The Hindu : The India Cables / The Cables : 178082: Extremist recruitment on the rise in southern Punjab

The Hindu : The India Cables / The Cables : 178082: Extremist recruitment on the rise in southern Punjab

During recent trips to southern Punjab, Principal Officer was repeatedly told that a sophisticated jihadi recruitment network had been developed in the Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan Divisions.

178082 11/13/2008 10:30:00 AM 08LAHORE302 Consulate Lahore SECRET//NOFORN ACTION SCA-00 INFO LOG-00 EEB-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 INL-00 DOEE-00 PERC-00 PDI-00 DS-00 DHSE-00 EUR-00 OIGO-00 FBIE-00 VCI-00 H-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 MOFM-00 MOF-00 VCIE-00 NSAE-00 ISN-00 OMB-00 NIMA-00 GIWI-00 SCT-00 ISNE-00 DOHS-00 FMPC-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 NCTC-00 ASDS-00 CBP-00 R-00 SCRS-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 FA-00 SWCI-00 /001W ------------------FA445D 131023Z /38 O 131030Z NOV 08FM AMCONSUL LAHORETO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3818INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI AMEMBASSY KABUL NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DCCIA WASHDCSECDEF WASHINGTON DCJOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DCCDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FLAMCONSUL LAHORE S E C R E T LAHORE 000302 NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2018 TAGS: PTER, PGOV, KISL, PK

SUBJECT: (S/NF) EXTREMIST RECRUITMENT ON THE RISE IN SOUTHERN PUNJAB

Derived from: DSCG 05-1, B,D

1. (S/NF) Summary: During recent trips to southern Punjab, Principal Officer was repeatedly told that a sophisticated jihadi recruitment network had been developed in the Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan Divisions. The network reportedly exploited worsening poverty in these areas of the province to recruit children into the divisions' growing Deobandi and Ahl-eHadith madrassa network from which they were indoctrinated into jihadi philosophy, deployed to regional training/indoctrination centers, and ultimately sent to terrorist training camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Locals believed that charitable activities being carried out by Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith organizations, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the Al-Khidmat Foundation, and Jaish-e-Mohammad were further strengthening reliance on extremist groups and minimizing the importance of traditionally moderate Sufi religious leaders in these communities. Government and non-governmental sources claimed that financial support estimated at nearly 100 million USD annually was making its way to Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith clerics in the region from "missionary" and "Islamic charitable" organizations in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ostensibly with the direct support of those governments. Locals repeatedly requested USG support for socio-economic development and the promotion of moderate religious leaders in the region as a direct counter to the growing extremist threat. End Summary.

2. (S/NF) During a recent visit to the southern Punjabi cities of Multan and Bahawalpur, Principal Officer's discussions with religious, political, and civil society leaders were dominated by discussions of the perceived growing extremist threat in Seraiki and Baloch areas in southern and western Punjab. Interlocutors repeatedly stressed that recruitment activities by extremist religious organizations, particularly among young men between the ages of 8 and 15, had increased dramatically over the last year. Locals blamed the trend on a strengthening network of Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith mosques and madrassas, which they claimed had grown exponentially since late 2005. Such growth was repeatedly attributed to an influx of "Islamic charity" that originally reached Pakistani pseudo-religious organizations, such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Al-Khidmat foundation, as relief for earthquake victims in Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province. Locals believe that a portion of these funds was siphoned to Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith clerics in southern and western Punjab in order to expand these sects' presence in a traditionally hostile, but potentially fruitful, recruiting ground. The initial success of establishing madrassas and mosques in these areas led to subsequent annual "donations" to these same clerics, originating in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The value of such donations was uncertain, although most interlocutors believed that it was in the region of $100 million annually.

3. (S/NF) According to local interlocutors, current recruitment activities generally exploit families with multiple children, particularly those facing severe financial difficulties in light of inflation, poor crop yields, and growing unemployment in both urban and rural areas in the southern and western Punjab. Oftentimes, these families are identified and initially approached/assisted by ostensibly "charitable" organizations including Jamaat-ud-Dawa (a front for designated foreign terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyaba), the Al-Khidmat Foundation (linked to religious political party Jamaat-e-Islami), or Jaish-e-Mohammad (a charitable front for the designated foreign terrorist organization of the same name).

4. (S/NF) The local Deobandi or Ahl-e-Hadith maulana will generally be introduced to the family through these organizations. He will work to convince the parents that their poverty is a direct result of their family's deviation from "the true path of Islam" through "idolatrous" worship at local Sufi shrines and/or with local Sufi Peers. The maulana suggests that the quickest way to return to "favor" would be to devote the lives of one or two of their sons to Islam. The maulana will offer to educate these children at his madrassa and to find them employment in the service of Islam. The concept of "martyrdom" is often discussed and the family is promised that if their sons are "martyred" both the sons and the family will attain "salvation" and the family will obtain God's favor in this life, as well. An immediate cash payment is finally made to the parents to compensate the family for its "sacrifice" to Islam. Local sources claim that the current average rate is approximately Rps. 500,000 (approximately USD 6500) per son. A small number of Ahl-e-Hadith clerics in Dera Ghazi Khan district are reportedly recruiting daughters as well.

5. (S/NF) The path following recruitment depends upon the age of the child involved. Younger children (between 8 and 12) seem to be favored. These children are sent to a comparatively small, extremist Deobandi or Ahl-e-Hadith madrassa in southern or western Punjab generally several hours from their family home. Locals were uncertain as to the exact number of madrassas used for this initial indoctrination purpose, although they believed that with the recent expansion, they could number up to 200. These madrassas are generally in isolated areas and are kept small enough (under 100 students) so as not to draw significant attention. At these madrassas, children are denied contact with the outside world and taught sectarian extremism, hatred for non-Muslims, and anti-Western/anti-Pakistan government philosophy. Contact between students and families is forbidden, although the recruiting maulana periodically visits the families with reports full of praise for their sons' progress. "Graduates" from these madrassas are either (1) employed as Deobandi/Ahl-e-Hadith clerics or madrassa teachers or (2) sent on to local indoctrination camps for jihad. Teachers at the madrassa appear to make the decision based on their read of the child's willingness to engage in violence and acceptance of jihadi culture versus his utility as an effective proponent of Deobandi or Ahl-e-Hadith ideology/recruiter.

6. (S/NF) Children recruited at an older age and "graduates" chosen for jihad proceed to more sophisticated indoctrination camps focused on the need for violence and terrorism against the Pakistan government and the West. Locals identified three centers reportedly used for this purpose. The most prominent of these is a large complex that ostensibly has been built at Khitarjee (sp?). Locals placed this site in Bahawalpur District on the Sutlej River north of the village of Ahmedpur East at the border of the districts of Multan, Bahawalpur, and Lodhran. The second complex is a newly built "madrassa" on the outskirts of Bahawalpur city headed by a devotee of Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Maulana Masood Azhar identified only as Maulana Al-Hajii (NFI). The third complex is an Ahl-e-Hadith site on the outskirts of Dera Ghazi Khan city about which very limited information was available. Locals asserted that these sites were primarily used for indoctrination and very limited military/terrorist tactic training. They claimed that following several months of indoctrination at these centers youth were generally sent on to more established training camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and then on to jihad either in FATA, NWFP, or as suicide bombers in settled areas. Many worried that these youth would eventually return to try and impose their extremist version of Islam in the southern and western Punjab and/or to carry out operations in these areas.

7. (S/NF) Interlocutors repeatedly chastised the government for its failure to act decisively against indoctrination centers, extremist madrassas, or known prominent leaders such as Jaish-e-Mohammad's Masood Azhar. One leading Sufi scholar and a Member of the Provincial Assembly informed Principal Officer that he had personally provided large amounts of information on the location of these centers, madrassas, and personalities to provincial and national leaders, as well as the local police. He was repeatedly told that "plans" to deal with the threat were being "evolved" but that direct confrontation was considered "too dangerous." The Bahawalpur District Nazim told Principal Officer that he had repeatedly highlighted the growing threat to the provincial and federal governments but had received no support in dealing with it. He blamed politics, stating that unless he was willing to switch parties -- he is currently with the Pakistan Muslim League -- neither the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz provincial nor the Pakistan Peoples Party federal governments would take his requests seriously. The brother of the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, and a noted Brailvi/Sufi scholar in his own right, Allama Qasmi blamed government intransigence on a culture that rewarded political deals with religious extremists. He stressed that even if political will could be found, the bureaucracy in the Religious Affairs, Education, and Defense Ministries remained dominated by Zia-ul-Haq appointees who favored the Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith religious philosophies. This bureaucracy, Qasmi claimed, had repeatedly blocked his brother's efforts to push policy in a different direction.

8. (S/NF) Interlocutors repeatedly requested USG assistance for the southern and western Punjab, believing that an influx of western funds could counter the influence of Deobandi/Ahl-e-Hadith clerics. Principal Officer was repeatedly reminded that these religious philosophies were alien to the southern and western Punjab -- which is the spiritual heartland of South Asia's Sufi communities. Their increasing prominence was directly attributed to poverty and external funding. Locals believed that socio-economic development programs, particularly in education, agriculture, and employment generation, would have a direct, long-term impact in minimizing receptivity to extremist movements. Similarly, they pressed for immediate relief efforts -- particularly food distribution and income support -- to address communities' immediate needs. Several interlocutors also encouraged direct USG support to Brailvi/Sufi religious institutions, arguing that these represented the logical antithesis to Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith philosophy and that if adequately funded, they could stem the tide of converts away from their moderate beliefs.

