What is Mind? From Swami Sivananda

What is Mind?

From Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda, in his book "Mind - Its Mysteries & Control," tries to unravel the mystery and the make-up of the human mind based on Vedic philosophy and his own interpretation of the workings of the brain. Here's an excerpt…

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"He who knows the receptacle (Ayatana) verily becomes the receptacle of his people. Mind is verily the receptacle (of all our knowledge)." - Chhandogya Upanishad, V-i-5

That which separates you from God is mind. The wall that stands between you and God is mind. Pull the wall down through Om-Chintana or devotion and you will come face to face with God.

The Mind - Mystery

The vast majority of men know not the existence of the mind and its operations. Even the so-called educated persons know very little of the mind subjectively or of its nature and operations. They have only heard of a mind.

Western psychologists know something. Western doctors know only a fragment of mind. The afferent nerves bring the sensations from the periphery or extremities of the spinal cord. The sensations then pass to the medulla oblongata at the back of the head, where the fibres decussate. From there, they pass on to the superior frontal gyrus or superior frontal convolution of the brain in the forehead, the supposed seat of the intellect or mind. The mind feels the sensations and sends motor impulses through the afferent nerves to the extremities - hands, legs, etc. It is a brain-function only for them. Mind, according to them, is only an excretion of the brain, like bile from liver. The doctors are still groping in utter darkness. Their minds need drastic flushing for the entry of Hindu philosophical ideas.

It is only the Yogins and those who practise meditation and introspection that know the existence of the mind, its nature, ways and subtle workings. They know also the various methods of subduing the mind.

Mind is one of the Ashta-Prakritis - "Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and egoism - these constitute the eightfold division of My Nature" (Gita, VII-4).

Mind is nothing but Atma-Sakti. It is brain that wants rest (sleep), but not the mind. A Yogi who has controlled the mind never sleeps. He gets pure rest from meditation itself.

Mind is Subtle Matter 

Mind is not a gross thing, visible and tangible. Its existence is nowhere seen. Its magnitude cannot be measured. It does not require a space in which to exist. Mind and matter are two aspects as subject and object of one and the same all-full Brahman, who is neither and yet includes both. Mind precedes matter.

This is Vedantic theory. Matter precedes mind. This is scientific theory. Mind can be said to be immaterial only in the sense that it has not the characteristics of ponderable matter. It is not, however, immaterial in the sense that Brahman (Pure Spirit) as such is. Mind is the subtle form of matter and hence the prompter of the body.

Mind is made up of subtle, Sattvic, Apanchikrita (non-quintuplicated) Tanmatric matter. Mind is all electricity. According to the Chhandogya Upanishad, mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food. Mind is material. Mind is subtle matter. This discrimination is made on the principle that the soul is the only source of intelligence; it is self-evident; it shines by its own light.

But the organs (mind and senses) derive their principle of activity and life from the soul. By themselves, they are lifeless. Hence the soul is always a subject and never an object. Manas can be an object of the soul. And it is a cardinal principle of Vedanta that that which is an object for a subject is non-intelligent (Jada). Even the principle of self-consciousness (Aham Pratyak-Vishayatva) or Ahankara is non-intelligent; it does not exist by its own light. It is the object of apperception to the soul.

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Swami Sivananda, in his book "Mind - Its Mysteries & Control," tries to unravel the mystery and the make-up of the human mind based on Vedic philosophy and his own interpretation of the workings of the brain. Here's an excerpt…

...................................

"He who knows the receptacle (Ayatana) verily becomes the receptacle of his people. Mind is verily the receptacle (of all our knowledge)." - Chhandogya Upanishad, V-i-5

That which separates you from God is mind. The wall that stands between you and God is mind. Pull the wall down through Om-Chintana or devotion and you will come face to face with God.

The Mind - Mystery

The vast majority of men know not the existence of the mind and its operations. Even the so-called educated persons know very little of the mind subjectively or of its nature and operations. They have only heard of a mind.

