Category Archives: Social Reform

FROM VEDIC TO CLASSICAL SANSKRIT (DEVELOPMENT OR DECAY)

November 25, 2014 rdhoot 2 Comments

FROM VEDIC TO CLASSICAL SANSKRIT (DEVELOPMENT OR DECAY)

Three is a word of difference between the Vedic language and the Classical Sanskrit of the epics, sastras, kavyas….. At times the meaning of a word may undergo a sea change !

IN TERMS OF WORDS

The word sachí for instance, is used in the classical Sanskrit for ‘lndra`s wife’, whereas in the Vedic Lexicon Nighantu, it is en-joined for ‘speech, wisdom, action’ (vide Nigh.)-

The words vrtra, asum are used in Sanskrit as the name of a Raksasa (and for ‘raksasa‘ in general), but in Vedic they are two epithets, usually, of ‘cloud’-

The word ‘ahí‘ is used in Sanskrit for serpent, while in Vedic, it stands for cloud again.

The word adri, parvata, giri are used in Sanskrit for mountain, but in Vedic they again denote cloud-

The word ghrta is used in Sanskrit for clariﬁed butter, in Vedic for water-

In Sanskrit, the word visa is used for poison but, according to the Vedic Nighantu, it is one of the many names ofwater-

ln Sanskrit, the Word varaha is used for ‘boar’, but in Vedic it is given for cloud-

In Sankrit asman and gravan are used for stone, but in Vedic they are shown as denoting cloud-

The word dhara is used in Sanskrit for ﬂow or current but in Vedic it is used for speech-

The word ghrtací is used in Sanskrit for dancing girl, but in Vedic it denotes night-

The word gaya is used in Sanskrit for a particular place where oblations are offered, but in the Vedic Nighantu, gaya means progency, wealth, home.

IN TERMS OF GRAMMAR

On the score of grammar, Vedic naturally differs from Classical Sanskrit in extension as well as in depth. Panini’s Astadhyayi refers to this vedic freedom of scope through aphorisms like.

Quite a few among Western linguists and philosophers hold that there has always been a growth, a development and an evolution in language :

T. Burrow, for instance, says in Sanskrit Language, “Many [of the changes of meaning] occured in the natural growth of the language.”

F. Bopp, in Comparative Grammar 0f Sanskrit, Greek, Latin and Other Languages, vol. l, has used the word ‘development’, in this connection; “[Of] language in its Stages of being and march of development.

” A.B. Keith has also opted for the view ‘development’, saying: “From the language of the Rigveda one can trace a steady development to Classical Sanskrit.” (History of Sanskrit Literature.)

Some Indian philologists, too, who have followed Western Writers, have held the same view. For instance : “From the cry and onomatopoeia with their various combinations, by means of association and metaphor, we arrive at a Vocabulary, sufficient for the purpose of the primitive man”…”The small original stock is improved upon and added to by manipulation of various kinds, based upon the association of various kinds, and on metaphor”.

But, when we compare the most ancient Vedic language with the modem Classical Sanskrit, we ﬁnd that, instead of ‘growth’ or ‘development’, there has been ‘decay’.

For instance : (1) in the Vedic Lexicon Nighantu, at 1.2 we find 57 synonyms of vac (speech) like-

Very few of them have survived in classical Sanskrit : Amara Kosa, for instance, gives only the following-

lt is growth or decay ? Let the reader on his own decide.

To give yet another illustration, in Vedic 101 names are listed for ‘water’, including-

But in the Amara Kosa only 27 remain ;

There are 37 names of megha (cloud) in Nighantu, in the Amara Kosa only 15-

Among the 26 names of karma (action, work), including-

-only 2 (karma and karyam) are found in the Amara Kosa.

Many more examples could be given to show how, down the centuries, it has not been a case of growth or development, but rather one of decay in language.

lt is gratifying to note that some distinguished western linguists also are opposed to this theory of growth or evolution in language. We cite four of them :

V. VENDRYES in his book Language observes : ‘Certainly, modern languages, such as English and French, rejoice in an extreme suppleness, ease and flexibility; but [accordingly] can we maintain that the classical tongues, like Greek or Latin, are inferior to [any of these] ? It [Greek] is a language whose very essence is godlike.. If we have once acquired the taste for it, all other languages seem harsh after it… The outward form of the Greek language is itself a delight to the soul. Never was a more beautiful instrument fashioned to express human thought.

WILLIAM JONES : ‘The Sanskrit language, whatever be its antiquity, is of a wonderful structure-more perfect than Greek, more copious than Latin, and more exquisitely refined than French or Spanish.’

MAX MULLER : says they have reduced the rich and powerful idiom of the poets of Veda to the meagre and impure jargon of the modem sepoy’.

He adds : “We are accustomed to call these changes ‘growth’ of language, but it would be more appropriate to call this a process of phonetic change or decay. ”

‘On the whole, the history of all the Aryan languages is nothing but a gradual process of decay.

‘ ‘Lecures on the Science of Language, vol.l

And GRAY, lastly, has to say this (Foundations of Language) :

‘In lndo-European, we ﬁnd 8 distinct case-forms in Sanskrit; Greek and Lithuanian have 7, Hittite and Old Church Slavic 5, Old French and Modem English only 2, Albanian 4. And American and Old English 3. This reduction in the number of case-forms-with the result that some of them take over the functions of one or more others-gives rise to the linguistic phrase now known as syncretism. The reason for this seems to be phonetic decay of the characteristic case-endings.’

‘the mother of languages’

VEDIC-THE MOTHER OF ALL LANGUAGES

From the study of many of the historical languages of the world we have been driven to the inevitable conclusion that it is not Classical Sanskrit (which of course is the ﬁrst daughter of the mother), but Vedic, that is the mother of all languages of the world. A FEW EXAMPLES

1. Vasra-in Vedic and, in its slightly different or corrupt forms, in different languages of the world : The word [vasra] has been used in the Rigveda on the following occasions-vasra 1O.119.4; vasra’iva 1.33.2, 1.28.8; 2.34.15; 7.149.4; 1.37.11, 1.96.6; 6.7.7, 9.1.37, 10.75.4.

In the other Vedas also the word is used frequently. All commentators of Veda are unanimous in holding that the word is derived from V vasr ‘sabde‘ and stands for cow (lowing, ‘making sound’.

Now, it is to be noted that there is no mention of this word in the Amara Kosa, or in any other lexicon of Sanskrit; nor do we ﬁnd it generally used in the classical literature. Withal, the word is used for `cow’ in the French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian languages in slightly different (corrupt) forms.

ln French it is vache; in Spanish vaen : in Portugese vaca ; and in Italian la vaces. [Also, likewise, in the languages of Europe the words derived from go are used for English cow : Swedish ko ; Danish ko ; Dutch koe ; German kuh].

2. To take another example, we may examine Vedic ‘irman ‘ for ‘arm’.

lt is from this (irman) alone that the word ‘arm’ is derived. With its Swedish, Danish, Dutch and German variants in COD, for Apisali states in his Siksa (as also Bharate in his Natyasatra) that ‘sarva-mukha-sthaniyan a-varnam’ ! agni : ignis (Lat.).

3. Another very common word, which may be mentioned in this connection, is dama. According to Nighantu 3.4, it is a grhanama (home)-