Comment

9. (S/NF) A jihadi recruiting network relying on Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith religious, charitable, and educational institutions is increasing its work in impoverished districts of southern and western Punjab. Local economic conditions coupled with foreign financing appear to be transforming a traditionally moderate area of the country into a fertile recruiting ground for terrorist organizations. The provincial and federal governments, while fully aware of the problem, appear to fear direct confrontation with these extremist groups. Local governments lack the resources and federal/provincial support to deal with these organizations on their own. The moderate Brailvi/Sufi community is internally divided into followers of competing spiritual leaders and lacks the financial resources to act as an effective counterweight to well-funded and well-organized extremists.

10. (S/NF) Post believes that this growing recruitment network poses a direct threat to USG counter-terrorism and counter-extremism efforts in Pakistan. Intervention at this stage in the southern and western Punjab could still be useful to counter the prevailing trends favoring extremist organizations. USAID development resources in agriculture, economic growth, education, and infrastructure development are useful and necessary and will address some of the immediate needs. In post's view short-term, quick impact programs are required which focus on: (1) immediate relief in the form of food aid and microcredit, (2) cash for work and community-based, quick-impact infrastructure development programs focusing on irrigation systems, schools, and other critical infrastructure, and (3) strategic communication programs designed to educate on the dangers of the terrorist recruiting networks and to support counter-terrorist, counter-extremist messages.

HUNT

Keywords: cable178082, The Pakistan cables, cablegate, WikiLeaks, Islamic terror, jihad, Deoband

The Hindu : The India Cables / Terrorism : Pakistan's Punjab turning into hotbed of extremism, U.S. had warned

The Hindu : The India Cables / Terrorism : Pakistan's Punjab turning into hotbed of extremism, U.S. had warned

While Pakistan's security establishment is yet to be convinced that militant groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed need to be done away with, U.S. diplomats have long been sending worried messages back to Washington that these groups, along with a network of radical madrassas and charity fronts, are exploiting the poverty in the country's Punjab province and turning it into a hotbed of extremism.

In a series of cables sent over a period of two years, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate in Lahore documented the ways in which the madrassas recruited boys as young as eight, indoctrinated them into jihadi philosophy, and sent them to terrorist training camps, on the back of an estimated $100 million flowing in from organisations from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The cables document that the southern and western Punjab, which once constituted “the spiritual heartland of South Asia's Sufi communities” and is a traditionally moderate area, had become a hotbed of extremism in Pakistan.

Through a network of Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith madrassas, radical Islamic groups exploited “choking poverty and underdevelopment” prevalent in this region to recruit disaffected youth for terrorist organisations. Ajmal Kasab, the arrested 26/11 Mumbai attacker, was an infamous example, the cables noted.

Quoting officials, the cables said the local police felt threatened by the radical groups in this region: some the madrassas were “no-go areas” for them, and they hesitated to enter them.

If the Pakistan government wanted to reverse this trend, it “must dismantle both public and state support for militant groups” and offer attractive alternatives to the disillusioned youth, the cables recommended.

A cable (178082: secret/noforn) sent on November 13, 2008 said the recruiters usually exploited families with multiple children, “particularly those facing severe financial difficulties.” “Charitable” organisations such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a Lashkar-e-Tayyaba front organisation; the Al-Khidmat Foundation which was connected to the Jamaat-e-Islami; or Jaish-e-Mohammad that worked as “a charitable front for the terrorist organization of the same name” would introduce the local Deobandi or Ahl-e-Hadith maulana to these families who would then try to convince them “to devote the lives of one or two of their sons to Islam.”

The cable noted that the maulanas adopted a two-pronged strategy. First he would convince the families that their poverty is a result of “idolatrous” worship at local Sufi shrines, and would point out that sacrifice and martyrdom were the quickest way to return to the “true path of Islam.”

Then the maulanas would offer a cash payment to compensate the family for its “sacrifice” to Islam. The cable mentioned, citing the sources, that the average compensation amount was “approximately Rps. 500,000 (approximately USD 6500) per son.” It noted that “a small number of Ahl-e-Hadith clerics are reportedly recruiting daughters as well.”

Young recruits aged between eight and 12 were sent to extremist madrassas, mostly located in isolated areas. These were usually small in size so as not to draw attention. The cable did not give the exact number of such madrassas, but estimated that about 200 of them were functioning in the southern and western parts of Punjab. Prominent amongst these, as the locals identified them for U.S. officials, were at “Khitarjee” in Bahawalpur district, in Bahawalpur city and on the outskirts of Dera Ghazi Khan city.

On completion, based on the teacher's assessment of the “child's willingness to engage in violence,” the “graduates” were employed either as clerics in madrassas or sent to training camps for jihad.

Citing local contacts, the cable noted that the recruitment and training project in the Punjab region was funded by religious donations, and the amount annually collected was estimated to be about $100 million. These mostly originated from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to the cable.

A leading Sufi scholar and member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly informed the Principal Officer from the U.S. Embassy that he had personally provided a lot of information on the location of extremist centres, madrassas, and personalities to provincial and national leaders, as well as to the local police. But the officials and police thought that direct confrontation with the madrassas was “too dangerous,” he said.

The police felt threatened by the radicals in the region, and some madrassas were “no-go areas” for them, observed a cable, dated May 22, 2009 (208236: confidential). Punjab Home Secretary Nazim Hassan Asif told U.S. officials that government representatives had met local police personnel in the south Punjab districts and told them it would not tolerate any “no-go areas” and that the police “should not hesitate” to go to these places.

According to a cable (178082), Allama Qasmi, brother of the federal Minister of Religious Affairs, told U.S. officials that even if the political will could be found, “the bureaucracy in the Religious Affairs, Education, and Defense Ministries remained dominated by Zia-ul-Haq appointees who favoured the Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith religious philosophies.”

Apart from religious and political reasons, poverty and lack of development contributed to the growing extremism in Punjab, observed a cable sent under the name of U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson in October 2009 (230969: confidential).

The southern parts of Punjab were mainly agricultural with a high concentration of bonded labour in agriculture, brick kiln operations, and carpet-weaving. When the old agricultural system broke down the large labour pool lost support, the cable noted. The people also lost their “real access” to social welfare and justice, which the earlier system, though “feudal,” had provided.

The government education system failed to prepare the youth for alternative careers and did not provide employable skills, leaving them frustrated. This “common occurrence is reflected in the story of Ajmal Kasab,” the cable remarked.

“The newly rich local merchants who benefit from corruption, along with lavish foreign-financed madrassas, stand in stark contrast to the meager existence of this disaffected generation,” the cable remarked.

One of the recommendations of the U.S. officials to counter the trends in Punjab was to offer immediate relief in the form of food aid, microcredit and cash for work, and develop immediate impact programmes to improve infrastructure. The Pakistan government should “offer alternate and positive dreams to the disillusioned and frustrated youth,” they suggested.

The Pakistan Cables are being shared by The Hindu with NDTV in India and Dawn in Pakistan.

Keywords: cable178082, cable208236, cable230969, The Pakistan Cables, WikiLeaks, cablegate, India, Pakistan, Kashmir issue, extremism

What Hindus Sikh Girls Faced in 1947 - Rawalpindi. Hindus Continue Facin...

Uploaded by ZoomIndianMedia on Apr 24, 2009

Partition riots in 1947 were triggered by mohummadeans in rawal pindi in March 1947. Hindus and Sikhs were made to pay with their lives for saving their honor. Hindu/Sikh women, suffering islamic terror paid the uitimate price. It must be noted that before british moved in, Hindus and Sikhs ruled Punjab. 75% of agriculture land and 80% of assets in what is pakistan was owned by Hindus/Sikhs.

Most of the muslims that attacked Hindus/Sikhs in Pindi were muslim rifrafs who Sikhs/Hindus had been kind enough to employ in their farms and businesses.

Congress I (islami-isai)'s disasterous misrule, pacifism against what was simple & pure islamic evil, and Hindu/Sikh failure to effectively organise on a muscular Hindu platform were the reasons Hindus suffered. Congress I (Islami-Isai) keeps dividing Hindus more.

Remember that congress I (islami-isai) goons attach no value to the lives of Hindus and Sikhs.

Remember that in 1984, congress I goons killed 1000s of Sikhs in less than 3 days time. Those were pre-ramjanmabhoomi movement times when Hindu organisations were weak. If BJP was as strong today ruling under leadership of men like Mahatma Modiji, 10+ states, Congress I would not have dared to touch Sikhs.

In a travesty, islamofascists, who initiated divisive islamic politics, and who initiated violence and ethnic cleansing are playing victim and are constructing a monument of hate. islam is a shameless ideology and as an evil in a class of its own.

Hindus and Sikhs should realise, noone else will bat for them. They have to effectively organise and set the historic mistakes right.

-Vote BJP 2009 if u care for India and its native traditions, if you want progress, prosperity, happiness and security.

-Vote Congress I (islami-isai) and allies if you are an enemy of India. If you want islamic terror, christian evangelism, maoist terror, these are your guys.

-Vote Communists and their allies if you want India to be colonized by China.

Hindu civlisation historically have been associated with creativity and prosperity. It is islamic plunder and subsequent british churchist deceit that resulted in humongous resource steal. Nehruvian anti-Hindu pro-communist paradigm indeed worsened matters.