Western psychologists know something. Western doctors know only a fragment of mind. The afferent nerves bring the sensations from the periphery or extremities of the spinal cord. The sensations then pass to the medulla oblongata at the back of the head, where the fibres decussate. From there, they pass on to the superior frontal gyrus or superior frontal convolution of the brain in the forehead, the supposed seat of the intellect or mind. The mind feels the sensations and sends motor impulses through the afferent nerves to the extremities - hands, legs, etc. It is a brain-function only for them. Mind, according to them, is only an excretion of the brain, like bile from liver. The doctors are still groping in utter darkness. Their minds need drastic flushing for the entry of Hindu philosophical ideas.

It is only the Yogins and those who practise meditation and introspection that know the existence of the mind, its nature, ways and subtle workings. They know also the various methods of subduing the mind.

Mind is one of the Ashta-Prakritis - "Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and egoism - these constitute the eightfold division of My Nature" (Gita, VII-4).

Mind is nothing but Atma-Sakti. It is brain that wants rest (sleep), but not the mind. A Yogi who has controlled the mind never sleeps. He gets pure rest from meditation itself.

Mind is Subtle Matter 

Mind is not a gross thing, visible and tangible. Its existence is nowhere seen. Its magnitude cannot be measured. It does not require a space in which to exist. Mind and matter are two aspects as subject and object of one and the same all-full Brahman, who is neither and yet includes both. Mind precedes matter.

This is Vedantic theory. Matter precedes mind. This is scientific theory. Mind can be said to be immaterial only in the sense that it has not the characteristics of ponderable matter. It is not, however, immaterial in the sense that Brahman (Pure Spirit) as such is. Mind is the subtle form of matter and hence the prompter of the body.

Mind is made up of subtle, Sattvic, Apanchikrita (non-quintuplicated) Tanmatric matter. Mind is all electricity. According to the Chhandogya Upanishad, mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food. Mind is material. Mind is subtle matter. This discrimination is made on the principle that the soul is the only source of intelligence; it is self-evident; it shines by its own light.

But the organs (mind and senses) derive their principle of activity and life from the soul. By themselves, they are lifeless. Hence the soul is always a subject and never an object. Manas can be an object of the soul. And it is a cardinal principle of Vedanta that that which is an object for a subject is non-intelligent (Jada). Even the principle of self-consciousness (Aham Pratyak-Vishayatva) or Ahankara is non-intelligent; it does not exist by its own light. It is the object of apperception to the soul.

"The Philosophy of Dreams."--- Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda speaks at length in his book "The Philosophy of Dreams." In this excerpt, he analyses the different characters, objects and emotions that appear in our dreams and tries to interpret the meanings of such symbols.

Abuse: There may be a dispute between you and the person with whom you do business. Take heed and be not slack in your attentions.

Accident: Personal afflictions may be inevitable. But you will remove soon from the trouble.

Accuse: This is a sign of great trouble. You will acquire riches by your own personal efforts.

Adultery: Troubles are approaching. Your prospects may be blasted. Despair will catch hold of you.

Advancement: A sign of success in all that you undertake.

Advocate: A dream that you are an advocate indicates that you will be prominent in future. You will win universal respect.

Affluence: This is not a favourable dream. It is indicatory of poverty.

Anger: The person with whom you are angry is your best friend.

Ass: All your great troubles, in spite of despairing circumstances, will end in ultimate success after much struggle and suffering.

Baby: If you are nursing a baby, it denotes sorrow and misfortune. If you see a baby that is sick, it means that somebody among your relatives will die.

Bachelor: Dreaming of a bachelor tells that you will shortly, meet with a friend.

Bankrupt: This is a dream of warning lest you should undertake something undesirable for you and also injurious to yourself. Be cautious in your transactions.

Battle: To dream of being in a battle means quarrel with neighbours or friends in a serious manner.

Beauty: To dream that you are beautiful indicates that you will become ugly with sickness and that you will become weak in body. Increasing beauty indicates death.

Birds: To see birds flying are very unlucky; it denotes sorrowful setback in circumstances. Poor persons may become better especially if they hear birds sing.

Birth: For unmarried women to dream of giving of birth to children, is indicative of inevitable adultery. For married women it indicates happy confinement.

Blind: To dream of the blind is a sign that you will have no real friends.

Boat: To sail in a boat or ship on smooth waters is lucky. On rough waters, it is unlucky. To fall into water indicates great peril.

Books: To dream of books is an auspicious sign. Your future life will be very agreeable. Woman dreaming of books will get a son of eminent learning.