But in Sanskrit literature and in classical lexicons, like the Amarakosa, dama occurs nowhere in the sense of ‘home’ or ‘wife.’ And so we should not be surprised to ﬁnd the word, with slight changes, used in several languages of Europe-English, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, German in the sense of ‘lady’ : dame, dane, dem. 4. mira (ocean) ‘submarine ﬁre’ and also vadavagni ! ; German meer ; French la mer ; Spanish and Portugese mar. 5. apa’ ítí-‘karma’-nama (Nighantu. 2.1) ; opus (Latin), operation (English). These ﬁve exmples should sufﬁce to show that Vedic is the most ancient-and accordingly, the mother-of all languages. MULTIPLICATION OF LANGUAGES lf, Vedic is the universal mother (or foster-mother as some would like to call it), the question naturally arises : how these hundreds and thousands of languages and dialects have sprung up from that one source. How to explain their multifurcation ? The answer may be brieﬂy given as follows (taking into consideration what native and foreign scholars have written on the subject) Some probable causes suggested are : PROBABLE CAUSES (l) Physiological causes– when some people cannot pronounce some difficult sounds on account of some defect in the anatomy; (2) Geographical surroundings-sometimes making it difﬁcult to pronounce words correctly (due to severe cold.); (3) Communication and Correspondence (difficulties)- people of distant lands also sometimes cause pidgin-like change(s) in the language and its pronunciation ; (4) Change of model-e.g., a new king may ascend the throne and his subjects begin copying his style ; (5) Association-also causes change, Examples (6) Analogy-is deﬁned (by Vendryes) as “the power of other words in a languages to exempt any special word from the operation of phonetic laws or to compensate it for changes which those laws may press or produce.” 0ne clear instance of this change by analogy is cows. ln Old English it was spelt (inﬂected) as kine ; but, as table, book, boy and other words are formed by just adding an “s” at the end, so the plural of cow also became cows-(though foot did not become foots such as. (7) Economy of effort-with regular vagaries- (a) varna-viparyaya or ‘metathesis’ : (b) varna-lopa (dropping out of a letter, usually owing to inadvertence) : (c) samikarana-(assimilation) : cf. Edward Sturtivant (Introduction to linguistic Science : “Of great linguistic importance is the assimilation of contiguous consonants” (d) viprakasa-(dissimilation) : (e) svara-bhakti (hiatus) : (f) agro’pajana-(prothesis) (g) sthana-viparyaya-(interchange) : The following verse, quoted by Durgacarya in his ‘gloss’ on the Nirukta(Ch. 1), gives in brief most of these ‘rules’ : (1) pro/epen/post-thesis ; (2) interchange ; (3) distortion ; (1)(4) elision; (5) ‘sense suggesting = engendering another sound!’. (1)In various fonns of P/’akrta and in English, Greek, Latin,Russian and other languages ‘changes’ have taken place according to the above ‘rules’. It is thus that words actually become corrupt and new languages spring up. Defective and imperfect scripts also have helped in the distortion of a ‘pure` language no less : (1)In Tamil (script) there are only k and n ; c and n ; t and n ; t and (1)n ; p and m. [In Arabic script there is no p.] (1)In English there is no provision for t, th, d dh, n ; (1)In French there is no room for t, th, d, dh, n. (1) PASTO & SANSKRIT Pashto is the language spoken by Pathans and allied tribals of the North-Western Frontier. The author learnt from a letter, received from the Vice-Chancellor of Peshawar University, some years back, that “here Sanskrit is compulsory for all students of languages, as it is thought here, said the letter that, abounding in Sanskrit Vocabulary as it is, Pashto cannot be mastered without a good grounding in Sanskrit.” Following is the list of some Sanskrit words, with their Pasto variants, to stress the point : Also, for ‘grandfather’ the Pashto is Nikoh-derived from ‘niskrodha’-free from anger and, therefore., loving ; likewise, for grandmother anniya ‘anna-datri“,? But, we are just suggesting ; nothing more. SANSKRIT & SOUTH INDIAN LANGUAGES There are some words in the South Indian languages, which have their origin in Sanskrit. On studying Kasakrtsna-Dhatupatha-Vrtti with the gloss of Channa-Vira Kavi, we have come to know of these ‘suspected origins’ ever more clearly-ever more surely. It should be borne in mind that Kasakrtsna had been a South-Indian grammarian centuries before Panini, recording some 800 more roots, i.e., in addition to the 2000 found in Panini ! (1) amma / avva, tayi-mother : These are the words used for ‘mother’ in different parts of the country. Of these amma-(1) is considered by some a corruption of ‘amba’ ; but according to Kasakrtsna’s Dhatupathavrtti, it is derived from V amm ‘gatau’ (1.224) ; avva (2) from V avv-bandha-ne-palane (1-226) ;t’yt (3) from V tayr, ‘santana-palanayon’(1.493). [In Tamil the word used for mother, tadar, too appears to have come from the same root] In Marathi, the word used for ‘mother’ is dyt V ay gat au (1.485) (2) appa = pitar (in Kannada, Tulgu and some other South Indian languages) from V app palane ! (3) ammi-putrí from V amm gatau (Kannada). (4) akka ‘elder sister’ (Kan.) from V akk bandane + palane. (5) atta, mother-in-law ; attika, sister-in-law (Kan.) from V at gatau. (6) appa-‘elder brother’ (Kan.) from V ap sabde (1.206). (7) nathi, dog (Kan., Tam.) from V nin ‘prapane’. (8) dana, animal (Kan.) from V dhan ‘calane’. (9) hana = wealth, woman (Kan.) from V han sabde. (niskasya dasamo bhagah.) (10) duddu, money (Kan.) from V duddu dharane. (11) gíni, parrot (Kan.) from V gin sabde. (12) gande, wall (Kan.) from V gadi bandhane. (13) vayí, mouth (K. and Ta.) from V vay gatau. (14) ane, hand (K., Ta.) from V an prapane. (15) avu, cow (Tel.) from V av palane. cf. ava-ni=’gau’ (earth)! (16) nalla, good (Tam.) from V nall palane. (17) ganda-pati, husband (Kan.) from V gadí vadaníkadese (sahayyam karoti)-cheek-by-j owl. (18) guli, bull (Kan.) from V gul bhaksane. (19) gulle, bubble, foam (Kan.) from V gull bhavane(vivarte). (20) hammu, pride (Kan.) from V hammu gatau (brain-wave) (21) pandu, fruit (Tel.) from V padí gatau. (22) jenu, honey (moon face ?), Kan. from V jin sambhaktau ! (23) channa, honey, fair lady (Kan. et al) from V cann sambhaktau! (24) havu, serpent from V havva (ghost) Kan. (25) hedi, coward (Kan) from V hedr calane ? VEDIC AND THE REST Comparative lists of words of different European languages clearly establish the afﬁnity of these languages to Sanskrit. The question remains to be answered is : what relationship Sanskrit bears to the different languages of the world ? Is it Sister/aunt/mother of them? It is here that scholars widely differ. Max Muller : “Sanskrit, no doubt, has an immense advantage over all the other ancient languages of the East. lt is so attractive and has been so widely admired that it almost seems at times to excite a certain amount of feminine jealousy.. We are ourselves lndo-Europeans. In a certain sense we are still speaking and thinking Sanskrit ; or, more correctly, Sanskrit is like a dear aunt to us and [vasudhaiva kutumbakam] she [responsibly] takes the place of a mother who is no more. [Chips from a German Workshop] vol. 5. It (Sanskrit) is the most regular language known, and is especially remarkable-as containing the roots of the various languages of Europe-Greek, Latin, German, Slavonic, says Baron Cuvier in Lectures on the Natural Sciences.” And here is what Adelung has to say in “Sanskrit Language”. “The great number of languages, which are said to owe their origin – or bear a close afﬁnity-to Sanskrit, is truly astonishing and-is yet another proof of the latter’s high antiquity. Rudiger avers it to be the parent of upwards of a hundred languages and dialects among which he enumerates l2 Indian, 7 Median Persic, 2 Austric Albanian, 7 Greek, 18 Latin, 14 Slavonic, and 6 Celtic Gallic. The various vocabularies, which we now possess as a result of laborious and learned investigations, render it pretty evident that Sanskrit has not only furnished words for all the languages of Europe, but forms a main feature in almost all those of the East. A host of writers have made it the immediate parent of the Greek and Latin and German families of languages [no less] Bopp in Edinburgh Review, vol. 33, expresses his opinion that “At one time, Sanskrit was the one languages spoken all over the world.” And lastly, to quote from W.C. Taylor’s “India in Greece” : It was an astounding discovery that Hindustan possessed a language of unrivalled richness and variety, a language the parent of all those dialects that Europe has fondly called classical-the source alike of the Greek ﬂexibility and the Roman strength, a philosophy compared with which lessons of Pythagoras are but of yesterday [in point of age, in point of enduring speculation], Plato’s boldest efforts [sound] tame and commonplace…a poetry more purely intellectual than any of which we had before any conception, and a system of science whose antiquity bafﬂes all powers of astronomical calculations. This literature, with all its colossal proportions, which can scarcely be described with-out [a] semblance of bombast and exaggeration, claims of course, a place for itself-it stands alone, [has been] able to stand alone. Its literature seems exhaustless. The utmost [of] stretch-of-imagination can scarce comprehend its boundless mythology. Its philosophy, far from shunning, has touched upon every metaphysical difﬁculty [and has much to contribute on each and every issue]. lt is, thus, clear that many impartial linguists and philologists of the West also admit that Sanskrit is the mother (not sister or aunt) of all the important languages of the world. It is unfortunate that, even in India, not much attention is being paid to the study and spread of Sanskrit either by the people or by the Government. It is high time the study of Sanskrit is made compulsory at schools and in colleges, throughout the country.

English, Social Reform

Gross Happiness Entrepreneurship

June 22, 2014 rdhoot Leave a comment

RV1.3 Gross Happiness Entrepreneurship

Author:- Subodh Kumar

ऋषि:- मधुच्छन्दा वैश्वामित्र:, देवता:- 1-3 अश्विनौ, 4-3 इन्द्र:ू; 7-9 विश्वेदेवा:; 10-12 सरस्वती छंद- गायत्री ।

शिल्प ज्ञान उन्नति का आधार

Life sustainability by technology

अश्विना यज्वरीरिषो द्रवत्पाणी शुभस्पती ।

पुरुभुजा चनस्यतम् ।। RV 1.3.1 (Dayanand Bhashyaadharit)

On universal scale – (द्रवत्पाणी) seek fast material growth of (पुरुभुजा) food and means that provide health (शुभस्पती) for welfare of all by (अश्विना) employing the twins of Solar energy resources and Water resources (यज्वरी:)with application technological skills (इषा:) providing objects of desire such as food & facilities (चनस्यपतम्‌) for getting selectedand liked by all.

