Gurukula System Vs Modern Education

This is the notes taken from a talk given by Dr. Shri Ranganji on February 26, 2009 at Narada Gana Sabha in Chennai on the topic Gurukula Education Vs Modern Education - Shiksha Valli.

Gurukula Education System(GES) is the oldest education system in the world.
Concept of the (GES)
1) Unlike the Modern Education System (MES),the students of the GES were not dependent on the their parents for their education.
2)There is no fee structure(the general concept was that education should not be sold).
3)All students generally used to seek alms (give it to the guru, as well as for themselves).
4)In general the whole society was responsible for the education of students.
5)Essentially after education,the students bring Dakshina(donation),for running of the Gurukulam.

Courses offered at GES:
Ayurveda,Dharmasastra, Arthashastra, Vaisheshika, Dhanurveda, Nyaya, Shilpashastra, Tarkshastra and many more… All these shastras were taught at Gurukulas,but they weren’t compulsory and a student could specialize in any field of interest.

FACT PROFILE:
It is said that SRI KRISHNA mastered all the shastras in a span of just 63 days.
The only compulsory subject of study was “Vedas”, its practices included Sandhya Vandhanam, Samithadhanam, which play a pivotal role in one’s cognitive development and grasping power.

Nextly,a comparison of the scientific research conducted between the GES and MES.

It was conducted for about 49 students from each system of education,but the baseline was that both of them were initially part of the MES,then 49 shifted over to the GES.The 49 students comprising the GES were from Hariharapura(near Sringeri),and the MES comprised of Indian Matriculation School(Dharmapuri).These students were tested initially and after one year the students underwent a medical check-up,and healthy boys were taken.The parameters on which they were gauged were:

Levels of intelligence
Spatial and verbal memories
Plannability and many more

Students of both these systems were residential,they had their daily routines,and the same natural surroundings. Tedious measures were taken for matching each one of the students from either of the systems,the factors that had to match were age,family circumstances,family background and so on. A series of tests were conducted which were highly scientific and technical in their approach,a few to name were:

CM Bhatia’s Test of verbal and spatial memory, Six letter Cancellation test, Shallice tower of London and a few others.

Learning strategies adopted in GES and MES.

Students of GES practiced Yoga and the different Asanas, whereas the MES students resorted to physicals exercises as that in a Gym. Students of the GES chanted Mantras japas (mainly gayatri japa),whereas the MES chanted rhymes(like jack n jill).Students of GES performed their puja themselves,whereas MES students did their daily prayers. In the evenings GES students had their Bhajans,the MES students practised light music.The GES students played games like Kabbadi,the MES students played games like Cricket, Basketball,etc.

The inference of these as mentioned is highly technical, but in crux improvement was p<0.05, and highly significant improvement were seen in that of the students of the GES. Not that the students of the MES didn’t show improvement,they did,but it was not as significant as that of the GES.

ESSENTIALS OF GES:

Group Discussion
Interaction with the guru
Self learning
Pranayam
Mantra chanting and many more

It is also important to note that the Bible, Quran, Ramayan, Mahabharatham, Kalidasa’s works, Shakespeare’s works and many others were subjected to interpolation over a period of time, but the essential aspect of the Vedas due to the redundancy technique(Sandhe,Tiruve,Avruthi)applied never changed even after repeated chanting over eons.

Fact profile:

By the practice of yoga, pranayam, mantra chanting anxiety is reduced.
The performance of the Sandhya Vandhana,essentially involved the all forms of Yoga namely the Raja yoga,Karma yoga,Dhyana yoga and many more.
Firstly the US tried to patent Turmeric, then Cow Urine.
Now,Germany is trying to patent “Leech”, for anesthesia, this technique was anciently adopted in Ayurveda. (Related article, see post below)

Also a data revealed that village students were more creative than those in the city. The main reason cited was that the city students lacked originality, the main reason for that being their regular exposure to the mass media and TV, which have comparatively less influence on the village students.

Thereby the essence is that GES enhances Cognitive development.

The least thing that can be done could be the implementation of the GES techniques such as chanting of Prayers, Bhajans, practice of Pranayama, and a regular routine of taking students to temples.

Purpose of Education:

Study, discourse are the elements of the GES.They learn “Rytham”(truth in movement),”Sathyam”(truth in being).

Note: Thanks to T.Shankar Ram for coming up with the crux of the speech of Shri Rangan Ji.)

India awakens to Patent Dangers from MNC's

In the first step by a developing country to stop multinational companies patenting traditional remedies from local plants and animals, the Indian government has effectively licensed 200,000 local treatments as "public property" free for anyone to use but no one to sell as a "brand".

The move comes after scientists in Delhi noticed an alarming trend – the "bio-prospecting" of natural remedies by companies abroad. After trawling through the records of the global trademark offices, officials found 5,000 patents had been issued — at a cost of at least $150m (£104m) — for "medical plants and traditional systems".

"More than 2,000 of these belong to the Indian systems of medicine … We began to ask why multinational companies were spending millions of dollars to patent treatments that so many lobbies in Europe deny work at all," said Dr Vinod Kumar Gupta, who heads the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, which lists in encyclopaedic detail the 200,000 treatments.

The database, which took 200 researchers eight years to compile by meticulously translating ancient Indian texts, will now be used by the European Patent Office to check against "bio-prospectors".

Gupta points out that in Brussels alone there had been 285 patents for medicinal plants whose uses had long been known in the three principal Indian systems: ayurveda, India's traditional medical treatment; unani, a system believed to have come to India via ancient Greece; and siddha, one of India's oldest health therapies, from the south.

Researchers found that in Europe one company had patented an Indian creeping plant known as Brahmi — Bacopa monnieri — for a memory enhancer. Another patent was awarded for aloe vera for its use as a mouth ulcer treatment.

"We have shown the authorities that ayurveda, unani and siddha medicinal uses were known in India. We would like the patents therefore lifted," said Gupta.

In the past India has had to go to court to get patents revoked. Officials say that to lift patents from medicines created from turmeric and neem, an Indian tree, it spent more than $5m. In the case of the neem patent, the legal battle took almost 10 years.