If anything Hindus were mild and ignored defending their religion and their way of life making it possible for totalitarian long lying fascists to ride roughshod over them by abusing mild apolitical Hindu belief.

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islam partition violence riot train punjab punjabi bengal lyalpur UP lahore karachi butchery sind delhi savagery genocide ethnic cleansing jauhar rajput koran india terrorism hadis quran allah muhummed mumbai pakistan anti hindu manmohan singh prime minister

Silent Islamic Invasion in India part 1

Uploaded by defenderofHindus on Jan 14, 2009

Islamic Invasion through immigrants who are breeding like animals and changing the demographies which ultimately leads to the vacation of those places by native Hindus. As will be seen in these videos the communist leader who is simply a intellectual terrorist and traitor is supporting this or in other words communist government in Tripura and West Bengal and Congress government in Assam are fully supporting this. Our country is once again at stake.

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India History : Myth of 1000 Years of Mulsim Rule

Uploaded by Hinduism111 on Oct 16, 2009

The Real History of India

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Hinduism Hindu Sanskrit Temple Shiva Rama Vishnu India Punjabi Tamil telegu hindi movie song bollywood

History of India Part 2

Uploaded by soccer1ish on Jun 29, 2010

This is the great history of India from 3000 BC to 20th century.The India History

Video is about the greatest Indian kings,heroes,mathematicians,poets in Indian history.It is also about the greatest Empires and Dynasties in Indian History.The History of Bharat is divided into 3 parts.The first part is about ancient and medieval India.The next part is about the war between the Maratha Empire and the Mughal Empire.

The third part is about the sacrifices for the independence for India.The video

will also show you the greatest cultural achievements of India

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History India Bharat Ancient medieval Maratha Empire Indus Valley Civilization Hindustan Maurya Gupta Buddhism Hinduism Sikh greatest kings heroes architectural Wonders mathematician poets Asia temple Shivaji Rajput battle song stupa monastery Hindi Telugu Tamil British independence Navy Dynasty

History of India Part 1

Uploaded by soccer1ish on Jun 29, 2010

This is the great history of India from 3000 BC to 20th century.The India History

Video is about the greatest Indian kings,heroes,mathematicians,poets in Indian history.It is also about the greatest Empires and Dynasties in Indian History.The History of Bharat is divided into 3 parts.The first part is about ancient and medieval India.The next part is about the war between the Maratha Empire and the Mughal Empire.

The third part is about the sacrifices for the independence for India.The video

will also show you the greatest cultural achievements of India

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

History India Bharat Ancient medieval Maratha Empire Indus Valley Civilization Hindustan Maurya Gupta Buddhism Hinduism Sikh greatest kings heroes architectural Wonders mathematician poets Asia temple Shivaji Rajput battle song stupa monastery Hindi Telugu Tamil British independence Navy Dynasty

Taj Mahal- Was a Vedic Hindu Temple.(Part-3)

Uploaded by ApurvM on May 18, 2009

We have all heard how the Taj Mahal, which is considered one of the great wonders of the world, was built as the preeminent expression of a man's love for a wife. That it was built by emperor Shah Jahan in commemoration of his wife Mumtaz. However, in our continuous effort to get to the truth, we have acquired some very important documents and information. There is evidence that the Taj Mahal was never built by Shah Jahan. Some say the Taj Mahal pre-dates Shah Jahan by several centuries and was originally built as a Hindu or Vedic temple/palace complex. Shah Jahan merely acquired it from its previous owner, the Hindu King Jai Singh.

And here is the photographic evidence that will provide greater insights into this. The point to consider is how much more of India's history has been distorted if the background of such a grand building is so inaccurate.

These photographs listed below are taken from an album that was found in India. On the back of each photo there is a stamp mark that says, "Copyright Archaeology Survey of India." This signifies that they may have been the property of that institution, or that they had researched the evidence that shows the Taj Mahal and many other buildings were not of Muslim origin. Thus, it would be good if they could open up further research into areas of the Taj Mahal that would reveal the true nature and originality of the buildings, and lead to understanding another part of the real history and glory of India.

These photos are black and white and were found in a simple photo album in India. Except for old age and some water damage on some of them (creating white spots in areas), most are still in relatively good condition. Each photograph was accompanied by a typed caption taped in the album under or near the photo, each of which gives a very interesting explanation of the subject and the Vedic influence recognized on the building and what it means

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Taj Mahal- Was a Vedic Hindu Temple.(Part-2)

Uploaded by ApurvM on May 17, 2009

We have all heard how the Taj Mahal, which is considered one of the great wonders of the world, was built as the preeminent expression of a man's love for a wife. That it was built by emperor Shah Jahan in commemoration of his wife Mumtaz. However, in our continuous effort to get to the truth, we have acquired some very important documents and information. There is evidence that the Taj Mahal was never built by Shah Jahan. Some say the Taj Mahal pre-dates Shah Jahan by several centuries and was originally built as a Hindu or Vedic temple/palace complex. Shah Jahan merely acquired it from its previous owner, the Hindu King Jai Singh.

And here is the photographic evidence that will provide greater insights into this. The point to consider is how much more of India's history has been distorted if the background of such a grand building is so inaccurate.

These photographs listed below are taken from an album that was found in India. On the back of each photo there is a stamp mark that says, "Copyright Archaeology Survey of India." This signifies that they may have been the property of that institution, or that they had researched the evidence that shows the Taj Mahal and many other buildings were not of Muslim origin. Thus, it would be good if they could open up further research into areas of the Taj Mahal that would reveal the true nature and originality of the buildings, and lead to understanding another part of the real history and glory of India.

These photos are black and white and were found in a simple photo album in India. Except for old age and some water damage on some of them (creating white spots in areas), most are still in relatively good condition. Each photograph was accompanied by a typed caption taped in the album under or near the photo, each of which gives a very interesting explanation of the subject and the Vedic influence recognized on the building and what it means

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News & Politics

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taj mahal taj a vedic temple vedic temple vedic mughal india taj contovarcy taj hindu temple hindu

Taj Mahal- Was a Vedic Hindu Temple.(Part-1)

Uploaded by ApurvM on May 17, 2009

We have all heard how the Taj Mahal, which is considered one of the great wonders of the world, was built as the preeminent expression of a man's love for a wife. That it was built by emperor Shah Jahan in commemoration of his wife Mumtaz. However, in our continuous effort to get to the truth, we have acquired some very important documents and information. There is evidence that the Taj Mahal was never built by Shah Jahan. Some say the Taj Mahal pre-dates Shah Jahan by several centuries and was originally built as a Hindu or Vedic temple/palace complex. Shah Jahan merely acquired it from its previous owner, the Hindu King Jai Singh.

And here is the photographic evidence that will provide greater insights into this. The point to consider is how much more of India's history has been distorted if the background of such a grand building is so inaccurate.

These photographs listed below are taken from an album that was found in India. On the back of each photo there is a stamp mark that says, "Copyright Archaeology Survey of India." This signifies that they may have been the property of that institution, or that they had researched the evidence that shows the Taj Mahal and many other buildings were not of Muslim origin. Thus, it would be good if they could open up further research into areas of the Taj Mahal that would reveal the true nature and originality of the buildings, and lead to understanding another part of the real history and glory of India.

These photos are black and white and were found in a simple photo album in India. Except for old age and some water damage on some of them (creating white spots in areas), most are still in relatively good condition. Each photograph was accompanied by a typed caption taped in the album under or near the photo, each of which gives a very interesting explanation of the subject and the Vedic influence recognized on the building and what it means

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taj mahal taj a vedic temple vedic temple vedic mughal india taj contovarcy taj hindu temple hindu

Dhruv Stambh Not Qutab Minar

Uploaded by sumydqueen on May 4, 2011

VIJAY STAMBHA ~ OF EMPEROR VIKRAMADITYA ~~ TRUTH OF FALSE QUTUB MINAR

The complex is supposed to be built by the Greatest of Hindu emperors there was MaharajaDhiraj Vikramaditya of Ujjaini , brother of Bharathiri the Kind and Philosopher and originator of Bharathari neeti shataka . The tower is known to have been errected to celebrate the victory of the Great Emperor Vikramaditya , over the lands now called as Arab lands . They have known to celebrate the coming of the vedic way of life .

Vedic culture was very much alive just before the birth of Muhammad. Again let's refer to the Sair-Ul-Okul. The following poem was written by Jirrham Bintoi who lived 165 years before the prophet Muhammed. It is in praise of India's great King Vikramaditya who had lived 500 years before Bintoi.

"Itrasshaphai Santul

Bikramatul phehalameen Karimun

Bihillahaya Samiminela

Motakabbenaran Bihillaha

Yubee qaid min howa

Yaphakharu phajgal asari

nahans Osirim Bayjayholeen

Yaha sabdunya Kanateph natephi

bijihalin Atadari Bilala masaurateen

phakef Tasabahu. Kaunni eja majakaralhada

- (Sair-ul-Okul, Page 315)

"Fortunate are those who were born during King Vikram's reign, he was a noble generous, dutiful ruler devoted to the welfare of his subjects. But at that time, We Arabs oblivious of divinity were lost in sensual pleasures. Plotting & torture were rampant. The darkness of ignorance had enveloped our country. Like the lamb struggling for its life in the cruel jaws of a wolf, we Arabs were gripped by ignorance. The whole country was enveloped in a darkness as intense as on a New moon night. But the present dawn & pleasant sunshine of education is the result of the favor of that noble king Vikram whose benevolence did not lose sight of us foreigners as we were. He spread his sacred culture amongst us and sent scholars from his own land whose brilliance shone like that of the sun in our country. These scholars & preceptors through whose benevolence we were once again made aware of the presence of god, introduced to his secret knowledge & put on the road to truth, had come to our country to initiate us in that culture & impart education."

