Upanayanam: To do or not?

This post is by request, an attempt to answer multiple questions I was asked on the Upanayanam उपनयनम् ceremony.

Questions opposing Upanayanam:
- The sacred thread is an act of Brahminical patriarchy. Why should only Brahmin men wear it but not others? We should strive to destroy Brahminism & the oppressive caste system that the Brahmins have imposed on us for 1000s of years. This casteist ceremony should simply stop. People should cast away the thread.
- Why should we spend so much money in this ceremony? The priests nowadays charge so much! I don't do any Sandhyavandhanam. Neither did my parents or grandparents. What's the point? Let's simply not do it.
- Why should I wear this thread? I don't want to look strange in front of my friends in the locker room wearing it. Even if you force me to wear it in the function, I'll remove it the very next day. Why do you even want to spend money & make this effort?
- A Upanayanam event was conducted in 5-star hotel. It had alcoholic drinks & meat being served. The officiating priest got offended, & though he was offered additional money, he refused to conduct the event & left in a huff. The priest had brought an assistant who accepted the offer & conducted it. This is fundamentally just a social event, right? What's wrong with some drinks & meat? It is my choice of diet for a party. Why was the priest so uptight?


Positive Stories:
- A strange case that just happened. A young boy's family simply weren't interested in doing the ceremony. The father & grandfather don't do any Sandhyavandhanam. What's the point in spending the money for the kid? But the young boy was insistent. He forced his parents & grandparents to agree to doing the ceremony. They are doing it at their home.
   - Why did the boy insist on the ceremony? This is a mystery. The scriptures state that saying the divine name even once, even inadverdently, will stay with you forever. (Source: Haridas Giri Upanyasam) It will not leave you, until you reach the ultimate truth & merge with the divine, across lives. The priest who narrated this story wonders if this boy is an old soul who has chanted a lot of Gayatri Mantras who is reborn.
   - This is in contrast to the Abrahamic religions, which based off Moses' third commandment, states that God's name shall not be taken in vain. The staunchly religious will use G-d instead of God even today. When the Semitic Jews were wiped out, the pronunciation of YHWH was lost forever.
- A father wanted to do the ceremony for his son. He heard that the father had to do at least 1 lakh Gayathri Mantras before doing an Upanayanam. He kept count. It took him a couple of years. And he performed the Upanayanam once he was done.


What is the Upanayanam?
Upanayanam is a sacred ceremony where a sacred thread is vested for the first time.
Upa = small and nayan = eye, so the Upanayanam is also a ceremony in which you are initiated into the tradition of looking within through your inner eye. This will eventually yield the secret of death while still alive, leading to the practitioner getting the title twice-born.


Is Upanayanam only for Brahmanas?
No. It was performed by most Jatis & Varnas in India, and also adopted by some Dalit communities in history. Per the scriptures, it is open for everyone, per the Sushruta Sutrasthana & Baudhayana Grihya sutras, which specifically say that it was done for all Varnas.


Is Upanayanam only for men?
No. Per the Kurma Purana, Upanayanam was done for girls: पुराकल्पेहिनारीणांमौजीबन्धनमीरितम्. Girls undergoing Upanayanam before studies are called Brahmavadinis. Goddess sculptures such as those of Sarasvati & Durga have the thread.  Relevant scriptures: Harita Dharmasutras, Asvalayana Grhya Sutra and Yama smriti. The Valmiki Ramayana refers to Kausalya's Agnihotra & Sita's Sandhya Vandanam: Sundara Kanda - Sarga 14, ५-१४-४९ .
The girls not going to a Gurukulam to study were Sadyovadhus, whose Upanayanam would be performed during marriage, when they will were their saree over their left shoulder like a thread. Until the last generation, women would start wearing sarees after marriage over their left shoulder. Scriptures: Gobhila Gryha Sutra verse 2.1.19, Dharmasutras & Yajur Veda.

Sembiya Ma Devi, Chozha queen

Sarasvati as Brahmavadini

Hoysala armed Sarasvati

Hosaholalu LakshmiNarayana Natya Sarasvati

8th century Pandya Uma

12th century Chozha Parvati

12th century Chozha Lakshmi

Chozha Parvati

Why a thread?
Per the scriptures (2.2.4.22–2.2.4.23 of Apastamba Dharmasutra & Gobhila Gryha Sutra at verse 1.2.1), it simply means an upper garment (upavita) worn on the left shoulder. For those don't want to wear a garment, a thread.
Kapalikas used to wear an Upavita of hair instead of threads. Source: Periya Puranam


Number of fibers in each thread?
There are 9 fibers in each thread. Each fiber represents:
1. Omkaram,
2. Agni
3. Naga
4. Soma
5. Pitru
6. Prajapati
7. Vayu
8. Yama
9. Vishvadevata

There are similarly, 9 fibers in the Thali/Mangalsutra worn by women after marriage.

Number of individual threads?
The sacred thread has three individual threads. As is true for Hindu symbols & rituals, they have a multi-layared representation:
- Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
- Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Shakti
- Dharma, Artha, Kama
- Matru (mother), Pitru (father), Guru
- the vow to respect debts to Guru (for knowledge), Matru/Pitru (parents/ancestores for the physical body), Samudhayam (society)
- Iccha (desire), Gnanam (knowledge), Kriya (action): Desire leads to knowledge which leads to action. To do anything in the world, action is required.
- Gayatri (thought), Savitri (deed), Sarasvati (word)
- Brahmacharya (student), Grhasta (householder), Vanaprasta (retired householder who has given up all wealth & power)
- Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda
- Sattva, Rajas, Tamas Gunas
- Karma, Dhyana (meditation), Bhakthi (devotion)
- Three fires: Garhapatya, Dakshinagni, Ahvaniya
Brahma/Sarasvatu represent the birth of a student. Vishnu/Lakshmi represent the householder life following Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. This means: follow your desires (Kama) & find meaning in life (Artha) but be bound by Dharma with a goal towards Moksha. Shiva/Shakti represent the secret of death & the ultimate reality.


The knot on the thread?
Each of the three threads have a knot. They are the Brahma, Vishnu & Rudra Granthis. Lopamudra describes them in the Lalitha Sahasranamam as part of the Kundalini Yoga. The mysteries of creation, life & death will be unravelled through Yoga, yielding the ultimate truth.

This is also the underlying symbology behind three knots tied in a woman's Thali (Mangalasutra) during marriage.


Differences in number of threads?
After childhood, Hinduism has 4 Ashramas (stages of life).
- The Upanayanam introduces the student to the first Ashrama: Brahmacharya (the learning student). The student wears one set of threads. This represents Brahma: the birth of the knowledge seeker, also giving him the term Dvija (twice-born).
- Vivaham (marriage) introduces the Brahmachari to Grhasta (house-holder). He gains one more set of threads. This represents Vishnu. This Ashrama helps preserve & propagate the species (at a base level) and culture/knowledge (at a higher level).
- Rites of giving up current possessions of weath & power, and in some cases until a century back, permanently going away to Kashi is Vanaprasta (secluded retirement focussing on simple life & divine pursuits). When the parents pass away, the aspirant is endowed ritually with one more set of threads. This represents Shiva.
- Give up all human attachments including the sacred thread initiated during Upanayanam (in the common Advaita Sampradaya tradition) & focus purely on the divine by accepting Sanyasa (asceticism). This has to happen with the mother's consent (if unmarried) or spouse's consent (if married), or if they are no longer alive. Sanyasa is interestingly not initiated (such as a Deeksha). One does Sweekaram of Sanyasa (welcome to oneself). Source: Haridas Giri's Upanyasam on Adi Sankara. Like the Upanishads talk about a lamp extinguishing itself, the sacred thread is a prop that helps an aspirant towards divinity, that needs to be eventually discarded in Sanyasa.


Meaning of the thread?
The thread is called: Yajnopavitam meaning thread of sacrifice. Vivekananda once mentioned that the way of the world is that the best of us sacrifice themselves for the rest of us. Where other ancient civilizations withered away under a brutal onslaught, the best of our ancestors sacrificed so much for so long to preserve the culture & traditions.


Meaning of twice-born?
This is again multi-layered. With the Upanayanam ceremony & the birth of the knowledge seeker, the person is a Dvija (twice-born). There is a deeper meaning however. Deep meditation (Dhyana) practitioners talk about a light. Some with near-death-experiences (NDEs) also talk about a light. The Yogic theory is that once one reaches the light through a meditative practice, they have the secret to death, and are born again. They are the truly twice-born. This also gives rise to the term, Parpanar (in Tamizh, meaning one who can seen true knowledge), which is now used as a pejorative: Paapaan.
The religious thought of being born-again has made its way to other cultures, but relies on blind faith rather than quest for knowledge.


Why the left shoulder?
The threads are worn on the left shoulder, moving across to the right waist. Per the Aghori Vimalananda in the Robert Svoboda's Aghora/Kundalini book series, the right part of our body represents Shiva, while the left represents Shakti. This will enhance Shiva's energies which will guide the aspirant through a Dakshina Marga (right path) (such as Yoga, Dhyana-meditation). The Aghoris themselves follow the tricky Vama Marga (left path) & will not wear the thread. The Naga Sadhus follow the Dakshina Marga, but are Sanyais & will perform their last rites (Pindam Danam) when still alive, and hence will not wear the threads.


Why is it so expensive?
It doesn't need to be. It can be done in just your home cheaply. For those who wish to preserve the culture & traditions, and have wealth that can be used for pleasure buys & travels, consider generosity for a once in a lifetime event.


Is serving alcohol & meat ok? This is just a social gathering right?
The Upanayanam is introducing the child to a student life of realizing the ultimate truth. It is a introduction to Yoga. Ashtanga Yoga's 1st Anga (limb) is Yama, and the 1st Yama is Ahimsa.
Alcohol is called a Tamasic happiness of the mind, while the difficult Dhyana (meditation), which is the 7th Anga of Yoga is a Sattvic happiness. Alcohol is explicitly discouraged for truth seekers.
Serving meat & alcohol misses the point of the function. This is no mere social party gathering.


"I don't feel like wearing it."
There is a much deeper purpose to this function. It introduces the student to rituals that will eventually yield the ultimate truth. This is an opportunity to showcase the depth & richness of an ancient culture. If this is not the path that you wish to take, that is fine.


"I never did the rituals. Should I do it for my child?"
If you've read this far, and if you wish to contribute to preserving an ancient culture of knowledge & sacrifice, why not start now? Why deny an opportunity to your child?


Why do I need the thread to proceed on the path of learning?
In cultures throughout history, there are rites of passage. Rites of passage have profound effects on the mind & culture. They can be used for good or bad (as in bad cults).
You don't have to follow a rite of passage, though it will help. Per the scriptures, this is a recommended path. You can certainly choose your own path.


