Atma vidya

There are so many schools of thought in Hinduism.In fact,what is today known as Hinduism is a culmination of innumerable faith systems.The name Hinduism came into use only after the advent of the British in order to differentiate between the native religions and those introduced by foreigners.The Greeks called the Oriental people "Indoos" as they lived on the banks of the Indus(Sindhu, for Indians).The Persians called the Orients as Hindus,which is a modification of Indoos.Even today,the official name of our country is "The Republic of India".We have become slaves of the West so much so that we stick to the name which they used for their own reference.Can you ever imagine an Englishman referring to his mother tongue as "angreezi?"
Anyway,this is not the aim of this post.I wrote this just to drive home the point that there are different schools of thought in Hinduism.Atma Vidya is by far the most subtle school of thought in Hinduism.
It mainly deals with realizing the difference between the soul (आत्मा)  and the body.Everyone is under the impression that the body belongs to them and the actions,sufferings,pleasures experienced by the body are their own.The upanishads are unanimous in identifying the difference between the body and the atma.The body is subject to changes while the soul is permanent and immune to changes.The body can be destroyed,unlike the soul.
All the commentators on the Upanishads agree upto this point.But there is great difference in opinion among the commentators regarding the interpretation of the upanishads.In this post,i would like to restrict myself to the advaitic interpretation of Adi Shankara.
As far as Adi Shankara is concerned,the soul is synonymous with paramatma(God).The difference between the jivatma(man) and paramatma(God) exists only as long as jivatma is under the influence of maya(ignorance).When jivatma overcomes maya, atma shines in all its glory.Its more about realizing the true nature of the self rather than attaining something far away.In more simple terms,self realization.
The aim of the upanishads is to teach mankind the way to become one with paramatma.The atma is the witness of all actions of the jiva,both the ignorant,body-loving one and the jivan mukta who has realized his true identity.A simple allegory is used by advaitic commentators,which is worth mentioning here.
A poor man sleeps in his cottage,without knowing that there is a treasure lying deep underground.As long as he is unaware of this fact,he remains poor.Once he digs up the ground,the treasure reveals itself and he becomes rich.Can anyone say that the treasure was not there prior to its discovery?It was just that the poor man was unaware of its existence.The same thing is the case with the atma.The atma exists in you,me,our parents,teachers,enemies,friends,criminals and sages.While sages have realized the atma and are in a position to identify themselves with the atma(understanding the need to sideline the body),we haven't.Atma vidya is all about teaching man his true nature.
The mundaka upanishad talks about that thing which is both very near and very far away.Western scholars have laughed at this and say this is impossible.In my point of view,they don't understand relativity.The upanishad is  completely right.This is because for the yogi who has realized the true nature of the self,"it" is very,very near.For all others,"it" is far,far away.The yogi and the fool may sleep int he same house.Even then,"it" remains near to the yogi and far away to the fool.That is why such a statement is seen in the mundaka upanishad.
As long as there is no self realization,the soul enters a different body and jivatma appears again and again,in varying forms.As long as there is ignorance,there is no hope for salvation.Once realization occurs,salvation is immediate,and all our sins are washed away.
You might ask-how?
This might seem to suggest that one's actions do not matter at all and it is only knowledge that determines everything.This might seem absurd,but wait....
Isn't a single match stick enough to burn an entire hay stack.Is it necessary to burn the stack,one straw at a time?No!The same thing is true with a nyana yogi.How can there be darkness when light has emerged?Light and darkness cannot co exist.by lighting the flame of knowledge,the nyana yogi dispels the darkness engulfing him.
The role of the guru is crucial for anyone aspiring salvation through nyana yoga as it is the teacher who can make us realize our true nature.Adi Shankara stresses on this point again and again in vivekashudamani.
The existence of the human soul has SCIENTIFICALLY been proved beyond doubt as anyone who has read Dan Brown's "Lost Symbol" will know.
More on this in my next post....


P.S:The views expressed in this post are NOT personal.All this is knowledge that has been transmitted through countless generations.Also note that this post deals only with the advaitic school of thought.The atma,jivan,mukti etc.mean something entirely different for other commentators.The author is a native of Tamil Nadu and apologizes for inadvertent mistakes that might have crept in while trying to write in English.Word to word matching is also not to be found as far as Sanskrit and English are concerned.This is my attempt to express what i think i know.When we say"I have bathed in the Ganga",it doesn't mean that we have swam from this side of the river to the other.In the same way,i think I've done my best.
May peace prevail.

Dwarka rediscovered

Dwarka is one of the seven holiest pilgrimage sites for the Hindus.It is believed to the city which Lord Krishna ruled.The modern Dwarka is located near Jamnagar,Gujarat.The Mahabharath states that ancient Dwaraka was swallowed by the sea at the time of Krishna's departure from the Earth and it was then that the terrible age of Kali descended on Earth.


Lord Krishna's "death" was  not a normal one.


After enquiring about Vidura,Lord Krishna sat like a yogi in the padmasana posture.The 33 crore devas watched in awe.  Krishna was an incarnate of Vishnu.The had all come to Dwaraka to invite Vishnu to his traditional abode of Vaikuntam.They watched whether Krishna was going to burn his body in yogic fire as was the practice among yogis,or whether he was going to simply cast away his body.But it was neither.


"योग धरनाया आग्नेय अदघ्ध्वा  ".Lord Krishna simply made his body invisible.The spirit still lives on.why did he do so?


"धारनाथ ध्यान मंगलम" ".So that the devotees of a later age could invoke him as they wished.Meanwhile,the city of Dwarka was engulfed by the sea.It was like a tsunami.


This is what the Mahabharath says.


"The sea, which had been beating against the shores, suddenly broke the boundary that was imposed on it by nature. The sea rushed into the city. It coursed through the streets of the beautiful city. The sea covered up everything in the city. Even as they were all looking, Arjuna saw the beautiful buildings becoming submerged one by one. Arjuna took a last look at the mansion of Krishna. It was soon covered by the sea. In a matter of a few moments it was all over. The sea had now become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the beautiful city which had been the favourite haunt of all the Pandavas. Dwaraka was just a name; just a memory."


This has been held as a myth by historians,who are hell bent on doubting the historicity of the Mahabharath.Dwarka has been held as the legendary city of Lord Krishna.Year after year,Hindus have patiently born all the abuses all ridicules against their religion.They need no,anymore.Yeah,the truth has emerged.As they say,the darkest hour is followed by the dawn.And,it has been the Dawn,indeed.



Recent finds at Dwarka



Underwater excavations conducted by S.R.Rao and his team have rediscovered the ancient city of Dwarka.They were conducted on the banks of the Arabian sea,near present day Dwarkanath temple.The Dwarkanath temple is on the shores of the Arabian sea.Hundreds of meters into the sea,ancient Dwarka still exists........

Dwarkadish Temple on the shores of the Arabian Sea.This temple is located adjacent to where ancient Dwarka still exists.

Massive fortifications of the ancient city have been discovered,much to the delight of the Hindus.A cache of 30 copper coins have been found,which date as far back as 7800 years before the birth of christ. These coins are clearly mentioned in the Mahabharath.The discovery was actually an accident.On the night of the discovery,all the sailors of the ship,including the captain,a Catholic had superficial visions.They had indeed stumbled upon something unusual.broken statues of the prehistoric age,remains of a Vishnu temple,altars used for fire sacrifices have all been found.


Vishnu idol found during on shore excavation in Dwarka.The Mahabharta states that people of ancient Dwarka were Vishnu devotees.The age of the idol has been scientifically determined and it corresponds with the traditional age associated with the Mahabharath.