Thus we can see that Vedic religion and culture were present in Pre-Islamic Arabia as early as 1850 B.C., and definitely present at the time of Mohammed's birth.

The Iron Pillar served an important astronomical function, when it was originally at Vishnupadagiri. The early morning shadow of the Iron Pillar fell in the direction of the foot of Anantasayain Vishnu (in one of the panels at Udayagiri) only in the time around summer solstice (June 21).Dhillika is the old name of India's capital, New Delhi. The name Delhi is derived from the word 'Dhillika'.The Iron Pillar ,a symbol of Truth and Nemesis-God Shani of Hindu Religion was brought by Anang Pal of Tomar dynasty to Delhi to establish rule of Clean,truthful and honest governance,from Mathura a land of Krishna devotion.The idea behind it was to establish an orientation to the great epic Mahabharata whic

h is connected to the history of Delhi as well as the significance of Gita,and Yudhishtra's ascent to heaven in bodily form; from Swargya Rohini..The Hindu rulers built temples and used psychological epigraphs and monuments to instill religion in the local The Iron pillar bears an inscription in Sanskrit which states that it was erected as a standard in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu. It also praises the valor and qualities of a king referred to simply as Chandra, who has been identified with the Gupta King Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375-413).

The reference was also to the Satvikka Purana [Smirti Texts of Hinduism]called Garuda Purana which is recited as a cremation ritual.The Garuda atop the pillar ,which was removed by muslims,bore testimony to what was inscribed and its relevance to the installation of the pillar.The pillar was used to signify the death principle of Hindus,the need for attaining Mokhsha and the path of Dharma. The iron pillar was the Garud Dhwaj alias Garud Stambh, i.e, the sentinel post of the Vishnu temple. The Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script on the non-rusting iron pillar proclaimed the lofty standards of Vishnu on Vishnupad Giri. Here in the said precincts ,the description indicates that a statue of the rec- lining Vishnu ;initiating the creation was consecrated in the central shrine there which was ravaged by Mohammad Ghori and his henchman Qutubuddin.

Truth revealed from sky . People usually see this tower from ground. Prof Bhatnagar hired a helicopter and took a photo from the sky. That is when he realised that is a blooming lotus flower.

Category:

Education

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India Hindu History Delhi Monuments Mughals Rajputs Kings Bharat Sanatan Dharm True

Vedic Wisdom and Evolution of Consciousness By Tina Sadhwani

Friday, January 28th, 2011 | Posted by Editor

Vedic Wisdom and Evolution of Consciousness

By Tina Sadhwani

http://www.chakranews.com/vedic-wisdom-and-the-evolutionary-path-of-consciousness/1047

Vedic Evolution of Consciousness and Enlightenment

In the Rig Veda there are 5 hymns constituting an important dialogue between Lord Indra and Sage Agastya that reflects the significance of traversing the evolutionary path of consciousness, that seems to serve as a crucial pre-requisite to understanding the true nature of the Supreme Absolute Reality (God).

The verses exemplify how sage Agastya, by the sheer force of his thoughts is breaking through the barriers of his mind, reaching the realm of God without first being developed as a fully functional being in all his levels of consciousness. The eagerness to experience God gets the better of sage Agastya and his senses and he refuses to progressively surrender to the stepping stone (which in this case refers to Lord Indra) in his quest for God. At this point, sage Agastya gets pushed back by Indra who does not allow him to proceed to the realm of God.

Indra says-that which is beyond time and space (God) cannot be known by that which is in time and space (Agastya and other mortals like us).

Indra goes on to explain that it is the progressive transcendence (of ego-consciousness) through divine activities that will take a mortal towards the immortal truth. Sage Agastya thenceforth realizes his folly, surrenders his will to Indra and goes on to execute his mandated activities through Indra.

Ego transcendence

One of the obvious implications that can be drawn from the verses is that the sense of “I” that we adorn and the identification with our ego-consciousness is often what prevents us from experiencing the Divine. That would also probably explain why meditation, yoga, etc. are delineated as paths in Hinduism to achieve that distance and ‘dis-identification’ from the ego-centric self. One could however, question the whole point or practical significance of transcending the ego-bound self, to which it can be reasoned that detachment (the kind that Lord Krishna expounds in the Gita) would actually entail a greater sense of involvement and participation in life’s experiences without being shaken or affected by them. It would imply a sense of free-experiencing that is unimpeded by our conditioned beliefs, emotions, memories, reactions, etc. enabling us to understand things from a larger frame of reference.

Modern psychology and cognitive science is only now exploring the frontiers of consciousness (exemplified in Vedanta) and its impact on human life and behaviour. Current researches (Joel Krueger) in the field also indicate that transcending of the personalized ego often leads to a unified mode of awareness and “That a scholar acquires a new insight, or a moralist a new motive, or an artist a new imagination, or a religious figure a new awakening, are all based upon a disclosure of this kind of unity in consciousness” which is only made possible by that ego transcendence.

Levels of Consciousness

Sri Aurobindo (scholar of the Vedas) was one of the first pioneers in the field of consciousness studies. His work was further compounded by researcher Ken Wilber who (based on Aurobindo’s Vedic insights and Piaget’s Cognitive Development) established the ‘ten levels of consciousness’ that humans had to develop through, re-affirming the fact that psychological and spiritual development go hand in hand; that we can’t have one without the other.

According to the Vedic template reflected in the Taittiriya Upanishad there are five sheaths of existence/being- 1) Anna-maya kosa (physical), 2) Prana-maya kosa (vital), 3) Mano-maya kosa (mental), 4) Vijnana-maya kosa (intellectual) and 5) Ananda-maya kosa (bliss).

The ten levels of consciousness derived from this template are:

1) The Sensoriphysical- reflecting the realm of matter, sensation and perception.

2) Phantasmic-Emotional- the emotional-sexual level (seat of libido and instincts)

3) Representational mind- level of concepts and symbols, fantasy, ego-centric thinking.

4) Rule/role mind- thinking in terms of concrete things and events. 

5) Formal-reflexive mind- the level of reflective, abstract thinking and introspection.

6) Vision-logic- the level of synthesis and integration.

The higher levels are 7) Psychic, 8 ) Subtle (level of soul), 9) Causal (level of spirit) and 10) Non-dual (Brahman-Atman)

Our centre of gravity is said to rest in a certain level on that spectrum and our thoughts and actions are defined by that level of functioning. Evolution of consciousness then requires a shift to higher levels. Wilber believes that the majority of humankind is still operating on the Mental, or Egoic, level, while only a few have attained higher spiritual consciousness.  Consequently it’s important to note that if an individual has spiritual experiences but his consciousness has only developed to the level of the ‘rep’ mind (level 3) for instance then he won’t be able to understand that spiritual experience in a broad way and won’t be able to integrate it. On the contrary he is more likely to distort the experience for people tend to interpret their religious/spiritual experience according to the level of mental development they are at. This does not imply that there are different levels of God, but that there are different levels of interpretation. The person at the highest levels of consciousness will have a more integrated and holistic understanding of the Supreme Reality.

It’s also interesting to note that those who are at the ‘earlier stages of development’ often tend to think that “their truth is the only truth” as they lack the ability to integrate alternate perspectives. To explain the tangible effects of this phenomenon, Swami Vivekananda once said “Whenever a prophet got into the super-conscious state by heightening his emotional nature, he brought away from it not only some truths, but some fanaticism also, some superstition which injured the world as much as the greatness of the teaching helped.”

Eminent author Ram Swarup also explains that even though a person has spiritual experiences, if he has not transcended his ego then his connection with the Divine will be distorted and filtered through his immature mind and his resulting beliefs and actions will prove to be very destructive, as can be witnessed from the history of imperial movements and regimes. He claims that this happens “because they mix spiritual truth and ego together, which is a very dangerous and volatile combination… as nectar mixed with poison becomes poison”.

The prevalent culture also stands as testimony to this phenomenon that is now witnessing the spread of myriad psuedo visionaries with the messiah complex. 

 It stands to reason then that without the anchor of integrated development a person can be in danger of falling prey to the lower nature of his self which perpetuates various forms of dysfunctions from a simple lack of objectivity to extreme fanaticism.

Researcher Prem Sabhlok also asserts “The ancient, medieval and modern history of India as well as of the world has confirmed that with material knowledge based on sense experiences and intellectual reasons and arguments alone, any search for God had always led to fanaticism, fundamentalism, communal tension, destruction of the temples, gurudwaras, churches, etc. of the same God and even has been cause of wars between the nations. With material knowledge, the same God appears different to various sections of the people.”

This suggests that it is often imperative for a super-conscious spiritual experience to be supported by a corresponding heightened psychological development. More importantly, it indicates that material knowledge without spiritual growth can be counterproductive as there is something crucial missing in human awareness that causes us to fall victim to all sorts of delusions and distortions. Vedas refers to this as ‘avidya’-ignorance and goes on to explain how we need to reach a certain stage in consciousness for this avidya to dissolve.