समष्टि रूप में– (द्रवत्पाणी) शीघ्रता से समृद्धि पाने के लिए (पुरुभुजा) सब के बल और स्वास्थ्य के लिए(इषा:) अन्नादि ऐच्छिक पदार्थों (चनस्यपतम्‌) की सात्विक प्राप्ति के लिए (अश्विना) प्राकृतिक उपलब्द्ध अग्नि सौर ऊर्जा और जल तत्व के प्रयोग से (यज्वरी:) भौतिक यज्ञादि कुशल कर्मों में प्रवृत्त होवें .

व्यष्टि रूप में – On another level प्राणापान को अश्विना शब्द से स्मरण किया जाता है. कि ये ‘ न श्व:’ यह निश्चित नहीं कि ये कल भी रहेंगे ,और यह सदैव क्रिया करते रहते हैं . इन्हीं के कारण यह मानव शरीर चल रहा है, भूख लग रही है और सब इच्छाएं प्रकट हो रही हैं . (यज्वरी:) यज्ञशील बनने के लिए (इषा:) अन्नदि इच्छित पदार्थ (चनस्यपतम्‌) सात्विकता का जीवन में चयन आवश्यक है. प्राणायाम द्वारा तामसिक वृत्तियों आलस्य काम क्रोध इत्यादि के परित्याग से सात्विक वृत्तियों अहिंसा कर्मठता आत्मविश्वास यज्ञशील जीवन से ही प्रगति और सुख समृद्धि प्राप्त होती है.

प्रोद्योगकि शिक्षा

Technical Education

1. अश्विना पुरुदंससा नरा शवीरया धिया । धिष्ण्या वनतं गिर: ।। RV 1.3.2

(अश्विना)To employ energy and material resources (पुरुदंससा) for technologies that provides many solutions (नरा शवीरया) for speedy implementation (धिया) bring to knowledge । (धिष्ण्या) by fast communication methods (वनतं) to users ( गिर: ) by lecturing education.

(सौर) ऊर्जा और पदार्थ (जलादि) संसाधनों के वैज्ञानिक प्रयोग से शीघ्र उत्तम उपब्धियों के लिए उत्तमगुरु जन उपदेश द्वारा शिक्षा प्राप्त कराएं

विषमता नाशक ज्ञान

Knowledge to remove hardship

3.दस्रा युवाकव: सुता नासत्या वृक्तबर्हिष: । आ यातं रुद्रवर्तनी ।। RV1.3.3

(दस्रा: ) that which removes hardship (युवाकव: ) multidiscipline ( सुता) born out of ( नासत्या ) that which is flawless (वृक्तबर्हिष: ) expert consultants- can also be pathogen destroying herbal covers । (आ यातं) bring in common use (रुद्रवर्तनी) That does not allow any harm to come.

कठिनाइयों विषमता का नाश ही औद्योगिक शिल्प ज्ञान की उपब्धि है.

शिल्प ज्ञान की उपलब्धियां

Gifts of Entrepreneurship

4.इन्द्रा याहि चित्रभानो सुता इमे त्वायव: । अण्वीभिस्तना पूतास: ।। RV1.3.4

(इन्द्रा याहि)The entrepreneurs by (अण्वीभिस्तना पूतास 🙂 utilizing their knowledge and paying attention to the minutest inputs (सुता) create (इमे त्वायव :)by their efforts (चित्रभानो) amazingly useful results.

सूक्ष्म से सूक्ष्म विषय पर ध्यान दे कर अपने ज्ञान के सदुपयोग से शिल्प द्वारा आश्चर्यजनक उपलब्धियां सम्भव होती हैं.

चमत्कारी आविष्कार

Creation of innovative products

5. इन्द्रा याहि धियेषितो विप्रजूत: सुतावत: । उप ब्रह्माणि वाघत: ।। RV1.3.5

(इन्द्रा याहि) The entrepreneurs (धियेषितो विप्रजूत: उप ब्रह्माणि) by intelligent knowledge application (सुतावत: वाघत) create very useful products.

सफल शिल्पी अत्यंत सफल आविष्कारक होते हैं

नवीन आविष्कार

New Technological products

6. इन्द्रा याहि तूतुजान उपब्रह्माणि हरिव: । सुते दधिष्व नश्चन: ।। RV1.3.6

(इन्द्रा याहि) The entrepreneurs (सुते दधिष्व नश्चन:) create useful food etc. every day use products ( तूतुजान उपब्रह्माणि हरिव: ) by excellent knowledge base highly productive methods.

प्रोद्योगिकि शिक्षा का लक्ष्य

Objects of Technical Education

7. ओमासश्चर्षणीधृतो विश्वे देवास आ गत । दाश्वांसो दाशुष: सुतम् ।। RV1.3.7

Our education should inculcate in our progeny the fearless temperament respecting laws of Nature to provide full protection on physical and mental level to us by good health and virtuous thoughts for the sustainability of individual and society.

हमारी संतान की बुद्धि में सत्य शिक्षा के उपदेशों द्वारा वे सब देवताओं के गुण स्थापित होने चाहिएं जिस से शरीर और मन की मलिनता दूर हो कर निर्भय, विद्वत और दानवान आचरण स्थापित हो.

शिक्षकों का दायित्व Role of Teachers

8.विश्वे देवासो अप्तुर: सुतमा गन्त तूर्णय: । उस्रा इव स्वसराणि ।। RV1.3.8

(सुतम्‌) To provide enlightenment (विश्वे देवास🙂 all the world’s teachers (आगंत)should visit daily (अप्तुर: तूर्णय:) for speedy teaching (उस्रा इव) like sun’s rays (स्वसराणि) that bring day light.

जिस प्रकार सूर्य प्रकाश से अंधकार को दूर करता है , उसी प्रकार सब गुरुजनों को शीघ्र ज्ञान के प्रकाश का दान को देने के लिए आना चाहिए

शिक्षा का परिणाम Results of Education

9.विश्वे देवासो अस्रिध एहिमायासो अद्रुह: । मेधं जुषन्त वह्नय: ।। RV1.3.9

(अस्रिध:) Confident of their knowledge (एहिमायास:) knowledge based action oriented community (विश्वे देवास🙂 all knowledgeable persons (मेधम्‌) by implementing your knowledge based skills (अद्रुह:) without causing destruction (to environment and society) (वह्नय:) bring welfare to all.

अपनी कर्म प्रधान शिल्प शिक्षा में दृढ़ आत्मविश्वास द्वारा सब ज्ञानवान वीर जनों बिना पर्यावरण और समाज को क्षति पहुंचाए ,अपने शिल्प के ज्ञान से संसार में सुख साधन उत्पन्न करो.

उत्तम ज्ञानाधारित वाणि का महत्व

Good articulate communication

10.पावका न: सरस्वती वाजेभिर्वाजिनिवती । यज्ञं वष्टु धियावसु: ।।RV 1.3.10

(सरस्वती)Knowledge enabled articulation is (Here importance of keeping one’s knowledge up to date should also be seen.) (न:) for us ( पावका वाजेभिर्वाजिनिवती) provider of unsullied meritorious virtuous means of habitat and strength.(धियावसु: )Provide the society thus with excellent (ecologically sustainable) habitat (यज्ञं वष्टु) by implementation of smart projects.

उत्तम ज्ञान आधारित वाणि, पवित्र योजनाओं को कार्यान्वित करने की क्षमता प्रदान करती है. ( यहां अपने ज्ञान को इस स्वाध्याय द्वारा उन्नत करने का भी महत्व देखा जाता है ) इस प्रकार समाज के कल्याण के सुख साधन पर्यावरण को दूषित किए बिना उपलब्ध करो.

मिथ्याचरण का त्याग Take Ethical Stand

11.चोदयित्री सूनृतानां चेतन्ती सुमतीनाम् | यज्ञं दधे सरस्वती ।। RV1.3.11

(चोदयित्री चेतन्ती सरस्वती) Have the ability to perceive, stand up and speak the truth (सूनृतानां सुमतीनाम्) by rejecting wrong ideas and following wise path (यज्ञं दधे)in implementation of the projects.

मिथ्याचरण का त्याग और सुमति को व्यक्त करने की अपनी वाणि मे क्षमता द्वारा पथ भ्रष्ट योजनाओं के स्थान पर कल्याण कारी योजनाएं कार्यान्वित करो .

उत्तम वाणि शासन का मूलमंत्र

Secret of success- Excellent Articulation

12.महो अर्ण: सरस्वती प्र चेतयति केतुना । यो विश्वा वि राजति ।। RV1.3.12

(महो अर्ण: सरस्वती प्र चेतयति केतुना ) One who has at his command the ocean of knowledge reflected in his speech, ( यो विश्वा वि राजति) he rules the world.