All these exactly correspond with the Mahabharath.Inscriptions found on the seals discovered closely resembly the Indus valley script.This greatly supports Swami Vivekananda's claim that the Indus valley script is Vedic Sanskrit and not early Dravidian.More importantly,it supports the Bhaghavatha Purana story that Lord Krishna is the link betwwen our spiritual past and the materialistic present.This also scientifically confirms the Hindu concept of Yugas,also found in Greek mythology.For,Krishna lived in the Dwapara Yuga.


Details of the excavation as described by S.R.Rao:


The trenches dug by the Public Works Department in the 'Talao' area near Balapur village for building an earthen embankment were examined, but no remains of any protohis-toric settlement came to light confirming thereby that there was no landward extension of'the ancient town. Most part of the ancient township was swallowed by the sea and the mud flats of Balapur extending over I km seaward had buried the ancient relics. One Trench (A) to the south of the Old Cus-tom House, and the other itrench (Al) in the intertidal zone at the toot of the Custom House mound were sunk to estab-lish the sequential relationship between the two sectors of habitation. (Fig. 1) The short duration of 3 or 4 hours at low tide when land was exposed near the shore, rendered excavation in ::Iavev deposit very difficult. Even so, a rubble foundation, 35 cm broad, and a few sherds of a large storage jar lying on the floor of the house were exposed in Trench (Al). Several worked columella of conch shell found lying in a line suggested that the house belonged to a shell-worker. Excava-tion had to be abandoned after digging to a depth of 20 cm because of high water table in lowest tide also. Trench Al was however extended on the west and the extension was marked XA1, but no structure came to light. Layer I of trench Al is surface humus, layer 2 consists of fine grained silty sand mixed with shingle and layer 2A, where shells and pottery are found, is darkish clay. No pottery was found in layers 2 and 2A of XA I.


Top image shows a circular bastion of circular fort wall of dwarka fort-wall.The next image shows a long wall plotted and photographed by diver-archeologists....




A trench '2 x 2 m was laid above the rain gully in the Custori-. House mound to ascertain the cultural sequence. In all, 10 layers were distinguished. Layers I to 4 upto lm depth yielded Muslim glazed ware and Ted ware of early medieval period. In Layers 5 and 6 in 1-1.3m depth the Red Polished Ware assignable to the first five centuries of the Christian era was found. One sherd inscribed with the letter sya meaning I of in Brahmi characters of the lst-2nd century A.D. was recovered Layers 8-10 yielded a few sherds of the Lustrous Red Ware and coarse red ware of the post-Harappan phase. Natural soil could not be reached. A large number of shell bangles and a couple of worked columella were found in the medieval and early historic deposits. A bead of li3h bone is the only find from the post-Harappan deposit. It was decided to postpone to a later date the excavation of the intertidal zone and- the mound further north of the earthen embank-ment of the Talao where Late Harappan pottery has been found.


Massive stone protection wall-cum-pier in BDJ VIII


In the course of exploration of the near shore and intertidal zones south of Balapur Bay on 4th January, 1988 Mr Rajan, diver-archaeologist and Mr Sirsath, photographer discovered a massive rubble wall exposed in lowest low tide and the site has been designated as BDK Vill (Pi. 18-19). The wall remains submerged at high tide under a column of 2 in water above its top. Excavation was conducted on both the sides of the eastern arm of this structure on the 9th and 10th January in order to expose to full extent the height of the structure and determine ' the nature and purpose of constructing such a large enclosure which is 558 m in its peripheral length. (Fig.2)


Trenches measuring 1 x 1.2 m were laid on its southern and northern faces. In all, 9 courses of dressed and undressed stones, of which 4 courses are covered by silty clay deposit were traced The wall was constructed on the bed rock. The stone masonry is heavily incrusted with barnacles and other sea organisms. It is very difficult to remove the incrustation with-out chiselling it. Originally the wall must have been atleast 2.5 to 3 m high. Presently it is only 1.5 m in height. The enclosure wall is an irregular hexagon on plan. An interesting feature of construction is the use of wedge-shaped blocks of stone for the shell, while the core is made up of rubble-filling. That the structure is man-made becomes apparent from the use of dressed stones closely laid and also from the box technique of construction. The thickness of the wall at the base is 2.5m while the extant tapering top is 1.5 to 2m thick. The pottery found in the trench is coarse grey ware but heavily rolled resulting in the disappearance of the slip and decoration if any. Only one sherd of the sturdy red ware of the post-Harap-pan phase was found in the extremely small trench. Provision-ally the structure is datable to 15th century B.C. on the basis of the sturdy red ware. Within the enclosure there must have been very important public buildings - may be warehouses and other structures relating to shipping, for, not far from here are two rock-cut stipways for launching boats. The massive protection wall could have also served as a pier.


The government of Gujarat,in partnership with the archeological survey of India is planning to construct the world's first undersea museum,so that the general public can view the lost city from glass doors.

The truth has emerged.Physics and philosophy atlast seem to go hand in hand.Hindu faith has been vindicated by science.For decades,we have been a silent spectator to the jeerings of atheists and scientists.We have been patient."Where is the proof?"they had asked.They had dismissed all that we had shown.Our patience has borne fruit.Now these people have no choice but to accept our epics and puranas.This is indeed the dawn of a new era-The age of Hindu revivalism.Let us all spread this message far and wide.For,this is our pride,a lost treasure regained.Let the rediscovery of Dwarka be our starting point.History beckons Hinduism.

                                                           सथ्यमेव जयते
P.S:For further details,click this link.http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Dwaraka.htm

Victory,at last....

