pilgrims, which it has been doing in the first week of April for many years. This year. However, it has refused to issue visas.

The official reason is that the Chinese office that processes the visas is situated in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Due to the Tibetan uprising in Lhasa in April the office had to be closed and then came the scheduled holiday time. So visas could not be processed. But the real reason is that China feels that India is sympathetic to the Tibetan cause and is retaliating in a show of strength. China has always had an axe to grind because India offered sanctuary to the Dalai Lama, the head of the Tibetan Buddhists. Now it is accusing India of severely curtailing the Olympic torch relay and not giving it the media publicity that China desired. It is also accusing India of not being severe enough with the Tibetans who organized peaceful protests against the Chinese government.

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Most lists of Dashavatar include Buddha as the ninth avatar of Vishnu. Some include Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna, as the ninth avatar instead of Buddha. I have a problem with both.

Balarama was indisputably the avatar of Sesha Nag, the serpent on which Vishnu reclined in the lake of Kshirsagar, just as Laxman was the avatar of Sesha Nag during Rama avatar period. Hence to include Balarama as an avatar of Vishnu is anomalous.

The teachings of Buddha are quite divergent from Hinduism. If you ask any Buddhist, whether a follower of any ancient school of Buddhism or the neo-Buddhists who have converted from Hinduism after India’s independence, if he is a Hindu then you will be met with disbelief or contempt. No Buddhist considers himself or herself to be a Hindu. Yet there are many Hindus who consider Buddhism an offshoot of Hinduism – ridiculous but true.

The inclusion of Buddha as the ninth avatar of Vishnu was nothing but an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the massive conversions from Hinduism that were accompanying the sermons of Buddha. In fact Hinduism was perhaps at its worst at the time Buddha started preaching. Social exploitation in the name of religion was beginning to entrench itself and many of the Brahmin class were corrupt and greedy. No wonder there was disillusionment and Buddha found a ready following.

The reconciliation of the differences between Buddhism and Hinduism is even more amazing. The standard line followed in most scriptural texts is that Vishnu as Buddha intentionally preached false scriptures so as to prevent the demons from accessing the true faith and therefore preventing their salvation. If some humans were fooled into believing Buddha then it was an inevitable side effect.

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In Hinduism avatars are the incarnations of the supreme God. Traditionally Vishnu has ten major avatars known as Dashavatar, out of the later five are in human form. The Bhagavata Purana lists twenty-four avatars of Vishnu.

In my discussions on various forums on Hinduism I have come across the following conceptions of avatars.

• Avatars are God in human form but without human qualities.
• Avatars are God in human form and take on human qualities.
• Avatars are legendary persons who have been deified.
• Avatars are created from a combination of many legendary figures.

For Hindus the last two definitions are inconceivable because the go against basic belief. Secular historians and sociologists have suggested these options because they base their opinions on evidence and not on belief.

Hindus argue about the first two options. The problem arises because the avatars exhibit both divine and human characteristics. Those who believe that avatars are divine go to great lengths to offer explanations for the human qualities. The fundamental problem seems to be a reluctance to accept that the Divine would take human characteristics. But there is a valid reason for them to do so.

In the most quoted verse of the Bhagwad Gita it is said that God descends to earth as an avatar in order to annihilate evil and thus restore the balance between righteousness and evil. But there is no doubt that God can do that without taking on an avatar. The reason for taking an avatar with human characteristics is to pass on the message that humans have the capacity to combat evil. But then there are times when the avatars use divine powers to kill demons.

In my opinion it is dangerous to make far-reaching generalizations. Each event must be taken in its proper context and appropriate lessons drawn

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Next to Ravana, Kaikeyi is presented as the most evil character in the Ramayana. She sent her stepson to exile and was responsible for her husband’s death. Since then parents have not named their daughter Kaikeyi.

I cannot accept that Kaikeyi was inherently evil. God used her as an instrument in His mission. Before Rama vanquished Ravana he had to exaggerate the differences between power, greed, arrogance and meekness, selflessness and humility. To do so he could not attack Lanka as the king of Ayodhya but had to do so as a simple human being. Therefore the drama of being exiled and cut off from Ayodhya was crucial to his plan. And he made Kaikeyi an unwitting partner.

Yet her behavior is out of character. Even in God’s Lila the niceties of realism have to be observed. Kaikeyi was a strong willed woman. She loved Rama more than she loved Bharat. So how could she so easily succumb to the wiles of Manthara? This question has not ceased to vex me. The only explanation I could provide was that God induced a temporary weakness in her so that He could execute His plan.

Then I read Ashok Banker’s series on the Ramayana. He has introduced events and characters not present in the popular version of the narrative. But he has resolved the issue of Kaikeyi’s character beautifully. Manthara is an agent of Ravana and versed in the dark arts. She drugs Kaikeyi to keep her in her room and transforms a slave to the splitting image of the queen. Then the slave, looking like Kaikeyi, acts out the events of that fateful night. Kaikeyi remains true to her character and her honor is maintained. This of course is Banker’s invention but how I hope this had been the truth.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Last month the Vatican newspaper published a list of seven deadly sins that were rampant in the modern world. These were genetic modification, human experimentations, polluting the environment, social injustice, causing poverty, financial gluttony and taking drugs. With the old seven deadly sins of lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, anger, envy and pride, the total now becomes fourteen.

Sin and religion are inextricably linked, because one of the functions of religion is to keep people away from sin. In my understanding sins that require Divine punishment, such as the deadly sins, are those moral or ethical transgressions that cannot be covered under human law. The old seven deadly sins fit this description.

The new list of the seven deadly sins, however, is somewhat puzzling on several counts. One would expect the new sins to be a product of modern society. In fact the Vatican announcement said just that. But social injustice, causing poverty and financial gluttony are almost as old as human civilization. If one believes that these transgressions did not exist in feudal Europe when the power of the Vatican was at its zenith, then one is turning a blind eye to history. Environment pollution and taking drugs are punishable by law therefore need not be left to Divine retribution. To call genetic modification and human experimentations sins is myopic. It is a step back to the ages when Galileo was tried for heresy and had his eyes put out.

If the new seven deadly sins are baffling then the reasons for declaring them are more so. If the Catholic Church wants to stem its dwindling flock then it has to take a more inclusive approach to diversity rather than brand diversity as heresy. It needs to take a leaf out of Hinduism in this regard.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Christian myths have been handed down the last two thousand years virtually without change. In their original perspective they are so far removed from the concerns of modern young people that they are in danger of being forgotten.

Reverend Harrison of St. John’s Church at Hillingdon, London, has rewritten ten popular stories from the Bible in a way to make them more appealing to a modern audience. These stories include David and Goliath, the Garden of Eden, the Nativity, the Crucifixion, the Ten Commandments and Noah’s Ark.

In the Garden of Eden Harrison emphasizes Adam’s fixation on Eve’s beautiful body. This strikes a chord with our preoccupation with the female form be it in advertising or beauty pageants. Goliath is depicted as having lost because he was suffering a hangover from the previous night’s overindulgence. How often do our sports pages report that better teams have lost because key players began celebrating a bit too early. It is to the credit of the Reverend that he has published originals from the Bible alongside the makeover versions so that there can be no mistaking that his are changed versions.

Hindu myths have always been in a process of evolution. The originals found in the epics and the Puranas are considerably varied in themselves. Later every writer of note has molded these stories to suit the social compulsions of the times. I have written earlier on this theme earlier in The Rewriting of Mythsand The Makeover of Pururava. Though Hindu purists have decried these changed versions of scriptural tales, the fact of life is that if you do not change then you die. It now remains to be seen how the Christian purists react.

The blog is in response to a news article Vicar rewrites 10 most famous Biblical stories.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Holi is a time for letting ones hair down and a number of songs celebrating Holi are legion. Bollywood, the Hindi movie industry, has come up with songs that have become a part of Holi folklore.

Rang Barse, the most popular Holi song ever is from a 1981 film Silsila, meaning The Affair. It starred some of the greatest actors in the industry. The closest friend of the hero dies in a plane crash leaving behind a pregnant girlfriend. The hero is obliged to forsake his girlfriend to marry his friend’s so that she is not shamed. Years later the hero meets his girlfriend who is also now respectably married. But old flames are kindled and an affair blossoms. During the course of the affair the lovers and their spouses and some friends get together to celebrate Holi. Bhang, an intoxicant, is traditionally consumed during Holi, andthe hero drinks too much. This is the setting for the song, which cuckolds the husband and celebrates the lover. I give below the translation of the lyrics. The Hindi lyrics are available at Lyrics and Song.

The colors are flowing and the lady with the scarf is getting drenched, Who has sprayed you with colors and wet your bodice, It is the colorful reveller! The colors are flowing and your scarf is drenched.

The dinner is set out in a plate of gold, But it is the lover who eats while the husband looks on helplessly.

A mouth freshener is prepared with cinnamon and cloves, But it is the lover who chews on it while the husband looks on helplessly.

The bed is laid out with fragrant flowers, But it is the lover who sleeps on it while the husband looks on helplessly.

It is Holi! The colors are flowing and your scarf is drenched.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Working at my desk today I noticed three red-letter days on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd of March. 20th is Id-e-Milad, a Muslim holiday, 21st is Good Friday, a Christian holiday, and 22nd is Holi, a Hindu holiday. India perhaps is the only country in the world where these three important days of different faiths are all public holidays. And this speaks volumes of the way Indians have assimilated diverse cultures and religions.

But this is not what has prompted this blog because these three occasions are public holidays every year. I was amazed at the coincidence that they fall on consecutive days. It must be remembered that each falls on different dates each year according to the Gregorian calendar. In my memory it is the first time they are occurring on consecutive days. During the extended week end Indians would do well to ponder over how important it is to maintain communal harmony and to participate in religious occasions of other faiths. Meanwhile here is a brief write up on the three holidays.

Id-e-Milad is observed as the birth and death anniversary of the Prophet Mohammed. It falls on the twelfth day of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic Calendar. During the twelve days preceding Id, sermons on the deeds of the Prophet are delivered in mosques.

Good Friday is observed as the anniversary of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It falls on the Friday before Easter. This is a day of mourning.

Holi essentially celebrates the onset of spring. In most parts of India it is celebrated by applying colors on each other. The name derives from that of the she-demon who was burnt in the flames when she tried to kill the devotee Prahlad.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

One’s heritage is important. One must be aware of it, be proud of it and respect it. But if one allows heritage to obstruct natural evolution then heritage becomes counterproductive. When different cultures co-exist, as they have to do more and more today, then heritages must be allowed to intermingle to create new heritages.

Much has been said of the Hindu Muslim riots in India. These riots are against the grain of natural society and are the handiwork of politicians or other powerful interests. Ever since the Muslim invaders decided to settle in Hindustan the Hindus and Muslims have created a unified society with mutual love, respect and admiration. One of the surest testimonials to this unity is the fact that Hindus flock to the dargahs of Sufi saints confident that their wishes will be fulfilled after paying obeisance there.

The Hindu Puranas are much older than Islam and therefore do not and cannot contain tales of Hindu Muslim unity. They do however describe stories of the intermingling of various Hindu factions, for example the Shaivites and Vaishnavites. But Hindu religion has evolved since the time of the Puranas. There are myriad local folk beliefs that have interwoven current events with religious narratives to create a fabric of inter-religious harmony.

One such example is the shrine of the Muslim saint Vavar, which stands close to the Ayappa Swami temple at Sabarimala. A Muslim priest performs the daily rituals and pilgrims to Sabarimala make it a point to worship here as well. This is because there are many tales about the interaction between Lord Ayappa and Vavar. The most narrated one being that Vavar was a pirate who was defeated by Lord Ayappa. He then became an associate and the most ardent follower of Ayappa.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Sabarimala is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. From November to January devotees undertake an arduous 41-day pilgrimage to the shrine. Women between the ages of 10 and 50, which is between puberty and menopause, are not allowed to participate. In ancient Hindu societies women were considered unclean during their menstrual cycle and hence were isolated during that period. This notion was perhaps then valid because of the inadequacy of personal hygiene products. Today, this is not the case, and therefore most of the restrictions have been done away with. The restriction on worship however remains.

In most temples there is no ban on women entering. Women are aware of this restriction and generally comply willingly. However in Sabarimala the restriction is an enforced one. Women have been regularly arrested for trying to enter the temple precincts, the latest incident occurring in November last year. This prompted the Indian Young Lawyers Association to file a case in the Supreme Court challenging the ban. The Travancore Devaswom Board, which is the duly constituted governing body, claimed that it had statutory authority to form the rules and regulations and was upholding age old religious practices in not allowing women to enter. They have provided some reasons. The State of Kerala, where the temple lies, was also made a respondent. It made ambivalent statements in an attempt to defend both vote banks. It said that it decried discrimination against women, but at the same time the scholarly reasons for the ban need to be understood. Hence it proposed the setting up of a committee that would examine if the ban confirmed to the principles and philosophy of Hinduism.

A single judge heard the case on March 7, 2008, and referred it to a three-judge bench considering the far-reaching consequences any judgment will have.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Ashok Banker last year completed his six volume opus on the Ramayana. The work would not classify as “mythology” because Banker has shown a lot of inventiveness. I guess the correct classification would be “fictional history”.

Banker has created events and relationships to heighten the drama. But these have been done with finesse and integrity. For example he has depicted Kaikeyi’s maid Manthara as being dedicated to Ravana and an enemy within the royal household. Sita fights the demon armies of Khara and Dushana alongside Rama in a bitter battle. There is an epic battle between the two giants Hanuman and Kumbhakaran. To reveal more would be to spoil the fun for those who want to read the books.

But Banker has been true to the characters as portrayed in the several earlier versions of the epic and as enshrined in our collective memory. Also Banker has taken adequate care not to offend the sensibilities of the devotees of Rama who would be among his readers. Perhaps “taken adequate care” is not a correct choice of words. It implies something done with forced will. Banker would inherently be aware of the sanctity of the subject matter and would not desecrate it because it is dear to him more than for any other reason.

This is why authors who write fictional history must share the same cultural background as their subjects otherwise they are bound to step over the line as the London based Jaishree Mishra has allegedly done in her novel on Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. She portrays a fictional love affair between the queen and Robert Ellis, a political agent of the British East India Company, which has been interpreted as sleeping with the enemy, and has hurt sentiments.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The much awaited Hindi movie Jodha Akbar released this week. It took over two years in the making, had a budget of over $10 million and starred two of the greatest icons of Bollywood – Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bacchhan. However the movie has encountered a wave of protests, including stalling of the screening of the movie, from the Hindu Rajputs against alleged incorrect portrayal of a Rajput princess.

The first claim of the protestors is that Jodha was not Akbar’s wife but his daughter-in-law. Many eminent historians have come out in support of this. The historians claim that The Akbarnama is the most substantive and authentic record of Akbar’s reign. It mentions that he married a Rajput princess but does not mention the name. The princess does not get a second mention in The Akbarnama. Gowariker and UTV, the movie’s producers, have come out with a list of sources in their defense. Let me add my two bit. We were taught in our history class way back in the 1960s that Akbar did marry Jodha, the sister of the Rajput chief Man Singh in order to cement the alliance between the Mughal Emperor and the Rajputs. But we have also learnt now that not everything taught in our history class was indisputable.

The second claim by the protestors is that the portrayal of a love affair between Jodha and Akbar is out of character and is a slur on the Rajput image. Even if the marriage had taken place for political compulsions, a Rajput princess would have treated it as a sacrifice for the good of her clan. She may have given her body to the Mughal King but never her heart. The producers of the movie admit the romance is fictional but within the realms of possibility.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi passed away on February 5, 2008 in his home in the Netherlands. In January he had declared that his life’s mission had been accomplished and that he would devote the rest of his to complete his publications. However that was not to be. But he passed away peacefully in his sleep, without illness and without suffering, the way most of us would want to go, but very few are fortunate enough to do so.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was one of the first to take Hinduism to the west as a practical discipline rather than merely an academic study. He received tremendous popularity when the Beatles became his disciples, but unfortunately that relationship did not endure.

Mahesh Yogi is best known for founding Transcendental Meditation, a meditation technique aimed at eliminating stress, promoting good health and attaining inner fulfillment. He himself was the best proof of his theories living a healthy life to the age of over ninety. Transcendental Meditation encouraged both followers and copiers and has remained one of the most popular practices till date.

Transcendental Meditation soon became big business and it provided Mahesh Yogi the means to implement his other schemes. Prominent were the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, and the Maharishi Vedic City, a few miles north of Fairfield.

Mahesh Yogi was born as Mahesh Prasad Varma in the central Indian town of Jabalpur. He studied physics at Allahabad University and later became the disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, who was the Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math. It was under the influence of Swami Brahmananda that Mahesh Yogi developed his spiritual capabilities.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The right to worship the way we want should be a fundamental right. If a person wants to convert out of dissatisfaction with his present belief or even because of inducement offered then he should be at a liberty to do so.

In this context the brouhaha being made by several Hindu organizations in India will be counterproductive in the long run. There are two reasons for this. The choice of religion is a fundamental right that cannot be taken away. And the concept of conversion itself has no place in an inclusive religion like Hinduism. When a religion propagates that all faiths are different paths to the same God how then can it condemn a person for choosing a different path.