जिस की (सरस्वती) वाणि (केतुना) शुभ कर्म , श्रेष्ठ बुद्धि से (मह:) अगाध (अर्ण:) शब्दरूपी समुद्र को (प्रचेतसी) जानने वाली है, ( यो विश्वा वि राजति) वही शासनाध्यक्ष होता है

English, Great Aryas, Social Reform

It was not Mahatma Gandhi who started the struggle for India’s independence

June 4, 2014 Rishwa Arya Leave a comment

Author : Dr. Vibhu

The accuracy of the history of India as, contained in modern-day records, has been much criticised over the decades since India freed itself from British colonisation. The ‘official’ version, as accepted both in India and abroad, needs re-evaluation; as is always the case in dealing with the question ‘what is the truth?’ considerable intellectual integrity will be required to chart a course through this controversy.

To begin with, it must be remembered that India has – in truth – secured independence twice over, not once. The first victory was that of gaining freedom from Islamic rule by the Mughal dynasty; the contribution of the Sikhs in Punjab deserves to be singled out as being key in this success. Guru Gobind Singh must be hailed for the greatness of his leadership, and India should be eternally grateful to the Sikh Gurus and their people for conducting that struggle.

Whenever India’s Independence is celebrated, tribute must be paid to Maharishi Svami Dayanand for being the true pioneer of this struggle. Sadly, outside of the circles of the Arya Samaj movement, India seems to be guilty of overlooking this fact. The role of the Arya Samaj in the latter part of the 19th century in beginning the fight against British rule was profound. This article focuses on one example of its work; the effect of a book written by Dayanand in 1875.

The Arya-abhivinaya is a collection of 108 mantras from the Vedas that Svami Dayanand translated into Hindi. As a book, it is most notable for the inspirational style of the commentary that the author uses to explain each mantra in detail; which is why it galvanised many of India’s revolutionaries over coming generations. These patriots used it as a source of solace to drive them on the selfless path of service to the motherland. Two stories illustrate this well.

Firstly is the fact that Ram-Prasaad Bismil, that great young crusader for the freedom of India, used to read Arya-abhivinaya every day. The publisher’s note in the book’s English translation written by Satyananda Shastri in 1971 describes the inspiration Bismil gained from one of the mantras covered by Svami Dayanand in his book: This is why he was dauntless even in the face of death: Listen to the immortal roaring of this lion-hearted indomitable young martyr. He sang the following memorable stanza, even at the altar of death (just before he was hanged for treason):

Maalik terii razaa rahe aur tuu hii tuu rahe. Baaqii naa main rahuun na merii aarzuu rahe. [O Almighty God, you are eternally unchanging. May only, in this world, your will prevail and of none else. I am mortal; I surrender to You. I do not wish to survive any more nor do I wish any of my desires to outlive me.]

The second example is a case prosecuted for sedition, by the British authorities against members of the Arya Samaj in the district of Patiala, Punjab in 1907. Incredibly, the evidence submitted by the prosecution was a collection of patriotic quotations from the Arya-abhivinaya. It was alleged that the Arya Samaj was a seditious society, and that it wanted to overthrow the British Government in India because its members prayed the following prayer daily:

….O Supreme God, You are the greatest ruler among all worldly rulers. Kindly instil us with appropriate courage, fortitude, morality, courtesy, prowess, physical strength and mental stamina and many other such virtues, so that, we may remain independent and enjoy sovereign imperial sway. May no foreigner come to our country to rule over us, and may we never lose political independence and be enslaved by foreigners!….

Of course, this commentary is none other than Dayanand’s elucidation of mantra 38.14 of Yajur Veda. So, it can be seen that by 1875, well over half a century before Gandhi’s movement peaked, Svami Dayanand had already made his clarion call to North India to begin to resist British rule.

Dayanand’s great legacy is highlighted by the sentences that follow further on in the same paragraph explaining this mantra: ….Also, kindly bless us with independence in our own national affairs and freedom to visit other countries at will. May we able to manage our political and administrative affairs ourselves! May there be excellent men and women to do the needful in this regard, so that, our nation may never suffer for want of anything we need. O Master of all, please provide for our political bodies statesmen equipped with perfect learning and other requisite qualities. May our warriors and administrators, endowed with resourcefulness and foresight, excel in valour and other virtues….

Could any words ring any more true? Even today, with the malign influence of western corporations, this timeless masterpiece of wisdom surely must resonate – not only for the India of today but for political administrations of all nations of the world – for all time.

It must be asked why Dayanand has been ‘written out’ of the text-books of history that survive in India from the time of the British Raj. The answer simply is that a key plank of Britain’s strategy, for maintaining its grip on India in the very long term, was to try and make Christianity the national religion of India. For this to succeed, Dayanand’s aim of uniting all the people of India under one God (and thus one faith, the Vedic Dharma) by inspiring them to (re)turn to the Vedas would have to be thwarted. The British Government even went to the lengths of commissioning a German Christian scholar of Sanksrit – Prof. Max Muller – to write a translation of the Vedas that opposed Dayanand’s interpretation; much of Muller’s work clearly makes the judgement that Christian thought is of a superior quality to that of India’s.

A startling example of evidence of such prejudice is contained in a book by T. Williams titled Exposure of Dayanand Sarasvati and his followers (Both as to their Deliberate Falsification of the Rigveda and their immorality) published in 1889 in Delhi. Dayanand’s translation of the mantra RigVeda 10:10:10 is that the word yama denotes husband and yami denotes wife. Williams, however, is scathingly critical of this. He objects: ‘I have then shown that the speakers throughout this dialogue, are twins, a brother and a sister. The sister Yami desires ardently that her brother Yama should sexually lie with her….’

Such was the type of abuse, then, that his British detractors were directing at Dayanand a few years after his death, a measure of how intimidated the British authorities were by the Arya Samaj movement well before Gandhi arrived on the scene. This leaves us with this question. Can the history books – written by the British, and left as a legacy to India, and which are being used to teach history to Indian children to this day – be trusted? Even more heart-breaking is that this version of history is the only officially accepted one in India today.

Perhaps Gujarat’s recent decision to celebrate the memory of the great Sardar Vallabhai Patel will be the catalyst for India to likewise go on and place on its highest pedestal, its greatest son of recent millennia, Dayanand Saraswati.

English, Social Reform

Caste system and Vedas

May 21, 2014 Rishwa Arya Leave a comment

Caste system and Vedas

Author : By Subodh Kumar

Caste system is the biggest curse of our society. General impression that caste is sanctioned by Vedas is based on wrong interpretation of Vedas. The following Sookt from Rig Ved is submitted in support of this.
Varn Vyawasthaa
RV9.112
There is no sanction in Vedas of castes by birth system
वर्ण – ब्राह्मण, क्षत्री,वैश्य,शूद्र जाति यानी जन्म से नहीं होते
Nurturing of Talents
शिशुराङ्गिरस: । पवमान: सोम: ।
ध्रुव पंक्ति: ।इन्द्रायेन्दो परि स्रव
Refrain line is: Natural Talents may flower;
प्राकृतिक प्रतिभाओं का विकास हो.

Different temperaments;

नानानं वा उ नो धियो वि व्रतानि जनानाम् ।
तक्षा रिष्टं रुतं भिषग् ब्रह्मा सुन्वन्तमिच्छतीन्द्रायेन्दो परि स्रव ।। 9.112.1
Humans manifest different traits.
1. Work with Physical Objects; One has an inclination to be skilled with physical objects and techniques.
2. Work with living Objects; One wants to become a healer, a doctor to bring comfort by cure to others.
3. Work on Minds; One wants to be a learned person interested in bringing bounties of wisdom to others.
The motivating force in humans manifests in various forms, and needs to be nurtured accordingly. Natural Talents may flower

मनुष्य भिन्न भिन्न प्रकृति के हैं. कोई शिल्पकार – वस्तुओं के स्वरूप को सुधारने वाला बनना चाहता है; तो कोई वैद्य- भिषक बन कर प्राणियों के स्वास्थ्य मे सुधार लाना चाहता है; तो अन्य ज्ञान का विस्तार कर के समाज में दिव्यता की उपलब्धियों के लिए शिक्षा यज्ञादि अनुष्ठान कराना चाहता है.
इन सब प्रकार की वृत्तियों के विकास के अवसर उपलब्ध कराने चाहिएं. प्राकृतिक प्रतिभाओं का विकास हो.
Set up Different Avenues of Education

जरतीभिरोषधीभि: पर्णेभि: शकुनानाम् ।
कार्मारो अश्मभिर्द्युभिर्हिरण्यवन्तमिच्छतीन्द्रायेन्दो परि स्रव ।। 9.112.2
1. Different herbs, products from other living beings like feathers of a bird and such materials have medicinal properties; Set up avenues to study and teach about them.
2. Technologies can provide opportunities to generate wealth by intelligent working with minerals etc.; set up institutions for nurturing these talents.