Who is a Brahmana?
A Brahmana, by definition, is someone who knows Brahman. Brahman is the all-pervading within & without divinity, per the Brahma Sutras.


What is the thread ceremony for a Brahmana?
A Brahmana aspirant, that is someone who wishes to know the ultimate nameless truth, which is simply given a name called Brahman, is prescribed procedures. This is called the Shodasha Samskara. Dasha means 10 in Samskritam. This influences the Indo-European English words of Decimal, Deci, Deca. Shat is 6. Shodasha means 16. There are 16 Samskaras.

Of these Samskaras, the prominent one is the Upanayanam, per the Smritis.

If most were wearing the thread & the scriptures allowed it, why are Brahmanas criticized? What about Brahminism?

Roberto de Nobili, a missionary who dressed up as a Brahmana to convert the natives was thwarted by the Brahmanas. He coined the term: Brahminismo (Brahminism) to demonize them. Robert Caldwell, the Tirunelveli Bishop popularized the term & created atrocity literature.

In historian Meenakshi Jain's "Plight of the Brahmins", she cites an observer: "70% of those felled by British bullets were Brahmins". 1879 Tanjore collector's communication to Sir James Caird, member of the famine commission calls Brahmins the most hostile to the British. Numerous British CID reports confirmed the predominance of Brahmins in all levels of the freedom movement. This led to the British actively setting up a framework demonising the Brahmins, the results of which are seen today.

Sir James Fergusson was against the introduction of local self-government in India as the Governor of Bombay Presidency since he was wary of the “ambitious Brahmin party”. (Anil Seal, ‘Emergence of Indian Nationalism’, CUP, 2007, p. 159). Lt. General Phayre in 1885 – “The educated Hindoo classes throughout India (Brahmins particularly)…[exercise] an incessantly unsettling effect upon native society generally.” (Ibid., p.174). In 1870, the Puna Sarvajanik Sabha had been founded by Mahadev Govind Ranade and it “immersed itself in the problems of agrarian society” (Ibid. p.239). In 1879, the Chitpavan Brahmin Wasudeo Balwant Phadke waged an armed uprising against British.  Phule, who had been educated in a Christian institution and considered British rule in India to be a godsend,  launched a militant attack on Brahmins in the 1870s. M.N. Srinivas quotes sentences from the Rowlatt Report in ‘Social Change in Modern India’ wherein we see that the British colonial administration believed “revolutionary conspiracy in Bombay” to be “purely Brahmin and mostly Chitpavan [Brahmin]”. The same report rued that “elsewhere in India the Brahmins had played a large part in fomenting and carrying out revolutionary crime.” (See ‘Social Change in Modern India’, Orient BlackSwan, p.113).

For instance, the British commissioned 1835 Adam's report (first noted by Dharampal in his book: "The Beautiful Tree") clearly shows that India had a thriving education system educating all Jatis including women. A systematic dismantling of India's education system led to the British leaving India with an abysmal literacy rate.
The British would also specially target thread-wearing Hindus by cutting off the sacred thread & hair in the infamous Kalapani Andaman prison through vicious Afghan & Baloch prison guards who would torture, with the offer of stopping if the prisoner converted. Sikhs & Muslims would be allowed to keep their religious symbols.


What happened after Upanayanam for a Brahmana?
In the olden days, students will be sent to a Patashala or Gurukulam (school). They have to live on alms every day. Having to do this will hit the ego (Aham BhAvam) hard.
They would then learn the Vedas & related scriptures, train in Vyakarana (grammar), MimAmsa (critical examination) & Tarka (debate), typically between ages 8 to 16. The historical results are profound. Hindu India's contributions to the world are staggeringly immeasurable in math, sciences, medicine & every conceivable field. Ancient India's historical debates are legendary in their rules, reasoning & philosophy. 75% of Nobel laureates of Indian origin are Brahmanas.


What were the rules for a Brahmana?
The Brahmana aspirant was expected to have no power & no wealth. They could assume advisory roles or teach, but had to continue to live on alms. There were derogatory terms used for the aspirants who would accept positions of power. The old tales of India, including the Buddhist Jataka tales, have multiple tales of poor indigent Brahmanas.
This system's design gets more interesting. The Kshatriyas had power, but had to give up all their wealth back to the people. Yudhishtira (in Mahabharatha), Jayachandra (Prithivraj Chauhan's father-in-law), Harshavardha (as recorded by Hiuen Tsang) all would perform Rajasuya Yagnas on a periodic basis & give away their wealth.
In every other society in the world, the kings with power would accumulate wealth. In today's English language, the word: realty-mogul or media-mogul means a business person with great power. This word comes from India's Moghul rulers. Since India had the world's highest GDP at that time, and the Moghuls would accummulate wealth, practically every Moghul ruler was the richest man in the world. San Zhang, arguably used to similar wealth accumulation by the Chinese royalty, wondered at Harshavardhana, and says that India is great because of kings like Harshavardhana who gave up the kingdom's wealth on a regular basis.


Have the Brahmanas ruled India?
It is rare. What happened in the rare cases when they did have power?

Gautamiputra Satakarani repulsed the Greek invasion led by Demetrius II.
Raja Dahir of Sindh decided to fight (citing Dharmic morals) against a much superior fighting force of Muhammad bin Qasim. He lost and his daughters were enslaved. The Sindhi Buddhists, following Shunyatha (nothingness) decided not to fight. Today, there are hardly any Sindhi Buddhists. But Sindhi Hindus still exist today. After the loss, Acharya Medhatithi inspired a counter aggression. In 3 decades, Sindh would be reconquered & hold fort for 2 centuries before falling again.
After Shambaji's torture & death, the Peshwas would extend Shivaji's vision, building an empire from Attock (Afghanistan) to Cuttack (modern Odisha). They would fight to death in Panipat 3 trying to break Ahmed Shah Abdali Durrani's siege, but a weakened Abdali would never return to Delhi. The Peshwas would recapture Delhi & win the 1st Anglo-Maratha war against the British East India company.
Mangal Pandey would spark the Sepoy Rebellion. Rani Lakshmibai (Manikarnika) riding the rebellion would lose to the worthy British Hugh Rose, but the battle would end the rule of the British East India company to be replaced by the Crown.


Didn't the Brahmanas setup an oppressive caste system over 1000s of years?
Let's look at historical records, while comparing similar societies. The worst human system can be called slavery.

"All Indians are free, NONE of them is a slave. Indians do not even use foreigners as slaves, much less a countryman of their own" - Indica of Arrian (quoting Megasthenes. translated by McCrindle)

Megasthenes notes in Indica that India is a land without slaves. How did India manage a system without slaves when the rest of the world had slaves & continued to do so, until recently?
When invasions brought slavery to India, Shivaji banned it, the first king in the world to do so, in 26th Aug 1677. Travancore Rani Lakshmi Bayi banned it as well, the 1st queen to do so. Hindus across the spectrum were enslaved & traded in slave markets in Kabul & notably the Dutch East India company.
Moving on to untouchability, this did exist, but was hardly unique to Hinduism. Christianity had a 7 fold caste system with slaves & the untouchable cagots/gong-farmers at the bottom. As late as the 18th century, a cagot had his hand cut off & nailed to a church door for touching a church water font. Heathens/Heretics were burned. Islam had Qureshi (Caliphs), Ashraf, Ajlaf & Arzal, with the slaves, Kafirs/Murtad (apostate) at the bottom, who faced atrocities. Even today, a forcibly converted girl is not even allowed to meet her Kafir parents. Communists had their bourgeouise & reactionaries who would be sent to Gulags (concentration/re-education camps).
It is also inconceivable that an oppressive system can exist for millennia without change, and naturally, no evidence exists for this charge.


How did the Brahmanas act in history?
In Alexander's India invasion, he summons the Brahmana ascetic, Dandi-Swami (Dandamis). Dandi-Swami refuses. Alexander threatens to behead him. He responds that only his body may be killed but not his soul, and warns Alexander that he is no match for the Hindu kingdoms that he's yet to face.(Source: Plutarch). Alexander would end up going to meet him. Their conversation is the Alexander-Dandamis colloquy.
Alexander was told of Dandi-Swami by Kalana (Kalanos) of Takshashila. Kalana accompanied Alexander to Persia. He told Alexander that he would meet him in 1 year in Babylon & would self-immolate in a burning fire without flinching when his body was burning. In 1 year, Alexander would die in Babylon.
The Brahmanas (Brahmanak Janpad) of a town in Mulastan (current day Multan) gave refuge to a few Malla fugitives. Alexander slaughtered the entire town. Per Nigel Cathorne's 'Alexander the Great', owing to Brahmin resistance, Alexander hanged any Brahmin that fell into his hands, reserving crucifixion for civil leaders that opposed him. Alexander asked a Brahmana before beheading him the reason for his opposition. Plutarch LX1V records him as fearlessly saying that one should live with honor or die. The result: per Peter Green in 'Alexander of Macedon: a historical biography', by 300 BCE, resistance ensured that every Macedonian garrison in Punjab was wiped out.

Chanakya helped Chandragupta Maurya build his empire & wrote the Artha Shastra. Vidyaranya would negate the forcible conversion of Harihara Raya & Bhuvahara Raya (Hakka & Bukka), who would build the Vijayanagara empire. The lake Madhavateertha was used for further negations of forced conversions.

Sikandar Butshikan summoned Kashmiri Pandits, giving them a choice of discarding the Janeu or death. Not one discarded the Janeu. This place is known even today as "Batta Mazar" (Graveyard of Brahmanas). 37 kg of Janeu was collected from their dead bodies & burnt. In the 1948 Kashmir invasion, Kashmiri Pandit men & women led an armed resistance, until the arrival of the Indian army.

Conclusion:
As we can see with these examples, this simple ritual of Upanayanam has had a profound effect on history & culture. There are great people & bad people in all cultures. But the great people who performed this Samskara have had immense positive contributions, and have shown us the way. It is a way of ascetic knowledge, debate & fearlessness of death. It is up to all of us if we wish to preserve this tradition, and how far we wish to travel in the path shown.

Further reading:

Brahmana contributions to Sikh Sampradaya

The family man, the ascetic & the dog

This Shiva Rathri (Shiva's night), I'll share a story of an interesting mystery that I dug into.

In this video, Tamizh writer, Joe De Cruz, when talking about his mystic experiences, casually mentions about Pattinathar (பட்டினத்தார்) & Pathirigiriyaar (பத்திரகிரியார்). Clearly, he expects this to common knowledge. There was only one issue. I didn't have the faintest clue on who was Pattigiriyaar. An interesting mystery.