Bread: You will succeed in earthly business pursuits. Eating good bread indicates good health and long life. Burnt bread is a sign of funeral and so is bad.

Bride, Bridegroom: This dream is an unlucky one. It indicates sorrow and disappointment. You will mourn at the death of some relative.

Bugs: This indicates sure sickness. Many enemies are seeking to injure you.

Butter: Good dream. Joy and feasting. Sufferings terminate quickly.

Camel: Heavy burdens will come upon you. You will meet with heavy disasters. But you will bear with heroism.

Cat: This is a bad dream. This indicates treachery and fraud. Killing a cat indicates discovery of enemies.

Cattle: You will become rich and fortunate. Black and big-horned cattle indicate enemies of a violent nature.

Children: See Birth.

Clouds: Dark clouds indicate great sorrows that have to be passed through. But they will pass away if the clouds are moving or breaking away.

Corpse: Vision of a corpse indicates a hasty and imprudent engagement in which you will be unhappy.

Cow: Milking cow is a sign of riches. To be pursued by a cow indicates an overtaking enemy.

Crow: This indicates a sorrowful funeral ceremony.

Death: This indicates long life. But a sick person dreaming of death has the positive results.

Desert: Travelling across a desert shows the inevitability of a long and tedious journey. Accompaniment of sunshine indicates successful journey.

Devil: It is high time for you to mend yourself. Great evil may come to you. You must pursue virtue.

Dinner: If you are taking your dinner, it foretells great difficulties where you will be in want of meals. You will be uncomfortable. Enemies will try to injure your character. You should be careful about those whom you are confiding.

Disease: If a sick person dreams of disease it means recovery from the same. To young men it is a warning against evil company and intemperance.

Earthquake: This foretells that great trouble is going to come, loss in business, bereavement and separation. Family ties are broken by death—quarrels in family and fear everywhere, heart breaking agony and disaster from all sides.

Eclipse: Hopes are eclipsed. Death is near. Enjoyment may be put an end to. There is no use of dotting on the wife, for life is coming to an end. The friend is a traitor. All expectations will bear no fruit.

Elephant: Good health, success, strength, prosperity, intelligence.

Embroidery: Those persons who love you are not true to their salt. They will deceive you.

Famine: National prosperity and individual comfort. Much enjoyment. A dream of contrary.

Father: Father loves you. If the father is dead, it shows a sign of affliction.

Fields: Very great prosperity. To walk in green fields shows great happiness and wealth. Everything happens good. Scorched fields denote poverty.

Fighting: Quarrels in families. Misunderstanding among lovers, if not temporary separation. A bad dream for merchants, soldiers and sailors.

Fire: Health and great happiness, kind relations and warm friends.

Floods: Successful trade, safe voyage for traders. But to ordinary persons it indicates bad health and unfavourable circumstances.

Flowers: Gathering beautiful flowers is an indication of prosperity. You will be very fortunate in all your undertakings.

Frogs: These creatures are not harmful. This dream therefore is not unfavourable. It denotes success.

Ghost: This is a very bad omen. Difficulties will be overwhelming. Terrible enemies will overpower you.

Giant: Great difficulty to be encountered. But meet it with boldness. Then it will vanish. This indicates that you will have an enemy of the most dreadful character.

Girl (unmarried): Success, auspiciousness will come over you. Hopes will be fulfilled.

God: This is a rare dream which few people experience. Great success and elevation.

Grave: Some friend or relative will die. Recovery from illness doubtful.

Hanging: If you are hung, it is good to you. You will rise in society, and become wealthy.

Heaven: The remainder of your life will be spiritually happy, and your death will be peaceful.

Hell: There will be bodily suffering and also mental agony. Great suffering due to enemies and death of relatives, etc.

Home: To dream of home-life in early boyhood indicates good health and prosperity. Good sign of progress.

Husband: Your wish will not be granted. If you fall in love with another woman’s husband, it indicates that you are growing vicious.

Ill: To dream that you are ill shows that you will have to fall a victim to some temptation, which, if you do not resist, will injure your character.

Injury: If you are injured by somebody else, it means that there are enemies to destroy you. Beware of them. Change of locality is desirable.

Itch: This is an unlucky dream. Denotes much difficulty and trouble. You will be unhappy.