1. भिन्न भिन्न जड़ी बूटियों, भिन्न भिन्न प्राणियों के अवयवों से अनेक ओषधियां प्राप्त होती हैं. इन के प्रशिक्षण अनुसंधान के साधन उत्पन्न करो.
2. खनिज पदार्थों इत्यादि से ज्ञान कौशल द्वारा धनोपार्जन सम्भव होता है. इन विषयों पर प्रशिक्षण अनुसंधान के साधन उपलब्ध कराओ.

Different Vocations

कारुरहं ततो भिषगुपलप्रक्षिणी नना ।
नानाधियोवसूयवोऽनु गा इव तस्थिमन्द्रायेन्दो परि स्रव ।। 9.112.3
I am a musician, my family (father& Son) are medical practioners healing diseases, my mother grinds corn to make our food. We all perform our duties to make our contribution to sustain the society, like a cow sustains us all.
मैं संगीतज्ञ हूं, मेरे पिता वैद्य हैं, मेरी माता अनाज को पीसती है. हम सब इस समाज के पोषण में एक गौ की भांति अपना अपनाअपना योगदान करते हैं.
Different predilections- भिन्न भिन्न रुचि

अश्वो वोळहा सुखं रथं हसनामुपमन्त्रिण: ।
शेपो रोमण्वन्तौ भेदौ वारिन्मण्डूक इच्छतीन्द्रायेन्दो परि स्रव ।। 9.112.4
A routine worker like a horse drawing a laden cart with good
master is contended. Another person wants to spend time among friends making merry. Yet another one has high libido and seeks female company. But natural talents must be developed to find opportunities for community development.
साधारण व्यक्ति एक घोड़े की भान्ति एक संवेदनशील स्वामी की सेवा में अपना भार वहन करने में सन्तुष्ट है. अन्य व्यक्ति मित्र मंडलि में बैठ कर हंसी मज़ाक में सुख पाता है. अन्य व्यक्ति अधिक कामुक है और स्त्री सुख की अधिक इच्छा करता है.
भिन्न भिन्न व्यक्तियों की भिन्न भिन्न वृत्तियां होती हैं. परंतु समाज में अपना दायित्व निभाने के लिए सब की प्रतिभाओं का विकास करना चाहिए.

English, Social Reform

Hatred for Hindus

May 9, 2014 rdhoot Leave a comment

Source: See more at: http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/hatred-for-hindus/#sthash.bP8mAB3V.dpuf ( Pakistan Independant weekly newspaper )

There are over 35,000 Hindus living in Larkana, making up around nine percent of the city’s population. And so when the ever-ready Muslim mob conjured the blasphemy card, in turn torching a temple and a dharamshala in the city on March 16, the religious tension in the city was as palpable as it gets. The reverberations of said tension were felt in Osta Muhammad and Dera Murad Jamali as well, as the Pakistani Muslim’s ancestral animosity towards Hindus, coupled with a baseless allegation of Holy Quran’s desecration, spilt bigotry all over the country.

It is very important for Pakistani Muslims (97 percent of the population) to differentiate themselves from Hindus. After all it’s precisely this difference that became our state’s raison d’etre in 1947. And differentiating is the first step en route to the development of hatred that eventually inflates into bigotry.

For the average Pakistani Muslim this bigotry wards off the increasingly looming identity crisis, and reaffirms the illusions of historical and religious grandeur.

Mehmood Ghaznavi was Shia-phobic

The destruction of the Somnath Temple in 1,025 AD by Mahmud Ghaznavi is one of the “proudest” moments in the “history of Pakistan” that ostensibly began when the first Muslim (Muhammad bin Qasim) entered the region in the 8th century. During his endeavour to destroy the temple, Ghaznavi also butchered 50,000 Hindus – about the same number of people that the Pakistani Taliban have obliterated in over a decade with significantly deadlier arsenal. Such is the status of destroying a Hindu temple in defining the ideology of Pakistan that the fact that Ghaznavi invaded Multan in 1,005 AD to ruthlessly massacre Ismaili Shias is conveniently forgotten.

Ghaznavi was Shia-phobic, a murderer and plunderer; however, his massacre of Hindus and destruction of temples elevates his status to a ‘national’ hero even though he had died 900 years before the idea of this nation was conceived. It goes without saying that had Ghaznavi been alive he would have been very proud of the mob that destroyed the Hindu temple in Larkana.

An excerpt from Tipu Sultan’s – another hero and role model for Pakistanis – letter to Bekal’s governor, Budruz Zuman Khan in 1790 tells us more about him than the thousands of Hindu massacres that he orchestrated and the multiple coerced conversions that he oversaw;

“Don’t you know I have achieved a great victory recently in Malabar and over four lakh Hindus were converted to Islam? I am determined to march against that cursed Raman Nair (Rajah of Travancore) very soon. Since I am overjoyed at the prospect of converting him and his subjects to Islam, I have happily abandoned the idea of going back to Srirangapatanam now.”

From Ziauddin Barani’s Fatwa-i-Jahandari calling for “an all-out struggle against Hinduism” under Muhammad bin Tughlaq to Muhammad Ali Jinnah dubbing Pakistan’s establishment “essential to prevent Hindu imperialism spreading into the Middle East” in the lead up to August 1947, Muslim rulers and leaders in the Indian subcontinent often established antagonism against the Hindus as an integral part of their governance and policy making.

The bile against Hinduism that Pakistani school curricula spew has been well documented and condemned by liberal quarters. “The foundation of Hindu set-up was based on injustice and cruelty” (Grade 6, Social Studies Book); this is one of the many gems from the books that our children are taught to further proliferate xenophobia inside their already jingoistic heads. However, the significance of hating Hindus for Pakistanis is a lot more than just biased historical narratives or pumping up bigotry under the garb of patriotism.

It is not being implied that Hindus do not – or have never – reciprocated these sentiments

It is very important to realise here that it’s not being implied that Hindus do not – or have never – reciprocated these sentiments. The stereotypical Hindu of ‘secular’ India manifests similar communal antagonism. And the nation might very well be on the verge of electing a communalist as their next prime minister in the shape of Narendra Modi. However, what needs to be understood and underscored here is that an Indian Hindu manifesting communal bigotry contradicts the ‘idea’ of India, while a Pakistani Muslim by doing so conforms to the ‘idea’ of Pakistan. Opposition to Hindus, and antagonism between Hindus and Muslims, form the founding principle of Pakistan.

Ideally the Islamo-fascist clamours of the 1940s, that became patriotic anthems of the movement for Pakistan, should have no relevance to events in modern day Pakistan. But how can you expect Hindu-Muslim harmony in a state that was created through fanning the embers of Hindu-Muslim disharmony? How can Pakistan expect the Hindus and Muslims inhabiting the country to evolve into one nation, after creating a state that owes itself to the principle that Hindus and Muslims of the Indian subcontinent are two different nations and cannot survive in unison?

The rather popular “Arabisation” of and obsession with our Islamic identity is the direct corollary of the Pakistan movement, since the Muslim inhabitants of this region were told that they had nothing in common with the Hindus of the region. This has obviously resulted in Pakistanis considering their country as a quasi-Arab land.

Refusing to acknowledge the commonalities between Hindus and Muslims of the Indian subcontinent is a part of the legacy of our founding fathers, and the reason why Pakistan was created in the first place. We might castigate the Pakistan Studies curricula all we want, but if anti-Hindu material is taken out of these books, the curriculum designers and the narrators of Pakistan’s version of Indo-Pak history would find it really hard to justify the creation of Pakistan.

Jinnah might have told the Pakistani Hindus on August 11, 1947 that they are “free to go to their temples,” but as long as his separatist movement and the cult of Ghazvani and Tipu Sultan is extolled, the Pakistani Muslims would continue to feel equally “free” to torch these temples.

For Pakistan to achieve religious harmony and existential stability it would inevitably have to question its founding ideology. That’s the paradox staring the country in the face right now.

– See more at: http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/hatred-for-hindus/#sthash.bP8mAB3V.dpuf

Myth Busters, Social Reform, Vedic Religion

Homosexuality is not compatible with the teachings of the Vedas – Dr Vidhu Mayor

April 17, 2014 Rishwa Arya 1 Comment

Homosexuality: the Vedic perspective

Dr Vidhu Mayor

For homosexuality to be critically repudiated from the Vedic perspective it needs to be emphasised as a starting point that Vedic knowledge is of Divine authorship. In other words, the Vedas are revealed to rishis (sages) in the beginning of each cycle of creation for the guidance and benefit of mankind; as such this wisdom is eternal. Texts such us the Yajur Veda and Shatapatha Braahamana state that the Rig veda, Saama veda, Yajur veda and Atharva veda originated from God at the beginning of the creation. That great historical text, the Manu Smriti further names the four rishis (sages) to who each of the four Vedas were revealed respectively; since then this revelation has been preserved in its original pure form and passed on to us via successive human generations.