The perceived problem arises because the other major religions are exclusive and do not accept Hinduism as a valid path to God. This provokes a childish reaction “If you do not accept my way as valid then I will not accept your way”. In India there is perhaps significant conversion away from Hinduism to Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. This is largely a backlash of the caste system which has over the centuries been given a religious overtone. It is also the inability of the well do to sections of Hindu society to reach out to their economically deprived brethren.

I think it is high time that the Hindus once again see their inclusive philosophy as their strength and not their weakness. Whatever drawbacks exist in the administration or perception of their religion, need to be addressed. It is important to realize that world over people are beginning to value the inclusiveness and tolerance Hinduism offers and this will be lost by the constant bickering against conversions.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Samavratee translates as “a wife who has the same mission as her husband”, and is the epithet given to Vishnupriya, the wife of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the ballet. Vishnupriya always knew that her husband was an extraordinary person. His learning and wisdom were beyond compare. He had introduced compelling changes in society like abolishing animal sacrifice and permitting of all castes to worship God. She desired to share the simple pleasures of life with Gouranga. Gouranga was the birth name of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. When she saw other couples playing Holi together she too desired moments of intimacy with her husband.

But she also began to realize that Gouranga was destined for great things. Particularly after the demise of his father, Gouranga’s affinity for the worship of Krishna increased and he desired to devote the rest of his life to unhindered union with his God. Vishnupriya saw that Gouranga was torn between his desires and his duty as a husband and decided to take the call. She adopted Gouranga’s mission as her mission and earned the title of Samavratee. Completed crushing her own aspirations she released Gouranga from all responsibilities towards her and thus gave the world Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Her sacrifice may seem out of place in a world where attainment of one’s desires at all costs is the norm. It may seem ridiculous in a world where even in the sporting arena sportsmanship has given way to gamesmanship. But it is precisely for this reason we need to be reminded of men and women who were able to see the larger picture and were able to put the good of all before their personal pleasures. In this respect Vishnupriya as Samavratee stands tall.

The ballet was performed in the classical Manipuri style by Bimbavati Devi and her troupe.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

In his Return of the Aryans Gidwani paints a plausible picture of the Indus Valley civilization at about 5000 BCE. The Indus valley was a fertile land and the tribes settled there squabbled for space for their increasing numbers. War between tribes was common with losses of life on both sides. This necessitated a way of life in which preparation for war preceded all other activity. Tired by this thoroughly unproductive and undesirable state of affairs some learned men sought to find a way out.

One of the first approaches to resolution was to permit inter-tribe marriages. The resulting blood ties put an end to the desire to fight. Religion has been a strong force throughout time and was so then. The second step was to start worshipping each other’s deities. In the beginning this took the form of two different tasks but over generations the deities were fused into a common thread and into a common mythology. As more and more tribes integrated into one common civilization the number of Gods kept on increasing. It is interesting to note that the dominant tribe did not force its Gods onto the weaker tribes that sought integration but assimilated that tribe’s beliefs into its own.

This theory put forward by Gidwani in the form of a fictional history explains some aspects of Hinduism. First it explains the multitude of Gods that Hindus worship. As explained in The Pagan Origins of Hinduism, when Vedic thought evolved to the realization of one Supreme God these ancient deities were still worshipped and remained a part of the Hindu tradition. Simultaneously the theory explains the Hindu tolerance and even acceptance of other religions. Hindus are comfortable with any other religion because they see Hinduism itself as a fusion of diverse ideas.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Washoe County in the state of Nevada has proclaimed January 12 as Sanskrit Day. This has been received heartily by all Hindu followers as the relaying of the news across Hindu sites on the Internet suggests.

The proclamation was made by Robert M. Larkin, the Chairman of Washoe County Commission, and recognizes the importance of the Sanskrit language. Sanskrit Day will be accompanied by a two-day Sanskrit language seminar-cum-class conducted by the prominent Hindu chaplain, Rajan Zed. Readers will remember that Rajan Zed had recited Hindu prayers in the U.S Senate on July 12, 2007. He has earlier recited the prayers in Nevada State Assembly.

As the proclamation mentions, Sanskrit’s importance lies in the understanding of Hinduism, which is drawing an increasing following in the West. However the importance of Sanskrit is far greater than that. Its perfect grammatical structure can play a role in the development of a universal language. Because of its similarities with the languages of the Middle East and Europe it can help trace the migration of man. Some details are available in my article “The Reverse Aryan Invasion”.

Whereas few would argue with the importance of Sanskrit, I do not agree with the quotation of Mahatma Gandhi – “Without the study of Sanskrit, one cannot become a true learned man”, which forms a part of the Washoe proclamation. The list of true learned men and women who did not know Sanskrit would be fairly long and easy to construct.

Without undermining the importance of this event, I would also like to point out that World Sanskrit Day is celebrated world over on the full moon day of Sravana month according to the Hindu calendar.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Bhagwan Gidwani’s The Return of the Aryans was first published in 1994. At that time my journey in Hinduism had not commenced. I was taught in school that the Aryans were a foreign race that invaded India, then settled there and started the Vedic way of life. Hinduism and the Aryan Influence provides insights on this theory. Gidwani advocates that the Aryans were first Hindus and left India in about 5000 BC to find a better life outside India. I initially viewed the book as another attempt to make money by being anti-establishment.

As I engaged in my discovery of Hinduism, I began to realize that there is merit in Gidwani’s viewpoint. The Reverse Aryan Invasion elaborates on this point of view. Several times I thought of reading the novel, but stayed away for two reasons. First I did not have sufficient exposure to Hinduism to make an independent assessment of Gidwani’s take. Though Gidwani’s novel was based on extensive research, I felt I needed to read more on the early history of Hinduism before taking up the novel. The second reason was that at almost 1000 pages the novel would have intruded on my other commitments.

Now I have started on the book. It moves at a brisk pace but I do not know how long I will take to complete it. There is an issue I am especially looking forward to. It is universally advocated that the term Hindu is a Persian corruption of the word Sindhu; the ancient name of the river Indus. Gidwani does not hold this to be true. He claims that the term Hindu evolved organically from within the Vedic culture. His reasoning would be interesting.

Undoubtedly there will be more blogs on The Return of the Aryans.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

An article in the Indian Express on the 27 December 2007 refers to a project by the Sri Lankan Tourism Department, in which they aim to develop sites in Sri Lanka associated with the Ramayana as tourist destinations. The Lanka of Ravana was situated in Sri Lanka and the final events of the Ramayana were enacted there.

The Sri Lankan Tourism Department has identified several important sites. Sita was held captive at Goorulupota. Goorulupota is today known as Sitakotuwa and a temple dedicated to her still exists. The epic battle between Rama and Ravana took place in Yudhaganapitiya. Rama released the Brahmastra that killed Ravana from Dunuwila. Hanuman had brought the Dronagiri Mountain from the Himalayas so that Laxman could be revived using a plant found on it. It is believed that the mountain now rests at Rumassala.

What I find amazing is that the Sri Lankan Tourism Department is seeking India’s assistance for this project. Though Rama’s journey from Ayodhya to Lanka covered a large part of modern India there is no such project in India. Religious tourism is a totally untapped source, despite the rich mythological heritage of the Epics and the Puranas. How then can India assist Sri Lanka in this venture? Today the political situation in India is such that the government is afraid to promote anything associated with Hinduism because that “angers” its minority vote bank. A few months ago the government’s Archaeological Survey of India had informed the Supreme Court that there is no historical evidence of the existence of Rama or of the events in the Ramayana. The issue arose when the government backed The Samudrasetu Ship Canal Projectto build a canal between India and Sri Lanka involved destroying a part of Rama’s Bridge.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

In Christian theology, the Second Coming refers to the promised return of Jesus to earth to finally establish the Kingdom of God on earth by punishing the evil. In Yeats’ poem, written in 1920, the time for the Second Advent is ripe on account of the increasing proliferation of bloodshed and evil in this world. Only this time Christ will not turn his other cheek nor be martyred for the sake of humanity. In the Second Coming as envisaged by Yeats, Christ will assume the form of a ferocious Sphinx who will wreak vengeance the evil on the day of the Last Judgment.

In Hindu theology god descends on earth as avatars or incarnations. He does so whenever evil becomes unbearable with the purpose of destroying the wicked and establishing the rule of the righteous, as explained in the Bhagwad Gita. There are ten major incarnations of which nine have already happened. The last incarnation, known as Kalki, will arrive on Doomsday to end this cycle of time. Everything will be destroyed and the universe will later be created afresh. The Kalki avatar has been described as riding a white horse, brandishing a sword with which he slays the evil.

Though most of the past incarnations have been benign, some of them have been fearsome. The most ferocious has been the Narasimha avatar, with the body of a man but the face and claws of a lion, the opposite of a Sphinx. The purpose of the Narasimha avatar was to slay the evil demon Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu was given a boon that he would not be killed by either man or beast and therefore the hybrid form.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The Hindu community is the largest ethnic community in Detroit. The Swaminarayan temple in the suburb of Canton is run by the renowned BAPS group that operates temples all over the world. Their latest temple opened recently in Atlanta. The temple members were meeting with planning commissioner, Catherine Johnson, to discuss a $5 million expansion plan. It was during this meeting that Ms. Johnson asked whether Hindu women ritually urinate in public. She claimed that residents of the suburb had told her that many Hindu women had urinated in public during the groundbreaking ceremony of the temple in 2000. Mr. Shah representing the temple told the press that these remarks were offensive and false. Though Ms. Johnson was asked to resign she claims that her query was justified.

I cannot believe that a woman of seventy-one and one who is qualified enough to serve in the commissioner’s office should harbor such notions about a consecration ceremony. I do not know if Ms. Johnson believes in God and if so what religion she follows. I do not think, and I hope that I am correct, that any Hindu would ever believe that such rituals could be a part of any religion. Hinduism is an inclusive religion and we are brought up not only to respect other faiths but to believe in them. Despite differences we see no dichotomy. It is time for the leaders of other faiths to introduce inclusiveness in the faiths they preach.

The second issue is about stereotyping of minorities. No race, minority or majority, is a monolithic entity and stereotyping harms the heterogeneous societies that exist today. Educationists must ensure that from primary school levels stereotyping is avoided by removing it from school curricula wherever it exists.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Hinduism Today is a magazine that promotes Hinduism in various ways. Is mission is to foster Hindu solidarity, to be a source of information for those interested in Hinduism, to inspire those desirous of following the Hindu faith and to protect the scriptures and the interests of Hinduism. It is published quarterly in electronic and print form by the Himalayan Academy, which is a traditional Saivite Hindu monastery in Hawaii.

I was referred to the October-December 2007 issue by a reader of my work on Suite101, who saw a reference to one of my blogs in the magazine. The highlights of Hinduism Today are its bright colorful images, contemporary news, expert opinions and in-depth articles. The lead article of the issue is the pilgrimage to the six renowned temples of Lord Murugan and the cover appropriately is a painting of Lord Murugan serenely astride his vahan, the peacock. Lord Murugan is the elder son of Shiva and Parvati and is also known by the names Skanda, Shanmugam and Kartikeya.

The ten-page feature on Hindu Music is a must for lovers of Indian music. The article traces the origin of music from the Sama Veda to the various forms of contemporary Indian classical music. I find special empathy with Dr. Karan Singh’s view on the interfaith movement. Dr. Karan Singh is from the vanishing breed of erudite luminaries who have contributed whole-heartedly to the development of both Hinduism and India.

Hinduism Today reflects the full diversity of Hinduism from theology to culture. Every reader will find articles that interest him or her. I am sold on the magazine. Do log onto the Hinduism Today website and check it out.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The source of the Ganga is at Gaumukh near Gangotri, where the river is formed by the melting of the Gangotri glacier. However the locals refer to the stretch of the river from Gangotri to Devaprayag as Bhagirathi. This is in recognition of King Bhagirath whose severe meditation was responsible for the descent of Ganga from heaven. On the way to Devaprayag, the Bhilganga, emerging from the Khatling glacier, joins the Bhagirathi at Tehri. This is the site of the controversial dam. At Devaprayag the Bhagirathi merges with the Alaknanda. The Bhagirathi is the fiercer river having had a steeper descent, but the Alaknanda is the broader river having accumulated the waters from several tributaries.

The Alaknanda has its source near the Balakun peak. At Vishnuprayag the Dhauliganga merges with it, at Nandaprayag the Nandakini merges with it and at Karnaprayag the Pindar merges with it. Then at Rudraprayag it meets is main tributary the Mandakini. The Mandakini emerges from the Charabari glacier near Kedarnath. It takes in the Vasukiganga at Sonprayag before merging with the Alaknanda. The stream emerging from the confluence of the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi is known as the Ganga. So in one sense the Ganga is born at Devaprayag.

Prayag as you may have guessed is the Hindi word for confluence. The Ganga descends from Devaprayag and reaches the plains at Haridwar and starts flowing eastwards across north India. The above-mentioned journey of the various rivers takes place in the Garhwal Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand. The sources of the rivers lie at altitudes between 6000 and 7000 meters.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

I have maintained that religious intolerance is on the rise and this can be very harmful to the integrated nature of our society. Hence creative people need to exhibit greater sensitivity when portraying religious subjects. Opponents of this view cite creative freedom and freedom of speech. In truth the dividing line is not only very thin but also subjective.

In India Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes has written to the Censor Board and excerpts from his letter as available in the press are reproduced here. He has written, "The movie unnecessarily targets the Catholic Church and its leaders and this is not acceptable to a community that respects other religions and other leaders. … To present Catholicism in a distorted manner is an insult to its followers, not only in India but elsewhere also."

Elizabeth: The Golden Age is a period film set in times of a clash between Catholics and Protestants. I have not seen the film and neither do I have any great knowledge of British history so I am not in a position to judge whether history has been distorted. In any event there has never been one version of history. All I would like to say is that I hope the Catholic community in India, which has raised its voice first against Da Vinci Code and now against Elizabeth: The Golden Age, speaks up for Hindus when the Hindus complain of their religion being denigrated.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

A year back I wrote a blog “Who is a Hindu?” Yesterday I came across an article “Practising Hindu? London school to decide” by Prasun Sonwalkar that gave a definition of a ‘practicing Hindu’. This definition was given by a Hindu school in Britain named Krishna-Avanti Primary School. The criteria of being a practicing Hindu are as follows.

• Praying daily
• Worshiping a deity either at home or at a temple
• Accepting and following Vedic scriptures, in particular the Bhagavad Gita
• Doing voluntary work at temples at least once a week
• Attending temple programs at least fortnightly
• Abstaining from all meat, alcohol, smoking and drugs

Krishna-Avanti Primary School is Britain’s first state-funded Hindu school. I am against state funding of religious schools, but Britain funds Christian and Islamic schools and therefore why not Hindu schools. This is an acceptance of the contribution made to British society by its Hindu citizens and recognition of their needs.

My first reaction to this definition was negative. I have nothing against the conditions per se. They are laudable. But to me Hinduism is a tolerant religion that does not impose practices but tries to inculcate them from within. Therefore I was uncomfortable with the imposition of conditions.

But as I read on my apprehensions vanished. Schools are required to have in place stated and credible admission conditions. For a religious school the criteria have to be relevant to the faith. What impressed me was the statement from the authorities that the “policy is not meant to exclude people”. If seats are available then students from families that do not practice the above requirements will be admitted. Ultimately the school is looking to induct students from other faiths as well. I sincerely hope they mean it.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Hindutva, which translates as Hindu nationalism, was a term coined by Savarkar during India’s freedom struggle against the British. Before the British established rule over India, much of the country was ruled by a succession of other Muslim invaders. Hence Hindutva meant getting rid of the stigma of the rule by Muslims as well. According to the proponents of Hindutva, the Hindu prestige could be redeemed only by creating a Hindu motherland that included all territories to the south of the Himalayan Mountains. Hence Akhand Bharat or undivided India was their call. It was for this that they opposed the partition of India and assassinated Mahatma Gandhi for agreeing to the partition.

Religion and nationalism is a dangerous mix, more now than ever before. Hence the revival of Hindutva is ominous. Opposing Hindutva does not mean opposing Hinduism or opposing the legitimate rights and grievances of the majority religion in India. Opposing Hindutva means opposing the concept that non-Hindus have no space in India. Speaking to a world audience over a hundred years ago, and implicitly addressing the Christian community, Vivekananda had said the world peace cannot be achieved by one religion trying to subjugate all others. There is no alternative to coexistence. What applies to the world applies to India as well, and the proponents of Hindutva would do well to heed the words of one of the most famous leaders of Hinduism, and to eschew the model of the Islamic state.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The exiled Rama, his brother Lakshman and wife Sita need to cross the river Ganga but the ferryman Kevat keeps them waiting.

Ramayana is an epic of destiny and every character has a mission carried over from his or her previous life. Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu and Sita that of his consort Lakshmi. Lakshman is an incarnation of Seshnag, the many headed serpent on whose coils Vishnu rests while Lakshmi massages his feet. A turtle wanting to touch the feet of Vishnu approached Seshnag. Lakshmi saw him and signaled to Seshnag, who flipped the turtle away with his tail. The turtle swam back only to be flipped away again. It kept trying but died without being able to achieve his mission. This turtle was reborn as Kevat.