Pattinathar is considered by Tamizhs to be the greatest Turavi (Source: Haridas Giri Upanyasam). Turavi can be loosely translated to ascetic. But it has a deeper meaning. Per the Upanishads, there are four states of consciousness:
- Jagruthi (being awake) in the Bhuta Sharira (gross body)
- Swapna (dream state) in the Sthula Sharira (subtle body)
- Sushupti (dreamless state) in the Sukshma Sharira (causal body)
- Turiya (a final state of being constantly aware of when one is awake, dreaming, in dreamless sleep, about to fall asleep, about to awaken)

One who has attained the Turiya state is called a Turavi.

Fine, so we have a basic idea of who Pattinathar was. But who was Pathirigiriyaar? Is the name lost in translation from Samskritam to Tamizh?

Maybe he was called Badri-Giri? After the famous Badrinath temple & nearby hill?
Or maybe he was Bhadra-Giri? After the famous BhadrAchalam hill, associated with the famous poet composer saint Ramdas?

It turns out that he was King Brathra-Hari. Samskritam exerts enormous influence in the Indo-European languages. Mathru is mother, Brathru (भ्रातृ) is brother. (Samskritam's influence is also a political battle. A new language: Proto-Indo-European/PIE has been hypothesized without evidence as the parent of both Samskritam & other Indo-European languages).

As a king, Brathrahari's jewels were stolen. The robbers had cast away a jewel, which fell on top of a meditating Pattinathar. Pattinathar was captured by the king's soldiers on suspicion of robbery & sentenced to death by sitting on a spike (Kazhu in Tamizh). Pattinathar would sing a song & the spike burns down. Brathrahari would apologize, give up his kingdom & follow Pattinathar as a Sishya (disciple). But the story gets more intriguing.

There are two types of Bhiksha (loosely translated to the similar sounding Indo-European English word: beg or getting alms, without the negative connotation in English). Bhiksha is Pitchai in Tamizh. When a childless couple get a child through Pitchai from the divine, they will name the child Pitchai. Pitchai is common name is Tamizh.

The first type of Bhiksha is someone who goes around collecting alms. In India, sometimes, wealthy people do this as a spiritual practice or as an offering to divinity, which inspired the Tamizh thriller movie, Pitchaikaaran. Sanyasis (ascetics who give up all attachments), Turavis & Brahmacharis (unmarried men invested with the sacred thread) would also follow this as a spiritual practice to reduce the ego.

There is a famous story that showcased this practice. Adi Sankara, the founder of Advaita (also called Siva Gnana Bodham), doing Bhiksha, goes to a indigent woman's house. She is in penury. Unwilling to turn away the radiant child, she searches, finds a half-rotten gooseberry (nellikkai in Tamizh) & give it to him. Sankara then composes the famous KanakaDhara stotram which results in a rain of golden gooseberries. This house is preserved to this day near Kalady, Kerala.

This tradition was the highest recommended practice for the Brahmanas, to lead a life of austerity, with the toughest called Uncha-Vritti. This tradition is used by Brahmana-haters with cognitive dissonance to mock the Brahmanas as beggars, while simultaneously calling them as oppressors.

The second type is someone who would only take whatever alms came to them. This is a superior form of Bhiksha. This was followed by the famous Carnatic musician & poet, Muthuswamy Dikshitar. This is also followed by many Sanyasis & Turavis. This was also the approach followed by Pattinathar.

Since Pattinathar would eat only whatever came to him & would go hungry if nothing came his way, Brathrahari decided that he would help feed his Guru. He would follow the first Bhiksha approach, go around collecting alms, give his Guru the food & also eat from it. He would cast aside the leftovers. There was a dog in the vicinity. It would eat the leftovers. And eventually, the dog and Brathrahari grew attached to each other. It would constantly be with Brathrahari on his rounds.

Pattinathar was residing near the east Gopuram of the Thiruvadaimarudhur Mahalingaswami temple. Brathrahari was residing near the west Gopuram.

One day, a beggar came to Pattinathar for food. Pattinathar told him that he was an ascetic with no possessions. And asked him to go to the family man (kudumbasthan) at the west Gopuram. The beggar approaches Brathrahari & tells him that the ascetic at the east Gopuram sent him to find a family man in the west Gopuram. But there was no one else here.

Now, Brathrahari realizes that Pattinathar was referring to him! He had given up his kingdom but developed new attachments. He had grown attached to his begging bowl & the dog.

He throws away his begging bowl. And is no longer attached to the dog. He composes Tamizh verses called Mei-Gnana Pulambal (the complaints of truth & wisdom).

Anyone who has experienced a dog knows how unselfishly attached the animal is. The dog, still attached to Brathrahari, not understanding his indifference, dies pining for him. And is now reborn as the princess of Kashi, the holiest place of Shiva. The princess also remembers her past life.

Per the Puranas, only someone with a special kind of Punya (good Karma from good deeds) can remember the past life. The Samskritam term for this ability is called JAti-Smara. JAti can be loosely translated to species (miriga-JAti meaning animal species) or tribes/castes (manusha-JAti). Smara means remembrance.

The dog had been attached to a great saint. Good attachments never go in vain & will eventually take one to the final detached state, casting themselves aside (like a lamp that burns itself out, per the Upanishads). This good attachment to a saint allowed the princess to remember her past life. She tells her father, the Raja (king) of Kashi, that she as a salivating dog belonged to her master, the ascetic, Brathrahari. The king brings her to Brathrahari. Brathrahari is nowadays living now only on Bhiksha that came to him like his Guru, Pattinathar. Brathrahari is surprised seeing the princess & hearing her story. He comes to his Guru followed by the princess. Pattinathar meditates on Shiva. A light emanates from Brathrahari & the princess to merge with the Mahalingaswami Shiva Lingam. The SatGuru takes the entire lineage of Sishyas to the final state of Mukthi.

Pattinathar's Sishya lineage had now attained Mukthi. Now, Pattinathar pleads with Shiva for his Mukthi. Shiva asks him to start wandering with a sugarcane. This sugarcane, however, strangely won't be sweet. The place where it turns sweet would be his final place. After many wanderings & more events, eventually, in Tiruvottiyur, the sugarcane is sweet. Now, Pattinathar plays a game with some local boys.

"Cover me with this basket. I'll show you a magic trick." Pattinathar tells the boys. The boys oblige. He disappears within the basket & comes walking from outside towards the boys. The boys cover him again. To the same effect. They try this again, the third time. Now, nothing happens. They open the basket. Pattinathar has disappeared permanently. This spot is a Samadhi and a shrine in Tiruvottiyur.

I've spoken with multiple meditation practitioners who have meditated every day for decades. They told me that in the deep meditative state, they have sensed that only love pervades everything, and that feel only pure love towards everything & everyone. The phrase: "Anbe Shivam" (meaning: Love is Shiva) is not just a mere slogan. It is the truth. We can realize it ourselves by following the path of the meditation practitioners.

Even if we lack the ability or inclination to meditate, there is nothing to worry about. There is nothing anyone needs to do or believe. Some paths are faster, some are slower. It is only a matter of multiple lives; we will all eventually unite with the all pervading Shiva, also within us. This is everyone's & everything's final destination. The wave will eventually die & merge with the ocean. There is nowhere else to go.

Om Shivoham.

The aged warriors

Tanaji was 70 when he (& team) scaled a cliff & captured Kondana. The Maratha empire would start expanding from this point & would end up ruling most of the Indian subcontinent (Attock to Cuttack). (Attock is in modern day Afghanistan, Cuttack in Odisha).

In Ponniyin Selvan, Kalki refers to an octogenarian Chozha king who enters the thick of battle & reverses a losing battle, inspiring his soliders to win.

Per some conflicting accounts, an aged Pandya king manages to use the monsoon rains in favor & repels Malik Kafur (heading Alauddin Khilji's huge army) near Tirunelveli.

The last king of Vijayanagara, Rama Raya, an octogenarian, led the final battle against the Deccan (Dakshin) Shia Sultanate. A betrayal by his commander (he had chosen to ignore intelligence reports) led to the complete destruction of Vijayanagara, then the 2nd largest & most prosperous city in the world. Chennaiites would remember that when the Portuguese were running rampant, including destroying the famous Kapaleeshwarar temple on Marina beach & replacing it with the Santome, Rama Raya had defeated them & forced them into a treaty to treat the natives well. After Rama Raya's death, the Portuguese would dishonor the treaty. The ruins of the Kapaleeshwarar were moved to Mylapore & rebuilt.

Given the Veera Parampara of these aged warriors of this ancient land, maybe the Indian army should reconsider its early retirement policy.

Lessons from Gandhiji's death

On Gandhiji's death anniversary, are there lessons that we can learn? Using the lens of Viveka (discrimination) & a Hamsa (taking only the good & leaving the bad), looking at the good lessons that we can learn from Gandhiji.

Debate vs killing:
If we disagree with someone, the first step that we can do is indulge in debate. If a society doesn't allow debate (eg: blasphemy/heresy laws), it would be an oppressive society that will need tremendous efforts to allow free speech. Debate the person in the realm of ideas & defeat them.

Samskritam doesn't even have a word for blasphemy: all ideas are open to discussion. Use SamVAda, the good debate, as a guideline, as defined by the ancients in the NyAya Sutra. In Samskritam, there are words for Vadha (killing in battle) vs Hatya (murder). Murdering one (Hatya) indicates that the battle is lost in the realm of ideas.

Sadly, in today's world, bloggers, cartoonists & journalists are still targeted. Gulags & enslavement still exist.

Paraphrasing Gandhiji, when truth is by one's side: "First, they ignore you. Then, they laugh at you. Then, they fight you. Then you win." Speak out & debate on issues that matter to you. If there are issues that are deliberately hidden by those in power, bring them out.

Congress restructuring:
Gandhiji, two days before his death, called for the Congress to be disbanded & converted to a charitable organization, called Lok Sevak Sangh, with a GoSeva Sangh (cow protection), teetotalism, Harijan Seva Sangh & local economy ventures. Would someone with power willingly give it up?

Gandhiji's ideal: It is best to have someone in power, who is not power hungry, and who will give it up willingly to someone more worthy.

Targeted mob violence:
Gandhiji was an Ahimsavadi, a proponent of non-violence & non-cruelty. He was against revenge: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

The Nazi Jewish/Roma holocaust remembrance day also just passed. The New Testament has four gospels by Mark, Matthew, Luke & John. Mark records Christ's story as an intra-Jewish feud. Matthew (27.25) starts blaming Jews. John starts calling the Jews derogatory names (8.44). This origin of a simple anti-Jewish thought has resulted in Jewish persecution over millenia & a plethora of anti-Jewish literature (eg: Shakesphere's Merchant of Venice).

Such simple 'othering' such as non-believers & reactionaries (enemy of the people) have resulted in genocides of millions.