"We won because we proved these were part of traditional Indian knowledge. There was no innovation and therefore no patent should be granted," said Gupta.

Yoga, too, is considered a traditional medicine and one that is already a billion-dollar industry in the US. Gupta said the Indian government had already asked the US to register yoga as a "well-known" mark and raised concerns over the 130 yoga-related patents issued.

"We want no one to appropriate the yoga brand for themselves. There are 1,500 asanas [yogic poses] and exercises given in our ancient texts. We are transcribing these so they too cannot be appropriated by anyone.

"We have had instances where people have patented a yoga technique by describing a certain temperature. This is simply wrong."

India is also unusual in that it has seven national medical systems — of which modern medicine is but one. Almost four-fifths of India's billion people use traditional medicine and there are 430,000 ayurvedic medical practitioners registered by the government in the country. The department overseeing the traditional medical industry, known as Ayush, has a budget of 10bn rupees ($260m).

India's battle to protect its traditional treatments is rooted in the belief that the developing world's rich biodiversity is a potential treasure trove of starting material for new drugs and crops. Gupta said that it costs the west $15bn and 15 years to produce a "blockbuster drug". A patent lasts for 20 years, so a pharmaceutical company has just five years to recover its costs — which makes conventional treatments expensive.

"If you can take a natural remedy and isolate the active ingredient then you just need drug trials and the marketing. Traditional medicine could herald a new age of cheap drugs."

Medicines ancient and modern

Ginger: Patented to treat obesity. However, officials have found that in a Siddha preparation, extracts of ginger root are used in a treatment for obesity

Citrus peel extract: Patented to treat skin disorders and injuries. Recorded in Ayurvedic texts as a key ingredient to treat skin diseases

Phyllanthus amarus (Himalayan stem herb): Patented "for the inhibition of the replication of a nucleosidic inhibitor resistant retrovirus and/or a non-nucleosidic inhibitor-resistant retrovirus, wherein said retrovirus is an HIV." Indian traditional texts show the drug is used for immuno-suppressive emaciating diseases

Brassica rapa (mustard): Patented to normalise bowel function or for the prevention of colonic cancer. Unani has for years prescribed it for stomach ailments

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

Grand Mahashivarthri celebrations around the world

KATHMANDU, NEPAL, February 24, 2009: Around four million devotees from within and outside the country visited the revered Hindu temple of Pashupati Nath on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri on Monday.

Devotees had lined up to Old Baneswor and Chabahil to get a chance for worship in the temple from as early as 3 am. Devotees had to stand in line for more than six hours.

About 150 sadhus, less than expected, had come from different parts of India at the Pashupati. Foreigners were also seen dancing to the tunes of Nepali devotional songs. For the first time in the Nepal’s history, President Ram Baran Yadav offered puja as the Head of the State at the temple. President Yadav was welcomed by the devotees with a huge applaud. Most of the TV channels and FM radios were broadcasting the event live from Pashupati.

FIJI, February 24, 2009: For Mahasivaratri, many temples in Fiji observe a three-night festival which culminates with a grand prayer ceremony on the last night.

Devotees strongly believe that sincere worship of Lord Shiva on the auspicious day of Shivaratri, absolves a person of sins and liberates him from the cycle of birth and death. Shivaratri is considered especially auspicious for women. While married women pray for the well being of their husbands unmarried women pray for a husband like Lord Shiva, who is regarded as the ideal husband.

Devotees also offer 108 Bilwa leaves to the Shiva Linga to seek blessings. These leaves are believed to be the best offering for Lord Shiva and have great significance as highlighted in the Shiv Puranas.

Source: www.nepalmountainnews.com
fijidailypost.com

Move to market Ayyappa prasadam dropped

Kannur: Following protest by Hindu organisations and leaders, CPM controlled Raico a co-operative firm cancelled their move to produce duplicate Aravana Prasad of Lord Ayyappa. Raico Chairman T. Krishnan informed that the move has been cancelled was made controversial.

The decision to market Aravana through Raico in the name of Sabarimala Ayyappa was taken to cash in the devotees faith. The Government which loots the crores of money from temples want to accumulate their coffers by marketing Sabarimala Ayyappa and Amabalapuzha Srikrishna. Earlier the attempt to sell famed Ambalapuzha Palpayasam through Government stores were also cancelled due to timely intervention of Hindu organisations.

Source: http://www.haindavakeralam.com/HKPage.aspx?PageID=8260&SKIN=K

Glorifying Rudra with Rudram

2000 year old Shiva temple unearthed ahead of Shivarathri

LUCKNOW: Believed to be among the oldest brick shrines in India, Lucknow University’s department of ancient Indian history and archaeology has unearthed a 2,000-year-old Shiva temple as part of its excavation project recently in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district.

‘‘It’s actually a complex comprising five temples,’’ Prof D P Tewari of the Lucknow University said. ‘‘While four temples belong to the Kushana period (1st-3rd century AD or 2,000 years ago), it appears that the primary temple was constructed during the Sunga period (2nd century BC to 1st century AD or 2,200 years ago).’’

The temple site is a mound in Sanchankot in Unnao. The excavations have been going on since 2004, when UGC cleared the project for funding. ‘‘A lot of things have come to fore since we began, but the temple complex has suddenly given impetus to our research,’’ said Prof Tewari.

Spread across an area of 600 acres, the temple is made of baked bricks. In India, most of the brick temples were built in the Gupta period which existed in the fourth century AD. The temple’s architecture is ‘apsidal’ (semi-circular or u-shaped) in nature.

The LU has many artifacts to conclude that Lord Shiva was worshipped in this temple. Prof Tewari said, ‘‘A terracotta seal bearing the legend of ‘Kaalanjar peeth’ in Brahmi script was found from the site in Dec 2008.’’