So, why has God given us the Vedic ‘dharma’? The first humans created would have needed to learn the essentials of everyday life without which their survival would have been impossible. Although, like all other creatures man has been equipped with ‘instinct’, this instinctive knowledge is limited to the basic impulse of preservation of our genes (with its three components of self-defence, self-procreation and self-perpetuation). Without additional enlightenment, man would not have been able to traverse the road to civilisation. Interestingly, it must be noted that the second and third elements of survival (firstly having children and then fiercely protecting them so that they also go on to procreate in order to perpetuate our genes) are predicated entirely on mating with someone of the opposite sex. This must be the key explanation as to why homosexual behaviour is completely absent – other than in humans – from the animal kingdom.

In this context, the concept of dharma needs further explanation. The greatest Indian rishi of recent millennia, Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883) defined dharma as truthfulness in thought, word and action leading humans to practise justice. [That he is worthy of such an immense accolade is, briefly, justified by the unprecedented quality – and humility – of his interpretation and translation of the Vedas; he also had the intellectual capacity to study the works of the great etymologist, Yaska and the renowned grammarians Paanini and Patanjli to do so]. According to Dayanand dharma, ‘in a word is the practice of equitable justice and truthfulness in word, deed and thought – virtues which are in conformity with the will of God as embodied in the Vedas’. If for nothing else, humanity needs these universal dharmic truths to be comprehensible to our children and thus we must be able to differentiate right from wrong in a form that is simple enough for all to see (irrespective of age or level of basic education). In this light, the numerous modern-day ethical dilemnas (such as euthanasia, genetic modification by science to produce new foods and therapies, assisted suicide, abortion and homosexuality etc.) all need to be judged in the court of dharma. That is, they are either right or wrong (but cannot be partly both) when adjudicated by the ‘law’ of God’s word as contained in the Vedas.

It is a fact that we teach our children that certain behaviours such as throwing litter, using bad language or telling lies are unacceptable because they are – quite simply – wrong. For aeons, humankind has evolved legal systems that are founded on differentiating right from wrong; otherwise anarchy would prevail. A variant of such ‘judgmentalism’ is the concept of deviancy to describe acts such as paedophilia, transvestitism, child marriage and polygamy. Why then the nervousness, if not hypocrisy, over judging sexually deviant behaviour as being wrong? The truth is that if we are selective in our application of dharma, humanity causes itself immense trouble. For example, is there any wonder why human societies all over the world are being ravaged by adversities such as divorce and the breakdown of the family when we in the west encourage promiscuity and the premature sexualisation of children (not to mention the most recent sexually transmitted disease ‘plague’ of AIDS)?

Let us now further consider dharma as elucidated by Patanjli, one of the great maharishis of pre-historic India. In writing one of the six classics of Indian philosophy, Yoga sutra (the science of meditational yoga) Patanjali described 5 yamas (our duties to society) and 5 niyamas (one’s duties to oneself). By doing so, he effectively simplified dharma into ten ‘Vedic commandments’. Relevant to homosexuality are the three yamas of brahmcharya, ahimsa and satya as well the niyamas of shaucha, santosha and tapah.

Brahmcharya comprises the two key injunctions of celibacy and education that the Vedic Dharma imposes on human beings from birth till marriage. In simple terms, from the viewpoint of sexuality before marriage, a male should view a female as if she is his mother, sister or daughter, and vice versa. After marriage, the constraint is that sexual intercourse must be for the function of procreation, not hedonistic. Dayanand cited Mantras III,55.16 and I,178.1 of Rig veda to elaborate on this in greater detail. By implication, therefore, the Vedic dharma permits neither homosexual nor heterosexual behaviour purely for the means of seeking the gratification of pleasure (because it is not procreative). Incidentally, the Vedic Sandhyaa contains the lines Om nabhi and later Om janah punaatu nabhyam (God….creator….purify….fertility). Therefore, our daily prayer reminds us (twice a day) that our reproductive organs (nabhiyam) are there to create healthy offspring.

Ahimsa (not to hurt others whether by thoughts, words or deeds) actually takes pride of place as the first yama listed by Patanjli. It helps us to critically evaluate homophobia, a word that merits closer scrutiny. If understood to denote the hatred of and the persecution of homosexuals, then the Vedic ethic of non-violence in word (angry incitement of hatred) and aversion to physical violence incontrovertibly condemns and rejects all types of persecution or discrimination against any minority. It is also worth returning to Sandhyaa – which comprises mantras that are Vedic jewels of such quality that they are intended for humans to contemplate twice a day – to note the line yo asmaan dveshti yam vayam dwishmastam vo jambhe dadhma. This plea to God, to administer justice to those who offend us or those who we offend us – so that we strive to refrain from the self-damaging emotion of hatred, is actually repeated six times in the daily prayer.

However, the word phobia means fear (and not hatred). Thus, the word homophobia is – in the main – currently being mis-used to conflate reasoned criticism of homosexual behaviour with hatred. A critique of its immorality is signally not the ‘homophobic’ incitement to hating or villifying its exponents. However, misusers of the label ‘homophobia’ have, by their vehement opposition to such criticisms, more or less succeeded in thwarting the public airing of such misgivings.

This neatly leads us to now discuss satya (truthfulness – in thought, words and deeds, and indeed a natural proclivity for seeking out true knowledge). We all know how complex it can be to ascertain what is true or not. In theory, it most certainly is not difficult to voice the truth. However, these days political correctness militates against the type of totally frank and honest candour that follows in this paragraph; be warned that it is not reading for the faint-hearted! The satya about the word homosexuality is that it is

actually – in the main – a euphemism for the act of anal sexual intercourse. In days gone by, words such as sodomy and buggery were used to describe this utterly perverted act, irrespective of whether it is homosexual or heterosexual. In fact, the act of male orgasm taking place in the rectum (an organ nature has designed for the storage of faeces) has been ‘sanitised’ by the use of soft words such as ‘gay’, ‘queer’, ‘pink’ or ‘homosexual’ as a code to describe people who indulge in this particular activity. Such sophistry has been necessary to even allow it to be promoted to young schoolchildren that it is as an acceptable alternative lifestyle, and to silence criticism of it being carnal behaviour that from a moral viewpoint is the epitomy of depravity.

That homosexuality breaches the Yogic niyama of shaucha (hygeine – that humans have a duty to keep clean the interior and exterior of their body, as well as cleanliness of the mind and the environment) is self-evident. Proof of its dangers from a health viewpoint is that it is a scientifically accepted fact that in North America, Western Europe and Australia the highest incidence of AIDS occurs in homosexual and bisexual men.

How should we deal with the defence that homosexuality is, allegedly, an inborn urge that cannot be ‘cured’? The response from a Vedic point of view, simply, is that gays must discipline themselves to acquire the yama of celibacy and the niyama of santosha (contentment: to serenely accept one’s financial, psychological and social condition and diligently working to ameliorate it). Is this type of self-control not exactly what we expect from heterosexuals pre-maritally, as well as after marriage in asking that they do not fall prey to the temptation of adultery, and for that matter all other sins? Also necessary to avoid succumbing to base temptation is the yama of tapa (having the strength of character, courage and perseverance for our actions to conform with the dictates of dharma).

The final piece of Vedic thought offered, constructively, is that of the Law of Karma. This holds that the motive for a soul to be virtuous is that sinning is – always and without exception – accorded a proportionate punishment by God that manifests as suffering. The means of salvation of the soul from such pain are the unfailing performance of righteous deeds, the worship of god through the practice of meditational yoga and the acquisition of true knowledge; in short embracing the Vedic dharma as a way of life. Otherwise, souls will not receive the bliss and freedom of emancipation and are instead condemned to the bondage of earthly suffering.

It is appropriate to end, as we started, by quoting the words of Maharishi Dayanand from his classic book ‘Satyarth Prakash – Light of Truth’: ‘The four Vedas…. are the Word of God….They are absolutely free of error, and are an authority in themselves.’ He further likens them to the sun – God being the definitive source of all true knowledge, as the sun is the primary source of light. In conclusion, the greatest indictment of homosexuality must be the fact that this scripture, that contains the richness of over 20,000 mantras, not once mentions the act of homosexuality (or for that matter divorce), – not even proscriptively.