Jail: If you dream that you are in jail it indicates that in life you will prosper. This is a dream of contrary.

Journey: This indicates that there will be a great change in conditions and circumstances. Good journey indicates good conditions and bad journey with troubles indicates a bad life.

King: To appear before a friendly king is a sign of great success, and before a cruel king is very unfavourable.

Lamp: Very favourable dream. Very happy life. Family peaceful. This dream is always of good signs.

Learning: You will attain influence and respect. Good omen to dream that you are learning and acquiring knowledge.

Leprosy: To dream that you have leprosy always indicates a very great future misfortune. Perhaps you have committed some crime to be severely punished by law. You will have many enemies.

Light: To dream of lights is very good. It denotes riches and honour.

Limbs: Breakage of limbs indicates breakage of a marriage vow.

Lion: This dream indicates greatness, elevation and honour. You will become very important among men. You will become very powerful and happy.

Money: Receiving money in dream denotes earthly prosperity. Giving of it denotes ability to give money.

Mother: If you dream that you see your mother and converse with her, it indicates that you will have prosperity in life. To dream that you have lost your mother indicates her sickness.

Murder: To dream that you have murdered somebody denotes that you are going to become very bad and wretched, vicious and criminal.

Nectar: To drink nectar in dream indicates riches and prosperity. You will be beyond your expectations. You will marry a handsome person in high life and live in great state.

Nightmare: You are guided by foolish persons. Beware of such people.

Noises: To dream of hearing noises indicates quarrels in family and much misery in life.

Ocean: The state of life will be as the ocean is perceived to be in dream, viz., calm and peaceful life when the ocean is calm and troublesome life when the ocean is stormy, etc.

Office: If you dream that you are turned out of the office it means that you will die or lose all property. This is a very bad dream for all people.

Owl: Denotes sickness and poverty, disgrace and sorrow. After dreaming of an owl, one need not have any hope of prosperity in life.

Palace: To live in a palace is a good omen. You will be elevated to a state of wealth and dignity.

Paradise: This is a very good dream. Hope of immortality and entrance into Paradise. Cessation of sorrows. Happy and healthy life.

Pigs: This indicates a mixture of good and bad luck. You will have great troubles but you will succeed. Many enemies are there, but there are some who will help you.

Prison: This is a dream of contrary. Indicates freedom and happiness.

Rain: This foretells trouble especially when it is heavy and boisterous. Gentle rain is a good dream indicating happy and calm life.

River: Rapid and flowing muddy river indicates great troubles and difficulties. But a river with calm glassy surface foretells happiness and love.

Ship: If you have a ship of your own sailing on the sea, it indicates advancement in riches. A ship that is tossed in the ocean and about to sink indicates disaster in life.

Singing: This is a dream of contrary. It indicates weeping and grief. Much suffering.

Snakes: You have sly and dangerous enemies who will injure your character and state of life.

Thunder: Great danger in life. Faithful friends will desert you. Thunder from a distance indicates that you will overcome troubles.

Volcano: Quarrels and disagreements in life.

Water: This indicates birth (of some person).

Wedding: This indicates that there is a funeral to be witnessed by you. To dream that you are married indicates that you will never marry. Marriage of sick persons indicates their death.

Young: To dream of young persons indicates enjoyment. If you are young, it indicates your sickness. You may die quickly.

Kashmir-Krama by S. D. Dhar

The advent of Islam in Kashmir wiped off the Hindus leaving only 11 families, some say 9. It is a tribute to their amazing tenacity that the few who remained blossomed again. 

They had occasional periods of respite particularly in the reign of Zainul-Ab-din and in phases after the Moghul conquest of Kashmir. 

Their plight worsened again during the Pathan rule and then improved again during the Sikh and Dogra regimes. Now again they are in low waters. Their economic condition is bad and they are facing unemployment. The younger generation, though highly educated has lost its religious moorings and has become rudderless.

Kashmir is no longer the famous seat of Sanskrit learning as it was in former days. There is no Sanskrit Department in the Kashmir University. Members of our priestly class who are our traditional teachers and custodian of our religious and cultural heritage are leaving their vocations and their children are taking to other professions. 