"The years of anxious searching in the dark, with their intense longing, their intense alternations of confidence and exhaustion and the final emergence into the light—only those who have experienced it can understand it."
These immortal words of Albert Einstein ring in my mind as i try to express my thoughts on the Ayodhya verdict.Only those associated with the Ramjanmabhoomi case for a long time can understand why there is a hue and cry over a piece of land.My grandfather,uncle,mother have all been involved in the temple movement.Ours is a family which holds Lord Ram above everything else in this world.I have always felt all my attempts to seek the blessings of the Lord would be futile unless the Ram temple is built at Ayodhya.As L K Advani said,"Only when the Ram mandir is built at Ayodhya,can the slogan Jai Shree Ram come from the heart".Only i know how delirious i was on the night of September 29th.My uncle had told me that the case of the Sunni Wakf Board was very strong,as the land had been registered under them in the land records.All this was nonsense to my ears.How could humanity be be deluded forever?Could the truth be hid forever.Yeah,it could,if that was the Lord's wish.But could that be the Lord's wish?
It was indeed a moment of truth.If the verdict went the other way,it would seem to justify the demolition of the temple at Ayodhya.Moreover,such a verdict would mock at the teachings of the Ramayan.
"धर्मो रक्षति रक्षथा हा"(If you protect Dharma ,Dharma will protect you)
I constantly tried to remind myself of Bharathiar's verse
"தருமத்தின் வாழ்வுதனை சூது கவ்வும்
தருமம் மறுபடி வெல்லும்
இந்த இயற்கை மருமத்தை நம்மாலே உலகம் கற்கும்
வழி தேடி விதி இந்த செய்கை செய்தான்" .
Still,I could not pacify myself.Now,I do feel ashamed of it.i placed more trust in the words of my uncle than in the words of Valmeeki.I was also very much frustrated with myself with not being able to do anything in this regard.I used to tell my parents,"This is the time for actions,not words",whenever we discussed the matter at home.But these too were mere words.What had i done?Nothing.Of course,i was too young....
But,in that sense,wasn't i too young to even think about this matter? These questions pondered me,again and again.I became even more frustrated to see my mother watching Airtel Super Singer.i had a go at her,but that didn't help much.I went to the terrace and chanted the Lord's name 5840 times.Just to convince myself that all was not gone.That was probably for the first time in my life that I prayed for a selfless cause.
After a tense sleep,i woke up at 6 am,then 7am,then 8am,unable to face the reality that the Judgement Day had arrived.the day i had been awaiting for so many years...Somehow,i was reluctant to face it due to my uncle's information.Frustrated with myself for thinking like a rationalist,I went about my chores.
It became impossible for me to write records after 1 pm.It seemed to be too much for me to handle,what with news channels coming with ridiculous suggestions that a hospital should be built at the disputed site.a hospital can be built anywhere in the world,but there was,is and will be only one Ramjanmabhoomi.It is an issue of religious assertion and merely a land dispute.Mosques exist all over India,but only the Babri Masjid was demolished.
Why?
Because it is Ramjanmabhoomi.Even government records name the place as Ramjanmabhoomi.Just like Mambalam,Kodamlakkam,Shenoy Nagar,that place's name is Ramjanmabhoomi,and the place where the mosque once sttod is called Ram Sthupa.not because of the makeshift temple that exists at that spot now,but due to the undying faith of the Hindus,all over the world........
At 3:30,my mother shut her eyes with a cloth..It was an emotional moment for her.It probably meant a lot more to her than it did to me.She was associated with the temple movement right since birth.She had been the very few who had performed puja on a brick for a month and sent it to Ayodhya in 1992(This was how the temple movement gained momentum-such bricks were given to many hose holds and those bricks,inscribed with the letters राम were sent to Ayodhya,after puja was performed).I knew how she was feeling,though she was trying to put on a brave face,all the while.After endless delays,the verdict was announced to the media.The first thing i saw was the flash news
"Sunni Wakf Board title suit dismissed".
"Disputed site is Ramjanmabhoomi:Allahabad High Court"
"Ram lala idols should not be removed".
Words cannot express the feelings i experienced.Emotions are to be felt...not witten upon.
I jumped with joy and cried"Jai Shri Ram",again and again and again.Now i think i understood what Advani meant.We might've got freedom from the British in 1947,but freedom from Babur only in 2010.....
As i came to know the details of the verdict,i was shocked to find out that one third of the land was given to the Waqf board.This is indeed a legal tamasha.How can they be entitled to the land when their title suit has been dismissed?The suit of the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas was not dismissed as it was filed on behalf of Lalla Virajman-the presiding deity at the disputed site.According to Article 25,suits filed on behalf of a deity can never be barred by time. How well thought was the idea behind filing the suit on behalf of Ram Lala.Mysterious,indeed are the ways of the Lord.
As expected,the case goes to the Supreme Court.This,we all knew even before the verdict was read out.The thing is,now i know for sure that the case of the Hindu groups is strong,and more importantly,the Lord knows how to triumph.
Yeah,you cannot banish Lord Ram forever.Even Kaikeyi exiled him only for 14 years.Lord ram shall return to Ayodhya,sooner than later.Hinduism's time is yet to come.It will.
The road to Ayodhya is via Delhi.Hope you understand what i mean.
Jai Shree Ram!!

The Shrine Eternal

If you are wondering if i've lost my grip on English grammar on seeing the title of this post,I would not blame you;for two reasons:
1)Yeah,i've really lost my hold on english these days.After i type a new post in this blog, I've to read and re-read it many times over until i've corrected(or debugged it,if u'd like it that way) all the errors.
2)it really does seem grammatically wrong to say Shrine Eternal rather than Eternal Shrine.
This being the fact,I do assure you that there's no mistake as far as the title of this post is concerned.....
The Somnath Temple in Gujarat is known as "Shrine Eternal".The first thing that would strike your mind when I mention this temple is Mohd.Ghazni who tore the temple to pieces.But there's a lot more to the temple which stands tall as a symbol of sacrifice,hope and pride for millions of Hindus all over the world.The bloody history of the Somnath temple is a cycle of destruction,resurrection,determination,self assertion and liberation.The history of the Somnath temple is reflective of the history of India itself.
The Hindu tradition has it that the Somnath temple was first built by the Moon God in gold.Later,Raavan,the king of Lanka built it in silver.Lord Krishna later built it in sandalwood.Finally,it was built in  stone by Bhimdhev Solanki,the ruler of Gujarat.

This temple was destroyed in 725 by Junayad,the Arab Governor of Sind.Those were the early days in which the humiliation of Hindus started.In 815,King Naghabhatta reconstructed the temple,in red sandstone.
In 1024,it was destroyed by Mohd.Ghazni.The king had heard about the splendour of the temple.What would be held in great wonder by any soul,mohd of Ghazni held in disgust.king Ghagha Rana died fighting for the temple at the age of 90,thereby sacrificing his entire clan.Mohd.Ghazni killed all the 50,000 people who tried to protect the temple.The speciality of the temple idol was it it was neither supported from below nor was it suspended from above.it just seemed to float mid-air.Lord Shiva seemed to be defying the laws of gravity and the laws of common sense.When the king asked his companions what they had to say about the marvel of the idol, and of its staying in the air without prop or support, several maintained that it was upheld by some hidden support. The king directed a person to go and feel all around and above and below it with a spear, which he did, but met with no obstacle. One of the attendants then stated his opinion that the canopy was made of loadstone, and the idol of iron, and that the ingenious builder had skillfully contrived that the magnet should not exercise a greater force on anyone side-hence the idol was suspended in the middle. Some coincided, others differed. Permission was obtained from the Sultan to remove some stones from the top of the canopy to settle the point. When two stones were removed from the summit the idol swerved on one side, when more were taken away it inclined still further, until at last it rested on the ground.The idol was broken to pieces.this was the first time the actual idol was broken,since the time the Moon God built it.The broken pieces were shipped to his homeland where they were used to lay the roads leading to a newly-built masjid,to show the superiority of Islam.All the muslims would now stamp over the idol while praying at that masjid.I don't know how people can be so heartless..
The wooden structure was replaced by Kumarpal (r.1143-72), who built the temple of stone.
In 1296 A.D., the temple was once again destroyed by Sultan Allauddin Khilji's army. According to Taj-ul-Ma'sir of Hasan Nizami, Raja Karan of Gujarat was defeated and forced to flee, "fifty thousand infidels were dispatched to hell by the sword" and "more than twenty thousand slaves, and cattle beyond all calculation fell into the hands of the victors". The temple was rebuilt by Mahipala Deva, the Chudasama king of Saurashtra in 1308 A.D. and the Linga was installed by his son Khengar sometime between 1326 and 1351 A.D.

In 1375 A.D., the temple was once again destroyed by Muzaffar Shah I, the Sultan of Gujarat.About 1400 A.D. it was reconstructed by the local public.
In 1451 A.D., the temple was once again destroyed by Mahmud Begda, the Sultan of Gujarat. It was reconstructed again.
In 1701 A.D., the temple was once again destroyed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb built a mosque on the site of the Somnath temple, using some columns from the temple, whose Hindu sculptural motifs remained visible.Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore rebuilt the temple in 1783 A.D. at a site adjacent to the ruined temple which was already converted to a mosque.
Somnath temple in 1869...