At first Kevat refused to ferry the trio on the pretext that the dust of Rama’s feet could give life to inanimate objects. This was a reference to Ahalya. Then he put a condition that he should be allowed to wash Rama’s feet to free them of any dust. When Lakshman agreed, Kevat went to fetch water from home, refusing to use water from the river. After a long time he returned with the water and said that his wife too wanted to wash Rama’s feet and was getting dressed for the occasion. Sita would glare at Lakshman who would order Kevat to go home and bring his wife. Kevat would return alone saying that his wife was still getting dressed. Finally Sita asked Rama to intervene. Then Rama narrated the story of the turtle and told Sita and Lakshman that they were being paid back for their inconsiderate behavior. Sita and Lakshman apologized and then Kevat completed the rituals and ferried the three across Ganga.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Diwali (also known as Deepavali) is one of the most important festivals on the Hindu calendar. It commemorates the return of Rama, Sita and Lakshman to Ayodhya after a fourteen year exile. The entire city of Ayodhya was lit up with oil lamps to celebrate Rama’s return and this concept is replicated in every Hindu home during Diwali.

The Hindu diaspora the world over also celebrates Diwali with fervor. Where the concentration of Hindus is high, the festival is celebrated by the community together. Local authorities have started to recognize the significance of this festival to their Hindu residents by promoting the collective celebration of Diwali.

One location where the celebration of Diwali has become an annual event is Trafalgar Square in London. The local authorities involved are the Mayor of London, Transport for London and Metropolitan Police Service. There are a large number of Hindu organizations that contribute to the festivities and cultural sponsors as well. Trafalgar Square is transformed by traditional Hindu floating lanterns and colorful Diwali decorations. The festivities are accompanied by traditional Indian dances and contemporary dances as well. Trafalgar Square takes an ethnic Indian look for the occasion with sari wearing demonstrations, henna application on hands and feet and many Indian vegetarian food stalls. Keeping in mind the religious nature of the occasion meat is excluded from the menu. This year a special event was the re-enactment of Rama’s return to Ayodhya. The religious aspect is not ignored. Messages and prayers for peace hold special importance in these times of religious strife.

Diwali celebrations at Trafalgar Square see the participation of a large number of non-Hindus as well. Hence these festivities, and others like these in other parts of the world, serve the larger religious goals of promoting brotherhood and peaceful co-existence.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

From Dussera to Diwali is the period of the Ramayana and therefore appropriate for the story of the birth of Hanuman. Hanuman is a popular deity not only in India but with the Hindu diaspora the world over. Recent animated movies featuring Hanuman have endeared the “Monkey-God” to even many non-Hindu people.

When Rama learnt that Sita was captive in Lanka he needed someone to cross the ocean and confirm the news. Jambavan the wise bear asked Hanuman to do the needful. When Hanuman said that he did not have the capability to leap over the ocean, Jambavan narrated to him the tale of his birth. Punjikasthala was an apsara who was condemned to live one life as a monkey. She was born to the monkey king Kunjara as Anjani and married the monkey Kesari. Anjani had the capacity to revert to her apsara form at will. Once she was roaming on a mountain top in her apsara form, when Vayu the wind demi-God brushed against her and lifted her garment. She protested that Vayu was violating the virtue of a married female. Vayu said that he meant no offence. By brushing against her he had impregnated her in a non-physical manner. He told Anjani that she will give birth to a valiant son who will have powers equal to him. After narrating the tale, Jambavan said that Hanuman possessed the powers and asked hanuman to make the leap.

Despite the erotic touch to the encounter between Vayu and Anjani, the fact of the matter is that destiny was playing out itself. Hanuman was destined to leap over the ocean and therefore he needed the power to do so. Only Vayu could have given him that power and hence the destined encounter between Vayu and Anjani.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

In the days preceding Dussera takes place the Ramlila, which is the most ancient and most popular form of entertainment, not only for Hindus but also for all of India. The story of Rama is enacted in every city and village, usually in the open.

Traditionally the Ramlila has three formats. The “jhanki” or tableaux format has elaborate sets of certain key events, which are enacted on the sets. The dialogue format is based on fiery or emotional dialogues and monologues. The operatic format is set to music and verse and the lines are sung rather than said.

One of the most famous Ramlilas has been enacted in Ramnagar for almost two centuries without a break. Ramnagar is just fifteen kilometres from Varanasi (also known as Benaras or Kashi) and was started by the then Maharaja of Kashi. It lasts for 31 days (as compared to the more common 10 day format) and is seen by over 100,000 people each year. The entire village is the setting and different parts of the village have permanent structures representing different locations in the narrative. For example one part would be Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama, and another would be Ashok Vatika, where Sita was held captive by Ravana. The entire audience move with the cast and crew from one locale to the next. Generation after generation of the same family perform the same function in the Ramlila. One family has been in charge of the dialogues whereas another of the costumes and so on. The spectators often join in as when the citizens of Ayodhya are bent upon following their prince to exile.

Seeing the Ramlila in open rural surroundings is an experience of a lifetime that cannot be replicated in a theatre even with the best of technology.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

“Sisters and Brothers of America”

These words of Swami Vivekananda, with which he began his welcome address to The World Parliament of Religions in Chicago on September 11, 1893, drew a round of thunderous applause that lasted for minutes. They highlighted a core concept of Hinduism, that the world is one family. That this concept touched the hearts of the august audience demonstrates the universality of its nature.

In his speeches Vivekananda highlighted those aspects of Hinduism that I find are attracting many to the various blog sites on the subject. People raised in exclusive faiths express surprise in the Hindu tolerance of other religions and accepting them as true. Yet this has always been true of Hinduism. Whichever faith has come to India, whether to seek shelter or as the faith of invaders, has flourished. Vivekananda gives two examples of the former. Israelites took refuge in Southern India when their holy temple was shattered by the Romans. Zoroastrianism too came to India when it was forced to flee from Persia and has flourished ever since. Islam came to India with the invading Muslim armies and Christianity came a second time around with the European traders. Both today are an integral part of the culture of India.

Vivekananda highlighted that the different religions are like different rivers that flow their different courses but ultimately become one in the sea, which is symbolic of God. He stressed the importance of the different religions to maintain their own identities. He did not want a Christian to convert to Hinduism nor a Hindu to Christianity, but he wanted both to live in harmony. In his concluding address he pointed out that if any religion aimed for its own survival with the destruction of others then it was an objective doomed to fail.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

There are more than 640 Swaminarayan temples in 45 countries. The Swaminarayan temple in London is the largest Hindu temple outside India. The Swaminarayan Hindu temples have been erected and are maintained by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha or BAPS in short. The BAPS is an organization engaged in the promotion of spirituality and in social welfare. The founder of this sect of Hinduism in the 18th century was Bhagavan Swaminarayan. The first nine Swaminarayan temples were constructed in Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Muli, Vadtal, Junagadh, Dholera, Dholka, Gadhpur and Jetalpur under the guidance of Bhagavan Swaminarayan himself. BAPS was founded in 1907 under the leadership of Swami Yagnapurushdas. The present head is Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who is the fifth successor to Bhagavan Swaminarayan. Today BAPS is spread over 9000 centers all over the world and has over one million followers.

The grander of the temples are known as “Shikarbaddha Mandirs”. They are built with marble or sandstone and have several pinnacles and domes. Apart from the daily rituals, all Hindu festivals are celebrated in these temples. The temples also include cultural complexes that take care of the social service activities of the organization. By far the most common type of temples is the “Hari Mandir”. This is an existing building converted into a temple. The idols of the deities are smaller as is the scale of operations. BAPS also offers small ready-made ‘temples’ that can be installed in homes as personal shrines. These are made of wood and are about 8 feet in height and of varying width. The temples houses the idols of Bhagavan Swaminarayan and other spiritual leaders.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The controversial Samudrasetu project has ignited two fierce debates in various forums in the country. One debate is whether Rama was a historical or mythological character. I leave this issue for another time. The other debate is whether issues of faith should be allowed to come in the way of national development. It is this matter that I want to address.

I will begin by assuming that the Samudrasetu project is economically, sound, commercially viable and ecologically benign. Because if it is not all these three, then all other debates are put to rest. Given that a project is obviously in the national interest I do not think it should be scrapped on account of religious beliefs. First this would set a dangerous precedent. But foremost I cannot conceive of God willing to let his flock suffer in order to preserve a monument dedicated to him or to preserve some location associated with him. Because above all God exists in humanity and if we are unable to promote the welfare of our brethren then we have no right to call ourselves devout.

Rama’s bridge is undoubtedly a heritage site. But destruction of a part of that site will not remove Rama’s existence from our collective psyches. If the bridge is no more there then it will not imply that Rama’s monkey army did not build it or that Rama did not use it to crossover to Lanka. That the bridge was built and used is a part of our collective belief, faith and memory and can never be erased. By ceding the bridge to national cause we can revive our ancient heritage by maybe renaming the project as Rama Setu Project and by popularizing that part of the bridge that would remain intact even after the project is complete.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

I had written about the controversial Samudrasetu Ship Canal Project in my blog Controversy over Rama’s Bridge. A suit was filed in the Supreme Court claiming that Rama’s Bridge was a heritage site and hence needed to be protected under Article 49 of the Constitution as well as the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958. The Court asked the Government to file its response. Accordingly the Archeological Survey of India, the concerned government organization, filed an affidavit that read: “That the petitioners, while seeking relief, have primarily relied upon the contents of Valmiki Ramayana, the Rama Charit Manas by Tulsidas and other mythological texts, which admittedly form an important part of ancient Indian literature, but which cannot be said to be historical record to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the characters, or the occurrences of the events, depicted therein.”

This led to a furor with the right wing parties claiming that the Government was denying the existence of Rama. So intense was the expected political backlash that all political parties, including the ruling party that had issued the affidavit and the communist parties, came out with statements that the existence of Rama way beyond doubt. The Government also withdrew the affidavit and asked for time to review the entire project.

This has raised several questions in the electronic and print media. Is it appropriate to ask for historical proof in the case of issues of deep religious faith? Should issues of religious faith be allowed to come in the way of development? Should the Government be swayed by public emotion in dealing with national interest? There are several questions but few answers and no consensus.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Ganesh Chaturthi, the birthday of Ganesh, falls in the Hindu month of Bhadra on the fourth day of the Shukla Paksha or the fortnight of the waxing moon. This year it falls on the 15th of September.

Ganesh, also known as Ganpati, is a portly deity due to his over fondness of sweets called laddoos. Every deity in the Hindu pantheon has a vahan or conveyance, which is an animal or bird on which the deity travels. The conveyance of the portly Ganesh is the small mouse. Other deities have often made fun of Ganesh and his mouse, much to their ultimate discomfort.

Once Kartikeya and Ganesh had a dispute. Kartikeya was Ganesh’s elder brother and the two went to their parents Shiva and Parvati. It was proposed that the person who first circumnavigated the world on his vahan would win and to Kartikeya’s surprise Ganesh agreed. Scoffing at Ganesh for being such a fool, Kartikeya sped of on his peacock. Ganesh then mounted his mouse and circled his parents. He told them that they were his world. Needless to add that Ganesh was declared winner and Kartikeya was left fuming.

On another occasion Ganesh had gone to a feast and had over indulged in his favorite laddoos. While returning he found it difficult to balance on his small mouse and fell down. Soma, the moon demi-God, laughed at Ganesh and called him obese. An angry Ganesh put a curse the moon. “You have called me fat so you will become the opposite. Every day you will become thinner and ultimately disappear.” The other deities intervened and the curse was modified. The moon would become thinner till it disappeared, but would then start growing again till it reached its full size. The cycle would then repeat.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The Pramukh Swami Maharaj dedicated a Hindu temple on August 26, 2007, in the Lilburn suburb of Atlanta. The temple, known as Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, is built on a 29 acres plot and its interior are is 27,000 square feet. The architecture is traditional with 13 domes and 5 spires. The construction took a year and a half and cost $19 million.

The temple is symbolic of the growing cosmopolitan nature of Lilburn and of the cooperation that exists between the different communities. The mayor of Lilburn, Jack Bolton, acknowledges and welcomes the diversity as a positive sign for the future of Lilburn.

The temple is made only from stone. No steel or metals were used. The outside is made using Turkish limestone, the interiors from Italian marble and the foundation from Indian pink sandstone. In all 106,000 cubic feet of stone were used in the construction. The stone sections were hand carved in India and then assembled on site as per the design. The message that the organization is giving out that people from all over the world can come here to imbibe the ancient heritage and culture of India.

There are eleven Swaminarayan temples in Southeast United States. However they are much smaller. The Lilburn temple will be the fifth largest Swaminarayan temple outside India. The other four are in Chicago, London, Houston and Nairobi.

The temple has been constructed by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, which is a socio-spiritual organization. This sect of Hinduism was founded over 200 years ago by the spiritual leader Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Today over a million followers all over the world subscribe to this sect.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

BBC has reported on the 31st of August that the Silver Street Baptist Church in Taunton refused to allow the church premises to be used for children’s yoga classes. That of course is beyond doubt their prerogative. The reason given as cited by Mrs. Woodcock was “because yoga was related to a spirituality, unrelated to Christian spirituality”. Now this reason can be argued against and defended and is bound to give rise to debate and discussion in the coming days.

Seen from the point of view of a practitioner of yoga, yoga is a practice that seeks to condition the mind, body and soul to be one with the divine. It originated at a time when the spirituality prevalent in the Indian subcontinent was considerably removed from the current Hindu theology and referred to the divine in non-anthropomorphic terms that all religions use today. It was a truly non-secular spirituality that could be embraced by all. Even today yoga does not involve any religious rituals or incantations and is only tied to Hinduism because it was born in the Vedic age.

That however is reason enough for its detractors. Since yoga originated much before the birth of Christ and in a place not associated with Christ it is pagan and unchristian. Christianity is an exclusive religion and does not accept or support any movement that is not specifically linked to it. Yoga has not been the only sufferer. And why blame a Christian church situated so far away from the origin of yoga. In India yoga has been tossed about like a basketball in the game of political and religious one-upmanship.

Mrs. Woodcock will hopefully find another place to teach yoga and hopefully the children will not lose out.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Janmashtami or the birthday of Krishna is celebrated throughout India. My own favorite is the celebrations that take place in Mumbai. This celebration is associated with one of the most endearing events in Krishna’s life. It is called “Govinda aala re aala”, which translates as Govinda has come. Govinda is another name of Krishna.

Krishna would enter the homes of the maidens of Vrindavan and steal butter from the pots. The maidens got wise to his antics and began to hang the pots from the ceiling. But a minor precaution like that did not deter Krishna and his companions. They would form a human pyramid and Krishna would climb to the very top and bring down the pot.

Replicating the human pyramid to break the pot is the essence of the festival. Groups of young lads roam around the city breaking pots that are hung high, usually between two buildings. These groups have their regular clientele. In the week before the festival they meet their clients and fix up the time, the payment and the location of the suspended pot. Then at the appointed time they arrive with much singing and dancing. A human pyramid is formed just below the pot. The final athlete climbs on top and breaks the earthen pot. Every child in Mumbai sings their song, which translates as Krishna has arrived on the scene so you maidens of Vrindavan better guard your earthen pots.

Modernism is catching up with this festival. Many of the groups are accompanied by a live band and almost all of them are sponsored by some corporate body or political party. Women are not to be left behind and there are known to be a few all girl groups as well.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The birthday of Krishna is a momentous day in the Hindu. It falls on the 8th day of the second fortnight in the month of Shravana, which this year falls on the 4th of September according to the western calendar.

The story of the birth of Krishna is very interesting. Kansa was a cruel ruler. After the wedding of his cousin sister Devaki to Vasudev there was a prophecy that Devaki’s eighth child would slay Kansa. Kansa wanted to kill Devaki immediately. However he was persuaded to spare Devaki’s life on the condition that he would kill each child as soon as it was born. Thus Kansa killed the first six sons of Devaki.

Vasudev’s first wife Rohini was staying in Gokul with Nand, the chief of a cowherd clan. Devaki conceived for the seventh time but apparently had a miscarriage. In reality the child was miraculously transferred to Rohini’s womb.

Then Devaki conceived for the eighth time. At the same time Nand’s wife, Yashoda also conceived. The Supreme God had entered Devaki’s womb to be born as Krishna. Yoga Maya, the Goddess of Illusion, had entered Yashoda’s womb. Both Devaki and Yashoda delivered prematurely. The newborn Krishna revealed his secret to Vasudev. By divine magic Kansa’s guards fell asleep and the prison doors opened. Vasudev took Krishna to Nand’s home and exchanged him with Yashoda’s baby girl.

Kansa was surprised to see a girl as the eighth child. As he was about to kill her, the girl slipped out of Kansa’s hand and flew upwards where she revealed her true form. She informed Kansa that his killer had already been born and was elsewhere and then vanished.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The naming ceremony of a child in the Hindu religion is called “namkaran sanskar”. On the auspicious day, the officiating priest whispers the Gayatri mantra into the child’s ear and announces the name. A later development is that the priest only indicates the first letter of the child’s name according to the horoscope and the parents decide a name beginning with that letter. Today even that restriction is being dispensed with and the parents choose the name they think is best. My view is that parents should have the final call. If they want to follow the orthodox path they are free to do so but if they want complete freedom in selecting a name then so be it.

Ever since the influx of Islam and Christianity to the Indian subcontinent, there has been the practice of Hindus converting to Islam or Christianity. Accompanying the process of conversion is the change in the given name. The idea is to ensure as complete a break with the past as possible. The message that goes out is that the life to date of the person undergoing conversion has been worthless and irreligious and a host of other adjectives I do not wish to state. This goes beyond condemning his past religion because the name is identified with more than a person’s religious make up. This however fits the character of Islam and Christianity, which are both exclusive religions and do not accept any belief other than their own.