A shivling, trishul, nandi bull, and a river are inscribed over the seal. The legend of ‘Kaalanjar peeth’ is inscribed just below the river.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/2000-yr-old-Shiva-shrine-found-in-UP/articleshow/4172761.cms

Hindu Gods at Brazilian Carnival

PANAJI: Ganesh, Durga and Surya will form part of a carnival float that will roll through the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city on Saturday night. The float is being presented by the Escola de Samba Perola Negra of Sao Paulo, and its theme is “Guided by Surya journeying through India in quest of the sacred pearl”

According to the samba club’s website www.gresperolanegra.com.br the story is about a fictitious person who in a dream is transported to India and awakens in a lotus garden.

Ganesh, who is described in the website as “Hindu God whose blessings are invoked at the beginning of any journey”, emerges from a lotus and sends the person on a mission to find the sacred pearl — the symbol of love. First, though, the person has to meet with the Sun God Surya and seek his help in finding the exact spot.

On arriving at Surya’s temple the person is led to the temple of Durga, who the website describes as “mother of Ganesh and wife of Shiva”.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Goa/Hindu_gods_to_samba_at_Brazilian_carnival/articleshow/4158112.cms

Vedic Lecture Series in Chennai

Webolim cordially invites you to the Vedic Lecture series in Chennai. Lectures by Dr. Shri Ranganji from 25th February to March 1st. His lectures are based on Taittiriya Upanishad. The lectures are going to be in Naradha Gana Sabha - Mini Hall, TTK Road, Alwarpet, Chennai between 6.30 pm to 8 pm. The topics are given below.

Value Education - Shiksha Valli (25/02/2009)
Gurukula Education Vs. Modern Education - Shiksha Valli (26/02/2009)
What is Bhraman? - Ananda Valli (27/02/2009)
What is Happiness? - Ananda Valli (28/02/2009)
Freedom from Five Adjuncts. - Bhrigu Valli (01/03/2009)

Lectures are going to be in English.
Background on the speaker:

Shri R.Ranganji is the founder president of Webolim, an organization which spreads the values of Vedas and usage of Vedic values in every day life.. He is a master of Vedas, Vedic Sanskrit, Upanishads and epics. He has authored many books on the Vedas giving its meaning and its practicality for the present age. Ranganji conducts Vedic workshops in various places in India and abroad.

He is a Vedic scholar and learnt Vedanta in a traditional way. He composed seven thousand verses in Sanskrit even at the age of thirteen. He could memorize all the eight major Upanishads and most of the slokas of Ramayana by the age of sixteen. He translated Shankara bhashya of Bramhasutras at the age of eighteen. He established a big study circle of Ramayana the original text of Valmiki while he was an under graduate. He did his Masters in management studies. He did his PhD from sVYASA University.

He has written many research articles on Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vedas, Vedanta, Yoga and published six books on philosophy. He has done a Bhashya of Bhagavad-Gita synthesizing various bhashyas . Presently he is a consultant to Vivekananda Yoga Anusanthana Samasthana (Vivekananda Yoga University) in Bangalore.

I hope everyone can make use of this occasion and enrich their Vedic knowledge. Please pass on this information to those who would be interested.

International Conference on Saraswathi Valley civilisation

An international conference on the The Sindhu- Sarasvati Valley Civilization will be held on 21 and 22 February, 2009 in Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, California. Dr Nalini Rao, Professor of World Art, Soka University of America and Dr Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology, Loyola Marymount University have teamed up together to organize this important conference. Prominent scholars particularly archaeologists, linguists, anthropologists, historians, religious specialists and geneticists would be participating in this conference in order to debate and understand the nature of the interrelation between the Indus or Sindhu and the Sarasvati or Vedic culture(s) from about 3000 B.C. to 1000 B.C. They would also be attempting to bridge the chronological, linguistic and racial gap between the material and literary cultures of the Indus civilization and Vedic civilization. It is understood that the main focus of this International conference will be on the issues raised by the following questions:

1)Who were the people of Ancient India Civilizations?
2)Were they Vedic Aryan or Indo- Aryan, Indo- Iranian or Dravidians?
3)Has archaeological evidence confirmed the existence of common features of Vedic and Indus culture(s)?
4)Is there an indigenous continuity of the culture in India and Pakistan or did the people come from outside the subcontinent?
5)How does the scientific evidence of the drying of the River Sarasvati play a role in the interpretation of the history and chronology of the civilization?
6)How is the genetic evidence corroborated with archaeological evidences especially regarding the antiquity of the Indian gene?

The prominent scholars who would be participating in the International conference include Jonathan Mark Kenoyer (University of Wisconsin), Carl C. Lamberg-Karlovsky), Dr B B Lal (Archaeological Survey of India) R S Bisht (Archaeological Survey of India), Louis Flam (City University of NY), S R Rao (Archaeological Survey of India, National Institute of Oceanography), Edwin Bryant (Rutgers University), Shiva Bajpai (CSUN) , Vijendra Kumar Kashyap (India’s National Institute of Biologicals), Subhash Kak (Oklahama State University), Ashok Aklujkar (University of British Columbia), Jim G Shaffer (Case Western Reserve University, Dennis Frenez (University of Bologna) and Nicholas Kazanas (Omilos Meleton Cultural Institute, Athens). The aim of the International Conference is to discuss, reconsider and reconstruct a shared identity of the Sindhu (Indus) and Saraswati cultures, using archaeological and other scientific evidence as well as Vedic literature.

History of Guruvayoor temple

The *Narada Purana* in its chapter *Gurupavanapura Mahatmya* states : " King Janamejaya, in order to avenge the death of his father Pareekshit, (who was killed by Serpent Chief Takshaka ) , performed the *Sarpayajna* (snake sacrifice) in which thousands of innocent serpents were burnt alive . As a result of their curse , Janamejaya was afflicted with terrible leprosy, which left him in utter despair. Sensing this, Sage Dattatreya appeared before him with a remedy – Seek the mercy of Bhagavan Krishna, at Guruvayoor temple ”.