The perennial source of ancient Kashmir-Krama seem to have dried up. This has caused grave concern to shaktas all over India. The weakening of the Kashmir Krama is creating a great imbalance in Shakta worship. Sometimes back the matter was considered by the executive committee of the All-India Shakta sammelan and it expressed its serious anxiety over the prevailing conditions in Kashmir, and I as the president of the Sammelan was asked to go to Kashmir and assess the situation. 

I have been to Kashmir several times during the last five years and even though what I have seen has pained me but I have not lost hope. Things could not be worse than what they were when we were only 9 or 11 families left. Then we rose as if from ashes. I have not met initiates in our Kaul Sadhana besides a very few. But there are quite a number of eminent Sanskrit scholars. 

It is indeed a matter of regret that nearly 4000 Sanskrit manuscripts pertaining or Shakta worship and Shaiva Darshan were lying uncatalogued in some almirahs of the Research Department and Archives in Srinagar. I wrote about them to the Government of Jammu & Kashmir as also to the Union Government. Now they have been removed and handed over to the Kashmir University, which does not have a Sanskrit department. I do not know how the Kashmir University proposes to deal with them.

S. D. Dhar

Retired Conservator of Forests.

Glaring instance of the western myths and Hinduism - S. D. Dhar

Tantra Shastra is part of the Dharma Shastra of the Hindus and has its roots in the Vedas. 

Western scholars in their anxiety to put the age of Hindu Civilization later to the Greek Civilization have attempted to put the age of Rig Veda to 2000 B.C. and this too seemingly has been done reluctantly and out of generosity. The tragedy is that Indian scholars who take their inspirations from their western teachers and masters have toed the Western line of thought. 

If Rig Veda goes back only to 2000 B. C. then the period of Shri Ramachandra and of Mahabharta have all to be squeezed in between 2000 B. C. and the birth of Gautam Buddha. A more glaring instance of the western myth is the Aryan invasion of India. Every text book of history starts with that myth which has no basis. It is assumed as a geometrical maxim that Aryans were not Indians and they entered into India from some country other than India. The question then arises as to where did they come from. Then the hunt begins and we are confronted with different theories about the original home of the Aryans and here the wise and pompous scholars are not agreed at all. 

We have the Central Asian, Caucasian & Lithunian theories, regarding the original home of the Aryans. Even such a profound scholar like the late Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak was so overwhelmed by the weight of western opinion that he too propounded his Arctic theory on the basis of the long drawn twilights indicated by some Rig Vedic Richas on 'Ushas' and said that the Arctic Region was the original homeland of the Aryans. It has to be categorically stated that the Indian tradition as also the Vedic literature clearly supports the view that the homeland of the Aryans was Sapta Sindhava viz. the land covered by the River Sindhu Indus and its tributaries.

It is now admitted that in some remote past the land south of the present Punjab and Haryana and the north of the Vindhyas was covered by sea. The Rajputana desert has the Sambhar lake which has salty water indicative of its marine past. It is now well recognised that the Himalayan mountain ranges are, from a geological angle, of comparatively recent origin and marine fossils have been found in its rock stratas. 

History is silent as to when did that happen. Sahara and Gobi deserts were in times past cradles of human civilisation and as a result of intensive grazing the soil became barren and ultimately turned into deserts wiping off the old civilisation of which no traces are left. Again, due to geological changes land between Europe and Africa which connected the two continents got submerged under water when the Atlantic ocean broke through the strait of Gibraltar. We know nothing of these dead and past ancient civilisations.

The Red Indians of North America use Swastika as a symbol. The surprising fact is that they also pronounce it as Swastika as we do. It is said that the American Red Indians are descendants of Asian Tribes who entered America through the Behring strait in some remote past. History is silent as to when that happened. Our known recorded history hardly covers three to four thousand years.

We go further three thousand years back for our sketchy information about Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian pyramids still remain a mystery. Results of archaeological excavations in Sumer Akkad and Mohenjodaro have thrown some light, though dim, on the history of those regions. Beyond 4000 and 5000 B. C. is the era of darkness which is sought to be penetrated by the valiant efforts of anthropologists, archaeologists gists, and we hear of such phases in human history as stone age and copper age. 