Today there are cases of people wanting to convert to Hinduism. At other forums where I interact the issue of change of name has been raised. “Should I change my name?”, “Do I have to change my name?” and “can you suggest a Hindu name?” are frequent questions. My answer has always been “Please do not change your name!” I believe that God is interested in our deeds and not in our names. A person is changing his religion. He is not erasing his past life. His name is identified with his family and friends and larger community. Whereas he can get his passport changed, he cannot go back to his university and asked them to change the certificates he has been awarded for meritorious performance. Hinduism is an inclusive religion. It espouses that different faiths are different paths to the same God. There is absolutely no need to change one’s name.

I will go one step further. I will say that there is no need to convert to Hinduism. If you like certain aspects of Hinduism then adopt them, without forsaking those aspects of your existing religion that appeal to you. Join the chanting of bhajans in your neighborhood temple on Saturdays and attend the service in your parish church on Sundays. You will be doubly blessed. Conversion is not the need of the day. Coexistence is.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Raksha Bandhan, literally meaning the bond of protection, is a Hindu festival that is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) of the month of Shravana. This year it falls on the 28th of August. Raksha Bandhan is one of the two main festivals that focuses on the relationship between brother and sister, the other being Bhai Dooj.

The simple celebration involves the sister tying a “rakhi” on the brother’s hand and the brother vows to protect his sister from all calamities. The rakhi is a simple sacred thread decorated to add color to the proceedings. The occasion is accompanied with the brother giving a token gift to the sister, who in turn offers him some sweets that she has prepared.

One important aspect of Raksha Bandhan is that it need not be restricted to siblings related by blood. The concept of “rakhi sister” or “rakhi brother” is very common. A girl can tie a rakhi to any boy for whom she has brotherly feelings. This probably has its origins in a historical event. On the death of the King of Chittor, Bahadur Shah the Sultan of Gujarat invaded the Rajput kingdom. Queen Karnawati, the widow of the king, realized that there was no way that she could defend her kingdom. So she sent a rakhi to the Mughal Emperor Humayun, who immediately came to her rescue. A lighter offshoot of this concept is that a girl halts unwelcome advances from a boy by tying a rakhi on his wrist.

Like many Hindu festivals, Raksha Bandhan has also become a victim of pomp and show. The simple rakhis, formerly lovingly made by the sister herself have become designer items purchased at exorbitant prices. Jeweled rakhis are also not uncommon. The token gifts from brothers also have become more than tokens. In fact the entire sacred occasion has become an event for one-upmanship. All this would have been acceptable if the emotions of love and protection still predominated in the hearts of brothers and sisters. Unfortunately one gets the feelings that love and protection are unwanted guests in the display of wealth and pomp.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Shambo the temple bull, as he was known in the worldwide virtual community, was put to sleep last week. Shambo belonged to the Hindu temple in the Skand Vale community in Wales. Some months ago he was tested positive for TB and as per existing Welsh laws he was required to be put to sleep. The Hindu community of Wales and world over was outraged. In July the High Court gave Shambo a reprieve. Two reasons cited are important. Shambo could have been isolated and the TB treated. Taking this into account the killing of Shambo would violate the religious sentiments of the Hindus and their basic human rights. However the Welsh Government went in appeal, which they won. Despite protests the act of putting Shambo to sleep using a lethal injection was carried out.

I do not support the decision of the Welsh Government buy I do understand it. They have followed a practice that has been in place for 50 years. The bovine epidemic that struck the United Kingdom some years back is still fresh in everyone’s minds. They could have perhaps taken a more lenient interpretation of the law, especially after the High Court verdict, but they chose not to. I guess they feared reprisals from other sections of society and did not want to set up a precedent without complete consideration of the consequences. In a society when interests clash one party is bound to feel aggrieved and in this case the Hindu community has come to grief. Perhaps this was Shambo’s karma.

But the crusade has just begun. The society at large and the authorities in particular need to be educated about the gravity of this issue. Cows are sacred to Hindus. We worship them and treat them like family. When a human contracts a contagious disease he or she is isolated and treated. He or she is not put to sleep. In fact mercy killing is illegal in most parts of the world. The same should apply to sacred animals. The authorities need to be convinced that isolation will be perfectly maintained and required procedures will be followed. And the temples have to ensure that proper testing and when required proper isolation is maintained. Laws will need to be changed once the mindset of society is changed.

Protesting after the occurrence of the event is soon forgotten and is of little use if the event recurs. Hence let us start on this task so that we are better prepared the next time round.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

I recently read an article on Hinduism in The New York Times. The article written by Neela Banerjee was published on July 21, 2007. The articles describes how Hindu parents settled in the United States are turning to religious instruction for their children in order to preserve their identity. This work was earlier done through Hindi movies, popularly known as Bollywood movies, and Indian dance forms. But apparently the parents feel that more is required.

The Chinmaya Mission is one of the institutions at the forefront of providing religious instruction in Hinduism to Hindu children born in the United States. It runs annual summer camps as well as weekend classes. The mornings are spent in learning and reciting Sanskrit prayers and lessons from the Bhagavad Gita. The afternoons take up religious tales through traditional songs and dances and Bollywood movies.

Though this concept has great value in the context of the American environment there are certain drawbacks as well, which have been mentioned in Banerjee’s article. But before discussing those I would like to dwell a bit on the religious instruction in India. In the ancient days religious instruction was provided by the priests in a school environment, but not so much now. Today the bulk of the religious instruction in Hinduism is provided at home by the family. This has a major disadvantage in that the instruction is limited by the knowledge the family possesses and by the value it places on religion. But I firmly believe that whatever is taught by the family remains within as a seed and flowers at an appropriate time. In fact one of the tenets of Hinduism is that faith must grow from within and not be forced from the outside. Whenever the person is ready for the faith, God in the form of a spiritual guru will seek him or her.

I am uncomfortable with teaching Sanskrit prayers to children without explaining the meaning to them. And so are the children as can be discerned from Banerjee’s articles. This I believe does more harm than good. I also do not advocate teaching the Bhagavad Gita to children. It is complex theology that baffles even adults. Telling them about the Gita is fine and outlining its broad message is also acceptable but according to me teaching it verse by verse is not on.

Another drawback that has been elucidated by Shana Sippy of Columbia University is the homogenization and dilution of Hinduism. Hinduism is more diverse than perhaps all other religions put together. This is not a boast but an attempt to indicate the extent of diversity in the religion. When religion is taught to a heterogeneous group of Hindus, especially children, the religion has to be stripped of its diversity. And this is not good because Hinduism has grown and evolved because of its diversity.

Teaching Hinduism, or any religion, to ones children should be an end in itself and not a means of preserving ones identity.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

An unfortunate incident of three Christian bigots disrupting the Hindu prayers by Rajan Zed in the US Senate took place. While these three may be representing the views of a section of society they do not represent the views of the entire America society nor the entire Christian society.

Those of us who are more liberal minded and who abhor such bigotry should think before indulging in knee-jerk criticism of all Americans and all Christians. In the first instance American senators are to be lauded for selecting Hindu prayers for the opening of the Senate, which is recognition of the contribution of Hinduism to American society. Secondly, bigots exist everywhere – there are Hindu bigots and Indian bigots. So before we point fingers let us realise that there are three fingers pointing at us. People who feel that Hindu prayers should not have been permitted are entitled to their views. It is true that they should have expressed these views in more legitimate ways. They have instead chosen to break US laws and hopefully will be punished as deemed fit.

A bigoted criticism of this event and raising a ruckus over it will do more harm than good because it will create divisions in a society that has taken some concrete steps to heal existing divisions. I am not advocating that this disruption should not be criticized. What I am trying to say that the criticism should not appear to be against all Americans and all Christians as is already the case on several blog sites. In fact while criticizing the event two things should be made clear. The first is the appreciation for inviting Rajan Zed to recite Hindu prayers. The second is the understanding that those who disrupted the proceedings do not represent the entire non-Hindu American society.

American senators have taken one step forward by the recitation of Hindu prayers in the Senate. Let us not take two steps back by going overboard on the disruption.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Primitive life was violent and therefore primitive mythologies tend to be morbid and macabre. Creation of the human race in primitive mythologies was a bloody affair almost across the board. Humans were created by dismemberment of some existing entity. In Babylonian creation myth, written about 2000 BCE, the primordial mother was Tiamat. Kingu was her consort. In the myth a young God, Marduk, kills Tiamat and Kingu. From Kingu’s blood Marduk creates the first humans.

Hinduism has many creation myths. One of the earliest is found in Book 10, Hymn XC of the Riga Veda describes the creation of the human race by dismemberment of the primordial “Man” called Purusha. The sages in a sacrifice dismembered Purusha and from various parts of his body produced the various living beings. Verse 12 is particularly relevant and is reproduced below.

The Brahmin was his mouth, of both his arms was the Kshatriya made.

His thighs became the Vaishya, from his feet the Sudra was produced.

This verse created the division of labor necessary for propagating order in a society by linking the nature of work with the body part. The Brahmins were preachers and recited prayers and hence were associated with the mouth. The Kshatriyas were soldiers and protected society and hence associated with arms. However this verse has gained notoriety for sanctioning a hereditary caste system when all it does is define a division of labor that even exists in all societies today.

As society evolved into a more cultured format, the creation myths changed from dismemberment of an existing entity to creation from divine energy. In some myths the Creator creates a female counterpart for himself and produces progeny whose offspring is the human race. In others the Creator produces the first male and first female humans who procreate and multiply. The second model is adopted in the Book of Genesis. Hindu mythologies have both these versions. In the Creation described in the article Manu and Shatrupa Brahma creates Manu and Shatrupa as the first couple. This is taken from the Bhagavata Purana. In the Matsya Purana the first model is described. Brahma creates Shatrupa as his consort and Manu is their offspring. Then a female offspring Ananti is produced as Manu’s wife and they further the human race. Whichever model is chosen there are undertones of incest. If the matter is viewed objectively then incest is unavoidable if we consider the human race to be descended from one couple.

However the point that is important is mythologies evolve as per the changing values in society. This was demonstrated earlier in the context of the makeover of Pururava and will be demonstrated again and again because contrary to common belief, mythologies are a living, growing, changing facet of life.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Rajan Zed is a Hindu chaplain from Nevada. He is also the director of public affairs of Hindu Temple of Northern Nevada and spokesman for India Association of Northern Nevada. On March 19, 2007 Zed read a Hindu prayer in the Nevada Sate Assembly and on May 9, 2007 he prayed with the Nevada State Senate.

The encouraging thing about this event was that it was attended and lauded by priests from other religious denominations. This kind of support to “other” religions is the need of the day in a world threatening to split along religious lines. Perhaps this was made possible by the reputation that Zed commands in the community. He takes the trouble to learn about other faiths and when he lectures on Hinduism, he seeks to inform rather than to convert. Hinduism is anyway a religion that does not proselytize.

Now Zed is set to break new ground. He will recite Hindu prayers in the U.S. Senate in Washington when it opens on July 12, 2007. This is perhaps a result of the growing Hindu population in the United States and the growing interest in the tenets of Hinduism, which treats the world as one family and accepts other religions as different paths to the same God. This is also the result of a desire to move away from harsh rhetoric against other religions and build religious bridges instead. Zed is likely to recite prayers in Sanskrit from the Riga Veda, the earliest religious scripture, and the Upanishads. He will begin and end the session with the incantation of “Aum”, the sound from which the Hindu scriptures were divined by the sages.

When this event was reported in the Indian media, it evoked surprise and even shock. Religious prayers are not allowed in Indian Parliament and government events, because of the secular nature of the government. Whenever right wing political parties have tried to introduce Hindu prayers, it has met stiff opposition as mentioned in the blog on yoga. The view taken by the other political parties is that the Hindu majority will victimize the minority religions if such practices are permitted.

Another reason why this event has surprised many Indians, especially those of the younger generation, is that Indian society is slowly moving away from its original culture and adopting the culture of the west symbolized by MTV and McDonalds. Hence the interest that Hinduism, with its ancient heritage, is creating in the west is something of a conundrum to many.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

When Rama wanted to invade Lanka with his Vanara Sena (Monkey Army) to defeat Ravana and rescue Sita, he was obstructed by the body of water now known as Palk Strait. In the Vanara Sena were two monkeys Nala and Neel, who were the sons of Viswakarma – the architect of the demi-Gods. They instructed the monkeys to collect rocks and on them wrote the word “Rama”. This enabled the rocks to float. The floating rocks were then arranged in a bridge formation from what is today known as Rameshwaram to the northern end of Srilanka. Rama and his Vanara Sena crossed over that bridge into Lanka.

Today there is a rock formation that is visible just below where Rama’s bridge was constructed. Such is the intensity of this rock formation that it is visible in satellite images. Hindus believe that this rock formation is the remnant of Rama’s bridge. The British have given the name Adam’s bridge to this formation.

Ships traveling from the east coast of India to its west coast and vice versa today go around the island of Srilanka. Shipping has grown enormously in recent times and this long route is now being perceived as a burden. Going through Palk Strait is expected to save over500 kilometers and 36 hours. But the Rama’s bridge and shoal formation in the Palk Strait prevent the passage of ships. The Government of India has come up with the Samudrasetu Ship Canal Project that proposes to dredge out a 260-kilometer long and 30-kilometer wide section of the Palk Strait so as to create a canal wide enough for ships to pass through. The problem is that they will have to cut through Rama’s bridge as well. Samudrasetu in fact means Sea Bridge.

Many Hindus consider this an act of desecration against something they hold sacred. The proponents of the project claim that the rock formation has nothing to do with Rama’ bridge and is millions of years old. Opponents argue that the rock in Rama’s bridge is geologically different from the surrounding underwater terrain. Other’s do not care about such arguments and feel that such sentiments have no place in modern society. Such decisions can be based only on techno-economic arguments. Environmentalists too have chipped in citing damage to the environment if the project is carried out.

There are stories that Hanuman, the monkey-God and one of the stalwarts in the Vanara Sena and Rama’s right hand, is protecting his master’s bridge. One dredging vessel has sunk. Another broke its spud. While the spud was being retrieved the crane snapped. These accidents are believed by many to be God’s way of protecting his work.

Incidentally this project was first mooted a hundred and fifty years ago by one Commander Taylor during the British occupation of India.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Neither of the tragic endings of the Satapatha Brahmana or the Arthashastra would be acceptable to Kalidas. The hero of the play, that is Pururava, had to reflect the qualities claimed by and appropriate to the king Chandragupta in whose court Kalidas served. The makeover of Pururava began long before the ending. In fact it began in the title of the play. The title of the play is Vikramorvasiyam, which is Vikram and Urvashi, and not Pururava and Urvashi. Vikramaditya, meaning as valiant as the sun, was the title assumed by Chandragupta. This is a clear allusion to Pururava reflecting the qualities of Chandragupta.

Pururava’s manliness and wealth were enough reason for the Urvashi of the Bhagavata Purana to fall in love with the king, but Kalidas needed a more dramatic cause. The demon Kesi abducts Urvashi and Pururava rescues the damsel in distress. In this brief encounter their bodies touch and passion is ignited. Though both fall in love with each other, it is Urvashi who sets down her feelings in a letter and sends it to Pururava. The implication is that the king’s prestige would have suffered had he made the first move. The king’s ego is further enhanced when his wife Aushiniri giver her consent to the marriage of Urvashi and Pururava, because without this consent the marriage would not get public acceptance.

Kalidas would have had a problem with the condition imposed by Urvashi. In the first instance conditions cannot be imposed upon a king. It is the king who imposes conditions. And the condition that Urvashi has imposed, of ensuring that she does not see him naked, would be most unsuitable when the play would be performed in court. Therefore Kalidas changed the condition. In Indra’s court Urvashi made a mistake during a dance performance and her teacher banished her from the court forever. Indra however modified the curse. He told Urvashi to go live with Pururava but return when Pururava sees their child.

In a fit of jealousy, Urvashi steps into a forbidden forest and is turned into a creeper. Here Kalidas pays a tribute of sorts to the Riga Veda. He goes around searching for Urvashi seeking help of humans and animals alike. However though he is definitely lovelorn he is not wimpy. Pururava finds a gem with which he rescues Urvashi. Later Pururava leaves Urvashi to attend a sacrifice at Naimisharanya. Perhaps this is an allusion to the episode in the Arthashastra, in which he was killed. During this time, Urvashi delivers Pururava’s child, a boy, and leaves him in the ashram of saga Chyavana. She wants to spend more time with Pururava and therefore keeps his son away from him. Many years later the inevitable happens and father and son meet. Urvashi prepares to reluctantly leave for heaven according to the terms of her curse. But Indra comes to her rescue again. He needs Pururava’s help in the battle against the Asuras and in return allows Urvashi to stay with Pururava for the rest of his life.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The earliest reference to Urvashi and Pururava is in Hymn XCV of Book 10 of the Riga Veda. It is in the form of a dialogue between Pururava and Urvashi.