After independence,Sardar Vallabhai Patel,destroyed the mosque on 19th October,1950 and promised the people of India that a new Somnath temple would be built yet again.Gandhi insisted that the temple must be built,not on government money,but on people's money.It was ok for him to fund haj pilgrimages but not to fund the reconstruction of the Somnath temple.It is noteworthy that it was Nathuram Godse who donated 500Rs. for the construction of the temple dome.Vallabhai Patel was the lawyer who bought death to Godse.Strange,indeed are the laws of nature.....
Work on the Somnath temple was completed in 1995 and it was thrown open for the service of the nation by Prem Kumar Dayal,the then President of India.
The Somnath temple was destroyed 7 times and rebuilt 7 times.Thats why it is known as the "Shrine Eternal".The temple is a symbol of Hindu pride and of Hindu revivalism.A beacon of hope to all of us who want to restore Hinduism's honour and regain its fading glory.............






Somnath temple-today







MAY LORD SOMNATH BLESS THE WORLD WITH DHARMIC BLISS.
MAY PEACE PREVAIL.

The most horrible day in the history of India-August 14th

August 14th is the day India was partitioned..the day in which the two arms of Bhaarath maatha were cut into pieces.the day on which the humiliation of Hindus started..the day in which Gandhi realized the consequences of his folly and the day in which India was damaged beyond repair.
Pakistanis call it their "Independence Day".They stress more upon the "Independence" they got from India rather than the independence they got from the British.It was the day in which the vicious cycle of violence,looting and molestation started.It was the day in which Hinduism-the world's oldest religion-was put to test.We have been ruled for post part of our Post-Independence era by the Indian National congress-the party which voiced its assent to the partition.So,we do not read anything about the sufferings Hindus who lived in what is today's Pakistan were subjected to.We have read nothing of the humiliations Hindu women faced.We have read nothing of the forced religious conversions that took place.We have read nothing of the way in which Hindus were driven out of their ancestral homes.We have read nothing of the desecration of thousands of Hindu temples.We have heard nothing of the the atrocities committed to innocent Hindu children and the murder of just born Hindu infants..Our history textbooks portray partition as a silent and peaceful affair..It is as though Gandhi and jinnah had a cup of tea and drew the line of Control and went to their lands along with their tribes.All this is done in the name of "secularism",which actually means treating all religions equally.What an irony!
The most tragic event in the history of Bhaarath is portrayed like a land-sharing deal..Dynasties have been washed away..Dynasties,whose legacies we will never come to know.Pakistan was born on Aug 14th and her first act was to spill Hindu blood.Just think for a moment-what crime did those innocent Hindus commit?What justification can anyone give to the killing of infants born to Hindu parents?
What was the necessity to drive Hindus out of the homes in which they had been living peacefully for generations?Only an Ismlami fundamentalist can answer these questions.........
The birth of Pakistan was for all practical purposes-the death of Hindu pride.Hindu women were made to clothelessly parade in the streets of what is today known as Pakistan(translated as "Land of the pure").Many of them committed suicide to protect their modesty.Those were the very streets which they would've crossed a few days ago to buy vegetables for their families and toys for their children.They perhaps never knew all this would happen..It  all happened too quickly for them to anticipate or comprehend..All this happened in the presence of the police,who provided total support to those blood-thirsty muslims..The impact one wrong decision can have..
The national boundaries were drawn on August 17th,1947..So,for a good period of time,Hindus didn't even know if they were in India or Pakistan.All this favored those religious fanatics superbly..While all this was happening,Gandhi and Nehru were nowhere to be seen.The so-called Mahatma who claimed to  champion the cause of women's rights saw no reason to protect the modesty of Hindu women in their hour of doom..it was Pakistan,he claimed..but,it was Pakistan due to his blunder.Was it the mistake of those women that they were born as Hindus and as women??It said that even M.A.Jinnah later claimed that partition was the greatest blunder of his life..
August fourteenth,1947 poses so many questions  to humanity..Questions to which we will never get answers..
Before you people wake up tomorrow and celebrate Aug 15th as Independence day,please pray God that nothing of this sort happens again...


References:May it please your honour
Gandhi-the curse for Hinduism
Various internet sites and my grandfather's memoirs..

Friendship...

Aug 1st......Friendship day arrives with friendship bands,smses that glorify friendship and we all pledge to stick to our friends till the end of our lives....It is a great day for fancy shopkeepers as they do brisk business...Most of the times,we find people wearing around 10 friendship bands on both their hands and it is a matter of pride for them that they have so many bands with them...I still remember how many of my schoolmates used to buy 2 friendship bands...one-to tie onto their friend's wrist and the other to make that (rather popular) friend tie onto his own hand..As i type,i receive an sms from a boy with whom i hardly talk,wishing me a happy friendship day in advance...would he send me that sms if he didn't have an sms booster in his phone?Probably not..I myself used forward friendship day greeting to the groups in my mobile..Lets reflect for a while on what friendship has been through the ages....
Man has always been a social animal...He has realized the importance of socializing right from his evolution.People can never live in isolation.They need mutual cooperation to achieve their goals and to meet their aspirations.This has led to friendship.We learn so many lessons from stories of true friendship.Rama and Sugreeva,Karna and Duryodhana stand tall as emulative examples of true friendship.They lived for their friends and died for them..But is that how it is today??
Today,friendship is more about status rather than the coming together of similar minds.The more friends you have,the more you can boast about.Friendship,these days,is merely a way to pass the time and to overcome the inner emptiness.Socializing is the order of the day..Often we talk to our "friends" being cautious not to be committal on anything.This is of course,the way to safeguard yourself,but is that friendship?People are brought together by the force of circumstances and they become "friends".
Friendship is more of a necessity nowadays.I find it really amusing when people ask me,"Did you get a lot of friends in college"?Actually,Y should i find a lot of friends?Isn't it enough if i have 2 or 3 understanding guys with whom i can share whatever i want to?What,really is the point in having too many friends?Fun and frolic,maybe..But,is that the aim of our lives?What about those times when i go through a lean patch?Of course,we can never do all we want by ourselves,but is friendship the answer to all that?Men work in  offices,and help each other,maintaining a formal relationship.They are not necessarily friends.Maybe,it is because of my shy nature or perhaps my DNA's orientation,i have never found it necessary to have a close relationship with too many people.I don't know whether its right or wrong,but this is how i think..
We live in an age of social networking.
Everybody falls into social networking at some stage in their lives..I too opened a fb account in the second week of this month-to spread this blog.I was stunned when fb actually predicted who my friends might be with nearly flawless accuracy.Bit scared,too..What followed was a battle of the mind.I found many people having more than 200 friends..But, can anybody have 200 friends from a practical sense?I never knew that friendship grew through requests.I thought it bloomed naturally.fb seemed to be a way of maintaing a cool image,one very,very different from one's actual character..I received a request from a boy whom i never knew.I didn't know if he would be notified if i rejected his request,so i accepted it..i didn't want him to feel bad..may be,his views are different,but how can there be friendship between 2 people who hold completely different views?Moreover,what is the necessity in being friends with people whose character i have no idea of?all this seemed too much to my reflective mind,and i deleted my fb account in a week.It was a huge sigh of relief..
It just didn't make sense to believe in advaita and have a fb account,simultaneously.Many accuse me of thinking like an old crap,but i would rather be old than do what i hate.Not everyone is the same..fb thinks otherwise..
Sugreeva in the Ramayana says,
"धना त्यागः गृह त्यागः
देगा त्यागो    विभाहुनाहा
वयास्यारथे  प्रवार्थंनथे
स्नेहम ध्रिश्त्व ताथा विधं"
(Noble men hardly ever enter into a friendship with the people of the world.But once they enter into one,they are ready to sacrifice their  wealth,house or even their body for the sake of their friends).
How many of your fb friends satisfy this criteria?
We cannot do anything about all this...This is indeed a reflection of the lives we live...
Ambarish