It is now said that human beings first appeared on our planet five million years back. How they, evolved is still a controversial subject. Some say that we evolved from a type of sea fish which had a verbetra like ours. Another widely believed theory is that apes were our ancestors. McGlashan, one of the renowned psychologists of the world, in his recently publish book, "The savage and beautiful country", which deals with the working of human mind, has suggested that just as we are now sending human beings in outer space similarly by a reverse process the human species, on our planet came from some planet of our galaxy. Madame Blavatsky, the founder of theosophical movement has propounded the same view.

In short we are so dazzled by the scientific and technological advancement made during the last three or four centuries that we faithfully believe that ours is the most progressive era of our world history and the human beings who inhabited our planet six or seven thousand years back were savages and primitive men. Our self-conceit makes us unable to realise that we are totally ignorant about the past beyond the aforesaid limits. McGlashan says:

"A time will come once more when the whirling machinery will grind to a halt, the harsh music cease and the roundabout riders step down stiffly from their apocalyptic beasts. Looking round for his friends of the inner world, everyman will, see them, too, in troops of gray shadows, slipping silently away. One by one the lights of the fair ground will go out, and every man will be left at last, as at the shadowed close of so many earlier civilisations, to find his own way home, by himself, in the dark".

- S. D. Dhar

KALA, the devourer of all, we are all chanting the primeval songs that were passed on by the Rishis from generation to generation

So civilisations have grown and blossomed and then faded away on our planet. We hear now of continental drifts; shifting of land masses breaking old continents and forming new ones. No one knows the history of the people who lived on land that has now been submerged under seas. Time has devoured them all. In this respect the Hindus are unique. Their memories, thoughts and traditions go back to the dawn of creation itself and the time when man first appeared on this planet. 

The Rishis heard the Vedas with the appearance of human beings on our Earth. Today the Hindus are not those people whose history may be sought to be built up on inferences drawn from ancient ruins and relics of the past. With all the ups and downs that the Hindus have faced in the then history they have gone on marching in tune with KALA, the devourer of all, still chanting the primeval songs that were passed on by the Rishis from generation to generation. The Hindu does not begin from any popularly known starting point of era such as B. C., A.D., Vikram or Shaka. 

He calculates his day from the beginning of creation itself viz. the start of Brahma's day. The universe which we call Srishti begins and lasts till the close of a Brahma's day and there is Pralaya at night. The creation restarts from the dawn of the next Brahma's day. After hundred such days of Brahma there is the Great Dissolution - Mahapralaya. After its end srishti starts again and so the cycle goes on and on.

"Those yogis know the essence of time who are aware of the fact that Brahma's day extends to a thousand Mahayugas and similar is the extent of one night of Brahma's day."

- Geeta VIII-17

The four Yugas viz. Satyayuga,Treta, Dwapar and Kaliyuga make one Mahayuga. This concept is not any hidden or secret doctrine. On the other hand, every Hindu who performs the daily Sandhya recites the following Sankalpa at the start of his worship:

"Today, the first half of the second Prahar of Brahma's Day in Vaivaswat Manvantar and Shvetvarah Kalpa in the land of Aryas in the holy Bharat-Khand of Jambudweep and the first charan of Kaliyuga, in so and so Samvatsar, Month, Paksha, Tithe, Day, I of such and such Gotra and name............"

One day of Brahma is equal to a Kalpa and 14 Manwantars make one Kalpa.

Kali 

1 x 432000 human years

Dwapar 

2 x 432000 human years

Treta 

3 x 432000 human years

Satya 

4 x 432000 human years

Total 

43.2 lakhs of years 

= one Mahayuga

One day of Brahma or 1 Kalpa, is 100 x 43.2 = 432 crores of human years.

One Manwantar is equal to 432000000/14 human years = 30.858 crores.

We are at present in the seventh Manwantar Vaivaswat after the elapse of 27 Mahayugas and in the beginning of 28th Kaliyuga of the presently running Brahma's Day. The current Kali year is 5081.

Manus change in every Manwantar and they have particular names. The manu of the presently running manwantar is Vaivaswat and the manwantar is named after him. Since one Kalpa is one day of Brahma's life there are thirty Kalpas in every month of his life which have separate names.

The late Shrimad Upendra Mohan, the great scholar, sage and savant of Bengal has said in his remarkable book "Reason, science and shastras":

"The same Yugas, the same Manus, the same Kalpas, the same Brahma constantly return through time eternal, therefore the calculation of the creation, of its age, its life and its destruction is constant in correct to the minutest fracton of the time, unlike stupid modern science which does not know what it talks and flounders on from statement to statement through a quagmire of ridiculous falsehoods. Now which is right? The changeless shastras or the ever changing science............"