Ever since Urvashi left him, Pururava has been desperately searching for her. He sees her bathing in a lake and that is when the dialogue in the Riga Veda takes place. Pururava beseeches Urvashi to return to him using a number of arguments. He reminds her of the good times they had. He points out her obligations as a wife, including bearing a son to continue his lineage. When all else fails he threatens to commit suicide by being eaten alive by raging wolves. Urvashi does not relent. She advises him not to waste his life away and also informs him that a woman’s heart is fickle and cannot be satisfied with one man for long. The Riga Veda does not indicate how Pururava and Urvashi got together and why she left him. It indicates a tragic end to the story with Pururava being separated from his love forever.

The entire story including the dialogue of the Riga Veda is given in the Satapatha Brahmana. Urvashi, the celestial maiden, agrees to live with Pururava, the king of the Lunar Dynasty, on one condition. He will never allow her to see him naked except when they were in bed. The Gandharvas want Urvashi back with them so they play a trick on Pururava. The Gandharvas are a race of divine singers and musicians, all males, who live with the apsaras. They steal Urvashi’s lambs and she exhorts the king to retrieve them. Undressed Pururava runs after the lambs. The Gandharvas then create a flash of lightning and Urvashi sees him naked and leaves. Pururava then moves from place to place, desperately searching for Urvashi. The dialogue in the Riga Veda occurs at this stage. Urvashi ultimately tells Pururava that she is carrying his child and she will deliver the child to him. Then she will spend one night with him for old time’s sake. After that the Gandharvas tell Pururava the secret of becoming one of their kind. Pururava performs this ritual and becomes a Gandharva.

Some other texts, like the Arthashastra, have a different ending to the story. Pururava becomes a dictatorial king, imposing heavy taxes and looting treasures. Once he is hunting in the forest of Naimisharanya, when he comes upon sages performing a sacrifice at a golden altar made by Viswakarma. He tries to take the altar by force. The sages then strike him with the sacrificial grass and kill him. In both these endings Pururava gives up his human body somehow connected with a sacrifice.

The story of Urvashi and Pururava is described in Canto 9 Chapter 14 of the Bhagavata Purana. It follows the narration of the Satapatha Brahmana. Certain details are added. The descent of Pururava from the sage Atri is described. The curse on Urvashi by Mitra and Varun is referred to by which she had to live among humans. She had heard about Pururava’s manliness, wealth and power from Narada so she decided to spend some of her time on earth with Pururava. Pururava is immediately enamored by Urvashi’s beauty and it is lust at first sight for both. According to the Bhagavata Purana the Gandharvas acted on instructions from Indra and not on their own accord. The ritual of turning into a Gandharva is described in some detail. There is one very interesting point raised in the Bhagavata Purana. The cycle of time between Creation and Destruction is divided into four eras. The first is Satya Yuga and the second Treta Yuga. Pururava conducted the sacrifice to become a Gandharva during the transition from Satya Yuga to Treta Yuga.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

On the cover of the recent issue of MOJO, the music magazine, is a morphed image of the Hindu God Krishna in his Great Manifestation. The innumerable heads of the deity have been replaced by the faces of musicians who feature in the issue. The Hindu community has taken affront and has started a petition against this issue on petitiononline.com. This action and reaction brings out varied issues that need statement. At the outset I firmly believe that there was no malefic intent involved.

The western world in general, and America in particular, is not as sensitive to its own culture as many Eastern countries are to theirs. A case in point is the use of The Stars and Stripes on any item imaginable including bikini tops and bottoms – something that does not fail to shock Indians, who revere their national flag and follow strict codes concerning its depiction and usage. How then can one expect these people to be sensitive to other cultures?

I do not believe that such portrayals insult the divine because I believe that the divine in any culture is by definition above insult. But beyond doubt such portrayals hurt the sensibilities of those who worship the divine. The fact that “their” God has been portrayed in such a crass manner has no doubt hurt the sentiments of Hindus, but I suspect it goes beyond that. Whenever such sacrilege is caused against what Muslims and Christians hold sacred there is a massive hue and cry and this is usually followed by conciliatory statements from the party causing offence. Such examples are numerous and do not need listing. Therefore the question that arises in the minds of Hindus is why should we bear this quietly? Why should we not raise our collective voice? Why should we not do what the followers of other religions do? I find it difficult to pass judgment on such people because they do have a point.

I have said time and again that religion is splitting our world apart and we need to be extra careful when dealing with religious issues. Though the editors of MOJO were not guilty of malefic intent, they were guilty of being insensitive. They exhibited a total lack of creativity and imagination. Surely they could have designed a cover that would meet their needs without causing anguish to Hindus.

Muslims and Christians are fairly organized worldwide. What such incidents are doing is pushing the Hindus into getting organized as well. Recently I read a news item about the Hindus in New Zealand getting organized under the first New Zealand Hindu conference in which the Prime Minister of New Zealand lauded the contribution of Hindus. I have been reading similar reports from various parts of the world over the last few years. Tomorrow the Hindus will ask for observer status in the United Nations. And who can say that they are unjustified when the Christians and Muslims have such a status. I just feel that we are headed in the wrong direction and EVERYONE needs to take a U-turn.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The forest of Naimisharanya (Aranya means forest in Sanskrit) is considered to be the Aranya Swaroop or forest manifestation of Vishnu and therefore considered sacred. It is said that during the course of history 60000 sages have lived there.

Naimisharanya finds mention in several Puranas. The Vayu Purana states that in the Satya Yuga the sages wanted to perform a huge yagna and requested Brahma to guide them to an appropriate location. Brahma created a huge wheel, which he called Manomaya Chakra. After dedicating the wheel to Shiva he released it and told the sages to follow it. He instructed them to hold their sacrifice at the place the wheel broke. The wheel landed in a forest and as predicted it broke. This forest came to be known as Naimisharanya. Naimi means circumference of a wheel and Aranya means forest; together meaning the forest where the circumference of the wheel broke. When the wheel broke there was a huge fountain of water in the shape of a Shiva Linga and the forest was in danger of being flooded. The sages were in a panic, but the mother goddess Shakti appeared and stopped the flow of water. The Varaha Purana provides an alternative legend. It states that Vishnu once destroyed the entire army of Asuras in a second at this place with his Chakra. Nimish means an instant and Aranya means forest; together meaning the forest where the demons were destroyed in a second.

Naimisharanya was the place where Veda Vyasa taught the Vedas and Puranas to his disciples. Lomaharshana, the disciple of Veda Vyasa narrated the Puranas to the sages here. Naimisharanya was the venue of the 1000-year yagna under the aegis of Shaunaka where Suta Goswami narrated the Bhagavata Purana. Closer to our age Shankaracharya spent time in Naimisharanya and the famous blind bhakti poet Surdas lived here.

Today Naimisharanya is more popularly known as Nimsar and is a village on the bank of the river Gomti. It falls in the state of Uttar Pradesh and is less than 100 kilometers from the capital Lucknow. But to the devotees it is filled with a sense of the sacred. There is a huge hexagonal pond called the Chakra Kunda or Wheel Pond, which is said to be the place where the Manomaya Chakra landed rupturing the ground. Because of the emergence of Shakti at Naimisharanya, it is a famous Shakti Peeth with a temple dedicated to a manifestation of Shakti known as Linga Dharini Shakti. There is also a Vyasa Peeth associated with Veda Vyasa and Dadheechi Kunda associated with the renowned Sage Dadheechi.

One of the most heart rendering incidents from Hindu history took place in Naimisharanya. Sita requested her mother, the earth, to open up and accept her, after she united Luv and Kush with their father Rama, as she no longer desired to live. A sacred pond known as Sita Kunda now stands where Mother Earth has parted to receive her daughter.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Kalidas was a great Sanskrit playwright in the 4th century AD in the court of King Chandragupta Vikramaditya. He used as the subject for many of his plays stories from Hindu mythology. He often rewrote the plot to suit his contemporary audience or rather his royal masters as seen in his plays about Urvashi and Shakuntala.

The ancient myths have been retold generation after generation and something has been added or subtracted each time. Take for instance the movie Troy starring Brad Pitt. There are serious deviations from Homer’s narrative. Mr. K.M.Munshi, the famous Indian educationist and administrator, when rewriting the life of Krishna said, “ … I had often to depart from the legend and myth, for such reconstruction by a modern author must necessarily involve the exercise of whatever little imagination he has.”

The purpose of the deviation has differed from writer to writer. Mr. Munshi has presented Krishna as more human than divine. He wanted to pass the message that humans have the capacity to combat evil. The recent movie Troy deviated because it wanted to show Achilles as the hero of the Trojan War rather than as one of the heroes and thereby create a role befitting the stature of Brad Pitt.

Kalidas had his own reasons for deviating from the storyline as found in the Epics and Puranas. Kalidas lived on the patronage of the King. Through the character of his male protagonists he showed the populace the character their king claimed to have – valiant, skilled, kind, romantic and everything good. Kalidas’ hero could not be flawed because that would be a slur against the king. Unfortunately many of the characters in the Epics and Puranas were human and had flaws. So Kalidas had to rewrite the plot eliminating the flaws.

Abhigyan Shakuntalam is Kalidas’ most famous work, which depicts the love story of King Dushyant and Shakuntala, a hermit’s daughter. This story is told in both the Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata. In these versions King Dushyant meets Shakuntala in the forest and indices her to marry him without the usual ceremony. After consummating the marriage he leaves for his capital promising to call her there later. But he neglects to do so. Shakuntala bears his child and later goes to Dushyant on her own. Though Dushyant remembers her he publicly denies having met her and insults her. Later the demi-Gods compel him to accept Shakuntala. Now this is hardly a suitable trait in a righteous king so Kalidas had to find a reason for Dushyant neglecting to call Shakuntala and publicly rejecting her claim. So he rewrote the plot. Before leaving for his capital Dushyant gave Shakuntala his ring as a proof of their union. Soon after Dushyant left Shakuntala failed to greet the hotheaded sage Durvasa because she was lost in Dushyant’s thoughts. The sage put a curse on her that her lover would forget her unless and until she showed him the gift he had given her. So it was not Dushyant’s fault that he failed to call Shakuntala. Later when Shakuntala goes to the capital, she accidentally drops the ring in a river. Unable to show the gift, the sage’s curse remains active and Dushyant does not remember. Later the ring is found in a fish caught by a fisherman and brought to the king. Dushyant now remembers everything and goes to Shakuntala to make amends. Thus the broader storyline remains intact and the king’s character is not sullied.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

I have been searching for some time for an appropriate image to go with this topic on Hinduism. After evaluating a few options I have selected the symbol for Aum, also known as Om.

Om is the primeval sound from which the sages divined the Vedas and therefore it is only appropriate that Aum represents the Hindu spirit. The symbol for Aum is instantly recognized as a Hindu symbol, just as a cross is recognized as a symbol of Christianity.

There are many interpretations of Aum in the Hindu scriptures and the commentaries by learned men. But whenever I read of Aum I go back to a novel I read in my youth, long before I became academically involved with Hinduism. This novel is “Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse. Siddhartha is the story of a Brahmin lad who is an expert in his profession but not satisfied with it. He undertakes a long journey in search of his Self, which he finds in the company of a ferryman, taking people across a river.

As a Brahmin student, Siddhartha had learnt everything about Om, the word of words. Om was the bow and the Atma was the arrow. Om was used to aim the arrow at the Brahm so as to unite the Atma with the Brahm. Siddhartha had also learnt how to pronounce Om. It was to be recited silently and inwardly with the intake of breath and with the force of the soul while breathing out.

However the ferryman has a different point of view. Om is not something to be recited but to be heard and the river was a perfect speaker because it did not speak silently like the other aspects of nature. However it spoke in many tongues and told many stories at the same time. The trick was not to get stuck on any one of the voices but to hear them all together. Then one would hear the Om and it would convey the truth and the path to peace and the discovery of the Self.

If one looks at the evolution of Hinduism it is not difficult to appreciate that the ferryman’s view of Om was the earlier one. Over time it developed into a more ritualistic one practiced by the Brahmins. As I have said earlier Hinduism puts forth points of view and lets the individual make his considered choice. I am in tune with the ferryman’s Om. We have lost the art of listening and desperately need to get it back.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Yesterday India was witness to the celebrity wedding of leading movie stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Abhishek is the son of legendary Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya is a former Miss World. Today the two went to the temple of Tirupati with family and friends to seek the blessings of Lord Venkateswara, the deity of the temple and incarnation of Vishnu.

Today many Hindu couples visit Tirupati immediately after the wedding and there seems to be reason for it. Legend has it that this temple was established for a very special wedding.

In his avatar as Krishna, Yashoda was his foster mother. Unfortunately Yashoda was not witness to the marriage of Krishna and this was a major disappointment in her life. Krishna promised her that in a subsequent life Yashoda would be present at his wedding in another avatar.

Accordingly Yashoda was reborn as Vakula and was living in the region of the seven holy hills that is now known as Tirumala. Vishnu’s consort Lakshmi had got upset and left her abode at Vaikuntha. Vishnu reached Tirumala searching for her. There he was cared for like a son by Vakula who named him Srinivasa. On Narada’s suggestion, Vakula approached King Akasa Raju for his daughter Padmavati’s hand in marriage for Srinivasa. The king agreed and a grand wedding was organized for Srinivasa and Padmavati. Meanwhile Lakshmi came to know that Vishnu had married again and she entered Srinivasa’s house when he was alone with his wife. It is said that he was so embarrassed that he turned to stone. Then Shiva and Brahma appeared and explained to all concerned the sequence of events. Both Padmavati and Lakshmi decided to stay with Vishnu and also turn to stone. Vakula is delighted the desire she had as Yashoda was ultimately fulfilled.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

On 19th April 2007 according to the western calendar, falls a lesser-known event on the Hindu almanac. This is Parashurama Jayanti or the birth anniversary of Parashurama Bhargava, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. Parashurama carried an axe or ‘parasha’ in Hindi and hence his name means the axe wielding Rama.

The purpose of this avatar was to rid the earth of the kshatriya race that had become arrogant and irreligious. Parashurama wiped out the race 21 times in bloody conflicts and established the supremacy of the brahmin race.

Parashurama is different from the other avatars of Vishnu in that he did not and will not ascend to heaven. He is a chiranjeevi and will live in mortal form till the destruction of the world at the end of Kaliyuga. Therefore he plays a role in the later avatars of Vishnu. In the Ramayana Parashurama creates a volatile situation when Rama breaks Shiva’s bow to marry Sita. In the Mahabharata Karna receives education from him claiming to be a brahmin. Parashurama discovers the deception and curses Karna. In Vishnu’s yet to come Kalki avatar, Parashurama will be the tutor and mentor of Kalki who will destroy the world because it has become evil beyond redemption. Under Parashurama’s guidance Kalki will perform a long and difficult penance to please Shiva and obtain the celestial weapons required for the destruction of the world. This is narrated in the Kalki Purana.

There are several lesser-known tales about Parashurama. Ganesh, the Elephant God, is also known as Ekdanta because he had only one tusk. Many stories abound how he happened to lose one tusk. One such story involves Parashurama. Once Parashurama went to pay his respects to Shiva but was stopped by Ganesh. Parashurama threw his axe at Ganesh, knowing that it was given by Shiva and hence would not harm Ganesh. The axe severed one of Ganesh’s tusks. Ganesh realized that Parashurama was a true devotee and let him pass. Parashurama is also known as the founder of the state of Kerala in south India. Before Parashurama’s birth Kerala did not exist. Parashurama threw his axe in the sea. Varun the demi-God of the Sea retreated till the point where the axe fell, thus creating Kerala.

One of the most fascinating tales about Parashurama is related to the origin of the Yellamma cult. Parashurama’s mother Renuka daily fetched water from the river early in the morning so that his father Jamadagni could start his rituals. One day Renuka saw some young men frolicking in the river and was so overwhelmed by their handsomeness that she tarried a while. When she reached home late, Jamadagni was so furious that he ordered his sons to cut off her head. Only Parashurama stepped forward to obey his father. Renuka ran and hid behind a low caste woman. Parashurama chopped of both their heads. His father was pleased and offered Parashurama a reward. Parashurama asked for both women to be restored. Jamadagni did the needful but inadvertently interchanged the heads. From that time onwards the devadasis worship the low caste woman with the head of Renuka as Yellamma. Another version adds that Jamadagni turned his four elder sons, who had refused to his bidding, into eunuchs. Hence Yellamma is also worshipped by the eunuchs.

Please check my course on Hindu Mythology

Please check my articles on Mythology from India

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Religion and politics is a heady mix and dangerous too. It should be avoided at all costs. But in India come election time someone or the other is ready with the mix. The state of Uttar Pradesh is going to the polls this month. Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state in India and nowhere else in India is the population more deeply divided along religion, caste and community lines. It was little wonder then that yesterday the Election Commission issued a notice to the Bharatiya Janata Party for releasing a propaganda CD that contained speeches using religion to arouse passion.

But mixing religion and politics was not always considered a destructive practice. In this post I would like to pay tribute to the man who used religion with telling effect to arouse a spirit of nationalism against British rule a little over a hundred years ago. The man I am referring to is Balgangadhar Tilak. Seeing how easily the British were dividing Indians along lines of religion and caste Tilak decided he had to do something to unite Indians. Tilak was from the state of Maharashtra and Ganesh, the deity with the elephant head, is highly revered there. The birth anniversary of Ganesh is celebrated sometime in August-September. It was a private function with rituals conducted at home. Tilak converted this into a public function. Statues of Ganesh were installed in public places such as gardens and street squares. The people collectively worshipped the God and participated in the rituals. Differences and even enmities were forgotten and people began to speak to each other. And sooner rather than later the subject shifted to rule under the British. This led to the rise of a nationalistic fervor that Nehru and Gandhi and the others were able to capitalize on.