Once Nathuram Godse murdered Gandhiji, Congress workers & sectarian groups called for violence in Maharashtra. In just a matter of hours, 15-50 Brahmins were killed. The killing continued & the unofficial estimates are in 1000s. Narayan Savarkar, the brother of Veer Savarkar, was one of the victims: stoned to death. Thousands of Brahmana houses were burnt.

This pattern would be repeated in the 1984 anti-Sikh Delhi violence by the Congress workers, condoned by the would-be Prime Minister. Repeated yet again in the Mulayam Singh Yadav Kar Sevak massacre in 1990, Ayodhya. Totalitarian ideologies have time & again wiped out diversity. They can be spotted in regions with mono-cultures.

Any ideology that has a history of genocide & 'othering' needs to be looked at with a critical lens & then combated in the realm of ideas.

Freedom:
Gandhiji posed a brilliant question in his iconic: "Hind Swaraj". If you're being oppressed, let's say you got rid of the oppressors. But you brought in your own ethnic people, who are now oppressing you. Is that really freedom?

First, freedom has to be in one's own mind & spirit. That is true freedom. External freedom would follow.

Avatar, the last airbender: Ode to Indian Yogis

In "Avatar, the last airbender", a hit beloved highly rated animated series, there is a small ode to the Indian Yogis. In Season 2, Episode 19: Aang meets Guru Pathik who helps him unlock his Chakras. There is a wonderfully animated analogy shown at the beginning of the episode with pools of flowing waters which get blocked by impurities that needs to be removed. A wonderful episode in a thrilling adventurous series.

Kittur Chennamma & historical parallels

In the sci-fi series Expanse, season 3, it was nice to see one of the Martian warships named Kittur Chennamma. She was the second queen (AFAIK) to fight for independence against the British East India company. (The first queen was Velu Nachiar of Sivagangai).

She would win the first battle, and release the captured British with an assurance of no more war.

Similar to the episode between Prithviraj Chauhan & Muhammad Ghori, the company would resume hostilites. She would fight bravely, but be defeated, captured & imprisoned till death. The "Doctrine of Lapse" which disallowed adoptions was used to justify war, as it would be used against Rani Lakshmibai (Manikarnika). Both queens had lost their respective husband & sons.

Some historians have wondered about the suspiciously high number of deaths of young princes in the India ruled by the British East India company. The British kept records but burnt them before India's independence, again similar to the Portuguese burning records of the Goan inquisition.

We may never know.

Wuhan Coronavirus-lessons for future epidemics

How do you get new deadly diseases? One way is from other species. SARS (from hens' avian flu), Swine flu & now Coronavirus.

How do you increase the risk? By cramping together animals in small cages in filthy conditions.

How to increase risk even more? Pump these animals with antibiotics, allowing the microbes to mutate to gain resistance, becoming super-bugs, rendering the antibiotics (discovered after great efforts) useless.

Once the body is dead, with no immune system, the body becomes a playground for microbes. Like the case of a girl who picked up a dead bird & got infected by a variant of the black plague. Cremating dead bodies quickly will reduce risk, as the Chinese govt is doing now to some Coronavirus victims.

How to increase risk even more? As the permafrost melts with a warming planet, ancient microbes are released. Anthrax cases were reported in the Tundra, the infections caused by once frozen animal bodies decomposing.

Maybe the next big threat for humans is from the microbes, rather than humans themselves.

Impeachment: British East India company & the Boston Tea Party

From a history buff friend on the impeachment trial & a surprising link between Indian & American history.

"NYT is arguing that Trump’s defense - that you cannot impeach for abuse of power without citing a violation of a law - holds no water because past impeachments in Britain for abuse of power (there have been only two in the US; not enough data) did not involve ‘indictable’ offenses.

The article cites the impeachment of Warren Hastings - British India’s Governor General from 1774-1785 (he was active in India from 1750). Hastings was impeached for mismanagement and personal corruption in 1788.

The ‘crime’? Impoverishment of the Bengal citizenry by raising agricultural taxes from 10 to 50 percent (after the British had plunders the Bengal treasury after the battle of Plassey), abolishing import tariffs for goods entering Bengal (thereby making Bengali goods uncompetitive), violent collection of the 50% tax during the Bengal famine of 1770.
Result: 10 million deaths; reduction of Bengal’s population by a third.

So that’s the standard for impeachment for corruption. Hastings was acquitted, of course.

Since the East India company was in the red as a result of the losses in tax revenue post- Famine (entire districts in Bengal were depopulated), Hastings got the English parliament to pass the Tea Act in 1773 - to ship the massive amount of tea held in the East India Company’s London warehouses directly to America duty-free - to make up for their revenue losses in India. This led to the Boston Tea Party, and the rest, as you know, is history.

In calling for Americans to resist the dumping of tea, “Rusticus” writes:

“Are we in like Manner to be given up to the Disposal of the East India Company, who have now the Assurance, to step forth in Aid of the Minister, to execute his Plan, of enslaving America? Their Conduct in Asia for some Years past, has given simple Proof, how little they regard the Laws of Nations, the Rights, Liberties or Lives of Men. They have levied War, excited Rebellions, dethroned lawful Princes, and sacrificed Millions for the Sake of Gain. The Revenue of Mighty Kingdoms have centered in their Coffers. And these not being sufficient to glut their Avarice, they have, by the most unparalleled Barbarities, Extortions, and Monopolies, stripped the miserable Inhabitants of their Property, and reduced whole Provinces to Indigence and Ruin. Fifteen hundred Thousands (i.e. 1.5 million – ed.), it is said, perished by Famine in one Year, not because the Earth denied its Fruits; but [because] this Company and their Servants engulfed all the Necessaries of Life, and set them so high at a Rate that the poor could not purchase them. Thus having drained the Sources of the immense Wealth . . . they now, it seems, cast their Eyes on America, as a new Theatre, whereon to exercise their Talents.”"

My favourite Ragams

My favorite Ragams that melt the mind & transport it to another world.

VasanthaBhairavi
Hamsanadham
Keeravani
Dharmavati
SindhuBhairavi
Revathi

Conservative or liberal?

Am I a conservative or a liberal?

Has the mind come up with an answer?

For Yogis, the answer would be none. The only good attachment is that which leads to detachment (like a lamp burning itself out, from the Upanishads).

For those of us non-Yogis, the mind probably attached itself to an ideology.

If a conservative, what does it mean? What are we seeking to conserve?

If a liberal, what is the mind open to?

Paradox: If we're seeking to conserve principles of openness & pluralism, are we liberals or conservatives?

The ancient Hindu world-view: The logic system used for arguments was not binary, it was Chatushkoti, which can derive the confusion matrix in Computer science. Choices are at least four. It is best not to get boxed into one silo.

If our mind is still boxed in, it is good to look for a definition.

Classical conservatism means that individual liberty is paramount. To the maximum extent possible, people can think, say & do whatever they want. There are some things that must be done as a collective, such as internal/external security. For that, we need a minimum government (given its propensity towards corruption) with minimum taxes. If you get more of your money, you can choose how to spend it or donate it.

Classical liberalism means being open to alternate points of view. This is possible only with individual liberty which allows freedom of thought, speech & expression. This means that Classical liberalism is surprisingly identical to Classical conservatism.

Having a huge government that collects high taxes & decides how to spread things around is a thought from Marxism. The government deciding how to spend money is a recipe for corruption & wasting money.

In today's world, we have people who censor speech & thought. And simultaneously call themselves liberals or conservatives.

In the Yaksha Prashnam & the Bhagavath Gita of the Mahabharatham, a question is posed as to who is a Brahmana. The answer comes back as one who exhibits the qualities (not one who calls oneself as one).

Similarly, one doesn't become a liberal or conservative by calling oneself as one. It is one's qualities which determine the ideology.

It is even better to work on improving our own qualities through knowledge (everyone knows something about something more than us) and through knowing our own mind better (through DhArana & DhyAna), and not get attached to any adjective.

Arishadvargas-six enemies of the mind

Kama काम is desire. मोह Moha is delusion.

If desire is fulfilled, it can result is लोभ Lobha (greed) & continue to Madha (pride).

If desire is unfulfilled, it can result in क्रोध Krodha (anger) or  मात्सर्य Matsarya (envy).

These are the Arishadvargas or Shadripu (षड्रिपु), our six enemies of the mind.

Further insights from Vakibs.

Bengal Hindu tales

A friend recently requested elaboration on what I'd heard on experiences of Bengali Hindus. Here is what I heard.

Before I go to the stories, it is good to have a short introduction to Bengal, to get more context.

Bengal has had a huge influence on India. In undivided India, Bengali used to be the most prominent language, surpassing Hindi. Many educated Bengalis prefer learning English to Hindi. Its national anthem (Jana Gana Mana) & freedom slogan/unofficial national song (Bande Mataram-by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee popularized by Rabindranath Tagore) are Bengali. Bengal provided iconic freedom fighters like Subash Chandra Bose, Rash Behari Bose & Surjya Sen. Bengal also provided towering spiritual luminaries such as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda & Aurobindo Ghosh. Given Bengal's leadership in the freedom struggle, Curzon predictably partitioned Bengal in 1905 following the highly successful divide-and-rule policy. Huge protests followed until Bengal was reunited in 1911. However, the British would ultimately carve out East Pakistan from Bengal when leaving in 1947. Where language had once played a unifying role, religion would prove a more powerful divisive force.

Interestingly, Tamizhs played an supporting role. India's slogan, Jai Hind, was coined by Champakaraman Pillai & other freedom fighters of Madras Presidency in 1907. When he met Subash Chandra Bose in Vienna in 1933, he inspired Bose to adopt it. (Source: Colonial historian Saroja Sundararajan who referred to Jai Hind a Taraka Mantra. Research: @TrueIndology). Tamizhs signed up in droves to Subash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army & rose to several positions of command. After his Guru Ramakrishna's passing, Vivekananda spent considerable time with the Tamizhs, and also swam & meditated in the iconic Vivekanada Rock near Kanyakumari, where he foresaw India's freedom. His famous journey to the west was sponsored by the Raja of Ramanathapuram (called Ramnad in the historical sources, now also called Rameshwaram). Aurobindo would setup his Ashram in Puducherry (Pondicherry).

Now, we move on to the stories.

He was living in Bengal. After partition, he was now in East Pakistan. He observed a troubling pattern. The Hindu girls started disappearing once they reached puberty. He had a daughter himself. He made a decision to leave. This turned out to be good decision. Hindus, especially young girls, simply continue to disappear in Pakistan & Bangladesh. In Pakistan, Hindus dropped from 14% to 1.5% in just 4 years from 1947-1951. In Kashmir, Hindus dropped from 5% to 0.1%. In Bangladesh, Hindus dropped from 22% in 1947 to 8.96% in 2011. In 1971, Pakistan conducted a Hindu genocide while the world silently watched. Forced conversions are rampant. The world has shown the same level of indifference to the disappearing Hindus, as it has done to the Yazidis under ISIS. Some told me that they are very careful whenever they visit their hometown, and are also scared to visit. They believe that they will be unable to visit in a couple of more decades, when they expect Bangladesh to become to next Pakistan. 

