Tattva

This is a continuation of the article on Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya from the June/July edition of Tattva.

Coronation:

Figure 2: Painting of Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya’s Coronation [4]

Victorious Hem Chandra entered Delhi on October 6, 1556 as a sovereign [4]. It’s difficult to imagine the exact thoughts in his mind. But it was a historical moment for India. After 350 years of almost unbroken Islamic rule, a Hindu king had entered Delhi! Hem Chandra must be acutely aware of the significance of this moment. That is why he assumed the title of Vikramaditya – a title assumed by many illustrious Hindu emperors in the history of India! No wonder then that Muslim historians have described him in the nastiest of words. Badayuni – a bigot and fundamentalist – writes, ‘through treachery, deceit and fraud great Delhi fell into the hands of Hindu Hemun’ [2]. He conveniently forgets that numerous great empires in the history of mankind have been built by great men coming from humble origins. Read the rest of this entry »

A great part of the global population is still illiterate. Among these literates very few are educated. Educated ones are not necessarily knowledgeable and being knowledgeable doesn’t necessarily mean wise. Confused? But it’s true. A university certificate assures – at best – your presence at college but not your learning or quality. Yet, we often tend to confuse literates with educated and educated with knowledgeable and the knowledgeable with wise ones. Now, among the literates and educated many tend to consider themselves as “wise.” But being wise and considering oneself to be wise are two different things. It’s not necessary that education is a prerequisite to be wise. History will firmly testify this fact. So what is wisdom? How does one get it? I have been bothered by this question for years now. Read the rest of this entry »

Introduction:
Ram Naam (rhythmic chanting of the word Ram) has been the core of Hindu religion. Lord Sri Ram is regarded as the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is the symbol of courtesy and virtue, and a man of values and morals. He is also known as Maryada Purushottama, which means “perfect man” in Sanskrit. Lord Ram is an example of idealism, as he proved to mankind that he was an ideal son, an ideal brother and an ideal husband. Lord Vishnu incarnated to earth with the aim to eradicate the evil forces of his age. Therefore, Ram Naam itself is a divine mantra or prayer. When Rishi Vashishta gave the name Ram to King Dashratha and Queen Kaushalaya’s son, the Demi-Gods in heaven rejoiced. It is proclaimed that Lord Ram was given this name in order to help mankind attain salvation and overcome obstacles in life. The word Ram is an embodiment of bliss and salvation. Read the rest of this entry »

DasaMahavidhya 2 - Maha Tara, is often said to be a savior, a goddess who helps us across difficult situations and offers the knowledge of Moksha. She is the unmanifest sound that is spread all over and that which supports the universe. Tara is often meditated upon for the purification of the mind for she is the purifying force of all the vital breaths. In fact, the sound of breath is her original, spontaneous and un-uttered mantra (So’ham). She is also the knowledge that arises by differentiating the meanings through sounds, and hence she is the patron goddess of all Mantra seekers and makers. Like Kali, she too is blue in color. She has tangled brown hair, has serpents as her ornaments with her four hands carrying a Kapala (a bowl made from a skull), a blue lotus, a head chopper and a pair of scissors. She wears a garland of severed human heads and is often shown straddling upon a corpse. Tara is much adored in the Buddhist traditions as well.

Deepak Saagar is a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati.

This prayer to Lord Ganesha is to be recited before starting any new task.

शुक्लाम्बर धरं विष्णुं  शशि वर्णम् चतुर्भुजम् |

प्रसन्न वदनं ध्यायेत्  सर्व विघ्नोपशान्तये ॥

shuklambaradharam vishnum shashivarnam chaturbhujam

prasanna vadanam dhyayet sarva vighnopa shantaye

Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:

Shuklambara- white cloth; dharam- worn; vishnum- all pervading ; Shashivarnam- bright complexion(like a full moon); Chaturbhujam- 4 shoulders; Prasanna Vadanam- Pleasant face; Dhyayet- I meditate; Sarva- all; Vighnopa- obstacles; Shantaye- pacify

Translation:

For the removal of all the obstacles in my effort, I meditate upon Bhagwan Ganesha, who wears a white garment, who is all pervading, who has a bright complexion (like a full moon), who has four shoulders, who has an ever-smiling face.

Brief Explanation

Lord Ganesha is considered the deity for removal of all obstacles in our life. Hence it is customary to pray to Him first before starting any new activity whether it be pooja, new business or a new journey. Thinking about the Lord who has a pleasant face (prasanna vadanam) will help us overcome all the obstacles that might arise in our task.

His achievements notwithstanding, he is not a household name in India. His name does not ring any bells in the collective memory of Hindus. I am not even sure if any physical memorial of this Hindu Hero exists. Anecdotally, Prithvi Raj Chauhan is considered as the last Hindu ruler of Delhi. Even I had made the same assertion in one of my previous articles in Tattva [1]; and it took me a while to realize my error! It is incorrect to think that Hindus made no efforts to liberate Delhi in medieval India. Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya – the Hero of our story – made one such effort that succeeded Read the rest of this entry »

Nowhere is assimilation more prominent than in the American high school. I would not consider myself particularly successful at maintaining my traditions and customs. At the same time, I never fit in, and perhaps most importantly, I never found a balance between both extremes. I will cross the stage of my graduation ceremony (the day I wrote this) cognizant of the fact that I am not a normal American, and I am also not a normal Hindu. Read the rest of this entry »

Young Hindu:

I do agree that Krishna and Rama are avatars of God. But where is that God? Sitting somewhere in heaven or another loka? Read the rest of this entry »

(This is the second of a series of three articles. Please read the first article of the series here and the second here)

We also have Goddesses such as Hecate. She is practically a replicate of Durga or Kali. She has the same significance as Mother Kali or Durga as well. Hecate was known as Kurotrophos (Nurse of the

Children and Protectress of mankind)  This is Durga as Shashti, The Protector of Children. Also Note the word Kuro which is most likely related to the Sanskrt word Kuru. This may indeed be more evidence verifying that some of India’s Kurus did indeed migrate to Greece.  Like Durga’s Navratri Festival, which starts the day after the New Moon, Hecate was also worshipped on the New Moon. Like Kali Mata, Dogs are sacred to Goddess Hecate and they are both worshipped on new moon nights as well. The Serpents are also an obvious similarity between Hecate and Kali Mata. Chandi is Durga as a Moon Goddess and Hecate is also connected to the Moon as seen in the carving below. Even the items held in Hecate’s hands, Fire, Weapons, Elephant Goad, Water pot and Discus, replicate those held by the Vedic Durga. Read the rest of this entry »

Orissa in the Crossfire-Kandhamal Burning provides many vital details related to the Hindu-Christian violence that has swept Orissa’s Kandhamal district. The book also highlights the history of Orissa and its tribes. While many have familiarized themselves with the propaganda that has fictionalized the events surrounding the Kandhamal crisis, few have had access to the facts. The true history of Kandhamal and the struggles of its people deserve a fair hearing in the court of public opinion. Is the Kandha religion sinister or sacred? Are they bloodthirsty savages or a people of a noble and ancient heritage? Can the tribes people of Kandhamal rise up out of their undeserved shame and be seen for who they really are? Long labeled as ‘a cruel human sacrificing tribe of ruthless savages’ it is time the truth be revealed. It is time for the world to learn about the Kandha ‘God of Light’ and their Culture of Life.

Paperback 452 pages Read the rest of this entry »