The Sage recounted that, Bhagavan Maha Vishu Himself was the first to worship this *Moorty* . At the beginning of the Padma Kalpa, He gave the image to Brahma . At the beginning of the *Varaha Kalpa*, the childless couple, Sutepa & Prisna prayed to Brahma for a son. Brahma gave them this Moorty, assuring them of their wish if they worshipped the Moorty with sincere devotion. This they did with excellence, so much so that the Lord MahaVishnu Himself appeared before them. As a boon, they prayed Him three times, for a son. He blessed them that, He would be born to them as son in three successive births. And,they would also have the good fortune of worshipping the divine Moorty in all the three births.

Accordingly, in the first birth, Sutepa and Prisna had Prisigarbha as son . In their second birth , as Kasyapa & Aditi , the couple worshipped the same Moorty and got their son Vamana. In their third and the most auspicious birth as Vasudeva and Devaki, Sree Krishna was born to them.

After killing Kamsa , Shree Krishna moved to Dwaraka where He built a temple, installed this Moorty and worshipped it . When the time came for His return (to Vaikunta), Bhagavan Krishna entrusted this image to Uddhava, (when the latter expressed, his fears regarding the fate that would befall mankind in *Kaliyuga* during Bhagavan's absence) . Bhagavan assured Udhava that , He would manifest in this Moorty , to shield His devotees from the ill-effects of Kaliyuga and to bless the mankind . He appraised Udhava that, soon after His departure Dwaraka would submerge in the ocean ; as such, he should install the Moorty in an equally sacred spot in consultation with Brihaspati (Guru of Gods) .

Accordingly, Guru along with Vayu (Wind-God) set forth to Dwaraka where they found, the image being tossed about in the sea by the surging waves. Vayu carried the image and both started searching for a sacred place for its installation . They were later joined by Sage Parasurama , and they came upon a lake of lotuses ( Rudratheertha) where Lord Siva and Parvathi were waiting to receive them. Siva told them that that spot was etched out for Narayana long ago ; hence He and Parvathi-devi would move to the opposite bank . Guru and Vayu installed the image in the temple built by Viswakarma, the divine architect of Gods. As Guru and Vayu together founded the temple, the place came to be known as Guruvayoorpura which was later shortened to Guruvayoor.

Moved by this story, Janamejaya proceeded to Guruvayoor temple where he worshipped Sree Krishna with great faith , for four months. One night while asleep, he felt Bhagavan Krishna's healing touch over his body and his illness (leprosy) was no more! . King Janamejaya returned to his kingdom elated singing praises for Bhagavan Krishna .

MODERN HISTORY

in 1789 AD, the muslim tyrant Tippu Sultan , with the intention of converting Hindus to Muslims, invaded the kingdom of Calicut where Guruvayoor is located . Apprehending the destruction, the image was hidden underground and the *Utsava Moorty* was shifted to another place . Tippu set fire to the Temple, but it was saved by a celestial voice followed by timely rain. Terriblyfrightened at this divine intervention, Tippu and his mighty army fled from Guruvayoor . Later, Tippu was defeated and killed by the combined army of Calicut and the English .

On November30,1970, an uncontrollable mammoth fire broke out in Guruvayoor temple. It raged all around for five hours, but the Sri Kovil ( Sanctum Sanctorum) , flag-staff and all the support - deities remained unaffected. The fire gutted the entire surroundings. The *Sri Kovil* was only 3 yards off, but still the fierce fire did not touch even the dry flower garlands, which hung on the corner of the *Sri Kovil* !

For more info and Source visit
http://www.haindavakeralam.com/HkPage.aspx?PAGEID=8157&SKIN=D

The Pride of Malaysia

Click on the photo to have a larger view

Dear Fellow Indians and Non Resident Indians,

Hinduism, the rock bed of India that sustained greatest civilization for 10,000 years is facing great threat for its survival. To give you a glimpse of what is happening:

1)Per Govt records in 2005 in Andhra Pradesh, there are 198,857 temples, 147, 991 churches, 175, 959 Mosques. Upto 90% of the churches and Mosques are built in last few years. India is rapidly islamised and christianized.

2)30% of coastal Andhra is converted. North Eastern states are converted upto 95%. Yearly billions of dollars are being poured for conversions from the West as well as from Saudi Arabia.

3)350,000 Kashmiri Hindus were driven away from Kashmir for last 18 years and are living in squalid camps. Daily temples are destroyed in Kashmir.

4)More than 4000 people were killed due to terrorism, just next to Iraq, in last 4 years, mostly Hindus and several Hindu Temples such as in Jaipur, Varanasi, Aksharadam, Ayodhya Ram temple have become areas of terrorism.

5) With blessing of Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan ISI and Bangladesh DGFI are on a mission to create Mughalistan, joining northen corridor of India from Pakistan to Bangla Desh.

6)Islamic fundamentalists in West Bengal and throughout the country are busy targeting Hindus, Hindu worship and Hindu institutions wherever their numbers are 25% or more.

7)In schools, colleges, banks everywhere being Hindu has become a burden in seats, in resources. Govt openly declared Muslims come first in the country for securing vote banks.

8)A serious problem Hindus are facing is in the way temples are targeted where massive looting of temple properties and devotee offerings and diversion of temple resources for political purposes is taking place.

To give just one example, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar quoted in 2005 in Karnataka, out of 72 crores collected from about 2 lakh temples only 6 crores are given back for temple maintenance, 50 crores diverted through treasury for Haj trips and 12 crores for churches and rest for Govt secular purposes. The results is 25% (50,000) are expected to close down.