He moved to Tripura & later to West Bengal. His daughter was now going to college.

Once in college, she would walk from the college to her bus stop. She had to pass an open slaughterhouse en-route. She did eat meat. However, she did not like the smell of the slaughterhouse. She would cover her nose with her Dupatta & walk.

One of the butchers, belonging to a different religion, had been observing her. One day, when she was walking, he took a bucket full of dirty water that was used to clean the meat, and splashed it on her. He simply pretended that it was an accident.

Bengali Hindus have an auspicious ritual of blowing the conch in the morning. Once the demographics change, if the conch blowing happens, people would throw stones & break windows. The women of the household would be heckled in the streets. This would effectively silence the ritual. The ones who do follow it ensure that all windows & doors are closed fully, and the conch is blown only for an instant. While loudspeakers blare call to prayers multiple times a day. While growing up, the Hindu kids are taught to be subservient. Even if their faith is attacked, they must never counter or criticize.

Durga Puja celebrations are attacked & muted. The government simply stops granting permissions. Temples are vandalized & Murtis broken on a regular basis. The mainstream media simply buries these stories through silence. Chakra news once sent reports of desecration to multiple mainstream media news outlets. None responded. They tried an experiment. They sent the same information again, but instead of stating that a temple was desecrated, they changed it to a mosque. Most of the media outlets responded requesting additional information. This experiment reveals systemic bias. 

One non-Bengali Hindu who grew up in Kolkota said that while the communists were bad, the TMC has wreaked havoc with political violence. They will instantly attack whenever Hindus organize.

A Bangladeshi told me that in the government exams, typically Hindus score very well in the written exams. However, in the interviews, most Hindus would be eliminated, through systemic bias. This charge should be verifiable by requesting government records. This mirrors a similar charge that a Kashmiri Pandit also told me, about Kashmir. One solution to this issue could be the elimination of interviews, and rely only on computerized written tests.

Currently, hope for a pluralistic tolerant Bengal seems to be diminishing.

Ayodhya: Basic errors in history in court verdict

Ayodhya Judgment: Court seems to have its history wrong. Says Mir Baqi constructed the mosque. No evidence of that. Per oral history, Babur/Mir Baqi demolished the temple. The BaburNama Ayodhya pages which would have been evidence went missing during colonial British rule.
The 1717 CE Kapad Dwar map (research by TrueIndology) of the Mughal court records which recorded the sale of the land to the Hindus (who were prevented from worshipping until the sale) still shows temple spires. Per oral history, it was Aurangzeb who demolished the remaining temple structure in Ayodhya & built the mosque. He did the same ot the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura & the Kashi Vishwanatha temple, and the mosques show similar structures. Evidence exists for Kashi & Mathura but is missing for Ayodhya.

Ayodhya: The snapped rubber band

I've heard a humorous way of justifying angry outbursts in family. When a rubber band (symbol for patience) is being stretched, at one point, it will snap.
Growing up, when terrorism in India started rearing its head, Marxist narratives were explaining it away citing that root-causes needed to be looked at.
The Ayodhya judgment observes that the 1992 mosque demolition was illegal. Taking a leaf out of the Marxist narrative, can we look at the root-cause?
Hindus had been prevented from worshipping in their holiest spot for 6 centuries. In 1990, unarmed protesting Kar Sevaks were massacred en-masse by the Mulayam Singh Yadav Uttar Pradesh government, one of the biggest government sponsored pogrom in independent India. The bodies were buried, thrown in wells & the Sarayu river. Bodies are still missing. The media was muzzled, papers recalled & pulped. Marxist journalists called for killing the story, and the media complied with a black-out. Two years later, Kar Sevaks would demolish the mosque. Did the Kar Sevak massacre & the lack of outrage cause this rubber band to snap?

Gandhiji's Swarajya: From Jalianwalla Bagh to Ayodhya

Gandhiji asks a brilliant question on freedom in his book, Hind-Swaraj. If the Indians simply replaced the colonial British masters with Indians, but if the policies remained the same, would this be called freedom?
The British ordered Indian sepoys to fire on unarmed protestors. They complied. The result was the infamous Jalianwalla Bagh massacre. They then covered it up. When the cover-up proved difficult, they tried to justify it. They are yet to apologize. Justice is yet to be served.
In 1990, in Ayodhya, the MSY UP govt ordered the police to fire on unarmed Karsevak protestors. They complied. This was the Karsevak massacre, one of the largest in independent India. The government & media covered it up & blacked out the news. When the cover-up proved difficult, they tried to justify it. They are yet to apologize. Bodies are still missing. Justice is yet to be served.
Sounds similar?

TN Seshan: Engineering aspirant to CEC journey

TN Seshan had scored 150/150 in Maths, Physics & Chemistry. He applied to an Engineering college when EVR Periyar's anti-Brahmin hate culture had pervaded Tamizh Nadu. He answered all his technical questions correctly in the interview.
The interviewer then asked him in Tamizh, the number of movies Shivaji Ganesan had acted in, and his 2nd movie. He then rejected Seshan. What a blessing in disguise for India!
He later wrote the IAS exam, and eventually became the CEC. He enforced the constitutional election rules & ran the election commission with fierce independence & integrity. While the politicians helplessly whined, he cleaned up the electoral system from political influence.
After retirement, he endured physical violence by goons associated with the Tamizh Dravidian parties.
Thank you Shri Seshan for your service. Om Shanti.

AIMPLB's stance on Ayodhya

From a friend.
AIMPB’s position in 1989 cited on page 54 of the judgement.

AIMPLB's 1989 position cited in Pg 54 of the Ayodhya judgment is reasonable. Does AIMPLB continue to hold the position that all demolished temples converted to mosques be returned?

Janeu/Poonal-historical notes

Research: @TrueIndology

The Upanayanam ritual is described in the Smritis in minute detail by Smritikaras like Manu, Yajnavalkya, Gautama, Harita & Narada. For the ritual, there is an eligibility prerequisite of Gyana on part of both the Yajamana and Karta.

The "Kashi Yatra" ritual is traditionally performed during upanayana ceremony. Traditionally, young Indian students used to set out to Kashi to complete their education. The sishyas would learn under an Acharya/Guru.

The holy thread is called Yajnopavita, Poonal or Janeu.

This is the earliest known pictorial representation of sage Vishvamitra on the coins of Audambara king Dharaghosha. (Ancient Himachal Pradesh) with Shikha, Yajnopavita and wearing lion skin.

1st century BC, inscription in Kharoshti.  Picture courtesy British Museum

This is a Hoysala sculpture of Natya Sarasvati as a Brahmavadini wearing the Yajnopavita. Puranas like the Agni Purana, Padma Purana & Markandeya Purana depict Sarasvati with Yajnopavita, Kundalas & Jata-Mukuta.

Guru Nanak was invested with the Janeu at age 9, per the earliest source, Janamsakhi. 

A myth was later created that he rejected it. The B40 Janamsakhi, Mani Singh Janamsakhi & the Miharban Janamsakhi vividly describe the ceremony & don't mention the rejection myth. The Gurbani doesn't mention this myth as well. The Asa di var verse says that Bhakthi & Nama Sankirtana is the true unbreakable Janeu. The Suraj Pratap Granth talks about "Pandhe Prati Upadesh" & a long discourse but doesn't mention the rejection myth.

On Śrāvana Pūrnima, the Upākarma ritual is performed wherein Hindus change Yajñopavita. This is followed by visit of the people of the entire village or settlement to the houses of Brāhmaṇs. Then, the Brāhmaṇs tied a thread called rakṣikā to the wrist of people. This thread is an oath of protection. Sons tied it to their fathers. Sisters to their brothers. Brahmans to Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Even lovers to their beloved.

The 1990 Ayodhya Karsevak massacre

Research: @TrueIndology https://t.me/trueindologylive

In 1990, a group of Hindu Sannyasis (Karsevaks) had gathered at Ayodhya & chanted Ram Dhun/"Jai Shri Ram". They were both men & women pilgrims and unarmed. The UP state police reporting to a government led by Mulayam were lying in wait. They surrounded them & fired on them indiscriminately. They could have shot the legs. But they went for the heart & killed as many as he could.

The survivors surrendered. They were flogged mercilessly. The women were manhandled.

The government tried to cover it up. The bodies were buried in Muslim Mazars. The victims' families were refused their bodies. The government falsely claimed to have killed 16. The VHP cremated 76 bodies. An Indian Express reporter told Dr.Koenraad Elst that 125 people were killed. Eyewitnesses claimed that at least a thousand had been killed. There is no 'unofficial estimate'. Here is Dr.Elst's write-up on the massacre in his book "Ayodhya".

How did the Marxist Missionary Mullah controlled Mainstream Media and Human Rights organizations react? Silence. Indian journalist Rajdeep Sardesai called for silence.

This was one of the two biggest state sponsored massacres in independent India.

At the very least, the buried bodies should be returned to the families so that they can complete the final rites. There should also be a probe into the incident, and all the perpetrators should be held accountable.

Will the victims ever get justice?

The vagabond, the pot & the potter

In Tamizh, there is a popular folk song.
நந்தவனத்தில் ஓர் ஆண்டி - அவன்
நாலாறு மாதமாய்க் குயவனை வேண்டி
கொண்டு வந்தான் ஒரு தோண்டி - மெத்தக்
கூத்தாடிக் கூத்தாடிப் போட்டுடைத்தாண்டி

This was composed and sung by Shaiva Siddhars. Indian sayings are usually multi-layered.

The literal meaning:

There was a vagabond in a garden. He begged a potter for 10 months and got a pot. He played with it & ended up breaking it. This is subtly humorous in Tamizh.

The parenting meaning:

There was one without possessions in the garden that is the world. He worshipped the divine for 10 months and got a child. He celebrated the child, giving it everything it wanted and raised a spoilt brat.

The VedAnta meaning:

A JivAtma (soul) which is alone with nothing yearns for a material body. Worshipping the divine potter, it gets a pot (physical body). Ideally, the body could have been used for good pursuits & learning the ultimate truth. However, after obtaining the body, the mind goes after ephemeral material desires & ends up destroying it, rendering the entire life useless.

Murugan-Tamil & Samskritam

For the recent Kanda (Skanda) Sashti festival, I sat down for a Puja. Barring one Samskritam Slokam by Adi Shankara, I could only remember Tamizh Slokams, Tamizh Carnatic songs to sing, and the immortal Arunagirinathar's Thiruppugazh songs. Murugan is Tamizh, Tamizh is Murugan (also meaning beautiful).