Linguistic chauvinism in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a state known for its tolerance and ancient culture.விருந்தோம்பல் has always been the pride of Tamils,right from ancient times.But,ever since Independence,linguistic fanatics have overtaken Tamilnadu and hijacked the ideology of the Tamils.Opposition to Hindi has been a matter of pride for politicians in Tamilnadu.They always claim that Sanskrit(Hindi) has prospered at the cost of Tamil.They even attribute(without even an ounce of evidence) the fall of the Indus-Valley civilization to the advent of Sanskrit-speaking Aryans.True,such fanatics live all over the country,but the opposition to Hindi is not as strong as it is in Tamilnadu.For the politicians in Tamilnadu,learning Hindi is blasphemous.This has reached a crescendo in the last decade.
Once Hindi was adopted as the national language of the country,school students were instigated by hardcore fanatics to protest against this logical move of the Nehru government.They ridiculously demanded that Tamil,a language spoken by less than 5% of the country's population,should be made the national language.There is no debating the point that Tamil is indeed a great language,maybe even the oldest in the world,after probably Sanskrit.But,any demand should be backed by logic and not emotion.Of course,you have the right to demand even baseless things in a democracy,but what purpose will it serve?The demand for making Tamil as the national language still goes exists,but not as ferociously as it did in those early days of Independence.....
Nowadays,it is more about the oppression of other languages within the state.By a systematic approach,Hindi has been cunningly excluded from the Tamil Nadu state board syllabus.Right from the start,Tamil Nadu has always differed from other states in its educational policy.While all other states in the country adopted a 3-language policy while TN went for a 2-language one.English,thankfully,was compulsory,while matriculation students had the option of learning either Tamil or Hindi.Under the state board syllabus,Tamil was the compulsory medium of instruction while English was the mandatory 2nd language.There was no room for Hindi-the absence of the opportunity to learn a 3rd language took care of that.
Anyway,there were few takers for the state board medium of education as most parents opted to enroll their children in the CBSE or Matric stream of education.in CBSE,Hindi was  compulsory(it still is).The Tamil Nadu government recently decided to merge the matric and state board streams of education.When it did so,it conveniently excluded Hindi from the list of subjects which one could study.At present,there is no option for a student coming under the state board scheme,but to study Tamil.This is the case with many more states across India(in the state-sponsored boards,at least).This is indeed,welcome.But,one cant study Hindi,even if he wants to.I didn't call this as a cunning move for nothing.
It cuts off the student from the national language-Hindi-the language spoken by an over whelming majority in the country.The purpose of school education is to provide children with the necessary knowledge to prepare them for future challenges.Sadly,TN politicians use education as a tool for furthering their own divisive,narrow minded ideology.One look at the Tamil text books and you get a fair idea of their crooked ideas.Agreed,they don't tare Hindi to shreds,but they brainwash the students that Tamil is the only language worth knowing.Of course,language is a matter of choice,but you are actually denied the opportunity to pick your choice........
The recent decision of the Tamil Nadu govt. to exclude Hindi imposes problems of alarming proportions to not only State board students but also to students who study under the CBSE stream in Tamil nadu.For one,it eliminates the possibility of student transfer from  CBSE to state board if the student opts for Hindi,as one can no longer learn the national language under the state board scheme.Thus,even if a parent were to opt for the more advanced CBSE,he(or she) would think twice before having her child learn Hindi.I have not seen any such state where not knowing the national language is considered as a matter of pride,rather than a handicap.Moreover,just spare a thought for the Hindi-speaking minority that lives in Tamil Nadu.Isn't it natural for each and every soul to have a desire to learn his/her mother tongue ?The same CM who moots for Tamil education in Maharashtra has outlawed Hindi in his own state.We are faced with a possibility that in another 50 years or so,every body sings the national anthem(in hindi),but no one in the state knows the meaning.
There is significant opposition to English,though not as strong as there is for Hindi.Just watch மக்கள் TV if you want any proof.There is significant support for the demand that tamil alone should be used in the Madras High court.The government has announced that first preference to jobs would be given to those who study in Tamil.The government's agenda is clear-the more isolated you are from the external world,the more you shall be rewarded.The introduction of Tamil-medium Engineering syllabus supports this point.The same government which supports the introduction Tamil in universities the world over wants to create a linguistic void in its state.
It would do well to recollect Bharathiar's(whose footsteps it claims to follow) famous verse
"சென்றிடுவீர் எட்டுத்திக்கும் கலைச்செல்வங்கள்
யாவும் கொணர்ந்து சேர்ப்பீர்"

Is Indian culture against love?

Every year,during the month of February,there is protest in India from the side of fundamental groups,against all that is associated with valentine's day.we often hear tales of parents committing suicide on seeing their children marrying people by love,honour killings,couple being driven out of the village,homes,etc,etc..
The reason they give is that it  is against our tradition to marry by love.I too believed this argument for a while,because,it certainly seemed so from the outset,given the opposition love faces from within the family..But,as we know,a little knowledge is a dangerous thing..It became pretty clear as i went into some study of Indian history,epics that this was absurd..
Love has always been an integral part of Hindu culture..The concept of स्वयाम्वारम is proof of this..In a swayamvaram,the princess chooses the bridegroom among an assembly of suitors.She passes from 1 prince to another,and finally garlands whom she thinks is the most handsome among them..From a cruder context,this means love at first sight..If this seems to be a far-fetched conclusion to you,let us take into consideration the puranas,one by one..
Mahabharata: The mahabharatha is undoubtedly the greatest epic in the world,consisting of 1 lakh verses..There is a detailed description of the love between Nala and Damayanthi..Right from how the 2 people get into love to their marriage,the story is a celebration of true  love..There is a detailed account of their secret first meeting,of how love blossomed between them and their marriage.Not once does the sage Ved Vyasa criticize their love..Non criticism means approval,if not endorsement of their love..Vidura was born due to the marriage between a great sage and a chatiotress..Arjuna won Panchali in a shooting competition..Arjuna,(due to his flamboyance),was at times forced to marry som many women due to their sincere love..Bhishma's vow of celibacy  was due to the fact that his father Santanu fell in love with a fisherwoman..(Bhishma took the vow of celibacy to pacify the fisher woman's father who brooded over the fact that Bhishma would ascend the throne,by virtue of being the first son of Santanu.Bhishma swore that he would never marry,in addition to not ascending the throne on his father's death to facilitate the crowning of Santanu's future son).
Ramayana:In the Tamil Ramayana written by Kamban,there is a reference to the secret meeting between Rama and Seetha before Rama broke Siva's bow.."அண்ணலும் நோக்கினார் அவளும் நோக்கினாள்"is a popular,oft-repeated in the Kamba Ramayanam.Of course,there is no such thing in Valmiki Ramayana and this is just Kamban's imagination..But,isnt it indicative of the acceptability of love among Tamils in olden days?The story of sage  Rishyashringa also proves this fact..
Bhagavatham:This is one of the lesser known purana among the 18 puranas..It mainly narrates the avtars of Lord Vishnu,among other stories..the 8th Avtar of Vishnu ,Lord Krishna is the most adored Avtar among devotees..Krishna has stolen the hearts of so many devotees,over the ages,with his fickle action and childish gimmicks..The rasa Leela is a description of the love between a 7 year old boy(Krishna) and much older women..Krishna,in his older days,married 16,108 queens and lived with them taking 16,108 forms.
Gita Govindam:Krishna never married Radha in reality.There is no reference in the Bhagavatham to their marriage.The Gita Govindam is an imaginary verse on the marriage between radha and Madhava..starting from their love and ending with their marriage.The Gita Govindam contains certain portions which no one would dare to discuss in public for fear of being branded as a pervert.This is in fact,a form of Bhakthi.this is called the path of Prema..It is an accepted form of worship..
The Kamasutra is one of The Yoga sutras of Patanjali..
Love finds prominence in tamil literature as well..The சீவக சிந்தாமணி,திருகுறள் are proof of this..tamil poems on love are found aplenty.Bharathiar has sung so many songs on love..Love is merely an appreciation of beauty..Love shows the blossoming of the mind.Bharathiar famously sung,
"சிந்து நதியின் மிசை நிலவினிலே
சேர நன்நாட்டிளம்    பெண்களுடனே 
சுந்தர தெலுங்கிலே பாட்டிசைத்து
தோணிகள்    ஓட்டி விளையாடி வருவோம்!"
I don't want to bore you with countless references..Love has been never been a fact for shame,in India,right from olden days..To view love as a result of Western culture is highly ridiculous,and it amounts to showing disrespect to Indian culture..
Those who protest every time valentine's day comes have either not read Indian epics or are just furthering their own selfish,hardcore agenda..