The Hindus know according to the calculation of the shastras that the present age of the earth is 198 crores of years. This calculation is changeless and unchangeable - it is God's spoken word and therefore the truth which is

We strongly demand that this notification should come immediately enabling local civil administrations all along the route to look after the safety, langar, medical facilities of over 70 lac kanwarias.

Government support should be coming forth both at Central Govt level and Uttrakhand state level. 

It is shameful that the government has no role to play in the kanwar mela including even ensuring their safe passage and maintaining law and order. There lies the step-motherly treatment being meted out to Shiv Bhakts. 

Demand #1:: This annual Shravan yatra is not notified by Indian govt., so there is no budgetary support for managing it. A proposal is pending with the 12th Finance Commission to notify this yatra. We strongly demand that this notification should come immediately enabling local civil administrations all along the route to look after the safety, langar, medical facilities of over 70 lac kanwarias.

Come July-August and most Delhi roads and roads to Haridwar are dotted with saffron-clad men carrying decorated paraphernalia on their shoulders certainly arousing curiosity with their unique outfits, group formations and chats headed for Haridwar.

"Bam Bam Bole Bam Bam BholayBam Bam BholayBam Bam Bholay....Har Har Mahadev"

Kanwarias

Kanwarias

they carry holy water (on kanwar) of river Ganga from Neelkanth, Gomukh or Haridwar to be poured on the Shivlinga in their hometown on the occasion of Shivratri

Kanwarias, as they're popularly called, are devotees of Lord Shiva. Dressed in Bhagva coloured clothes, they carry holy water (on kanwar) of river Ganga from Neelkanth, Gomukh or Haridwar to be poured on the Shivlinga in their hometown on the occasion of Shivratri. This journey on foot, when completed, is supposed to fulfil their wishes and endear them to Lord Shiva. 

kanwarias are so called because they carry a kanwar or pole on their shoulder with the covered water pots balanced on its two ends,

महाकुंभ--प्रयाग, हरिद्वारा, नासिक और उज्जैन में अमृत का एक-एक बूंद टपक गया था

हिंदू धर्म की मान्यता के अनुसार महाकुंभ में स्नान करने से मनुष्य जीवन-मरण के चक्र से मुक्ति या मोक्ष हासिल कर लेता है। इस मान्यता की वजह से ही करोड़ों की संख्या में आम जन महाकुंभ में शामिल होते हैं। महाकुंभ सिर्फ चार जगहों पर आयोजित होने के पीछे मिथक यह है कि समुद्र मंथन से निकले अमृत कलश को जब विष्णु के वाहन गरुड़ पर रखकर राक्षसों से बचाने के लिए सुरक्षित स्थान पर ले जाया जा रहा था तो चार जगहों प्रयाग, हरिद्वारा, नासिक और उज्जैन में अमृत का एक-एक बूंद टपक गया था। इस अमृत का लाभ उठाने के लिए हर 12 साल पर इन स्थलों पर महाकुंभ का आयोजन होता है। इसकी चर्चा भागवत पुराण, विष्णु पुराण, महाभारत और रामायण में की गई है। 

कुंभ मेले के इस आयोजन के पीछे बुराई पर अच्छाई की जीत और दुनिया में समृद्धि के चक्र का शुरू का प्रतीक भी है। इसलिए यह कहा जा सकता है कि गंगा में स्नान के लिए महाकुंभ से बेहतर अवसर और कोई नहीं हो सकता। हालांकि, यह सिर्फ एक धार्मिक मेला है लेकिन इसे देश भर के संतों के जमावड़े का भी एक बड़ा अवसर माना जाता है। कुंभ मेले के दौरान विभिन्न संप्रदाय या अखाड़े से जुड़े हिंदू संत जुटकर ग्रंथों पर चर्चा करते हैं, अपने भक्तों से मिलते हैं और अपने अखाड़े में नए संतों का प्रवेश भी करते हैं। 

Socrates said ignorance is the mother of all sins.

Socrates said ignorance is the mother of all sins. 

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. 