Temple gossip paradox

Overheard at a local temple as a kid: a Granny talking to another elderly woman: "When people come to a temple, instead of focussing on divinity, they spend their time in useless gossip." And they kept discussing it...

Thiruvalluvar-earliest reference in a Saivite text

In the immortal Thirukkural, Thiruvalluvar didn't reference himself as an author even once. True selflessness!
The earliest reference to the author is a Saivite text called திருவள்ளுவ மாலை (Thiruvalluva Malai-garland of Thiruvalluvar), which has other authors praising Thiruvalluvar for his work.

Thirukkural-Haridas Giri on Ahimsa

கொல்லான் புலாலை மறுத்தானைக் கைகூப்பி
எல்லா உயிருந் தொழும்.
திருக்குறள் 260-Ch 26
All living things will worship one who doesn't kill & abhors meat.

This குறள் was frequently used by Swami Haridas Giri.

Related:

http://vedham.blogspot.com/2019/05/ahimsa-origins.html

Thirukkural & PurushArtha

The Thirukkural (திருக்குறள்-sacred voice) of Thiruvalluvar (திருவள்ளுவர்) has three sections.
அறம், பொருள் & இன்பம், which would lead towards வீடு.

These are the PurushArtha पुरुषार्थ: Dharma धर्मः, Artha अर्थ, Kama काम & Moksha मोक्ष.

The work uses the word பால் (milk) for its sections, which also means essence. This is in essence a Sutra (pithy essence), rather than a Shastra (detailed treatise).

Fulfill your desires, find meaning in your life and accummulate wealth/power, but be bound by Dharma with a goal towards Moksha.

Electricity & the underlying power

What is this bizarre thing? It can heat stoves & cool refrigerators. It can generate light or sound. It can move things around. It can attract or repel some metals. It takes on multiple forms. Does it have a name or form of its own?

It is nameless & formless. We can give it a name, Electricity. Tamil has an interesting name for it: மின்சாரம். This means, the essence of that which can't be seen.

Say there are isolated tribes, who have never experienced electricity may say that it doesn't exist. They may say, let me see it, hear it or touch it. What, I can't do that? Maybe it doesn't exist.

Maybe we touch a small battery, don't feel anything. We can touch & perceive a high voltage line, once.

If someone takes a bulb & complains that it doesn't amplify sound, or takes a speaker & complains that it doesn't make light, how would that appear?

This underlying unseen power flows through everything, but it is dependent on the device that uses this power. They can emit different types or forms of light. Some are like a 0W night lamp, some are 50W, 100W, 500W or 1000W. A fused bulb may emit no light. Is that a problem with the bulb or the electricity?

Now, imagine that there is a power, that is the source of electricity & everything there is, that flows through everything in the universe. Imagine applying the same analogies on this power.

Reference:
Haridas Giri Upanyasam

Our strange world of M

In the recent Kashmir hearings & protests, there was simply no voice for the Kashmiri Pandits. The media, the governments, the UN & the courts ignored them. The Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition from the Pandits that simply sought an investigation into their gruesome murders & rapes. The unfortunate Yazidis have met with a similar fate. Similarly, the voices of the ancient cultures of Europe, Africa, Americas & Asia have been silenced in the narratives. Why?

Welcome to our strange world of M.

The Majority in our world comprise of the totalitarian ideologies of Marx, Missionaries & Mullahs. Together, they control the Mainstream Media and other organizations. And they attack the global Minorities with the eventual goal of 'join us or get wiped out'.

Totalitarian ideologies have a intolerant concept of us vs them. The others are dehumanized with terms such as heathens/heretics, Kafirs & reactionaries/bourgeois. When such terms are no longer popular, terms such as savages, ignorant, primitive, barbaric, Nazis, supremacists, fascists & nationalists are used. Faults of the totalitarian ideologies are ascribed to the others. Anti-semitic people will use the term Zionists, since they'll look bad if they say that they hate Jews. Hinduphobic people will use the term Hindutva or Brahminism, since they'll look bad if they say that they hate Hindus. Such terms will be used to attack the others in a systemic manner by setting negative narratives. Physical violence against them will be dealt with silence or justified.

Totalitarian ideologies don't allow for any competing voices to exist. The ancient diverse faiths of the lands controlled by the M gang have been uprooted. Whenever the totalitarian ideologies come into contact with each other, they seek to completely destroy the other. Examples are the Reconquista in Crusades, Jihad by the Ottoman Empire, Chinese treatment of Uighurs, Islamic treatment of the communists in Central Asia and surrounding countries. In areas where they don't have complete control, they work with each other in trying to uproot the other ancient cultures. Their internal fight can wait for later.

Such is the way our current world works, our strange world of M.

The lotus in the swamp

There was a swamp. There were fish & frogs living in the swamp.

From this dirty mud and water, there grew a lotus. There was dirt all around. It did not matter to the lotus. The water did not stick to the leaves. It would form small droplets that would eventually slide away.

The lotus flowered. There was nectar in it.

From the trees nearby, there were bees. They came over sensing the nectar. They collected the nectar and took it away to their hives.

The fish & frogs in the swamp saw the lotus. But they did not know about the nectar, nor did they seem to care, though the lotus was right there with them.

Reference:
Swami Haridas Giri Upanyasam, referring to a story by his Guru, Gnanananda Giri

Stealing donations

स्वदत्ताम् परदत्ताम् वा यो हरेत वसुंधरा ।
शष्ठिवर्षसहस्राणि विश्ठायाम् जायते क्रिमिः ॥

Thieves who steal donations will be reborn as a worm living in excrement for 60k years.

The shaved Swami & the industrialist

Haridas Giri had just completed an Upanyasam in the North. He returned to Tapovanam. He tonsured his head & shaved off his moustache & beard.

Suddenly, there was a guest at the Matam (Mutt). It was Durga Das, an industrialist from Bengal.

"Can I meet Guruji"?

Haridas thought that he had come to meet his Guru, Swami Gnananada Giri. "Guruji has gone out and should be back in the evening."

"What can I have for lunch here?"

Haridas talked about the lunch being served in the Matam & about nearby hotels. Durga Das gave Haridas some money & asked him to get some Masala Dosas for him & the people with him. Haridas returned with the Dosas & some change.

"Keep the change!"

"No, no. My Gurunathar will not like it." And he returned the change.

In the evening, Gnananada returned. Sishyas welcomed Guruji. But Durga Das was puzzled. This is not the person he had seen. He explained. He had gone to an Upanyasam/Pravachan and was extremely impressed with Guruji's eloquence. He had come all the way to Tapovanam in the south to meet Guruji.

Gnananada gently guided him to the truth. It was Haridas he had come to see. He simply failed to recognize him owing to his changed appearance.

Durga Das was horrified. What had he done?

Haridas had indeed realized who Durga Das had come to see sometime after the initial conversation, but he had decided to let things play out until his Guru returned.

Maybe he just had fun serving his devotee. Not unlike the Puranic stories where Bhagawan serves his Bhakthas (devotees).

Reference:
Haridas Giri Upanyasam, where he narrated this experience, in the context of Puranic stories where we don't recognize who we came to see.

The Vishnu temple procession-meaning

In Tamil Nadu, in Vishnu temple, periodically, the Utsava Murti is taken in a public procession.

In the front, people will be chanting the Tamil 4000 Divya Prabandam. They will be followed people carrying the Utsava Murti. They will be followed by people chanting the Vedas.

Why?

The Divya Prabandham chanters represent the supreme Bhaktas, the Azhwars. Bhagawan follows the Bhaktas (devotees). The Vedas follow Bhagawan.

Source: Haridas Giri Upanyasam

Chennai Express-Thirupanazhwar Pasarum

Research credit: @TrueIndology

The song Titli in the Hindi movie, Chennai Express, starts with a Tamil verse of sublime beauty.

கொண்டல் வண்ணனைக் கோவலனாய் வெண்ணெய்

உண்டவாயன் என் உள்ளம் கவர்ந்தானை

அண்டர்கோன் அணி அரங்கன் என் அமுதினை

கண்ட கண்கள் மற்றொன்றினைக் காணாதே.

One can sense immediately that there is something special in this verse. This was composed by Thiruppanazhwar (திருப்பாணாழ்வார்), one of the greatest Bhakthi saints of India. 

English fails to convey the beauty of this verse. He sings of the dark skinned divinity who has stolen his heart, who is his immortal nectar, who after been sighted, the eyes don't want to see anything else.

Who was Thiruppanazhwar? He was a Bhaktha (devotee) who sung melodious songs on Srirangam Ranganathar. However, he was also a Dalit. He would sing across the Cauvery river but not come near the temple. The head priest of Srirangam has a dream, where Ranganatha commands him to fetch Thiruppanazhwar. When Thiruppanazhwar is unwilling owing to his untouchability, the priest convinces him citing Ranganatha's command and carries him into the temple.

This painting from the ancient Uraiyur temple depicts this event.

Thiruppanazhwar then sings the Amalanadhi Piran poem describing Ranganathan. This is part of the 4000 Tamil Divya Prabandham recited at Tirupati, Srirangam and other prominent Vaishnava temples everyday. One of the verses is sung in the Chennai Express Titli song.

This is the earliest reference to the story from the manuscripts-researcher John Strawley.

Over the next millennium, secondary fictional atrocity literature was created.

The favorable winds

Consider this saying.
காற்றுள்ள போதே தூற்றிக்கொள்

When the winds are in your favor, use it. This is a common phrase used to advice people to seize an opportunity that presents itself.

However, like many Tamil sayings, this has a deeper Vedantic meaning.

While the body has breath in it, use the opportunity of this life to realize the inner fundamental truth.

Source: Haridas Giri Upanyasam

Male & female divinity

Continued from The Secret of the Rasa Krida

In Hindu religious thought, what is considered male? What is female? What is its creation story?

From the formless nameless divine of eternal bliss, a thought came. Bliss desired to experience bliss. How is that possible?

This desire became Kama. Bliss was covered by non-bliss, which now thought it was not bliss. It always wanted to experience something new, something different, constantly kept moving around. Now, the non-bliss experiences happiness & sadness. And finally, has to shed itself of its own covering, and become bliss, which is its true self. This is the path it has to take; there is simply no other way.

In Kapila Kardama's Samkya & Patanjali's AshtAnga Yoga (two early philosophies), there is the non-material Purusha and the material Prakriti. Purusha is male while Prakriti is female. 

In Shaiva Sampradaya (tradition), the eternal unmoving bliss itself is Shiva. This is male.

The primordial constantly moving power that caused the covering over Shiva is Shakti. It is feminine. It itself has a male & female component. The female is Narayani; the male is Narayana.