Nachiketas and immortality

I wrote in my earlier post what led me to the study of advaita.I was also eager to learn about Nachiketas.I had heard about nachiketas.Not much.I just knew that he was a small boy who featured in the upanishads.I had heard that Nachiketas was a philosopher who tried to unravel the mysteries of the after life.
One day,i logged on to the internet and typed 'nachiketas'.I got a flurry of links.I browsed for a bit and found myself staring at an English translation of the Katha Upanishad.First,there was the story of King Vajasravas which led to a conversation between Yama and Nachiketas.
Nachiketas asks Yama,"Please tell me what happens to a man after Death".I was shell shocked when i read that Yama tried to evade that question by offering Nachiketas many other boons like banglows,cattle and beautiful women.But Nachiketas remained stead fast and insisted that he be properly initiated on the after life.Yama agrred to it.
I was expecting a description on the lines of the Garuda Purana.But,i was surprised to find that it was आत्मा विद्या(atma vidya).आत्मा विचरम was what yama asked nachiketas to follow.Hinduism's most subtle concept..Atma vidya..
Hindu scriptures always instruct the seeker of knowledge to understand the difference between the आत्मा and the physical body.As long as man is under the impression that he is a mass of flesh and bones,he gets trapped in the cycle of births and deaths and for such a person,salvation is just a dream.When he realises that he is atma,he attains मोक्ष(heaven).The atma is pure and  is unaffected by the sufferings of the body.So when one realises that he is atma,man becomes free of desires.For,all the fruits of our efforts are for the body and not for the soul(atma).The body is often likened to the shirt men wear.When it becomes old,we simply throw it away.we don't cling on to it..The body is merely the shirt for the soul,a covering.Just as our body is invisible as long as we wear the shirt,so is the आत्मा as long as man is deluded by the thinking that "this body is me".The body is mortal,while the soul is immortal.When a person dies,it just means that the soul is liberated from that body.The soul then attaches itself to another body.This cycle of births and deaths goes on and on,as long as there is an attachment to the body.Once a man realises that"I am atma",he breaks the cycle of births and deaths and attains salvation.
This is not my philosophy.This can be found in the Bhagavadh Gita,Adi Shankara's texts and the Ramayana.
In the Gita,Lord Krishna begins आत्मा विद्या with the lines
"असोच्या  अन्वासोचास्थ्वं  प्रग्न्य  वाचंत्हू  बशाथे
गथाशूं अगाथा शूम्स्था नानू सोचंथी पंडिता हा
कुमाथि  महारथ आत्मा विद्यया"
Shankaracharya's texts like vivekashudamani are based on the difference between the soul and the body.In the Ramayana,the earliest Indian epic(known as आदि काव्यं)Hanuman consoles tara,vaali's wife(after vaali's death) with these words"The body is like a water bubble-stays for a very short duration.Its foolish to expect a bubble to last forever.The atma is like the ocean-ever lasting.So stop grieving about the death of your husband".For someone who has realized his Self,there is nothing to grieve about.For,Happiness and sorrow are merely states of the mind,or rather mind's creation.The atma is never affected by the turbulence of the mind.Switching states of happiness and sadness do not affect the self sufficient atma.
In Kathopanishad,Yama tells Nachiketas about immortality.It is not something concerning the body,but the soul.Once Self realization takes place,man becomes immortal -not in the way we read in fairy tales or "Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows", but in a more subtler way..I dont think I've the acumen to explain further.So,i just provide you the link to katha upanishad.
http://www.gayathrimanthra.com/contents/documents/Vedic-related/katha_upanishad.pdf
May peace prevail.

Advaita-The crest jewel of Hinduism

 I wished i was dead.It was one of those days in which i found it hard to believe that my heart continued to beat.I found no reason,no right to be alive.But,there i was..hale and healthy.Inspite of the grief and misery that hung heavy inside the hall,i became a bit philosophical.I had read in the puranas that life ends only when yama arrives.Wasn't it time for him to turn up?Or was it because i was so very stone hearted?All those years i had been under the impression that there couldn't be nothing worser than death.But something had changed in those few minutes.There was a change,alright..Whether for good or bad,i didnt know.My mindset had changed.It definitely was something i couldn't understand.Suddenly,Buddhism made sense.The very same Buddhism i had fought hard to avoid,made perfect sense.Something in my DNA had changed..
Buddha says that along with each thought that crosses man's mind,he becomes a new jiva.This philosophy normally sounded absurd to me.If a new jiva is born with each passing thought,there could never be scope for recollection.One should never be able to switch to one's previous school of thought.But common sense and experience always always argued against this philosophy.man through generations had proven that he had the power to rectify,reform and change to the past form..
But,this situation was different.I really felt that i was no longer the same.A new jiva..no longer the same.For the first time in memory,i despised myself for being alive.My eyes fell upon the laughing Buddha on the fridge.He indeed seem to be having the last laugh.I had indeed lost a battle.A battle that had been going on in my mind.What the results would be,i found it frightening to imagine."You are too young,i told myself..You are not a new jiva..You are Ambarish and shall remain so..Such stupid thoughts do cross people's minds when you are in an emotional frame of mind".But that was not enough..
I felt too shy to reveal my thoughts to my parents.I knew perfectly well that my friends didnt know a thing  about all this.Where else could i go?my mind was turbulent.i could not trust it,atleast for the moment.dropping off to sleep would have meant staving off the problem at hand.I decided to place my trust in my own intellect.
Hinduism had been threatened by Buddhism for  ages.It had resulted in the conversion of millions of Hindus into Buddhism.But,even then,Hinduism had survived not only the Buddhist onslaught,but also the challenges posed by the marauding hordes of Ghazni,ghori,mughals,the mongols,and the cunning Christian missionaries.It continued to exist like the undying Sun.There must be a reason,i told myself.I searched for hope,peace and light.I prayed like i had never done before.. तमसोमा  ज्योथिर गमय..Lead me from darkness to light..and,light i did find..in the form of an undying lantern..
It was Adi Shankara..Adi Shankara had been the sage who had protected India from the on-slaught of Buddhism.He had freed many from the dilemna that existed in those dark days..Hinduism or Buddhism..He was the first person to introduce the concept of institutionalism in Hinduism.It was a significant,welcome change.Hinduism needed to adapt.His four mutts still stand tall as pillars of knowledge,enlightenment.Adi shankara had decided to give this small boy some knowledge,i was sure.With this thought,my old scepticism of Buddhism returned.Due to Acharya's grace.And through my common sense.I had gone back to my old thoughts.I had retrieved my old self.I had realized my power to recollect.This was something i had marvelled for so long(I mean,the setting up of four mutts).