Evolution of Consciousness and Enlightenment

As we progress to higher levels of development on that scale our consciousnesses expands.  “So the more narrow, fragmented and restricted our mode of consciousness,” says Wilber, “the more prone we will be to experiencing psychological disorders or distortions. And the more expanded and heightened our level of consciousness, the more scope we will have for self-actualization and enlightenment. Therefore… enlightenment in this context implies an expansion of consciousness from the isolated, alienated individual to a kind of global cosmic consciousness.”  It then overall alludes to a progressive expansion from parts of the psyche (persona) to the psyche (ego) to the environment (ecological) and finally to the universe-manifest and unmanifest (Brahman).

While it is often reiterated that there is only one indivisible, all-pervading and immanent reality (Brahman), Vedic metaphysics makes it clear that it is only at the stage of “Turiya” (highest level of superconsciousness) that a person experientially discerns and understands this One Supreme Reality (God) in all its magnitude and the vehement effect of Maya -the cosmic illusion then dissolves.

So contrary to Darwin’s theory of evolution and according to Vedic scriptures, one form of species does not evolve into another, rather it is the soul that evolves through the various levels of consciousness and this transition is not so much biological as much as it is spiritual.

Aurobindo declares, “Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth’s evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the logic of Nature’s process.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Indra: It is not now, nor is It tomorrow; who knoweth that which is Supreme and Wonderful? It has motion and action in the consciousness of another, but when It is approached by the thought, It vanishes.

2. Agastya: Why dost thou seek to smite us, O Indra? The Maruts are thy brothers. By them accomplish perfection; slay us not in our struggle.

3. Indra: Why, O my brother Agastya, art thou my friend, yet settest thy thought beyond me? For well do I know how to us thou willest not to give thy mind.

4. Indra: Let them make ready the altar, let them set Agni in blaze in front. It is there, the awakening of the consciousness to Immortality. Let us two extend for thee thy effective sacrifice.

5. Agastya: O Lord of substance over all substances of being, thou art the master in force! O Lord of Love over the powers of love, thou art the strongest to hold in status! Do thou, O lndra, agree with the Maruts, then enjoy the offerings in the ordered method of the Truth.

References:

-Rig Veda – Book 1 – Verse 170 – Hymns CLXX (1 – 5)

-Taittriya Upanishad-Sri Aurobindo (1956) The Secret of the Veda

-Ram Swarup (1980) The word as revelation: Names of Gods.

-Vivekananda: Complete Works, Vol.1, Raja Yoga, Ch.7: “Dhyana and Samadhi”

-Ken Wilber (1977) Spectrum of Consciousness

-Prem Sabhlok- Glimpses of Vedic Metaphysics

-Joel Krueger (2007) The Varieties of Pure Experience: William James and Kitaro Nishida on Consciousness and Embodiment

-hinduism.co.za/kosas.htm

-Jean Piaget- Cognitive Development

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Tags: Agastya, consciousness, Darwins theory, ego, enlightenment, evolution, Hinduism, Indra, Prem Sabhlok, psychology, rig veda, spiritual wisdom, Spirituality, Sri Aurobindo, Upanishad, Vedas, Vedic, wisdom

5 Responses for “Vedic Wisdom and Evolution of Consciousness”

swiss d says:

January 31, 2011 at 9:39 pm

Thank you for sharing it ! Very nice, Tina

Dr. O. P. Sudrania says:

February 1, 2011 at 3:45 pm

Tina, a good post but could you have elaborated the five hymns from Rig Veda both in Sanskrit as well as their English translation for the wider people to learn the depth of the rid Veda. It would stimulate and generate more interest in the Vedic studies for their betterment; just a thing I kept looking for as I desperately read your entire column. Secondly you could have also elaborated on its significance as related to Patanjali Yoga Sutra just epitomically.

God bless

Dr. O. P. Sudrania

Piaget Watches says:

February 1, 2011 at 5:17 pm

Many thanks for sharing this information..It was an incredible examine.

Oshima says:

February 2, 2011 at 7:39 pm

Keep the faith, my Internet friend; You are a first-class writer and deserve to be heard.

Robert E. Wilkinson says:

February 3, 2011 at 4:47 pm

To her credit, Tina Sadhwani has taken on an important and complex subject, the Evolution of Consciousness. Being an able scholar she has attempted to draw together many threads which she then weaves into a compelling mental synthesis under the banner of a Vedic Enlightenment. And while many of her observations are valid, others require a deeper clarification especially her treatment of Sri Aurobindo. In her article Ms. Sadhwani describes Sri Aurobindo as a ‘scholar of the Veda’, a title which he would most vehemently reject as evidenced by his own comments on the matter. “As the Veda had passed from the sage to the priest, wrote Sri Aurobindo, so now it began to pass from the hands of the priest into the hands of the scholar. And in that keeping it suffered the last mutilation of its sense and the last diminution of its true dignity and sanctity.” Unfortunately this mutilation continues on today in the writings on many well known scholars who believe that they can pierce the mystery of the Veda without the requisite Yogic sadhana. One scholar in particular, who Ms. Sadhwani erroneously claims to have ‘further compounded Sri Aurobindo’s discoveries, is the Transpersonal psychologist Ken Wilber. Like Ms. Sadhwani, Wilber weaves a mesmerizing synthesis of mystical and religious lore into a linear model of human development crowned with a superconscious Transcendence of the mundane world. But according to Sri Aurobindo’s teachings, nothing could be farther from the truth. Any serious student of Sri Aurobindo’s life and yoga must acknowledge that his work represents a radical departure from all previous spiritual paths. It challenges thousands of years of traditional wisdom that regards a transcendence of the physical world to be the highest possible attainment. In an epochal reversal of direction, Sri Aurobindo and his line have presented humanity with a New Way, an entirely new direction that foresees the possibility of a material union with the Divine, one that takes us into the core of this world of matter and the innermost mysteries of time. In his 1915 letter to the Mother, Sri Aurobindo discusses this new creation which derives from, ‘… the union of the “Earth” of the Veda with the divine Principle, an earth which is said to be above our earth, that is to say, the physical being and consciousness of which the world and the body are only images’. The principal feature that unites these two realms within a single Integral Vision is a New System of Measure, a non-speculative formula that reveals the utter perfection of a Supramental Consciousness as it deploys itself on the Earth. In order for us to perceive the workings of this new consciousness, one that unites the Spiritual and Physical in a seamless view, the Mother commanded that we abandon the old paths in their entirety. She insisted that there could be absolutely NO MIXTURE with the partial and incomplete teachings of the past that might contaminate the new way. What we see instead, from scholars like Ken Wilber claiming to be carrying on Sri Aurobindo’s vision and message, is a complete misrepresentation of his work in favor of a piecemeal synthesis of ancient teachings cobbled together under the arrogant misnomer, ‘evolutionary enlightenment’. While Wilber’s new ‘Brand’ claims to be the path of the future, it does not offer a greater more integral and all encompassing knowledge nor does it provide the means of a functional integration of the Spiritual and Material planes. It is merely speculative philosophy.

In his ‘Secret of the Veda’, Sri Aurobindo revealed that the great rahasya of the Veda, its most Supreme mystery, was a journey in Time through the Year and its Twelve months, the central figure of the Rig Veda, around which the Sacrifice is conducted. In his commentaries on the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, one of India’s oldest and most profound metaphysical texts, Sri Aurobindo explains the importance of this eternal principle:

” … The [image of the] horse is a physical figure representing like an algebraical symbol, an unknown quantity of force and speed. (Time is its breath, the year is its body, the seasons its limbs, the months and the fortnights its joints, the days and nights its feet.) From the imagery it is evident that this force, this speed, is something universal. Time in its period is the Self of the Horse Sacrificial, so not Matter but Time, is the body of this force of the material universe… Space then, is the flesh constituting materially this body of Time which the sage attributes to his Horse of the worlds, by movement in Space its periods are shaped and determined. Hence the real power, the fundamental greatness of the Horse is not the material world, not the magnitudes of Space, but the magnitudes of Time… for Time is that mysterious condition of universal mind which alone makes the ordering of the universe in Space possible.” Sri Aurobindo, The Upanishads; ‘The Great Aranyaka’, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, 1971

According to Sri Aurobindo, Time is the real Secret of the Veda and it is the indispensable basis of a Rig Vedic Yoga which leads to ‘Swar’ the Vedic Truth-Consciousness. It is the final integrating feature of a Supramental Gnosis.

I applaud Ms. Sadhwani’s efforts on behalf of a greater understanding of the Vedas but I would also encourage her to move beyond Wilber’s piecemeal evolutionary synthesis which in no way approaches the Rishi’s deeper cosmological truths. As Sri Aurobindo wrote:

‘The perfect truth of the Veda, where it is now hidden, can only be recovered by the same means by which it was originally possessed. Revelation and experience are the doors of the Spirit. It cannot be attained either by logical reasoning or by scholastic investigation… [Sanskrit text]…”Not by explanation of texts nor by much learning”, “not by logic is this realisation attainable.” Logical reasoning and scholastic research can only be aids useful for confirming to the intellect what has already been acquired by revelation and spiritual experience. This limitation, this necessity are the inexorable results of the very nature of Veda.’ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Chapter II, as found in Sri Aurobindo’s notebooks.