Shiva is also called AmmaiAppan (mother & father) and Ardha-Narishwara (half female lord). There is no Shakti without Shiva & no Shiva without Shakti. In the Thiru-thondar Puranam (Periya Puranam), Karaikkal Ammaiyaar, the naked saint who performed her Tapasya (penance) to go to Shiva is addressed as Ammaiye (mother). The supreme Bhakta (devotee) who can show the path to the divine is considered the mother of the unborn divine.

Hari (Narayana) is the feminine word for Hara (Shiva). In the Puranas, Hari takes the form of Mohini from time to time. Mohini (seductress) is derived from Moha, which means delusion. The constantly changing material world which keeps us constantly engrossed & interested is Mohini.  In the Ayyappa/Dharma Shastha Puranam, Shastha is born from Hara & Hari (as Mohini), and is called HariHaraSutan. He then proceeds to destroy Mahishi, a symbol of Tamas with qualities such as laziness & ignorance, represented by the symbol of the Indian water buffalo.

In Srimath Bhagavatham, Krishna (Hari) multiplies himself & dances with 108 Gopikas. This is the Rasa-Kreeda or Rasa-Lila. Rasa is what we experience in the material world. Lila is play & Kreeda means crown. 108 is a sacred & special number with multiple esoteric meanings.

Rasas are defined in Bharatha Muni's Natya Shastra, the treatise on dance. They are created by a Bhaava or state of mind. The Bhaavas are Rati (love), Hasya (laughter), Shoka (sorrow), Krodha (anger), Utsaha (energy-similar to the Tamil Urchaham), Bhaya (fear), Jugupsa (disgust) & Vismaya (astonishment). The Rasas are Shrungaaram (beautification), Haasyam (comedy), Raudram (anger), Kaarunyam (compassion), Bibhatsam (disgust), Bhaayanakam (fear), Veeram (valor) & Adbhutham (wonder). There is one final Rasa not caused by a Bhaava, rather one that exists outside of Bhaavas. This is called Shaantham (peace). All these Rasas are called the Nava-Rasas (nine emotions).

The Rasa-Lila represents the dance of life that all of us undergo experiencing all our Rasa & Bhavas. We life forms experience the 9 Rasas for 12 months of the year. 9*12=108. This is one of the meanings of the number 108.

Krishna is the male Narayana Paramatma. Each Gopika thinks that she alone has Krishna. The Gopikas are the female Jivatmas, dancing their own individual dance of life. This is also celebrated as the Raas Garba during Navaratri.

In another story, Narada visits Krishna with his 16,108 wives. Per Yogis, the body has 16,108 Nadis which transmit the force of Shakti. Of these, the most important are three, which are part of the Kundalini, called Ida, Pingala & Sushumna. Usually, male deities in their various forms represent Sushumna & they have two consorts, Ida & Pingala.

Each wife thinks that Krishna is living with her alone. Narada visits one after the other, and sees him leading a separate life with each. Each of us are living our own lives with the divine within. Narada finally finds out it was all a Maya (illusion).

In the beginning of Srimath Bhagavatham, Parikshit is born burnt owing to the power of the Brahmashiranamakastra (celestial weapon) unleashed by Ashwatthama on the Pandavas' progeny. Krishna says that if he has practiced Brahmacharya, then let the child become normal. Parikshit turns normal. Brahmacharya means celibacy. In the stories, Krishna has children. How then could he be practicing Brahmacharya? Here, the implication is that the divine bliss itself has nothing else to unite to; it is a Brahmachari. It itself has a covering of ego, mind & senses. Once removed, it will revert to its original state of pure divine bliss.

In Vaishnava Sampradaya (tradition), all life forms are female, while Narayana is the only Purusha (male). Ramanuja, Ramananda, Vallaba, Kabir, Ravidas, Mirabai, Surdas & other devotees in the Vaishnava Sampradaya have all sung of themselves as the female pining to join with the male Narayana. Akka Mahadevi sings in a similar manner, in the Shaiva Sampradaya.

In Hindu marriages, mantras are chanted with the implication that the bride marries Narayana in the form of the groom. All the respects performed to the groom is to Narayana within the groom. Even the day to day greeting of Namaskaram or Namaste is to the divine within.

Joe De Cruz: visiting temples & churches with friends

Joe De Cruz, Tamil writer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73QUxSSBWUc

"

When I was young, I would sometimes visit temples with my Hindu friends. They were amazed that I, a Catholic Christian, would come to the kovil (temple).

However, I was the one truly amazed. My Hindu friends, when they came to a church, would pray with the same Bhakthi (devotion) that they would in a Shiva kovil, Sandana-Mariamma kovil or Mutharamman kovil.

However, when I would go to a Shiva temple, say the Svayambu Linga Swami kovil, once the temple of the Parathavas, I would only admire the sculpture or architecture. I would not pray. But not anymore. With folded hands and a melting mind, I do pray. (Quotes from Manikkavasagar's Thiruvasagam).

ஓம் நம சிவாய

நமசிவாய வாழ்க நாதன் தாள் வாழ்க

இமைப்பொழுதும் என் நெஞ்சில் நீங்காதான் தாள் வாழ்க

ஏகன் அனேகன் இறைவன் அடி வாழ்க

"

The two birds

This is a story from the Upanishads.

There was a bird in a tree. It hopped around eating fruits. It would sometimes get a sweet fruit & sometimes a bitter fruit. Occasionally, after eating an extremely bitter fruit, it looked around. It saw another bird. That bird was calm & utterly unaffected by any of the fruits. The agitated bird with the bitter experience wondered about the calm bird. Over time, the bird learnt to accept all types of fruits without getting too affected. And it finally realized that it was itself the calm bird all along.

The calm bird is the Atma (or Ishwara). The agitated bird is the Jeeva (Jeeva Shakti or Jeevatma). When the Kundalini Shakti establishes life in the material world and is a dormant coiled serpent, the Jeeva goes around following its desires with good & bad experiences. The Jeeva is the constantly moving feminine Shakti. The Atma is the calm masculine Shiva. The Paramatma has itself become the Atma & Jeeva. Finally, when the Kundalini is awakened through Yoga, the Jeeva merges with the Atma which is none other than Paramatma.

Now, let us corrupt this story and take it literally.

Let Atma become Adam. J was the last letter added to the English alphabet in 1524 by Trissino. Let Jeeva become Eva/Eve. The undesirable fruits, instead of being indifferent through realization, are now prohibited. The dormant serpent entices Eve & Adam to eat the fruits. Instead of our own desire keeping us from divinity, a God now banishes and curses Adam & Eve. Add to this story the concept of original sin. Brahmacharya (celibacy) which comes with realization, is now an imposition, fighting against life's most powerful instinct. Such a simple perversion with far reaching consequences.

Hindu student questionnaire

Suggested questionnaire for hiring researchers for Hinduism topics.

Name some of your favorite philosophers or saints with reasoning.
Name some of your favorite warriors with reasoning.
How many of your favorites so far were men or women? Do you have some favorites in the opposite gender?
What is your opinion on God or divinity?
What is your opinion on religion?
What are your favorite religions & are there any religions you dislike? Why?
What do you think about equality? How is it dealt with in different cultures?
What topic would you like to research on?

Visiting Tara

She was a dhyana (meditation) practitioner for decades. She could now help solve minor issues for people. She could also perceive things. She perceived something. It was time to talk to her brother.

He was a brilliant engineer with multiple patents to his name and a hobbyist historian with a photographic memory. He was also a Yoga & Dhyana practitioner. His sister spoke to him. It was about their mother. She did not have much time left.

He wrapped up & returned. They all spent time together. They went on a pilgrimage.

He had read the book, Aghora, by Robert Svoboda, who documented learnings from the Aghori, Vimalananda. Aghoris follow the Vama marga (left path) as opposed to the Dakshina marga (right path) such as Yoga & meditation. Vimalananda worshipped Tara, a fierce form of Shakti, one of the ten forms (Mahavidya).

There was a temple to Tara in a Smashanam (cremation ground) in Bengal. They were in a car asking directions to the Smashanam. She said that she could perceive the high pitched cackles & shrieks of the spirits and pointed in a direction. The driver asked around, found the place & drove over. It was exactly where she had pointed it.

They went to the temple & worshipped. The Pujari (priest) told them that tonight was Ammavasya (the new moon) & there was a special Netra Puja ritual at midnight. He invited them to come.

They went back to the hotel. It grew dark. They prepared to return. The hotel owner was surprised to see them leave late. On realizing that they were going to the Smashanam, he was shocked. "It is scary to go there in the day. It is crazy to go in the night! Why?" They explained the invite to the special Puja.

They reached the Smashanam. They heard loud sounds with cries of "Jai Mata". It was scary. They made their way to the temple. The Pujari performed the puja. He finished. He put his head on Tara's feet. The mother was next. He was next. Finally, she.

When she put her forehead to the feet, she was physically thrown back a few feet. And there was a big red mark on her forehead. Everyone, including the Pujari were startled.

Then, the Puja was over. They made their way back to the car. On their way back, they met with an accident. The mother was injured & hospitalized. Others were unhurt. Would the mother survive? Was this was she had perceived?

However, the mother recovered. And she could no longer perceive anything foreboding in the mother's future.

Did Tara simply reduce the bad Karma of an impending end to mere injuries and hospitalization? Why did Tara physically throw her back? Was it just removal of bad Karma? Only Tara, the divine mother herself with her mysterious nature knows.

The four Vairagyas

Vairagya means determination. Pursuing a spiritual path requires Vairagya. There are four Vairagyas.

1. Prasava Vairagyam: When one is pregnant, the desire for a safe pregnancy can lead some on the spiritual path temporarily.

2. PurAna/UpanyAsa Vairagyam: Puranas are old spiritual texts. Listening to spiritual talks, reading spiritual works can help the restless mind focus temporarily on a spiritual goal. This is the easiest path, but requires repeated reminders, by repeated reading & listening.

3. Smashana Vairagyam: Smashanam means cremation ground. A close encounter with death can result in one turning spiritual. This can also happen when death or a close encounter visits close family or friends. This is likely to exist longer, but will still be temporary in nature.

4. Gnana Vairagyam: Gnanam means knowledge. Once people realize the inner truth for themselves, they know. There are people who meditate for long periods of time, and have done so consistently for decades. They have realized the value & persist with their practice. Their practice becomes a Sadhana, which means achievement, also implying the only achievement that truly matters.

Source: Haridas Giri Upanyasam

Bharathi-Chinna Payal

Bharathi when asked to say the deprecating பாரதி சின்னப் பயல் (Bharathi is a small boy), did a play on the words:
காந்திமதிநாதனைப் பார் அதி சின்னப் பயல் (Gandhimathinathan is the smallest boy in the world-BhAr).