Life had come a whole circle in the last 30 minutes..I had heard about Acharya'shilosophy of Advaita.All i knew at that stage was that advaita meant non duality." According to advaita,जीवात्मा and परमात्मा are one and the same",i had read somewhere.I didnt know anything else.Now that i had been freed from my dilemna with his help,i had a sudden urge to know more about advaita.I have been reading more and more about it whenever i have got time..It has been a transformation,if not realization.I now at least comprehend what is to be done to understand one's self,howerver far i may be from realizing it..It is a beginning,never the less.I know i have no worth to write about advaita in my blog,but still,i do feel the need to share what i know..So, i just give you the link to vivekashudamani,one of Acharya's many books on Advaita.http://www.vivekananda.net/PDFBooks/Vivekashudamani.pdf

 Regarding what made me feel that i had better die,i would write about it later..Its getting late..Got to sleep..

Ambarish

A kind request to my followers

First of all,i would like to thank you all for following my blog.It really feels good when i know that people spend their time to know my views!i am quite sure that you would have some reaction to my posts.i request you to post your reactions as comments,so that i know what you think about the way i think.after all,this is a blog,not a classroom.Also,if you are interested in my blog,plz mention it in one of the social networking sites.Of course,only if you are interested in my blog..Suggestions to help me spread my blog would be cheerfully accepted with warmth and gratitude.

Ambarish..

India and Israel-a comparision..

Both India and Israel are nations that were born out of great strife.They share many similarities.India is surrounded by Sri lanka,Pakistan,Bangladesh,Afghanistan,China and Nepal.Out of these nations,India and Nepal have Hinduism as the religion followed by an overwhelming majority of people.Pakistan and Afghanistan are hell bent on de-stabilizing India.Let us analyse these nations,one by one.
There are four pillars of power in Pakistan-The Inter services Intelligence(ISI-the Pakistani equivalent of Research and Analysis wing),the Pakistani army,the Taliban and,of course..the puppet government in Pakistan.The ISI has often been described by critics and observers of being a "state within a state" due to its enormous independence and influence it enjoys.The ISI has always been in the forefront in providing logistical support as far as launching terror attacks in India is concerned.The Pakistan army is known for its notorious role in governance of the country.It has been in the forefront of many state sponsored(yet,"unofficial") attacks against India.it influences an alarming influence over the foreign policy of Pakistan.Who can forget the manner in which Gen Pervez Musharraf usurped power from Nawaz Sheriff in a bloodless coup?

The Taliban was setup with the blessings of the United States to fight against U.S.S.R during the cold war.U.S.A's brainchild has now turned out to be its most feared enemy.The Taliban has become the kingdom of terror in Pakistan(and Afghanistan).The deal the government of Pakistan signed with these rouge elements in th Swat valley is proof of the instability existing in Pakistan.The Government of Pakistan has seldom been able to act independently due to these extremist elements.Rehman Malik's recent flip flops on the 26-11 attacks are a proof in hand of this fact.There is always the persistent danger of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal going into the hands of the Taliban.That would perhaps mean the end of India,the cradle of civilization.As you read this,tens of thousands of young minds are being trained to wage war against India(jihad) in terror training camps spread all over the country.Pakistan's government is eager to whip u[p the war-hysteria at the slightest provocation.
Afghanistan has always suffered due to the lack of a proper democratic system in the country.The government in place at present is weak and is grappling with insecurity and lack of political will.The Al Qaeda is a potent force in the political establishment.Poverty is widespread and illiteracy is widely observed in the country.
Bangladesh is not as unstable as Pakistan is,but there too we see terror outfits(like HUJI)who launch attacks against India,and of course spill the blood of Hindus who remain in Bangladesh.Incidentally,both Pakistan and Bangladesh are "secular",by definition.Bangladesh is just about limping back to democracy,after quite a long emergency period.
Sri Lanka has always been the centre of an ethnic conflict between Lankan Tamils and the Sinhala government.Even after the end of the war,millions of Tamils continue to suffer in relief camps.They have at last found an able leader in Mahinda Rajapakse.
China,despite its phenomenal growth in recent years has been envious of India's I.T boom.It has even gone to the extent of trying to hack the computers in the PMO(Prime Minister's office).It has been fighting for Arunachgal Pradesh for a long,long time.We often hear,read reports about China building bunkers in the Indian territory.A war-like scenario has often been avoided due to the ever-so-submissive nature of India.India has been forced to turn a blind eye towards the plight of Tibetans due to the 'Big Brother'attitude of China.
Nepal,the last Hindu kingdom in the world has now been declared as a secular nation.The Maoists of Nepal have assumed power.India is still unsure whether Prem Kumar Dahal(popularly known as "prachanda"meaning awesome)is a friend or foe.We don't know whether Nepal will become China's pet,given the communist ideology these two nations share.

India has borne the brunt of terror attacks right from 1947(particularly since 1993).Even its parliament has been attacked.Planes have been hijacked(Remember Kandahar?).Trains have been blown,super markets targeted,temples destroyed(Jaipur),courts attacked(Jaipur,2008,a city has been held ransom for 3 days by a group of 10 teenagers(26-11 attacks).Still,India treats terrorism as a law and order problem..Passing the buck from the state to the centre is an oft-repeated story.Political parties look for petty political gains to settle political scores even in the wake of the most gruesome terror attacks.The absence of a tough anti terror law has meant that hardcore terrorists go Scott-free in the absence of "concrete" evidence(This fact has been acknowledged by the former chief justice of India,K.G.Balakrishnan and the judge who sentenced Kasab to death while he had to acquit the Indian suspects).It is indeed astonishing that our Home Minister repeats that existing laws are sufficient as one terror attack after the other unfolds.

(In an interview,he was asked"What will your be response to another Mumbai-like attack?"He answers"Our response will be swift and decisive",but refused to elaborate.Doesn't the nation deserve to know what its policy makers(who are there because of their votes)will do in the wake of another massacre?"Swift and decisive"?What do we get from that?There are so many thing that we can do in a manner he says.What will he do?Flush the toilet?Even that's swift and decisive,isn't it?)The prime minister always insists "We will not allow terror to overwhelm us.We wont bow to terror.We will continue to fight against terror.Lets stay united".That's it .He goes to sleep.What does he actually do?NOTHING.Of course,he waits for the next terror attack,to read out the same speech.

(He went on record saying that he couldn't sleep for two days on watching the visuals of the plight of the parents of two kashmiri terrorists.22% of India's population lives below the poverty line.If the PM had cared for them,he shouldn't have slept once in the last six years.)

The CPI(M) used a convicted terrorist as its star campaigner in Kerala.Sanjay Dutt has given so many speeches in favour of terrorists.Farooq Abdullah demanded a safe passage for terrorists so that they could be released from the jails and be allowed to turn over a new leaf.BSP fielded a terror accused in an election.The central government gave compensation for the families of kashmiri terrorists killed in an encounter.(are they martyrs?Does the govt want to encourage such terrorists?).Kasab is being treated like the Prince Of Pakistan who is on a jolly tour.He travels in 6-crore bullet proof car,attends hearings in special Court(22 crores) and is treated like a petty thief.Even i don't get to eat what he has for lunch(Roti,Dal,Rice and milk-a wholesome diet).Surely,India IS Incredible.Where else can we find such hospitality?
Now,let us consider Israel.It is surrounded by Egypt,Jordan,Syria and Saudi Arabia.All these nations are Islamic in character and functioning.Israel,on the other hand is the nation which has been formed of what is left of 2 millenia of merciless prosecution of Jews.All its neighbours want to destroy Israel.