You can get a glimpse of the situation by watching presentation 'Threat to Hindu Temples and Institutions' at http://savetemples.org

A Poll on Religious countries

USA, February 12, 2009: Following is a list of Gallup’s least and most religious U.S. states, along with comparable findings in nations across the globe. The list is based on the percentage of people who said religion is an “important part” of their daily lives:

Most religious
Lebanon (86)
Mississippi, U.S. (85)
Iran (83)
Alabama, U.S. (82)
Zimbabwe (81)
South Carolina, U.S. (80)
India (79)
Iraq (79)
Tennessee, U.S. (79)
Louisiana, U.S. (78)
Arkansas, U.S. (78)
Romania (78)
Botswana (77)
Georgia, U.S. (76)
North Carolina, U.S. (76)
Haiti (76)
Tajikistan (76)
Oklahoma, U.S. (75)
Georgia (75)
Cyprus (75)
Kentucky, U.S. (74)
Texas, U.S. (74)

Least religious
Vermont, U.S. (42)
Switzerland (42)
South Korea (45)
Canada (45)
Taiwan (45)
New Hampshire, U.S. (46)
Montenegro (46)
Slovakia (47)
Maine, U.S. (48)
Massachusetts, U.S. (48)
Israel (50)
Singapore (50)
Alaska, U.S. (51)
Serbia (51)
Washington, U.S. (52)
Oregon, U.S. (53)
Rhode Island, U.S. (53)
Nevada, U.S. (54)
Connecticut, U.S. (55)
Austria (55)

Source: Religion News Services

A Mahamahopadhyaya from Mylapore

BR Haran
Mahamahopadhyaya is a great honour conferred on well-learned scholars, who associate themselves to the noble profession of ‘teaching’ in their respective subjects or areas of interest.

This coveted award is bestowed on great pandits, who have come up with sincere devotion, spirited hard work and a never dying insatiable quest for knowledge. It was divine and blissful to interact with one such great scholar from Mylapore Dr R Krishnamurthi Sastri, a Sanskrit teacher par excellence for over forty with immense knowledge of the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ithihasas and all Dharma Sastras, was conferred Mahama-hopadhyaya.

The Tirupati based University, ‘Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha’, which celebrated its 12th convocation, conferred on him the title recently. Hailing from a traditionally scholarly family and born to S Rajagopala Ghanapatigal and Vaalaambal at Mullaivasal in Thanjavur District, Krishnamurthi Sastri started his quest for knowledge at a very early age.

He learnt Krishna Yajur Veda under his father through the age-old tradition of Gurukula and since then there has been no looking back in his illustrious career. His academic excellence in Sanskrit and Hindi has been proved many times in Sanskrit promoting institutions like Kanchi Mutt, TTD, Madras Sanskrit College, University of Madras and Hindi Prachar Sabha.

Dr Sastri’s career as a Sanskrit Teacher started at Vaideeswara Oriental School in Mettur Dam, Salem District in 1966. After a stint of seven years there, he served as a Lecturer of Vedanta in Madras Sanskrit College for one year and then became the Vice Principal of S V Vidya Kendra, Tirumala, where he served for two years from 1974 to 1976.

Then he served as Professor of Vedanta at Madras Sanskrit Colllege between 1976 and 1999 and became its principal serving between 1999 and 2003. At present he is serving as Academic Council Member in Lal Bahadur Sastri Sanskrit Vidyapeet, Delhi; Jt. Secretary, The Sanskrit Academy, Chennai; Member, Research Admission committee, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha and Expert Committee Member, Sarasvati Mahal Library, Thanjavur.

When asked about the titles and honours that he has won so far, he said, ‘I have been honoured by a few institutions with some titles but feel shy listing them’.

However the list is endless and to name a few, he was honoured with the title Veda Bhashya Ratnam by Kanchi Sankara Mutt, Vedanta Visarada by His holiness Sankaracharya of Sringeri, Veda Sastra Parangata by Samskrita Sahitya Parishad, Trichy, Meemamsa Siromani by University of Madras, Veda Bhashya Vidwan by TTD, Tirumala and Vedabhashya Ratnakara by Jeer Azhagiya singar of Ahobila Mutt.

Krishnamurthi Sastri has authored and published many monographs and books like Veda and its relevance in today’s life, Samkshepa Dharma Sastram, Yajusha Mantra Ratnakaram, Krishna Yajur Veda (both in Grantha and Devanagari lipi) and a critical edition of Alankara-stava by Vinukonda Venkatarama Deivagna.

On invitations he has participated in and presided over a number of conferences, seminars and Vidwat Sadas and presented and published numerous articles relating to Veda & Vedanta and its relevance to modern times.

He has been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting Veda-bhashya Sabha and Advaita Sabha at Kanchi Mutt every year and he also founded the ‘Heritage India Educational Trust’ with the blessings of Kanchi Paramacharya in the early eighties mainly to publish Krishna Yajur Veda in Granta-lipi, which has already gone into four prints benefiting a large number of students.

Dr Sastri’s wife Prema Krishnamurthi, who has stood behind her husband supporting all his endeavours, is also a great intellectual. She conducts classes for Patshala students and addresses neighbourhood gatherings regularly on the religious and cultural aspects of Sanatana Dharma.

She participates in service activities, which focus on Hindhu Dharma. Their son Ramasubramaniam is a Professor of Astronmomy and Astro-Physics in IIT, Mumbai. He has travelled to places in India and abroad to render intellectual discourses on India’s Vedic Heritage and how it is far ahead of the western world. This humble family from Mylapore is a role model for others to follow.

Source: http://www.newstodaynet.com/newsindex.php?section=12&catid=21&id=14750

A modern day Shravan Kumar

KATHMANDU, NEPAL, February 8, 2009: For over 13 years, Kailash Giri has been pilgrimaging on foot from one Hindu shrine to another, carrying his blind 83-year-old mother, Kirti Devi, on his shoulders. He is being hailed as a modern-day Shravan Kumar, an epic character hailed as the perfect son.

Wearing the saffron dhoti favoured by Hindu pilgrims, his torso bare and his long hair tied atop his head, Giri carries a bamboo pole on his shoulders from which are slung two wicker baskets. One contains his mother; the other, balancing her weight, contains their meager possessions, topped by a photo of his father, Ram Shripal, who died when Giri was 10.

The frail 36-year-old, a native of Wargi villag in Madhya Pradesh, has become an object of admiration and awe in Nepal’s Janakpur town in southern Dhanusha district where he has arrived to offer worship at the famed Ram and Janaki temple. Mother and son are penniless, but everywhere the villagers offer them food and shelter. Many garland Kirti Devi and touch her in the hope that their own sons will be as filial as hers.

