The states of human existence from a vedic perspective

"An unexamined life is not worth living"
-Socrates
The mandukya upanishad examines the various states of human existence in detail.Written in easy-to -understand sanskrit,the mandukya upanishad is rich in meaning,though it consists of just a few verses.
This upanishad deals with 4 states of human existence:

1)जाग्रति (Waking)

2)स्वप्नं (Dream)
3)सुशुक्थी (Deep sleep)
4)तुरीय
Jagrati refers to the normal waking state in which we experience happiness,sorrow,joy,pleasure,pain and other emotions.
Swapnam refers to the dream state.Now,an important question arises....
Which of the two states is the real one-waking or dream state?
Anybody will tell you that the waking state is the real one.
let's for argument sake,assume that the dream state is the real state.In the dream state too,we experience happiness,sorrow,joy,pleasure,pain and other emotions.While we are dreaming,we are not aware that we are not in the waking state.From the dreamer's perspective,that is his jagrat(or waking state).The dreamer is under the impression that the experiences/emotions he undergoes are real.There is even an iota of doubt that these may all be unreal.
He realizes that they are unreal only when his dream ends and he awakes into his consciousness.Now,what is the indication to show that the dream state is unreal?Nothing.We know that the dream state is unreal only when the dream ends.In the same way,man realises his existence(read as jagrati) is unreal only when death occurs.This is the clinching argument of the upanishad to show that this world is unreal-a result of maya.Man is under the impression that jagruti is real because of avidya-ignorance.
A close examination of human existence will show that we are all living in an unreal world.That our ancients knew so much about the states of human existence and published the holy texts based on strong reasoning and inquiry is what separates the ancient Hindu religion from those religions based on mere belief and forcible conversion.
Before we move on to the third state of sushukthi,it is imperative to understand the difference between happiness(सुखं) and bliss(आनंदम ).Happiness and sadness are a result of the mind's imagination.What is the source of happiness today becomes the source of sadness tomorrow.
Take this for example-if you live in Chennai,you like to be in an air-conditioned room because of the searing heat.But if you were to live in say,Shimla,would an ac bring you happiness?
In the Bhagavatha purana,Kapila lists what he calls as Dhvandhvam in संख्या  योग :(The yoga Rajnikanth claims to follow!!)
Happiness-sadness
Profit-loss
pride-embarrassment
Hotness-coldness.
all these feelings are a result of the mind's imagination.Happiness,too is a result of the mind's imagination.
"मनो  एव  कारणं  मनुष्यानाम  बंधा  मोक्ष  यो  हो".
Happiness has its end in sadness.
Bliss(aanandam),on the other hand knows no boundaries.now,the question areises:What is bliss?
The third state is that of sushukthi-the state of deep sleep.
In the state of deep slle,we experience neither sadness nor happiness.This is because we have no desires or thoughts in this state.We usually experience happiness or sadness when we get to know the result of our actions.The state of deep sleep knows neither desire nor the result of it."आशा  दुखास्य  कारणं ".
This is what the mandukya upanishad calls the state of bliss.The state of no emotions.The state of peace,when body is in harmony with the soul.We are closer to God than we think in the state of deep sleep.Even in this state of bliss,there's a disadvantage.
We are unconscious.In other words,we are unaware of our own existence.We are unaware of the bliss we experience.This disadvantage is overcome in the fourth state of turiya.....
In the state of turiya(the state of a yogi),we experience bliss in the presence of consciousness.This state is beyond description.Beyond the understanding of normal humans.
In the words of the mandukya upanishad,"The
fourth, turiya, is not inwardly cognitive, nor outwardly cognitive, not both-wise
cognitive. It is not a cognition mass, not cognitive, not noncognitive, unseen,
incapable of being spoken of, ungraspable, without any distinctive marks, unthinkable,
unnameable, the essence of the knowledge of the one self, that into
which the world is resolved, the peaceful, the benign, the non-dual. That is the
atma. That is to be realised.”
This is how our ancient seers understood existence.
P.S:The views expressed in this post are NOT personal.All this is knowledge that has been transmitted through countless generations.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.

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