Pseudologists of Hinduism By Ranbir Singh

Saturday, January 29th, 2011 | Posted by Editor

Pseudologists of Hinduism

By Ranbir Singh

http://www.chakranews.com/pseudologists-of-hinduism/1058

Deepak Chopra – A well known writer and speaker in the USA

Alone of all the major world religions, Hinduism is defined by those who not only do not share the faith but who are in fact implacably hostile to it. Wendy Doniger of Chicago University is but one example. Globally renowned as an ‘authority’ on Hindu religion her writings betray overt hostility and hatred of Hinduism as violent and misogynist. Now while an academic being outside the tradition can shed fresh light on that said culture, only with Hinduism is it an unwritten rule that being hostile to the subject under review is some sort of prerequisite. Indeed anyone attempting to write anything sympathetic to Hinduism is quickly denounced as right-wing, fundamentalist, Hindu nationalist, fascist, racist or harbouring Nazi sympathies.

One of the most bizarre occurrences is with the myth of the Aryan invasion which is taught as gospel in schools and universities worldwide. So sacrosanct is this idea that any moves to challenging this outdated racist notion which has its roots in colonialism, European imperialism and white supremacy, is itself denounced as racist. The same hurdles have not been encountered by Africanist scholars such as the late Basil Davidson who proved emphatically that before white colonisation the Africans had built civilisations such as that of Great Zimbabwe.

These giant stone structures which gave the country its name are now accepted as having been the work of Africans, the Mashona people. Yet at the same time as the myth of an Aryan invasion of India was being constructed, academic pseudo-science manufactured the myth of Zimbabwe being the work of Phoenicians. Africa was said to have been incapable of producing anything approaching civilisation and so nineteenth century European scholars spoke of invasions by Hamites, Semites and other primeval supposedly white races. Such ideas would now be laughed at. Yet with Hinduism, the old colonialist prejudice persists. One of the impacts has been the shame at being associated with anything Hindu.

Deepak Chopra is renowned the world over for his deep spiritual insight and his following among westerners which has propelled him into the mainstream. Yoga in particular is followed by millions. Yet few know its association with Hinduism. Chopra and others always proclaim their “universality” in such matters. Indeed they disown any links to Hinduism to be appear more acceptable but also because the anti-Hindu discourse by figures such as Doniger is so mainstream that anyone who dares to go against the grain risks being permanently tarred with the plethora of swear words mentioned previously, especially Hindu nationalist.

To this extent Chopra himself feels it apt to use that very same swearology and invent the idea of yoga having nothing Hindu about it. This absurd idea takes away the very soul of yoga and a host of other spiritual practices. If Chopra hopes that this will in any way dent opposition to it then unfortunately he is definitely trying to run with the hare as well as hunt with the hounds. Christian fundamentalist and evangelical organisations are known for their uncompromising hostility to yoga as a vehicle for dark forces associated with Satan.

For example KP Yohannen founder and leader of the hardcore outfit Gospel for Asia, and the more notorious Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network who recently blamed Haitians for the earthquake in their own country because they follow Voudon and made a pact with Satan to drive out the French colonists, want yoga banned from America.

They rightly see yoga as a Hindu practice and for this reason regard it as a conduit for sinister dark forces which will put America under the heel of Satan. Paradoxically this does not of course stop them from sending missionaries to India to convert Hindus, and paradoxically once again with the anti-Hindu double standard discourse, Hindus who even expose that are labelled fundamentalists and fascists.

The challenge here is to first of all proudly state that yoga has Hindu origins. Its practice, understanding and value cannot be separated from the culture and civilisation from which it sprang. This should remove the stigma which is currently attached to being Hindu. The next is to challenge the pseudo-academic study of Hinduism. Ideas are not static but are in flux. What has helped figures such as Doniger has been the slavish mentality and inferiority complex which allows them to kick down any uncomfortable questions as to their methodology. In contexts such as this “freedom of speech” has always been one-sided.

Just as racism in anthropology was successfully challenged at the dawn of the twentieth century so the anti-Hindu discourse can successfully be taken head on and relegated to the racist colonialist era past from whence it sprang and where it has always belonged. With greater availability to books and other materials it is the Hindus in western countries who are in a prime position to initiate this process. Through the vast network of modern technology these ideas can then be communicated and disseminated.

Just as Doniger has no monopoly on the study of Hinduism, Chopra has no shareholder exclusivity when it comes to yoga. Knowledge cannot be fenced in by national boundaries, celebrity mystique or the walls of ivory tower academia. It is for everyone. Hence it is for every Hindu to take responsibility in regaining their culture from the aloof and haughty human idols who brook no opposition, competition or alternative viewpoint. Only then will the shame of being Hindu be removed and the anti-Hindu discourse be challenged by the uncompromising search for the truth.

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Tags: anti-hindu, aryan invasion, Basil Davidson, Deepak Chopra, Doniger, Haitians, Hinduism, KP Yohannen, Liars, Pat Robertson, pseudo, Pseudologists, racism in anthropology, religious discrimination, yoga

Mahadji Sindhia: Life and Times of a Dharmic Warrior By Sandeep Sharma

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 | Posted by Editor

Mahadji Sindhia: Life and Times of a Dharmic Warrior

By Sandeep Sharma

http://www.chakranews.com/mahadji-sindhia-life-and-times-of-a-dharmic-warrior/1068

A portrait of Mahadji Sindhia

Amidst the fading light the bursts of gunfire and piles of the dead and dying a young man lay dying. Or at least he thought he was dying amidst the wreck of humanity with nearly sixty thousand warriors slain around him. The field of Panipat in early 1761 was stained red with the blood of Marathas and Afghans locked in a fatal and bloody embrace only broken after the last of many charges of Sadashiv Bhau on the numerically stronger enemy.

On the fatal battlefield Mahadji Sindhia lay wounded. His brothers were dead in the service of their people and pursuit of the dream of Hindu Padshahi as envisioned by Shivaji the Great. After seven hundred years of endless warfare the rise of the Maratha peoples had decisively tilted the balance of power between the Hindus and Muslims on the Indian subcontinent. Overreaching ambition however led to the disaster at Panipat but from that dark day the wounded and mangled body of Mahadji Sindhia was dragged from the heaps of the slain to freedom.

His father Ranoji Sindhia had been one of the cavalry leaders of the all conquering Maratha hero Baji Rao as he subdued most of North India. An early start at the age of 10  in the company of his brothers and father on their yearly forays swiftly displayed his aptitude on the campaign trail and ability to mould with the swift and tireless Maratha army. From the deep South of India to the invasion of Punjab in 1757.Mahadji Sindhia at an early age learnt the modes of warfare of Mughal, Afghan, North Indian and Europeans. He watched the irresistible waves of horsemen humble the once mighty Mughals and destroy  the pride of the Pathans. But from the field of Panipat the dreams of empire were laid low to a point where none believed they could rise again.

A slow recovery from his wounds led to his elevation to the head of the Sindhia clan and his valour in helping defeat Tipu Sultan exalted his status.  The shaky recovery of the Marathas was sealed by their decisive defeat of the Nizam Ali and thoughts of revenge now occupied their minds.

The treacherous leaders of the Indian Afghans was Najib Khan who under the tutelage of Ahmed Shah Abdali had dominated the remnants of the Mughal Empire in North India for the decade after the Battle of Panipat. They had been held at bay only by the valour of Suraj Mal leading the clans of Hindu tribesman known as the Jats in the Mathura region and the arms of the Rajput kingdoms in the deserts of Thar.

But now a new Maratha army was marching again to North India in 1769 to complete their uncompleted mission and amongst them marched Mahadji Sindhia. After a bitter battle before the gates of the Red Fort of Delhi the Afghans fled leaving the Mughals to face the Marathas alone.

Frantic efforts to collect a pan Islamic alliance to defeat the Hindus resulted in a heavy defeat within a short span of time for the Afghans as they were driven from Delhi northwards to Rohilkhand. There following the death of Najinb Khan vengeance caught up with the Afghans as his tomb was torn open in contempt and his bones thrown into a blazing fire. His grandson Ghulam Qadir however escaped. Back in Delhi the Mughal emperor Shah Alam in quivering fear allowed Mahadji Sindhia to become the defacto ruler of the remnants of the Mughal Empire ruled in the name of the Maratha Peshwa.  

This was a historical moment which sent a ripple of pride throughout the Maratha Empire a culmination of their century old struggle against the Mughals and foreign domination and an apt succession to the vision of the great Emperor Shivaji. It was also a timely reply to the efforts of the last Muhammadan marauder to test the borders of ancient India – the Afghans, as their dreams of an Indian Empire fell into the dust.

A new enemy however was hovering on the horizon to dim the tide of successes. As the millennia old struggle seemed to have tipped irretrievably towards the Hindus in the rise of the Maratha Empire , the independence of the Rajputs, the rise of the Jats and Sikhs and Bundela kingdom and the rise of the Ahom peoples of eastern India a new threat was rising

The encroachments of European predatory civilisation was steadily overwhelming all indigenous cultures of the world. The regional powers of the erstwhile Mughal Empire was falling one by one to the Hindu resurgence from the end of the 17th Century onwards as the tides of history began turning against them.