Good intention is worthless and even dangerous if it is motivated by ignorance.

Shivaji, his sword, Bhavani for cruel chieftains like Afzal Khan

The teenager Shiva had seen the kingdoms of Bijapur and Golconda in the Deccan as agents of aggression who mercilessly sucked the blood of the commoners and never spared their women the ignominy of rape, loot and plunder. The morale of the common man was in his boots. 

He and his family were down in dumps and did not know how to hold their heads high and live a life of human dignity. Shivaji chose to champion the cause of the common man against oppression of rulers of foreign origin and he used the might of his sword, Bhavani, to exterminate the oppressors who rode high horses and commanded the superior strength of the state of Bijapur. 

Shivaji showed his qualities of leadership and galvanized the peasants, workers, artisans, clerics and what have you into an army of patriots out to measure swords with cruel chieftains like Afzal Khan and others of his ilk. The morale of Shivaji's ragtag army was sky high.

famous ballad "Prithviraj Raso"

I have to disagree with you here, Mohammed Ghori was the one who fought Prithviraj Chauhan.

And Mohammed Ghori did not kill Prithiviraj, he held him captive and took him as prisoner because he wanted to humiliate the Rajput King (the last Hindu Emperor of Delhi).

The whole account is recorded in the famous ballad "Prithviraj Raso".

After Prithiviraj was defeated and captured, thanks to his father-in-law the king of Kannauj Jai Chand Rathore, who helped Ghori fight the 18th battle, Prithiviraj was brought in chains infront of Ghori.

Ghori began to insult Chauhan (Prithiviraj) infront of his muslim ministers and then ordered Chauhan to lower his eyes in his presence, Chauhan refused and kept glaring at the muslim invader with anger, to which Ghori ordered that his eyes be removed.

Chauhan was kept as a prisoner, the news reached his childhood friend who was a court poet named Chand Bardai.

Chand Bardai came to Ghori's court and told the muslim invader that Chauhan was a skilled warrior who also knew the art of the Shabad-bedi Vahan (Being able to shoot a target by hearing its sound only), thus being blinded, he claimed Chauhan could still shoot the target just based on sound alone.

Ghori wanted to see this display of skill. He agreed fopr an exhibition.

On that day, Ghori stood on his balcony, Chauhan was brought out in his chains and given a bow and a single arrow.

Chand Bardai seeing his friend in this state, he immediately knew this was the time to strike. Chand Bardai coined a poem on the spot, calling out to Prithviraj, he said:

"Char bans chaubis gaj , 

Angul asth praman, 

Tao pe Sultan hai, 

Mut jhuko Chauhan!"

The first two lines are measurements. The last two lines mean: The Sultan is on the balcony, Chauhan don't miss your mark!

Ghori thought that Chand Bardai was telling Chauhan were the "real" target was for the exhibition, so he ordered Chauhan to shoot. And he did. Chauhan shot Ghori in the neck, and knowing that torture and death awaited them in the muslim camp, Chand Bardai had already smuggled two daggers, one of which he gave to Chauhan and they immediatle killed themselves instead of being captured.

The book "Arms and Armour: Traditional Weapons of India" by E Jaiwant Paul says on the outskirts of Ghazni are two domed tombs... The larger was of Ghori and few meters away was a second smaller tomb of Prithviraj Chauhan.

"In the centre of the second tomb was a bare patch of earth where the actual grave should have been. Hanging over this spot from the top of the dome is a long, thick rope ending in a knot at shoulder height. Local visitors would grab hold of this knot in one hand and stamp vigorously and repeatedly with one foot on the bare patch in the centre of the tomb," says Paul, a weapons collector.

Paul, who saw this on his visit to Afghanistan says on seeking an explanation, he found that the Afghans still stamped on his grave because Prithviraj killed Ghori, 900 years ago.

In Afghanistan, Prithviraj's tomb stands near Ghazni and history books need to be rewritten, he says adding "his remains must be brought back home, where they belong."

(About the book: Arms and Armour: Traditional Weapons of India; By E Jaiwant Paul, Published by Roli Books; Price Rs 595; PP 144)

PS: Our honourable Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi had time to visit Babur’s grave (the Islamic invader and First Mughal) and pay ‘homage’, but not to our very own Indian King who defended India from Islam 17 times.