When I see today’s politicians using religion to turn Indian against Indian, I sometimes wonder whether Tilak did the right thing.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

On a television show I recently came across a very interesting question. “Which is the only country in the world to have a Hindu temple on its flag?” The Indian flag does not have a Hindu temple. Nepal is the only Hindu nation so I checked that out the Nepal flag. It has the emblems of the sun and the moon but no temple. It took little time to find that the flag of Cambodia depicts the ancient Hindu temple of Angkor Wat.

The first civilizations in Cambodia were of Indian origin that flourished between the 1st and 15th centuries. The last of these was Khmer kingdom, whose king Jayavarman VII espoused Buddhism. However the temples of Angkor Wat were built by one of his predecessors Suryavarman II in the 12th century as the royal temple. The temple was dedicated to Vishnu. He died before the temple was completed andwork on the temple was suspended. The original name of the temple was believed to be Vrah Vishnolok. Later it was known as Preah Pisnulok after the title of Suryavarman II. Its present name, Angkor Wat, derives from the 16th century. Angkor is believed to be a corruption of the Sanskrit word ‘nagar’ meaning town and Wat is the Khmer word for temple. This is appropriate because Angkor Wat is a temple town. When the the kingdom converted to Buddhism, the temple of Anfkor Wat was occupied by Buddhist monks and continues to be so.

The French explorer, Henri Mouhot, brought the temple to the western world’s notice in the 19th century. He compared it to the temple of Solomon and said that it was the grandest surviving building of any bygone civilization. The temple was restored in the 20th century and is a source of pride to all Cambodians.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Yoga in schools is a good idea. But opposition parties always oppose it because they to not want someone else to take the credit for giving a fillip to yoga.

In India a Parliamentary Standing Committee that includes high profile members from the ruling coalition government has unanimously recommended that yoga should be made compulsory in schools across the country. The Committee has said, “The Committee is of the opinion that yoga is one stream of education, which will make a permanent and positive impact on a student’s life. Yoga has been gaining immense popularity due to the short-term as well as long-term benefits that it provides. Yoga helps one to achieve all-round development. Considering the vast potential of this ancient knowledge of India, the committee recommends that yoga be made compulsory for all school-going children in the country.”

This really should be taken as a case of better late than never. Yoga is India’s heritage and a truly secular one at that. Its objective is to condition the mind, body and soul to be one with the Divine. It does not matter which form of the divine one believes in. The practice of Yoga owes its origin to the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali.

However the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hinduism based opposition party, has cried foul. The reason given is that the Congress Party, the leader in the present coalition government, vociferously opposed the BJP’s attempts to introduce yoga. This is not totally correct because the BJP’s attempts of introducing yoga in Madhya Pradesh, a state under its governance, could be considered flawed. One attempt had yoga classes in schools with the chanting of Sanskrit hymns. This eroded the secular nature of the exercise and was opposed by Muslims and Christians. The other attempt was to have a yoga session in the state assembly. The choice of place can be considered questionable, except for the fact that the politicians need to practice yoga more than the schoolchildren. On both occasions the Congress termed the attempts as an imposition of Hinduism and a violation of India’s secular constitution.

It is unfortunate to see something as pure as yoga being embroiled in such political one-upmanship.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Celebrities Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar got married according to Hindu custom in the Indian city of Jodhpur. This follows their civil wedding that took place earlier. Traditional Hindu weddings are grand affairs and none more so than in the state of Rajasthan, where Jodhpur is situated. In fact Jodhpur has become a popular wedding venue and it is common to see the bride’s and groom’s families travel all the way to celebrate a fairy tale wedding there.

A Hindu wedding is both a religious and social event. Since Hindus belong to diverse social communities, the wedding ceremonies are different in different societies. The wedding ceremonies consist of many events each having its special significance. However the core of the Hindu wedding is the Saat Pheres or the Seven Circumambulations of the sacred fire, making a prayer with each round. In the first round the couple ask for sufficient food throughout their lives, in the second for mental and physical well-being, in the third for economic prosperity, in the fourth for happiness, in the fifth for children, in the sixth for a long life and in the seventh foe everlasting friendship.

Today in India inter community marriages are common and therefore it is common to have two wedding ceremonies one as practiced by each community. The ceremonies are considered auspicious and therefore each family wants to ensure that its deities are not offended. And two ceremonies make for double the revelries.

The Liz-Arun wedding has invoked sharp responses in India. While most were happy that Liz was sensitive to the wishes of Arun’s Hindu family, there are some that called the wedding a farce and an insult to Hinduism. In fact a legal complaint has been filed citing “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings”. The claim is that since Liz has not embraced Hinduism this marriage has hurt the sentiments of Hindus. The feeling is that the Hindu ceremony was used as a pretext to party. This is absurd. Whether the intent was to accommodate the wishes of the Hindu groom or simply to have a ball one cannot say. But given the wide meaning of Hinduism and its tolerant nature such petty objections serve only to mar the growing interest in the Hindu culture.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The caste system exists, despite being illegal, and it is abhorrent. It is a socio-economic order that exploits and demeans the lower section of the order, today known as Dalits. The crucial point is that the grouping within the system is hereditary. The caste system has been historically perpetuated by stating that it has religious sanction.

Many Hindu academics deny the religious basis of the caste system, as it exists. They claim that the system as originally propagated in the scriptures is merely a system of division of labor, that is essential for societal functioning and that exists in every society. The position a person occupies in the system is based on ability and not birth.

We have seen that Hindu scriptures embody a wide range of often-conflicting beliefs. Hence it is easy for both the proponents of the religious basis of the caste system and its opponents to quote from the scriptures. Many times quotations are taken out of context. However the fact is that this debate is purely academic and diverts from the issue at hand.

Today the need is to get rid of this system, whether it at one time had a religious basis or not. Most Hindus believe that religion evolves and even if Hinduism at one time supported a hereditary caste system, it cannot do so now. But getting rid of the caste system is easier said than done. Some of the impediments are listed below.

• Dalits want quick fix solutions. They are not amenable to a slow process of change. This system has existed for at least 2000 years. It is difficult to change the mindset of those who are benefiting under this system overnight, because these people will have to concede situations of socio-economic power. Quick fix solutions will not work.
• Dalits want to penalize the non-Dalits. The present non-Dalits did not impose the system. Many of them are not in favor of it. Many of them are in dire economic situation despite having a higher social rank. Hence there is a resentment to this rob Peter to pay Paul attitude, which leads to a clash and hampers the corrective process.
• The political leadership of the Dalits does not really want a change, despite the noises they make. The Dalits today constitute about half the Indian population, which makes a massive vote bank. The Dalit leaders are cultivating this vote bank by keeping passions high but not allowing concrete reforms.

Therefore for every one step taken forward the Indian society is taking two steps back and therein lies the problem.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

First of all I wish all the readers a Happy Holi. Holi is the festival of colors that is played all over India and by people of Indian origin all over the world by applying colors on each other. There are some lesser-known aspects of Holi that are the subject of this blog.

Holi derives its name from the she-demon Holika. Holika was the sister of Hiranyakashipu, the king of the demons. His son Prahlad was a religious person devoted to Vishnu. After attempts to convert Prahlad to the ways of the demons failed, Hiranyakashipu decided to have him killed. It was decided that Holika would take her nephew and enter a burning pyre. She would use her magical skills to protect her, but Prahlad would be burnt alive. But who can harm the one who the Gods protect. The reverse happened. Holika was burnt to death and Prahlad emerged from the flames unscathed. On Holi eve a pyre made of cow dung, representing Holika, is prepared and set fire at the auspicious time amid much rejoicing. This ritual is as much a part of Holi as playing with colors.

The second event is a special type of Holi known as lathmar Holi, played in the region of Braj. Krishna was from a village known as Nandgaon and his beloved Radha was from Barsana. Legend has it that every Holi Krishna and his mates would go to Barsana and drench the gopis, or maidens, with color. Once the gopis were prepared for the boys in a different way. They were ready with bamboo sticks to beat and chase away the boys before the boys could drench them. Of course this was in good-natured fun and everyone played normal Holi after that. ‘Lath’ is the Hindi word for stick and ‘mar’ means to beat. This event has been replayed every year since then. The boys from Nandgaon go to Barsana with leather shield. The gopis of Barsana beat the boys with sticks, who defend themselves with the shields. They do not retaliate. After the ritual over everyone has a good time.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

This post covers the next three Navgrahas, also written as Navagrahas. These are Mangal, Buddh and Brihaspati.

The legend of Mangal is not prominently depicted in the mythological texts. He is said to be the offspring of Sarva, a celestial archer, and Vikeshi, a manifestation of the Earth Goddess. Once Vikeshi was in trouble and Sarva came to her rescue. Vikeshi fell in love with Sarva and Mangal was born out of their union. In Roman mythology Mars is the God of war. In Indian mythology Mangal is identified as the planet of Kartikeya, the demi-God of war.

Buddh was the son of Soma and Tara. He married Ila, who had a fascinating past. She was born to Vaivasvata Manu, the sun of Surya. Since her father desired a son, he had her changed to a boy who was named Sudyumna. One day Sudyumna entered a forest forbidden to males, because it was the retreat where the Goddess Parvati entertained her husband Shiva. On entering the forest Sudyumna became a female again.

Brihaspati was famed as the preceptor of the demi-Gods. His father, Angiras, was one of the sages created by Brahma. Angiras married Shraddha, the daughter of sage Kardam, who was another creation of Brahma. Shraddha was unfaithful to her husband during her pregnancy and as a result gave birth to a stillborn child. However she repented and was able to regain the favor of Angiras. Angiras then gave life to the child, who was named Brihaspati. Brihaspati has three wives. With Shubha, the eldest he has seven daughters, with Tara, the second, he has seven sons and a daughter and with Mamata, the youngest, he has two sons. These two sons, Bharadwaj and Kacha, play a major role in Hindu mythology. Brihaspati acquired the planetary position after great penance through which he pleased Lord Shiva. Brihaspati helped the demi-Gods time and again in their wars against the demons. But he was a hard taskmaster as well. There are many legends about Brihaspati, including the abduction of his wife Tara by Buddh.

The mythology of the Navgrahas will be continued.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

In Hinduism a collection of deities known as the “Navgrahas” (Navagrahas) play an important role. Navgrahas mean nine planets, though all the nine are not planets. The Navgrahas are Surya - The Sun, Soma - The Moon, Mangal – Mars, Buddh – Mercury, Brihaspati – Jupiter, Shukra – Venus, Shani – Saturn, Rahu - The North (ascending) lunar node and Ketu - The South (descending) lunar node. The first seven of the Navgrahas give their names to the seven days of the week. As in the western calendar Sunday and Monday are named after the sun and the moon respectively. Sunday and Monday are "Ravivar" and "Somavar", after Ravi and Soma, which are one of the names of the sun and the moon. "Var" means day in Hindi. Tuesday to Saturday follow the planets in the above order from "Mangalvar" to "Shanivar".

The Navgrahas play a crucial role in Vedic Astrology. Their positions relative to the Rashis (signs of the Zodiac) at the time and place of birth of an individual determine the destiny of the individual. In all major religious ceremonies the Navgrahas are worshipped prior to the main ritual to obtain their blessings. Each of the Navgrahas has a colorful mythology and it is this aspect that will be presently discussed.

Surya, the Sun demi-God, was the son of sage Kashyap and Aditi. He had three wives - Samjna, Rajni and Prabha. Samjna was unable to bear Surya’s radiance and she created a woman, Chhaya or Shadow, who was identical to her. Samjna left after being replaced by Chhaya. However Surya discovered the switch when Chhaya began to give step-motherly treatment to Samjna’s children. He then went to his father-in-law, Viswakarma who was the architect of the Gods. Viswakarma then shaved off some of Surya’s energy so that people could look at him. With the excess energy he made some weapons for the Gods. The only parts of Surya’s body that were not modified were his feet. Hence generally Surya’s feet are not depicted. Surya then located Samjna and they lived happily ever after. The detailed story can be read at The Origin of the Solar Dynasty.

Soma was the son of sage Atri and Bhadra. Atri put Soma in-charge of the night sky. Soma had a roving eye. Sage Brihaspati, who was the preceptor of the demi-Gods, admonished Soma. In retaliation Soma abducted Brihaspati's wife, Tara. Over this a war broke out between the demi-Gods and Soma, with the demons assisting Soma and Shiva assisted the demi-Gods. Brahma intervened and ordered Soma to return Tara to Brihaspati. Soma did so, but in the meanwhile Tara had already given birth to Soma's son Buddh. The detailed story can be read at The Lunar Dynasty.

The mythology of the Navgrahas will be continued.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

I interact on many blog sites on Religion and Spirituality. I have been saddened to see over the recent past an increase in the offensive and vituperative post bashing each other’s religion. This unacceptable behavior is being indulged in by self-professed subscribers to all religions.

In today’s troubled times when our political and religious leaders (again of all nations and religions) have failed us, it is up to us to reach out to each other and restore sanity in our lives. Technology has provided us with a tool that enables us to instantly connect with people all over the globe. Let us use this technology to connect and not to disconnect.

I strongly believe that there is only One God and therefore all religions are essentially the same, though outwardly different. Let us seek out that which is similar and downplay that which differentiates us. Yesterday I was checking out Joseph Campbell’s Myths of Light for a reference when I saw two quotes on the inside cover and I reproduce them below.

The father said; “That subtle essence, my dear, which you do not perceive there – from that very essence this great banyan arises. Now, that which is the subtle essence – in it all that exists has its self. That is the True. That is the Self. Thou art that.”

Chandogya Upanishad, Chapter 12

Jesus said, “I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all come forth, and to me all attained. Split a piece of wood; I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.”

The Gospel According to Saint Thomas, Logion 77

Given the fact that they originated independently at different places in different times they tell us how close our different religions can be. History has ensured that the world will never have one religion but we can ensure that our religions become as similar as possible.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The Hindu calendar has 12 months. Each month is associated with a rashi or a sign of the zodiac. The months and the corresponding rashi are given below.

1. Chaitra (Mesha)
2. Vaishakha (Vrishabha)
3. Jaishtha (Mithuna)
4. Asadha (Karka)
5. Sravana (Simha)
6. Bhadra (Kanya)
7. Ashvin (Tula)
8. Kartik (Vrushchik)
9. Agrahyana (Dhanush)
10. Paush (Makar)
11. Magh (Kumbha)
12. Falguna (Meena)

Being proper nouns alternative spellings for the names are common. Sometimes different names are also prevalent. Agrahyana is also known as Margashirsha

It was earlier said that the month comprises of one complete cycle of the moon’s waxing and waning. Normally this cycle coincides with the sun’s transition from one rashi to the next according to the sidereal system of the zodiac. Hence the month begins when the sun enters the corresponding rashi. Chaitra begins when the sun enters Mesha and so on. Very precise instructions are available as to what needs to be done when the sun’s transit does not coincide with the lunar cycle.

In the Hindu calendar it was explained that the cycle of twelve Hindu months takes 354 days and hence every three years an additional month is added to reconcile it with the solar year. This is no academic juggling but like every other aspect of the calendar, it is based on natural events. About every three years the sun stays in a particular rashi for about 60 days. This additional 30 days is the extra month known as adhika maas. This extra month is given the name of the succeeding month. For example if the sun continues for extra time in the rashi Meena, the next transition will be into Mesha, so the extra month is known as Adhika Chaitra.

The Hindu year has six seasons, each comprising two months. Vasant or spring occurs in Chaitra and Vaishakha. Greeshma or summer comprises Jaishtha and Ashadha. Varsha, the monsoon, is traditionally in Shravana and Bhadra, though the rains begin earlier. Sharad is autumn and covers the months of Ashvin and Kartik. Hemant, literally meaning the end of the snows, is the winter in the months of Agrahyana and Pausha. Finally Shishir, which represents the cool period between winter and spring, occurs in Magh and Falguna.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The zodiac is an imaginary band on the celestial sphere that represents the path of the principal planets, the moon, and the sun. This band is divided into 12 equal parts each 30° wide, bearing the name of a constellation for which it was originally named. This division is done with respect to a given frame of reference. Hindu astrology follows the sidereal system that has as the reference the distant “fixed” stars. Current western astrology uses the tropical system that is based on the movement of the overhead position between the tropics.

The sidereal system was used by most ancient civilizations. It has several advantages. It is not affected by the many peculiarities of the earth’s rotation and revolution. Also the system is simpler to use. The only information required is the location of either Taurus or Scorpio. One of these is always visible in the night sky within the Milky Way. Once this is done any point can be easily located. The tropical system requires adjustments to be made for the peculiarities of the earth’s rotation and revolution. Today these adjustments are made by computers but are practically complicated. Also several indicators are required to chart out the complete coordinate system of the zodiac. These are the current mean sidereal time, the observer's terrestrial longitude and latitude, and the epoch the observer wishes to utilize.