Giri explains that as a young child, he fell from a tree and broke his hand, and it healed due to his mother’s incessant prayers. She pledged to the Gods that she would offer her thanks at a holy shrine; so as an adult, Giri began carrying her to shrines all over India to fulfill her vow. In addition, Giri–who has remained a bachelor to care for his mother– has another mission: He wants to send out the message that parents are a son’s gods and should be served to the best of one’s ability.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20090082931

Management Lesson from Ramayana

250 year old Baba of Vrindavan

Devraha Baba was a siddha who lived for over 250 years, before entering samadhi in 1989. So elderly was he that the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, more than fifty years ago, said that his father had sat at the feet of Devraha Baba as a child - that is, in the middle of the nineteenth century - and Devraha Baba was already elderly at that time.

This rare video footage was recorded for a russian television channel around 1987-1989, so it is not in English.

Fire Yogi of Tanjavur

Found this interesting....

How hungry are you for God?

In a town in Bengal , there was a man who worked in an office. He lived with his wife and two children. One of the children was only three or four months old and the other was seven years old. One day, the man told his wife, "You will have to prepare breakfast early today because I have to go into the office early. After I eat, I shall leave right away." When the wife went to cook, she first put the baby on the bed and then went into the kitchen. But, whenever she would enter the kitchen, the child would cry. She thought, "With the child in my lap, how will I be able to cook? It is very difficult." She was thinking what she should do. Then she thought of a way she could manage. She called the seven-year-old child.

"Darling, come here!" she called. "Do you know that red toy in the shop?"

"Yes, I know it," the child answered.

"Go and buy that toy, but be sure that it makes a nice jingling sound."

The child took some money and went off to buy the toy. He brought it home and gave it to the mother. The mother laid the baby down on the bed and hung the red-colored toy with the jingling sound above him, at the end of a rope. The baby saw the toy and immediately started to play with it, hitting it from side to side. The child was most delighted as he continued to slap the toy and hear the jingling sound. For one hour he played like that, and the mother went to do her cooking. After that, the child started to feel hungry. For the entire time that the child was playing, he did not remember his mother. But, now that he felt hungry, he thought, "Oh, where is my mother?" But his mother did not come. Then, he started crying, signifying, "I am hungry! Come!" He could not speak, so he beckoned his mother by crying. "Come to me and suckle me! I am hungry!" His mother, however, was busy cooking. "No," she thought, "let the child cry."

After some time, the child stopped crying and went back to playing with the toy---jingle, jingle, jingle. After playing like that for a while, the pangs of hunger returned. His hunger increased and increased and he became more and more unhappy. He began to cry for his mother even more loudly than before.

His mother heard the crying of the baby, but thought that she should first finish her cooking.

Finally, the hunger became unbearable for the child. The child thought, "I don't want toys!" All he could think about was his mother.
His crying became louder and louder until he was screaming. He started to throw his arms about and kick his legs, in a tantrum.

Then the mother thought, "Oh, I cannot stay away any longer!" The mother ran toward the child, embraced him and suckled him.

Like this, the Supreme Lord has given us toys---the toy of a wife or husband, toys of children, toys of buildings, toys of radios, toys of videos, toys of computers. Seeing this, Krsna thinks, "They are absorbed in their toys! I have no worries. I am engaged in My pastimes in the transcendental realm. They do not want this. They want those things instead. Here, take this computer! Take that video! Take this! Take that!"

Upon the awakening of his real self (atma), a man feels the want of the sweetest affection of the Supreme Lord. He cries, "Oh Supreme Lord! In this world, nothing gives me happiness. Everything is temporary. Everyone is selfish. You are my most beloved! Where are You? I have forgotten You! Come! Come! I am in a furnace! Come! Come!" Weeping, he calls, but Krsna does not come. "I am engaged in My pastimes," Krsna says. For some time, the man then becomes absorbed in the affairs of his family and relatives, and forgets Krsna. Time passes and he cries again, "Where is My beloved Supreme Lord? Where is He?" Crying, crying. But, the Supreme Lord still does not come. Ultimately, he shouts, "I do not want a house! I do not want anything! Nobody is mine---You are mine! Oh beloved Supreme Lord! Come! Come! Come!" He cries and weeps, tossing his arms and legs about. Then Krsna cries, "Oh!" and comes to him. This sort of perturbation of the heart, extreme eagerness for getting Bhagavan, must be there.

When we associate with the suddha bhakta who is crying for Krsna, then the eternal nature of atma will be awakened. You have love for God. Love is there in your soul. It exists, but it is presently enveloped by the external potency of the Supreme Lord and you have become averse to Sri Krsna.

Nostradamus On India, Sonia Gandhi & BJP

By Francois Gautier
Michel de Nostre-Dame, better known as Nostradamus (1503-1566), was a famous French astrologer whose predictions - which included the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy & the premature death of the previous Pope - have proved infallibly accurate.

Recently, unpublished manuscripts of Nostradamus have been discovered (and authentified) in an old trunk in the French city of Lyon. Curiously, there are two full pages, which deal at length with India, particularly with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the just concluded elections. We are giving here the first words in Latin, the language which he used, along with a rough translation in English.

"Politicus Bharatus Janatus Indicus veni grandus est vingtus unus centurus - Congressus oublium est …"

The Bharatiya Janata Party will come to dominate India in the 21st century, as the Congress, will slowly sink into oblivion.

"Malheureusus, duo annum millenium trahisonus idealum est Congressus ressemblum, fautum adoptus est. Electionirium Blanca Madamus attaquum"...

Unfortunately, to achieve power, the BJP may gradually forsake most of its idealism. In the 1999 elections for instance, (Nostradamus made here a prediction error : he said duum millenium = 2000), instead of concentrating on real issues - water, sanitation, education - it will waste all its energies on attacking the White Lady (Sonia Gandhi, we suppose).

"Surtoutnum idealus oublium Indianum magna Carta devenus est"…

But more than these basic issues, which any sincere politician should have at heart, it will not address the real burning changes which India needs to adopt so as to become again a Great Power.