Modern trained British forces was already on the subcontinent backing the nefarious tactics of the East India Company and following the devastating raids on Bengal by the Maratha cavalry from the 1740’s onwards the Nawabs of Bengal clung to British protection to save them. The British however continued to pay the yearly tribute from Bengal to the Maratha Empire until the disaster of Panipat. Thereafter the Marathas were locked into a battle for survival and then revival. The intervening decade saw the British establish their stranglehold over Bengal and began the economic rape and devastation of that province.

The attacks of the Marathas and Jats on the province of Awadh under led their Nawab to cling to British protection in 1772 and gave them the opportunity to meddle in Indian affairs. Very soon apart from Mysore virtually all the remaining Muslim states made alliances with the Europeans to preserve themselves against their Hindu adversaries.

The same year saw the death of the head of the Maratha Empire, Madhav Rao and an ensuing struggle for control in which the British saw the chance to push their feet into India. A large and well equipped British forces began to advance towards Pune, the capital of the Empire to be faced by Mahadji Sindhia.

A furious campaign saw the lands before the marching British fired and waves of Marathas cavalry harrying and attacking the British in endless attacks day and night. Eventually desperate with their supplies breaking the British began to retreat to be caught in a pincer movement at Wadgaon and beaten to utter exhaustion. The British force surrendered and signed a treaty of peace with the Marathas in a humiliating loss witnessed by the entire Indian spectrum.  The Punic bad faith of the British however allowed them to repudiate the treaty as soon as they could and the war continued for another 7 years. Despite the calling of further troops and resources from across the Empire the British East India Company was eventually unable to continue the struggle and made peace in 1782.

The main architect of the war and peace was Mahadji Sindhia whose stature now rose above all others. He immediately set march for Delhi again and swept aside the pretentions of independence that the Mughals had started reasserting. The man of faith and action had now become the most powerful man in India holding the Mughlas, Afghans and British at bay. He swiftly began to match the Maratha cavalry with a formidable Europeanised infantry units and in the north an alliance with the Hindu Jat tribes of Bharatpur. The empire now starched to the Sutlej river in Punjab with virtually all states being directly or indirectly under their control

This however led to deep resentment amongst the Muslim princes of India, They had either clung to the British for protection or were fleeing across the land in search of protection. Tens and thousands of leaderless Muslims soldiers were sitting idle after the breakup of their states. The leadership of the Afghans was taken up by Ghulam Qadir and that of the Mughal soldiers Ismail Beg. In 1788 whilst Sindhia was in Rajasthan the two warlords gathered their troops to them and raised the banner of revolt. Swarms of Muhamadan soldiers, to whom the domination of the Hindus was intolerable, gathered to them and very soon vast forces were arrayed against Sindhia in the North of India. Delhi itself was taken by Ismail Beg and Ghulam Qadir as the banner of Jihad was raised to unite the confederates.

Sindhia situation was become desperate at the British were also now pressing the frontiers eager to take revenges for their previous humiliations and the spectre of the Panipat campaign began to haunt the Marathas. However with a series of masterful strokes Mahadji combined the waves of Maratha horsemen with the Europeanised Campoo regiments whilst stocking the forts and castles with the sturdy Hindu Jat warriors.

The forts of Agra and Mathura were stormed in a series of bloody battles and the fleeing Muslim coalition fled to Delhi for protection. Here Sindhia caught up with them an enforced a siege on the city. Inside the situation was become increasingly desperate. The calls of the faithful to resist the infidel were beginning to fail and the Emperor Shah Alams heart failed him. Infighting erupted between the Mughals and Afghans and in fury the Afghans cut out the eyes of the Emperor and dishonoured his family only being stopped from murdering the entire royal family by Maniyar Singh a Rajput warrior.

Sindhia took the opportunity to attack the city and after a furious struggle in which fighting erupted from outer walls to the Red Fort he broke the defences. Thousands of Afghans were stripped and dragged through the streets reviled by the city folk who they had tormented. The Mughals fled in utter defeat whilst Ghulam Qadir was captured. The blind Mughal Emperor begged Sindhia for deliverance with the break up of the Muslim alliance.

Indeed it proved the last Islamic enterprise to rule India. The unbroken resistance of the Hindu clans throughout the medieval period had prevented the Turks and Mughals alike from creating little more than armed settlements in the plains of India. Vast tracts remained under the control of Hindu states and warlords which by the close of the 1600’s had lead to huge uprisings which first shook and them brought tumbling down the corrupt edifence of the Mughals. And now a hundred years later the last vestiges of empire combined in a last alliance to break the millennia old resistance of the Hindus to end in utter defeat. Ismail Beg became a wanderer with a handful of followers whilst Ghulam Qadir lay in prison and then to gratify the vengeance of the blinded Shah Alam Sindhia ordered the Afghan prince to be dragged through the streets of Delhi for execution and his dead body to be hung from a tree.

By 1792 Sindhias triumph was complete. His hold over the Maratha Empire in the name of the Peshwa was sealed and defacto over the nominal empire of the Mughals. His name and fame had brought the once proud Mughals and Afghans to their knees and humbled the power of the otherwise victorious British Empire. As a colossus he strode over the plains of Northern India with the inspirational cavalry tactics of his noble predecessor Shivaji the Great combining it with the new model of Europeanised infantry, the campoo regiments. Factories for armaments had been established and the economic stability after decades of warfare was now ensured. The remaining Muslims states, barring that of Tipu Sultan only survived due to the protection and economic pillaging of the British who in their turn shied away from confronting the mighty Sindhia.

His calm nature amidst the turmoil’s of the age stood in stark contrast to his adversaries. His devotion to his spiritual Guru and an unshakeable faith enabled him to deal with confront and defeat the most implacable enemies. His understanding of the political and historical landscape enabled him to complete the military defeat of the remaining Muhamadan powers in the Indian subcontinent and establish a system capable of taking on the European encroachments.

His death in 1795 at a relatively young age changed the political landscape but his contribution is not forgotten or can it be underestimated. He showed that the combination of indigenous innovation and value could not only compete with but emerge victorious over a millennia of genocidal attacks and the tidal wave of monolithic globalisation.

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Tags: afghans, Baji Rao, dharma, Dharmic warrior, hindus, India 1761, Mahadji Sindhia, Maratha, Maratha Empire, Mughals, Panipat 1761, Ranoji Sindhia

1 Response for “Mahadji Sindhia: Life and Times of a Dharmic Warrior”

Pandit Neelesh Ishwarchandra says:

April 21, 2011 at 1:37 pm

dear sri.sandeep sharma ji,

i am very much impressed by your accurate writing about the great maratha “Shrinath Madhavji (I) Shinde” . You have written it in very good and high class version of English.

For details of this greatest hero of India one should read books written by author ” B.de Boigne, HG Keene, Govind sakharam sardesai, Yadunath Sarkar, Tatya shankar Phadke, Anandrao bhausahab Falke & Mukundrao Agaskar”

I am going to write a book on “Srinath Madhavji (I) Shinde alias Mahadji”

Myths related to the Bhagavada Gita By Prashant Saxena

Sunday, February 6th, 2011 | Posted by Editor

Myths related to the Bhagavada Gita

By Prashant Saxena

http://www.chakranews.com/myths-related-to-the-bhagavada-gita/1082

Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavada Gita, in brief, is not just a conversation between Arjun and Lord Krishna. It is a spiritual knowledge imparted by Krishna to Arjun, who in despair seeing his relatives, teachers and friends as his enemy, was confused and shattered. Gita, imparts the knowledge of karma yoga, importance of gyana yoga, consciousness and the truth about the ultimate reality.

Myth 1 : Krishna is the only god (Usually advocated by the people who identify the ultimate reality with a human form and a name ‘Krishna’)

The ancient Indians only believed in the concept of ultimate reality which is called by various names and symbology. They never used words like monotheism or polytheism. They believed that the different aspects of the nature like fire, wind, sun etc are all parts of the nature. Hence in Vedic hymns one can find reveration to the individual elements of the nature in a metaphorically personified form. E.g fire, personfied as agni-dev and sun as surya-dev. The Upanisadic texts proclaim that the Brahman is the one and only Godhead, in the Kathopanisad it is called Visnu and in the Mandukyopanisad it is called Sivam. So it is said in the Vedas: “Ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti”, which means that the truth is called by different names.

The chapter 10 of Bhagavada-Gita alone teaches of the various conceptions about the ultimate reality idenitifed by different names.

BG 10.20: I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.

BG 10.21: Of the ?dityas I am Vis?n?u, of lights I am the radiant sun, of the Maruts I am Mar?ci, and among the stars I am the moon.

BG 10.22: Of the Vedas I am the S?ma Veda; of the demigods I am Indra, the king of heaven; of the senses I am the mind; and in living beings I am the living force [consciousness].

BG 10.23: Of all the Rudras I am Lord ?iva, of the Yaks?as and R?ks?asas I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera], of the Vasus I am fire [Agni], and of mountains I am Meru.

BG 10.24: Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Br?haspati. Of generals I am K?rtikeya, and of bodies of water I am the ocean. 

BG 10.25: Of the great sages I am Bhr?gu; of vibrations I am the transcendental om?. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa], and of immovable things I am the Him?layas.

BG 10.26: Of all trees I am the banyan tree, and of the sages among the demigods I am N?rada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila.

BG 10.27: Of horses know Me to be Uccaih??rav?, produced during the churning of the ocean for nectar. Of lordly elephants I am Air?vata, and among men I am the monarch.

BG 10.28: Of weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am the surabhi. Of causes for procreation I am Kandarpa, the god of love, and of serpents I am V?suki.