Realizing immediately that he had disrespected an elder, modified it to the original request, deprecating himself, as per the original request.
காந்திமதி நாதனைப் பாரதி சின்னப் பயல்

The full verses:
"ஆண்டில் இளையவன் என்ற‌ந்தோ அகந்தையினால் ஈண்டிங்கு இகழ்ந்தென்னை ஏளனம்செய் ‍ மாண்பற்ற‌ காரிருள்போல் உள்ளத்தான் காந்திமதி நாதனைப் பாரதி சின்னப் பயல்"

"ஆண்டில் இளையவன் என்றுஐய அருமையினால் ஈண்டின்று என்றன்தன்னை நீயேந்தினையால் மாண்புற்ற‌ காரதுபோல் உள்ளத்தான் காந்திமதி நாதற்கு பாரதி சின்னப் பயல்"

Ayodhya-ownership history

Ayodhya land ownership summary: A temple is built. Demolished. The land bought back by the Hindus. A mosque called Masjid-I-Janmastan is constructed after the buy-back. Still, the Hindus aren't allowed to own the land.

Details:

Hindus construct a Rama temple in Ayodhya. Demolished. Suspect is Babar, but during British rule, the Ayodhya pages in the Babar Nama go missing. Travelers (William Finch (1611), Jonnes De Laet (1631), Thomas Herbert (1640)) who describe Ayodhya in detail record no mosque. 

Hindus are prevented from worshipping there.

Amber Rajput Raja, Sawai Jai Singh buys the land from the Mughals in 1717 CE, recorded in Mughal records in the Kapad Dwar map as Janmasthan. Temple spires are shown. Hindus commence worship.

The temple spires are demolished. A mosque is built, called Masjid-I-Janmasthan. Suspect is Aurangzeb per oral history, but no primary sources.

Hindus worship inside the mosque.

British ban Hindu entry into the mosque in 1858. Hindus worship outside.

In 1946, British records are forged (with different ink) to rename the mosque from Masjid-I-Janmasthan to Babri Masjid. A copy of the records without the forgery exist, which establishes the forgery.

In 1991, the Indian government revokes legal ownership of all demolished & converted Hindu structures, except Ayodhya, unless a temple is excavated. This was the Places of worship act, 1991. The ASI excavates a temple. Nothing happens.

Analogy-issues

"Humans are the only species to drink the milk of another species beyond infancy."
"Humans do other things that other species can't do. So, it is ok".

What can we learn from this?

The UpamAna PramAnam (Analogy) is the 4th way of acquiring knowledge.

Carvaka (atheism), Vaiseshika (study of material world), Samkya/Yoga (remove the material to realize the non-material divine) don't accept analogies as a valid way of acquiring knowledge.

Analogies, by definition, are never a perfect match. A non-truth seeking debater (Jalpa or Vithanda VAdham) can always find imperfections in an analogy based argument. If you're using analogies in social media, this would be the common nature of the counter.

For a truth-seeker debate (Sam VAtham), analogies are valid. NyAya, (Purva) MimAmsa & VedAnta/Uttara MimAmsa all accept analogies as a valid way of acquiring knowledge.

Parathavar customs

Joe De Cruz: https://youtu.be/Ciu6N80jOWo

In Uvari, a Catholic village of Paravathars, I'd posted the story of how the drunkard Alec Pitchai was banished for visiting the Mutharamman temple. The Mutharamman vigraha had refused to move until she was touched by Alec.

Though the village council banished Alec, what were their customs? When large fish like sharks or whales played near their boats, my brothers, father, grandfather, his brother & all ancestors have a practice that is still followed.

They would place their hand on the head of the whale/shark & say: On my Kumari Aatha, I swear that I will not bother you; you shouldn't bother me.

On the boat, when we see Colombo, we break a coconut for Murugan. When we see Kanyakumari, we break a coconut for Kumari Aatha.

My grandma would sing a lullaby for me. Having the Parathi, Devayani, already as his wife, our Macchaan (brother-in-law) Velavan (Murugan) took a tribal disguise for the Korathi, Valli.

During the rule of the Pandyas, the Parathavas had ruling rights over the pearl coast. They used to worship Madurai Meenakshi, Uttarakosamangai Mangaleshwari, Korkai (Thoothukkudi) Sandana Mariamman, Kanyakumari Aatha since time immemorial.

Given the customs that the Parathavars are still following, is it logical for them to banish Alec for visiting a temple?

Untruth & truth-Tamil saying

Tamizh (தமிழ்) saying: கண்ணால் காண்பதும் பொய், காதால் கேட்பதும் பொய், தீர விசாரிப்பதே மெய்

Many Tamizh sayings are multi-layered with material & spiritual meanings.

Meaning: What you see or hear is false, what you investigate in-depth is the truth.

In essence, don't believe what you see or hear, investigate for the truth.

Vedantic: What you see, hear or perceive of this world is ultimately false. Investigate in-depth who you truly are within, and you'll know the truth.

Reminded of Adi Shankara:
श्लोकार्घेन प्रवक्ष्यामि यदुक्तं ग्रन्थकोटिभिः।
ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।

Vivekananda-oranges in Chicago

Once Vivekananda was invited to a party in Chicago. He requested vegetarian food. There was no cooked vegetarian food available. He was fine with just fruits. He was given oranges.

A guy named Francis, came over, and started chatting with Vivekananda, while he was peeling & eating the oranges.
"I pity you."
"Why?"
"Looks like you don't know the science. The orange skin has far more nutrients than the flesh of the fruit. The skin is the best part of the orange."
Vivekananda calmly ate the orange pulp, peeling them off. He then offered the orange skin.
"I'm a Hindu, and we always share the best of what we have with our friends. Dear friend, I'm sharing the best part of the oranges with you."

Source: Haridas Giri Upanyasam on Devi Navaratnamala

Ayutha Puja

In Navaratri, on the 9th day, there is Ayutha Puja (also called Shastra Puja or Saraswati Puja). Ayutha or Shastra means weapon or tool. Weapons, tools, machines & vehicles are all given a rest day, and also celebrated and worshipped, with flowers, turmeric/kumkumam, camphor & incense sticks.

In some cultures, there are no weapons worshipped. Only books, as Saraswati Puja. Why? Because books and knowledge are themselves the weapon.

The buffalo-Kala, Kali & Durga

Kala means time. It also means death. He is shown as riding the Indian water buffalo, which walks slowly. Time & death comes for everyone & everything. Slowly & surely.

Kali represents the female form of time. She destroys the Rakta Bhijasura, the seed demon, who replicates himself. All species replicate themselves. She who destroys everything, species, empires, dynasties, civilizations, ideologies, faiths, religions. This also represents our own mind. One thought leads to another & yet another, constantly replicating. She destroys the chatter in our own mind, leading us to know who we truly are.

Durga is Mahishasura Mardhini, the destroyer of the the Mahisha (buffalo) demon. Mahisha represents the Tamasa Guna (the Guna that represents laziness, ignorance and the inability to differentiate between right and wrong). Durga means difficult to reach. Durga is our own inner Shakti, who is difficult to reach, but once reached through Yoga, is who destroys our Tamasa Guna.

Thiruvannamalai Siddhar-from arrogance to insanity

In Thiruvannamalai, a Devi Upasaka was doing his Girivalam (walking around the holy mountain). He had walked till the Isanya Lingam. This was the olden days, when it was still forested and not as densely populated.
It was hot. He was thirsty. Not a soul in sight. He called out: "Mother, I'm thirsty. Can anyone offer me some water?"
Suddenly, he hears a voice: "Ayya".
He turns around. He sees a Harijan Stree (woman) carrying a pot of water. "Would you like some water?"
He stepped back. How could he accept the water? He refused.
She laughed & vanished right in front of his eyes.
He grew insane. He roamed the streets as a madman. Whenever he saw any woman on the street, he would run and fall at her feet. In his insanity, he saw the divine mother in all women.
One day, he called some people. He said: "Mother is calling me" and instructed them to dig a pit. He went into it. Instructed them to close it. His Samadhi is still there in Thiruvannamalai.

Source: Haridas Giri Upanyasam on Devi Mahatmyam

Conversion oath on the Goddess

Joe De Cruz, brilliant Tamil writer talking on his experiences. https://youtu.be/Ciu6N80jOWo

The Parathavais were fishermen & warriors who once ruled the pearl coast from Thiruvananthapuram to Korkai (Thoothukkudi). 500 years back, the Muslims attacked their domain with an eye on enslaving the Parathavais & gaining control over the lucrative pearl trade. The Parathavais fought back with valor. However, the Muslims had guns, which the Parathavais lacked. They lost 2000 warriors.

Joam De Cruz, a horse trader with an interest in strengthening relationships with the Portuguese, proposed to get them guns from the Portuguese. On one condition. The Parathavais have to worship the Portuguese god. The Parathavais thought that they were simply adding the Portuguese god to their current worship. They simply didn't understand what they were getting into. They agreed.

Armed with guns, they successfully repelled the Muslim attack. They added the Portuguese god to their worship. Francis Xavier came to inspect. The Parathavais had given their word that they would worship the Portuguese god. But the Portuguese god demanded exclusivity. No one else could be worshipped. The Parathavais had to keep their word. In ancient India, the word once given will be honored, no matter what. Xavier demanded an oath.

The Parathavais, to keep their word, took an oath on their beloved mother Goddess, Kumari Aatha (Kanyakumari Amman) that they will not worship her anymore.

The drunkard & the Goddess

From the brilliant Joe De Cruz, Tamil writer & speaker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ciu6N80jOWo

I'm from the Nellai district, Buvari village. This was a Catholic village of Parathavas. I am talking about my experiences.

As a young boy, when I would go to sleep, I would listen to Biblical sayings from a village drunkard, Alec Pitchai, such as: "Repent now. The Kingdom of God is upon us.", "Who has taught you to escape the coming apocalypse?". One night, he wasn't there. He was under trial by the village. He was bowed, his arms folded & hand on his mouth.

He was banished from the village. Why? What crime did he commit?

He had gone to the Mutharathamman Kovil in the neighboring village. The Christian village forbade everyone from visiting any temple, celebrating their festivals or partaking in their Prasadam (food offerings). He had violated the decree. For this crime, the village decided to banish him.

Why did he go to the temple?

Every year, the Mutharathamman Vigraha would be taken & put in a Sambadam (metal water container), and joyously carried around. This year, she simply wouldn't move. The local Hindus tried; she wouldn't move. The Pujari (priest) did additional rituals. She still wouldn't budge. The village council was called. Per the local Sampradaya (traditions), only a Parathavai could move her. The local Hindus chanced upon Alec Pitchai. They requested him. He obliged. He touched the till-now immovable Goddess and she moved immediately. The ritual & festivals were happily conducted.

ஒரு பானை சோற்றுக்கு ஒரு சோறு பதம். With just one of her Parathavai children who used to worship her touching her, the mother is joyous; didn't matter if no one else came.