English, Social Reform

Alcohol Fest or New Year’s Celebration

April 14, 2014 Rishwa Arya Leave a comment

Alcohol Fest or New Year’s Celebration

Paropkari Feb- 1, 2014

Author : Dr Dharmveer

An interesting piece of news on doordarshan piqued my interest. It said that this New Year’s eve the alcohol consumption in the cities of Delhi and Mumbai was worth Rs. 270 crores. Based on this it is safe to assume that on one single night of 31st December thousands of crores of Rupees were spent entirely on consumption of alcohol. Who says that India is a poor country? According to the estimates of various newspapers the approximate expenditure on alcohol is bound to increase from 50700 crore Rupees in 2011 to 1140 thousand crore Rupees. This means that the sale of alcohol is increasing at the rate of 30 %

There are three kinds of alcohol sold in India: the locally produced, the foreign brands producing liquor in India and lastly the imported ones. The average consumption of these varieties is 48%, 49% and 3% respectively. Out of the total amount of alcohol consumed in India, the four southern states account for 49 %, Northern India contributes to about 12%, Western India about 30% and Eastern India consumes about 9%

When India achieved Independence, we envisioned to have a liquor free nation. Once MahadeviVarma had commented that there could notbe a greater irony than the fact that the Alcohol Prohibition Department of the Government of India being run by the money obtained from the sale of Alcohol in India. Mahatma Gandhi was trying to reduce alcohol consumption, while his own Government is making a mockery of the same by encouraging the alcohol consumption in the country. The most favored argument given by those who drink is, India always had a tradition of consuming liquorand it was called the

SOMRAS. Even Rishis used to drink it and it was even offered in the HAVAN. Drinking and offering of Somras has been a tradition in India since times immemorial. Though this argument has been refuted time and again, it suffices to say that SOMRAS was used to improve/enhance the power of mind whereas alcohol causes a complete loss of senses. Hence, it is foolish to compare Somras with alcohol. In Indian/vedic culture, the consumption of alcohol has been considered a sin and a crime. Therefore equating somras as alcohol is a flawed argument.

When we talk about culture, it means collection of thoughts and behaviors of our previous generations which benefitted individuals and society as a whole. Today drinking alcohol has become a status symbol. Liquor is a lucrative industry. Whena businessman tries to expand his business; advertisement is the easiest way to do that. Though alcohol advertisements are banned in India they keep appearing through proxies. The parties in the glamour world and cinema are advertisements of liquor. Today, the liquor companies are specifically targeting the youth. An individual who does not consume alcohol starts doing so in college hostels and universities. He is taught that drinking alcohol is a symbol of progress and modernism and those who do not drink are considered regressive and backward.Alcohol consumption is not only restricted toboys but is also widespread among girls in big cities and metros. The adverse effects of these trends are slowly becoming visible in our society. Those who oppose the ban on drinking often argue that drinking alcohol is a matter of personal choice/freedom, and its prohibition as a violation of their personal right or freedom. What they fail to understand is that there is a defining limit to personal freedom. If personal freedom is detrimental to oneself then this personal freedom cannot be acceptable to the society as a whole. By drinking alcohol, not only does one destroy their own health, wealth, potential and strength but also harm their family and society. The people who consume alcohol mainly fall in one of these

Mother’s Role in bringing up progeny RV10.153

April 14, 2014 Rishwa Arya 1 Comment

Mother’s Role in bringing up progeny RV10.153 Child Training by Mother

ऋषि: देवजामयो देवमातरो=देवताओं को जन्म देने वाली जिन की सन्तान में इन्द्र के गुण होते हैं ऐसी माताएं । देवता: इन्द्रो । गायत्री ।

1.ईङ्खयन्तीरपस्युव इन्द्रं जातमुपासते । भेजानस: सुवीर्यम् ।। 10.153.1
आस्तिक विश्वास रखने वाली माताएं क्रियाशील स्वयं सुव्यवस्थित संयमी जीवनशैलि द्वारा ही संतान को संयमी जितेंद्रिय बना पाती हैं.

Mother having faith –positive thinking, proactive living an orderly life only are able to imbibe the right attitudes in the infant child.

2.त्वमिन्द्र बलादधि सहसो जात ओजस: । त्वं वृषन् वृषेदसि ।। 10.153.2
ऐसी माता बालक को जीवन में जितेंद्रिय हो कर बल से, ओज से, उत्साह से शक्ति सम्पन्न बनाती हैं.

Mother instills the attitudes of self confidence, self reliance and action oriented life in the child .

3.त्वमिन्द्रासि वृत्रहा व्य1न्तरिक्षमतिर: । उद् द्यामस्तभ्ना ओजसा ।। 10.153.3
जिस प्रकार आकाश में मेघ को छिन्न भिन्न करके पृथ्वी पर उत्तम जीवन स्थापित होता है उसी प्रकार माता ही बालक के मस्तिष्क को संसार में विघ्नकारी शक्तियों का विध्वंस करके उत्कृष्ट ज्ञान सम्पन्न बना कर समाज में सुख शांति स्थापित करने का व्यक्तित्व स्थापित करती है.

Mother instils the confidence to never accept defeat and develop a mind to take the wider view of in life. Defeat all negative forces to bring welfare and health for society by taking lesson from the elements how the clouds in the sky are smashed to provide life and health on earth.

4.त्वमिन्द्र सजोषसमर्कं बिभर्षि बाह्वो: । वज्रं शिशान ओजसा ।।RV 10.153.4
माता ही संतान में शारीरिक शक्ति , स्वास्थ्य और मानसिक आत्मबल की नींव डालती है.

Mother has to cultivate in the child Physical strength to provide him with an aura of strong proactive and sharp personality.

5.त्वमिन्द्राभिभूरसि विश्वा जातान्योजसा । स विश्वा भुव आभव: ।।RV10.153.5
अपने ओज से समस्त शत्रुओं को पराभूत करता है.

He grows to achieve an incandescent aura overcome all the negative forces by his efforts , on earth and space.

English, Social Reform

Vedic Agenda for good governance

April 13, 2014 Rishwa Arya Leave a comment

Vedic Agenda for Good Governance
Subodh1934@gmail.com

(प्रो. विश्वनाथ विद्यालंकार अथर्ववेद भाष्य आधारित)

1. Mass Communication, housing and security of life.

1.आ नूनमश्विना युवं वत्सस्य गन्तमवसे |
प्रास्मै यच्छतमवृकं पृथु च्छर्दिर्युयुतं या अरातयः || ऋ8.9.1 अथर्व 20.139.1

हे नगराधिपति तथा सेनपति तुम दोनो राष्ट्र में बसे प्रजाजनों की रक्षा के लिए अवश्य प्रजाजनों में आया जाया करो.इस प्रजाजन के लिये निवास योग्य गृहों की व्यवस्था करो,जो गृह बड़े बड़े हों, चोर डाकू आक्रमण न कर सकें. और जो राष्ट्र के शत्रु हैं, उन्हें राष्ट्र से दूर कर दो.

Keep in close contact with public, ensure adequate and secure housing for every person, and provide protection from destructive elements.

2. Environmental Sustainability

2.यदन्तरिक्षे यद दिवि यत पञ्च मानुषाँ अनु |
नृम्णं तद धत्तमश्विना || ऋ8.9.2 अथर्व 20.139.2

जो आकाशीय शुद्ध वायु और वर्षा जल; जो द्युलोकीय सौर ऊर्जा और प्रकाश,और जो पृथ्वी पर फैली (वनस्पति- जीवजन्तु) सम्पत्ति है उस को हमारे राष्ट्र में स्थापित करो.

Protect the clean air , develop rain water conservation, Maximize utilization of Solar energy, protect soil, green cover and biodiversity.

3. Enhance Public wisdom

3.ये वां दंसांस्यश्विना विप्रासः परिमामृशु: |
एवेत काण्वस्य बोधतम्‌ || ऋ8.9.3 अथर्व 20.139.3

जो मेधावी मंत्री गण/ बुद्धिजीवी परामर्शदाता राज्ञ कर्तव्य कर्मों के बारे में परामर्श देते रहते हैं उन को प्रजाजनों को अवगत करा कर शासन करो.

Follow the advice of intellectual think tanks, share these strategies with public and act accordingly in governance.

4. Gross National Happiness-Intellect driven governance.

4.अयं वां घर्मो अश्विना स्तोमेन परि षिच्यते |
अयं सोमो मधुमान वाजिनीवसू येन वृत्रं चिकेतथः ||ऋ8.9.4 अथर्व 20.139.4

सदुपदेशामृत द्वारा राष्ट्र यज्ञ मेधावियों से सींचा जाता है.जिस से अन्न, बल, सम्पत्ति देने वाली पृथ्वी मधुर रस,जल, दूध द्वारा दुर्भिक्ष जैसे ओग से राष्ट्र की रक्षा करते हैं.

By energetically pursuing wise policies, nature gifts with health and life positive nutrition disease preventing harmony, water, food and milk to ward off miseries of deprivation.

5. Commercial Growth

5.यदप्सु यद वनस्पतौ यदोषधीषु पुरुदंससा कृतम |
तेन माविष्टमश्विना || ऋ8.9.5 अथर्व 20.139.5

Give impetus to commerce by Technologies involving water ways, irrigation, shipping etc. Agri. -Horticultural production, post harvesting, and medicinal preparations.