And Nostradamus goes on to enumerate these changes :

"Congressus independantum Blancum copium est; necessarus changum indianus cumum facus est"…

As the Congress had heavily borrowed from the White Man (British ?) at Independence, it will become necessary to "Indianize" the nation so that it may manifest again its true unique soul.

"Panchayatum villagum empruntus. Sanskritus introdum est. Historicum ecritum manus, daemonus est. Yogum, respirationnus introdum est…"

Give back the power to the villages in the form of Panchayat. Reintroduce Sanskrit as the national language. Rewrite Indian History, which had mostly been devised by White Masters. Revive ancient traditional systems such as pranayama, yoga, and incorporate them in the education system and everyday life. Change the Constitution so that democracy may not be perverted as it will be. Privatise the over-staffed Iron Bird (Indian Airlines ?), which has the most expensive fares in the world…

"Malheureusus, secularus montrarus Congressus devenium est, corptionus introdus cancerus est..."

Unhappily again, goes on to say Nostradamus, the BJP in its eagerness to prove itself secular (secularus is originally a Latin word), will tend to become like the Congress : corruption, bureaucracy, the VIP plague, the madness of subsidies and the hunger for power, may eat its inner core as a cancer…

"Americanus octopussus contentus summum est; jaunus manus menacus ignorum est, Gaullus manum oublius est. Aurobindus Ghosus Propehetus ignorum est"…

It will try to please the American octopus (?) at the cost of India's integrity, will ignore the great danger of the Yellow Hand (China ?), it will forget that a reuniting with Pakistan is of utmost importance for the stability of the subcontinent, will shun the friendship of the Gauls (France ?) and will also disregard the words of its Great Prophet, Aurobindo Ghose.

And this is Nostradamus' scoop - if we may say :

"Politicus Bharatus Janatus interminum dividus duum et novus politicus formus"…

After some time, the Bharatiya Janata Party may split into two. Sincere idealists will form a parallel party which will have as its political platform many of the ideals which the BJP had forsaken.

"Indianus pretus reformus est, Grandus nationus manum"…

India by that time will be ready for the Big Change and the new party will sweep away the polls and implement these reforms.

"Sanskritus savantuus nationalum languus, decentralisum governmentus, aryanus theorum mortuum est, dharmum hinduus devenum. Christianum, Islamus influencum"…

Scholars will sit down to modernise and simplify Sanskrit; government will be decentralised; India will strive to form of a federation of SAARC countries; the theory of the Aryan invasion will be proved false and it will be shown that Indian civilisation is at least ten thousand years old and has influenced all great ancient civilisations and religions such as Christianity and even Islam.

And finally :

"Aurobindus Ghosus realisum est, Indianum Agus ancientus mortum non est"..

And the prophecy of Sri Aurobindo will be fulfilled : "India of the ages is not dead nor has She spoken Her last creative word. And that which She must seek now to awake, is not an anglicised oriental people, docile pupil of the West and doomed to repeat the cycle of the Occident's success and failure, but still the ancient immemorial Shakti recovering Her deepest self, lifting Her head higher towards the supreme source of light and strength and turning to discover the complete meaning and vaster form of Her Dharma".

P.S. Nostradamus had written a Post Script:

"Post Scriptum : Politicus Bharatus Janatus minus votus, realisus stupidum est et changum exorcisus"…

As the BJP, in spite of its alliance getting overall majority (in 1999), will actually win less seats than in the previous election (because of it folly of forsaking its idealism and only attacking the White Lady), it may come to its senses and take-up again its original ideals, thus avoiding the Split. In this way, this semi-defeat may help to exorcise the demons of mediocrity.

Chawla’s appointment was wrong

S Gurumurthy

“When facts are against the litigant, argue the law” — this is the lawyers’ strategy in courts. Those who fault the Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami’s recommendation for removing Navin Chawla, one of the two election commissioners, seem to adopt this strategy. The disturbing facts about Navin Chawla should be captured first before seeing if Gopalaswami is right or wrong. Facts speak louder than any editorialized news in defence of Chawla and against Gopalaswami. One generation of 18-year-old voters was not even born when the Chawla story started; an earlier generation would have been at playschools and KG classrooms then.

Chawla is “unfit to hold any public office which demands an attitude of fair play and consideration for others”.

This is not Gopalaswami , but the Justice Shah Commission thirty years back, in 1979. The Shah Commission had inquired into the excesses committed by the executive during the Emergency in 1975-77. It indicted Chawla, then Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, for “authoritarian and callous” conduct and gross misuse of power “in cynical disregard of the welfare of citizens”. Yet for conducting national elections the UPA government shockingly chose Navin Chawla, who was judicially branded unfit to hold “any office that demands fair play and consideration”.

But could Chawla not have changed for the better? Three decades is too long a time for any person to not introspect and change. But this rule did not seem to have worked for Chawla. In his case the evidence testifies to his changelessness over decades. See what Chawla does two decades after Justice Shah indicted him. He solicits and gets donations and largesse for his family-run trust of which he and his wife Rupika are trustees. From who? The very politicians he is now constitutionally bound to oversee and discipline. Not surprisingly, all of them belong to a single party, the Congress. Chawla got funds allocated by Congress MPs from their MPLAD Scheme. The large hearted MPs were: A A Khan, R P Goenka, Ambika Soni, Karan Singh and A R Kidwai. Chawla’s trust was also allotted six acres of land from the Congress government in Rajasthan previously headed by Ashok Gehlot. Obviously Chawla has not changed much in 25 years.

Was it his changelessness that finally got him into the Election Commission? When Chawla’s links with the Congress Party came to light, 204 MPs of the Opposition NDA rightly applied to the President of India, A P J Abdul Kalam, asking for Chawla’s removal from the Commission.

Later, in May 2006, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha moved the Supreme Court for Chawla’s removal. In that case, CEC Gopalaswami filed an affidavit affirming that he had the authority to remove any member of the Election Commission for good reasons. This led to the withdrawal of the petition.