BG 10.29: Of the many-hooded N?gas I am Ananta, and among the aquatics I am the demigod Varun?a. Of departed ancestors I am Aryam?, and among the dispensers of law I am Yama, the lord of death.

BG 10.30: Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahl?da, among subduers I am time, among beasts I am the lion, and among birds I am Garud?a.

BG 10.31: Of purifiers I am the wind, of the wielders of weapons I am R?ma, of fishes I am the shark, and of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.

BG 10.32: Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self, and among logicians I am the conclusive truth. 

BG 10.33: Of letters I am the letter A, and among compound words I am the dual compound. I am also inexhaustible time, and of creators I am Brahm?.

BG 10.34: I am all-devouring death, and I am the generating principle of all that is yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, fine speech, memory, intelligence, steadfastness and patience.

  

BG 10.35: Of the hymns in the S?ma Veda I am the Br?hat-s?ma, and of poetry I am the G?yatr?. Of months I am M?rga??rs?a [November-December], and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.

  

BG 10.36: I am also the gambling of cheats, and of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory, I am adventure, and I am the strength of the strong.

BG 10.37: Of the descendants of Vr?s?n?i I am V?sudeva, and of the P?n?d?avas I am Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vy?sa, and among great thinkers I am U?an?.

BG 10.38: Among all means of suppressing lawlessness I am punishment, and of those who seek victory I am morality. Of secret things I am silence, and of the wise I am the wisdom.

BG 10.39: Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being — moving or nonmoving — that can exist without Me.

  

Myth 2 : Krishna was egotistical as he asked to worship him (Usually propagated by the anti-hindus)

This kind of criticism is usually done by the anti-hindus. In Gita, there are several places where Lord Krishna articulates with pronouns like “I am, Me”.  The most critical part in that understanding is as to what that “I, Me” actually refers to? This is the explanation given in the whole of Bhagvada-Gita. It is the explanation of ultimate reality which consists of spiritual energies, knowledge, material manifestations etc, every thing that emanates out of that ultimate reality or that definition behind “I, Me” (BG 12.3-4, 12.5-7, 10.2-3, 10.12-13, 9.4, 9.10-11, 10.8). This further explains the concept of avatar in Hinduism. An avatar is simply a divine and living manifestation of the supreme reality according to hinduism. 

Gita is a divine knowledge and nowhere Lord Krishna force Arjun to acknowledge his words. He only says, it his opinion.

BG 6.36: For one whose mind is unbridled, self-realization is difficult work. But he whose mind is controlled and who strives by appropriate means is assured of success. That is My opinion.

  

BG 18.63: Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.

It was only Arjun who asked Krishna to help him as he was depressed and disturbed to see his relatives, teachers and friends in the battlefield (as explained in chapter 1 and 2). Krishna was only trying to help him.

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Tags: Arjun, bhagavada gita, Gita, krishna, myths

4 Responses for “Myths related to the Bhagavada Gita”

HariShiva says:

February 6, 2011 at 4:21 pm

Prashant very interesting article but i have a question .I thought Hinduism was monotheist and according to Iskcon Lord Krishna is suppose to be supreme and all other gods including Shiva demi gods..Can u elaborate on that ..thanks

Prashant Saxena says:

February 6, 2011 at 7:03 pm

@HariShiva : I’m glad for your genuine participation. To understand the hindu scriptures, you need to decondition your mind especially from the western terminologies and secondary sources. We all talk about Veda and Gita. Many people glorify them. But the question is how many have genuinely read them and comprehended them from their own frame of understanding? If people start glorifying blindly, then it is possible that they may overlook the miscomprehensions and distortions and end up glorifying these non-scriptural additions too. Coming to your question, it has two parts :

1) You thought Hinduism was monotheist.

What you thought itself speaks what I’m trying to explain. What exactly is theism? Theism is an english term and when mapped to sanskrit it can lead to major communcation gaps. Theism is a word that is also used to connect to the abrahamic gods. But the concept of “godly” in context to Hinduism is very different from that of western concepts of god. The Vedas, which is a part of shruti, is well versed in a metaphorical way where the different elements are personfied. Everything that is essential for the life is treated as divine. Thus the sun which is the source of life on the entire earth is revered and personfied as “Surya Dev”. Agni which is essential part of nature is revered as “Agni-Dev”. The hymns you’d find in Veda characterise these elements with their properties and simply rever them.

As per western concepts, god is isolated from the nature and he is the creator of the world. He has his own set of miracles that we can’t see. And one who believes in god and his miracles is a theist. But, from a hindu point of view, the Vedas emphasize on the characteristics of different elements of the nature which are metaphorically and poetically called as “deva”. e.g Agni-deva ( a personification of fire element), vayu-deva ( a personification of air element). Some of the elements are even personified with feminine names and hence showing how Vedas rever women. E.g laxmi. ( personification of wealth ).

The sanskrit term Astik which is usually mapped to theist, according to the vedic definition means the one who, with a skeptic mind, accepts the vedic knowledge and values and considers the elements of nature as divine. Again, divinity ( or godly) in Vedic context does not mean relating to the western definition of god, but something that is essential for the existence of human life and peace. Thus, Sun, heat, water, air etc are all considered as divine. Verses like “matri devo bhava, athiti devo bhava” ( treat mother as god or godly, treat neighbour as godly ) simply mean to show respect to your mother and to the neighbours for a peaceful existence.

Vedas which are a part of the the shruties are considered as the most sacred and they do not contain any stories or historical accounts of prophets as we have in western religions. Vedas and Gita themselves promote the spirit of enquiry/questioning and hence astik in Vedic context means one who accepts the Vedic ideas and knowledge i.e a scientific and spiritual bent of mind. Thus again we can see that there is hardly any connect in the western definition of god and the sanskrit meaning of “astik”.

Theism as per western concepts, relates to a set of beliefs where spirit of enquiry and questioning is undermined, whereas “astik” relates to adherance to vedic knowledge, spirit of questioning and free thinking. Thus in India, you’d hardly find any conflict between modern science and the Vedic science.

Thus when we map a sanskrit term to an english term, we need to remap the english to sanskrit also to verify if it still means the same. We need to stop looking at the Hindu scriptures from a western point of view.

2) According to Iskcon Lord Krishna is suppose to be supreme and all other gods including Shiva demi gods.

I have had discussions with a few ISKONites. But I guess it is not right to generalize on what they think. If we anlayze the statement, then it flaws as it is again based on the western view of “god” or theism. For example, Science is a subject which has different categorizations like Physics, Chemistry, Biology etc. These names like ‘Science, Phyisics, chemistry etc’ are given only by the humans. How will a science student select his area of study if their is no name given to that particular specialization or field? Similarly, we must understand that names like Brahman, Shiva, Vishnu etc are the names to the individual conceptualizations related to the ultimate reality. The other names to the conceptualizations are Indra, SuryaDev etc. Feminine names include Laxmi (Goddess of wealth, again a personfication).

What you are referring to is essentially these verses of GITA from chapter 9.

BG 9.22: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form — to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.

BG 9.23: Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kunt?, but they do so in a wrong way.

BG 9.24: I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.

The demigods are nothing but the physical or mental manifestations of the ultimate reality which are divine. Material manifestations include Sun, Earth, Water etc. Whereas, mental manifestations include knowledge, consciousness, thought etc. If we treat a human body as a whole, then how can a whole body be complete without a hand, leg or a brain? If, for analogy, these individual components of a human body are treated separately and compared to demigods, then it is only natural that the whole body ( analogous to ultimate reality here) should take bath. Does it make any sense to clean the individal body parts (analogous to worshipping or revering the demi-gods individually)? Another, If a business man worships Laxmi (wealth) and cuts the trees for generation of wealth, then it means that for the generation of wealth, he is abusing the nature. Thus, according to BG-9.23, this is inappropriate.

From verses, BG.12.3-7, you’d understand what I have just said. But as stated before in the article, nowhere in GITA, Krishna tells Arjun to identify that ultimate reality which is unmanifested, unborn with a name “Krishna”. He doesn’t say to worship someone called “Krishna”. Krishna had other names like ‘Kanhaiya, Devki nandan, janardan, Keshav etc’. In chapter 9,10 he tells his other names too which are identified with the manifestions for other roles just like science has physics to serve a different category and biology to serve another.

From 9.23 you’d also find that no matter what demi-god you worship, you are worshipping that ultimate reality only or the definition of “I or Me” that Bhagvad GITA expounds.

If we swap the names like Physics and chemistry, would it really change the explanation and the meaning of that branch? Would hydrogen fuse differently with oxygen if we start calling that field as XYZ? The science of detachment with the knowledge is what really needed as a final hammer to that understanding and to be able to see the truth. If a person is reducing that ultimate reality to a human for and a name and cannot realize the higher nature of that ultimate reality, then according to GITA he is of lesser intellect.

BG 9.11: Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.

Hari Om

Dr. O. P. Sudrania says:

February 9, 2011 at 4:32 pm

As the very flavour of a food tells you its taste, so did a cursary reading with a glance at both your article as well as the comment. I loved it and not being a sanskrit scholar, I loved your nice references with their metaphorical legends. I was looking for an article like this and it is perhaps the divine grace that has come through you. God bless you Prashant and keep going strong. I shall make reference to your this excellent article in my own modest work.

God bless

Dr. O. P. Sudrania