Somewhat similar to the kind of situation to what India finds itself in.But,how does Israel react?Fights tooth and nail to establish its authority and maintain its sovereignty.In Israel,military training is compulsory,irrespective of a person's gander.people of Israel are trained to fight for their country,till the last drop of their blood.LITERALLY.Not like how it is India.MERE WORDS.We too learnt the same thing in school.But,how do we fight till we die unless we are trained to fight?Israel cares for its citizens just like how a cow does for its calf.It indulges in air strikes,drone attacks,launches rockets and spread terror.In other word,fights terror with terror.Just what was Hammurabi's code of law was so many centuries ago:An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.It doesn't care to strike at hospitals,relief camps as long they are there in the enemies territory.(Compare this with Pranab Mukherjee's"We will wage war if there's another Mumbai-like massacare".)It does all these to strike at the root-to destabilize the enemy camp.It doesn't care as long as the ends satisfy the means.U.S-backing has been crucial for this.India,on the other hand,still sticks to the age-old non-alignment policy of the Nehru era.

Does this saint-like attitude at the face of death help in anyway???You Decide!!

Is India secular?

During our school,we would've read that India is a secular country that has no state religion..In the literal sense,secularism meant separating the state and the Church.Some in India see it as treating all religions equally.In U.S.A,secularism means maintaining equidistance from all religions.let us analyse the Indian perception of secularism..

Treating all religions equally should mean having the same laws for all citizens,irrespective of their faith..But,is this true?Let us consider the following:

1)Article 370
2)Hindu Marriage Act
3)Absence of a uniform civil code
Article 370:

The Article 370 of the Indian constitution confers a special status on the state of Jammu and Kashmir..Any law passed in the Indian parliament must be adopted by th J&K legislative assembly if it is to be enforced in that state..

Why is there such an article?

J&K is the only state in India in which Muslims are a majority..This is a clear indication of the intentions of the men who framed the Indian Constitution to provide the muslims of J&K special powers..Does it agree with the definition of secularism?

NO!there are also provisions in the constitution to ensure that the demography of the state of J&K doesn't change..No other state in India enjoys such a status.Doesn't it infringe the integrity of India?Aren't Kashmiris included when i pledge"All Indians are my brothers and sisters"?But do they think in the same manner?Article 370suggests they are have different ideas..
Hindu Marriage Act:

The Hindu marriage act provides HINDU women the right to divorce.It doesn't include women of other religions.Hindu laws do not provide women with any right to divorce.But the Hindu marriage Act supercedes the Hindu laws..

Islam too doesn't approve of divorce,if the applicant is a woman.But a man can divorce his wife just by repeating the word "talaq" three times.This is indeed a draconian provision which denies muslim women even the right to expression..There is not a single provision in the Indian Constitution against this law.In India,it is ok to ban traditional Hindu practices like sati,child marriage,dowry,etc.Agreed,these are evil customs,but don't other religions have evil customs,too?Why aren't they banned?Where does equality of religions fit into all this?
Absence of uniform civil code:
Polygamy is perfectly OK as far as Hindu law is concerned.The same thing is true with Islam also.The British banned polygamy among Hindus during the time Lord Hastings.India became independent( divided)in 1947.It was declared as a secular country.Inspite of this,this law is still in Vogue.Polygamy is ok as far as muslims are concerned.A muslim can marry as many as five women,without facing any legal action.But,a Hindu can't.He will be imprisoned.Say,he converts into Islam,he escapes all punishment.
Now,tell me,"Is India secular"?

Something about myself

I,Ambarish was born on 31/1/1992 to S.Gopinath and B.Vidya in Chennai,India.I was brought up in Chennai.I did my primary schooling in P.S.B.B(upto 6th std).Rest of my schooling was in D.A.V,Gill Nagar.I believe that my strengths are my self belief and my traditional upbringing..
My greeatest weakness is my shyness..
I am always shy.Find it very difficult to move on.I`ve tried to change this with little success..Nowadays,I can at least look into the eyes of boys when i talk..Matters become worse when the opposite gender comes in..I can barely look into their eyes,let alone talk to them..
My favorite sport is cricket,though i also follow hockey.I support KKR in IPL.Ardent follower of Indian politics,which is of course a dirty game,but thats how it goes..Iam at present pursuing EEE in Sri Sairam Engg College(I Year)....

Hinduism-a way of life...

Hinduism is indeed a unique religion,known for its tolerance and freedom of thought,expression.What is known as Hinduism today is actually a result of millenia of thought,which evolved through free speech..

No other religion in the world can lay claim to giving its practitioners so much opportunity to experiment,infer and evolve..Hinduism is truely composite,varied and dynamic.Many try to portray this as a weakness.I beg to differ.How would you describe a rainbow?Colourful,radiant,composite,catchy,spectacular.The rainbow has seven colours,each so distinct from one another.The same is true with Hinduism ..Hinduism allows you to think,experiment,falter,realize and enlighten,both yourself and others..

As William Blake says,"How can the bird that is born for joy sit in a cage and sing?"Each man has his own tastes,preferences,likes and dislikes.One man's food is another man's poison.With this being the case,it becomes impossible to aplly the same yardstick to everybody.

This is why Hindus worship many Gods.Each God is a way to connect to our inner self.Practice of Hinduism is in fact,a celebration of life.Each and every custom a Hindu follows has its own hidden meaning.Consider the "kolam" which decorates the entrance of evry house.It used to be drawn using rice flour in olden days.Why?

It used to serve two purposes:

1)"Kolams"decorate you entrance in a beautiful way.                     

2)It was drawn in rice flour to feed the ants.

Of course,we use "kolam"flours nowadays,but this is what "kolams" used to be..

In very much the same way,each and every custom Hindus follow has a meaning,a purpose,though it may seem crass and meaningless from the outset.One understands the relevance only if he goes into deep analysis.It is foolish and arrogant to dismiss something just because one is ignorant of it.As Da vinci says"Blinding ignorance does mislead us.Oh wretched mortals..OPEN YOUR EYES".

"OPEN YOUR EYES".This is exactly what one who is interested in understanding Hinduism must do.One doubt might cross your mind.This article portrays Hinduism like the media-just a medium to express ourselves.Then why are there so many customs,rituals and traditions in Hinduism?The answer is simple.True,customs and rituals are an integral part of hinduism.But,what do customs compose of..Oblations to the fire,worship of the sun(suryanamaskaram,sandhyavandhanam),worshipping the Earth,air,etc..In a cruder sense,simply nature worship..but isn't nature worship again a celebration of life?
Hindu festivals like Sankaranthi are meant to worship the sun,the yielder of light to the world.Really,what would our world be without the sun?Ayudha puja is an opportunity to pay homage to the things we use in our day to day life..During Diwlai we celebrate the victory of Ram over Raavan-the victory of Good over Evil..We burst crackers to symbolize the birth of good times and to pray that all our suffering should be reduced to nothing just like the ash that remains after the crackers are burnt..the same is true of all the festivals that Hindus celebrate.Sadly no one realises this..
Hinduism is a way of life,more than a religion..
(to be continued)