नानाविध जलोंसे सम्बंधित कृतियां- सिंचायी, नौका, जहाज़ों , वनस्पति, फलों के उत्पादन और संग्रह , नाना विध औषधियों के निर्माण को राष्ट्र में स्थापित करो

English, Social Reform

Social progress as per Vedas

April 13, 2014 Rishwa Arya Leave a comment

जीवन में उन्नति का मार्गदर्शन RV8.86 Social progress
(Subodh1934@gmail.com)

ऋषि:-कृष्ण आङ्गिरस:- इति: कृष्ण:= जिस ने षडरिपुओं- काम, क्रोध,लोभ,मोह, मद, मत्सर, पर विजय पाली वही
कृष्ण है. वही आंगिरस- अंग अंग से शक्ति सम्पन्न है. विश्वको वा कार्ष्णि: । कृष्ण शत्रुओं को उखाड़ने वाला है. कृष्ण की संतान कार्ष्णि है अर्थात शत्रुओं( षडरिपुओं का) अत्यन्त कर्षक-नष्ट करने वाला. विश्वक -अर्थात विश्व का हितैषी विशाल हृदय वाला

अश्विनौ । जगती ।
ध्रुव पंक्ति – ता वां विश्वको हवते तनूकृथे मा नो वि यौष्टं सख्या मुमोचतम् = विश्व के सब प्राणी अपने भौतिक सुख और सुरक्षा की आकांक्षा रखते हैं ,इस लिए हम प्राणी मात्र से सखा भाव से कभी पृथक न हों. ( हम सब के दु:ख को अनुभव करें और सुख की वृद्धि में सहायक हों )
Refrain line-Entire creation is endowed with spirit for self preservation. Develop positive friendly attitudes as your habit in life to ensure all-round happiness.

Education and Skill Development

1.उभा हि दस्रा भिषजा मयोभुवोभा दक्षस्य वचसो बभूवथु: ।
ता वां विश्वको हवते तनूकृथे मा नो वि यौष्टं सख्या मुमोचतम् ।। RV8.86.1
Friendly manners and spreading the empowerment of life skills for smart actions are like two medicines that cure the hardships in life to make living a happy experience. Entire creation is endowed with spirit for self preservation. Develop positive friendly attitudes as your habit in life to ensure all-round happiness.
सब से प्रेम भाव रख कर सब को जीवन यापन में कला कौशल की निपुणता शिक्षा – ज्ञान से समर्थ बनाना दो ऐसी ओषधि हैं जो समाज को सुखमय बनाते हैं. विश्व के सब प्राणी अपने भौतिक सुख और सुरक्षा की आकांक्षा रखते हैं ,इस लिए हम प्राणी मात्र से सखा भाव से कभी पृथक न हों. ( हम सब के दु:ख को अनुभव करें और सुख की वृद्धि में सहायक हों )
Skill Knowledge Enhancement

2.कथा नूना वां विमना उप स्तवद्युवं धियं ददथुर्वस्यइष्टये ।
ता वां विश्वको हवते तनूकृथे मा नो वि यौष्टं सख्या मुमोचतम् ।। RV 8.86.2
An uneducated/ uncultured , unskilled ignorant person cannot appreciate that only the twins of cooperation and livelihood skills provide means to fulfil all his sustainable needs / aspirations for a comfortable lifestyle . Entire creation is endowed with spirit for self preservation. Develop positive friendly attitudes as your habit in life to ensure all-round happiness.
जीवन में सुख सुविधाओं को प्राप्त करने के लिए उत्तम बुद्धि और कार्यकुशलता के साधन के महत्व को अज्ञानी मूढ़ मति नहीं जानता. विश्व के सब प्राणी अपने भौतिक सुख और सुरक्षा की आकांक्षा रखते हैं ,इस लिए हम प्राणी मात्र से सखा भाव से कभी पृथक न हों. ( हम सब के दु:ख को अनुभव करें और सुख की वृद्धि में सहायक हों )

Sharing with all
3.युवं हि ष्मा पुरुभुजेममेधतुं विष्णाप्वे ददथुर्वस्य इष्टये ।
ता वां विश्वको हवते तनूकृथे मा नो वि यौष्टं सख्या मुमोचतम् ।।RV 8.86.3
For welfare of community, to spread happiness in life, you have been blessed to nurture wisdom and as your responsibility towards and for development of community to share your wisdom and means with all. Entire creation is endowed with spirit for self preservation. Develop positive friendly attitudes as your habit in life to ensure all-round happiness.
जीवन में समृद्धि और सुख के जो साधन और सामर्थ्य प्राप्त होते हैं वे विश्व यज्ञ के निमित्त हैं ( अपने सुख साधनों शक्ति का निस्वार्थ समर्पण करो ) विश्व के सब प्राणी अपने भौतिक सुख और सुरक्षा की आकांक्षा रखते हैं, इस लिए हम प्राणी मात्र से सखा भाव से कभी पृथक न हों. ( हम सब के दु:ख को अनुभव करें और सुख की वृद्धि में सहायक हों )

NGO Work
4.उत त्यं वीरं धनसां ऋजीषिणं दूरे चित् सन्तं अवसे हवामहे ।
यस्य स्वादिष्ठा सुमति: पितुर्यथा मा नो वि यौष्टं सख्या मुमोचतम् ।। RV8.86.4
Noble successful entrepreneurs should dedicate themselves to public welfare activities on large scales. Entire creation is endowed with spirit for self preservation. Develop positive friendly attitudes as your habit in life to ensure all-round happiness.

सन्त वृत्ति के समृद्ध धनवान पराक्रमी जन दूर दूर तक उत्तम ज्ञान और समाज सुधार के प्रसार में योगदान करें .
विश्व के सब प्राणी अपने भौतिक सुख और सुरक्षा की आकांक्षा रखते हैं, इस लिए हम प्राणी मात्र से सखा भाव से कभी पृथक न हों. ( हम सब के दु:ख को अनुभव करें और सुख की वृद्धि में सहायक हों )

Truth & Transparency – सत्य और पारदृश्यता
5.ऋतेन देव: सविता शमायत ऋतस्य शृंगमुर्विया वि पप्रथे ।
ऋतं सासाह महि चित् पृतन्यतो मा नो वि युष्टं सख्या मुमोचतम् ।। RV8.86.5
सत्य ज्ञान से ,अज्ञान के अंधकार को सूर्य की तरह नष्ट करने से ही सब ओर सुख शांति स्थापित होती है . सत्य ( पारदर्शिता ) ही बड़े बड़े शत्रुओं को पराजित करती है.
इस लिए हम प्राणी मात्र से सखा भाव से कभी पृथक न हों. ( हम सब के दु:ख को अनुभव करें और सुख की वृद्धि में सहायक हों )
Truth and knowledge destroy darkness of ignorance and transparency defeats the strongest enemies.
Entire creation is endowed with spirit for self preservation. Develop positive friendly attitudes as your habit in life to ensure all-round happiness.

Mother’s Role in bringing up progeny RV10.153 Child Training by Mother

Mother having faith –positive thinking, proactive living an orderly life only are able to imbibe the right attitudes in the infant child.

Mother instills the attitudes of self confidence, self reliance and action oriented life in the child .

Mother instils the confidence to never accept defeat and develop a mind to take the wider view of in life. Defeat all negative forces to bring welfare and health for society by taking lesson from the elements how the clouds in the sky are smashed to provide life and health on earth.

Mother has to cultivate in the child Physical strength to provide him with an aura of strong proactive and sharp personality.

5.त्वमिन्द्राभिभूरसि विश्वा जातान्योजसा । स विश्वा भुव आभव: ।।RV10.153.5 अपने ओज से समस्त शत्रुओं को पराभूत करता है.

He grows to achieve an incandescent aura overcome all the negative forces by his efforts , on earth and space.

Vedic Agenda for Good Governance Subodh1934@gmail.com

(प्रो. विश्वनाथ विद्यालंकार अथर्ववेद भाष्य आधारित)

1. Mass Communication, housing and security of life.

1.आ नूनमश्विना युवं वत्सस्य गन्तमवसे | प्रास्मै यच्छतमवृकं पृथु च्छर्दिर्युयुतं या अरातयः || ऋ8.9.1 अथर्व 20.139.1

Keep in close contact with public, ensure adequate and secure housing for every person, and provide protection from destructive elements.

आर्य मंतव्य (कृण्वन्तो विश्वम आर्यम)

5.त्वमिन्द्राभिभूरसि विश्वा जातान्योजसा । स विश्वा भुव आभव: ।।RV10.153.5
अपने ओज से समस्त शत्रुओं को पराभूत करता है.

Vedic Agenda for Good Governance
Subodh1934@gmail.com

1.आ नूनमश्विना युवं वत्सस्य गन्तमवसे |
प्रास्मै यच्छतमवृकं पृथु च्छर्दिर्युयुतं या अरातयः || ऋ8.9.1 अथर्व 20.139.1