In Hindi the signs of the zodiac are called “rashis” (singular is rashi). The twelve rashis along with their western counterparts are as follows: Mesha (Aries), Vrishabha (Taurus), Mithuna (Gemini), Karka (Cancer), Simha (Leo), Kanya (Virgo), Tula (Libra), Vrushchik (Scorpio), Dhanush (Sagittarius), Makar (Capricorn), Kumbha (Aquarius) and Meena (Pisces). The period of the rashi starts about after 3 weeks from the start of the corresponding zodiac sign. For example Mesha rashi starts on April 14, whereas Aries starts on March 21. The Hindu or sidereal dates are more in tune with the Astronomical dates given by the International Astronomical Union.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Hindus will celebrate the festival of Makar Sankranti on the 14th of January. This is the only festival in the Hindu calendar that appears on the same date as per the Gregorian calendar year after year. All other festivals appear on different dates each year as explained earlier in the case of Diwali. This is because the Hindu calendar has a lunar base, whereas the Gregorian calendar has a solar base. All Hindu festivals except Makar Sankranti are linked to the position or phase of the moon. Makar Sankranti is linked to a solar event.

Sankranti means transition. In this context it refers to the transition of the sun from one sign of the zodiac to the next. Hence there are twelve sankrantis in a year. For Hindus Makar Sankranti is the most important. Makar is the Hindi name for the sign Capricorn. During Makar Sankranti the sun transits from Sagittarius to Capricorn.

The overhead position of the sun apparently moves between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. On Makar Sankranti the sun is at its southernmost point over the Tropic of Capricorn. From this day it stars its six-month northward journey towards the Tropic of Cancer. This period is known as Uttarayana. This six month period is considered very auspicious. Makar Sankranti therefore is the initiator of this auspicious period. Makar Sankranti has the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. Thereafter the days start getting longer. Makar Sankranti also denotes the beginning of the decline of the winter. The six-month period when the sun is traveling southward is known as Dakshinayana.

How auspicious this date is can be judged from an incident in the Mahabharata. Bhishma the grandsire of the warring cousins had been granted the boon of choosing the time of his death. After the war got over he lay on the battlefield on a bed of arrows till Makar Sankranti when he breathed his last. A person dying on this day is believed to be free from the cycles of rebirth.

Makar Sankranti is celebrated differently in different parts of India. In north India ritual bathing at the holy places is common. In fact a month long Magh Mela takes place at Allahabad at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayag. In south India this festival is known as Pongal and is the most important festival of the year. In Maharashtra and Gujarat this festival is accompanied by kite flying. Every child is on the streets, fields or terraces flying kites and having all sorts of competitions.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The evidence for the existence of the river Saraswati is not restricted to its mention in the scriptures of Hinduism. There is a wealth of scientific evidence both for its existence and for the reasons it disappeared.

An English engineer named Oldham noticed in 1893 a tiny rivulet Ghaggar flowing in a river bed that was 3 km wide. He surmised that the Ghaggar was using the course of the old Saraswati River.

In Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) through where the Saraswati once passed, groundwater is available at a depth of 50 meters despite arid conditions and negligible rainfall. Wells have water throughout the year. Carbon dating has shown that this water is about 4000 years old. Archaeological excavations have brought to light the remains of more than 1000 towns along the course of the erstwhile river. Kalibangan in Rajasthan is notable. These findings in these excavations are consistent with the descriptions obtained from the Vedas. Several spots along the course have not completely dried up and even today lakes are found there. The most prominent ones are the Lunkaransar, Didwana, Sambhar, the Ranns of Jaisalmer and Pachpadra. Through remote sensing devices numerous paleochannels have been located that enable experts to trace the migratory course of Saraswati from the Himalayas through Kurukshetra and Rajasthan to the Rann of Kutch.

No single reason is given for the disappearance of the River Saraswati. The decline set in sometime about 4000 BC and by 1500 BC the river had disappeared. It is well accepted that the Indian subcontinent broke away from Africa and attached itself to Asia. The Himalayan ranges are a result of this plate movement. This tectonic activity continues intermittently and one such event must have cut off the glacier turning the river into a non-perennial one. Further blows came when its two main tributaries the Yamuna and the Sutlej changed their courses. The Yamuna turned eastwards and merged with the Ganga and the Sutlej turned westward to merge with the Indus. The desertification of Rajasthan occurred around this time.

Two further causes have been postulated. Satellite images have shown a large number of ground faults along the course of the river that would have drained the waters underground, sometimes to resurface through another fault. This is consistent with references from the Mahabharata given in the blog Saraswati:The lost river. Finally the shifting sands due to high winds in the desert area could have dammed up the river, which had already lost its flow.

There is not as yet any conclusive evidence for the Saraswati emerging at Prayag. Perhaps it seemed an appropriate point the river to emerge from her underground course. Or this theory could have something to do with the Yamuna leaving the Saraswati and meeting the Ganga. However the fact remains that this mighty river once existed and gave birth to a civilization on its banks.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The river Saraswati (also spelled Sarasvati) originated in the Himalayas and drained the northwest region of India. Though the river has no physical existence today there is ample evidence that it gave birth to a civilization that is at least 8000 years old.

The source of the river was the Har-ki-Dun glacier in the Bandarpunch massif in West Garhwal in the Himalayas. It was close to Yamnotri the source of the river Yamuna. In fact at one time the Yamuna joined the Saraswati. The other major tributary of the Saraswati was the Sutlej. The Saraswati took a course parallel to the Indus River and emptied into the Arabian Sea at the Rann of Kutch. Through Geographical Information systems (GIS) the course of the erstwhile river has been traced. The river ran a length of 1600 km, was 8 km wide at its maximum and is said to have supported 16,000 settlements along its course.

The Riga Veda refers frequently to both Saraswati and the Saptasindhu, a region watered by seven rivers. The Sindhu (Indus) formed the western boundary of this region and the Saraswati the eastern boundary. Both Sindhu and Saraswati are Sanskrit words for river. The other rivers were Satadru (Sutlej), Vipasa (Beas), Asikni (Chenab), Parosni (Ravi) and Vitasta (Jhelum). The importance of this river can be gauged from the fact that it is referred to as Ambitame, the best of the mothers, Naditame, the best of the rivers and Devitame, the best of the goddesses in The Riga Veda, Book 2, Hymn XLI.

Later texts like the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana also refer to the River Saraswati. Kurukshetra, where the Mahabharata War took place, was bounded on the north by Saraswati. During the Mahabharata period the River Saraswati was already drying up. In Section CXXX of the Vana Parva Lomasa points out that the Saraswati goers underground at Vinasana and remerges at Chamshodbheda. In Section VI of the Bhishma Parva, Sanjay the narrator of the war tells Dhritarashtra the blind king “As regards the Saraswati, in some parts (of her course) she becometh visible and in some parts not so”. [1]

There is also a view that after going underground the Saraswati merged with the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayag. Hence Prayag is the confluence of not two but three holy rivers. In Section LXXXIV of the Vana Parva there is a reference to bathing at the confluence of the Ganga and the Saraswati results in ascent to heaven.

Brahma’s consort, the Goddess Saraswati, is the Goddess of learning. The river had been deified as the Goddess of learning because of the wisdom that was accumulated along its banks thousands of years ago.

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[1] The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli [published between 1883 and 1896] and available online at Internet Sacred Text Archive.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Ravana, the epitome of evil, was one of the most infamous characters in Hindu mythology. His mother Kaikasi was from the race of Demons. His father was Vishrava, a powerful sage and the grandson of Brahma the Creator. Ravana, being born from the union of two races had the power and opportunity to unite the warring factions of the Demons and demi-Gods. But this was not to be, perhaps because his father married his mother for the wrong reason.

At that time the Demons ruled over Lanka. The demi-Gods defeated the Demons and installed Kuber as the ruler of Lanka and the custodian of the wealth of the demi-Gods. Kuber was the son of Vishrava and Ilavida. The deposed Demons were helpless. They knew that in order to win back their kingdom they needed a leader who had the meditative power of the sages and the wiles of the Demons. Hence the sultry siren Kaikasi was sent to Vishrava. Kaikasi told the sage that she did not want her children to be of the notorious Demon clan. She wished a better future for them. Hence she requested Vishrava to marry her. Vishrava was already married to Ilavida. He asked for her consent, stating that his marriage to Kaikasi would bring about a grand alliance between the demi-Gods and the Demons. Ilavida told her husband that there was no question of withholding her consent. But she wanted to know the truth. Was Vishrava sexually attracted towards Kaikasi? Was that the real reason for his second marriage? Vishrava sheepishly confessed that it was.

In an earlier blog I had quoted Eliot’s lines from Murder in the Cathedral.

To do the right deed for the wrong reason.”

Vishrava succumbed to the wrong reason and went down in history as the father of perhaps the most evil man ever. Mythology supplements scriptural wisdom with dramatic effect and one of the reasons for the flourishing of Hinduism is its vibrant mythology.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Another question frequently asked is “Who is a Hindu?” I have not put it with the FAQs because it does not have a clear answer. Key in “who is a hindu” on Google and you will be amazed at the variety of responses. I would like to interpret this question as what is the minimum requirement for a person to be a Hindu.

In the Levant religions there is a rite of initiation into the religion, like baptism or circumcision. I am not aware whether this rite is sufficient for the person to be deemed a member of the religion. However no such initiation rite exists in Hinduism so the question does not arise.

Hinduism accepts all faiths as legitimate paths to God and therefore some people have advocated that anyone who believes in God is a Hindu. This definition is not tenable because those who subscribe to other religions would not call themselves Hindus. This is true of other Indic religions like Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism as well. The subscribers to such religions may identify more with Hinduism than with Occidental religions but they would not call themselves Hindus. And unfortunately today because of the prevalent religious acrimonies even many Hindus would not readily accept this definition.

One of the most common definitions of a Hindu is one who accepts the authority of the Vedas. As far as blind acceptance of the authority of the Vedas is concerned this definition would be workable but at a practical level there are problems.

The Vedas are not unequivocal authoritative texts (expect as relating to liturgical functions). They present various points of view, often conflicting. Hence one can accept one part of the Vedas but not another. Another problem with this definition is that the Vedas are complex scriptures and many Hindus would have little idea of what is written in them and very few would have actually read them. Hence to hold the acceptance of Vedic authority at a meaningful level is untenable because it would exclude a large section of Hindus.

A simple condition would be to believe in the divinity of the deities mentioned in the Puranas. Most Hindus would go beyond mere belief and actually practice the more basic rituals. However there are many who do not practice for want of time or lack of perceived need. They are content in belief.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

On July 21, 2001, a new city was incorporated in Iowa, USA. This was the Maharishi Vedic City. In an earlier article it was discussed how Hinduism has a holistic approach to life. All that is in evidence in this city.

The architectural design follows Vedic principles. Of importance is that the houses face the east. It is considered healthy for our bodies to receive the early morning sunlight. At that time the sunlight is moderate so we get the benefits of the sunlight without getting its harmful effects. In ancient times people lived in one room homes. The homes faced east and this enabled the people to do their morning chores and receive the sunlight as well.

The city has a spa that is based on a natural prevention oriented approach to health. The city has banned the sale of non-organic foods and is growing organic food not only for its citizens but also for sale in the Midwest. The city will ultimately be ecologically sustainable. It will derive its electricity needs from solar and wind energy and run recycling and composting programs to reuse its waste.

The city has been the inspiration of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. One of his favorite projects is the attainment of world peace through Transcendental Meditation. Meditation eliminates negative vibrations that are responsible for conflict. Meditation centers in the city will send positive vibes to counter the negative vibes in the world.

More information about the city can be had from its web site. There are several programs for visitors to acquaint themselves with the philosophy and practices of this Vedic city, which if not perfect is definitely unique.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

A poll on the purpose of religion was conducted last week. There were 16 votes cast and my thanks to all of them. The question-wise response is given below.

1. To explain the mysteries of the universe.2 votes or 12.50%
2. To make one aware of the magnificence of God.1 vote or 6.25%
3. To provide moral instruction.1 vote or 6.25%
4. Preparation for the afterlife.2 votes or 12.50%
5. To enable one to achieve spiritual well-being.10 votes or 62.50%

The poll also gave rise to some discussion and I than the participants.

One common issue was the problem of not leaving an opening for “other” reasons. I would like to record here other reasons that were given.

1. “To provide a mechanism of social control over the masses” (pink101)
2. “To pursue a deep, personal and growing relationship with my God and to deepen my knowledge and understanding of him.” (brendapreg)

I would also like to summarize a long response by kriyakid. At the outset he said that we must look at the various functions of religion in an integrated manner because they act cohesively. He also highlighted the essential Oneness of life. Hence religion has to extend beyond providing individual succor. In his words the purpose of religion is “to create a social order based on ahimsa that allows every individual regardless of where they are spiritually, physically and socially, to develop or evolve toward that Oneness; and [to create] the means, tradition and paradigm for each individual to be able to follow the path of Truth, of Dharma.”

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The Hindu calendar is extremely complex in that the dates do not always change at the same hour, sometimes days are skipped and months are added. But despite this it is scientifically precise in that one can predict days, dates months forward and backwards from now till eternity, just like one can do in the Gregorian calendar. The Hindu calendar is essentially lunar, but has some attributes of the solar cycle as well. Hence it is often called “luni-solar”.

A year consists of twelve months each month corresponding to a complete lunar cycle. As measured against our 24 hour day, the length of a lunar day varies, averaging a little less than 24 hours. This is the reason the dates do not change at the same hour. The lunar month is about 29.5 days. Hence the year has 354 days, 11 days short of the Gregorian year. As compared to the Gregorian year dates keep getting pushed back by 11 days every year. This is a major problem, because the seasons play an important role in Hindu life, as they do elsewhere. And seasons depend on the solar cycle. Hence about every three years an additional month is added to the calendar to reconcile it with the solar cycle. The year is divided into two halves – one when the sun is directly overhead in the northern hemisphere (known as uttarayana) and the other when the sun is directly overhead in the southern hemisphere (daksinayana). It is also divided into six seasons.

A month consists of two parts depending on whether the moon is waning or waxing. Each part consists of fifteen days. Since the months is 29.5 days and not 30 days, at the required times a day is skipped. The numbering of the days does not go from 1 to 30 but from 1 to 15. It starts with the first day of the waning moon (dark fortnight or krishna paksha) and on the fifteenth day of the waning moon is the new moon day. The date then becomes the first day of the waxing moon (bright fortnight or shukla paksha) and on the fifteenth day is the full moon day.

Not everyone can read the calendar because of the peculiarities explained and this is its major disadvantage. However it is used largely for religious functions and for preparing horoscopes so one need not get involved with the intricacies.

All ancient societies had lunar calendars. Undoubtedly the common folk would have found it easier to measure the progress of the days by looking at the phases of the moon rather than the position of the sun. Remember there were no time pieces or printed calendars then.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Religion is as old as humankind. Yet the purpose of religion has varied from time to time and from place to place. Even at the same time and place, different groups have had different expectations from religion.

One of the oldest purposes of religion was to explain the mysteries of nature. In a sense this purpose still exists. Only the mysteries are now more mystifying. In A Brief History of Time Stephen Hawking elucidates, “Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing? Is the unified theory so compelling that it brings about its own existence? Or does it need a creator, and, if so, does he have any other effect on the universe? And who created him?”

Religion exists because God exists and one of the purposes of religion has been to contemplate and revel in the magnificence of God. Verse 14 of Canto 1 Chapter 2 the Bhagavata Purana reads, “Therefore should one with a one-pointed mind constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Supreme Lord, the protector of the devotees.”

From time to time religious leaders have provided moral and ethical instruction. The best example of this is the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai.

All religions preach some form of life after death, whether eternal heaven or hell or rebirth. Religious teachings also chart out the path to be taken so that one’s after life is happy.

In today’s hectic and tense life style, the most sought after commodity is peace of mind. Many people turn to new preachers of mainstream religions. Deepak Chopra and Sri Ravi Sankar (of the Art of Living fame), who base their methods on Hinduism, have a large following. Other people have turned to alternative spiritualities like Soka Gakkai of Neo-paganism.

I have put up a poll in my topic Hinduism to determine which of these purposes is most meaningful to members of the Suite101 community. Please do drop in and cast your vote. The final count will be in on the 10th of December.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

In ancient Hindu society there existed a practice known as Niyog Pratha. Pratha means practice. A woman who was childless because her husband was impotent was allowed to conceive through her brother-in-law. The child belonged to the couple and the brother-in-law had no claim over it. In our society today, surrogate motherhood is not unheard of. Niyog Pratha was surrogate fatherhood. It was much less complicated, legally and emotionally, than surrogate motherhood.

You may be aware that Hindus have a desire bordering on desperation for a male offspring. There is a peculiar reason for this. A male during his lifetime is required to perform certain rituals that appease the souls of his ancestors. If a couple does not have a son then there would be no one to carry out the rituals and the souls of the ancestors would remain eternally unappeased. This thought has no fundamental basis. It is one of the many practices that insidiously crept into the religion during the Brahmanical period and got reinforced through the ages. Fortunately now more reasonable thinking is starting to prevail and the absence of a son is not looked upon as a liability at least among the urban educated. But the Niyog Pratha must have been introduced as a result of the ‘necessity’ of having a male child.

For royalty the need for a male offspring was even greater. Daughters got married and went to live with their husbands. A son was needed to inherit the kingdom and continue the lineage as well as to perform the above-mentioned rituals. In the article Veda Vyasa and the Mahabharata we see that Vyasa was called upon to impregnate the royal widows. As was seen in the article The Birth of Krishna Dwaipayana, Vyasa was also Satyavati’s son and therefore a half brother to the deceased king.