Gopalaswami did not claim any new right. The Supreme Court had expressly vested this right in the CEC by its judgement in the case of T N Seshan vs Union of India [reported in (1995) 4 SCC 611].

The court ruled that “the CEC is a permanent incumbent” and “to preserve and safeguard his independence, has to be treated differently” from other members of the EC.

The CEC cannot be removed except by impeachment; the other members are removable without this process. The power to remove other members needs to be retained, added the court. So, the view that the EC “is constitutional body of coequals with equal voting power and that the CEC is the first among equals with certain leadership and administrative responsibilities” is totally wrong. But who can exercise the power to remove? This is what the court ruled: “having safeguarded the CEC from external and executive pressure” confidence was reposed in CEC “to safeguard the independence” of his Election Commissioners by enjoining that they cannot be removed except on his recommendation.

The court thus settled that the CEC, here Gopalaswami, alone has the power to recommend the removal of Chawla; the political government has no authority in this. Constitutionally the political authority cannot remove an EC except on CEC’s recommendation.

Consequently, it cannot refuse to remove if the CEC recommends so. Once the CEC has recommended the removal of Chawla, the government has no power to refuse to comply. Gopalaswami has clearly and strictly gone by the rule book.

QED: In retrospect, it is Chawla’s appointment to the EC, and his continuance in EC, that is wrong. Not his removal recommended by Gopalaswami. The CEC must be commended for his courage, not faulted on wrong reasoning.

Source: The New Indian Express

'Chawla's loo breaks led to Congress phone calls'

Election Commissioner Navin Chawla's excuses and frequent visits to the washroom whenever crucial decisions were taken by the full bench of the Election Commission, is among the instances cited by the Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami [Images] in his letter to the President recommending the former's removal.

In the report to the President, the CEC notes that whenever the full bench meeting was seized of an issue, Chawla will make an excuse of going to the washroom. And soon thereafter, invariably, the CEC would get phone calls from top Congress functionaries even as the meeting was in progress. This amounted to interference in the functioning of the Election Commission, the CEC felt.

In his report, Gopalaswami also elaborated on the visit of the prime minister's Principal Secretary T K A Nair to Nirvachan Sadan, which houses the Election Commission of India in New Delhi [Images], to enquire about the 'notice' being sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi [Images] on her receiving an award from Belgium.

Gopalaswami felt that inside deliberations and details of the meetings were invariably being conveyed to a political party.

The CEC has cited 12 instances to conclude that Chawla has not remained impartial in his role as Election Commissioner.

The CEC's letter to the President recommending Chawla's removal is just two pages long, and he has dealt with 12 specific cases of partisanship in another 24 pages and annexed more than 800 pages of the Election Commission minutes, internal correspondence, etc in support of the case he has built up against his colleague.

Sources said Gopalaswami also personally apprised the President, the Cabinet Secretary and the PM's principal secretary about Chawla's misconduct with the staff to assert that he is not fit to continue in the Election Commission.

The CEC has conveyed to top government functionaries the complaints of two deputy election commissioners in this regard. Rajashri Bhattacharya, a 1979 batch IAS officer of the Andhra cadre, had even complained to the Cabinet Secretary that Chawla had abused him and threatened to get him arrested. Bhattacharya has since moved to the Planning Commission. R Balasubramanian, an Orissa cadre IAS officer, is the other deputy election commissioner who complained to the CEC in writing against Chawla.

The CEC also received a complaint that Chawla went out of his way to help a pandal owner during the recent Delhi assembly elections by calling up electoral officers to hire material from him.

Though Gopalaswami has not identified the Congress leaders prompted by Chawla to call up and interfere in the Election Commission's functioning in his report to the President, he has named T K A Nair as having visited him.

Gopalaswami says Nair tried to scuttle the notice against the Congress president, pleading that the prime minister has already examined the matter and found that there was no case against Sonia Gandhi. After five months of deliberations, the Election Commission decided to serve notice on Sonia Gandhi. She replied but the Election Commission is not able to firm up its views since Chawla is dragging his feet in submitting his comments, the CEC's report says.

The CEC's report says irrespective of whether Chawla consents to a decision or finds himself singled out by a majority of Gopalaswami and S Y Quraishi, the other Election Commissioner, he appears to be in the habit of conveying all the minutes of their internal meetings to the Congress leadership.

The report mentions the CEC getting a phone call from a top Congress functionary when the Election Commission was debating the possible dates for the Gujarat assembly elections and holding them in three phases as the home ministry was reluctant to provide sufficient central forces to complete it in two phases.

Sources stated that the Congress functionary whom the CEC does not name is none else but Ahmed Patel, Sonia Gandhi's political secretary, who talked to him in Gujarati, but this could not be confirmed. Gopalaswami, who is a Gujarat cadre IAS officer and speaks Gujarati fluently, countered as to how he learnt about the details when the EC's deliberations were still in progress.

Sources said Ahmed Patel reportedly wriggled out, stating that he got it from a source and assured sufficient central forces to complete the elections in two phases. And in no time the home ministry informed the CEC that central forces can be provided to conduct the polls in two phases and so the elections were held in two phases.

In another instance, Chawla found himself in a minority on holding the Himachal Pradesh [Images] assembly elections ahead of the completion of the five-year term of the present House. Even before the minutes were drawn up, the CEC got a phone call from then chief minister Veerbhadra Singh to defer announcement of the elections. Another senior Congress functionary wanted to meet the EC's full bench to plead against the elections three months ahead of the House term.

Sources identified this functionary as R K Dhawan, a senior Congress Working Committee member, who is very close to the Gandhi family. Again, this could not be confirmed.

Other instances cited by the CEC for removing Chawla include those related to the Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh [Images] assembly elections, Bhagalpur by-election, and the controversial BJP CD case during the Uttar Pradesh elections.

Source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2009/feb/02chawlas-loo-breaks-led-to-congress-phone-calls-cec.htm

A guide to convert International Hindu students!

A guide by Christian Missionaries on how to 'harvest' souls by targetting Hindu International students who come to study abroad. Beware students!


Converting Hindu Students

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