Such practices were not unique to Hinduism. One finds references to them in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy Chapter 25 Verse 5 reads, “If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.” Genesis Chapter 16 Verse 2 permits surrogate motherhood through the maid.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Once in a while there arises a man whose contribution to his chosen field is so revolutionary that it changes the manner of perception of that field for ages to come. Albert Einstein did that to physics a hundred years ago. Pablo Picasso revolutionized painting around the same time. Many centuries before that Krishna Dwaipayana, better known as Veda Vyasa, gave a new direction to Hinduism.

Before his time the Hindu scriptures were passed down orally from teacher to student for generations. This process naturally resulted in many versions being propagated. It was impossible for anyone outside the community of priests and seers to learn about and understand the scriptures.

Krishna Dwaipayana classified the Vedic hymns into four groups, which became the four Vedas. He also structured each Veda so that its different sections addressed different groups of users. The greatest benefit of this compilation and unification was that thenceforth the Vedas were preserved in an unchanged form. It was because of this mammoth effort on the part of Krishna Dwaipayana that we today have access to the works that poets and philosophers composed more than 8000 years ago. Krishna Dwaipayana preserved for eternity the seed of a culture. For this he earned the sobriquet Veda Vyasa.

However this was only a part of Veda Vyasa’s contribution to Hinduism. The study of the Vedas was restricted to the seers and academicians. The common man could not identify with mystic poetry and complicated rituals. He needed stirring narratives that inspired deep devotion and a repeated reassurance that righteousness shall triumph. For the common man the three holiest scriptures of Hinduism are the Bhagavad Gita, the Bhagavata Purana and the Ram Charit Manas. The first two are written by Veda Vyasa some thousands of years ago. Ram Charit Manas was written by Tulsidas about 400 years ago.

It was the Bhagavata Purana that spread the message of God across the length and breadth of the land. Even today people flock in multitudes to hear sages expound the greatness of this scripture, the rendering of which is traditionally done over seven days.

For the next few articles I will take a break from the Hinduism journey to write about the life of this great sage.

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Posted by Harsh Nevatia

It is undisputed that the hymns or Samhitas of the Vedas were composed before the Brahmanas and Aranyakas and that the Upanishads were formalized even afterwards. The Samhitas appear to be as an anthology of verses. Read by themselves they appear abstruse and mystical. They are also prone to misinterpretation. It needs the exposition of the Upanishads to throw light on the hymns.

Take D.H.Lawrence’s poem Bavarian Gentians for example. One needs to know the background of the mythology of Demeter and Persephone in order to understand the poem completely. To one who does not know the mythology, the poem will appear superficial. In the same way the Upanishads elaborate on the symbolic and mythological references in the hymns. Hence though the Upanishads were composed afterwards they need to be read before the hymns. Reading the Upanishads can be a daunting task and several summaries of the Vedanta philosophy of the Upanishads are available, which can serve the purpose.

Hymn CXXIX of Book 10 is one of the most famous hymns from the Riga Veda. There is a line in the hymn that reads

“The Gods are later than this world's production.”

Many critics of the Vedas interpret this line as that the Vedic philosophy did not subscribe to God being the prime cause of the creation of the universe. Some even suggest that this line implies that God is a human conception in Vedic philosophy and not a divine entity. This misconception arises out of ignorance of the Vedanta philosophy.

The key word is “Gods”. This hymn is from the last book of the Riga Veda. By the time it was composed the monist and monotheistic philosophy had evolved and the pagan gods had been relegated to the secondary level. The word Gods does not refer to the One Supreme God but to the various forces of nature that had been earlier deified. We are aware today that the continents and landforms, rivers and seas, flora and fauna, winds and rain, came into existence long after the universe was born. This is what is implied by the line.

Hence it would be prudent to commence a hymn by hymn study of the Vedas only after acquainting oneself with the Vedanta philosophy.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

After having understood the extent of the universe, the ancient seers of the Vedic period began to look upon the cosmic order as divine. The key word is order. In the Riga Veda the word ‘ritu’ is used for the order which encompasses the movements of the stars and planets and the accompanying effects. Today ‘ritu’ is used specifically for season. The pagan deities, who were earlier supreme, became subservient to the cosmic order. These pagan deities, Sun, Moon, Thunder, Sea etc., were over a time anthropomorphized and this is where Divine Retribution originated.

Lightning strikes one hut killing its occupants and not harming the neighboring one. The common man at that time could not believe that the God of Thunder (Indra in Hindu mythology, Zeus in the Greek form) was playing a game of chance or was creating havoc without intent or reason. Hence the deceased must have done something wrong to have incurred divine wrath. In this way every natural calamity became an act of divine retribution. Divine retribution is not limited to Hinduism nor is it limited to monotheistic religions. Zeus was one trigger-happy deity. The destruction of the Tower of Babel in the Old Testament was an incident of divine retribution. In all religions humans face some kind of judgment after death, which is again divine retribution.

Even though today the cause of natural calamities is well understood, including their inherent chance nature, the concept of divine retribution is so firmly ensconced that it is difficult to dislodge. The major drawback of divine retribution is that certain persons or groups considered themselves as representatives of God, and therefore took on the function of divine retribution. The Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witch Hunts, Hitler’s gas chambers and the Ku Klux Klan are examples of the lowest levels humanity has stooped to in the name of divine retribution. Some even say that the War against Terror is nothing but a usurpation of divine retribution.

Whether we believe in God having an anthropomorphic form or only an anthropomorphic character, the function of divine retribution has overshadowed God’s other glories. Divine retribution is no longer acting as a deterrent. It is my personal belief that all religions must move away from the concept of a God whose function is to judge humanity and towards the more cosmic nature of the Divine.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

In the articles From Polytheism to Monotheism and Polytheism, Monotheism and Monism we saw how the Vedic seers were engaged in a process of inquiry through which they were able to evolve their conception about the nature of God. Hinduism is perhaps the only religion that not only allows but encourages its followers to question the premises on which the faith is established. Every generation of religious philosophers finds new answers to problems of antiquity and is thereby able to impart a contemporary focus to the religion. In contrast most other religions not only preach but try to enforce adherence to dogma. This was clearly seen in the furor over The Da Vinci Code’s alternative presentation of Mary Magdalene. Perhaps the saddest outcome of the insistence on dogma has been the schism between the Church and Science.

Another aspect of Hinduism that is unique is its ability to integrate different points of view. The split in the Christian faith into Catholics and Protestants has been irrevocable and took place with much rancor and considerable bloodshed. In Islam the split between the Shias and Sunnis is still the cause for violence in countries like Iraq and Pakistan. On the other hand Hinduism is a co-existence of diverse beliefs. Not all people living in India in the Vedic period subscribed to the Vedic views. As we shall shortly see in our journey into Hinduism there were significant deviations from the purely Vedic philosophy based on the integration of the non-Vedic practices into the Hindu faith. We shall see another integration a little later in the conflict between the followers of Shiva and Vishnu.

Hinduism truly advocates that the different religious beliefs are different paths to the same God. This not only applies to the different views within Hinduism but also to completely separate faiths like Christianity or Islam. Most Hindus are comfortable praying in churches or mosques and are not discouraged from doing so. It is because of this integrative character of Hinduism, that it has not felt the need to proselytize.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

It is commonly accepted that the Vedas were revealed to the ancient seers. It is also accepted that since God is the prime cause of the universe, the Vedas were a ‘divine revelation’. In fact the Vedas belong to that category of Hindu scriptures known as Shruti, literally meaning ‘that which is heard’. When the seers emptied their minds of all trivialities they could hear the sounds of the universe. The other category in this manner of classification is Smriti, literally meaning ‘that which is remembered’. The Shruti texts were revealed whereas the Smriti texts were realized as a consequence of deduction from the Shruti texts. There are differences of opinion in the classification between Shruti and Smriti. However the Vedas are universally accepted as belonging to the revealed category. The perception of the process of how the Vedas were revealed varies with the nature of inquiry.

The early Vedic society was pagan and pantheistic and the secrets of the Vedas were probably revealed through meditation and introspection on nature’s relationship with humanity. The experience of communion with the divine happened in a flash during moments of intense meditation aided by sudden inspiration. It was during such moments that the questions regarding the nature of universe, purpose of life and God were answered. These answers were then composed in the form of hymns that became the essential part of the Vedas. This process is by no means far fetched. The apocryphal tale of how Newton discovered gravity by an apple falling on his head is an illustration of the same process.

This is not the kind of divine revelation we are accustomed to. For us divine revelation is Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God or Muhammad receiving the Holy Koran from Allah. As Hinduism moved from polytheism to monotheism and as theology became the more dominant aspect of philosophy the need for an express divine revelation was felt necessary to strengthen the theological basis of religion. In mythology, Brahma the Creator became the custodian of the Vedas. He revealed them to the first seers who in turn disseminated them to the next generation.

In the article Hinduism: A Holistic Way of Life we saw that Hinduism has a multidisciplinary perspective. The divine revelation of the Vedas is one more example.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The annual camel fair is currently on at Pushkar, the holy town of Brahma. It is the world’s largest camel fair and one of the largest livestock fairs. According to legend the Brahma was searching for a place to hold a sacrifice. He dropped a lotus and the Pushkar Lake was formed where it fell. The sacrifice was conducted on the shore of the lake, where the Brahma temple stands. It is the only temple in the world dedicated to Brahma. The fair ends on the full moon night of the Hindu month of Kartik. The pilgrims take a dip in the holy lake, whose holy water washes away the sins. At night oil wick lamps are released on the waters of the lake creating a beautiful spectacle.

Livestock trading is the main purpose of the fair. The camels, in particular, are decked up and paraded on the sand dunes. While the men go about their business, the women go shopping. The camel races and the merrymaking are enjoyed by everyone. The competition for the longest moustache and body tattooing are much sought after. The religious-cum-business-cum-pleasure nature of the fair is a testimony to the holistic nature of Hinduism.

Pushkar was once the holiest pilgrimage center and definitely dates back to the Vedic age. Later its relative importance declined, corresponding to the decline in the worship of Brahma. Brahma is the Hindu God of Creation. Or to put it more correctly he is that manifestation of the Supreme God that is responsible for Creation. He was very popular in the Vedic period but later during the Epic period Vishnu and Shiva became more popular. There are some interesting mythological tales as to why there is only one temple dedicated to Brahma.

A temple to Brahma’s consort Savitri stands on a hill overlooking the town of Pushkar. Another interesting temple is one devoted to Varaha (Boar), the third of the ten incarnations of Vishnu. The demon Hiranyaksha had dragged the earth to the bottom of the cosmic ocean. Varaha killed the demon with his tusks and freed the earth. The last Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh chose this holy site for reciting the sacred Guru Granth Sahib, demonstrating the integrative nature of religions in India.

The number of foreign tourists coming to this fair is increasing. The ancient town of Pushkar is ready to welcome the world. Keeping in mind the conservative and sacred nature of Pushkar foreigners should be careful not to offend the sensibilities of the Indian pilgrims and local population. Public nudity is illegal. Also photographing women taking the ritual dip in the lake is not acceptable. The isolated cases of such behavior are making foreigners unpopular.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

This week I would like to digress from the subject of Hinduism to put down some thoughts on religion in general. These thought came to mind as I was reading through T.S.Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral. These lines said by Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury towards the end of Part I made me put down the book and think a while.

“The last temptation is the greatest treason:

To do the right deed for the wrong reason.”

The Archbishop was contemplating whether he was on a collision course with the King for the good of the church alone or was the desire of fame as a martyr spurring him on. Only when he was convinced beyond doubt that there was no personal element involved was his mind at ease.

Today the world is facing severe religious strife. And India is no exception. Here we have several religious bodies (and bodies who seek support in the name of religion) from all religions – Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism – who do not lose any opportunity for raising religious fervor. No one denies that such organizations have every right to support and defend their subscribers. But the strident tones and confrontationist postures they display are most unreligious. More and more one is beginning to doubt the intentions of such organizations. It is apparent that they are doing perhaps “the right deed” for definitely “the wrong reason”. Maybe they are seeking media mileage to promote themselves and hence increase their funding. Maybe they are garnering a vote bank for their political affiliates. This is what I have seen in India but I guess it is the same everywhere else.

I believe that religious organizations need to tone down their statements, whether active or reactive. I believe that they need to do this voluntarily. I believe that before they take a stand they must introspect and be sure that they are acting not for the wrong reason. However I do not see religious organizations acting in the aforesaid manner. Hence it is up to us as individuals to create the balance. Before we support any religious stand or activity we must be clear in our minds that it is the right deed and that it is not being conducted for the wrong reason.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

The importance of borrowing from earlier religions cannot be overstated. In all religions the message of God is Love, Peace and Harmony. Ironically today the world is bitterly divided among religious lines, whether between different religions or between different sects of the same religion. It has become essential that we break down the fortresses that we have built around our respective religions and allow intermingling and even acceptance of ideas from different faiths. But before we can do that we have to introspect and acknowledge the contribution earlier religions have made to the faith we profess.

Borrowing from earlier religions is a natural process. After all time is a continuum and the cultures of our ancestors cannot be erased from our lives overnight. Most religions existing today have borrowed concepts, icons or personalities from religions that preceded them. In the article Hinduism and the Aryan Influence we saw how the early Vedic deities were those the Aryans brought with them. Some of them exist even today as demi-Gods in Hindu mythology. Varun is the demi-God of the Sea, Usha is the demi-Goddess of Dawn and Yima, the king in the ancient Aryan mythology, is Yama, the demi-God of death.

The Romans adopted the entire Greek pantheon, simply by changing the names. The king of the gods, Zeus, became Jupiter. His wife, Hera, became Juno. The goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, became Venus and the god of war, Ares, became Mars. The entire Roman mythology was borrowed from the earlier Greek one.

Perhaps the most popular image in Christianity is that of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus in her arms. The Egyptian Goddess Isis nursing the infant Horus bears a striking resemblance to the images of Madonna and Child. Festive celebrations are events people find difficult to give up, even when they adopt a different religion. The solstices and equinoxes were important festivals on the pagan calendar, being important points in the earth’s revolution around the sun. Some of the important Christian festivals take place very close to the dates of the equinoxes and solstices. The birth of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated in midsummer and Christmas in midwinter. The Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin is on the 25th of March close to the spring equinox and Saint Mathew’s Day is celebrated close to the autumn equinox.

Before Allah revealed the mission of spreading His message to all humanity to the Prophet Muhammad, He had sent other prophets to preach to a specific group of people. These prophets include most of the religious figures from the Old Testament such as Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon. The last of the prophets before Muhammad was Jesus according to the Islamic belief.

Borrowing from earlier religions serves two important purposes. It allows for a continuance of culture, which is essential to the acceptance of new thought. It demonstrates that positive interaction between religions is possible.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

Hindus will celebrate Diwali or Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, on the 21st of October. It is by far the most important festival on the Hindu calendar. The festivities for Diwali begin with Dhanteras on the 19th of October and continue till Bhai Dooj on the 23rd of October. Most commercial activities are put on hold and it is a time for families to get together. The Diwali week is just like the Christmas to the New Year period in the western calendar.

Like Dussera, Diwali is also linked to the Ramayana. On Dussera Rama slew Ravana. On Diwali he returned to his capital city of Ayodhya after completing fourteen years of exile. The entire city was lit with oil lamps in celebration of his return. This is the reason why Diwali is known as the Festival of Lights. Hindus world over replicate the scene by lighting their homes with decorated oil lamps. In India public places are lit up during this period. Celebrations also include bursting of firecrackers. Originally meant to enhance the lighting, these crackers today have become a source of sound and smoke pollution in many urban areas.

Rama invaded Lanka with the intention to wipe out an evil force. Having done that he did not annexe Lanka. Nor did he in any way interfere with its governance. Ravana’s pious brother, Vibhishana, had already taken refuge with Rama. In fact Rama had crowned him as king of Lanka in exile even before the war. After Ravana’s death a formal coronation of Vibhishana took place. Vibhishana married Ravana’s widow, Mandodari, as was the custom in those days.

Posted by Harsh Nevatia

This year on the 2nd of October Hindus celebrated the festival of Dussera, also known as Vijayadashami. It was on this day that Rama slew the evil Ravana and freed his wife Sita, as narrated in the epic Ramayana. Every year Dussera is celebrated as the anniversary of this event. In every city and town of India huge paper effigies of Ravana, his son Indrajit and brother Kumbhakaran are erected. At the appropriate moment in the enacting of the Ramayana, ‘Rama’ shoots arrows with burning heads into the effigies and they go up in flames, much to the delight of the young and old alike.

The event symbolises the victory of good over evil. Ravana was terrorizing the people of the earth. When their endurance was breached they approached God Vishnu for his intervention. Vishnu promised to take birth as Rama and in that incarnation he would slay Ravana. Rama was born as the prince of Ayodhya. After getting rid of many minor demons Rama finally faced Ravana and in a fierce battle killed him, thereby ridding the earth of evil, at least for the time being.

Today we are engaged in playing God and busying ourselves trying to eradicate the evil around us. We fail to realise that we are not God and that, to a lesser or greater extent, there is evil within us. I believe that a more relevant interpretation of Rama killing Ravana is slaying the demon within. If we all try to do that sincerely then the world will become a more peaceful place.